“I told you not to sign your work.” Charlie knocked her shoulder against Simon’s.
“You know what?” Luke pulled a muddied plastic butterfly out of his pocket. “I think I found something of yours.” He held it out to Charlie, who gasped and plucked it out of his hand, holding it against her chest.
“Oh, thank you!” She beamed up at him. “I thought it was gone forever. Mom, look! Sheriff Luke found my butterfly!”
“I see,” Paige said, and mouthed a silent thank-you to Luke.
“Come on, Simon. Race you to the community center!” She dived out the door past Simon, who followed behind like a loyal puppy dog.
“Sometimes I love that little girl so much it hurts,” Paige whispered, flicking a tear off her cheek. “Dole out whatever punishment you see fit,” she told Luke. “She can handle anything.”
“Like most of the women in this town,” Luke said.
* * *
“I’VE BEEN MEANING to ask how things are over at your place.”
The uncertainty in Holly’s voice broke through the barrier Luke spent years building around his past. “It’s a place to sleep.” Last night had been the first time in weeks he’d slept longer than a few hours, dropping deeply and quickly once the situation with Simon had resolved itself. Or maybe his internal clock was finally catching up, giving his brain a chance to turn off. Whatever the reason, Luke hadn’t felt this clearheaded in ages.
“I bet it’s difficult being there again after all this time,” Holly said. “All those memories.”
“Would have been a lot harder if my father was still alive.” His attempt at humor fell flatter than a burned pancake. “There’s no need to tiptoe around the truth, Holly. It’s not as if those years are a secret to anyone who’s lived here. I don’t spend many hours there. And it’s not as though I’ll be here forever. When my term’s over, I’ll either sell the house as is, or raze the entire property line. Let someone come in and start over.” If he’d been superstitious he might have the land exorcized or smudged with burning sage. At least his father had saved everyone the hassle and made arrangements to be cremated.
“You’re not staying, then?”
He had to be imagining the disappointment he heard in her voice. “I came back as a favor to your father, Holly. I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”
“Yeah, sure.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I was thinking with everything you want to do, it might take a little longer than you expect.”
Yeah, he’d been imagining it. The last person who would want him to stick around Butterfly Harbor was Holly Campbell. A friendly short-term truce would have to be enough.
“I finish what I start, Holly.” But he could understand her concern. “And I keep my promises. I won’t leave until I’m sure everything’s in place.”
“Nice to know.” She clasped her hands behind her as they continued down Monarch Lane. “That you keep your promises. In case I didn’t say so before, thank you for asking my father to take charge of the youth-center project. I can’t tell you how relieved I am he’ll have something productive to do with his time.”
“I get the feeling Jake underestimated just how big a difference not being sheriff was going to be.” This wasn’t a job one could simply walk away from. Even in a small town, there were plenty of things to keep him and his two deputies jumping. From reports of lost cats to garden sheds being broken in to, to missing stop signs and reports of vagrants in abandoned houses. And don’t get him started on the parking tickets and traffic infractions.
“What did he mean last night?” Holly’s question broke into Luke’s reverie. “When he said the accident was as much his fault as yours?”
Luke stepped around her so he could look out at the cresting shoreline. Would he ever get tired of the sound of waves or the smell of midmorning salt air? “No idea.”
“Don’t lie to me, Luke.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop, pinning him with a look Luke was convinced Simon had been on the receiving end of on more than one occasion. “I can deal with a lot of things, but not being lied to.” The ferocity in her voice, the flash of hurt and anger mingling in her eyes, reminded him that not all had been perfect between her and Gray. “What don’t I know?”
As many doors to the past as had been opened recently, this wasn’t one he wanted to walk through. Not with things going as well as they were between them. “It’s nothing that makes any difference, Holly.” He started to cover her hand with his, but before he made contact, he closed his fist, dropped his arm. As much as he wanted to touch her, to have some physical contact, there wasn’t anywhere for his growing feelings for her to go. “The accident was what it was. It’s over.”