The Inn at Holiday Bay: Detours in Destiny

Book 39: The Inn at Holiday Bay

by Kathi Daley

Genres: Mystery; Amateur Sleuth; Small Town & Rural; Animal Cozy Mysteries; Female Sleuths

Synopsis

Spring is giving way to summer in the charming coastal town of Holiday Bay, Maine, where blooming gardens seem to offer the promise of sun-soaked beaches and long, carefree days in the sun. But as the season shifts, so does the mood—because in Holiday Bay, even the brightest days can hide the darkest secrets.

The highlight of early summer is the much-anticipated three-day cookoff hosted by beloved chef Georgia Carter Peyton. After the chaos of her last event, Georgia is determined to deliver a flawless competition—and for a while, it seems she just might succeed. That is, until one of the contestants is found dead.

All eyes turn to the obvious suspect, a hot-headed local who was seen arguing with the victim just hours before the murder and who even took a swing at Abby when she tried to break things up. With motive and opportunity firmly in place, there appears to be a clear path to close the case, but Abby isn’t convinced it’s that simple.

With Colt tied up with his new job and Mackey out of town visiting Tyler, Abby finds herself with something rare—free time. And she isn’t about to waste it. Trusting her instincts, she begins digging into things on her own.

Meanwhile, four men in their seventies arrive in Holiday Bay as part of a yearlong “Detour in Destiny” tour. Bound by a pact to revisit roads not taken, the longtime friends are determined to explore the lives they might have lived.

Release date: May 12, 2026

Publisher: Kathi Daley Books

Reader says this book is...: entertaining story (1) escapist/easy read (1)

Sample

Chapter 1

“Rufus,” I called to my huge feline friend when I opened my eyes, rolled over, and found a
pair of tiny brown eyes staring at me from a puff of white fur. This wasn’t the first “gift” my
Maine Coon cat, Rufus, had brought me since the launch of the construction project my fiancé,
Detective Colt Wilder, and I had initiated just over two weeks ago. Apparently, the heavy
machinery had stirred up the wildlife that lived on the bluff, sending all sorts of tiny creatures
scampering for new homes. Last week, I’d awakened to a fairly large rat on the bed, and a few
days before that, I’d found a mole in the kitchen. Thankfully, Rufus hadn’t hurt his “gifts” when
he brought them home.
Rufus didn’t respond to my call, so I turned my attention to the bunny, who looked like a
cotton ball with eyes. “So what are we going to do with you?” I asked the frightened creature.
The bunny didn’t try to scamper away, as I expected he would, but seemed, in fact, to be
frozen in place.
“It’s going to be okay,” I tried to assure the little furball. “It doesn’t look like Rufus hurt you,
and while I’m sure the trip from the bluff to my bed was terrifying, I’m going to take care of you
now.”
I glanced around the room. The bunny looked much too young to make it on its own, so I
decided to find a box to temporarily house the little guy instead of releasing him back into the
wild as I had with the rat and the mole. Once I had him settled, I supposed I’d call Alex. Alex
Weston, along with her boyfriend, Leo Atwell, ran a dog rescue, but seemed willing to cater to
any animal in need. I figured they’d know how to care for the displaced baby bunny until he was
old enough to be out on his own.
Once I had the baby bunny tucked into a box I’d padded with a soft towel, I called Alex and
arranged to drop the bunny off at the shelter later this morning. Then I sent a text to Colt to let
him know what was going on. Colt had left before the sun was up to take his niece, Mackenzie
Hudson, to her grandparents’ house. Colt was Mackey’s guardian, so she lived with us, but Colt’s
parents were flying to California today to visit Mackey’s brother, Tyler, who lived with his

cousins while he attended a private high school, and they’d invited Mackey to go along with
them for the two-week trip.
Since the bunny seemed to settle down once I placed him in the box, I turned my attention to
Rufus. “You can’t keep bringing these little gifts home.”
“Meow.”
“Yes, I know you think you’re helping, but even if you did find the bunny on his own after
his home was disturbed by Lonnie’s heavy equipment, chances are his mamma was nearby, and
if left alone, mom and baby would have reunited.” Even as I said this, I knew that likely wasn’t
true. I hated the fact that our construction project had disturbed the wildlife, but at least Lonnie
was finishing with the groundwork today and had assured me that the actual building phase
would be much less destructive to the wildlife than the clearing and leveling phase had been.
Rufus meowed again as he rubbed the side of his head on my leg and then began walking
through my legs in a circular motion. I wasn’t sure what Rufus was actually thinking when he
chased down and captured the rodents he’d brought me so far, but he hadn’t hurt or killed them,
so I chose to think that he really was trying to help.
Since Rufus wasn’t always the affectionate sort, I reached down and picked him up, cuddling
him to my chest while I had the opportunity to do so. “How’d you get out and back in anyway?”
I asked as I scratched him beneath the chin. “We fixed the window that wouldn’t close in
Mackey’s room, which is how you were getting out before, so I have to assume you found a new
access point.”
Rufus was a fairly content house cat, but when he really wanted out or back in, he always
seemed to find a way.
“No one other than Molly is here with the two of us today,” I continued, “so I don’t think
anyone let you out. Unless you snuck out when Colt left early this morning.” I glanced at my
dog, Molly, who was watching my conversation with Rufus with what looked to be rapt
attention. “Did you see what happened?”
Molly just wagged her tail.
“Of course you didn’t, and even if you did, you likely wouldn’t rat out Rufus. How about I
throw on some clothes and take you both for a quick walk before I jump in the shower.”
Molly headed toward the door, and Rufus glanced at the bunny in the box and then followed.
It was a beautiful morning in Holiday Bay. The sea was calm, and the sky was blue. I loved
this time of the year when the days were warm but not hot, and the promise of the long, lazy days
of summer beckoned like a long-lost friend finally returned after a long absence.
I walked slowly so the animals could sniff to their hearts’ content and then paused when I
arrived at the edge of the bluff, allowing myself a moment to enjoy the beauty surrounding me. I
closed my eyes and listened to the silence, disturbed only by the gulls overhead and waves
breaking on the rocks below.
Normally, my little corner of the world was a busy and noisy place with ten full-time
residents and up to twenty guests at a time, but the inn was closed for two weeks while the
groundwork for the new home Colt and I were building could be completed. Since we’d
intentionally blacked out two weeks in early June for our contractor, Lonnie Parker, to get the

