Page 5 of Covert Past

Boone. The name sounded made up.

“Yeah, I know. My parents had a weird sense of humor. My mom is a huge Daniel Boone fan.” The smile remained in place though his gaze zeroed in on her reactions.

Ellie broke eye contact and realized he still held out his hand. She shook it awkwardly. Human contact had been limited to the occasional hand touch whenever she paid for something. “Ellie.” She kept the handshake to a mere second before pulling hers free.

His only reaction was a slight twitch of his lips. “Nice to meet you, Ellie. You must be new to the island. I don’t think I’ve seen you around.”

Already this was getting too personal for her. She never gave information about herself away. “That’s right. I’m just getting the layout of the land.”

He nodded at her odd answer, his gaze going past her to something else. Ellie realized she was being approached and turned.

The blonde returned with a woman Ellie pegged in her fifties. This must be Hank.

“Hank.” Boone nodded his greeting, confirming Ellie’s assumption.

“Boone. I thought that was you. Where’s Janine?” Hank clearly knew him.

“She had to pick up the kids.”

This grabbed Ellie’s attention immediately. Kids. Had she been wrong about Boone and the womancalled Janine’s relationship? Boone didn’t wear a wedding ring. She understood some men preferred not to, but still.

“She and her husband and little ones came in the other day. Those kids are growing like wildflowers.”

Boone’s laugh washed over Ellie. It was nice. Normal. The kind of laugh she wished she had the ability to possess. “They are indeed. I don’t know how she does it. I watched them for her for an hour once while she met with a client. I had no idea how much energy kids have.” He shook his head. “Well, I should be going. I’m meeting with a client.” His attention returned to Ellie, unsettling her again. “Nice to meet you.”

Ellie watched him leave before realizing she’d left her potential employer waiting.

The older woman appeared amused as if Ellie had been watching Boone because she was attracted to him. There was no good way of saying it was out of self-preservation.

“I’m Hank. I hear you’re here to apply for the barista position?” Hank held out her hand. Were all the locals this friendly?

Ellie took it. “Yes.” Ellie’s attention was divided between watching out the windows as four men slowly walked past the establishment and listening to Hank’s questions.

The men disappeared from her line of vision. There was something about their appearance on the island that put Ellie on edge. She couldn’t explain it other than her survival instincts had grown stronger through the years. Maybe it was the way they were dressed that didn’t fit with an island outing.

“Are you okay, honey?”

Ellie whipped her head back to Hank. She was failing her interview badly. “Yes, yes, I’m sorry.”

“Why don’t you come through to my office and we’ll talk.”

Ellie forced a smile. “Thank you.” With a final uneasy glance outside, Ellie shelved her concern for the moment. She followed Hank past the order station, where the blonde flirted with a couple of young men, to an office crammed into a small space.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I caught your name?” Hank latchedonto her gaze and held it.

“It’s Ellie. Ellie Jamison.”

“Nice to meet you, Ellie. Please, have a seat.” Hank pointed to one of the chairs in front of her desk.

Ellie slipped into it and clasped her hands together. The sound of the truck backfiring out front as well as the four men had served as a reminder that she couldn’t afford to let her guard down for a second. If she got this job, there was a very real chance she might have to leave the island at a second’s notice without letting Hank know anything about her reasons why.

“So, tell me a little about yourself, Ellie,” Hank asked while settling into her chair.

Seconds ticked by while Ellie recalled her fake bio. “I’m thirty-four. I’ve just recently moved to Hope Island.”

Hank’s smile didn’t hide her doubts. “This is a great time of the year to be here. Summer is almost over. Fall is breathtaking on the island.” Hank tossed back her long, silver braid and picked up a pen, rolling it between her fingers. “I’ve run Hopeful Coffeehouse since it opened ten years ago right after I moved to the island following my divorce.” Her expression softened. “Starting over can be hard.”

Ellie cleared her throat. “It can.”

---