“Oh no, I’m being attacked. Help, help!” Biyen folded himself to the floor and pulled Storm onto his chest, hugging her there while he rolled his head as though helpless. “She’s going to eat me and kill me. Logan,” he gasped. “Save me.”

“I’m paralyzed by baby spit, bud. You’re on your own.” He kept a hand outstretched, though, ready to protect Storm’s head if she rolled off Biyen and into the edge of the couch.

“Mom. I’m your only son.”

“That we know of.”

Biyen giggled and Logan sent her a pithy look over his shoulder.

She thought, This is what I want. It was simple and maybe even clichéd, but she wanted that man and that boy and a baby who would turn into another child who played silly games with all of them. She wanted these people around her, maybe not keeping her safe from the hardships of life but buffering her from the worst of them. Supporting her through them. She wanted all of this so badly, she could hardly see straight.

“Ack!” Biyen turned his face and stuck out his tongue. “Why does she always put her fingers in my mouth? And why are they always wet?”

“She’s looking for food,” Logan teased. “Don’t you have some old gum in there she could have?”

“That is so gross. I changed my mind. I don’t want a baby brother or sister.”

There was another potent silence.

“I’m just kidding,” Biyen said, misinterpreting the reaction around him. He snuggled Storm more closely. “I wish Storm could be my sister.”

“Then I would have to marry Reid and I think Emma would have something to say about that,” Sophie said lightly. “Biyen and I have been talking about a lot of different things lately, while we consider our next steps, haven’t we?” She spoke to Biyen, but she was addressing the high interest that was charging the air around them.

“Yeah. I kind of want everything to stay the same, but I guess it can’t,” Biyen said.

“Mouths of babes,” Emma murmured.

“What do you mean?” Biyen gave her his quizzical look, then looked at Storm’s mouth.

“It’s just a saying.” Emma smiled. “But Storm is probably hungry.” She rose to lift her off Biyen. “Would you like a snack, too? Dinner won’t be ready for a few hours.”

“Yes, please. Can I feed her?” Biyen stood up to follow Emma into the kitchen.

“You can try. She thinks she can feed herself so it gets pretty messy.”

“That’s okay. We’re all bad at stuff until we learn. We still need to try.”

“That kid is a walking fortune cookie,” Reid said, watching him go.

“Right? He’s smarter than the three of us put together,” Logan said.

“I would love to argue with you,” Trystan said. “It’s kind of my favorite pastime, but I gotta agree with you on that one. You’ve done good, Soph. You know that, right?”

“Oh, don’t,” she said, starting to choke up. She snatched up her wine and shuffled her legs past Logan so she could rise and follow Emma to the kitchen.

“No, listen.” Logan caught her hand, keeping her from walking away. “We’re serious. He’s got Nolan, we know that, but we’re here. Anytime. No matter what.”

No matter whether she was involved with him or not, that’s what Logan was saying, and it really meant so much to her, she could hardly bear it.

“Seriously, my emotions are right here these days.” She pulled her hand free and set it in front of her nose. “Please don’t do this to me right now.” She took a step, then made herself say, “But also thank you.” She hurried away.

Chapter Nineteen

The men went over to Bella Bella the next day, borrowing a bowrider so they didn’t have to wait for the seabus. Biyen was at day camp and Randy had taken a few days off to visit his girlfriend in Nanaimo, promising to cover the weekend when he returned. That meant Sophie was on her own.

She was making her way to the office after a quick tape of a leaking pipe on a pleasure yacht when Quinley called down from the patio of the pub.

“Hey, Soph.”

“Hi, Quin.” Sophie paused. “What’s the soup today?”

“Corn chowder. Are you still renting a room to Logan?”

“Yes. Why?” She narrowed her eyes. Say something, Quinley. I dare you.

“Someone looking for work.” She tilted her head toward a woman in her early twenties who was seated near the rail. The woman offered a friendly, hopeful smile.

“I was telling her we can always use another server, especially in the summer, but finding a place to stay is tough. I wasn’t sure if you were taking other renters or…” Quinley tucked her tray under her arm.

“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.”