What did we do? None of the truthful answers sounded appropriate... or real. Solve murders, gossip nonstop, protest the local billionaire.

"Eat cupcakes?"

Braisley stared at me so long the wind had time to whip her hair back in her face. She shook her head to move it out of the way and then shrugged. "I like cupcakes."

We were practically already best friends.

"Why don't you take care of all that stuff," I said, motioning toward her armload of supplies. "And I'll show you the best cupcake place in the county. The state, really."

Except Anessa said we couldn't claim that since we never polled anyone outside the county. She just had too much modesty.

"Your dog is adorable." She crossed out of the sand onto the sidewalk and shivered.

"Thanks. You need a coat, too. This time of year, it's chilly until the afternoon." NB and I walked after her across the empty parking lot.

Braisley stopped at the other sidewalk. "I, um... packed for a beach vacation."

Obviously.

"Are you staying at the bed-and-breakfast?"

That question made her smile. "Yeah, it's so cute."

"Let's stop there. I can ask Katy to watch NB, and we'll get you a coat." NB led the way as we crossed the street and walked toward the big blue historical home on Main Street.

I opened the front door for Braisley, and she gave me a nod before climbing the grand staircase toward the second floor. Katy stepped away from the registration desk with her eyes on me rather than the new girl.

"I tried to warn her," she said, bending down to give NB pets behind his ears. "How's my favorite puppy today? You're so cute. Is your mommy giving you enough treats? She's not, is she?"

I rolled my eyes as Katy had a one-sided conversation with the dog. "Do you have a spare coat? I'm taking her to the bakery."

"Sure, we keep extras in the front closet." She stood and grabbed one for me, standing close when she returned to whisper the rest of our conversation. "You think she's got bakery stuff?"

Translation-was she on the run from someone and needed the assistant of the bakery girls?

I shrugged. "Not sure yet. She doesn't have the look in her eye, but she is in Maine alone in May. She's checking some boxes."

Katy nodded, and we both smiled as Braisley descended the staircase. "Is everything okay?"

"Yup," I said, taking a step forward.

"I found you a coat," Katy said, holding it out for her with much too wide of a smile.

"Um, thanks." She took it hesitantly, and I worried we were losing her. If I didn't get her to the bakery, we'd never find out why she'd come to town.

Maybe Braisley was on the run from an ex-boyfriend. Or she'd stolen money and had to hide away until the heat fell off her case. The possibilities were endless, and I loved every one of them.

"You'll watch NB for us really quick. Right?" I asked Katy as I handed her the leash.

She reached down and picked him up. Sometimes I worried he loved Katy more than me, but it was only because she carried him everywhere, and he was lazy. Between her and Broadrick, the dog would forget how to walk.

"Sure, my special best friend can stay here with me," she cooed in her baby doggie voice. "Cause you're just the sweetest little guy. Aren't you? Aunt Katy will get you treats from the kitchen. An enormous piece of chicken."

The corners of my lips fell. "Katy, don't feed him an entire chicken."

She scoffed. "Of course not. Just a breast and half a thigh."

"What?" That was way too much food. It weighed as much as the dog.

"You two go. Have a great time. Eat lots of cupcakes. We'll entertain ourselves here." She waved her hand at us as walked toward the front door like she was shooing us away.

I stopped right on the edge of being outside. "He doesn't need that much chicken, Katy. He'll get sick."

NB licked his lips and wiggled.

"He's never gotten sick before," Katy said and then closed the door on our faces.

"Wait!" I yelled as the wood shut. "What do you mean before?" How often was she feeding him this?

"Do we need to rescue your dog?" Braisley asked, watching me with a careful expression.

I dropped my shoulders. "No, apparently this is their thing." Far be it for me to stand in the way of their love affair.

The walk to the bakery wouldn't take long, and I had to get as much information out of her as possible before we got there.

"You're here on vacation?" I asked as we crossed the street.

Braisley had to walk slowly since she didn't know the way, and I took baby steps. "Yeah, they stopped rolling over vacation days, so I had to use them before my year is up in June."

"Why Maine?" I knew why I stayed here, but I never understood why anyone else came. Especially for the beach.

She shrugged. "It's stupid."

We came to a side street, and I stopped to look for traffic, but there wasn't any. Only one block left and we'd be at the bakery. "There's never a stupid vacation story."

Wind came twirling down the street and Braisley zipped up the bottom of her blue fleece coat with the bed-and-breakfast logo on the left corner. "Life stuff. My job sucks now that we got a new boss, and my parents are getting divorced."

Our steps came to a practical crawl.

"Yes," she said and tipped her head from side to side. "I'm well aware I'm not a kid. But even at twenty-five, it's hard. It has me wondering if their entire marriage was a lie or just the end. Did they only stay together for us? What is love if it's not theirs?"

"That's the part about the memories of Maine?" I asked, bringing up something she mentioned earlier.

"Yeah. We came here a few times, and my parents were happy then. Or at least they faked it well." Sadness laced her words, and I hurt for her.

"I'm sure it was real." We hit the bakery, and I held the door open for her. "But we're here and they'll expect a grand entrance, so just run with whatever I say."

Her eyes grew enormous, but I'd already walked inside. Anessa rented the bakery, but she'd made the space hers by painting everything-except the tables and chairs-a bright shade of pink. Even the hand towels and employee aprons were pink. The walls glistened as the sun broke free of a cloud and lit up the space. Turning it into Barbie's paradise bakery.

"Hey, everyone!" I said, getting the attention of Anessa behind the counter, Pearl in her favorite seat, and two locals on the couch in front of the window. "This is Braisley. She's here on vacation because her boss sucks."

The four people in the bakery groaned in agreement and Braisley's cheeks turned a shade of pink. Probably from the temperature difference. The bakery was always twenty degrees warmer than outside this time of year.

"He doesn't let us celebrate holidays or roll over vacation days," Braisley said when everyone continued staring at her.

Pearl tapped her spoon against her teacup. "Disgusting. What this world needs is a good sit-in. Bring back the strikes and unions. Take some of these billionaires out to sea and drop them off the side of their yachts."

"Okay, then..." I said, turning to Braisley. "Don't listen to Pearl. She gets a little cray-cray before her second cup of tea."

"I heard that, Vonnie," Pearl said, and I tightened my lips.

I pretended to not hear Pearl. "Let's hook Braisley up with two, 'My Boss is a Jerk Double Chocolate Cupcakes.' And throw in one for her new best friend."

You couldn't come to the bakery and not get a cupcake. There were rules.

The bakery door opened with a flourish, sending the bell above the door into a ringing frenzy.

Everyone turned to look at the newcomer, who was about to outdo Braisley and my entrance into the bakery.

A woman stepped inside wearing black yoga pants and a sweater. She had short blonde hair and fright in her eyes. Strapped to her chest was a black baby carrier like you used to haul around infants, except no baby feet hung out of the bottom. I leaned closer to get a better look and squinted.

A fuzzy, soft brown head poked out from the top with long, matching ears. The animal's nose twitched as it turned toward us. She was walking around with a floppy-earned bunny attacked to her chest.

"Mom?"