After the funeral, we’d gone to The Gables, to the beach that was Harriet’s favorite, and we’d had ice cream cake. The kids had changed into swimsuits and played in the waves. We’d shared our favorite stories about Harriet—the funny and the heartfelt. It was just the kind of celebration Harriet would’ve loved.

But in the two weeks that followed, Kenna had gone radio silent. I hadn’t seen her at The Catch or The General Store, where Caelyn worked most days. I hadn’t seen her in town or at her usual swimming spot.

Ford wiped down the bar top but kept one eye on me. “She’s been keeping a pretty low profile. I think she wants to avoid any potential run-ins with the Abbot clan.”

I muttered a curse. Much to my dismay, Clark, Annabelle, and Grant were still on Anchor, taking up a few suites at The Cove. They hadn’t been in touch about the will since our first meeting, but the fact that they were still here did not spell good things.

“Why do they dislike Kenna so much? You’d think they’d be grateful that someone was looking after Harriet all of these years so they didn’t have to come back.” I’d only picked up bits and pieces of the family’s history when it came to Kenna. As open as Harriet was about most things, she was mostly tight-lipped when it came to this. And God knew Kenna wasn’t sharing anything I didn’t pry out of her.

Ford’s movements stilled. “I don’t know the whole story. I just know that none of them treated her well. I think there are a lot of scars there.”

I felt a twisting sensation low in my gut. Ford was holding something back. But I wouldn’t push. The things he knew were likely courtesy of his fiancée, and I didn’t want to make him break that confidence.

“I hate that anyone’s hurt her.” The words were out before I could think better of them. Before I could consider what they might mean. There was just something about Kenna that drew me to her. It was a broken strength. Something that said she’d been through hell and had come out the other side stronger and fiercer than ever.

Ford tossed the rag he was using into a bucket on the floor. “She hasn’t had an easy life. None of those girls have. I think that’s why their bond is so tight. The people in their lives that they should’ve been able to count on were never there the way they should’ve been, so they counted on each other.”