It was midafternoon when Sadie admitted she’d hit a dead end. She pushed her laptop away and flung herself back against the Adirondack chair. The sun beat down on her bare shoulders, making beads of sweat pop out on the back of her neck. A slight breeze ruffled the hair that had escaped her bun.

  “Well, Rio, I guess we’ve hit a roadblock.”

  The dog opened her eyes but didn’t lift her head from her paws.

  Sadie had found the previous building owner’s name almost immediately and quickly located a short obituary. (Not very well written, she had to say.) It had been published several weeks ago in the Tucker Island Gazette and contained a long list of relatives by whom he’d been predeceased.

  The man had no one who’d survived him? No wife or kids or grandkids? How was that possible? She’d even looked him up in online directories and made some calls, but his name, William Brown, was a common one, and she’d found no one who knew the man she was searching for.

  Finally she’d texted the results of her research to Sam but hadn’t heard back from him yet.

  She glanced at her watch. Four o’clock. At least the research had kept her mind occupied most of the afternoon, and the business day was almost over. The pub board had already decided her fate—she just didn’t know what it was yet. This was her only chance at another writing contract. She didn’t have time to come up with a new plot, and after the dismal sales of her Lonesome Ridge series, no other publisher would touch her.

  Even if the team approved her proposal, she’d only have about ten weeks to turn in a manuscript. But she had to return to school the third week of August, and she’d need three weeks for the rewrites. So that meant she’d have roughly five weeks in which to write the first draft.

  Her nerves jangled at the thought. She’d never cranked out a book that quickly, much less in a genre she’d never written in. But since the plot so closely reflected real-life events, maybe she could pull it off.

  If only the team liked her idea.

  Her phone vibrated in her pocket with a call. She checked the screen. Sam. Despite her discouragement about their search for the ring’s owner, she smiled because he’d never called her before. “Well, hello there.”

  “Hey, I’m sorry you haven’t had much luck with your search.”

  She imagined him cooling off in the shade of his truck, the air on full blast. “Yeah, I’ve looked high and low, and I can’t find any information on the guy.”

  “I had an idea after I got your text. I could check around with other business owners in town. Surely someone knew something about him.”

  “Oh, that’s a great idea. His name’s William Brown. Do you have any idea of how many William Browns live in the area? Seven. And I know because I called every last number listed online, and none of them knew the William Brown who recently passed. And I don’t know if he went by William, Will, or Bill for that matter.”

  “It sounds like you were pretty thorough. Listen, I’m just about done for the day. I’ll head downtown in a bit and ask around. I know a few people who work in the area. Maybe we’ll hit pay dirt. Want to tag along?”

  Her heart thumped at the invitation. After all, they’d worked together so far, and it was nice that he wanted to keep it that way. “I’d love to . . . but I have a date tonight.” She wasn’t sure why she’d used that word, but she couldn’t seem to keep herself from testing the waters. And maybe it had its desired effect, because there was a long pause before he responded.

  “On a Tuesday night?” His voice gave nothing away.

  She chuckled. “It’s your sister’s only free night this week. We’re going shopping for wedding clothes.”

  “Oh . . .”

  “What’s wrong? Afraid she’s going to divulge your deepest, darkest secrets?”

  “Actually I’m shocked she has any interest in shopping at all. She’s always been kind of a tomboy.”

  “Well, it was her idea and I wasn’t about to turn her down. It’s no fun to shop alone.”

  “I’ll take your word for it. Listen, I’m at my next job. I’ll keep you apprised on my investigation.”

  “I’ll keep you apprised on my shopping venture.”

  “Not necessary,” he said drolly.

  Twenty-Four

  At the heart of every romance novel is the concept of thwarted desire.

  —Romance Writing 101

  Sam walked with purpose toward his truck. It was getting later in the day and businesses were starting to close. He’d already stopped by PJ’s Clam Shack and spoken with PJ herself. She’d known William Brown only vaguely and had no idea if he had family in the area. But she did confirm he went by “Will.” The manager on staff at Billy’s Bar had never met Will Brown.

