He pulled on his shirt as he climbed back inside the cab and a moment later, he headed down Main Street toward the inn. This time of day was quiet along the otherwise busy street. Most offices didn’t open until nine and the shops around ten. The pace of small-town life suited him just fine. He waved to Jessica, seeing her load her delivery van outside Delicious Delicacies, and she smiled back at him as she worked. She must love having Sarah in town for a while. Jessica, Sarah, and Whitney had been inseparable through the school years. They were all so different personality-wise that they seemed to complement one another. Balance one another out. Jessica was the bubbly, optimistic, friendly one who was as sweet as her baked goods. Whitney was a determined go-getter with a fierce loyalty to her family and friends. And Sarah was the quirky, lovable, slightly self-deprecating optimist often masquerading as a pessimist.

Or at least that’s who she used to be. He couldn’t really claim to know her anymore. After high school, she’d left Blue Moon Bay for college and had never looked back. They were Facebook friends, but he wasn’t a fan of social media, so he hadn’t really used the platform to spy on old acquaintances.

Wes slowed the truck as he approached the vacated office space on Main Street that used to house his office. The For Lease sign had gone up on the property again the week before. Pulling to the side of the street, he got out. Cupping his hands around his face, he peered in through the front window. The thousand-square-foot space was small, but it suited his company perfectly. A comfortable reception area, two offices, a boardroom, bathroom, and kitchenette. Nothing fancy, but at least it wasn’t his kitchen. A law firm had moved into the space after he’d vacated it three years before, but now it was available again.

If there was any way…

The inn renovations might be enough to secure first and last month’s rent on the space, but he’d need to generate more future business to ensure he could sustain the payments. Real estate on Main Street was higher than other parts of town, but the visibility was worth it.

His goal was to expand his company from repairs and renovations to new construction projects, new developments on vacant property around town. Unfortunately, he needed the money to invest to get started, and so far there was nothing on the horizon.

Climbing back into his truck, he headed home.

“Morning, Carmen,” Wes said, entering the kitchen twenty minutes later, the smell of banana bread making his mouth water. “Something smells amazing,” he said. He really didn’t deserve Carmen. She not only kept track of the books, she cared for Marissa and insisted on spoiling them with her delicious baked goods.