Elizabeth Thatcher rode along the side of the road on her bicycle at a leisurely pace. She breathed in the fresh scent of sea air, enjoying the warm morning temperature. She loved riding her bike to work. The exercise helped to relax her. As a neonatal nurse, there were lots of joys and sorrows, and the physical activity beforehand gave her a chance to prepare for the upcoming day.

Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten breakfast. A quick glance at her watch told her she had plenty of time before her shift started. She had left home extra early this morning, thinking to take a long route to work, but now she decided to take a detour. Turning down a side street, she soon came to Coffee and Books, her friend Faith's local two-in-one coffeehouse and bookstore, which everyone referred to fondly as "the cafe". Faith made the best scones on the island, and Elizabeth thought a raspberry orange scone with a side of fresh fruit and a nice cup of coffee sounded like the perfect way to start her morning.

Parking her bike in front of the cafe, she pulled open the door and walked in. The scent of fresh baked goods met her, making her smile. She had a lot of happy places, and this one was easily in the top three. The interior was warm and welcoming, with plenty of tables for people to sit and enjoy time together with treats on one side, and rows of bookshelves with comfy couches and chairs for reading on the other.

"Elizabeth, hi!" Faith exclaimed. "I didn't expect to see you this morning."

Elizabeth smiled. "This was an unplanned stop. I have about an hour before I have to be at work, and I wanted one of your scones with some fruit for breakfast."

"Raspberry orange?" Faith asked, holding up a pair of tongs and grinning from ear to ear.

"Absolutely!" Elizabeth agreed with a laugh. "You know me so well."

"Well I should hope so, us being such good friends and all." Faith scooped some fruit into a bowl and placed it on a tray along with the scone. "Anything to drink? Your usual raspberry white mocha, perhaps?"

"Yeah, you know me well. Please and thank you." Elizabeth pulled a ten dollar bill from her purse. "Here you go. Keep the change."

"You know you don't have to do that every time," Faith protested.

"I know," Elizabeth called over her shoulder. "But I like supporting my dear childhood friend." She headed for the book side of the cafe, placing her tray on one of the tables. She perused the bookshelf closest to the table, then selected a collection of poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson. He was one of her favorites. She settled into her chair as Faith brought her the coffee. "Thanks, Faith," Elizabeth said, opening the book. She took a bite of her scone and sighed. "Yep, best scones on all of Kauai." She started reading, enjoying the leisurely pace the morning was off to, sipping her coffee and savoring the flavors of white chocolate and raspberry blended together.

Lost in her book, she didn't hear Faith come back to the table. "Ahem," she said. "I don't mean to interrupt, but have you seen the time recently?"

"No, why?" Elizabeth replied, glancing at her watch. "Oh my goodness! Where did the time go? I've got to be at work in fifteen minutes!"

Faith laughed. "Good thing it's only a five minute bike ride from here if you take the direct route." She winked. "That's the beauty of living in a small town."

"That's for sure!" Elizabeth agreed, placing the book back on the shelf. "Thanks again, Faith. I'll see you later for game night?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Faith assured her. "See you then."

Elizabeth walked outside, starting to unchain her bike. She got on, one foot on the pedal, when she heard someone holler, "Stop! Thief!" Out of nowhere someone ran into her. She fell from her bike with a thud, catching a glimpse of someone glancing back at her as he ran. Her bike fell on top of her leg with a crash.

"Elizabeth!" Faith cried, coming out of the cafe. "Are you alright?"

Elizabeth tried to sit up. Faith pulled the bike off of her and then knelt next to her. "My leg hurts," Elizabeth said with a little moan. She probed it with her fingers, but quickly stopped. "I think I might have fractured it," she said, her nurse training taking over.

"You wait right here. I'm calling the police," Faith said. "Whoever that was just committed some crime from what I heard before you fell."

A siren wailed nearby. Faith paused, her cell phone in hand. "Maybe someone beat me to it," she said as two cop cars came into sight. They pulled up to the cafe, and Officer Lee Coulter got out of the first one.

"Elizabeth, what happened?" he asked. Lee was married to Elizabeth's best friend, Rosemary. They had all known each other for years, so Elizabeth could read the shock on Lee's face. "We got a call that the pawn shop up the street was robbed, and the caller said the thief ran into a young woman. I had no idea it was you!" He signaled to his partner in the second cop car. "Hickam, can you take the pawn shop owner's statement?"

"Sure thing," Hickam said, heading for the shop a few doors down from Coffee and Books.

"Now," Lee said, turning to Elizabeth again. "What happened?"

"I was getting on my bike, and the guy ran into me, knocking me off the bike," she said. "He looked nervous."

"You saw his face?" Lee asked, incredulous.

"Briefly, but yes."

"I'm going to need you to come with me," Lee said. "Can you stand?"

"Um, I don't think so," Elizabeth replied. "My leg is probably fractured. Not badly, but enough to be painful."

"Let's get you to the hospital, then," Lee said. "We'll get you fixed up, but then I'm afraid you're going to have to come to the station. I'm guessing our detective is going to want to talk to you."