groundwork done, a chore which he warned would be both dusty and noisy, my full-time
employees, Mylie and Jeremy Slater, had taken their son, Danny, and niece, Annabelle, to visit
friends of Mylie’s who lived in Jacksonville, Florida. They were due to return from their trip
tomorrow since we had guests checking in over the weekend.
My other full-time employees, Haven Hanson and Bailey Sullivan, also residents at the inn,
had taken Bailey’s daughter, Hazel, to Disney World. Hazel wasn’t two yet, and I felt she was too
young for such an adventure, but the girls felt sure she’d enjoy the people and the lights.
Knowing Hazel, who was a curious young thing, I supposed she just might.
Once Molly, Rufus, and I returned from our walk, I fed them, made sure the bunny was safe
in my bedroom suite, and then jumped into the shower. I’d planned to have lunch with my best
friends, Georgia Carter-Peyton and Lacy Parker, but first, I wanted to drop the baby bunny off at
the shelter. Alex had assured me that she and Leo would take care of the little guy, and I knew
they would.

“I find it amazing that Rufus didn’t kill the bunny,” Leo said to me as I turned the baby over
to him.
“This is the third present Rufus has brought me since Lonnie started the groundwork for the
house, disturbing the wildlife that live on the bluff, and none of the three were injured. He’s a
big, grumpy cat who seems like he’d be a voracious hunter, but he’s always been really gentle. A
few years ago, he found kittens and was bringing them home one at a time, and now he’s
bringing home rodents.”
“Rabbits aren’t rodents,” Leo pointed out.
“Maybe not, but they are small and live in the ground like a rodent.” I looked around at the
rows of empty cages. “It looks like your adoption efforts were a success.”
“We’re happy with the outcome of the adoption clinics we’ve been holding in town the past
few weekends. We were nearly full after puppy season got underway, but we worked to get
everyone adopted, and, except for a few hard-to-place dogs, we were successful.”
“I always feel bad for the hard-to-place dogs. I understand why most people would be
hesitant to adopt a dog with behavior or health issues, but every dog deserves a family.”
“I agree. Alex and I are addressing the issue. We’re developing a training program to address
some of the behavioral issues that many hard-to-place dogs appear to exhibit. We’re also
working with a private donor who’s willing to offer free health care to individuals who might be
willing to adopt an older or special needs dog but feel they can’t shoulder the cost of medical
care.”
“That’s awesome, Leo. I’m really grateful for everything you and Alex are doing for the
community. If you ever need help with one of your adoption efforts, just let me know.”
“Thanks, Abby. I’ll likely take you up on that.”
After I dropped my bunny friend off, I headed to the police station, hoping to have a few
minutes with Colt before I needed to meet Georgia and Lacy at the Bistro, but he wasn’t in. Alex,
who was the only one there other than her dog, Coop, who served as an emotional support dog,
happened to have a few minutes free, so I stopped to talk to her instead. I shared my experiences

with the rat, mole, and bunny, and she told me a story about the rabbit family currently living in
Leo’s garden. There was no doubt that the family was destructive to the garden, but she and Leo
had discussed it and decided to leave the family alone until the kits were weaned and out on their
own. At that point, they planned to gently nudge everyone along and make any needed repairs to
the fence.
“When Colt was in earlier, he mentioned that Mackey was going to California with her
grandparents for two weeks,” Alex stated.
“Yes, she’s been really excited about the trip.”
“It’ll be nice for you and Colt to have some alone time.”
I smiled. “It will be nice. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Mackey, and I’m sure I’ll miss her, but
things have been hectic lately. I’m really looking forward to a slower pace that won’t include
school drop-offs and pickups, after-school play rehearsals, and dinners served on the run.”
“Kids are work, and they certainly do complicate a life, but I can’t think of anything more
rewarding than being someone’s mother.”
Alex’s statement surprised me. Although she and Leo had been dating for a few years, Alex
seemed to be the sort to embrace a life of danger and action rather than a life encumbered by
marriage and children.
“It sounds like you’ve given this some thought.”
She blushed. “Just ignore me. I don’t know why I said all of that. I’m happy with the life Leo
and I have built. I love Leo. I love my job as a police officer. I love the rescue we built from the
ground up, and there really isn’t anything I’d want to change.”
“I get it. I feel the same way sometimes. Colt and I have a full life filled with people we love.
We’re already overloaded more often than I’d like to admit, and I have a hard enough time
keeping up with what we already have going on at times. The last thing we need is a baby. And
I’m fine with that. But there are times when I find myself daydreaming about what might have
been.”
“Or perhaps ‘who’ might have been.”
I nodded. “Or ‘who’ might have been.”
She gave me a hug. “So you get it. Please don’t mention what I said to anyone, especially not
Leo.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Thanks, Abby.” She looked at her cell phone. “I need to run. I have a text from central
dispatch instructing me to respond to a fight at the high school.”
“High school? School’s out.”
“It is, but there are still students and staff there for extracurricular activities. It sounded like
the fight I’m being asked to respond to is taking place on the football field. I know the football
team has already started practice, so I’m going to assume the fight is between two of the boys.”
“Is that something you should be bothered with?”

“Since the fight is on school property, the school bears a certain amount of liability for
injuries, and they take this sort of thing seriously.”
I guessed I understood that. Alex hurried to her car, and I walked toward my SUV. While I
should have headed directly toward the Bistro, curiosity had me heading toward the high school,
where I found students standing in a circle around what appeared to be a pair of cheerleaders
duking it out on the fifty-yard line.

