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When I’d left the cinema, my world had been fractured. Ever since then, no matter how well the township tried to shield me, evidence of her existence slipped through the cracks. It had been utter hell.
Now, she was back. And I wished she’d stayed gone.
“Fuck.”
“Mm,” Asher agreed. “Amen to that.”
My phone buzzed, and I checked it. The moniker “The Sheriff” filled the screen. That was our nickname for my older brother Nate who was now in charge of the local police force.
“Hey,” I answered.
“Grace is a goddamn traitor,” he growled. “Do you know where That Woman is staying?” He didn’t give me a chance to answer. “In her cottage, that’s where. The same damn cottage she rented back then. It’s like she thinks this is some kind of fucking fairytale reunion.”
“Kennedy is staying with Grace?” Talk about nerve.
“Yeah, I just found out. Gracie should have kicked her to the curb the moment she showed up, but you know what a soft touch she is.” He made a sound of disapproval, even though I knew he loved Grace’s big heart, just not at times like this. “I told Grace to pack her things for her and make sure she got the message she should leave. Do you know what Gracie said?”
I had a feeling I was about to find out. Usually, Grace could do no wrong in Nate’s book, but they’d clearly discovered how far his faith in his friend extended.
“She said they had a contract. I said to tear it up, and she said not to tell her how to manage her business.” He seemed to be running out of steam. “The woman is too fucking generous.”
“Kennedy is at Grace’s,” I repeated, because that was all I’d been able to process. I didn’t like the fact that Grace had rented her a place, but it wasn’t her fault Kennedy had returned, and I didn’t hold it against her. She was a businesswoman, and she’d never been one to cast judgment like Nate did.
“That’s what I said.” Nate sounded impatient. “Talk to her, Liam. Make her see reason.”
I rubbed my temples. I didn’t need this. Not today. “She’s running a business. Neither of us like it, but that’s the way it is.”
Nate scoffed. “Nope. I’m not going to accept that, and neither should you.” There was a buzz in the background of the call. Perhaps his police radio. “Shit, gotta go. There’s been a traffic accident on the highway.”
At that moment, an alarm blared through the fire station. I shot up and Asher did the same.
“We’ve got the call too,” I told Nate. “See you there.”
I’d have to mull over Kennedy’s reappearance later. For now, there were people who needed my help.
ChapterFive
KENNEDY
Hi Liam,
It’s been a year today since Mom and Malcolm died. We went to the cemetery and left flowers. The kids took turns talking to them, except for Blair, who has a lot of anger toward Mom for abandoning us. I don’t know how to help him. Especially when I’m so busy with the younger ones. I’ve tried to get him to talk to a therapist, but he’s not interested. He’s great with the others. A godsend, in a lot of ways. But I worry.
You were a teenage boy once. What would you do?
I wish I had the courage to send one of these emails, but I know they’ll gather virtual dust in my inbox until I finally delete them.
Love,
K xx
In the morning,I donned a summer dress and tied my hair back before I covered it with a floppy hat. I applied sunscreen and walked to the coffee shop I’d seen yesterday, Taste of Destiny.A queue stretched across the room, and I stood in the back and pretended to look at something on my phone, surreptitiously scanning my surroundings. I saw a few familiar faces but no one from the Braddock clan. Probably just as well, after last night.
When it was my turn to be served, the girl at the counter’s eyes widened comically. “Oh my God. You’re—”
I held a finger to my lips and gave her a meaningful look.
She glanced around, not subtle at all, then leaned forward. “You’re Kennedy Cox.”
