Page 11 of Last Wish Wedding

Time. The one thing his grandfather might be running out of.

More of his grandfather’s words, this time from breakfast, echoed back. You can’t sail away from life.

The old man had built an empire from nothing, and now wanted just one thing before he died: to see his grandson build a life worth living. Not just wealth and solitude, but a legacy of his own.

“Mackie!”

The familiar voice pulled him from his thoughts. The neighbor kid was picking his way down the beach, careful not to slip on the seaweed-covered rocks.

“Found any treasure today?” the boy called out.

Mac managed a smile. “Just started looking.”

Mac watched as the little boy joined him in his search along the shoreline.

“Mom says I can play until supper’s ready, then I’ve got to get my homework done,” Noah stood and handed him a piece of sea glass. “Do you think this came from pirates?”

The little boy had started showing up on the beach a few months ago. Mac assumed he lived in one of the rentals from the old estate. He liked him even though he had many questions about whatever they found on the beach. He was entertaining, easy to be around and a distraction from his thoughts. “Your mom sounds pretty wise.”

Chapter 5

Kelsey hummed as she climbed out of her new Subaru, catching whiffs of that new-car smell. The heated seats had been heaven on her back after a long day of house calls, part of the primary care she’d brought to the island. Visiting patients in their homes who found it hard to get out to the clinic. She’d never owned anything so nice. Her old car had been practical, but this... this was a luxury she’d never allowed herself.

She had already decided that the insurance check for her totaled car would go straight to her benefactor, once she tracked him down. It was the right thing to do, even if it wouldn’t come close to covering what he’d spent. She didn’t like being beholden to someone else. Retaining her independence was important to her.

She slipped her shoes off at the door of their rented cottage. Noah was so excited about going beach combing after school she had let him go down right away, ensuring he knew his homework would need to be done after dinner. It was a safe place for Noah to explore, with the cliffs just beyond their neighbor’s house where he wasn’t allowed to wander. And the weather was too nice to squander. Maybe they could eat dinner on the back deck, make the most of this perfect spring evening.

Through the kitchen window, she could see the beach path winding down through the scrub pines. The late afternoon sun painted everything golden, reminding her why she’d chosen this tiny rental despite its distance from town. Worth every penny of her strict budget just for views like this.

Kelsey grabbed a light sweater and headed down the path to surprise Noah. Maybe they’d find some sea glass together before dinner. The waves lapped gently at the shore, seabirds wheeling overhead, and then she heard it—Noah’s laugh, floating up from the beach.

She rounded the last bend in the path, and her heart stopped.

Noah stood at the water’s edge next to a tall man with dark hair. A stranger. Her son was holding something out to him, completely at ease, while this unknown man—this man—leaned down to look at whatever Noah was showing him.

Every maternal instinct screamed danger. Every awful story she’d ever heard about missing children flashed through her mind. Her feet were moving before she could think, almost stumbling on the rocky path in her haste to reach her son.

“Noah!” Her voice came out sharp with fear.

“Mom!” Noah’s face lit up. He waved the piece of sea glass in his hand. “Come see what Mackie and I found!”

Kelsey’s stride faltered as Noah grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the stranger. The man straightened, and she found herself looking into familiar eyes, the same ones that had met hers across bloody limbs and smashed metal just days ago.

“You’re...” they both said simultaneously.

Noah bounced between them. “Mom, this is my friend Mackie. He knows all about the stuff that washes up here.”

“We’ve met,” Mac said quietly.

Kelsey’s mind raced. “You live here?”

“Yes.” He ran a hand through his wind-tousled hair after gesturing to the house on the bluff. “I... that was my grandfather’s company’s truck.”

“Look what we found!” Noah thrust a handful of treasures between them. “Mackie says this one might be from an old medicine bottle.”

“That’s very cool honey,” Kelsey stammered trying to find her voice. “I need to thank you. For the car. It’s too much though. I’ll have the insurance check in a few days—”

“No.” Mac’s response was firm but gentle.