“I prefer going out on the boat, but I’ll pitch in wherever I’m needed. It seems a lot of people showed up this morning.”

“Yes, sure looks like it.”

Bryce hadn’t seen Kaegan since arriving and figured he was somewhere in his office getting things organized. However, she had seen Ray, who’d arrived at the same time she had. He’d said he was okay with leaving Ashley for a full day since her three best friends were in town visiting her this weekend.

Sawyer had come a few minutes later and told her that Vashti would be on her way after dropping off Cutter at Reid’s place. Everyone appreciated Bryce’s parents for sending over the complimentary boxes of blueberry muffins to go along with the kegs of coffee they’d also provided. She hadn’t been surprised by her parents’ generosity to Kaegan. They knew a lot of the volunteers would be out on the water most of the day and had wanted to do their part, especially since Kaegan had ordered lunch and dinner for his crew to be catered from her parents’ café.

“Would you excuse me, Vaughn? I see Willa and Faith and want to say hello.”

“Sure. No problem.”

She moved away from Vaughn and walked to where Willa Ford and Faith Harris stood talking. Bryce knew Willa and Faith. Like Bryce, Willa had been born and raised in the cove. Instead of going away to college, she’d opted to marry her childhood sweetheart. She and Ron were still married and had two sons in college. Ron was a part of the Catalina Cove police force.

Faith was four years older than Bryce and had graduated from high school with her brother Duke. She had come to the cove to live with her grandparents during her middle-school years. Bryce knew that Faith’s first husband had died three years ago. It was known around town that the man had cheated on her a few times but she’d stayed with him anyway. A year after he’d died of a heart attack in another woman’s bed, Faith had managed to pull herself together and get married again. This time around she was married to a man who adored her and treated her like a queen.

“Hey, guys,” Bryce said when she approached.

“Hello, Bryce,” Willa and Faith said simultaneously.

“I see Kaegan talked you into joining the team this morning,” Willa said, grinning.

Bryce chuckled. “No, I volunteered. I figured it was the least I could do for him helping me study for an exam I’m taking.”

“So is it official now?” Faith asked, smiling brightly. “Are you and the boss back together again?”

Bryce shook her head. “No. Kaegan and I are just friends and nothing more.”

“Honestly, Bryce,” Willa said as she shook her head. “Do you think you and Kaegan can ever just be friends?”

Funny, her brothers had asked her the same thing that morning when she arrived at the café and told everyone of her plans for today. “I don’t see why not. Ten years apart is a long time and we’re not trying to rekindle anything but friendship.”