Christmas at Saltwater Cove: a Westcott Bay novella Read online

  “Mission accomplished.” He beamed. “You’re off Thursday, right?”

  “I am. Why, what’s up?”

  “I thought we could go pumpkin picking. You know, just something really fall-ish. Maybe go for a hayride.”

  “Do you really want to take a ride on a rickety old tractor? Sitting on a bale of hay – I mean, can we face it?”

  He shrugged. “With you I can face anything. But if that sounds too uncomfortable, we can just do the pumpkins.”

  “I like it when you say that.”

  “What? That we’re going to stick to pumpkins?”

  “No.” She turned to him. “That we can face anything.”

  “I think we can. We’re a pretty good team, you and I.”

  Sandy grasped his hand. “We are.”

  She sat there, taking in the scene in front of them. The sun shined through the golden and red leaves, giving a delicate filter to all of the families and people rushing by on the sidewalk.

  It’d been almost a year since she yelled at her patient’s mother, causing her to be sent away to think about what she’d done. Luckily, Sandy really had just needed a break – and a new perspective, which Margie helped with.

  She squeezed Jack’s hand and let out a sigh. Life was better than she could have ever imagined – and she was thankful for every moment.

  Also by Amelia…

  Interested in reading about more love, mystery and adventure on San Juan Island? Check out the rest of the Westcott Bay series – full length novels following Margie, Jade and their friends and family! The first book in the series is Saltwater Cove. Included at the end of this novella are the introduction and first chapter to Saltwater Cove!

  The Westcott Bay Series

  Saltwater Cove

  Saltwater Studios

  Saltwater Secrets

  Saltwater Crossing

  Christmas at Saltwater Cove

  The Billionaire Date Series

  Nurse’s Date with a Billionaire

  Doctor’s Date with a Billionaire

  Veterinarian’s Date with a Billionaire

  Now available as a box set

  Introduction to the first book in the Westcott Bay series, Saltwater Cove

  At 48 years-old, Margie Clifton never expected to be starting her life all over again. But when her brother gifts her a property on San Juan Island, that’s exactly what she decides to do. After all, it’s the perfect place to start a new business venture, provide a second home for her adult children, and recover from her nasty divorce. And if her new life happens to involve the town’s gruff and ruggedly handsome Chief Deputy Sheriff? All the better.

  The last thing Hank Kowalski wants is an emotional entanglement. It’s only been two years since his beloved wife passed, and there’s no way his daughter is ready to accept him dating anyone new. Still, there’s something about Margie’s quiet strength and beauty that draws him in, making him wonder if maybe a fresh start—and possibly a new love—is exactly what he needs in his life.

  But Margie is harboring a secret—a dark one that threatens to destroy the new life she’s worked so hard to build. Can Margie and Hank find the courage and faith to overcome all that stands between them? Or will their second chance at happily ever after be lost forever?

  Excerpt follows:

  Chapter 1

  The ferry hummed as it slowly made its way towards San Juan Island. Margie zipped her yellow rain jacket before slipping out of the warm galley and onto the ship’s deck. The wind tore through her hair and chilled her face, but she didn’t mind. She had the deck to herself and a beautiful view of Friday Harbor ahead.

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The air was certainly cleaner here than in Seattle. And the sweeping views of the islands were more stunning than what Puget Sound offered, as beautiful as it was. She liked living in the city, of course; it was where she built her life, and where her kids grew up. But her kids moved on and started their own lives, and she finally needed to move on, too.

  “Margie? Margie Clifton, is that you?”

  Margie took her eyes off of the glistening white sailboats in the distance. “Joan! Fancy seeing you here!”

  Joan pulled her in for a hug. “Oh you know me and Ron, always looking for a romantic getaway. How are you? How’re the kids?”

  “Great, we’re all great. And you?”

  “Oh, we’re all good too.”

  “Good.” Margie paused – she really hadn’t expected to see someone she knew, and she didn’t want to babble too much.

  “Are you just visiting for the weekend?”

  And she definitely wasn’t prepared to answer questions about what she was up to. “No, I uh – actually just bought a place on the island.”

  “Oh that’s lovely! In town, or…?”

  “No, on the west side.” Ten acres, overlooking the water. But Joan didn’t need to know that. It would sound like bragging, and Margie didn’t like to brag. She was bursting with excitement, but the whole situation would be hard to explain.

  “Oh that’s right, your brother lives out here. He flies those little planes between the islands, right?”

  “Yeah, that’s right! You have a great memory.” Technically, he used to fly planes between the islands. Now he was – well, that was none of Joan’s business. And none of Margie’s either, for that matter.

  Margie cleared her throat. “Are you and Ron staying in town?”

  “Yes, we’ll be here for two days, then we’re heading up to Orcas Island, and then back home. Just a quick little trip.”

  “That’s lovely.” Margie knew that if she kept talking, something would slip out that she shouldn’t say, and then she wouldn’t be able to stop herself. “Well, it was so nice seeing you, but I think we’re getting close to the harbor, so I’d better get back to my car.”

  “Of course! Lovely seeing you too!”

  Margie gave her a quick wave before rushing back inside and down the stairs to her car on the lowest level of the ferry.

  She truly did enjoy chatting with Joan – she’d always liked her. Their eldest daughters were only one year apart in school so they always used to run into each other. Joan was a nice person.

