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“Your name.”
She laughed again, cheeks flushing a delicious shade of pink. Those painted lips parted and closed twice, her feet shifting subtly before she answered. “Elizabeth. Nice to meet you, Axel. You said this is Mav?”
“Maverick,” he corrected, stepping forward to replace Axel’s hand with his own.
“I’ve heard your name!” She chirped, happily leaning back on her heels. “You’re the baby of the family?”
“You and Rhyett got to know each other, I see,” Mav said with a laugh. It would have taken much more control than I currently had to suppress my eye roll. Of course they did. Rhyett gets to knoweverybody.
“Like I said, some men know how to make an impression.” It was with pointed expectation that Skittles looked back at me.
FOUR
NOEL
“You gave them yourmiddle name?”
“Listen. Not my brightest moment, and I should have thought it through ahead of time, but I just realized if I’m reinventing myself—starting over—and trying to stay as far off Eric’s radar as possible, why not keep my name off the grid in the process?”
“So you went forElizabeth?” Brexley sipped on her third cup of coffee, sitting in Rhyett’s T-shirt like a nightgown as the morning light cut through the space, soaking her skin in buttery warmth. I couldn’t remember the last time we’d leisurely laid about, sipping coffee as the sun rose. College, maybe? “I thought you hated your middle name.”
“It’s not my favorite. So, that’s going to be fun. But hey, at least there’s no trace of Noel McShane to follow.”
Rhyett cleared his throat from behind the business section of the newspaper. “Aside from plane tickets.”
“Jesus, is that public record?” I said, panic bleating through me as I jerked my gaze back to Brexley.
“To civilians? No.” She grimaced. “But to a politician with no moral compass and greasy friends?”
“Dammit.” I sighed, leaning my head back against the wall of the bench-style banquette. They were right. “Okay, so maybe I'll book a ticket somewhere else? Make it look like I just visited?”
“I mean, if you don’t get on it, it would be canceled, and he’d see that, too.”
“So, you’re telling me we should have driven?”
“Through Canada?! Trying to go dark, eh?”
“Hilarious.”
“I try.” She tossed her sleep-mussed blonde sheet of hair over a shoulder. “But honestly, Noel, how dark do you want things to go here? We were just discussing that Rhyett and his parents have some contacts around the island that could help us if you’re actually scared.”
Scared.
I hated that word. I wasn’t one to run scared. Wasn’t one to spook easily. But that bravado had kept me in a toxic hole of a house with the hope of things getting better, of convincing him to love me right, to take care of his own mental health…until in one split second, Eric took away the option ofnotbeing scared.
A rich, husky baritone carried through the house as the front door slammed closed. “Got any breakfast?”
I scowled at the intruding voice, demanding, “Who the hell is that?”
Rhyett beamed and set his cup down on the counter before vanishing into the hallway. Their voices trailed back to us as Brex and I exchanged curious, bemused glances. Simultaneously, we took long drinks of coffee, and I prayed the magic bean juice would somehow fortify my composure.
Florida had been home my entire life, even college, and while starting fresh was the right idea, it was…well, there were growing pains. I already missed my teal water, the bustling city, the rush of people. I missed our girls, Wren and Holland who were now both active managers at our bookstore, The Cracked Corset. Without them, there’s no way we could have pulled off this little escapade. Those book-lined walls had been our home for the bulk of our early twenties. But this was good.Changewas good. Not having to face memories everywhere I went would be good.
In the two shifts I’d had in Rhyett’s shop, I’d already made some friends. The second day had brought about my first experience with regulars remembering my face—though the Rhodes brothers had been the first to ask my name. Hopefully, I’d at least feel like I knew a few people around the island by the time Brex had to go home.
“We’ve got coffee, bacon, and toast if you want some.” Rhyett’s voice was exuberant, giving me the impression of profound sincerity.
“Florida tan looks good on you, man.” The distinct sound of slapping backs brought to mind that weird bro-hug thing guys always did.
