That Second Chance (Getting Lucky #1)(23)

“Did you meet them today?”

“Not ‘meet’ per se, but I heard them talking about me as I walked in and out of the shops. They’re not really quiet.”

“That’s because they can’t hear each other. So they’re all talking extremely loud, especially the ones who don’t wear hearing aids. The one you really have to look out for is Mrs. Davenport. Sweet old lady, but packs a lot of punch when it comes to her ability to gossip. She’ll lure you in, ask you questions, and then strike when the iron is hot.”

Ren takes another bite of her whoopie-pie half, mine already consumed. “She sounds dangerous.”

“Very. Watch yourself around her.”

“Good to know. Anyone else I should steer clear of?”

I shake my head. “Nah. Ruth at the coffee shop is pretty cool if you’re looking for someone to hang out with. Her friend Rylee is usually in the coffee shop in the mornings. She’s a romance author who recently got married and adopted triplets with her husband, Beck. He’s still pretty new to town, if you need someone to commiserate with.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m still stuck on adopting triplets. That is a huge undertaking.”

“Not for them. They couldn’t have kids on their own, so it was a blessing for them.”

Ren makes a sweet sound of understanding just as she finishes her whoopie pie. “Ah, that’s amazing. Good for them.” Ren pauses for a second. “So do you know everyone in town and their backstories?”

I nod, staring out over the ocean. “Yeah. I grew up here with all the same people. Some have come, and some have gone, but when you live here for so long, you just add the new people to the community, to your second family.”

“A second family. I like that.” She tilts her head to the side, and I can feel her curious eyes on me. “How many people do you think already know about me?”

“Do you want the truth?” She nods, so I continue. “Probably everybody. Like I said, news travels fast. Sometimes it isn’t correct news, but in the end, it gets straightened out. You just have to let the initial excitement die down first.”

She nods slowly and stares out at the sunset sky with me, the world turning to a burnt orange color, casting a glow on the both of us.

“Have you ever thought about moving away?”

So many times.

After I lost Claire, there were countless days I had my bags packed and was ready to drive as far as I could, away from the painful memories until they started to fade. The first year after her death, I could have sworn I still saw her everywhere. In the window of the coffeehouse, in the back of the shop sneaking cookies, in our bedroom, waiting for me to get home.

Everywhere I looked, I saw Claire, and it was too painful to be in Port Snow, but every time I tried to leave, my family pulled me back in, convincing me that I still had my town and family to rely on. If I moved, they were worried I would bury myself in a hole and never come up for air.

They were right; that’s exactly what I would have done.

So with some encouragement and a lot of whoopie pies, I made it through the first year.

But I don’t want to get into that with Ren, so I lie. “Nah, how could I leave this place? It’s perfect, right?”

“Feels perfect,” she answers with a sigh. “I moved from Los Angeles, and let me tell you, I feel like I couldn’t have gotten out of there fast enough. It wasn’t the place for me. But Port Snow? I think I might just have a love affair with this town.” She turns toward me. “Are there any kind of groups or clubs I can get involved in? I still have some time before classes start, and I would love to meet more people, make friends.”

I scratch the back of my neck, thinking. “Uh, there aren’t a lot of clubs or anything like that here since most of us own businesses and spend all of our time in our shops. But you know, there is the restoration group.”

“Oh, what’s that?”

“It’s a little group I’m a part of. We go around and touch up all the buildings on Main once a month, making sure everything is as pristine as it can be. The town is known for its beauty, and we take a lot of pride in that, so we divide it up and spend one day a week going around cleaning our sections.”

“Ahh, so that’s how you keep everything so perfect. That’s really smart, and it sounds like fun. Who do I talk to if I want to join?”

“Uh, that would be me.”

“Really?” Her eyes widen. “So you run your parents’ shop, volunteer at the fire station, and run the beauty-restoration group? Is there anything else you do?”

“Maybe a few other things here and there, but nothing too big.”

“Well, you might as well run for mayor at this point.” When I don’t say anything, her mouth falls open. “If you say you’re the mayor, I’m going to have to leave right now.”

I laugh, my shoulders rising and falling. “No, I’m not the mayor; that’s a job I don’t ever want. The crap he has to deal with on a daily basis is annoying and petty. Not a fun job.”

“Sounds horrific.” A smile peeks past her lips. “Have you ever complained to the mayor?”

I laugh and don’t even try to mince my words. “Oh, plenty of times. I have no shame in it. When you want something done, you badger the mayor until it’s taken care of.”