Serenity Harbor

She laughed along with the rest of the Helping Hands. The rivalry between the two towns was ever-present.

“I know what you’re talking about,” Hazel said after the laughter subsided. “When Donald and I were first married, we spent a year in the Philippines while he was stationed there in the air force. Best year of our marriage, even though we lived in base housing surrounded by mostly Americans. I adored going to the street markets, trying the cuisine, seeing how other people lived. I missed my hometown and my family but loved seeing a different culture. It opens the mind.”

“Yes. Exactly.”

“I hope, like I did, you’ve learned a little more about the world and a whole lot more about yourself.”

She smiled warmly at Hazel, the first person who seemed to truly understand her experience these last nine months.

“I have,” she said.

“Tell them about your latest wild hair,” Charlene said, her tone sharp but her eyes filled with concern.

Her mother was strongly against her plans to adopt Gabriela. She thought Katrina was acting on a whim, jumping into something for which she wasn’t prepared. Instead of being excited, as Katrina had hoped, her mother was full of dire predictions about how she was limiting her future options by taking on this lifelong responsibility to a stranger at a time when she should be looking to settle down and have children of her own.

She could only hope Charlene’s opposition would fade when she had the chance to meet Gabi, to look into those dark eyes and see the life and joy and possibility in them.

“Is this about what happened in the grocery store with Bowie Callahan?” Sam interjected. “That was the craziest thing.”

The entire collection of shower guests seemed to perk up, merely at the man’s name. She would have found it amusing if she hadn’t felt a subtle little shiver rippling through her insides.

“Now, there’s someone I wouldn’t mind packing along in my truck on a world tour,” Hazel said with her sly, lascivious grin.

“He is one fine-looking man,” Lindy Grace Keegan purred.

Yes. Katrina wholly agreed. Which was all the more reason for her to stay away from him. Her decision-making track record around fine-looking men was dismal at best.

“What happened with Bowie Callahan?” Charlene asked, eyes wide. “I had no idea you even knew the man.”

Thanks for that, Sam. She aimed a sharp look at her friend, who gave her an apologetic shrug.

“I don’t know him. Not really. I met him today after I had a bit of a situation with his younger brother.”

“Bowie Callahan has a younger brother?” Barbara Serrano looked shocked. “Now, there’s something I didn’t know—and here I was under the impression I knew everything that went on around this town.”

“He does. His name is Milo and he’s very cute. Around five or six years old, I would guess.”

“Six,” Eliza chimed in.

“He’s very cute,” Samantha said. “Though he seems like a handful. He was having a fit in the store and Kat headed him off, so now Bowie wants to hire Katrina to be Milo’s nanny for a couple of weeks while she’s in town. He apparently offered her a boatload of money. Can you believe she said no?”

“Tell him I’ll do it for free,” Hazel said, with that grin again.

“Why on earth would you turn him down?” Wyn asked.

“I came home for your wedding, not to solve a family crisis for some rich, self-absorbed executive I don’t even know.”

She instantly regretted her words, spoken more harshly than she really intended. They seemed to fall on the shower guests like a sudden cloudburst.

“You don’t have to be rude,” Charlene said, clear reprimand in her voice as if Katrina were eight years old again and had eaten something that wasn’t on her approved ketogenic, antiseizure diet.

“Bowie is actually a very nice man, which you would know if you’d spent more than a few minutes with him,” her mother said. “Why, the very first week he was in town, he stopped to help me load my groceries.”

“And he gave a sizable donation to the fund-raiser for a new library,” Julia offered in her quiet voice.

“For what it’s worth, I’ve always found him very nice—and Ben and Aidan have nothing but good to say about him,” Eliza put in.

“They all went to school together,” McKenzie added. “You should hear some of their stories about their time together.”

When the entire formidable force that was the Haven Point Helping Hands ganged up on a person, it was like being steamrolled by an avalanche.

“Okay, okay. I get it. The man is a saint. That still doesn’t mean I want to spend my limited time home babysitting his kid brother.”

Just like with Milo and his behavior issues, sometimes the best strategy was simple diversion, and she quickly changed the subject. “Now, isn’t it about time for some delightfully off-color wedding shower games?”

Wynona groaned, but Hazel and Eppie giggled. “Yes,” they chimed in unison.

McKenzie jumped up. “You’re right. We have tons to do, people. Better get to it.”

Katrina managed to avoid the topic of Bowie Callahan and his brother again until the shower was over and she was helping her sister carry presents out to her SUV.

“That was great,” she said as they walked out into the sweet-smelling air from the honeysuckle and snowberry that grew in abundance on Julia’s property.

“I’m so glad we were able to work it around your schedule so you could make it. It wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun without you.”

“You’re only saying that because Sam and I made the best wedding dress out of toilet paper.”

“It was a work of art. I hope my real one looks half that good,” Wyn said. “I especially loved the row of toilet paper roses across the shoulders and adorning your veil.”

“What can I say? I’ve always looked good in Charmin.”

They both laughed, but Wyn’s smile slid away too quickly. “Hey, I hope you’re not turning down that nanny gig because of me.”

“You mean because I flew six thousand miles to come home and spend a little time with you before your wedding?”

“Yeah. That.” Wynona smiled. “I just mean, if you can work around the schedule thing with the wedding, do it. Bowie seems like a nice guy in a tough spot, at least from what everyone said in there. And the money would definitely come in handy with all your legal expenses, wouldn’t it?”

Wynona, at least, supported her efforts to adopt Gabi, and so did Cade. Her brother Marshall hadn’t said much about it—but then, he didn’t say much about anything.

“The money wouldn’t hurt,” she admitted. “But I can’t just duck out of helping you with wedding prep. I’m the maid of honor!”

“Don’t worry about that. McKenzie has whipped all the Helping Hands into a frenzy, getting things ready for the big day. You know how she is. Between her and Mom—and Andie, who did all the wedding invitations—I’ve hardly lifted a finger for my own wedding. I feel more than a little guilty about it, if you want the truth.”

She nudged Wyn with her shoulder, so happy her sister and Cade were ready to start their life together. “You’ve been a little busy, finishing up your master’s program and starting a new job at children’s services in Shelter Springs.”

“You’re right. That’s a lot of change in a short time.” She paused, clutching her arms as if she were suddenly chilled, though the evening was warm. “What am I doing?”

The sudden panic in her voice shocked Katrina. Her older sister always seemed so together. During those long months after their father was shot on duty and incapacitated, Wyn had been a rock. When Katrina had wanted to quit her last year of college and come home to take care of Charlene, Wyn refused to let her. Instead, Wyn had been the one to move back to Haven Point, taking a job in the Haven Point Police Department.