Page 83 of Forgiving Her First Love

“No. Sorry.” Sophie wrinkled her nose in apology.

A brief moment of déjà vu struck as she met the stranger’s gaze. She seemed familiar, but Sophie knew all the locals along with the regular boaters and fishermen. By this point in the season, she also recognized the faces of temporary workers in the area like nurses from Bella Bella who might come into Raven’s Cove on a day trip for a change of scenery.

This woman, with her brown pixie cut and pointy chin and possibly mixed-race skin tone, didn’t immediately tweak as someone she’d seen recently. Maybe she had come through last year. Students and backpackers sometimes traveled up the coast on working holidays, only staying long enough to make ferry fare before they carried on to their next destination. Maybe she had done something like that and came back because she liked it here.

“Logan is a family friend,” Sophie explained. “That’s the only reason I’m giving him a room.”

“Is that the reason?” Quinley said pithily.

“Are you seriously going to start up with me again? After we can finally have a civilized conversation?”

“Are you seriously going to get another stick up your ass over a joke? Lighten up, Sophie.” Quinley stalked away.

“I’ll take my chowder to go,” Sophie shouted after her. Cow. “Sorry about that,” Sophie muttered, embarrassed by her outburst. “We’re old friends. Maybe look on the board at the grocery store. Sometimes locals advertise a room there.” She started back to the office.

“Wait. Excuse me!”

Sophie halted and turned back to see the customer had come to stand at the rail.

“Is your renter Logan Fraser?” she asked.

“Yes. Why?”

“I was hoping to meet with him.” She bit the edge of her lip. “Is he around?”

A sticky, suspicious nausea settled into the pit of Sophie’s stomach. Her thoughts leapt to Florida and all the types of history Logan might have there. It was a long way to chase a man, but that only made this woman turning up here all the more threatening.

“He’s over in Bella Bella for the day. He’ll be back later.”

“Oh. Figures. I came from there this morning.” She shook her head at her bad luck. “Are both his brothers with him?”

“Yes. Why?”

Her expression became conflicted. She looked as though she wasn’t sure what to say or how to say it.

Sophie searched her expression, growing ever more prickly, but Quinley came back outside with the coffee carafe to refill the woman’s cup.

“Moody is putting your chowder on the bar,” Quinley told Sophie sullenly.

“Thanks.” She’d have to pad her tip so Quinley didn’t tell the whole island she was on her period.

“Can I get you anything else?” Quinley asked the customer with more warmth, drawing her back to her table.

“No, this is perfect. Thank you.”

Sophie glanced back once as she went around to the pub entrance, not sure why she was disturbed by the unfinished conversation. She had work to get back to, though, so she paid Moody for her chowder and took it to her desk. Kenneth had left a pile of receiving documents that needed checking and entering so she sat down to do that while she ate.

She was finishing up both when she thought she heard Emma’s voice in the main office. She leaned to glance through the window into Logan’s empty office just as a rapid knock sounded on his internal door.

“Come in,” Sophie called.

Emma pushed in, clutching Storm. She was crying. Not Storm. Emma.

“Em. What’s wrong?” Sophie rose and moved into Logan’s office.

“She’s here.” Emma pressed the door closed with her backside, hugging Storm with two arms, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

Storm was cheerfully oblivious, smiling at Sophie and showing off her teething ring.

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