Page 60 of Seaside Cowboy's Marriage of Convenience

“That’s not all my news. Remember, the hotel curator and several business owners in Lazoria promised to show Zoey’s portrait around, post it on social media, and ask their friends and relatives who attended the festival this year?”

“Yes.” Kennedy tensed and sat up straighter.

“They did. I viewed thousands of photos and videos. I found one photo with a woman who looked sort of like Zoey, though it’s blurry. I made some inquiries. Well, lots of inquiries. She lives on the other side of Lazoria and, believe it or not, isn’t active on social media. Marina and I did some digging. She’s single, no children, one dog, keeps to herself. Works from home as a graphic designer. I found a rare photo of her. I’ll send it to you via text and let you decide whether it’s worth pursuing.”

For a moment, Kennedy couldn’t speak. Somehow, she managed to move her tongue. “Thank you.”

“Do I see a trip to Lazoria again in your near future?”

“Yes.” But Kennedy didn’t want to go there without Austin. Her heart shifted. She didn’t want to takeanylife journeys without him. “Please keep researching. I want any information you can find on that woman.”

“I will. If you need me to go with you, please let me know. I’ll let you go now because I imagine you want to look at that photo.”

Kennedy’s heartbeat increased. “I do. And... once again, thank you.” She disconnected, and sure enough, soon an incoming photo pinged her phone. She opened it and blinked. This was a photo of Caramel and Smiley staring into the camera, their pink tongues lolling.

Oh. She didn’t look at the sender first. Austin sent it, and his accompanying text made her heart palpitate.

I know you wanted space, but Caramel, Smiley, and okay, me are missing you a lot. A lot!

She didn’t want space! She didn’t want any space without him and the pets in it. But before she had a chance to reply, the next text arrived, also with a photo. This one was from Rachel.

Kennedy stared at the photo. After so many decades had passed, could this be Zoey? Could Kennedy allow herself to hope again? Her hands trembled a little.

The woman in the photo would be around Zoey’s age. Her hair was darker than Zoey’s had been, a lustrous chestnut brown, and fell on her face, but familiar features stamped that face. And through the curtain of hair, was that the birthmark on the left cheek Kennedy remembered so well? And another one above the woman’s eyebrow? This couldn’t be a coincidence, right?

The doorbell chime made her heart jump. Austin was back! He didn’t listen to her.

Oh, thank you so much for not listening to me!

But as she rushed to the door, it registered. Austin wouldn’t ring the doorbell. He had a key to the house... and a key to her heart.

Disappointment slammed into her. She hesitated. She should’ve looked at the doorbell camera first. But she was near the door, anyway. And it could be Marina or Skylar.

She glanced in the peephole, and her jaw slackened. The woman looked like a stranger, and yet something vaguely familiar in her posture triggered Kennedy’s memory. Was she imagining things?

The doorbell rang again. “I’m not a door-to-door saleswoman.” The voice!

Even after so many years, Kennedy remembered that voice. She flung the door open. “I haven’t seen you in decades.” She gestured for the guest to come in.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have disappeared like that. But you know why I did.” Zoey’s mother, Mrs. Crawford—if she still went by that name—stepped inside.

“I do. You look so different.” Kennedy did her best to reconcile this woman in a T-shirt, jeans, and sunglasses with Uncle’s glamorous ex-wife.

“Time is a good doctor but a lousy beautician.”

Kennedy lifted her hands. “No judgment. Great to see you. Does my uncle know you’re back?”

“I’m not back. Just visiting.” Which didn’t answer Kennedy’s question. “I brought you cupcakes. Chocolate and caramel. Your favorite.” Auntie shifted the large paper box in her hands.

Kennedy called the woman Auntie in her mind as she didn’t know her new name yet or whether there was a new name, and her heart warmed that the woman remembered Kennedy’s favorite treat after all these years. “That was very kind of you. Would you like some coffee or tea?”

“Coffee would be awesome.” Mrs. Crawford smiled sheepishly. “I wouldn’t mind one of these cupcakes, too. I’ve been salivating all the way from the store to you. And if you could tell me how you like them, I’d appreciate it.”

“Sure.” Still a bit in shock, Kennedy led her guest to the kitchen. Then she placed a little container into the coffee maker and turned it on. Austin had called it “a fancy coffee machine,” but Kennedy was so used to it that she’d never thought of her things as fancy. Now she better realized her privilege and how blessed she was.

Her kitchen looked empty without him, though. They’d started cooking together, him teaching her, and she’d loved it. Her whole house was empty without him and their pets. She exhaled, but the void inside didn’t diminish. Her heart was empty without them, too.

Waiting for the coffee, she turned away from the milky-white marble counter and studied her unexpected guest. If she walked by Auntie on the street, Kennedy wouldn’t have recognized her. Not only because so much time had passed since they’d seen each other or because Kennedy had been a little girl at the time.

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