Chapter 2

Later that evening, Colt held up his wine glass and gently touched the rim to mine. “To new
beginnings.”
I smiled. “To new beginnings.”
As promised, Lonnie had completed the groundwork on schedule and had been by this
afternoon to chalk out the footprint of our new home. He wanted Colt and me to get a feel for its
placement now that the brush had been cleared and the lot leveled in preparation for the
construction that was due to begin next week. Colt and I decided to grab lawn chairs and share a
bottle of wine as we sat in what would become the main living area on the first floor of our
home. While sitting on the dirt lot with only chalk marks to represent walls wasn’t as magical as
sitting in our finished home promised to be, the moment was special and one I knew I would
remember for the rest of my life.
“It’s a beautiful evening,” I said as I slowly sipped my wine. As expected, the day was warm,
with a lazy breeze that caused the leaves on a nearby tree to flutter softly, producing a soft
quaking sound that blended perfectly with the gentle crashing of the waves. “And, except for the
gulls on the beach, it’s so quiet.”
“It’s nice that we don’t have guests,” Colt agreed. “Not that zero occupancy is a goal that
we’ll want to shoot for in the long run, but these small breaks between the inevitable moments of
chaos that come with a full house are nice.”
I turned and looked at Colt. “You know this may be the first time the two of us have ever had
the entire inn to ourselves.”
“I think you could be right. I can’t think of any other time when everyone was away at the
same time.”
“Did everything go okay when you dropped Mackey off with her grandparents?”

“Everything went fine. I was sad when Tyler decided not to come home for the summer, and
disappointed when I realized I wouldn’t be able to take time off to travel to California with the
others for a visit. I am, however, happy that he and Mackey will be able to spend time together.
“Yeah. Me too. I know Mackey really misses Tyler. It will be nice for them to have some
sibling time.”
Colt got up, took me by the hand, and pulled me to my feet. He took my wine glass and set it
on the small lawn table we’d hauled over when we’d brought the chairs over. He wrapped his
arms around my waist. “Let’s not talk about the others. It’s just you and me, all alone out here on
the bluff as the sun sets in the west. Let’s focus on us and our future.”
I leaned into Colt’s body. “That sounds good to me.”
Colt placed a finger under my chin and tilted my head back. He leaned forward and kissed
me gently on the lips. “I can’t wait to marry you.”
At this point, I suspected that I should have immediately responded with a similar sentiment,
but Colt’s very sweet words surprised me, and my mind went totally blank. Colt had always
taken a slow and calculated approach to our relationship. Even his initial proposal had been born
from a desire to streamline a loan we realized we’d need to build the home we were planning.
But the man who was standing next to me as the sun drifted slowly beyond the horizon seemed
like a different man altogether.
“And I can’t wait to marry you,” I finally responded after much too long a pause.
“I know my mom has been pushing for a big church wedding, but I think we should do it
right here. In our home overlooking the sea.”
I smiled softly. “I love that idea.”
“I’ll ask Lonnie to be my best man, since I was the best man at his wedding, but I’d like to
include Tyler and Mackey as well.”
“I’ve already asked Georgia to be my matron of honor, but maybe Mackey can be a
bridesmaid, and Tyler can be a groomsman.”
“That works for me,” Colt smiled down into my eyes. “And let’s keep it small if at all
possible. I know our friends will be hurt if we don’t include everyone, but there are times when I
think that a wedding with only you and me and a handful of people we love the most would be
the perfect beginning to our life together.”
I reached up and pulled Colt’s head toward mine. I paused as our lips met. Colt and I had
agreed to postpone addressing our wedding plans until the house was finished, so I assumed that
any conversations about the wedding would be delayed as well. Of course, I had been thinking
about the event, but I hadn’t shared my thoughts with Colt and had assumed that the details of
the actual ceremony were the furthest thing from his mind, so I was surprised he’d brought it up
and was so very touched to know that he’d given the event so much thought.
“So what do you think of the kitchen?” Colt asked.
“Kitchen?” I guess we were back to a practical conversation.
“Lonnie used chalk to give us a feel for where the island, breakfast counter, and cabinets will
be.” Colt took my hand and walked me over to the area where our kitchen would be built. He

pointed out where all the major features would be. “Lonnie said we should try to get a feel for
the space since it’s not too late to change things up if you don’t like the current placement.”
The kitchen, dining area, and living room were all open to each other, creating an open floor
plan that would enable participation in conversations while preparing food in the kitchen. The
space was exactly how I imagined it, but it felt smaller than I’d envisioned. I said as much.
“Lonnie assures me that the space will feel much larger once we get the walls in. I think his
main concern is that we’re happy with the placement of the island, breakfast bar, appliances, and
cabinets.”
I pointed to the spot where I thought a wall featuring a large window that looked directly out
toward the sea would be. “Is that where the window will be?”
“It is. I asked Lonnie to make sure the window included a wide ledge for Rufus. I know how
he loves the sunshine, but hates the snow, and enjoys sunning himself during the winter.”
I placed a hand on my heart since I was sure it was going to pop right out of my chest.
“Rufus will love that.”
Colt looked to a space behind where we were standing. “The hallway leading to my office,
the downstairs bathroom, the laundry area, and a huge storage closet are back this way. Let’s go
take a look.”
After we walked through the rooms at the back of the house, Colt asked me to use my
imagination to “see” the rooms on the second floor, as well as the attic at the top of the stairs that
would be my office. I was excited about having my office on the top floor of the house, where I
could unleash my imagination and write my stories. I hoped the new space would spark my
creative side since I felt it had gone dormant when Colt had been injured and almost died, and
hadn’t really come back to life despite my commitment to return to the book I’d left half finished
on my computer.
“I’m not sure if we really want a connecting door between the room you’ve designated as the
baby room and our bedroom. Since we don’t have a baby and have no plans to have one, I
thought we might want to keep the room separate so we can use it both as a guest room and a
room for the babies when you sit with them.”
“I guess that might be best,” I agreed. It almost felt like I was closing the door on a future
child for Colt and me by agreeing to give up the connecting door, but maybe that particular door
had never really been open. Colt had made it clear from the beginning that he didn’t want
children. Moreover, as I’d shared with Alex this morning, our lives were already so full that I
wasn’t sure there would be room for a baby even if he changed his mind. Besides, even if we
could make room in our lives, I was much too old to think of having a child. Not that it was
technically impossible. At forty-one, almost forty-two, a pregnancy would be considered high
risk, and there really wasn’t a reason to take that risk.
“So where will Tyler and Mackey’s suites be?” I asked in an attempt to veer my train of
thought about the “who” that might have been.
Colt took my hand and led me down the fake hallway to the other side of the staircase. He
asked me once again to look up and use my imagination to see what would exist above me, and
then he described each room in detail.

