Does the bruise look bad? xx

I’d messaged her earlier to tell her about rescuing Shadow and the consequent fall. I left his handsome owner out of the story.

As I was heading downstairs to leave, my phone buzzed.

Babe, I can’t see a bruise. xx

My cell beeped again.

I am worried a horny fisherman or two might try to kidnap you. You know those legs are lethal. xx

I grinned at her teasing and stuffed the cell in my purse. The cool evening air took me by surprise as I stepped outside the store and locked up. Yeah, the breeze off the sea had interrupted the temperate day, but it had been pleasant. Plus, it was still light out.

The flutter of butterflies I’d been trying to ignore the past few hours made themselves known. Shaking my head at the stupidity of those butterflies, I glanced at the garden Penny said belonged to the store. I noted its bench and how it was angled toward the sea and decided my next day off would be spent reading there.

It was better to think of these things than to think of a man.

The rejection from Aaron was less than a week old. My pride had healed, and I realized my hope of finding love had been crushed more than my hope of finding love with Aaron, but that didn’t mean I was ready to put myself out there again.

Especially not with a man I’d never see after my visit to England was up.

A sound similar to that of a motorbike drew my gaze from the water and my attention from my musings. From the brow of the hill before the main street of the village appeared a woman.

On a quad bike.

She blew past me and turned left toward the road that led out of Alnster.

The image of her made me smile.

She wore no helmet, her blond curly hair blowing behind her on the breeze, her open jacket fluttering in the wind as she confidently rode the quad bike like she did it every day.

And I got the feeling she did.

How badass.

Was she a local? If so, I wondered if I’d get to meet her.

The parking lot of The Anchor was worryingly busy, suggesting I might not get a table. Those fears were supported by the wave of warmth and the loud murmur of voices that hit me as I stepped inside.

The pub was packed with people dining.

I stared around, more than a little bemused that such a tiny village could have such a busy pub. Sure, I’d understand if it were the height of summer and tourists were crawling all over the place . . .

“Evie.” Milly drew my gaze as she strode toward me behind the bar. Almost every stool at the bar was occupied. “In for tea?”