He glanced at her car as he crossed to his own, scanned the license plate. The Massachusetts tag looked brand spanking new. Wouldn’t hurt to run it, he thought. Just to settle his mind.

His gut told him Nell Channing might not have been looking for trouble, but she wasn’t a stranger to it.

Nell served apple turnovers and lattes to the young couple by the window and then cleared an adjoining table. A trio of women were browsing the stacks, and she suspected they’d be lured into the café section before long.

With her hands full of mugs, she loitered by the window. The ferry was arriving from the mainland, chased by gulls that circled and dived. Buoys bobbed in a sea that was soft and green today. A white pleasure boat, sails fat with wind, skimmed along the surface.

Once she’d sailed on another sea, in another life. It was one of the few pleasures she took from that time. The feel of flying over the water, rising on waves. Odd, wasn’t it, that the sea had always called to her? It had changed her life. And had taken it.

Now, this new sea had given her another life.

Smiling at the thought, she turned and bumped solidly into Zack. Even as he took her arm to steady her, she was jerking back. “I’m sorry. Did I spill anything on you? I’m clumsy, I wasn’t watching where—”

“No harm done.” He hooked the fingers of one hand through two mug handles and, careful not to touch her again, took them from her. “I was in your way. Nice boat.”

“Yes.” She sidestepped, hurried back to the counter, behind it. She hated having anyone come up behind her. “But I’m not getting paid to watch boats. Can I get you anything?”

“Take a breath, Nell.”

“What?”

“Take a breath.” He said it gently as he set the mugs on the counter. “Get yourself steady again.”

“I’m fine.” Resentment pricked through her. She clanged mugs together as she scooped them off the counter. “I didn’t expect to have anyone hulking around behind me.”

His lips twitched. “That’s better. I’ll take one of those turnovers and a large coffee to go. Did you finish your planting?”

“Nearly.” She didn’t want to talk to him, so she busied herself with the coffee. She didn’t want to have the island cop making friendly conversation and watching her out of those sharp green eyes.

“Maybe you can make use of this when you’re finishing up and tending to your flowers.” He laid a bag on the counter.

“What is it?”

“Garden tool.” He counted out his money, set that on the counter as well.