I listened and asked questions. Colt had a good grasp of how things would look and was
doing a good job of describing every detail. Our home really began to come to life for me. I had
the best time touring my future home with the man I would soon marry. It did my heart good to
see Colt as happy as he was about the project. I knew Colt loved me, but it seemed like he’d been
so bogged down in the obstacles to that love for such a long time that his commitment to that
love hadn’t really come through. Now that things had changed and we’d worked out all those
obstacles, I felt that Colt was as committed to our future as I was for the first time.

Chapter 3

By the time the following week rolled around, the quiet Colt and I had been able to enjoy for
a mere twenty-four hours had been replaced by the hustle and bustle of an active community.
The men currently staying in the cottages had checked in over the weekend. They were an
interesting group, and I enjoyed getting to know them. While the four friends, aged seventy-two
to seventy-six, who we’d begun referring to as the Silver Hair Brigade, only planned to spend a
small percentage of their grand adventure with us, I liked to think that their two weeks in
Holiday Bay would go down as being two of the most productive and hopefully enjoyable weeks
of their journey.
Wayne, with his large stature and commanding presence, seemed to be the ringleader.
Focused and controlled, Wayne was a Navy man from the moment he’d enlisted on his
eighteenth birthday in nineteen sixty-eight, until the day he was forced to retire almost fifty years
later at the age of sixty-four. The Navy had been good to Wayne Hillerman. It had been his
family. His only family, if truth were told. When he reached the age of retirement and was forced
out of the only life he’d ever known, he’d been compelled to look at the decisions he’d made
along the way, and eventually, even more importantly, the opportunities he’d passed on due to
those choices.
Faced with a future without purpose, he’d drifted from one meaningless hobby to another
until a hiking accident had resulted in an injury so severe that he’d been forced to spend several
weeks in a rehabilitation facility. It was while he was learning to walk with his titanium knee that
he met Arthur, the man fate deemed would become Wayne’s first real friend since his retirement.
Arthur Miller, with his small stature and quiet nature, was as different from Wayne as any
two men could be. While Wayne was a mountain of a man who bellowed when he spoke and
demanded your attention with his very presence, Arthur appeared to fade into the background
when others were in the room. Most assumed Arthur’s quiet nature was indicative of a timid
personality. After four days interacting with the man, however, I could tell that, of all the men in
the group, Arthur was the friend with the most going on in terms of both intelligence and
intuition.

Arthur had lived a life steeped in academia. He called himself a scholar, which he’d shared
was really just a life choice that had allowed him to travel the world exploring ideas most of us
would only read about. He was a steady man with deep thoughts and a rich history. I’d
personally enjoyed chatting with the man whenever the opportunity had presented itself.
And then there was Norm, the jokester. Norman Hightower was loud and outspoken, but not
in a manner that commanded attention the way Wayne did with his deep voice and precise
delivery. Others most often classified Norm as the fun one in the group. He was quick with a
joke and appeared to have a unique ability to find the humor in most any situation. Norm’s
weakness was that he seemed to have had a hard time maintaining a job or relationship and had
spent most of his life drifting from one situation to another.
If I had to guess, Norm had started off in life as a class clown, and then for reasons I’d likely
never understand, he’d internalized the role and carried it with him into what would be a life
filled with crazy moments, fleeting friendships, and daring adventures enjoyed in the moment
but lacking any substance or permanence.
Of the four men who’d elected to travel together on what would likely be their last big
adventure, Thomas Greystone was the only one to have taken the more traditional route of
marriage and family. As a young man, it had been his dream to be a professional musician. Based
on what I’d heard from the others, Thomas was talented and had had a real shot at making his
dream come true. He’d been playing clubs and establishing a reputation that would likely have
taken him to the top when he met Geraldine, a backup dancer for the headliner he opened for.
Thomas fell hard for Geraldine and asked her to marry him, but Geraldine was looking for
something more than the unpredictability of an existence on the road. Thomas knew he had to
choose his dream job or the girl he loved. It hadn’t been an easy choice, but in the end, he’d
chosen Geraldine. He stepped away from music and got a job selling insurance. According to
what Thomas had told me, the two had lived happily together for almost fifty years.
After Geraldine died, Thomas made the decision to move into the same senior living
complex where Wayne, Arthur, and Norm had independently ended up. During a hotly contested
poker game on the eve of Wayne’s seventy-sixth birthday, the men got to talking about the
challenges of aging, including choices made and roads not taken. It was from this conversation
that the idea of a yearlong cross-country road trip to explore the choices not taken began to take
root.
“So, what do the four of you have planned for today?” I asked the men who had claimed a
table on the patio so they could enjoy the view, along with the crepes paired with freshly
squeezed mimosas that Jeremy was serving.
“We have an easy day today,” Norm informed me. “Shopping and lunch in town, followed by
a bit of sleuthing if it all works out.”
“Sleuthing?” I asked.
“We’re looking for Wayne’s ‘one who got away,’” Thomas informed me.
I glanced at Wayne. “The one who got away?”
“It’s just an old girlfriend from way back when. Leticia. We dated through middle school and
high school and even talked about getting married, but it didn’t work out. I joined the Navy and
never saw her again.” He looked around the table at his buddies. “I’m not sure why the collective

consensus feels I need to see her after all this time, but I’m afraid I’ve been outvoted on the
subject. Now, can we talk about something else?”
“Certainly,” I answered. “Other than sleuthing and sightseeing, what else do you have on the
docket this week?”
“Lobstering,” Wayne answered.
I wrinkled a brow. “Lobstering?”
“We have a gig to crew on a real lobster boat tomorrow,” Thomas informed me.
“Wow.” I had to admit that it surprised me. “Lobstering is both dangerous and really hard
work. Do you know what you’re getting into?”
“No,” Wayne admitted. “But it can’t be harder than the Navy, and it can’t be harder than
looking up a woman you once loved but haven’t seen for over fifty years, so I figure we might as
well go for it while we have the opportunity.”
All the men, other than Arthur, who tended toward motion sickness, seemed to be excited
about the outing tomorrow, so I decided to let them talk it out. I wanted to know more about
Wayne’s girl, but it wasn’t really any of my business, so I didn’t bring it up. When Thomas
shared that a window in the one-bedroom cottage he was staying in had been sticking and asked
if I would have someone look at it, I decided to look at it myself rather than sending Jeremy in
the hope of getting the rest of the story.

