Page 34 of Hide Me Darling

It's not Allegra at all—it's Ty. In his hands are a coffee and a brown paper bag.

"Hey Taylor," he says happily.

I smile. "Hi, I'm surprised you aren't midway through a tattoo right now."

He laughs, leaning his hip against my table. "I actually had a cancellation. I would have called you to see if you wanted the spot, but your number was mysteriously missing from the form."

I cringe, I had intentionally left my number off the form, hoping he wouldn't notice so quickly. "Oh really... I'm sorry, I must have overlooked it."

Ty raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying my excuse but deciding to let it slide. I’m sure tons of people get nervous about tattoos and leave out random bits of information like that here and there.

"No worries," he says, waving it off. He glances down at the tablet on the table in front of me. "Having troubles?" he asks, indicating the screen. For a moment, my heart speeds up, thinking that I've left something incriminating visible. But thankfully, it's just a search for computer companies on the island.

"Ummm, yeah, maybe," I say, trying to sound casual. "Do you know someone who might be able to help? The results on here aren't exactly promising." I avoid answering the question directly, hoping he might have some useful information.

Ty tilts his head, frowning. "I'm sorry, you're not going to have much luck here. Even I have to send my computer equipment to the mainland if I have an issue."

I nod, my disappointment clear but for different reasons than he thinks. I had hoped one of the masked men might have made a name for themselves by helping others with their tech problems because he is clearly good with computers, having been able to hide their identity from Uncle Max.

"That makes sense," I say, forcing a smile. "Thanks anyway."

"Sure thing," Ty says, taking a sip of his coffee. He glances back at the tablet. "You know, if there's anything else you need, feel free to ask."

I decide to fish for more information, following a hunch. "I will admit, I kind of fangirled a little when I met you. But I didn’t realize you had another brother besides Lucien," I say slyly.

He laughs, shaking his head. "Who, Telvin? Nah, he’s just a friend. It’s a pretty small island in case you haven’t noticed, and he is pretty much the only furniture maker here whose work gives me the look I want. I didn’t know we looked related though."

His eyes twinkle as he grins, and I can't help but smile back, though my mind is already making a note of the new information. "That makes sense," I say.

Ty nods. "Well, got to get going, I should get set up for my next appointment. Enjoy your lunch, Taylor."

"Thanks, Ty. See you around."

As he leaves, Allegra comes over with a bright smile and a pot of coffee in her hand to top off my cup. “Looks like you already have a celebrity fan,” she says with a laugh as she watches Ty walk away through the window.

I roll my eyes. "Then I have lots of fans because everyone seems to want to know all about me."

Waving her hand in the air she chuckles. "Oh hun, that's 'cause you're fresh meat.”

Leaning back, I raise a brow and grin. "I feel like it's only fair that I know about all of them if they want to know all about me."

She takes the bait instantly, setting down the pot of coffee and glancing behind her. "Give me a second to grab a cup, and I'll tell you everything you want to know."

When she turns away, I have to restrain myself from patting myself on the back. This could be a goldmine of information. I take a sip of my coffee, trying to appear casual as I wait for Allegra to return.

The bakery’s activity has slowed to only a couple of locals who just smile when she takes a seat at my table and pours herself a cup of coffee; this is obviously not out of the ordinary for Allegra during the slow times.

"Alright, where do you want to start?" she asks, leaning in conspiratorially.

"Let's start with the basics.” I shrug. “Tell me everything about everyone."

Allegra taps her finger on her chin, thinking for a moment. ”Who have you met so far? We can start there.”

"Well, yourself obviously," I say with a grin.

Allegra brushes me off with another wave of her hand. "Oh, I’m not important. But let's see... you've met the sheriff and his deputy, right? Both of them have been here their whole lives. Sheriff Brooks is a solid guy, very much by the book but fair. His deputy, Eli, is a bit younger and has a bit more fire in him. They're a good team, though.”

I nod in acknowledgement, taking another sip of my coffee. “I’ve also met Rye, Jonah, Maddie, Telvin, Lily, Chester, Makai, and Ty as you just saw.”

---