"Detective?" Elizabeth said. "Whatever for?"

Lee looked around, lowering his voice. "We've been investigating some break ins and robberies lately. This might be connected to it."

"A string of robberies? In Mana'olana Awāwa? Since when do we have a crime rate?"

"You'd be surprised," Lee said grimly. "Now come on, let's get you to the hospital." He picked her up and carried her to his cruiser.

"Well, I was headed there anyways. Just not to the ER," Elizabeth said dryly. "I need to let Dr. Carson know that I won't be able to make it."

"You can let him know when we get there," Lee said. He put on his siren and lights, speeding to the hospital. It took them exactly two minutes to get there.

Lee parked the car and carried Elizabeth into the hospital. "Really, Lee, is this necessary?" Elizabeth asked, feeling embarrassed. He simply nodded and brought her to the front desk.

"Elizabeth!" Carson, the overall doctor for the hospital and Elizabeth's boss, exclaimed. "What's happened to you? Grace, bring a wheelchair." The orderly scurried off to find one and was back quickly.

"I think my leg is fractured," Elizabeth said.

"Is it in pain?" Carson asked as Lee set Elizabeth in the chair.

"Yes."

"Swollen?"

"Yes."

"Can you put any weight on it?"

"I haven't tried to. Lee wouldn't let me," Elizabeth said with a side look at Lee.

He shrugged. "I need her patched up quickly so she can come with me to the station, if that's possible," he said.

"Of course," Carson nodded. "We'll get here out of here in about an hour."

"Great," Lee said. "Let me go call my supervisor. He'll want to know about this."

Carson worked on Elizabeth's leg quickly. "I see why you're the doctor in charge," she said when he was about done. "You're very efficient."

Carson laughed. "You should know. We've only been working together for close to a decade."

"Very true. And I wouldn't want to work for anyone else." Elizabeth rapped on the cast that Carson had affixed to her leg. "You're the best. I can't feel a thing now."

"That could be the pain meds I gave you, Nurse Elizabeth. Now, I assume you know what I'm about to tell you?"

"Rest, ice, compression, elevation," Elizabeth recited. "I know, I know."

"And you'll be on crutches for a couple of weeks. After that we'll reassess and see if we can get you into a boot so you can walk on your own. But that also means you are now on a two week vacation."

"What!" Elizabeth cried, dismay in her tone.

Carson gave her a look. "As your boss and your doctor, I'm ordering you to take some leave. I know you have a ton saved up since you never use it. Use some now. Doctor's orders."

"But...but…"

"Elizabeth, you can hardly care for little babies when you can't even walk on your own. No arguing. Take the time to rest and recover. Enjoy the time off. You deserve it."

"Fine," Elizabeth said grudgingly. "I guess there are some things I could do. I've been wanting to read through Jane Austen's novels again. I could do that in two weeks."

"Great," Carson said. "See, you have a plan. All's well. Here." He handed her a pair of crutches. "Use these. Don't put any weight on that leg for the next two weeks."

Elizabeth took the crutches and stood, taking a moment to get used to balancing on them. "I can do this," she said. "Though it feels a little strange."

"You'll be fine," Carson said. "Now scoot. I think Lee is waiting for you in the lobby."

"Okay. Thanks again, Carson."

"My pleasure," he said, heading for another patient's room. "See you in two weeks."

Elizabeth hobbled into the waiting room, where Lee was sitting reading a newspaper. "Those things still exist?" she said, teasing him.

He folded the paper and set it aside. "They do, in fact. And they're much more accurate than the internet." He looked at her crutches. "Everything okay now?"

"Yes," she said. "Much better. But Carson just put me on two weeks of mandatory vacation. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself."

"Well, for starters, Rosie and I would love to have you over tonight. Why don't we move your game night to our house? You can let Faith know that the location has changed, and we'll provide dinner for everyone."

"That sounds nice," Elizabeth admitted. "Okay, sounds good. I'll text Faith."

As she did, Lee led her to the car. "The detective on the force wants to talk to you," Lee said. "I was right about that. So are you comfortable coming to the station to give your statement and talk with him? It shouldn't take long."

"Yeah, that's fine," Elizabeth said. "As long as he doesn't mind me hobbling around."

Lee laughed. "He won't mind." He opened the car door for her, helping her inside and then placing her crutches in the backseat. They rode the short distance to the police station, then went through the process of getting Elizabeth out of the car and onto her crutches again.

"I am never taking walking for granted another day in my life," Elizabeth declared as she wobbled trying to get situated on the crutches.

Lee chuckled. "Good to know. I'll make sure to remind you of that if you ever start taking it for granted again." He led her into the station, straight to a back room. Opening the door, he helped her sit, then placed the crutches against the wall. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll let Detective Grant know that you're here."