“Hey, Abby, do you have any sort of time estimates for the guests checking in this
afternoon?” Mylie asked after joining me on the patio, where I was enjoying my second cup of
coffee after having helped Thomas with his window.
“I really don’t. Georgia should be here any minute, so we can ask her when she arrives.”
“I thought Georgia was off all week due to the cook-off in town.”
“She is,” I replied. “But the two of us are having lunch with Lacy before Georgia heads to the
community center to oversee the setup of the kitchens. My SUV is in the shop, so she’s going to
give me a ride into town, and then Lacy will drop me off to pick up my vehicle once it’s done.”
“Lunch sounds fun.”
“We try to go every Thursday. You can join us if you’d like.”
“I’d love to, but Danny has an appointment with his pediatrician, and Annabelle wants me to
take her to buy a new outfit for the slumber party she was invited to this weekend.”
Danny was Mylie’s two-year-old son, and Annabelle was her husband, Jeremy’s, fourteen-
year-old niece who lived with them and was more of a daughter.
“Maybe you can join us next week,” I suggested.
“That sounds nice.” She pulled a chair out and sat down at the table where I’d settled in.
“Jeremy has been so busy with the garden that I feel like I’ve barely seen him. It’d be nice to
have some adult company. Of course, I’ll need to confirm that Annabelle can watch Danny.”
“If Annabelle’s busy, I’m sure either Haven or Bailey would be happy to watch Danny.”

In addition to working at the inn, Haven and Bailey both attended college, but college was
out for the summer, so the girls had quite a bit of spare time on their hands. Of course, Bailey
had her twenty-month-old daughter, Hazel, to care for, so even with a vacation from college
classes, she was still a very busy young woman.
“I suppose I can ask them, but I hate to leave Danny with them more often than I really need
to.”
“They love Danny,” I reminded Mylie. “I’m sure they don’t mind. And Bailey is grateful to
you for babysitting Hazel as often as you do.”
“I don’t mind. Hazel is such a sweetie. I love Danny with all my heart, but if Jeremy and I
have another baby, I do hope that we’ll have a girl.”
“A girl would be fun.” I knew that Mylie and Jeremy had begun trying for baby number two
after fully recovering from the heartbreak of a miscarriage last year. “But two little boys who
will enjoy having someone to play rough and tumble with would be fun as well.”
“I guess you’re right. Another boy would be fun, but girls are just so much fun to dress up.”
Georgia pulled into the parking area as I was talking to Mylie. I waved to her, indicating that
she should join us, so she parked, got out of her Jeep, and headed toward us.
“Morning, ladies,” she greeted. She looked at Mylie. “Are you coming to lunch with us?”
“Not today. Maybe next time. Today, I have plans with Danny and Annabelle.”
“That sounds fun, although there is something to be said for adult time.”
“Is Charlee with Tanner?” Mylie asked.
Charlee was Georgia’s six-month-old daughter, and Tanner was Georgia’s husband.
“Charlee is with Tanner,” Georgia answered. “He’ll be on baby duty for the next several days
since we both know how busy I’ll be with the cook-off.”
“You’re going to miss her,” Mylie predicted.
“I already do, but Tanner promised to bring her by every day so I can spend a few minutes
with her. The cook-off is only three days, plus the setup today, so I think Charlee and I will both
survive.” Georgia looked at me. “Are you ready?”
“I am, but as long as you’re here, Mylie and I wanted to ask about the guests who will be
checking in today.”
Georgia sat down next to Mylie. “I know it’s unusual for things to work this way, but since
we have a complete turnover of the suites in the inn, we’ll have six new guests checking in today.
Each guest has already been assigned a suite. The list has been emailed to the staff, and a hard
copy is taped to the registration counter.”
“I saw the list on the counter,” Mylie confirmed. “I just wasn’t sure what time everyone
would arrive or if they had any special needs. Since Jeremy is busy in the garden, I told him I’d
keep an eye on the front desk, but Danny has an appointment with his pediatrician. And
Annabelle wants to go into town with us to shop for a new outfit for the sleepover she’s been
invited to.”

“That’s fine. I don’t think that any of our arrivals will be here before check-in at three. And
even if someone does show up early, I spoke to both Haven and Bailey yesterday, and they
assured me that they’d be around today and can fill in at the desk if needed.”
“Haven and Bailey are cleaning the cottages this morning since all four of our active seniors
have gone off on one of their grand adventures and won’t be back until after lunch, but I’ll check
in with them before I leave,” Mylie promised.
“How are the seniors doing on their list?” Georgia asked.
“Okay, I think,” Mylie answered. “The men went into town to try to dig up a lead related to
the woman Wayne’s looking for. They plan to do some shopping and sightseeing while they’re
there. In terms of checking off bucket list items, today seems fairly tame, but I understand
they’ve arranged to act as a guest crew on one of the lobster boats tomorrow.”
“Lobstering is hard work. Do you think the men are up to it?” Georgia asked.
Mylie responded, so I didn’t. “I think they are. Even though I met the men less than a week
ago, based on what I’ve seen, I can tell that this group of septuagenarians isn’t letting a number
slow them down.”
“Good for them. I wish them luck with all their endeavors. I only spoke to them for a minute
when they checked in, and I’ve been so busy with the cook-off that I haven’t had the chance to
speak to them again. They seem like really interesting people, though.”
“They are,” Mylie agreed. “They all seem to have lived interesting lives and have fascinating
stories to tell. I’ve really enjoyed this particular group of guests and will be sorry to see them
go.”
“I’ll have more time once the cook-off is over, so I’ll make a point to catch up with the men
next week.”
“They’ll be here for another week, so you have time. And good luck with your cook-off. It
sounds like you’re going to have a busy weekend. I was surprised to hear that the cook-off was
going to be televised.”
“Brad wants to use the cook-off as a platform to launch my new cookbook, as well as the
upcoming Cooking with Georgia holiday specials we’ve agreed to. The main cooking events will
be held on Friday and Saturday, and the dessert competition will take place on Sunday.” Georgia
referred to Brad Kingman, a wealthy man who had purchased the cable television station that
produced Georgia’s cooking show.
“Will you be utilizing celebrity chefs as contestants?” I asked Georgia. One of the previous
cook-offs Georgia hosted had featured celebrity chefs, and I had to admit that with all those egos
in the mix, the drama began the moment it started.
“No. The theme of this competition is hometown cooking,” Georgia replied. “We decided to
keep things close to home and only allow entrants who either live or work in Holiday Bay to
compete. We originally planned to solicit chefs from the area to serve as contestants, but then we
decided to take a ‘mom’s kitchen’ approach, so only amateur cooks were selected. We do have
professionals to act as judges. Amy will act as head judge, and Velma, Heidi, and Chelsea will
fill out the panel.”