  “But that doesn’t mean you should tell her your life story,” Margie whispered to herself as she squeezed into the driver’s seat of her Toyota. She promptly buckled her seat belt, then laughed at herself – she wouldn’t be able to drive off of the ferry for at least ten more minutes. What did she think buckling her seat belt would do for her? Keep her safe in case everything turned into bumper cars down there?

  She unbuckled herself and cracked the window. Just because Joan was a nice lady and their kids went to school together did not mean that Margie should tell her anything about the property she bought. That was the one thing that her brother Mike made her promise last month.

  “If anyone asks where I am, say I’m working for an airline overseas,” he said, handing her a blue ballpoint pen.

  “Right, got it.” She carefully signed and initialed her name where instructed. Mike explained that he was going back to work for the FBI again, but he couldn’t tell her much. She knew not to ask questions. Her brother was nine years her senior, and though she was all of forty-eight years old, he could still make her feel like the baby of the family in situations like these.

  “Congratulations,” he said when they both finished signing. “You just bought your first home.”

  She slipped him the $1 bill he’d requested in exchange for the property. “Are you sure I can’t pay you something more reasonable?”

  He shook his head. “This is all I’ll need. Take care of it while I’m gone, okay?”

  A voice boomed through the ferry’s speaker system. “Drivers, please return to your vehicles and prepare to disembark.”

  Margie darted a hand into her purse, digging around for her keys. Why hadn’t she had the keys ready instead of the seat belt! Finally she found them, trapped under a water bottle. She turned the
key in the ignition and waited until it was her turn to drive off of the ferry and onto San Juan Island.

  Slowly making her way off of the ship and onto Front Street, she felt a little nervous – she wanted to drop some things off at her new house before coming back into town, but the ferry was a bit late, so she was worried that she might run out of time.

  She managed to get through town quickly, though, and made her way to the other side of the island. She wasn’t technically taking the “scenic” route, yet it was still gorgeous. There was a quiet peace as she rode past the farms and little houses. Margie rolled her windows down, taking in the cool evening air.

  When she reached the beginning of her new property, she had to get out of her car to unlock the chain that blocked the long driveway. She drove up, slowly, as rocks pinged the underside of her car and dust floated into her open windows. It didn’t bother her in the least, and soon, she reached the top of the small hill which provided a breathtaking view of Westcott Bay.

  It was even more striking than she remembered. The water shimmered delicately against the bright blue sky; puffy white clouds lazily drifted by, visible through the lush green trees on the borders of the property. Margie felt her heart starting to swell.

  “There’ll be time to stand around and gawk later,” she said to herself. She pulled her car up to the house and quickly unloaded a few boxes. She was about to rush back outside when she saw an envelope taped to the back of the front door.

  Hey little sis,

  I’m really glad you took up my offer to buy this place. It’s only halfway a dump, as you can see. I’ve been fixing it up over the last few months, but it still needs some work. I’ve left the names of some good contractors I know on the islands. Tell them you know me. Then, when that doesn’t work, threaten them as you see fit.

  I’m sorry I won’t be able to be in touch for a while. I think you’ll find that there’s something magical about this place. If anything can help you put your family back together…this can.

  - Mike

  Margie swallowed, trying to break up the lump that formed in her throat. Her brother was not the sentimental type. He didn’t share emotions or deal well, for example, with his little sister having a breakdown in front of him.

  It was a few months prior that he had to witness it. Margie invited him for Christmas, and everything went horribly wrong. The one toilet in her apartment clogged, she burned the ham, and her downstairs neighbor came up three times to complain about how loud they were.

  After all the kids turned in for the night, Margie lost it. Mike just stood there, arms crossed, as she cried.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, gathering empty plates and bits of wrapping paper. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

  He stared at her before responding. “It’s probably because you’re trying to fit your three adult kids and your old brother into a one bedroom apartment for the holiday.”

  “Well, yes. That’s it. That’s all. Nothing a little plunger can’t fix, right?” She only got to the sink before she started sobbing again. “I don’t know, Mike. I don’t know how to make it work. I feel like…days like this just make it seem like the divorce has ruined my family. Do you think I can ever make it right again?”

  He thought for a moment. “I don’t know.”

  Margie carefully folded the letter and tucked it into her pocket. She couldn’t get sentimental right now; she was a woman on a mission.

  Inside her purse, carefully zipped into a side pocket, was a photo of a woman. She reached in and pulled it out. There was no way she could put her family back together until she faced this woman from her past.

  A woman whose secret was tied to her and her family.

  A woman who was, apparently, dead.

  Saltwater Cove is available on Amazon now!

  Author’s Note

  Thanks for reading! I’d love to know what you thought, and reader reviews are one of the most influential factors in whether someone will give a book a chance. So, if you’ve enjoyed this book, would you please consider reviewing it?

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  About the Author

  Amelia Addler writes always clean, always swoon-worthy romance stories and believes that everyone deserves their own happily ever after.

  Her soulmate is a man who once spent five weeks driving her to work at 4AM after her car broke down (and he didn’t complain, not even once). She is lucky enough to be married to that man and they live in Pittsburgh with their little yellow mutt. Visit her website at AmeliaAddler.com or drop her an email at [email protected].