Page 11 of The Pilot

Much as he’d probably looked when the Air Force took his picture upon arrival at the hospital in Japan, after being picked up by the Night Stalkers who’d swooped in after he’d crossed into Russian territory.

Linc picked up the picture and studied it. Harper looked . . . gaunt. Too skinny for just having given birth. He wondered what Kash’s story was for the first time. Who his father was. Why he wasn’t in the picture.

But it wasn’t his business.

He put the picture back on the small table.

The kid was twelve, there was obviously no father in his life. The past was the past, Harper had obviously moved on.

But as soon as he had the thought, Linc winced. He was a hypocrite. The past was never just the past. It was always there, lurking, waiting to mess with your head.

Turning abruptly, Linc headed for the last door he hadn’t looked in yet. Opening it, he decided this had probably been Kash’s room. There were glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling and a poster of Saturn still on the wall. The twin bed looked sad and lonely in the empty room. The mattress sagging in the middle. There wasn’t even a dresser, just a closet with a few empty hangers.

Victor Rogers kept a clean house. Uncluttered but sparse. Once again, he had no idea of the man’s finances, but to Linc, they didn’t seem as good as he wanted the town to believe. Seemed Victor really did need the income he got from his rental properties.

And if that was the case, how in the heck did he think he was going to buy Lobster Cove? He’d been pestering Linc’s parents to sell for years . . . but with what money?

Linc also recalled that the man had spent all day on the water looking for Marit when she’d gone missing. The fuel had to have been expensive, and as far as he knew, Zach hadn’t offered to reimburse him. Hell, Linc himself hadn’t thought about it either.

Was that why Victor hadn’t stored his boat for the winter yet? It was still docked in Rockville Harbor. Storage costs money. Money the man didn’t have?

Making a mental note to talk to Chad about storing their neighbor’s boat on Lobster Cove, Linc headed for the boxes in Harper’s small bedroom. The sooner he got everything into his SUV, the sooner he could head into town to find two beds, a couple of dressers, and stop by the grocery store to stock up.

He was determined to have whatever Kash and Harper needed to feel safe and secure. Food, a roof over their heads, and a comfortable place to sleep. Basic needs he could easily offer.

She wasn’t even living with him yet, and there was already something about Harper that was getting under his skin. He didn’t know why, wasn’t sure he even liked the woman. He’d gone out of his way to keep his distance from her since he’d been back in Maine, but that space was about to disappear entirely.

He still wasn’t sure he’d made the right decision, inviting her and her son to live with him, but he’d help her get back on her feet, and when it was time for them to get their own place, he’d gladly help them move their things out. By then, he’d probably be itching for them to go. To have his own space back.

Probably.

Maybe.

Shit. What had he done?

Chapter Three

Shoot. What had she done?

As Harper checked her phone and saw she had another five excited texts from Kash, telling her all about what he and Linc were doing, she wondered if she’d made the right decision. Again.

It felt as if she’d made the wrong choices over and over throughout her lifetime. And this was possibly one more.

Moving in with Lincoln Young had seemed like a good idea last night. When she’d been cold and exhausted. Not to mention irritated with her dad for once again telling her that she was never going to get anywhere working at Walmart. But it was a job. And Harper was proud of herself for not being a mooch. For doing what she could to change her and Kash’s situation.

But now, seeing Kash’s excitement in his texts, how thrilled he was about something as simple as paint colors for the room he’d be living in temporarily, Harper was worried. Kash could easily get too attached to their benefactor. Might not understand that they were living with Linc only in the short term. That he wasn’t going to be more than a friend.

One more disappointment in her son’s short life.

Harper was very aware that Kash wanted a dad. He’d started asking about his own father around age five. He wanted to know why other boys had daddies and he didn’t. Then, when he was a little older, he wanted to know where he was.

Why he didn’t want a son.

And she’d had no idea what to tell him. How to tell him that his father was a piece-of-shit human being. No one she’d ever want to introduce him to.

Couldn’t introduce him to.

Now, Harper didn’t want Kash to hope for things that were never going to happen. He already had a huge hero worship thing going on with Linc. He was the first man to ever support Kash unconditionally. To let him babble on about stars and planets and nebulas, and not cut him off and tell him he should be interested in more boyish stuff, like football or girls.