Amy Hogan was the head chef at the Bistro at Holiday Bay. Velma Crawford currently runs
the coffee and pastry bar in Firehouse Books, but she used to own a diner that served the very
best hometown cooking before it burned down. Heidi Westhoven was the head chef at the local
steakhouse. Chelsea Pippenger was the head chef at Primavera, the new Italian eatery in town.
“It sounds like you have a good combination for your judge’s panel,” Mylie commented.
“I think we do,” Georgia replied. “And most importantly, the four women get along well, so
I’m not anticipating any drama.”
Mylie left to check in with Jeremy, Bailey, and Haven, while Georgia and I headed to my
cottage.
“Does Colt have a case today?” Georgia asked when we walked into the empty cottage. Since
Colt normally worked from home in the mornings, she’d likely assumed he had a case based on
his absence.
“Colt left early this morning with Cody, but not because he had a case. He had a meeting
with the sheriff. When he was done at the county office, I think he was going to stop and check
in with Alex and Brax. He mentioned that he’d see me around five.”
Officer Alex Weston had served as the town’s temporary police chief since Colt had been
injured and placed on medical leave. Alex and Officer Braxton Baker, the newest officer
assigned to the Holiday Bay Police Department, had been holding down the fort with Colt’s help
ever since he resigned from his job as police chief and took the job with the county. He still had
an office at the local police station, and if he wasn’t working from home, it was most likely that
he’d be found there.
“It seems like this new job is really working out.”
“I think it is, thanks to Cody.” I opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water for the
road. “Colt owes Tanner a debt of gratitude. If not for the dog, I’m sure he would never have
qualified for the detective position.”
Georgia’s husband, Tanner, had trained Cody to act as Colt’s legs in the event of a chase after
Colt was injured in a shooting that had almost killed Georgia.
“The situation with Cody has ended up helping both men. Colt got a reliable partner, and
Tanner has brought in a bunch more business from other law enforcement agencies looking for
their own Cody.”
“I’m glad Tanner got something out of it. I know he put a lot of hours into Cody’s training to
make sure he was ready to go to work once Colt was cleared for active duty.” I headed into the
bedroom for my sunglasses. “By the way,” I called into the other room, “I called Shelby and
requested a table on the rooftop overlooking the sea. She said she’d reserve one for us, so we’d
better get going so we’re not late.” I referred to Shelby Morris, a good friend, who was also the
owner of the Bistro.
It was a perfect early summer day with blue skies and temperatures in the mid-seventies, so a
table on the rooftop should be lovely. I loved all the seasons that could be experienced in coastal
Maine, but there was something almost magical about spring. It might be the calm sea that
seemed to soothe my soul, or perhaps it was the warm sunny days that brought an abundance of
wildflowers. Or it might only be that spring was traditionally a season of new beginnings. It was

a season of hope where all the little stresses that seemed so urgent during the dark days of winter
suddenly felt less urgent and a lot more manageable.
Georgia and I arrived at the Bistro before Lacy, so we went ahead and asked to be seated.
Shelby assured me that she’d send Lacy up to the rooftop once she arrived.
“Hey, guys,” Georgia’s sister-in-law, Nikki Peyton, greeted us after we’d been seated. “Is it
just the two of you for lunch today?”
“No, Lacy will be joining us,” I responded.
“It’s such a great day for a friend’s lunch,” Nikki commented. “I keep thinking that if I ever
manage to get a day off, I’ll have some of my friends up to the rooftop for drinks.”
“Has it been busy already this season?” Georgia asked.
Nikki responded. “It’s been really busy for early June. Of course, I’m happy about the bigger
tips and the extra shifts the warm weather tends to bring, but I’m getting too old for so many
hours on my feet.”
I had to stifle a laugh since Nikki was only twenty-six.
“Do you want to go ahead and order something to drink while you wait for Lacy?” Nikki
asked.
Georgia and I both ordered iced tea. It was busy today, so Nikki didn’t stay and chat as long
as she usually did, but she did mention that Betty Parsnip had been in earlier and that she was all
up in a huff about some of the last-minute changes Brad had made to the cook-off.
“Brad made last-minute changes to the cook-off?” I asked Georgia after Nikki scurried off to
fetch our beverages.
“A few. Mostly to the schedule and categories. Initially, the cook-off was designed to mimic
the cookbook’s sections. There were competitions for starters, soups, salads, sides, entrées, and
desserts. But Brad wanted to add more of a down-home feel to the event, so instead of the
traditional categories associated with a traditional meal, he changed things up, and now we are
doing theme categories such as backyard cookout, picnic in the park, community potluck,
Sunday dinner, and dessert social.”
“Those sound fun,” I said. “And it sounds like the new categories will have a broader
appeal.”
“I agree, and Brad made the point that if there were entrants who had a specific dish they
wanted to enter, they could simply find a new category for it. I know Betty wanted to enter her
lobster bisque into the soup category, but she can still enter it in the Sunday dinner category.”
“Some people just like to complain.” I looked up as I heard Lacy’s voice as she stopped at
the hostess stand. I waved in her direction.
“I’m sorry I’m late. Kid drama.” Lacy reached over and hugged Georgia. “I’m so glad you

could make it. I wasn’t sure you’d be able to with the cook-off and all.”
“The cook-off doesn’t actually begin until tomorrow. The crew is setting up the kitchens
today, which is an activity I want to oversee, but it can wait an hour. I figured I’d head there once
we finish here. Tanner is on Charlee duty all weekend so that I can focus on the cookbook, the
cook-off, and the next phase of my career.”

