“Does that work?”

“Uh, no? I doubt it. I think you’re going to have to just wait for it to go away on its own.”

Scott nodded. “The doctors tell me it’s going to drain a bit and turn yellow but should heal fully.”

“That’s good news. Too bad it’s not closer to Halloween. You’d be all set.”

Scott chuckled. “Yeah, that would be perfect. I wouldn’t need a mask at all.”

“Nothing like scaring small children to make a holiday complete.”

“True.”

They smiled at each other across the coffee table for a few moments before Kara gestured toward the plant he’d set there. “That’s a cactus. You only have to water it once a month. I figured since you weren’t feeling well, you’d probably do best with a low maintenance gift.”

“Even when I am feeling well, I’d probably do best with a low-maintenance plant.”

“Black thumb?”

“Is there anything darker?”

Kara laughed. “Not that I know of.”

Scott chuckled, and Kara couldn’t help but notice he was looking much brighter than when she’d first arrived.

“How is Maeve doing?”

The smile disappeared from Kara’s face. “She’s good.”

Scott frowned. “You don’t sound too sure?”

Kara looked over at him and shrugged. “I’m not really sure yet. The doctors all tell me she’ll be just fine. But it’s all sort of new. I’m driving myself crazy worrying about it. It’s scary.”

Scott saw her trembling lower lip and got to his feet. He settled onto the couch cushion beside her and took both her hands in his as he gazed into her eyes. “Of course it is. It’s very scary. No matter how reassuring the doctors are, it’s got to be terrifying.”

“It really is,” Kara mumbled into his chest as he gathered her close.

She breathed deeply, smelling the fresh lemon scent of his soft sweatshirt as she snuggled close to him. The silence between them was comfortable and as Kara’s sniffles slowly abated, she felt comforted. Scott seemed to understand that what Kara needed was closeness and time to let her fears subside on their own. She sighed in grateful relief.

After a few minutes, she pulled away and rubbed her hand across her eyes. “I’m sorry. Here I am dumping my problems on you when you’re not feeling well. I mean, I’m probably just overreacting. A lot worse things could have happened to Maeve, but the unknown of it all terrifies me.”

“I get that. And it’s fine. I’m glad you feel you can confide in me.”

“I can’t keep falling apart, though. I have to be strong for Maeve,” Kara said, pulling back slightly to give him a trembling smile. “She needs me.”

Scott shook his head. “Well, that might be true, but she’s not here right now, so you don’t have to be anything. It’s okay to be honest about how you’re feeling when you’re with me.”

“You’re going to make me cry again.”

“Whatever’s needed.”

“Thank you,” Kara said and, reaching out, touched his hand. She pulled back quickly as a spark leaped between them.

Looking up, she saw Scott’s eyes had darkened as he leaned over to gather her in his arms and bowed his head down to kiss her.

“I really appreciate you and your mom watching Maeve for the last few days,” Kara said to Jamie as he followed her into her kitchen the next evening.

“Mom is thrilled.”

“That’s nice. Now that we have to keep a close eye on her glucose levels, there aren’t too many people I feel comfortable leaving her with,” she added, hiding a yawn behind one hand. Once she and Scott had kissed the night before, she’d spent longer than she’d intended with him and hadn’t gotten home until late.

“Anytime,” Jamie replied and sat down at the little wooden table Kara had lovingly refinished as he waited for her to pack up the things Maeve would need to stay with her grandparents for another night. “Since my dad had diabetes all of my life, we’re all familiar with what she’s going to need.”

Kara nodded at him. She had witnessed Jamie’s family’s proficiency with their father’s illness while they were dating. She’d also seen how healthy and active Jamie’s dad had remained as he aged. This helped ease many of the fears she had about Maeve’s future.

Jamie looked around the small space. “It’s nice in here,” he said. “I like what you’ve done with the place. It’s homey.”

Kara nodded. “It’s tiny, but it’s all we need for just the two of us. The rent is reasonable, but now that real estate values are skyrocketing here in town, I’d like to buy it before it gets priced so high that I’ll never be able to afford it.”

Jamie’s gaze sharpened as he followed her into the living room. “Well, that should be manageable for you, right? It sounds like the garden center is doing well. Mom is always raving about how great you’re doing there and how happy you and Maeve are,” Jamie said.

Kara looked over at him and frowned at what sounded like a touch of bitterness in his tone. “Well,” she replied after a momentary pause, not sure how much of her financial troubles she was comfortable sharing with him. “We’re doing okay. Lately, however, business has been slower at the garden center than usual. It’s really weird, considering the spring weather has arrived. But, yes, usually I make enough for Maeve and me to get by on.”

“But the land that the nursery center is on, that’s got to be worth quite a bit too,” Jamie said, tilting his head to one side and studying Kara. “I mean, if the house prices in Larkin Bay have gone up, then the garden center land must be worth more as well, and that’s a lot of acreage. You and Mark must be set up well now, financially at least, seeing as how you own all that.”

Kara stopped packing Maeve’s things and narrowed her eyes as she studied Jamie, wondering what, if anything, he might have heard about the possible sale of the garden center.

“Yep, it’s worth a bit, I guess,” she said slowly. “But honestly, I can’t ever see selling it.” She shrugged. “It was a last gift from my mother. Besides, the mayor and town council all feel pretty strongly that they don’t want it sold to a big developer. It’s important to everyone here in town that we preserve the small-town feel of Larkin Bay.”

Jamie scowled at her and then smashed his fist against the table, causing Kara to jump. She dropped Maeve’s favorite plastic sippy cup that she had been holding and turned to stare at him. “What?” she asked in alarm.

“You have to do what is right for you and Maeve, Kara,” he said. “You can’t worry about what everyone else in Larkin Bay wants you to do.”

Kara blinked in confusion.

Where is this coming from?

“I do. Trust me,” she replied. “No one holds Maeve’s and my best interests dearer than I do. It’s just usually the town’s concerns and ours are one and the same. Besides, I like what I do, and I don’t want things to change.”

“Not even if changing things is going to make things better for you?” Jamie asked. “That’s a lot of money to let just slip away.”

Kara picked up the cup she had dropped and placed it on the table. Placing both hands on her hips, she glared over at Jamie. “How do you know? What do you know about any of this, anyway?”

The smile Jamie gave her didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Not much, really,” he said a little too quickly for Kara to believe him. “I’ve just heard the rumors around town, and I’d hate to see you not at least consider something that might set you and Maeve up for a better life simply because of a few people in town who can’t handle change.”

Kara’s mouth dropped open as she looked over at him.

“Besides, you know, if you don’t take advantage of the builder’s offer, someone else will. Growth is coming to Larkin Bay whether the mayor and the council members like it or not. That’s just the way life works.”