Page 25 of Sincerely, Mr. Braden

By the time we say goodbye, I feel like I’ve been given a piece of both men to carry with me.

Missick embraces me and says, “I look forward to seeing you again when the wind carries you this way.”

“I do, too,” I say, swallowing an ache of sadness, knowing I’ll never see him again after I leave the island. I’m sure we’ll be in touch via emails and texts for Seth from time to time, but I’ll be Taylor, and he’ll never know Taylor and Eleanor are one and the same.

Chapter Nine

Seth

Sunlight shimmers off the water as I pilot my boat out of the channel, into the endless blue of the ocean. Gulls coast in lazy circles overhead, their cries sharp against the hum of the motor. I can’t remember the last time I spent a Saturday not working, much less on the water. But there is no place else I’d rather be than right here with Ellie.

She’s sitting on the padded bench in a sexy peach bikini, her hair blowing in the breeze, her long legs stretched out, one foot resting on the cooler as she tucks her sketchbook and colored pencils into her bag. She was at it for a while, her lips pressed together, pencils moving swiftly over the page, stopping every now and again to assess her work with a thoughtful expression.

She puts on her sunglasses, and they hide her eyes but not the little smile tugging at her mouth as she tilts her face toward the sun. She looks comfortable and happy, like she belongs here. Hell, it feels like she belongs here, and that unsettles me in ways I don’t want to examine.

I’ve never shared Missick with anyone outside of family. I can still picture him teaching me to dive and navigate reefs. I can still hear the devastation in his voice when he called and told me about his mother’s diagnosis. He’s blood in every way that matters. I never bring women into my inner circle or let them get close to anything real in my life. Not my family, not the places that matter. Those people and places are sacred, too important to risk with unknown factors.

Yet somehow bringing Ellie into that circle didn’t feel like a risk. It felt right.

I tighten my grip on the wheel, startled by how badly I want her woven into everything I keep private.

“Why do you have a boat here if you don’t come to the island very often?” Ellie asks, drawing me from my thoughts.

“Same reason I have a big house when I’m only one person. In case my family wants to use it.”

She smiles. “I can’t think of a better reason.”

The simplicity of how she says it catches me off guard. Most of the women I’ve gone out with circle like hawks around what I own, as if material things are the sum of who I am. I hadn’t realized how conditioned I’d become to expect that, but something inside me eases with Ellie’s response. It’s a relief to be seen for more than the weight of my name.

I ease the throttle back, letting the boat glide to a safe spot, not too close to the reef, while I get my head on straight. When I drop the anchor, Ellie pulls her knees up, nibbling on her lower lip, like she’s second-guessing getting in the water.

From what she’s told me, I bet she’s thinking about the dangers of snorkeling and weighing them against the need to stay safe for her father. I know how that feels. Not for my father, but for my siblings. They can hold their own, but I’m the one they come to when they need answers they’re not ready to face. I’ve always been their sounding board, their grounding stake in a life that never slowed down.

Hoping I can take the edge off her worries, I go to her and lean down, bracing my hands on the boat on either side of her, and press a kiss to her forehead before meeting those beautiful hazel eyes. “Nervous, sexy girl?”

She holds up her finger and thumb about an inch apart and mouths, Little bit.

I sit beside her, pulling her closer. “We don’t have to snorkel,” I say coaxingly, brushing my fingers lightly along the back of her neck. “I can entertain you in other ways.”

“Now who’s the master distracter?” she teases, the worry in her eyes and the tension in her shoulders easing.

Mission accomplished.

“I learned from the best.” I hug her against my side. “The ocean is a whole different type of beautiful than anything you’ve probably ever seen. I’d love to share that with you, so why don’t you tell me what you’re worried about?”

She wrinkles her nose adorably. “Sharks.”

“That’s understandable, and it’s a valid concern since we’re going into their habitat. But I doubt we’ll see the kind of sharks you’re worried about. We may see a reef shark or a nurse shark, but they usually keep their distance. I’ll keep an eye out, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Usually doesn’t sound promising.”

“Well, we’re going into their ocean, so I can’t promise they won’t get curious and come check things out, but they don’t have a history of being aggressive, so try not to overthink it.”

Her mouth quirks up at the corner. “Easy for you to say. You’ve done this before.”

“Which is why I know how to keep you safe.”

“Okay, but just so you know, if something with big teeth shows up, I’m climbing on your head.”