She nodded, and Beverly poured her a cup.
“Cream or sugar?”
“Just black.”
Beverly motioned to the chalkboard across the room. “That’s what we’ve got today. We’re out of the blueberry muffins, but we’ve got the rest. Or you can get lunch. The chicken salad is good.”
“I think I’ll just have a chef’s salad.”
“Coming right up.” Beverly hurried away and Tori leaned back in her chair, glancing around the cafe. Only a few other customers were here mid-morning, which suited her just fine.
Beverly returned with her salad and set it in front of her. “First trip to the island?”
“Ah, no. I came here in the summers when I was a young girl. Haven’t been back in… well, a lot of years.” She gave a wry smile. “Been quite a few years since I was a young girl.”
“Oh, family vacations here?”
“Just my grandmother and me.” Her grandmother had been gone more than thirty years, but she still missed her. The one person she could always depend on.
“Well, we’re glad to have you back.” Beverly’s welcome was genuine and warm. “Staying long?”
“I’m not exactly sure. Just taking a much-needed break.”
“Where are you staying?”
“I’m staying at Bayside B&B for now. Then I want to find a longer-term rental.”
“Darlene’s place. You’ll love it there.” Beverly waved to a couple coming into the cafe, then turned back to her. “Let me know if you want anything else.”
She slowly picked at her salad. Her hunger had vanished when she realized the enormity of her decision. Coming to a place where she knew no one. Doing everything for herself instead of the constant help of her assistant. Though her assistant had booked the B&B and made the flight reservation and the car reservation. Loneliness swirled around her even though she was sitting in the middle of the coffee shop. Though, as far as she could tell, it was her, four other customers, and Beverly. The coffee shops near her apartment in New York City were crammed full of customers at all hours of the day and night. This was a welcome change. Okay, itprobablywas. It would take a bit of time to adjust to this new lifestyle.
She squared her shoulders and took another bite of the salad. She’d faced a lot in the last few months. She could certainly learn to handle this change.
She finished her meal, paid her bill, and headed toward the door. It burst open, and she ran smack into a man’s broad, hard chest. The unexpected collision caused a jolt of surprise to ricochet through her.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” he said gruffly.
“It’s okay.” She stepped back.Ma’am.She was getting so many ma’ams since she allowed herself to go gray. She self-consciously tucked her hair behind her ear.
He looked closely at her, frowned slightly, then nodded. He slipped past and headed toward an empty table. She stared at him for a moment, wondering if he’d recognized her. Shaking her head, she headed outside. No one would recognize her like this, would they? Gray hair. Casual clothes—and she needed to get more suitable clothes for here—and far away from the spotlights in New York. A safe place to… to hide.
Chapter3
The next morning Tori woke up slowly, trying to figure out where she was. The quiet was eerily unfamiliar. Ah, yes. The B&B. She slid up and leaned against the fluffy down pillows, enjoying a moment of lazing in bed. Early morning sunlight streamed into her room, illuminating the quaint decor. She climbed out of bed and headed over to the window, looking outside at the bay that stretched between the island and the mainland. Pink hues tinted the clouds over the water. The ferry was approaching the island. She glanced at the clock. Seven. Much earlier than her usual time to get up, but then she hadn’t stayed up late into the night like she usually did. There was no need for that now.
She quickly got dressed in a pair of shorts and a simple blouse and went downstairs. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee, baked bread, and a hint of cinnamon led the way. Darlene greeted her as she entered the dining room. “Good morning, Tori. Hope you slept well.”
“I did. Well, I admit I ended up turning on a noise app on my phone last night. I wasn’t used to how quiet it was here. It’s always noisy in New York.”
“I bet.” Darlene motioned for her to sit and poured her some coffee.
“Just black, thank you.” Tori reached for the cup.
“Help yourself to what you want from the sideboard. There’s quiche, oatmeal, and cinnamon rolls. Or yogurt and granola if that’s more your thing. Oh, and freshly squeezed orange juice.”
“Thank you.” She went over to the sideboard, her mouth watering. Steam rose from the pot of oatmeal, and the light glaze on the cinnamon rolls tempted her. She self-righteously decided on yogurt and fruit, then with a shrug and a grin, grabbed a cinnamon roll. Why not?
A young couple came in, holding hands, looking at each other as if there were no other people in the world.
