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She sighed heavily. “Well, not really. It’s been a struggle with the B and B. I’m subletting it.”

Surprise thrummed through me. The B and B was Tierney’s second child. “You mean have someone else take over the running of it?”

“Just for now. While Maura’s little. It’s too difficult to manage it. You know the crazy hours I was working before.” Tierney smoothed a hand over Maura’s left leg, and she kicked it out, grabbing toward her mum, her face falling when she realized she couldn’t touch her. Before Maura could burst into tears, I moved out of the way to let Mum closer to baby. “I’m here, angel.” She kissed her daughter’s head and murmured love words before straightening. Her gaze met Ramsay’s and I saw his concern.

Allowing someone else to run the B and B was going to be insanely difficult for Tierney. I placed a reassuring hand on her back. “It’s temporary. You’ll still have your finger on the pulse, but this will allow you the time you need as a new mum.”

“I know.” She gave me a grateful smile. “It’s just finding someone who is experienced and trustworthy to run it. Anyway, enough about that. Tell us about your travels. I’ll make tea.”

“I have to get on.” Ramsay bent to kiss Maura’s cheek and then gave me a nod. “Nice to have you home.”

“Nice to be home.”

A strange mix of delight and envy made itself known again as Ramsay cradled Tierney’s face in his big hands and pressed a slow, tender kiss to her lips. They locked gazes, their chemistry palpable, and something silent must have passed between them because she nodded and reached up for another brief kiss. “Have a good day.”

“You too.” Ramsay smoothed his hand down her arm as he passed, almost as if he was reluctant to let go.

As soon as he was out of earshot, I said, “Who would have thought Ramsay McRae would be such an adoring husband and father?”

Tierney smiled, her cheeks flushing with pleasure as she made the tea. Maura uttered a gurgling sound that could have passed for a giggle.

“You’re so cute.” I reached over to tickle her feet, and she gave me a gummy smile again.

“And Ramsay’s Achilles’ heel.”

“I think you were that first.”

My friend nodded in agreement. “Now we both are. He’s worse than me with her. I’ve had to tell him to try to relax, but he wakes up at the slightest noise and is always checking on her.”

“Better that than the opposite.”

“Oh goodness, yes. Anyway … travel, experiences, tell me everything. Did you meet anyone?”

Somehow, I’d gotten through yesterday’s lunch at the Lantern without anyone realizing I was distracted. I’d waved off any weirdness as fatigue from all my travels and I’d told as many stories as I could to keep my friends and family distracted from my distraction.

I relayed the same stories to Tierney and reiterated that I had not had any romantic dalliances abroad. No one seemed to believe me, but it was true! I was too busy filling up on museums and art galleries and castles and food. “It was wonderful,” I said finally. “But I am glad to be home.”

“Your mom must be pleased to have you home. I know for sure Quinn is.”

Warmth suffused me because I could always count on my big brother. “Aye, he was the first person at the harbor waiting for me. Well, him and Forde.” I saw the knowing twinkle in Tierney’s eye and ignored it. “Back to reality now.”

“Did your mom meet you at the harbor too?”

“No. I’ll see her later.”

Her lips parted and closed, parted and closed again, like she wanted to say something but decided not to. I was guessing there had been clues over the past four years of our friendship that perhaps I wasn’t quite as close to Mum as Quinn was. It wasn’t like we didn’t talk or that we didn’t spend time together. But I’d never felt particularly close to Mum and honestly, sometimes I tried to hide that fact because I was worried people might think it was weird and that would only make me spiral about why Mum and I didn’t have the strong mother-daughter bond that others did.

Tierney then asked, “What about your interior design business? Are you jumping back into it? Thank you again for all your help with the house.”

While I was traveling, I’d done some remote work for Tierney and Ramsay on their new home. “It was my pleasure. I had loads of inquiries while I was away, actually, and some are still viable jobs so, aye, I need to get things up and running again.” As soon as I could focus beyond my possible insider knowledge of a serial killer’s identity. That familiar dread nauseated me, and I sought a new subject. “I met Torin Montrose.”

“Really?” Tierney grinned. “I’m not surprised he zeroed in on you immediately.”

“He gave me his number yesterday.”

“Yesterday?”

“Aye, we asked him to join us for lunch at the Lantern.”