  Finally, Sam realized that the building’s previous retail tenant, the owner of the hair salon, definitely would have known her own landlord. But the salon had apparently moved across the island.

  When he reached his truck he got in and headed that way. He thought of Sadie and Hayley, even now hitting the stores in search of wedding clothes. He wasn’t worried anymore that Hayley would divulge his previous relationship with Amanda. She seemed to understand the hurt and humiliation the whole situation had caused him. And while embarrassing him was one of her favorite pastimes, she’d never humiliate him.

  Sadie was probably wondering about his progress, but he didn’t want to update her until he had something positive to share. When they began this venture he hadn’t dreamed it would be this hard to hunt down that book’s owner. And he’d never dreamed that making Sadie happy would come to mean so much to him.

  He didn’t want to let her down.

  He let that thought soak in for a long minute. When had pleasing Sadie become so important to him? She was such a positive person by nature. It had been hard to see her disappointed this morning. He’d felt like a failure when he’d been unable to make a connection at the bank that would loosen that red tape.

  Sadie was obviously coming to mean something to him, and he’d already decided he shouldn’t pursue that relationship—despite how nice that hug had felt last night.

  He shook the memory from his mind. They’d solve this mystery, then he would leave her alone. With any luck she’d have a book to write, and surely that would consume the rest of the summer.

  Of course, there was also the upcoming wedding. There was no way he was attending that alone. He’d just have to stay strong. Keep the relationship on friendly terms.

  How hard could it be?

  A few minutes later he turned into the parking lot of the Hair Gallery. A Cape Cod home had been transformed into a business. Conforming with the island’s pastel palette, it was painted sea green and trimmed in white. The wide porch was welcoming and bore a hanging shingle with the names of the salon and business owner.

  He entered the building and found a wide-open first floor decorated in neutral shades. A blow-dryer hummed in the distance, and the scents of eucalyptus and lemongrass teased his nose. A few hairdressers buzzed around their stations, but he stepped up to an old fireplace façade that had been repurposed as a front desk.

  A twentysomething woman with an airbrushed face and at least three sets of earrings greeted him. Her blood-red lips parted in a professional smile. “Hello, welcome to the Hair Gallery. Need a trim? We’re a little backed up right now, but we could get you in, say, in twenty minutes?”

  “Thank you, but I’m not here for a cut. I was actually wondering if I might speak with Chantilly Thomas?”

  The woman tucked her short bleached-blonde hair behind her ear. “That would be me. But it’s just Tilly. What can I do for you?”

  “My name’s Sam Ford. I work here on the island, and I’m trying to find a phone number for your former landlord, Will Brown. I thought you might be able to help me.”

  Her face fell. “Oh, I’m sorry to tell you, but Will passed away a while back . . .”

  “Right, I know that. I guess I should’ve said I’m wanting to reach his family. I have something that belongs to a former tenant of his and would like to return it, but I can’t find the renter’s current information. I was hoping his family might be able to help me.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think he had any family. At least, that’s what he told me. His wife passed away a long time ago and they never had any kids. Word has it everything he owned was sold and the proceeds donated to some charity. No beneficiaries.” The phone on the desk rang. “Excuse me just a minute.”

  Frustration, from both the bad news and the interruption, pinched at Sam’s nerves. If what she said was true, how would they ever reach that tenant? He had to find some connection, some trail that would lead him to that renter.

  Tilly hung up a moment later. “Sorry about that. Where were we?”

  “You mentioned a charity—do you happen to know which one benefited from Will’s passing?” Maybe he could find the man’s family through them.

  “Sorry, but I have no idea. I wish I could help you out.”

  Just as disappointment began to settle in, an idea came to him. His spine lengthened. “Wait, the tenant I’m trying to reach lived upstairs when your salon was downtown. You must’ve met him at some point.”

