Copper Beach

where Abby sat alone with her coffee, and lowered himself down onto the vinyl seat on the other side of the table.

    Brenda materialized instantly, a thick mug and a pot of coffee in her hands.

    “Morning, Sam,” she said, her cheeks pink with excitement. “Coffee?”

    “Yes, thanks, Brenda. How’s your grandmother? Heard she was having some problems.”

    “She went to see that specialist in Seattle, like your mom suggested. They ran some tests, and he put her on some new meds. They seem to be working. Her blood pressure is under control again.”

    “Good. Glad to hear it.”

    Brenda poured the coffee and gave him a dazzling smile. “Can I get you anything else?”

    “No, coffee is fine for now. We’re waiting for my folks. Dixon is bringing them over from Anacortes. Should be here in a few minutes.”

    “It’ll be nice to see them again,” Brenda said.

    She went back behind the counter and started to pour coffee.

    The background noise of conversation that had faded for a bit returned in full force. Sam raised his mug to swallow some coffee. He stopped when he saw that Abby was looking at him.

    “Something wrong?” he asked.

    “No,” Abby said.

    “Okay.” Sam shrugged and took a sip.

    Abby glared. “Don’t be dense. Do you realize that everyone in this diner, probably everyone in town, assumes that we’re involved in a relationship?”

    Sam struggled with that question for a few seconds and then gave up. “We are involved in a relationship.”

    “Maybe, but it’s complicated.” She tipped her head slightly, to indicate the crowded restaurant. “Your neighbors here don’t understand the nuances. They think we’re in a more personal relationship.”

    “Yeah.” Sam drank some more and lowered the mug. He smiled. “That, too.”

    She leaned forward. “I’m concerned that there will be some widespread misunderstanding here, Coppersmith. This is your home, not mine. What about the gossip?”

    “What about it? This is a small town and a small island. Gossip is the lifeblood of the community.”

    “You’re not taking this seriously, are you?”

    “What do you want me to do? Stand up and announce that we’re sleeping together but that we’re not involved in a personal relationship?”

    She sat back and drummed her fingers on the table. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

    “Relax. You don’t care what anyone around here thinks. Once this situation is finished, you’ll never see any of these people again, right?”

    She did another staccato drumroll and narrowed her eyes. “Right.”

    “Good. Glad we got that sorted out.”

    She gave him a steely smile. “Like my dad says in his book on modern marriage, communication is the key to a good relationship.”

    “Absolutely. Here comes Dixon’s water taxi.” Sam put down his mug, got to his feet and pulled some money out of his wallet. He dropped the bills on the table. “Time for you to meet the parents.”

    Abby slipped out from the booth and collected her tote. She walked side by side with Sam, past the curious stares and polite farewells.

    Brenda waved a casual good-bye. Abby wiggled her fingers in response. Outside, on the sidewalk, Newton greeted her in his customary over-the-top style. She freed him from the post and wrapped the end of his leash around her wrist.

    They walked along Bay Street and watched the water taxi ease into the dock. There were only two passengers on board. The resemblance between Sam and the broad-shouldered, silver-haired man was unmistakable. Same fiercely etched features, same fiercely determined eyes, Abby thought. It was not all that hard to imagine Elias Coppersmith surviving a murder attempt and escaping an underground explosion with a cache of dangerous paranormal crystals. Not so hard to envision a man like this going on to found an empire like Coppersmith Inc., either.

    A trim, attractive woman with discreetly tinted blond hair stood beside Elias Coppersmith. Her hands were thrust deep into the pockets of her jacket.

    Abby looked at Sam. “Are both of your parents strong talents?”

    “Dad definitely has some serious sensitivity for the latent energy in crystals. But he isn’t nearly as strong as Judson and Emma and me. He can’t run a little psi through any of the stones the way we can, for example.”

    “What about your mother?”

    “I’d say Mom has above-average intuition, but what mother doesn’t? And she runs the Coppersmith Foundation like a