Instead, Kara gave him a small but casual wave of acknowledgment, then turned away to finish the conversation she was having. She didn’t know much about flirting with a man, but right now, playing at least a little hard to get seemed like a good idea.

A few moments later, Kara hoisted her now-empty tray into her arms and made her way over to where he was sitting. “Well, fancy running into you again,” she said, grinning up at him while handing the tray over the bar to Mark. “How did you know everyone gathers here after baseball?” she asked.

“I told him,” Mark replied, sliding a pint over the counter. “It was just a friendly suggestion to help him settle into town and benefit my business at the same time. I hope you’re a big drinker,” he joked, nodding at Scott.

Scott laughed. “I’ll do my best, but no promises,” he replied, then turned and addressed Kara. “I didn’t realize you worked here too.”

“I don’t. I mean, I do in that I help serve customers, but I don’t get paid. I help Mark out on Thursdays because baseball nights are so nutty, and I usually end up coming here after a game anyway. I help serve a little just to keep things running smoothly. It’s a twin thing, I guess.”

Scott nodded. “It must be nice having a brother. It’s one thing I wonder about sometimes, how my life would have been different if I’d had a sibling.”

Kara laughed. “Well, it worked out well for us, but believe me, I’ve seen many siblings that don’t help each other and cause more grief than joy.” She leaned closer to him. “Don’t tell Mark I said this, but I think I might’ve just been lucky that he grew up to be such a great guy. Trust me, sometimes when we were younger, I could have happily killed him. He used to tease me constantly.”

Scott chuckled.

Mark leaned over the bar and handed Kara a glass of ice water with a slice of lemon. “Is she talking about me?” he asked. “If so, don’t believe a word she says. I was the perfect brother when we were growing up, but if you want to hear some real horror stories about sisters, come in on a night when it’s not so busy and I’ll regale you with tales about my twin that’ll make your toes curl.”

Kara carefully took her drink from Mark, then swatted at him with her free hand. “Stop it, brother dearest, before I pour my ice water on your head,” she chirped back.

Mark grinned and pointed to a booth across from the bar, where a couple was throwing bills on the table and pulling on spring coats over their baseball jerseys. “If you two want, I think a booth is freeing up. It’s slowing down here, so I can do without your help for a bit,” Mark said.

Scott gave Kara a questioning look, and at her nod, he picked up his jacket and beer. Together, they made their way over to the now-empty booth and slid onto the benches.

“Send over a plate of nachos too,” shouted Kara to her brother once they were seated. “Feed your beloved sister, who works so hard for you for no pay.”

“Will do,” answered Mark cheerfully.

Kara straightened up in the booth seat across from Scott and put her glass on the thick cardboard coaster in front of her. As she gazed silently across the table at Scott, she felt her mouth suddenly go dry. She desperately wanted to come up with something light and witty to say but instead found herself tongue-tied and feeling self-conscious. How did this happen? Being seated in the confines of a high-backed booth, she suddenly felt like she was close to Scott in an unsettling, intimate way.

“Thank you,” she said to the young man cleaning their table. After he had finished setting up their silverware and left, she smiled shyly over at Scott.

“So,” he said easily. “Tell me about yourself. We’ve spent a lot of time together, but I don’t really know that much about you.”

“There’s not much to tell,” Kara replied. “My mom moved to Larkin Bay with my father when she was pregnant, and they bought the old farmhouse where the garden center’s main offices are now located. Then we were born, and Dad decided he didn’t like small-town life much and left. We haven’t heard a lot from him since.”

“Really?”

Kara shrugged. “Yeah, sad but true. Both Mark and I grew up here, then went to college, and now we’ve both returned to run our businesses here. We know everyone in Larkin Bay and everyone in town knows us. It’s a dull, predictable, safe life, and I love it.”

Scott nodded and was about to say something in reply, but was interrupted when a tall redheaded woman stopped by the table.

“Hey, Kara,” the woman cooed while looking Scott up and down in a predatory fashion that he remembered all too well from his days playing major league baseball.

“Hey, Elizabeth,” answered Kara, clasping both hands on the table in front of her. Her smile was both amused and resigned as she watched the other woman check out Scott. “This is Scott and, Scott, this is Elizabeth,” she finally said.

“Hi,” he said, smiling briefly at Elizabeth, then looking over at Kara to see how well she knew this provocatively dressed woman who was now leaning over their table showing off a lot of cleavage.