  “Oh, that guy.” A pair of dangly earrings jingled as she shook her head. “I never actually met him, only saw him in passing. I didn’t know his name or anything. I was busy trying to get my business off the ground, and I didn’t see him very often. I had the feeling he kept irregular hours, like maybe he worked second shift or something.”

  “Is there anything else you can tell me about him? Did you ever see him with someone else, someone you might’ve known or recognized?”

  “I never saw him with anyone else. But like I said, I was pretty busy. Sorry I can’t be of more help. You have something that belongs to him, you said?”

  “Right. It’s actually pretty valuable, so I’m sure he’d want it back. Could you tell me what he looked like?”

  She hitched a slim shoulder. “Late twenties, maybe? Brown hair, medium build. Sorry, I guess that’s not very helpful.”

  He pulled out a business card. “That’s okay. I appreciate your time. Can I leave this with you? If you happen to see him around or come upon his contact information, could you call me?”

  “Sure thing.” She pocketed his card. “And if you find yourself in need of a trim . . .”

  “I’ll know where to go.”

  The phone rang again.

  “Thanks again for your help. I’ll let you get back to work.”

  As he left the shop, dismay hit him like a tropical-force wind. He’d exhausted all avenues and was no closer to getting the name of that tenant than he’d been when he started tonight.

  Worse yet, their search seemed to have reached a complete dead end—and Sam would have to break the news to Sadie.

  * * *

  Shopping always lifted Sadie’s spirits, and shopping with Hayley lifted them even higher. They’d gone off island to the shopping mall and hit all of Sadie’s favorite stores. Hayley might be a tomboy, but she had great taste in fashion.

  Sadie found the perfect dresses for the wedding and rehearsal dinner, and better yet, she’d found them both on sales racks. She’d also bought a new bathing suit. She would’ve loved to have splurged on new heels, but she could make do with what she had. She was already pushing the limits of her budget, considering she might have to pay back that advance.

  She and Hayley had capped off the night at the mall’s ice cream shop, where she’d indulged in a hot fudge brownie sundae and lots of laughter.

  It was almost nine by the time she turned into her driveway. Sam’s truck was parked on his side of the house. He’d never updated her on his progress tonight with the neighboring businesses. Maybe he wanted to share the good news in person.

  Instead of heading toward her apartment, she grabbed her bags, made a beeline for his door, and rang the bell. Not only did she want that update, but after spending an evening with Hayley, she had plenty of material to tease him about.

  He answered a long minute later, wearing khaki shorts and a navy blue Braves T-shirt. His hair was a little damp, the back just starting to curl up. “Hey. Come on in.”

  She followed him into the foyer and set down her bags. “You never texted me. What happened? Did you learn anything helpful?”

  His gaze dropped to the shopping bags just before he headed into the living room. “I didn’t want to interrupt your shopping spree, which appears to have been a great success.”

  She followed him, her sandals clicking on the tile. “It was. I had a great time, but the suspense is killing me. What did you learn?”

  He turned in the living room and stuffed his hands into his pockets. His expression telegraphed his answer long before his words. “Sorry to say I came up empty. I visited all the downtown shops, and all I gleaned is that William went by Will and he had no family.”

  Sadie frowned. “None at all? Are you sure?”

  “I located the owner of the salon that used to rent the lower space in his building.”

  “Oh, that’s a great idea—she would’ve been his tenant.”

  “Right. She’s the one who told me Will had no family. His entire estate went to some charity.”

  Her hopes shriveled up like an old prune. “Oh no.”

  “She didn’t know which charity, so that’s not useful information. She had seen the tenant we’re searching for, but only in passing, and her description of him didn’t exactly set him apart from the crowd.” His eyes turned down at the corners, mirroring his lips. “I’m sorry, Sadie. I’d hoped to find something helpful, but it seems like we’ve reached a dead end instead.”

