She missed having Peach around, whistling through his teeth, humming under his breath. She missed hearing his easy conversation with Grandy, but she didn’t miss him enough to tell him so.

Tess came to the city to have dinner with her father, who was visiting from Tangier. After learning the stunning news that he’d been living overseas her entire life, Tess was moving cautiously to get to know him. She stopped in at the bookstore on a blustery November day. “It’s a boy,” she said, outlining the baby bump with her hand. “I wanted to be surprised, but the last ultrasound gave it away, even to my untrained eye. Takes after his brothers and father.”

“That’s wonderful,” Natalie said. “Need a baby name book?”

“We still have those from our first two. I do need a book, though. It’s my father’s birthday,” she explained. “So I thought I’d pick out some books.”

“What kind of books?” Natalie asked, gesturing at the display tables.

“Good question. I barely know the man. I mean, what do you do with a guy who faked his own death and disappeared for decades, and then returned wanting to ‘reconnect’ with the daughters he never knew?” She grinned at Natalie’s expression. “Complicated, right?”

“Like a telenovela. And I thought I had daddy issues.”

“After all the drama, I do want to get to know him. He was lost to us since before we were born, and I’m struggling to make peace with that. Now that I understand everything that happened, I get it. And even though it’s hard, I do like having him in my life. He reads all the time, so I can’t go wrong with a few books.”

“What about a novel?” She handed Tess a copy of The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell. “About a guy who travels halfway around the world. Or is that too on-the-nose?”

“I’m not sure.” She set it on the counter and picked out a couple of can’t-miss nonfiction bestsellers—one by Erik Larson and another by Timothy Egan. “And this one, because it’s my favorite,” she added, grabbing The Art of Racing in the Rain.

“I’ve always thought you can get to know someone by the books they love.”

“Can’t hurt.” She chose a Clairefontaine notebook and pen.

“You’re going to need a bigger gift bag,” said Natalie, getting one from under the counter.

While she wrapped them up, Tess asked, “So how are things with Mr. Wonderful?”

“He has another renovation going over on Russian H—” Natalie stopped herself. “Oh, you mean Trevor Dashwood.”

“Do I?” Tess raised an eyebrow. “What’s going on?”

“He’s not married,” Natalie blurted out.

“Slow down. Which Mr. Wonderful are we talking about?”

“Peach,” she said.

Tess paused. “Oh. The hammer for hire.”