Page 17 of Mine Forever
I tilt my head to the side. “I’m sorry, what?”
She waves a hand in front of her. “You know, one of those journalists looking to dig up a story that’s best left alone? Chase is a good boy and he doesn’t need?—”
Chase is a good boy? He’s got these people fooled.
I hold up a hand and shake my head. “No. I assure you, I’m not one of those journalists. I would never do that to Chase.”
That much was true. We may not like each other anymore, but I would never dig up his past.
It’s better left alone.
I shift my bag on my shoulder. “I’ve known Chase for years. My business with him is just that. Business. I can promise you I’m not here looking for any type of dirt or story to sell about him.”
Odette nods slowly but continues her scrutiny of me. “Okay, I believe you. We had enough of that a few years back when he first moved home. And every so often, we get some city slicker in here that wants to dig for secrets.”
She draws in a breath, and I swear even though I tower over her, she looks down at me. “I don’t mind city people, mind you. Plenty of them come here in the high season to ‘unplug’ as they say. But most just end up working by the pool on their laptops and those bud thingees in their ears.”
She shakes her head as though it’s the most ridiculous notion in the world.
I avert my gaze from hers, hoping the fact that I’m one of those city slickers who works on vacation isn’t written in neon across my forehead.
Hell, my whole point in being here is work related. “Um. No, I’m not here to dig up secrets.”
“Good.” She smiles. “Not that you’d get past that brick wall and security gate he’s got at that house of his.”
With a shake of her head, she frowns. “I don’t know how he doesn’t get lonely out there on the far end of the island.”
Huh. Now we’re getting somewhere.
“I know what you mean,” I say, playing along and hoping the next thing I say makes sense. “Especially out there. On the far end of the island.”
Maybe she’ll be kind enough to tell me which end of the island she means.
“I’ve never been there, you know, but from the pictures on Google, it’s a beautiful place.”
She tsks, picking invisible lint off her shirt. “But too much for one guy to ramble around in. Of course, we all thought he might end up with that bartender down at the Red Parrot. But she moved. Turns out it was just a…”—she snaps her fingers—“friends with benefits, I think they call it.”
What the hell am I supposed to say to that?
My gut churns, and a feeling that’s suspiciously like jealousy wants to spew out. “Right. Okay, well, thanks again for letting me use your ladies’ room.”
“You’re welcome, dear. I hope you make it to the mainland before they close the bridge.”
I nod with a smile and leave. I need to get on the road and figure out which end of the island to try first.
Back in my rental, I pull up a map of the island.Even though I’ve been here a few times, it’s interesting to see it from Google Earth’s point of view.
Cape Sands Beach is a twenty-mile-long barrier island, and according to the map, the entire north end of the island is a state park. The lighthouse is right in the middle and the south end of the island is a scattering of private homes.
A smile spreads across my lips.
Thank you, Odette. She’d given me just enough to give me a starting point.
“Found your ass, Hanover.”
My ride to the far end of the island is slow but beautiful. There’s no racing off to anywhere on the two-lane road that runs parallel to the ocean.
Beach houses, local seaside restaurants, and sand dunes dot the landscape, and my body relaxes in spite of the stress that has me in knots.