  Sadie felt deflated herself but forced a smile and touched his arm. “Hey, you tried. That’s all you can do, and I really appreciate your efforts.”

  “I left my card with everyone I talked to, so I guess we can still hope to hear something. Or maybe we’ll think of something else, some other trail to follow.”

  Her hand still lingered on his arm. And though she didn’t want to, she pulled it away. “That’s right. There’s always hope.” But Sadie’s usual optimism was nowhere to be found. She had a terrible feeling that the mystery man they’d been searching for would never recover his beautiful engagement ring.

  Twenty-Five

  Along with setbacks your heroine should also enjoy wins that have your reader rooting alongside her.

  —Romance Writing 101

  What was taking so long? Almost the entire day had ticked away one slow second after another. It was almost close of business day, and Sadie still hadn’t heard from her agent or editor.

  She’d started her day with a jog on the beach. Then, inspired by total boredom, she went to a hobby store to buy an embellishment for her Little Library, feeling guilty the whole time about the money she was spending. When she got home she added the shingles, and by the time she finished, her Little Library was adorable and more weatherproof.

  Later she had Keisha over for coffee and cookies, and Sadie got her fill of baby snuggles. When Keisha left, Sadie checked in with Caroline via text and her mom via phone. All was well back home.

  Once the sun sank lower in the sky, she took a walk on the beach with Rio, making sure her phone was set to ring, the sound turned all the way up—not that she’d be able to hear it over the crashing waves. But she had to stay busy or she would go crazy.

  She ran into several people she’d previously met, thanks to the Little Library: Ellen, a suspense fan; Doreen, a romance reader; and Hildy and Dave, who read aloud to each other in the evenings. Each of them greeted Rio, and before they parted ways, Sadie encouraged them to stop by the library and check out the new books—as well as the structure’s new embellishments.

  When it was almost five o’clock, she came upon Jared and Roscoe, and they walked with her for a while. They were almost back to the house when Sadie’s phone vibrated with a call. She whipped it out and gasped at the name on the screen.

  Erin!

  “Um, I have to take this,” she said to Jared. “I’ve gotta go. Come on, Rio. Sorry, I’ll catch you later. Bye, Roscoe!”

  She barely heard Jared’s response as she turned toward the house and answered the call.

  “Hi, Sadie. I’m sorry it’s taken so long to get back with you. Oh my goodness, what a day. How are things in South Carolina? Still enjoying the sunshine?”

  “Oh yes, it’s been great. The weather has been divine. How are things around the office, other than busy?” She normally enjoyed the niceties of conversation, but right now she wanted to skip straight to the point.

  “Mostly good. We found a replacement for Tina in the marketing department and she’s fitting right in. And Josie, one of our associate editors, announced her engagement today. Is that the ocean I hear? I’m so jealous.”

  “That’s what it is. I just took Rio for a walk on the beach. I’m getting spoiled but I have to admit, I couldn’t ask for a more ideal setting in which to write a romance novel.”

  Erin chuckled. “Nicely done—I couldn’t imagine a more perfect segue. And I’m happy to say that’s exactly what you’ll be doing. The team loved your proposal, Sadie.”

  Yes! Sadie spun around on the sand, pumping her arms. Rio’s leash wove around her legs, nearly tripping her. Sadie stepped over Rio, untangling herself. “That’s wonderful news.” Despite her best efforts she sounded as breathless as she felt.

  “I’m pretty stoked about it myself.”

  Sadie mamboed her way into her yard and all the way up the deck while Erin gave her a complete rundown of the team’s commentary—all positive.

  “I can hardly wait to get started.” Once on the deck, Sadie stopped dancing, but excess energy had her bouncing on her toes. “I can’t tell you how inspired I feel about this story. I hope I can bring it to life on the page.”

  “We never doubted your ability to do just that. But since the schedule is a little tight and the genre is new to you, I thought maybe you could send me the story in batches. That way, if there are any major issues we can catch them as you go.”