Claire tilted her head. “Small talk? Or just being around people in general?”
“Both,” he admitted.
She smiled, as if completely unsurprised. “Well, lucky for you, Seaview Harbor is full of friendly, patient people.”
Jack wasn’t so sure. Claire made it sound so easy—like being part of this town, this community, was inevitable. Maybe for someone like her, it was. But for him? He wasn’t convinced. Her warmth threatened the careful distance he’d cultivated. Every word, every smile chipped away at the quiet shell he’d built around himself. He couldn’t deny how natural she made it look—how easily she connected. And part of him resented how effortlessly she could be kind when just being present felt like a monumental effort for him.
Still, the way she spoke, with such certainty, made him hesitate. Was his aversion to all of this really about disliking it? Or was it the fear of not knowing how to fit in without Amanda smoothing the way?
But before he could respond, a neighbor approached Claire, greeting her with familiarity. Jack took the opportunity to retreat a few steps, relieved to be out of the spotlight. Yet, as he stepped away, a surprising hollowness settled in his chest. The relief of escaping small talk was quickly overshadowed by the realization that he was, once again, on the periphery, watching rather than participating. It was easier this way—less risk, fewer expectations—but standing alone while others laughed and talked so easily made the isolation feel heavier than usual. He had chosen solitude, but for the first time in a long while, he wondered if it had really chosen him.
He wandered closer to the bonfire, the warmth licking at his skin as he watched Chloe play. She fit in so seamlessly. That was all that mattered.
Yet, as his gaze drifted back through the crowd, it landed on Claire. She stood mid-conversation, animated and at ease, her face alight with laughter. Jack watched the way she moved, the way others leaned in to speak to her, the effortless warmth she seemed to carry with her. She belonged here—of that he was certain.
His shoulders tensed as he shifted his weight, debating whether to stay or retreat. But then Claire turned. Her eyes found his across the firelit courtyard, and her smile softened into something more personal—gentle, patient, open.
Jack felt something shift inside him, something subtle but undeniable. He hadn’t expected anyone to notice he was struggling. And yet, she had.
He looked away quickly, unmoored by the intensity of the moment. But the feeling lingered, steady and unfamiliar. For the first time in a long while, Jack didn’t feel invisible.
Maybe this town wasn’t just Amanda’s dream. Maybe, somehow, it could be his too.
And maybe—just maybe—he wasn’t as alone as he thought.
Chapter Four
Claire
Thebonfirecrackled,sendingglowing embers spiraling into the night sky as the ocean breeze carried laughter and the scent of roasting marshmallows through the air. Claire thrived in moments like these—the hum of conversation, the warmth of community, the effortless joy of belonging. The scent of roasted marshmallows clung to the breeze, and for a fleeting second, she let the crackle of the fire and the laughter around her settle the tangle in her chest. It grounded her in a way nothing else had in years, filling the spaces that once felt unbearably empty.
She hadn’t always had this.
After her divorce, there had been long, isolating months of loneliness—navigating motherhood alone, feeling like an outsider in every room she entered. She remembered the nights when the house felt too quiet, when Gabe had fallen asleep and the only sound was the hum of the refrigerator, the silence around her as heavy as the questions she couldn’t answer.
Grocery trips had been exercises in uncertainty. She recalled standing in the grocery store, aimlessly wandering the aisles, unsure of what to cook for just the two of them.
Holidays had been the hardest, watching families gather while she and Gabe tried to create new traditions out of thin air.
It wasn’t until Seaview, until the people here welcomed her without hesitation, that she started to believe in belonging again. Seaview had changed that. The people here had embraced her and Gabe, had made them feel like they belonged.
Now, she cherished these gatherings, not just for the laughter and companionship, but because they reminded her of how far she’d come. How much she had rebuilt. And how much she wanted others—Jack included—to find that same sense of home. As she chatted with neighbors, sharing stories and easy laughter, she felt completely in her element.
But even in the midst of the vibrant gathering, her gaze drifted toward the edge of the crowd, where Jack Montgomery stood, half in the shadows, hands shoved into his pockets, his posture rigid despite the festive atmosphere.
Claire’s lips quirked in amusement. If ever a man looked like he wanted to disappear into the sand, it was Jack. But did he really want to, or had he just convinced himself that staying on the outside was safer? She wondered if he would ever make the choice to step in, or if someone—maybe her—would have to gently push him forward. Some people just needed a reason to try, and Claire was starting to think Jack might be one of them.
She wondered what it would take to make him relax, to get him to actually enjoy a moment rather than endure it. There was something about him—something buried and quiet—that resonated with her own journey through loneliness. Maybe it was the look in his eyes, the way he scanned the crowd like he was searching for an escape, that reminded her of the days she had done the same. Maybe that was why she cared—not just out of empathy, but because helping him feel at home felt like reclaiming something for herself too.
Had he always been this way, or was this guardedness something new? Something born from loss? She had seen men like him before—closed off, convinced they were better off on their own. But she had also seen how loneliness could wear a person down, even if they refused to acknowledge it.
She excused herself from the conversation and made her way toward him, the soft glow of firelight catching in her hair as she approached. “You know,” she said lightly, stopping beside him, “for a man who claims to be here, you sure look like you’d rather be anywhere else.”
Jack’s lips twitched at the corner, the closest thing to a smile she’d seen on him yet. “That obvious, huh?”
Claire nodded. “Just a little. But hey, at least you showed up. That’s progress.”
Jack huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “Chloe gave me no choice.”
