CHAPTER 2

Seaside Manor

EMMA

I couldn't breathe. The man was still staring at me through the car window, and my brain wouldn't work properly. For a horrible second, I thought David had somehow followed me. That he'd found me already.

But this wasn't David. This man was taller, broader, with messy dark hair and eyes the color of storm clouds. He wore running shorts and a faded t-shirt, and he looked more confused than angry.

He tapped the window again, gentler this time. "Are you okay?"

I tried to answer, but my throat was too tight. I fumbled for the door handle. My hands were shaking so badly it took three tries to get it open.

"Hey, easy." He stepped back, giving me space. "I'm not going to hurt you. You just surprised me. We don't usually get people sleeping in the driveway."

We. The word made my stomach drop. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, I thought this house was empty. I'll leave."

"Wait." He held up his hands. "You look like you've had a rough night. Do you need help?"

That was when I realized I was still wearing the dress from the engagement party. It was wrinkled and stained with grass from the garden. My feet were bare and dirty. I probably looked like I'd escaped from somewhere. Which I had.

"I'm fine," I lied. "I just got lost. I was looking for Seaside Manor."

His expression changed. The concern shifted into something sharper. "This is Seaside Manor."

"Oh." My voice sounded small. "Then I'm not lost. I mean, I am, but not, This is going to sound crazy."

"Try me." He crossed his arms, but his face was kind. Patient.

"My mother used to own this house. I thought maybe, I don't know what I thought. That I could see it again? It's stupid. I should go."

"Wait. Your mother?" He took a step closer. "What was your mother's name?"

"Catherine Walsh. But she's been dead for five years, so obviously she doesn't own it anymore. Someone else must have bought it, and I'm trespassing, and I'm so sorry"

"Emma?"

I froze. "How do you know my name?"

"I'm Liam Hart. I was your mother's business partner." He was staring at me like he'd seen a ghost. "You're supposed to be getting married today."

The world tilted sideways. "You knew my mother?"

"I knew your whole family. I'm an architect. Your mother and I worked together on several projects before she..." He trailed off. "Before she died. But what are you doing here? Your wedding"

"There's no wedding." The words felt final. Real. "I called it off. Last night. I just left everything and drove, and I ended up here, and I know it doesn't make sense, but I found a letter my mother wrote, and she said to come here, so I"

I was talking too fast, the words tumbling over each other. Liam held up a hand.

"Slow down. Let's start over. You called off your wedding?"

I nodded.

"Last night?"

"A few hours ago."

"And you drove here from the city? That's a six-hour drive."

"I didn't really think about it. I just drove."

He ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up even more. "Okay. First things first. You look exhausted. Come inside. We'll figure out the rest."

"We?"

"I live here. In the guest cottage out back. But there are two other guys who rent rooms in the main house. Jake and Adrian. They're probably still asleep." He started walking toward the house, then looked back when I didn't follow. "It's okay. I promise we're not serial killers or anything. You can't sleep in your car."

Every rational part of my brain said this was a terrible idea. I didn't know this man. I was vulnerable and alone. But something in his eyes reminded me of the way my mother used to look at me. Safe. Protective.

And I was so, so tired.

I followed him up the porch steps. The house was even more beautiful up close. The paint was fresh, the gardens well-tended. Someone loved this place.

Liam opened the front door. "The living room is to the right. Have a seat. I'll make coffee."

The inside of Seaside Manor took my breath away. I remembered it being big, but in my memories, everything was child-sized. Now I could see it properly. High ceilings with exposed beams. Huge windows overlooking the ocean. Furniture that looked comfortable rather than expensive. Photographs on the walls, seascapes and sunsets and candid shots of people laughing.

And on the mantel, a picture of my mother.

I walked over to it slowly. She was younger in this photo than I'd ever seen her. Maybe twenty-five, standing on the beach with her hair blowing in the wind, her smile bright and free. She looked happy in a way I didn't remember her being in my childhood.

"She loved this house."