“Tanner’s a good guy,” Lacy said as Nikki rushed over to take her drink order.
Georgia responded when Nikki left to fetch Lacy’s iced tea. “Tanner is a good guy. And now
that he’s settled into the dad role, he’s really doing his part. There was a time when I wasn’t sure
things would work out, but now that Tanner has realized what being a real partner looks like, I
really think we’re going to nail this parenthood thing.”
Lacy just smiled. She had six children. I imagined she knew of trials the new parents still had
to look forward to, but for now, she held her tongue, and instead of a sermon about challenges,
she made a comment about real partners helping with the laundry.
“Tanner isn’t one to do the laundry, but he does other things that are helpful,” Georgia
responded to Lacy’s comment.
“How about you?” Lacy asked me. “Do you do the laundry for the household?”
“No, Colt and Mackey do their own laundry.”
“Really?” Lacy took a sip of the iced tea Nikki had dropped off. “I guess Colt had been a
bachelor his whole life, so I’m not really surprised that he does his own laundry, but I am
surprised that Mackey does her own. Knowing the way Ruth catered to those kids when they
lived with her, I would think she would have done their laundry for them,” Lacy referred to Ruth
Wilder, Colt’s mother.
“I’m not sure if Ruth taught Mackey how to do her own laundry or if Colt taught her once
she moved to Holiday Bay to live with him, but by the time Mackey moved in with me, she was
adept at taking care of her own laundry, for which I’m very grateful.”
“Have you spoken to Mackey since she left for California?” Lacy asked after the waitress
helping Nikki on the rooftop stopped and took our food order.
“I have, and she seems to be having fun. Her grandparents are taking all the kids, including
the cousins, to Disneyland this weekend. Mackey seemed excited about that.”
“I’m glad that it worked out for Mackey to have a nice, long visit with her brother. With
Colt’s new schedule and the soccer camp Tyler has signed up for, I wasn’t sure a visit was going
to happen this summer.”
“It was nice of Hank and Ruth to ensure that the siblings had some quality time together,” I
agreed. “When I spoke to Ruth yesterday, she mentioned that she was going to take Mackey and
her female cousins shopping for a new summer outfit while the boys are tied up with soccer next
week. She said something about a new mall that I’m sure Mackey will love.”
“You spoke to Ruth?” Lacy asked. “Just the two of you, on the phone, without Colt acting as
a buffer?”
I understood Lacy’s amazement. Ruth and I hadn’t really gotten along in the beginning, but
things were better now.
“I did speak to Ruth on my own without Colt. Ever since Colt made it clear to his mother that
he was marrying me with or without her blessing, she seems to have backed off a bit. In fact,
once we decided on having a family dinner at Colt’s parents’ house every week, things have
become downright pleasant. I won’t go so far as to say that Ruth and I are the best of friends, but

we both love Colt, and we both love those kids, so I guess you can say that we found enough
common ground to put our differences aside for the sake of those we love.”
Lacy smiled. “I’m so happy to hear that. In all honesty, I’ve been curious about how things
were going, but I was afraid to ask.”
Again, I understood that. It had taken Ruth and me a long time to get to the point in our
relationship where it actually looked possible for us to have a civil relationship.
The conversation naturally flowed as the three of us enjoyed what turned out to be a relaxing
lunch. Georgia received a call from one of the crew at the community center and needed to go, so
Lacy and I decided to head out as well. My SUV wasn’t going to be ready for at least another
hour, so Lacy suggested that we head to the farmers market and look at the fresh produce that
had been brought in today. I didn’t cook often since I usually ate whatever the staff prepared for
our guests, but I did enjoy fresh fruit when it was in season.
“The plums have been really good this year,” Lacy said as she held up a piece of the deep
purple fruit. “Tart, but also a little sweet.” Lacy began piling them into a bag. “I think I’ll make a
plum cobbler for dessert tonight.”
“That sounds good.”
“Do you and Colt want to come to dinner?”
“That sounds fun, but we’re going to have a full house at the inn, and with Georgia gone, I
feel like I should be there to help. Maybe we can get together and grill next week. The seniors
will still be there next week, but most of the guests checking in today will be checking out on
Sunday.”
“I was going to ask you about the seniors,” Lacy said as she moved down the row to the
berries. “When we last spoke, you mentioned that you had four men in their seventies checking
in for two weeks, and that they were on a yearlong trip to wrap up their bucket list items.”
“That sounds about right.”
“How’s that going? I have to admit that I was intrigued by the concept.”
I picked up a melon, squeezed it, and placed it in my cart. “I think it’s going okay. I spoke to
the men this morning, and they told me that the main reason Holiday Bay was on the list of stops
was because Wayne had an old girlfriend who used to live here, and the men decided that it
would be fun for Wayne to look her up and see how things had turned out for her.”
Lacy frowned. “The guys decided. Looking up an old girlfriend after so many years seems
like an odd thing to do, but it really seems odd if some random friends made the decision for
you.”
“I agree, but apparently Arthur, Norman, and Thomas all thought that looking the woman up
was a fabulous idea, so they convinced Wayne to go along with it.”
“So the group, as a whole, decided what the bucket list items would be,” Lacy clarified.
“That seems to be the case.”
“I guess I hadn’t caught on to that before. It seems like an unusual dynamic for a group of
men who have only known each other for a few years.”

