“I’ll be fine,” my mom replied. “Just give me a minute.”

  I saw right through her act. She wasn’t fooling me at all. At the same time, rather than making a big deal about it, I tried my best to comfort her. It seemed like a good time to lean forward and give her a hug.

  “Take as long as you need,” I said.

  My mother remained silent for a moment. She then opened her mouth and said, “I told myself I wasn’t going to cry today.”

  “Really?”

  “Why do you sound so surprised?”

  “It seems like a pretty crazy promise to make to yourself. I mean, of all the days in the year, this one has definitely been the hardest to keep my eyes dry.”

  “You haven’t cried today then?” she asked.

  I shook my head. “Not yet.”

  Her eyes widened. “Wow. That’s impressive.”

  “I’ve come pretty close, though.”

  “I’m sure you have.” My mom stared out into the distance. “I just miss your father so much.”

  “So do I. He was an amazing man.”

  “Life just isn’t the same without him.”

  “It sure isn’t.”

  “Nor do I think it ever will be again.”

  “That’s a bleak thought. Especially considering how it’s his birthday.”

  “Or, at least, it would have been, if he was still here,” my mother said.

  “Even though he isn’t here anymore, this was still the date that he was born.”

  “I realize that. But instead of being a joyous occasion, it’s now a really difficult day to get through.”

  “Isn’t that the truth?”

  “The craziest part is that this used to be his favorite day of the year.”

  “Why wouldn’t it be? Who doesn’t love their birthday?”

  “You’re right. At the same time, you have to admit, your father loved throwing big parties on his special day. Every year, he got the most out of his birthday that he possibly could.”

  “I can’t argue with that.”

  “Honestly, he spent the entire day smiling wide.”

  “And what a smile he had.”

  My mother nodded. “It was the kind of smile that could light up an entire room…” My mom trailed off as she became choked up.

  “Here. Let me get you a tissue,” I said.

  “I’m sorry,” my mom replied.

  I shrugged. “What are you apologizing for?”

  “I’m your mother. I’m supposed to be taking care of you. Not the other way around.”

  “It’s fine,” I said.

  My mother shook her head. “No, it isn’t. I mean, here we are, as sad as can be. This isn’t what your father would have wanted on his birthday.”

  “What else are we supposed to do? Pretend to be happy?”

  “No.”

  “Then what?”

  “Don’t you remember? Your father always had a way of trying to make the best of a bad situation.”

  “So, what do you suggest that we do now?”

  “Instead of mourning his death, why don’t we try to celebrate his life?”

  “I guess we could give that a try.”

  “I think that’s what he would have wanted. To talk about the good times. To remember all the things that made him so special.”

  “There were a lot of them.”

  “There certainly were. That’s why we miss him so much. Because he was a man like no other.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  “Do you know what we need right now?”

  I threw out my arms. “What?”

  “Some dessert.”

  I squinted. “I know this is going to sound crazy, coming from someone who has as sweet of a tooth as I do, but is having a treat really the best call right now?”

  My mother nodded. “Absolutely.”

  “All right. I’m not going to argue with you.”

  “This is all part of celebrating his life. After all, your father loved dessert.”

  “You’ve got that right.”

  “In fact, his favorite treat in the world was cookies. That’s why I think we should bake some chocolate chip cookies right now.”

  “Really?”

  She nodded. “It will be fun.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “It’s better than just standing around feeling sad.”

  “True.”

  “Besides, it will keep us busy.”

  “You’re right.”

  “Plus, there’s one added benefit,” she said. “When we’re done, we’ll have some delicious cookies to eat.”

  “Say no more. I’m sold.”

  “Good. Let’s get started.”

  Chapter Two

  My mother and I tried our best to focus on the happiest memories that we had of my father, but it was a rollercoaster of an evening for us both. By the end of the night, I was emotionally ragged.

  Not surprisingly, I crashed out pretty hard when I returned home. In fact, I ended up sleeping like a rock. Before I knew it, the morning sun was coming through my window.

  I reluctantly rolled out of bed, got dressed, and headed over to Majestic Cove Bakery. When I arrived, my dear friend, Kristina Fowler, greeted me. After explaining how my evening had gone, she expressed her sympathy.

  If I wasn’t careful, our entire conversation could devolve into a pity party. I wanted to avoid that. Feeling bad wasn’t going to bring my father back. However, it could threaten to derail my entire day. Whether I liked it or not, I had work to do. I couldn’t afford to just sit at home missing my father.

  In an effort to get myself into a better headspace, I tried to steer the conversation to a different topic.

  “What’s going on in your life? Any breaking news?” I asked.

  Kristina nodded. “As a matter of fact, there is.”

  “All right. Let’s hear it.”

  “I have a date.”

  “Are you serious?”

  She nodded.

  My face lit up. “That’s great.”

  “Don’t get too excited.”

  I squinted. “Why not?”

  “Because I have no idea how it’s going to turn out.”