I turned. Liam was in the doorway holding two mugs of coffee. He handed me one and stood next to me, looking at the photo.

"She looked different here," I said quietly. "Happier."

"She was. Your mom was one of the best people I've ever known. Creative, brilliant, kind. When she talked about Coral Bay, her whole face would light up. She said this was the only place she could really breathe."

"I didn't know that. I mean, I knew she loved it here, but I didn't know..." I stopped, my throat tight again. "There's so much I didn't know about her."

Liam was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "She talked about you all the time. Showed me pictures. She was so proud of you."

Tears burned in my eyes. I took a sip of coffee to hide them. It was perfect, exactly the right amount of cream.

"How did you know how I take my coffee?"

"I didn't. I just made it how your mom used to drink hers. I guess you're similar."

We stood there in comfortable silence, drinking coffee and looking at my mother's picture. It should have felt weird, standing in a strange house with a man I didn't know. Instead, it felt like the first right thing I'd done in years.

A door opened somewhere upstairs. Heavy footsteps on hardwood. Then a man appeared at the top of the staircase, rubbing his eyes. He was young, maybe mid-twenties, with messy blond hair and the kind of tan that came from spending every day in the sun.

He stopped when he saw me. Blinked. Then grinned.

"Well, this is different. Liam, did you finally bring a girl home? I'm proud of you, man."

"Jake, shut up." Liam's voice was tired but fond. "This is Emma Walsh. Catherine's daughter."

Jake's grin disappeared. He came down the stairs quickly, and I could see him better now. He was tall and lean, with bright blue eyes and a face that probably made a lot of women do stupid things.

"Holy shit. Sorry, I mean, You're Emma? The little girl from the pictures?"

"Not so little anymore," I said.

"Obviously." His grin came back, smaller this time. "I'm Jake Morrison. I rent a room here. And I'm really sorry for the 'bringing a girl home' comment. Liam never brings anyone home, so I just assumed"

"Jake." Liam's voice was sharp. "Stop talking."

"Right. Stopping now." But Jake was still looking at me with curiosity. "Wait, weren't you supposed to get married today? I remember Liam mentioning it."

"Change of plans," I said.

"Cool, cool. Very cool. Does that mean you're single?"

"Jake, I swear to God"

"Just asking! For informational purposes!"

Despite everything, the exhaustion, the fear, the complete mess my life had become, I laughed. It surprised me. I hadn't laughed in months.

Jake's whole face brightened. "She laughs! See, Liam? I'm helpful."

Another door opened. This time, the footsteps were measured, controlled. A man appeared in the hallway leading from what I assumed were the downstairs bedrooms. He was older than Jake and Liam, maybe late thirties, with black hair touched by silver and dark eyes that saw everything. He wore expensive-looking pajama pants and no shirt, showing a lean, muscular build.

He looked at me for a long moment. His expression didn't change, but something flickered in his eyes.

"Emma." My name in his voice sounded different. Familiar somehow.

"This is Dr. Adrian Cross," Liam said. "He rents the master suite. Adrian, this is"

"I know who she is." Adrian's gaze never left my face. "You were twelve years old the last time I saw you. At your mother's funeral."

The coffee mug slipped from my hand. It would have shattered on the floor, but Adrian moved faster than I would have thought possible. He caught it before it fell, his reflexes sharp and sure.

"You were at my mother's funeral?"

"I was your mother's doctor." He set the mug carefully on the coffee table. "And her friend. I was with her when she died."

The room started spinning. All the exhaustion, all the stress, all the emotions I'd been holding back crashed over me at once. My knees went weak.

Strong hands caught me before I hit the floor. Liam on one side, Jake on the other. Adrian's voice, calm and professional: "Get her to the couch. Elevate her feet."

I tried to protest, but the words wouldn't come. The ceiling was swirling above me. I heard voices arguing, but they sounded far away.

"needs to rest.."

"Should call someone.."

"her family…"

"No!" That word I managed to get out, loud and clear. "No family. Please."

Hands on my wrist, checking my pulse. Adrian's voice close to my ear: "Emma, can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"When did you last eat?"

