“We could drive into Baltimore,” he offered. “I know you’re used to the finer things.”
“Thanks, but no.” She’d moved to Pleasant Shores to escape the finer things and make a fresh start. Which didn’t include dating. Men were amusing creatures, but she had no interest in getting involved with one.
“We’ll drive up the shore tomorrow.” Kirk ignored her refusal as only a retired real estate agent could do. “There’s a guy I know who’s got a litter of new puppies almost ready to find homes.”
“You should go, Mary.” Julie came over to join the conversation. “At least take a look.”
“It’s sweet you’re worrying about me,” Mary said, meaning it. “But I’m not ready for a new dog. And I’m perfectly fine, or I will be.”
It was true. She had a wonderful set of friends, work she loved and plans for the future.
“Life is short,” Kirk said. “It’s meant to be lived.”
She glanced down at her watch—she was a dinosaur for wearing one, but she didn’t like to carry her phone everywhere—and saw that it was closing time. Normally, she wasn’t glad of that, but if it would get these two off her case... “I’m sorry,” she said to Kirk, “but I’ve got to start closing up. Anything I can help you with before you go?”
He threw up his hands. “Aside from taking me up on one of my offers sometime? No.” He turned on his heel and walked out of the shop.
“Now you’ve hurt his feelings,” Julie said.
Mary felt a twinge of guilt; Kirk was her next-door neighbor and a nice man, beneath all the posturing. “He’ll recover.”
“Sure he will,” Julie said, “but men have their pride. I remember when Earl got upset and stayed away for weeks before I finally called him and apologized.”
Mary put an arm around Julie’s shoulder as they walked toward the register. “And I’m glad you did. He’s perfect for you.”
“Thank you.” Julie turned and gave Mary a quick hug. “I just worry about you.”
“Don’t worry,” Mary said. “I’ve been thinking about my next venture.”
Julie was gathering her things, but she paused and raised an eyebrow, clearly interested. Julie was one of the few people who knew that Mary was the money behind several philanthropic projects in the town. “Healing Heroes has been a big success so far. I saw that the new guy has a little boy.”
“Yes. It’s up and running smoothly now. And little Davey seems sweet.”
“Trey is doing great. And you know I’m thrilled about Drew’s comeback.” Trey and Drew had been the first two participants in the Healing Heroes program.
Trey had ended up marrying a teacher in town, and they were deliriously in love. Drew was Julie’s son-in-law. Thanks to the Healing Heroes cottage, Drew and Ria, Julie’s daughter, had reunited. They and their two teenage daughters now seemed like a happy family.
Mary was pleased with the Healing Heroes program. She was doing valuable work with her wealth, but it wasn’t enough. The cottage could only accommodate one resident at a time, which limited the scope of the program. She had the time and energy to do more. “I’m thinking of expanding Healing Heroes,” she said.
“More police? There’s a need,” Julie said. “Although it can be hard to find officers who are able to pick up and move here for three months.”
“Yes, and that’s why I don’t want to just build more of the same.” Mary had been pondering things, thinking about the past, really, and how to continue making amends. “I’m thinking of doing something for victims of violent crime, their families.”
Julie’s head tilted to one side, her eyes steady on Mary. “Why that? I mean, it’s obviously a worthy cause, but...what’s your interest?”
And that was exactly why she had to tread carefully. She didn’t want Julie, or the other two or three people who knew about her charitable endeavors, to start asking questions. No one had been more shocked than Mary when her abusive first husband had left all of his money to her. Combined with what her second husband had left, it was too much, undeserved, a burden. “I was just watching a documentary about crime victims,” she said. Which wasn’t a lie.
“If you’re still in the exploring stage,” Julie said, “the town really needs a library.”
“That’s true.” Mary adored libraries, even though they were a sort of competition for bookstores. “I mean, there’s a library up the coast, but that’s not the same as having one right here in town.” She sat down in one of the comfortable chairs lining the wall and propped her elbows on her knees. She’d love to do something so in line with her interests as a library. Books had been her friends for so many years.
But making amends came first. She wasn’t nearly done with that.
“I’m sure you’ll figure out what you want to do. I’m always here to talk.” Julie grabbed her purse and headed out the door, then paused. “You should think about going with Kirk to see those puppies.”
Alone at last, Mary locked the door behind Julie and heaved a sigh. She liked solitude, found it relaxing, except when it got lonely. Automatically, she looked at the heart-shaped dog bed beside the counter, now empty, and sadness weighed down her shoulders. Baby hadn’t just been any dog and couldn’t be replaced by some puppy Kirk wanted to show her. The Maltipoo had gotten her through a lot of hard times, had stuck around when Mary had been truly alone in the world.
She’d flicked off the lights and was heading toward the cash register when she heard a sound from the far side of the store.
“Victims of violent crimes, huh?” The voice was female and oddly familiar.
Heart pounding, Mary moved behind the counter where she kept her handgun. “Who’s there?” She hadn’t done her nightly walk-through yet, but the store was small. She hadn’t thought any customers were present.
A fortysomething woman strolled out from behind the shelf of cozy mysteries. Dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans, with dark
