“My past isn’t a secret, Pen. You of all people know that. But it’s not the type of thing you toss casually into a text, either.”

“That makes sense.” She began wiping down another table. “What are you doing tonight?”

“Studying. You?” Quincy was taking online classes toward a degree in accounting.

“No plans, but I’m sure I’ll find something to keep myself busy.”

The bells above the door chimed, and their friend Scott Beckley walked in, eyes trained on Penny. She looked up and said, “Hey, Scotty. Scott. Geez. I’ve been hanging out with the kids too much.”

“Hi,” Scott said, heading for her. “I thought I’d come by to get a taste of my favorite treat.”

“Hey, Scott,” Quincy said, and Scott’s head jerked his way, as if he hadn’t noticed him standing there.

“Quincy. Hi.” Scott crossed the room and clapped a hand on Quincy’s back. “How’s it going, man?” He was a formidable, rugged guy with sandy hair and a quiet strength that told of the years he’d fended for himself after escaping his abusive parents at the age of seventeen.

“Good. You?”

“Couldn’t be better.” Scott glanced at Penny and said, “Just came in to grab some sugar before heading over to Sarah’s. I’m babysitting the kids tonight.”

Scott had recently reunited with his estranged sisters, Sarah and Josie. Sarah was engaged to Wayne “Bones” Whiskey, a doctor and member of the Dark Knights motorcycle club. Bones had adopted Sarah’s three children, and they were getting married next spring. Quincy’s old roommate, Jed Moon, had fallen head over heels in love with Josie and her son, Hail, and Quincy was going to be best man at their wedding on Christmas Day. Jed was also a Dark Knight, and he worked as a bartender at Whiskey Bro’s bar and as a mechanic at Whiskey Automotive, both of which were owned by Bones’s family.

“Cool. Kiss the kids for me. I’ve got to take off.” Quincy headed for the door, turning back to say, “Will I see you guys at the scavenger hunt this weekend?”

The Dark Knights motorcycle club was hosting a scavenger hunt to raise money for the Parkvale Women’s Shelter, which was located about half an hour outside of Peaceful Harbor and run by the wife and daughter of another Dark Knight. Josie and Hail had stayed at the shelter when they’d first come to the Harbor. Bones volunteered, handling medical check-ups for the women and children who stayed there, and Sarah often went with him to talk with the women about her own journey out of homelessness.

“Of course.” Penny set down the rag she was using and motioned to Scott. “This guy is my partner, since you’re holding out for your text mistress.”

“Don’t give him a hard time, Penny,” Scott said. “It takes some guys longer than others to connect with the right woman.”

Quincy’s friends were a tight-knit group. They all knew that he and Roni had been texting, and he’d made it clear he only had eyes for her. “Now, there’s a man who understands that it’s all about timing.” Quincy enjoyed keeping things light with Roni, getting to know her on a level that didn’t include exposing his past or the crimes he’d committed. But lately he’d hung on those texts, wanting to get closer to the woman behind them. It was time to open the floodgates to his past and see if she was willing to walk through them to be by his side or if she’d turn tail and run away. As he reached for the door, he said, “I’m a man with a plan.”