Love At Cupid's Cove--Valentine Serial--Leann Harris

"That's true, I'm not from around here, but did you ever hear Duncan's side of the story?" Lacy replied, outraged that everyone assumed the worst of Duncan.

"He came back from Afghanistan and his best buddy didn't.  They were in the same unit yet Duncan alive and Rick isn't," Daisy shot back.  "And Rick has a wife and a child."

Lacy knew only too well how others blamed an innocent person when something bad happened.  She was the only survivor of the car crash that killed her family.  She couldn't attend funerals of her family, because she was in the hospital. recovering from a ruptured spleen and a broken leg.  When she came home, she had sympathy from their friends and family until a big insurance check showed up.  Too many whispers and too many times she walk into a restaurant or store and people would stop talking and look at her.  "I bet if you ask Duncan who he wished could've come home, he'd tell you Rick."

Daisy mouth flopped opened like a fish, then she grabbed the pizza and marched out the door.

Lacey knew, deep in her heart that Duncan hadn't been a coward.  She didn't know what had happened, but if Duncan would leap off a pier and release a pelican from fishing line, he wouldn't leave a buddy to die.

Daisy didn't return that night.  When Lacy arrived at her shop at 5am the next morning, waiting for at the back door stood Duncan.

"What are you doing here?" Lacy asked as she pulled out the keys to the shop.

He held up a thermos of coffee.  "I hear I'm not the only one who tills at windmills."

She blushed.  "I didn't like how she blamed you without knowing what happened.  It isn't fair."

"If you invited me in, I'd like to talk."

He smiled, and she knew she hadn't been wrong.