Page 56 of Meet Me at Sunset Cove

In that split second of distraction, her hand caught on the sharp edge of the metal framing the glass. She jerked back reflexively, losing her grip on the window.

Time seemed to slow as Daisy watched the stained glass tip from its frame. The beautiful blues and greens that had been hidden away for so long now sparkled in the sunlight for one brief, terrible moment before gravity took hold.

The crash was deafening in the quiet house. Shards of colored glass scattered across the floor.

No. Oh no…

* * *

The air smelled like snow.

Hunter sucked in a deep breath, savoring the chill as he stepped off the ferry. He’d always loved the late fall, the anticipating that came with cold. The weather report had predicted the first snowfall of the season later that day—a little late in the year for them, but a welcome sight now that the exterior updates on the front of the house were done.

He glanced at his watch and winced at the pang of guilt for leaving early again, though it was short-lived. Renovations on the house would slow down soon, and he could catch up on work. Soon.

Ahead of him, the town was already buzzing with pre-Thanksgiving energy, despite it still being a few weeks away. The first snow had always had a way of sending everyone’s holiday jitters into a flurry, and the modest decor that had peppered storefronts a week ago had now been ramped up into full turkey shrines and pumpkin memorials in every nook and cranny in sight.

As he made his way toward Sunset Cove, Hunter nodded greetings to the familiar faces throughout town. Linda Issacson arranged a cornucopia in the window of Doug’s Market, displaying their Thanksgiving specials. Farther down, Fred Miller straightened a leafy wreath hanging on the front door of Miller Antiques.

Jill stood out in front of Good Day Coffee, stringing cranberries and popcorn around her sidewalk sign.

“Those are Christmas decorations, Jill,” Hunter teased as he passed.

“They’re multi-purpose!” she called after him.

Hunter chuckled. The sight of the town flourishing for the first time in years filled him with a sense of pride and gratitude. They had so much to be thankful for this year. The newly opened realty office, with Mia’s art covering the walls, stood as a testament to the island’s growth.

Hunter’s gaze fell on the empty storefront near the end of the street, and he thought back on Seb’s request for his dad to bring his business back to the island…

They could even work out of the house once it was finished.

He pushed the thought away.

No sense in dwelling on things he couldn’t make happen.

Daisy flashed in his mind. Her easy smile. Her bubbling laughter.

Really?

That was different, he lied to himself.

He turned onto the hill and began his ascent.

The trees, now bare, gave an extended preview of the lake view as he neared the end of the path. The gray skies made the lake look like used paint-water, sinking from clear to dark against the shores. To his right, as he emerged from the trees, the house stood waiting for him. Daisy was waiting for him.

He crossed the porch and reached for the door just as a thunderous crash broke from inside the house.

“Daisy?” His heart leaped into his throat, pounding hard as he flung open the door. “Are you okay?”

Hunter stopped in his tracks, trying to make sense of the scene that greeted him in the parlor. Daisy knelt amid a sea of shattered glass, her hands trembling as she tried to gather the pieces, blood dripping from her palm.

“Daisy!” He was across the room in an instant, his boots cracking over broken glass as he reached for her. “What happened? You’re hurt.”

“I’m okay,” she said, her voice watery, her gaze still fixed on the shards of blue and green across the floor.

“You’re not okay,” Hunter said. He reached for her hand, gently examining the cut. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

He rose, ignoring the glass as he helped her to her feet. Briefly, his eyes swept over the scene, and recognition dawned as he saw the picture fully. The old transom window. He let out a breath.

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