Page 23 of Meet Me at Sunset Cove

Well, that wasn’t exactly true. But they might as well have.

“That’s terrible,” Vera gasped. “You were the heart of that show.”

Daisy cracked an honest smile. She had no idea how badly Daisy had needed to hear that, her costar’s voice fighting against it in her head.You wouldn’t even have this show if it weren’t for me.

“And you and—what was his name?—”

“Logan,” Jill provided from behind the counter, and both Daisy and Vera turned to look at her. Jill straightened from where she’d been leaning over the counter to listen. She shrugged. “What? I keep up with things.”

Vera turned back to Daisy. “Are you two still…”

Daisy plastered on a polite smile. She’d been prepared for the question. But it didn’t make it any easier to answer. “No. We split up too.”

Vera reached across the table, giving Daisy’s elbow a comforting squeeze. “I’m sorry, love.”

“It’s okay—I’m okay.” Surprisingly okay. “I’m on to better things.”

Suddenly the barista was beside her. “For what it’s worth, I always thought you were too good for him.” She set down a small plate with what looked like a cherry tart. “You’re sunlight. And he’s fog.”

Daisy blinked up at her in surprise.

Hold on. Was everyone in this place listening in on their conversation? She glanced around and was relieved to see most everyone else had left.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” Jill said. “Old habits, you know.” Her eyes drifted to the empty outlet on the wall, and she frowned. “Weren’t you going to plug in your phone?”

The reminder hit Daisy like a splash of cold water. She still had to book her flight, pack, and catch a ferry back to the mainland.

“Oh my goodness, I completely forgot, thank you.” She fumbled through her purse and fished out a charger, plugging it into the wall with her phone attached. The screen flickered to life a moment later, and a message popped onto the screen. Daisy picked up the phone, unlocked it to look at the text.

Hunter

Meet me at the house at ten. We need to talk.

Daisy’s eyes darted to the clock on the wall. 11:15.

“Shoot!” She scrambled to her feet, nearly knocking the table over in the process. “I have to go. I’m so sorry. It was so nice talking to you, Vera. Thank you for the coffee!”

Vera laughed and waved a hand. “Go!”

Daisy pushed through the door to the street and ran.

ChapterFive

Hunter glanced at his phone for about the tenth time and slumped back against the old oak door, pulling his knees up to rest his elbows on them.

She wasn’t coming.

He ran a hand through his hair, hanging his head between his arms. What had he expected? That she’d just show up after the way he treated her?

He exhaled a heavy breath.

The crunch of leaves on the road and footsteps in the grass caught his attention, and Hunter lifted his head.

Daisy Decker.

She was picking her way across the lawn. She wore a brown flannel over a matching brown shirt. Her black leggings, which were tucked into high tan socks and boots, caught against every bush, collecting burrs as she shimmied sideways down the path.

Rising to his feet, Hunter strode forward and leaned against the wooden post supporting the awning, watching her fight against a waist-high thistle that had caught on her.

---