He turned to the crowd, lifted a hand, and said, “Thank you,” though he doubted anyone could hear him above the ovation. Finally the clapping stopped. The talking continued, however, and Cody heard snippets of conversation—as the story of Louisa’s rescue reverberated throughout the small coffee shop.

“What would you like?” the woman asked.

He ordered a large black coffee and a blueberry muffin to go.

She poured the coffee, put the muffin in a bag, and handed them both to him in record time. “On the house for the hero.”

“That’s not necessary,” he said.

“Neither is saving lives, but you still do it.” The woman shook the bag in his direction, the paper making that crinkling noise.

He took it, along with the hot cup of coffee, and thanked her, then started toward the door. If he’d been wearing a hat, he would’ve tipped it at the other patrons, but instead, he kept his eyes on the exit in hopes of a clean getaway, trying to ignore the constant chatter.

He’d almost made it to the door when someone said his name.

Cody turned in the direction of the man’s voice and stopped moving. There, just inside the door to the Handlebar Café, was Warren Chambers, Louisa’s father and Cody’s dad’s best friend.

So much for not being reminded of all he’d lost.

Warren had aged. He was grayer now, with thinner hair, and there were deep wrinkles around his eyes. But mostly he looked the same. And here he stood, staring at Cody, looking a little like he’d seen a ghost. Cody likely wore the same expression.

He shifted the bag to his left hand and extended his right hand toward the older man. “Mr. Chambers. Good to see you.”

There was a tangible tension in the air—a reminder that things were broken between their two families—the kind only covered with the politeness of good manners. Cody didn’t know much about the rift between Louisa’s parents and his mom, but he knew his mom wanted nothing to do with them anymore.

At first he’d thought it was her grief reacting to Warren and JoEllen, like being with them was too painful, too great a reminder of what she’d lost. He’d assumed she would eventually come around—hoped for it, even. But all these years later, Marissa Boggs still seemed to have a chip on her shoulder where the Chambers family was concerned. This was why he hoped Louisa had the good sense not to invite her or his sister to Maggie’s party.

Whatever had happened between the Boggs and Chambers families, it wasn’t something any of them needed to relive anytime soon. And it wasn’t something a fish fry on the beach could cure—no matter how much Louisa wished it could.