  “That last disaster of a date really turned your expectations upside down, didn’t it?”

  “It sure did. Honestly, I haven’t been the same since then.”

  “Talk about a bad date. Well, I hope this new date goes much better.”

  “So do I,” Kristina replied. “I could really use a break. The question is, will I get one?”

  “Be sure to let me know.”

  “I will.” Kristina stopped talking and got a faraway look in her eyes.

  “It’s a shame that you’re not more excited. Dates don’t come around very often.”

  “Trust me. I’m quite aware of that. I hate that I feel the need to manage my expectations. But in this situation, I just can’t help myself. After the big letdown last time, I don’t want to set myself up for disappointment.”

  “That’s smart.”

  “On the flip side, if things do go well, I’m going to give myself permission to get more excited than ever.”

  “Let’s hope that’s what happens.”

  “I have my fingers crossed.”

  “How many fingers are you crossing exactly?”

  “All of them.”

  I chuckled. “Guess I should have known you were going to say that.”

  “By the way, if things do go well on this date, maybe you’ll finally sign up for an account with the dating site.”

  “I don’t know about that.”

  “And you call me a skeptic. Could you be less interested in online dating?”

  “Look. I just happen to have some doubts. All right?”

  “I just want you to be happy.” Kristina stopped talking and looked over my shoulder. “Of course, maybe you don’t need online dating after all.”

  I turned around. “Why not?”

  “Because maybe Mr. Right is closer than you think.”

  As I looked at the front door of the bakery, I spotted Detective Scott Webster approaching the shop.

  “You still believe that Scott and I are meant to be together, don’t you?” I asked.

  “There are worse men for you to end up with,” Kristina said.

  “You sound eerily like my mother.”

  “Maybe that should tell you something.”

  “Maybe. Then again, maybe not.”

  “You should give it some serious thought.”

  “I will.”

  “Good.”

  “Not now, though. It’s too early in the morning for deep thoughts,” I joked.

  Chapter Three

  When Scott entered the bakery, he spotted me at the counter and approached me. All the while, he had a concerned look on his face.

  “How are you holding up?” he asked.

  “Why are you taking such a serious tone with me?” I wondered.

  “I know you had a rough night.”

  Even though I appreciated Scott’s sympathy, it seemed to come out of nowhere. After all, I had not told him that yesterday was my father’s birthday. I couldn’t help but wonder where he was getting his information from.

  “How did you know that I had a tough day?” I asked.

  “Melody, have you forgotten that I’m a detective?”

  “I realize that. But what does that have to do with this situation? Are you investigating me or something?”

  “Don’t go jumping to crazy conclusions. I was scrolling through my newsfeed this morning and I saw your mom’s social media post about your father.”

  “Oh. Right. I forgot about that,” I said.

  “Your mother posted quite a tribute.”

  “Yeah. She went all-out. That post was something.”

  “What a terrible time for you both. I’m so sorry.”

  So much for avoiding the topic of my father’s death. His passing was the center of attention once again. Rather than trying to change the subject, I just let the conversation take me in whatever direction it wanted to go in.

  “Yeah. It’s pretty crazy. You know what that’s like,” I said.

  A lot of people had expressed sympathy after my dad’s death. Most of them had no experience with that kind of loss. Scott was different. He was no strange to tragedy.

  “I sure do.” Scott stared out into the distance. “Unfortunately, I have a little too much experience in that area.”

  He wasn’t kidding. Nor was he exaggerating. A few years ago, Scott had lost both of his parents to a terrible accident. They had died at the hands of a drunk driver. The driver had plowed into their car.

  That being said, mourning wasn’t a competition. It wasn’t about who had suffered a greater loss. In my case, it was about trying to cobble my life back together.

  “I don’t know about you, but when I was younger, I never would have imagined that I’d be going through something like this in my thirties.”

  “I know what you mean. But clearly, life had other plans for us both.”

  “Life is crazy like that.”

  “Don’t remind me.”

  “I’m trying not to. But life is the one that keeps reminding me.”

  “By the way, if there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know.”

  I put my hand up. “On that note, can I ask you something?”

  “Of course.”

  “Does it ever get easier?”

  “What? Life?”

  “The pain? The heartbreak? The memories of your deceased loved ones?” I said.

  “Do you want me to be honest?” he asked.

  I looked deep into his eyes. “I’m not going to like your answer, am I?” I asked.

  “What makes you say that?” he replied.

  “Because if you had something positive to say, you would have just come out with it. Instead, you answered my question with a question of your own.”

  “Right. Of course,” he replied. “My question stands, though. Do you want me to be honest with you?”

  I became pensive for a moment. I then said, “Hit me with the truth.”

  “No. I don’t think it does get easier. I certainly haven’t gotten over losing my parents. I still take things day by day. And I imagine that will never change.”

  My eyebrows rose. “Wow. You weren’t kidding. That’s some brutal honesty.”

  “I warned you.”

