“Okay, well, I’d stick to that side and watch your step,” Wes said. “I’m sorry to see the place in such bad shape.” He glanced at the open-concept entry as they carefully stepped around the broken landing and descended the stairs, staying close to the wall. “It really used to be something special.”

“It sure was.” Sarah scanned the original dark-wood frame of the impressive foyer. Twenty-foot ceilings and spiraling staircases on either side of the large check-in desk gave the appearance of elegance, packaged in a cozy, inviting beach house. The old three-story Victorian home, built in the late 1800s, had hosted vacationing celebrities and families alike, and her grandma had treated everyone like extended family. Her warm, caring personality had once turned Dove’s Nest into the best place to stay in Blue Moon Bay.

Unfortunately, no one had stayed there in a long time. Her grandmother had closed the doors to the B&B five years before at age ninety, deciding she was too old to run the business alone, and no one else in the family had stepped up.

Sarah had been building her own career in L.A. and had never entertained the idea of moving back home. She loved her grandma, but the B&B had been Dove’s dream, not Sarah’s. Dove loved entertaining, and every guest became a friend. Sarah was more of an introvert, preferring a few close friends and intimate gatherings. She enjoyed the security and distancing that working online provided. That was her comfort zone. And her grandmother was the first one to encourage everyone to follow their own passions.

So why she’d left her to deal with this, Sarah couldn’t figure out.

Wes’s cell phone rang, and he glanced at the caller ID. “Sorry, just a sec,” he said before answering. “Hey, sweetheart, I’m on my way…”

Must be his daughter. Sarah had seen photos of her on Facebook over the years.

“No, you have soccer practice tonight. Yes, you have to go… Because you gave the team your commitment.”

Sarah felt like she’d gone back in time as she listened. How many times had her own father said those words to her? Despite her being clumsy and allergic to basically everything in nature, her parents had insisted that she at least give team sports a try. They gave up when the coaches begged them to stop forcing Sarah to participate. Apparently, it only took scoring on your own net a few times to get the coach to put in the plea.

“Okay, see you soon,” Wes was saying.

As he disconnected the call, Sarah shook her head. “I still can’t believe you’re a dad.” The Wes in her memories was a smart-ass jock who thought he was too cool for school. A childhood hearing problem that developed after a terrible ear infection seemed to make paying attention in school more challenging for him.