A cup stood on the table next to a pitcher of water. Elizabeth poured a glass and drained it in one long gulp. She had just realized how thirsty she was. Pouring a second glass, she leaned back in the chair and sipped, wondering how long this was going to take. The door opened. A man in his mid-thirties entered, dressed in the suit typically worn by detectives on the force. His dark hair was wavy and thick and he was quite tall. But what caught Elizabeth's attention were his eyes. They were the bluest eyes she had ever seen, and she knew instinctively they were the kind of eyes a woman could get lost in. He was entirely too handsome, and she felt an instant attraction to him. Her heart jolted. She hadn't felt that since…

"Ms. Thatcher?" he said, looking at the clipboard in his hand. "I'm Detective Nathan Grant." She took his proffered hand, shaking it. He had a firm grip and a direct gaze. Flustered, she dropped his hand.

"Yes, I'm Ms. Thatcher. But you can call me Elizabeth. Ms. Thatcher feels too formal. Even the people at the hospital call me Nurse Elizabeth instead of Nurse Thatcher." Oh dear. She was rambling. She bit her lip, hoping to stem the flow of words.

He smiled. "Well, this is Hawaii. We don't often stand on formality here." His smile was mesmerizing. Elizabeth realized she was staring and blushed, dropping her gaze to her hands. "Office Coulter said you had some questions for me?" she said, hoping her cheeks were returning to a normal color. They always turned bright red when she was flustered.

"Yes," he said, a serious tone entering his voice as he took the seat across from her. "Officer Coulter said you were injured when the perpetrator ran into you on a bicycle. Is that correct?"

"It is," she said, nodding. She pointed to the crutches. "Hence why I have those now."

He jotted something down on his clipboard, then glanced at her leg. "What happened, exactly?"

Elizabeth thought back. "I unchained my bike outside of Coffee and Books, and heard someone yell 'stop thief' as I was getting on it. As soon as I heard the words, someone ran right into me, knocking me off my bike. I fell and the bike landed on me. The guy looked back at me and then kept running."

Detective Grant leaned forward. "You saw him?"

"Only briefly," Elizabeth said. "I couldn't really make out too much."

"Can you remember anything specific?" he asked, pen poised over the paper.

"He was wearing all black, including a hoodie with the hood up. But I could see that he had blond hair and blue eyes. And he was short, probably only 5'8" or so."

Detective Grant was writing quickly. "That's good, Elizabeth. Thank you. This is very helpful."

Curiosity stirred, Elizabeth couldn't help herself. "Lee said something about a string of robberies of late. How come we haven't heard about this?"

Detective Grant raised his brows. "Lee? You're on a first name basis with him?"

"Of course. He's my best friend's husband," Elizabeth said, not seeing how that was relevant. "What about the robberies?"

Detective Grant paused, as if weighing whether or not to say anything. Finally, he answered. "There have been three robberies of local stores around the area this one was. The others were all at night. This is the first time it happened during the day. We're trying to figure out who is responsible for the robberies, and whether this latest one is related to the others. We've asked the press to keep it quiet so that we can figure who is doing this without spooking them." He looked at his clipboard. "I think we have everything we need. Thank you for coming in, Ms. Thatcher."

"Elizabeth."

"Right, sorry. I'm used to calling people by their last names." He smiled that mesmerizing smile again. "Thank you for coming in, Elizabeth."

"My pleasure," she said, heart pounding. Why was she reacting so strongly to this man? She didn't even know him! The sooner she could get out of this station, the better. "Am I able to go now?" she asked.

"Yes, of course," he said, standing and walking around the table to hand her the crutches. "I'll get Lee to take you home." His blue eyes were twinkling. "Have a great day, Elizabeth." He motioned to her leg, helping her to stand. "I hope you feel better soon." Her arm tingled at his touch.

"Thanks, Detective," she said, keeping her tone even with some difficultly. He escorted her to the front, then said goodbye and went back to his office. Elizabeth's eyes followed him until he vanished from sight. Only then did her heartbeat return to normal.

"You ready to go home?" Lee asked, appearing out of nowhere. Elizabeth started, then put a hand to her chest.

"You startled me, Lee!"

"Sorry about that," he said, sounding anything but apologetic. "Nathan told me to take you home, so that's what I'm going to do. Ready?"

"Yes," she said absently, her thoughts still on the handsome detective of Mana'olana Awāwa. She couldn't quite understand the feelings coursing through her. Pushing them aside, she decided to analyze them later, when she was alone. They felt too complicated to think about now. Especially considering she hadn't felt a strong attraction to a man in over five years. Not since that terrible day that had changed her life forever.

She shook her head, trying to dispel the memories that threatened to surface. She couldn't think about that, not now. Elizabeth looked out the window at the ocean, watching the waves break against the sand. It brought her a measure of peace and calm. She breathed in deeply, allowing the sea air to soothe her bewildered senses.

A sudden feeling of tiredness descended on her as the events of the day took their toll. It wasn't even ten o'clock in the morning, and she was ready for a nap. As they pulled up to her house, she thanked Lee for the ride. He helped her get into the house, told her he would see her at dinner, and then quietly let himself out. Elizabeth went right to her couch and sat down. She placed the crutches on the floor, then curled into a ball and fell into a dream-filled sleep.