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“Not sure she would have, anyway.” Bert shook her head. “She didn’t talk to us much. Never had much to say. She had a group of friends down at the hostel, and she was always hanging out at the beach doing who knows what. But she didn’t cause any trouble here, so we just let her be.”
She shook her head again, and Bud turned his back on me, taking the old faucet out and setting it aside.
“And she didn’t say anything when she moved out?”
“She didn’t say anything, period.”
Bert let out a long breath as she dabbed at some crumbs on the table. “She moved out without telling us. We don’t even know when. She always paid her rent and was only late once or twice.”
“Sometimes she paid in advance too.”
Bert pursed her lips. “And that, right there, was the problem. She paid three months in advance, and we didn’t worry too much the next month when the rent didn’t show up on time. But by the beginning of the following month, when she still hadn’t paid, Bud and I came on over to check on her, and she was gone.”
“Moved all her stuff out, and some of ours too.”
“She took your things?” I asked.
“Not a whole lot. But there were a couple vases and decorations gone. And an old mirror that’d been handed down from my grandmother. If it weren’t for those things being missing, you’d have trouble knowing she was ever here. Every room was spotless, not even a speck of sand on the floor.”
“That’s so odd.”
“And that’s why we were so happy to have found you,” Bud said before grunting as he tightened a bolt under the sink. “We only have so much saved up for the mortgage. We rely on the rent to pay our bills. Bert, can you come hold the faucet in place so we can make sure it’s straight?”
As the woman got up and helped her husband finish installing the new faucet, I covered the plate of cookies with some plastic wrap and put them on the counter, out of Bud’s reach. He grinned at me when he saw it, then pulled me into his side for a hug.
“You’re a good girl. Bert and I are so lucky to have found you.”
“Thanks, Bud. I’m glad you found me too.”
If it hadn’t been for them, I wouldn’t still be here in Seaside. I’d only stopped at Bud’s service station to fill up my gas tank and grab a snack. But when I’d come out, my tire was flat and my car wouldn’t start.
Bud had been closing down for the evening, but he took the time to make sure everything was alright. There was no quick fix for my car, nothing he could do without ordering a part. And when Bert showed up to pick him up, the two of them had offered me a place to stay for the night.
They were lovely people. The exact kind of people I needed in my life—kind, caring, willing to go out of their way to help a stranger.
Over a late dinner, they’d brought up the little cottage they had for rent. Though I was tempted by their generosity, my intention was to drive down the coast and see the sights. It wasn’t until I ran into Whitman’s Cafe for breakfast the next morning that things started falling into place.
“What else needed fixed?” Bud asked as he pulled away and reached for his toolbox.
Tossing a thumb over my shoulder, I told him, “The blinds on one of the windows in the bedroom. And the latch on the sliding door feels a little loose. Can you tighten that up before you go?”
“I’ll be sure to take a look. Let’s get your blinds fixed first.”
Bert and I followed him to my bedroom, and while he fixed the blinds so they’d open and close properly, Bert told me her plans for supper that night.
“You’re welcome to come eat with us,” she offered as we followed Bud back to the sliding glass door. “I’m sure we’ll have enough soup to last another two weeks.”
Light laughter fell from my lips. Bert was always making too much. “I’d love to, but I have plans tonight.”
“Oh? You’re not getting into any trouble, are you?”
“No, no. Just having a friend over. I’m not sure what we’re doing yet. He just told me to make sure I was hungry when he got here.”
“Better stay away from those cookies, then,” Bud cracked as he wiggled the lock on the door. “All fixed.”
“Great! Thank you so much, I really appreciate you coming over.”
“Of course, sweetheart,” Bert said, squeezing my arm. “You let us know if anything else needs fixed.”
“About your stolen clothes…” Bud tossed the last of his tools in his box, closed the lid, and stood. “Do you think we need to add more security cameras around the house?”
I lifted one shoulder. “That’s not the worst idea. Nothing has come up on the camera out front. It couldn’t hurt to have cameras installed at the other door.”
“I’ll give Mr. Blake over at the security company a call and see if he can come out.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course, dear. We want to keep you safe.”
I walked them to the front door and saw them off, then returned to the kitchen and eyed the tray of cookies they’d left behind. Six o’clock couldn’t come fast enough, and the hunger in my belly was only part of the reason I couldn’t wait for the hour to get here.
