Page 57 of Meet Me at Sunset Cove

Oh, Daisy.

“Come on,” he said, leading her away.

Hunter cracked open a bottle of water and guided her hand over the sink as he poured it over the wound. Her hand trembled while he tended the cut, and he glanced at her, tried to duck into her line of vision.

“Daisy.”

She sniffed, turning her face away.

“Daisy,” he said softly, reaching for a clean towel to pat her hand dry. “Talk to me. What’s going on?”

She sniffed again, lifting her other hand to brush a tear away, and Hunter broke. “Please, Daisy.”

Finally, she peeked over her shoulder, her eyes brimming with tears as she let out a shaky breath. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Hunter frowned. Did…did she really think he was angry at her? “Because of the window?”

A fat tear spilled to the dusty floor. “I just wanted to do something for you…I know how much that room means to you.”

Oh.

“Hey, now,” he said, stepping closer as his hands brushed her arms. He tried again to duck into her line of vision, but she’d gone back to avoiding his gaze. “It’s just a window, Daisy. It’s fine.”

But she shook her head. “No, it’s not. I feel like such a…such a failure.”

The pain in her voice cut through Hunter like a knife. He opened his mouth to reassure her, but before he could speak, Daisy leaned forward, dropping her forehead against his chest with a heavy thud. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs.

Hunter’s arms immediately encircled her. One hand cradling the back of her head, his fingers brushing gently over her hair, while the other pulled her in tighter. He could feel her tears soaking through his shirt, but he didn’t care.

“Listen to me, Daisy,” he said softly, his chin resting on top of her head. “You are not a failure. Not even close. That window? It’s replaceable. You’re not.”

He held her close, letting her cry against him, offering silent support and comfort. After a few moments, he felt her breathing start to even out.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he continued, his voice thick with emotion. “Do you hear me? I don’t care about some old window. I care about you.”

Slowly, Daisy lifted her head from his chest, her red-rimmed eyes looking for reassurance. Hunter cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs gently wiping away the remnants of her tears.

Oh boy, the lines were getting so blurry.

“Come on, I’ll clean up the glass. You take a break,” he said, stepping back.

ChapterTwelve

Nothing was going the way she had expected. But for once, Daisy felt a sense of comfort as she tried her best just to roll with it.

The crisp November air nipped at Daisy’s cheeks as she sat on a bench overlooking the harbor. An open takeaway box from Martha’s on Main rested beside her, a friendly note from Vera scrawled on a napkin peeking out from beneath. Daisy munched absently on her turkey club, her attention focused on the sketchpad in her lap.

Her pencil moved across the paper as she reworked the design she’d sketched out for the sunroom all those weeks ago.

So much had changed since then.

Her pencil traced the open space of the transom, a piece of the design she just couldn’t make sense of.

There was a lot she couldn’t seem to make sense of—like the way Hunter had reacted when she’d broken something so precious to him. The way that he hadn’t been angry. Just kind. And gentle. And how there had been zero expectations attached to his forgiveness.

Or that kiss…

“Hey, you,” a voice said from over her shoulder. Daisy turned to see Mia approaching, a warm smile on her face. “Mind if I join you?”

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