AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What do you mean?” I snapped, not particularly caring for his clipped tone.
“You and the barista? What’s the deal?”
“Christ,this again? Doesn’t anybody have anything better to do than stick their nose in my personal life?”
Kenny’s expression pinched, but then he quickened his step to keep stride with me. “Word around town is you stole McShane from Eric Connely? I know you like to push limits, but I never thought you’d stoop to that.”
“Fuckingexcuse me?” I snarled, coming to a dead stop and balling my fists at my side as he nearly collided with me. Trying not to waylay a man I’d grown up with, I glared down light blue eyes as he blinked in apparent confusion at my reaction.
“Look, man. It’s not technically any of my business. But I’ve known you for a long damn time, and if I was about to fuck up my entire reputation, I know you’d be the first one to say something. So that’s what I’m doing, alright?” He took a deep breath as my head settled into an eerie calm. The kind of calm on the water that gives you goosebumps because it always precedes a storm. When I didn’t respond, he saw fit to continue. “The harbor has been buzzing. Tell me you didn’tstealan engaged woman, Rhodes. That doesn’t sound like you—I’ve been telling everybody I didn’t buy it.”
“The fuck I did,” I snapped. “And you’re right. It’snotany of your damn business. I’ve never known you to buy into the rumor mill.”
“I wouldn’t usually. Look, James, I’m sorry to even push the issue. But people are kinda ruffled after that standoff at Birch Barrel last week. Yourcousinescorting a senator’s kid out in uniform. He says you’re keeping her from him. And then there’s this,” he added, concern furrowing his brow as he pulled a crumpled-up newspaper out of his coat pocket and handed it to me. The sound of my family marching our way across the wood didn’t ease the nerves settling in my stomach as Kenny focused on me expectantly. Begrudgingly, I looked down at the paper, unfolding it and reading the headline as my blood boiled.
Florida Senator’s Son Graces Mistyvale with a Generous Donation to Local College, Igniting Excitement and Gratitude in the Community!
The black-and-white photo below showed Eric beside the town mayor, shaking hands and smiling at the camera. An American golden boy, incarnated.
“What the fuck?” I growled, brows knitting together as I read over the article to follow. Evidently, he’d seen fit to befriend not only our mayor but a local fishing legend—the second image in the article showed him aboard a prized legacy vessel with as much esteem as theRhodes Away. The new business building on campus would bearhisgoddamn name.
Clever motherfucker.Goddamn, he would really do anything just to rattle her cage, wouldn’t he?
“He also donated to the children’s hospital and has been volunteering down at the shelter for the last week. Some locals were down at Luca’s and started asking him what in the hell brought him clear up here. He claims his fiancé came here on vacation to help Rhyett with the shop while Brin was on leave, and you stole her from him.” I leveled him with a glare that begged him to fuck around and find out, and his confusion deepened. “Itold themit had to be bullshit. Told him you weren’t that kind of man. And Lizzy—orNoel, whatever her name actually is—didn’t seem like the kind of broad that would run out on her engagement.”
“Thanks for the heads up,” I said, planting the paper against his chest as I sidestepped him.
“You gonna fill me in?”
“Nope.”
“What are you gonna do?”
“Gotta go figure that out. This damn town is starved for entertainment.” I heard the crumple of paper, and rumble of footsteps, and then Axel was in step beside me, eyes scraping over the damn headline.
“Sneaky motherfucker.”
“Yeah,” I grunted as anger and panic grappled for purchase.
“What the hell is going on?” Mav demanded. To my surprise, Milo was just behind us.
Shaking my head, I said, “He can’t get her back, so he’s gonna make it his mission to take away her sanctuary.That’s what.”
“You didn’t steal her away,” Axel snarled, handing Mav the paper. So they’d clearly heard that much of the conversation. “Our family dates backgenerationson this island. He can’t honestly think he’ll turn them against us, can he? Plus, she fled five thousand miles to escape him. Nobody’s gonna believe that shit.”
“Kenny nearly did.”
“Kenny’s good on the boat, but dumb as rocks,” Milo mumbled, accepting the paper as Mav passed it over. I choked on my laugh. Dad never flung insults, his words striking me in the chest.
“He can’t have her, so he’s gonna position himself inour townand try to ruin her reputation? Seriously?” My youngest brother’s tone was laced with the same venom pumping through my veins and promising retribution. But I had no idea how to respond to this shit. No tact for PR, where this dick weasel was obviously fluent in it. “Is it the seventeen hundreds again?”
“Can everybody justshut upfor a minute? I need to think—need to make sure Noel is okay.” I didn’t have to think for long, because my girl was stepping out of the Grizzly Grind, spotting us on the docks and making a beeline in my direction.
It was time to think a hell of a lot faster.
TWENTY-FOUR
NOEL
