The invitation appealed to him. He did miss his buddies back in Brooklyn. “Thanks for the invite. I’ll stop by, but just for a visit. I still have a job waiting for me back in the city.”

The chief nodded in understanding just as someone called out his name. “I’ll see you soon.”

As the chief made his way along the side of the bakery, Ethan knew it was time for him to get a move on. He needed to catch the ferry to the mainland in order to visit his aunt.

When he turned to leave, he caught a glimpse of Hannah. Her face was still pale and drawn. Then again, maybe he’d stick around for a few more minutes just to be sure the pretty lady with the stroke of bad luck didn’t need any other assistance.

Ethan turned and made his way back toward Hannah. He wasn’t sure what else to say to her, but that didn’t slow him down.

Chapter Four

This can’t be happening .

It was a horrible nightmare.

Hannah wished she would wake up and all would be right with the world. Oh, how she wished that were the case.

And to make matters worse, she’d let her emotions get the best of her when the fire truck had pulled up. She inwardly groaned over what the good-looking stranger must think of her—weak and helpless. Frustration knotted her stomach.

The truth of the matter was that it had been the first time she’d seen the fire truck with its lights on rolling up the street since her father’s funeral—since he died in a fire. In her mind, she could clearly see his casket draped with a flag and placed atop the fire truck. He had been driven to their family’s private cemetery on the edge of her brother’s farm.

Her heart ached for him. Her father should be there now. He would have known how to fix this mess. He’d always been great with offering advice.

She blinked, bringing herself back to the present. Her gaze moved to the big red truck now parked in front of her. If her father hadn’t been a firefighter—if he hadn’t been so willing to put his life on the line for others—he would still be there with his family. She knew it was selfish. She knew the world needed more people like her father. But did her father have to lose his life for doing a good deed? Life wasn’t fair.

Inside she was weeping for her father—for her damaged business—but on the outside, she maintained a stiff upper lip as she stood quietly next to one of her best friends, Josie Turner. They’d been friends, well, since forever. Their mothers had been best friends all of their lives. Hannah supposed she met Josie when they were both still in diapers. There just wasn’t a time she hadn’t known Josie as a dear friend—through the good and bad. And now was definitely one of those bad times.