“I agree, but for whatever reason, the list the men came up with is a list that was curated by
the group as a whole.”
“I wish them luck.”
“Yeah, me too,” I agreed with Lacy. “It seems like the guys have put together an aggressive
list.”
Lacy picked up a tub of fresh boysenberries and looked at the bottom. She must have been
satisfied by what she saw since she picked up a second tub and placed both in her basket. “How
long has it been exactly since Wayne dated this woman?” Lacy qualified.
“Apparently, Wayne dated the same girl all through middle school and high school. They had
talked about getting married and building a life together. Then, when Leticia’s father got in the
middle of things, he convinced Wayne that he was holding his daughter back and he’d do the
noble thing and step aside if he really loved her.”
“Holding her back how?” Lacy asked as she added strawberries to her basket.
I likewise picked up a package of strawberries and added it to my basket. “I guess Leticia
was really smart. According to what Thomas told me while I was fixing his window, everyone
knew that she could have chosen almost any college in the country. Leticia’s father was certain
that college and a career as a professional, such as a doctor or lawyer, was her intended path in
life, and he was equally certain that marrying her high school sweetheart right out of high school
would interfere with that path. Apparently, based on the story I was told, Leticia’s father told
Wayne that he’d been saving so he could fund Leticia’s college education; however, he was only
willing to do that if she committed a hundred percent of her energy and focus to her education
and chosen career path.”
“So Leticia’s father wanted Wayne to walk away.”
“Apparently, he did. When I spoke to Thomas about the situation, he told me that Wayne
really loved this girl and wanted to do what was best for her. He let Leticia’s father convince him
that walking away would be the kindest thing he could do for Leticia since he’d never be able to
give her the life her father was offering. He doubted his ability to merely step away and stay
away if he remained in the area, so he enlisted in the Navy.”
Lacy picked up a melon. “So he just walked away from her and never looked back.”
“Basically, although he did look back. Once. If what Thomas told me is true, Wayne returned
to the hometown where he’d left Leticia four years after he walked away from her. He’d grown
up a lot during his four years at sea and realized that he never should have let Leticia’s father
bully him into doing something he really hadn’t wanted to do. He hoped to talk with Leticia and
explain his actions, but she’d already moved on. When he saw her with another man, he reupped
and never looked back.”
“Until now.”
I nodded. “I’m not sure that I totally understand what the guys said to convince Wayne to
track down this woman at this point in his life. He’s seventy-six, and he walked away when he
was eighteen. That’s fifty-eight years. But apparently, Arthur did some research and found out
that while Leticia married and had children, and even grandchildren, she was widowed several
years ago. Her last known address was here in Holiday Bay. When the men planned this trip,

they included a stop in Holiday Bay with the intention of visiting Leticia. When they arrived,
they found that she’d moved, and they’re still trying to track down a current address at this
point.”
“Wow. Fifty-eight years is a long time. I wonder if Leticia will even want to see the man who
broke her heart all those years ago.”
I had to admit that when I’d first heard the story, I’d found myself wondering if this
particular bucket list item should be pursued. “I guess the guys all have a road not taken type
quest to make during this trip. Arthur has been referring to these quests as the detours each man
took along the way, that, had the detour not occurred, would likely have led to a completely
different outcome in their lives.”
“So Wayne’s life would look totally different from what it does now if he hadn’t listened to
Leticia’s father and had married Leticia rather than joining the Navy.”
“Exactly. During a previous conversation, Arthur told me that the men are interested in
exploring the idea of the alternate lives they may have experienced had they chosen the path not
taken.”
“Does Arthur have an alternate reality to explore?” Lacy began tossing greens into her
basket.
“Arthur’s path not taken had to do with a half-sister, Ambrosia. Apparently, Ambrosia, who
was much younger than Arthur, had tended to lean on him for support when things got bad at
home. Ambrosia’s mother was much younger than the father she shared with Arthur, and
apparently, the father used to bully the mother, who was weak and timid.”
“Did he beat her?”
“No. According to Arthur, the abuse was psychological. He had a traditional approach to the
family unit, where the man of the house was the absolute ruler and the wife and children did as
they were told.”
“I’ve met a few men like that in my life.”
“Yeah, me, too. Anyway, Arthur was a young man with big career goals that kept him busy.
He told me that even though he tried to be there for Ambrosia, there was only so much he could
do to help her navigate her home situation, and that he mostly just encouraged her to hang in
there. When Ambrosia was sixteen, he got a job at Cambridge University, which was a
placement he very much wanted. When Ambrosia found out he was moving so far away, she
begged him to take her with him, but since he didn’t feel that would work for either of them, he
refused. When Ambrosia was seventeen, Arthur found out that his half-sister had run away. I
guess he never saw her again, and has always wondered about her.”
“Was Arthur sure she ran away and wasn’t kidnapped?”
“Arthur said that the police looked into things when she first went missing, and didn’t find
anything that would point to an outcome other than Ambrosia simply taking off. Given what he
knew about her home life, he wasn’t surprised. He also wasn’t surprised that she never contacted
him since she’d been angry when he’d moved and left her behind.”
“Did Ambrosia go missing from Holiday Bay?”

“No, from Florida. The guys plan to head south once they finish here. As I said, the trip
they’ve decided to undertake is a yearlong trip. They have stops planned all along the way.”
“So they aren’t really focused on Arthur’s half-sister right now.”
“No, it seems like they’re focused on Wayne’s lost love during this stop, and they’ll focus on
Arthur’s half-sister when they stop in Florida. I know it sounds like the trip is one that, by its
very nature, is bound to lead to disappointment, but I have the sense that the men have entered
into this with open eyes. If they achieve their goals, that’s great, but even if they don’t, they plan
to take comfort in having tried.”
Lacy tossed a bag of nuts into her cart. “Are any of the items on the list fun or daring? Like
jumping out of a plane or white-water rafting.”
“I think both of those challenges were included. The men are about halfway through the list
and halfway through the year. It sounds to me like they’ve enjoyed a nice mix of bucket list
goals. Some have meaning, while others are daring, such as jumping out of a plane. There are
also items included because one of the men felt the activity would be fun, such as hiking in the
Rocky Mountains, deep sea fishing off the Outer Banks of the Carolinas, and hang gliding over
the Grand Canyon.”
“You can do that? Hang glide over the Grand Canyon?”
“It’s not really allowed, but Wayne has connections from a lifetime spent in the military, and
he knows a guy who worked it out for the guys to get a permit.”
Lacy picked up an ear of corn, peeled back the husk, took a sniff, and then added it and seven
of its friends to her basket. With such a large family to feed, providing healthy meals while
sticking to a budget would be difficult, but Lacy appeared to do an excellent job at both.
By the time I received the text letting me know my SUV was ready, we had made it to the
bakery, the seafood market, and the wine shop as well. Lacy headed home to make dinner for her
family, and I picked up my SUV and headed to the community center to check in with Georgia
before heading back to the inn. ...