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“I get that.” Peyton couldn’t change anything after Adam died. She had to actually leave the state for a fresh start.
Kinsley began pouring the wine into a glass. “Boone was super close to our grandpa. He acts a lot like him. You know, calm, cool, collected, just taking everything in stride like nothing ever bothers him.”
Peyton gave Boone’s childhood pictures one last look before dropping down next to Kinsley on the couch, pulling her legs up. “He does seem pretty steady.”
“He’s even more so since he moved back from New York City and left his ex-wife, Chelsea, behind.” Kinsley offered Peyton a glass.
Divorced? “I didn’t know he was divorced.”
“Boone’s past is a sore spot. No one likes to talk about it,” Kinsley said, watching Peyton closely and sipping her wine. She finally lowered her glass to her leg and added, “Boone and Chelsea were high school sweethearts, together since the first month of her junior year. Her brother Scott was Boone’s friend, so feathers were ruffled for a bit, but that all got smoothed over eventually. They were married here, then moved out to New York City because Chelsea wanted a life in the Big Apple.”
Interesting. And maybe explained the jaded look in his eyes. “What happened between them?” Peyton asked, before regretting it, considering Kinsley grinned at her blatant interest.
Kinsley paused to examine Peyton and then lifted a shoulder. “I feel weird talking about it because it’s not my story to tell, so I’ll just say my brother left as one guy and came back another. What happened between them was bad. Really bad.” She took a long sip of her wine, then added, “He’s better now. You’ve seen that. He’s just…”—she shrugged—“different. He once loved love. Now I can’t imagine him ever wanting to have another serious relationship.”
“I can understand that.” Peyton looked down at her glass, understanding that completely. Love hurt. Really hurt. She wasn’t looking to relive that pain ever again. Hell, she was only recently able to do more than just breathe and force herself out of bed. Her heart clenched, threatening to flip to expose all the weak spots. She eased the tension with a long sip of her wine.
She knew a big part of feeling better was the town of Stoney Creek. The friendly people, the fresh ocean air, the stunning views, the town itself made you want to live again and face each day with a smile. And everyone in town had welcomed her in, all showing up at the grand opening with pies, cookies, and buying items to support her.
“Yeah, sometimes love isn’t always flowers and sunshine,” Kinsley agreed, giving a soft understanding smile. A telling one that she knew something was brewing there with Peyton and Boone. She’d already given her approval the day she found Peyton kissing Boone.
“Yes, I know my brother is hot to every woman but me,” Kinsley said outside the bar. “You can date him. Sleep with him. Do whatever with him. Because, the thing is, if he hurts you, since I’m his sister that means I have the right to hurt him back. And believe me, I have honed my kick-him-in-the-nuts skills.”
That night they’d laughed. Peyton hadn’t thought about it much since a relationship was the last thing on her mind. But now…well, now it seemed Boone had been hurt too. And the H-O-T detective that made her belly flip flop seemed like the perfect Mr. Right Now. She couldn’t do love. The idea of sex—with Boone—didn’t make her cringe and want to hide. And anything that felt good lately was welcome a thousand times over.
“All right,” Kinsley said, breaking into Peyton’s thoughts. “We’ve had a terribly sad morning we need to forget.” She picked up the remote control and her wineglass. “To watching Friends and getting drunk.”
Peyton clinked her glass and laughed. “I like this plan already.”
Today would certainly end differently than she expected. But wasn’t that life?
* * *
Late into the afternoon, Boone entered Flaming Pie, a family-run diner that had the best pie in Maine but also served a perfect cup of coffee. The place was basically a long rectangle with a thin free-standing black table resting over metal stools. Typically, Boone found students and people using the space as their personal office. Today, he found the shop quiet, only a few people working on their laptops, when he reached the glass counter full of every pie known to man, and some that Danny, the owners’ twenty-year-old son, created. The peanut butter and s’mores pie was a town favorite.
“Solve the murder yet?” Danny asked as Boone reached him.
“Not yet.” He gestured behind him. “Has it been this quiet all day?”
“Yeah.” Danny sighed. “My mom refuses to leave the house. She didn’t want me coming in, but you know I can’t
stay away.”
Boone nodded. “And I’m sure as hell glad you can’t. I need coffee.”
“The usual?”
“Yeah.”
Danny turned, fetching the coffees that the team came in every day and ordered.
Boone hoped to hell this murder didn’t affect businesses in town. He glanced out the big window at the front of the store watching people hurrying down the street. No one seemed to be taking in the scenery today, which of course he understood. His thoughts kept circling back to the murder scene, trying to find anything he missed. They needed the crime scene techs to report on their findings. This part in the case, the waiting for all the evidence to get processed, was frustrating.
“Today is on the house,” Danny said. “Get that murder solved, all right?”
Boone gave a firm nod and accepted the coffees. “Thanks. We’re on it.”
With a final goodbye, he left the coffee shop then crossed the road. He held the tray of coffees steady and approached the brown-bricked police station on the corner of Main Street, right in the heart of Stoney Creek’s downtown. He basked in the sunny day, glad to get out in the fresh air for a few moments.
