And that left Hannah to make her own mark on life. Thirty was still young, right? She still had time to have it all. She shoved the thoughts of her ticking biological clock to the back of her mind. Right now, she had a business to build. She’d risked every single penny she’d saved since she was a teenager, plus the money her father had left her, on this dream.

She braked in front of the bakery and got off her bike. She glanced up at the front of the bakery with a great big smile on her face. Her worries about her choices in life completely disappeared. This was her destiny.

Sure, there was paper over all the windows, but that was just because she wanted to keep the makeover a surprise for the townspeople. The siding had been freshly painted white, and she had plans to buy decals for the large storefront window and the black door with the large window. She was thinking of a large cupcake decal smack dab in the middle.

With it being the weekend, no one was working on the bakery. Knowing the workmen had left some supplies by the front door, Hannah made her way to the side door that led to the kitchen. Excitement bubbled up in her when she placed her brand-new key in her new deadbolt of her back door of her very own bakery. Who said dreams don’t come true?

She turned the key. The deadbolt easily gave way. She grasped the door handle as her smile broadened. She pushed the door open—

Water whooshed over the doorstep.

Hannah gasped. Cold water soaked her shoes. She stumbled back. Her arms waved about as she struggled to regain her balance. A scream tore from her lungs.

Chapter Three

One day had turned into two.

Two days had morphed into three.

Ethan was still on the island, looking after his aunt’s beloved dog, Peaches. He had no idea when he’d be returning to New York. Aunt Birdie had cracked her pelvis, but thankfully it would heal without surgery. However, her recovery required her to spend a bit of time in physical rehab. Sunny Days Rehabilitation Center—the cheapest of the expensive alternatives—was located just outside of Boston.

The bad news was that Ethan had been sleeping on the lumpiest couch on earth. He shrugged one shoulder and then the other before rolling his head, trying to work out the kinks. He’d already tried his aunt’s bed, which was too soft and too short with a footboard that prevented him from dangling his feet over the end.

Too bad his aunt’s house was a small one-bedroom bungalow. He knew why she never sold the house. It was situated on the edge of town along Surfside Drive. The sweeping covered porch had an unobstructed view of the ocean. Talk about your million-dollar view. And in the summer, Aunt Birdie would open all of the windows to let in the sea breeze.

He closed his eyes again, not quite ready to face the day. The clip-clip of footsteps over the hardwood floors let him know that Peaches was growing impatient for him to get up.