tell her things, like in the middle of the detective announcing who’d committed the murder on Diana’s favorite television show. It was as if her mother had a finite time to say something before it was lost forever, and nothing was going to get in her way.
Her gaze settled on a ceramic pot decorated with hand-painted orchids sitting beside a salt and pepper shaker. Success. “I do remember you saying they were adopting another baby when they got home. How many does this make?”
“Including the baby, four, plus a half-dozen foster children.”
“Do you think I could talk them into adopting me? I love this place.”
“Already?”
“Just wait until you come for a visit. You’ll understand.”
“I was afraid that was going to happen. Since you were a little girl you’ve been drawn to water.” Jenny paused. “That’s my ride. Gotta go, sweetheart. I’ll call you tonight.”
Her mother was deep into her fifteenth year of organizing the annual three-day women’s retreat at church. She’d miss an entire week of Days of Our Lives before she’d be five minutes late to one of their meetings.
“Have fun.” She hit the off button and stuffed the phone in her back pocket.
Glancing up from putting her spoon in the sink, Diana let out a startled gasp. Nose pressed to the window, staring at her as if she were an ice cream cone on a hundred-degree day, were slightly offset brown eyes, accompanied by a pair of floppy ears, and a mouth lifted into a wide version of a canine smile. The second Diana made eye contact, a pink tongue appeared and the head bobbed in excitement.
Chapter Two
D IANA STOOD ON the front porch of the beach house next door to Cheryl and Andrew’s cottage and peered through the open door. “Hello?”
The construction worker she’d imagined earlier pulled aside a plastic tarp hanging from the ceiling at the back of the house. Her jaw dropped in surprise. It was as if her older brother, Brian, had been cloned.
“Can I help you?” he asked, acknowledging her peculiar reaction with a puzzled frown.
“I’m staying over there—” She pointed toward Andrew’s house. “There’s this dog that seems to be lost and I was wondering if you might know who she belongs to.” She thought a second. “At least I think it’s a ‘she.’ Or it could be a ‘he.’ To be honest, I didn’t look.”
“What kind of dog?” he asked in a way that suggested he already knew.
“About so tall—” She indicated knee-high. “Light reddish brown. Friendly. Floppy ears. Mixed breed.” As if on cue, the dog appeared at Diana’s side, its tail shifting into high gear at the sight of the man.
He wiped his hands on his jeans and followed a paper path to the front door. “She’s mine.” He crouched down and cupped the dog’s muzzle, forcing her to look at him. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
As deflated as a football in a playoff game, she dropped her head and let out a soft whine. Contradicting the contrite posture, her tail never stopped swinging.
He offered Diana an apologetic smile. “She’s looking for my daughter and your cousin Bobby. The three of them have been constant companions this summer and she doesn’t understand why they’ve seemingly abandoned her. I hate to tie her up, but it looks like I’m going to have to.”
“Does she always come to work with you?” There was a missing piece to this puzzle.
“Only when my daughter Shiloh is in school or staying with someone. Coconut accepts me, but she’s really Shiloh’s dog.” He gave Coconut’s floppy ears a final scratch, stood, and steered the dog toward the room behind the tarp.
“How did you know who I—” She made a dismissive wave. “Never mind—I know. Cheryl told you I was coming.”
He smiled. “Not just me. Everyone in the cove has been told to be on the lookout for you.”
“Sounds like something my mother would do.” While it didn’t thrill her to know she was being
Her gaze settled on a ceramic pot decorated with hand-painted orchids sitting beside a salt and pepper shaker. Success. “I do remember you saying they were adopting another baby when they got home. How many does this make?”
“Including the baby, four, plus a half-dozen foster children.”
“Do you think I could talk them into adopting me? I love this place.”
“Already?”
“Just wait until you come for a visit. You’ll understand.”
“I was afraid that was going to happen. Since you were a little girl you’ve been drawn to water.” Jenny paused. “That’s my ride. Gotta go, sweetheart. I’ll call you tonight.”
Her mother was deep into her fifteenth year of organizing the annual three-day women’s retreat at church. She’d miss an entire week of Days of Our Lives before she’d be five minutes late to one of their meetings.
“Have fun.” She hit the off button and stuffed the phone in her back pocket.
Glancing up from putting her spoon in the sink, Diana let out a startled gasp. Nose pressed to the window, staring at her as if she were an ice cream cone on a hundred-degree day, were slightly offset brown eyes, accompanied by a pair of floppy ears, and a mouth lifted into a wide version of a canine smile. The second Diana made eye contact, a pink tongue appeared and the head bobbed in excitement.
Chapter Two
D IANA STOOD ON the front porch of the beach house next door to Cheryl and Andrew’s cottage and peered through the open door. “Hello?”
The construction worker she’d imagined earlier pulled aside a plastic tarp hanging from the ceiling at the back of the house. Her jaw dropped in surprise. It was as if her older brother, Brian, had been cloned.
“Can I help you?” he asked, acknowledging her peculiar reaction with a puzzled frown.
“I’m staying over there—” She pointed toward Andrew’s house. “There’s this dog that seems to be lost and I was wondering if you might know who she belongs to.” She thought a second. “At least I think it’s a ‘she.’ Or it could be a ‘he.’ To be honest, I didn’t look.”
“What kind of dog?” he asked in a way that suggested he already knew.
“About so tall—” She indicated knee-high. “Light reddish brown. Friendly. Floppy ears. Mixed breed.” As if on cue, the dog appeared at Diana’s side, its tail shifting into high gear at the sight of the man.
He wiped his hands on his jeans and followed a paper path to the front door. “She’s mine.” He crouched down and cupped the dog’s muzzle, forcing her to look at him. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
As deflated as a football in a playoff game, she dropped her head and let out a soft whine. Contradicting the contrite posture, her tail never stopped swinging.
He offered Diana an apologetic smile. “She’s looking for my daughter and your cousin Bobby. The three of them have been constant companions this summer and she doesn’t understand why they’ve seemingly abandoned her. I hate to tie her up, but it looks like I’m going to have to.”
“Does she always come to work with you?” There was a missing piece to this puzzle.
“Only when my daughter Shiloh is in school or staying with someone. Coconut accepts me, but she’s really Shiloh’s dog.” He gave Coconut’s floppy ears a final scratch, stood, and steered the dog toward the room behind the tarp.
“How did you know who I—” She made a dismissive wave. “Never mind—I know. Cheryl told you I was coming.”
He smiled. “Not just me. Everyone in the cove has been told to be on the lookout for you.”
“Sounds like something my mother would do.” While it didn’t thrill her to know she was being
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