  I nodded. “You did.” I took a deep breath. “I know your instincts are usually really solid, but in this case, I hope you’re wrong.”

  “Same here. Honestly, I’d love to be wrong.”

  “There’s something you don’t hear from a detective very often.”

  “Nope. But it’s the truth. Being wrong about this would be great.”

  “Your instincts are telling you otherwise, though, aren’t they?”

  “Yes,” he replied. “I think this hole in my heart is never going away.”

  I winced. “That’s crazy.”

  “I’ll let you know if that changes in the future.”

  “Good.”

  He reached out and put his hand on my shoulder. “In the meantime, hang in there.”

  “I’ll do my best,” I said.

  Chapter Four

  After an emotional powder keg of a morning, I headed off to work. When I arrived at the detective agency that I ran with fellow investigator, Lisa Williamson, I told myself that a slow day at the office would be nice. At least, in theory. In practice, that might not pan out very well.

  While getting a breather would allow me to ease my way into work, if I didn’t have any pressing matters to attend to, my thoughts might begin to wander. That could become really dangerous. Especially if my brain decided to focus on how much I missed my dad.

  On the flip side, if I opened up the door of my office and a client was waiting for me, I would at least be distracted by all of the details that went into starting a new investigation. There was one problem with that, however. Jumping from one serious conversation to another without a break could lead to overload.

  Much to my relief, when I arrived at my office, I was able to take a seat in my chair, lean back, and catch my breath. For the next few minutes, I attempted to clear my head. Unfortunately, that was much easier said than done. To the point where I almost started doing some paperwork just to keep busy.

  A few minutes later, a middle-aged man in a business suit opened the door of the detective agency. I immediately jumped up from my chair and greeted him. So much for peace and quiet. I was happy to be talking to a new potential client.

  The man introduced himself as Zack Wright. He worked in the finance industry. After telling him my name and shaking his hand, I invited him to take a seat in my office. From there, I asked what I could do for him.

  Zack did not hesitate to get straight to the point. “I want you to dig up dirt on my daughter’s boyfriend.”

  “Okay. What kind of dirt are we talking about?” I asked.

  “Any that you can find.”

  “Can you be a little more specific?”

  “Kyle Flanagan is bad news. There’s something really sketchy about him.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “My instincts.”

  “Is that all?”

  “That’s enough. I have really good instincts.”

  “I’m not questioning that.”

  “Good.”

  “It’s more that I’m curious if you have any proof of your claims.”

  “No,” he said. “But that’s where you come in. I want you to find something that will prove me right.”

  “All right.”

  Zack pulled up a photo on his phone and showed it to me. “Look at this guy. Tell me he doesn’t look like bad news to you.”

  Kyle was a man in his early twenties. He had long hair and a beard. He was wearing ripped jeans and a tank top. He had a sleeve of tattoos on both of his arms. In the photo, he was leaning against a motorcycle. That wasn’t all, though. He also had a guitar case behind him.

  Suddenly, it became clear why Zack was so worried. Kyle practically had bad boy written all over him. The question became, was he actually a bad guy, or did he just look the part?

  “Do you see what I’m talking about?” Zack asked.

  “He does have a distinct look to him,” I said.

  “It’s more than just a look. Kyle is bad news.”

  “You keep saying that. Trust me. I get you loud and clear.”

  “So, can you dig up some dirt on him?”

  I held up my hand. “You’re getting a little ahead of yourself. Have you expressed your concerns to your daughter?”

  “Of course, I have.”

  “And what did she say?”

  “She wouldn’t listen to me. She thought I was overreacting. She told me that I just need to get to know Kyle better. And that when I do, I’ll warm up to him.”

  “How much have you spoken with Kyle?”

  “Enough to know that he’s the wrong guy for my daughter. He’s a bad influence.”

  “By the way, how old is your daughter?”

  “Brianna is twenty-three.”

  “So, she’s an adult then.”

  “Well, yes. Technically. But she’s not acting like one. She’s letting her feelings cloud her judgment.”

  “What’s your plan then? Let’s say I do take your case. And that I’m able to dig up some dirt. What are you going to do with it?”

  “Show it to my daughter.”

  “Okay. But like I mentioned before, she’s an adult. She can make her own decisions. You can’t force her to stop dating him.”

  “True. She’s a smart woman, though. If I present her with enough proof that Kyle is trouble, Brianna will come to her senses and break things off with him.”

  “All right. And what if it turns out there’s no dirt to dig up? What will you do then?”

  “Trust me. You’ll be able to find something.”

  “Okay. In that case, I’ll see what I can dig up.”

  “Great. The sooner you can find something, the better,” Zack said.

  “I’ll get right to work,” I replied.

  Chapter Five

  When Zack left my office, I couldn’t help but be struck by the strange sense of timing that life had sometimes. Of all the days for me to get a case like this, it was wild that it would happen just as I was wrestling with my emotions about my own father. In a way, it was really overwhelming. On the flip side, I felt like the universe had custom-tailored this case for me.