The Family You Make (Sunrise Cove #1)(14)

Other than Charlotte, it was the best relationship she’d ever had.

Back in the kitchen, Charlotte was still working on the food, and since Jane was starving, she revisited the fridge and this time came out cradling a glass container labeled JANE’S. “You’re my very own personal angel,” she told Charlotte, grabbing a fork for the vegetable lasagna.

“That was for last night, which of course you missed, and you really should heat it up first—” Charlotte broke off with a grimace of distaste, but didn’t further waste her breath as Jane dug into it cold.

“Yum.”

Charlotte sighed. “Your cat was just making the same appreciative noises.”

Jane snorted. “Are you comparing me to our alley cat?”

“Your alley cat, and yes.” Charlotte paused and met Jane’s eyes. “Where’s your car, still up at North Diamond?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll drive you to get it after breakfast.”

“Thanks,” Jane said gratefully.

“Of course.” Charlotte paused, studied her for a moment. “You want to talk about it?”

“About what?”

“Almost dying.”

“I was being dramatic.”

“Jane, you’re never dramatic. Tell me. I get it, you know.”

Jane did know, and to her surprise, found herself fighting emotions. “I was coming home from work when the storm hit, it all went bad, and— Oh, no.” She broke off, set the food down, and clutched at her throat where her necklace normally lay.

It was gone.

“I lost it,” she whispered. “That’s what happened. Dammit.”

“Your grandma’s necklace?”

“Yes.” And the only thing Jane had of hers. She pulled out her phone and called North Diamond’s urgent care. No one picked up, so she left a message, detailing the necklace she’d lost, also asking them to check with ski patrol.

Knowing exactly what that necklace meant to her, Charlotte came around the island. “Honey.” She slid an arm around her. “Someone will find it and contact the resort.”

Jane nodded, but the dread in her gut told her it would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

“How about pancakes with your veggie lasagna and eggs?”

Jane wasn’t the only one who could distract with the best of them. “With chocolate chips?” she asked.

“Is there any other kind?”





Chapter 5


The waves washed over the pebbled sand rhythmically, waking Levi. He took a deep breath. Fresh pine trees and cool, fresh air. Nice. The stunning sky matched the color of the lake in front of him, a sea of blue, surrounded by the jagged Sierra peaks. Next to him on the beach sat an urn.

Amy’s ashes.

Lake Tahoe had been her favorite place on earth. Levi had been her favorite person on earth, going as far back as middle school, when they’d crashed into each other on the monkey bars and cracked heads.

She liked to say he’d knocked himself right into her soul, that there would never be another for her. She’d known that from age twelve. He’d never fully understood it.

Or appreciated it.

Guilt washed over him in tune to the water hitting the sand. Except . . . hold up. The sound was shifting from gentle waves to an obnoxious beep, beep, beep . . .

“Levi? How we doing?”

He didn’t recognize the voice, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to open his eyes, because suddenly something was hammering away at the base of his skull. A sledgehammer. He actually lifted his hands to his head to hold it on his shoulders and felt the tug of an IV.

Damn. That, along with the scent of antiseptic, was a dead giveaway.

He cracked his eyes open and immediately regretted it because the pain behind his eyeballs exploded. “Jesus,” he gasped.

“Take your time. Slow breaths or you’ll get sick.”

No kidding. The urge to throw up was suddenly his number one problem. He drew in a very slow, shallow breath. And then another, not moving a single inch until the nausea retreated slightly.

“Good.”

He fought his eyes open again. Given the slant of light coming in the window on his left, it was midmorning. On his right stood a nurse, checking his vitals.

“I’m fine,” he said.

“Of course you are.” She smiled at him. “If not just a little roughed up. And welcome back.”

“Wait.” His brain felt scrambled. “Jane.” He had to clear his rough throat, the sound causing more stabbing pain behind his eyeballs. “Where’s Jane?”

His nurse moved closer, adjusting his IV line before patting his hand. Her name tag said Daisy. Her warm, caring eyes said her regret was genuine. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t here when you were brought in. Is she a relative? Your wife?”

He struggled to think, to remember, but his entire head felt constricted, like his skull was too tight. “I just need to know if she’s okay.”

At the look on his face, Daisy took sympathy on him. “All right, hon, I’ll ask around. What’s her last name?”

He opened his mouth and then had to close it again because he didn’t know her last name.

“Okay, so not a relative, and definitely not your wife,” Daisy said dryly. “Hang tight. I’ll get your doctor.”