I tried to remember. The engagement party had food, but I'd been too nervous to eat. Before that? I couldn't recall.

"Yesterday morning, maybe?"

"Maybe?" Adrian's tone was sharp. "Jake, get her food. Protein if we have it. Liam, get a blanket. Emma, I need you to stay awake and talk to me."

"I'm fine."

"You just almost fainted. That's the opposite of fine." His hands were gentle despite his stern voice, checking my eyes, feeling my forehead. "You drove six hours without food or sleep after calling off your wedding. Your body is shutting down."

"I just need to rest"

"You need food, water, and sleep. In that order."

Jake appeared with a plate of toast and scrambled eggs. "This was all I could make fast."

"It's perfect." Adrian helped me sit up slowly. "Eat."

I wanted to argue, but my hands were shaking too badly. Adrian took the fork and cut a small piece of egg. He held it out to me like I was a child.

"I can feed myself."

"Then prove it."

I took the fork. It took all my concentration to get the food to my mouth without spilling it. Adrian watched me like I was a patient he didn't trust.

After a few bites, the shaking started to ease. The room stopped spinning. I could breathe again.

"Better?" Liam asked. He'd draped a soft blanket over my legs.

"Better. Thank you. All of you. I'm sorry for falling apart like that."

"You didn't fall apart," Jake said. He was sitting on the floor near the couch, looking worried. "You had a hard night. It happens."

"Still. I show up uninvited, nearly faint in your living room"

"Your living room," Adrian interrupted.

I stared at him. "What?"

"This is your house, Emma. According to your father's will."

The fork clattered to the plate. "My father's will? But he left everything to Patricia. His lawyers said"

"Seaside Manor was never part of your father's estate." Liam's voice was careful. "It was your mother's, inherited from her parents. When she died, it went into a trust for you."

"I didn't know. No one told me."

"There were conditions," Adrian said. "You couldn't claim it until you were twenty-three or married, whichever came first."

"I'm twenty-three. My birthday was last month."

"We know." Liam looked uncomfortable. "The estate lawyer has been trying to reach you. Your stepmother apparently blocked his calls."

Patricia. Of course she had.

"There's more," Adrian said quietly. "The will has a clause. You must live in this house for one full year to claim it permanently. If you leave before the year is complete, ownership transfers to your stepmother and stepsister."

I looked around at the three men. "But you all live here."

"Our rental agreements are valid through the year," Liam said. "They can't be broken early. If you choose to stay, you'll be living with us."

"All of you? Here? Together?"

The three of them exchanged glances.

"It's a big house," Jake offered.

My brain couldn't process this. I'd run away from one impossible situation and landed in another. Live with three strange men for a year? In my mother's house? It was crazy.

But the alternative was giving up the last piece of my mother I had left. Letting Patricia and Melissa win.

"I need to think"

A phone rang. Not mine, I'd turned mine off hours ago. Liam pulled his cell from his pocket and looked at the screen. His expression darkened.

"It's Samuel Richardson. The estate lawyer."

He answered. "Hart speaking." A pause. "Yes, she's here. She just arrived." Another pause, longer this time. Liam's face went pale. "When? How did they" He listened, his jaw tightening. "Understood. I'll tell her."

He hung up and looked at me. Whatever news he had, it wasn't good.

"Emma, there's something you need to know. Your father left specific instructions in his will. If you claimed Seaside Manor, his lawyer was to inform your stepmother immediately. He just did, twenty minutes ago."

"So Patricia knows I'm here. That's fine. I don't care"

"There's more. Your father also left you a letter. Richardson is on his way here now to deliver it in person. He says it's urgent. He says your father discovered something about your mother's death six months before he died."

The room went silent. Outside, waves crashed against the rocks. Inside, my whole world shifted on its axis.

"My mother had a heart condition," I said slowly. "That's what killed her. The doctor said"

"I said it," Adrian interrupted. His face was expressionless, but his voice was tight. "I signed her death certificate. And I lied."