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Chapter 1

Saying that she went to the annual Firefighter’s Charity Breakfast for pancakes was like saying she watched baseball for the gauys in tight uniform pants

But this time Leah Sullivan really did want pancakes She also wanted her grand wishes, she wouldn’t object to being sweet-talked out of her clothes sometime this year

But those were all issues for another day Mid-August was hinting at an Indian su ar toward hot as she walked to the already crowded pier The people of Lucky Harbor loved a get-together, and if there was food involved—and cute firefighters to boot—well, that was just a bonus

Leah accepted a short stack of pancakes frohter from Station 24 He was a rookie, fresh froer than her, but that didn’t stop hi-on-a-Gap-ad-caood parts to flutter

They didn’t

For reasons unknown, her good parts were on vacation and had been for months

Okay, so not for reasons unknown But not wanting to go there, not today, she blew out a breath and continued down the length of the pier

Picnic tables had been set up,the firefighters’ annual breakfast Leah’s friend Ali Winters was halfway through a huge stack of pancakes, eyeing the food line as if considering getting more

Leah plopped down beside her “You eating for two already?”

“Bite your tongue” Ali ai with a pointed don’t mess with nancy isn’t anywhere on the to-do list yet I’ my part to support the community”

“By eating two hundred pancakes?”

“Hey, the oes to the senior center”

There was a salty breezea mess of Leah’s and Ali’s hair, but it didn’t dare disturb the wo much disturbed the cool-as-a-cucumber Aubrey

“I bet sex is on your to-do list,” Aubrey said, joining their conversation

Ali gave a secret smile

Aubrey narrowed her eyes “I could really hate you for that smile”

“You should hate me for this smile”

“Luke’s that good, huh?”

Ali sighed dreaic”

“Magic’s just an illusion” Aubrey licked the syrup off her fork while raceful

Back in their school days, Aubrey had been untouchable, tough as nails, and Leah hadn’t been anywhere in the vicinity of her league Nothing ed there She looked down at herself and sucked in her stomach

“There’s no illusion when it comes to Luke,” Ali told Aubrey “He’s one-hundred-percent real And all mine”

“Well, now you’re just being mean,” Aubrey said “And that’s my area Leah, what’s with the expensive shoes and cheap haircut?”

Leah put a hand to her choppy auburn layers, and Aubrey smiled at Ali, like See? That’s how you do mean…

Most of Leah’s rand addicted to Pinterest wasn’t technically a vice Her love of shoes es fro to eat apples and peanut butter for a week “They were on sale,” she said, clicking theether as if she were Dorothy in Oz “They’re knockoffs,” she admitted

Aubrey sighed “You’re not supposed to say that last part It’s not as fun to be mean when you’re nice”

“But I am nice,” Leah said

“I know,” Aubrey said “And I’ to like you anyway”

The three of them were an extremely unlikely trio, connected by a cute, quirky Victorian building in don Lucky Harbor The building was older than God, currently owned by Aubrey’s great-uncle, and divided into three shops There was Ali’s floral shop, Leah’s grandlected bookstore that Aubrey had beenover since her job at Town Hall had gone south a feeeks back

Neither Ali nor Leah was sure yet if having Aubrey in the building every day would be fun or a nightardless, Aubrey knew her path So did Ali