“Well, hello to you too,” purred back the other woman. She held out a hand with long, red-tipped fingers toward Scott. “I’m Kara’s sister-in-law.”

Kara snorted. “No, you’re not. Jamie and I were never married, so actually, you’re Maeve’s aunt—that’s all.”

Kara turned to Scott. “We didn’t get this far in our get-to-know-you conversation yet, but Jamie is Elizabeth’s older brother and Maeve’s father. We dated throughout high school and most of college. He was just finishing his degree when I found out I was pregnant with Maeve. He, however, did not see fatherhood in his immediate plans, and I couldn’t see doing anything else but having the baby. So now, he’s in the city, supposedly following his dream, and I’m here with Maeve, and everyone is happy.” Kara finished firmly and Scott couldn’t help but notice that the smile she shot Elizabeth when she finished her story seemed a little strained.

“Yes, our Kara is just like her mother, a single mom raising a child and working all hours of the day. No time for fun for her,” trilled Elizabeth.

Kara rolled her eyes but said nothing.

Scott gave Elizabeth an uncomfortable smile. “I see,” he replied.

“Where is my pretty little niece tonight, anyway?” asked Elizabeth.

“She’s at your house,” replied Kara. “Elizabeth still lives at home with her folks,” she explained to Scott, “and they look after Maeve often on baseball nights so that I can help here. Jamie might be a bit of a flake, but his parents are the best grandparents Maeve could ever ask for.”

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. “Yes, we all adore our little Maeve, especially her father. It’s just a shame he doesn’t get to see her more.”

“Jamie can see Maeve as much as he wants,” Kara replied with a shrug. “I’ve never tried to keep him from spending time with her. He just wanted to move to the city, and I wasn’t going to resettle her there when my family, friends, and business are all right here.” A sigh accompanied her last words. “Besides, Elizabeth, Jamie is happy with the arrangement, and your parents are thrilled that Maeve lives so close by. As far as I can tell, it’s only you that doesn’t like the way things have worked out.”

Elizabeth turned to face Kara, her mouth twisted into an unattractive pout. “I just think a father should be with his child, that’s all,” she said.

“So you’ve told us all many times,” replied Kara wearily. “Thanks for repeating it yet again. But it’s Jamie who’s stopping that from happening, not me. Now, do you need anything else?”

Elizabeth didn’t answer—she simply shot Kara a look of contempt and flounced away from the table.

Kara took a sip of her water and rolled her eyes. “Sorry,” she said to Scott. “That’s the downside of living in a small town. Everyone has an opinion on what you do, and they’re not afraid to let you know what it is.”

“She doesn’t seem happy,” remarked Scott.

Kara looked over at him in surprise. “No, she’s not. She never has been. Even as a child, she had a perpetual scowl on her face. But she is Maeve’s aunt, so I try to be nice.” She wrinkled her nose and frowned. “She just makes it hard at times.”

Scott nodded.

“Anyway, now that you know all about me, tell me about you,” said Kara, dismissing Elizabeth with a wave of her hand.

Scott shook his head. “Not much to tell, I’m afraid. My parents passed away a few years back, and I’m an only child. I used to play baseball professionally but gave it up and went to law school. I passed the bar out west, and now I’ve moved to Larkin Bay to start up a firm with Courtney.” He paused and took a long sip of his beer. “So far, I like it here. The people seem nice, and the game tonight was fun. I think I’ll be happy living in Larkin Bay.”

Kara nodded. “It’s a great place,” she said. “You’ll like it even better when you get to know more of the people. There’s been a lot of young people moving here over the last few years because of our proximity to the city, and word has gotten out about how good the schools are. Housing prices are skyrocketing because of it, though. The land here is getting pretty expensive too.”

Scott shrugged. “We’ll see. I’m a bit of a loner normally, but I do like many of the people I’ve met here.”

“That’s nice.” She held his gaze for a long moment and then looked down. Silently, she ran a hand over the scratches on the tabletop.

“What Elizabeth thinks bugs you, doesn’t it?” observed Scott.

“I’m making it that obvious, huh?” asked Kara, looking up at him.

Scott nodded.

“I think what bothers me most is that she’s not being fair. I wasn’t the one who moved away and started a new life. I didn’t leave my child. It was her brother who did that.”