Chapter 4
Chapter Four
The day went surprisingly well, considering Gage still tried to make up for lost time.
He threw the bag of tools onto his truck seat and climbed in, reaching for the printed schedule to see what came next.
The highlighted item took him back to Carolina Cove and a meeting with his brothers to strategize how best to handle the upcoming weather.
With the hurricane barreling their way, it was a necessary step since they’d added several rental houses to their roster, not to mention prepping their own homes in addition to their many businesses.
The humid November day brought locals out in droves and the traffic to the island stayed bumper to bumper.
He could run for Grump of the Year by the time he rolled onto the parking lot and spotted Sloane’s beat-up Chevy parked in back.
He’d meant she could stay there overnight if she absolutely had to. Not take advantage of his kindness to get free beach parking during the day.
Shaking his head as his temper soared higher, he blocked her car in and noted she was nowhere to be found. Of course. He should’ve been clearer but give a person an inch and they’d take a mile, as she obviously had.
He muttered to himself as he made his way around the front of the building, picking up bits of trash that had blown in with the wind and seeing how many golf carts they’d rented while he was out.
Those would have to be loaded up and hauled off to be secured in storage.
Another thing for the ever-growing list. The e-bikes and scooters as well.
The weight on his shoulders dragged at him as Gage stalked into the rentals building.
It took a moment for his eyes to adjust from the bright sunlight to the darker interior.
Maybe that’s why he didn’t notice her at first. That and the fact one breath had filled his senses with the tantalizing scent of cream and raspberry and whatever else made up her perfume.
“Hey, good timing. I was about to let Sloane go home for the day,” Cole said. “Sloane, this is Gage, brother number seven and my partner with the rentals and car service.”
Gage held Sloane’s wide-eyed green gaze and saw the color drain from her face before she flushed a deep, rosy pink. She looked nervous. And guilty. As she should.
“Hello,” she said, voice cracking a bit.
Gage opened his mouth to call her out on the deception. Did she know who he was this morning?
Just as quickly, he locked his jaw and nodded, even though he wasn’t sure why. He’d play along. For now. “Sloane.”
“How’d things go today?” Cole asked. “The new schedule work out okay?”
“Yeah.”
Cole frowned at his one-word answers. The schedule had worked out well and was a far cry from the disorganized ones that usually listed a name and little else. So Sloane was responsible for the new and improved version?
He reined in his chaotic thoughts where Merida—Sloane—was concerned. Especially seeing as how he’d spent the last two nights thinking of her curly, dark-copper hair and gorgeous green eyes.
“Well, you’ll be happy to hear this. Sloane and the tech guy think they’ve figured out the issue. They have another call scheduled for tomorrow morning. Until then, here’s an old-school paper copy of tomorrow’s schedule.”
Cole handed over a sheet of paper, color coded like before.
“A few more days of training and Sloane could run this place solo.”
Gage stiffened, and even though he told himself not to judge, he did. Sloane slept in her car. Obviously didn’t have the money for a place to stay. Yet Cole was talking about leaving her unattended with the cash register? People’s credit cards?
Not a good idea.
But did he bring that up now or in private? “I think it’s way too early for that.”
Sloane’s bright green gaze met his, and her cheeks took on color again. She knew exactly what he implied and why. But she was the one who should be embarrassed. What kind of game was this?
Cole’s head shot up at Gage’s words, and his brother glared at his rudeness before glancing between the two of them.
“Well, she’s temporary but certainly capable,” Cole said. “She’ll be a great help when it comes to hiring and training someone else.”
“Um, well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head out for the day. See you tomorrow,” she said to Cole.
“Not so fast,” Gage said. Maybe he ought to have this conversation with Sloane in private, but under the circumstances, he felt it best to come clean while Cole was there to witness it. And security cameras were there to record it all. It paid to be safe these days.
Sloane stopped in her tracks and turned warily to face them, giving a deep exhale. “So is this it? I’m fired?”
Cole tilted this head to one side and stared at Gage. “Why would you fire her? Sloane’s done a great job since she’s been here. You can actually see the counter today, too.”
“That may be so, but Sloane hasn’t been entirely truthful.”
“About what?” Cole asked, exchanging a glance with both of them before groaning. “Please don’t tell me you two have hooked up or something. Is that it?”
Sloane had crossed her arms over her chest and stood glaring at Gage, a proud but vulnerable expression on her beautiful face.
She wore a bit of makeup that enhanced her features and freckles but didn’t have that slathered-on look some women had.
She was the fresh-faced girl-next-door type, except that her eyes held too much wariness and pain and made him wonder at the cause.
“We haven’t hooked up. But I met Sloane a few nights ago. ”
“Okay. And?”
“When she was parked in back sleeping in her car. And again last night when she was sleeping in her car outside my house.”
Cole turned his full attention to Sloane. “Are you stalking him?”
“What? No. I swear it. Both times were coincidences that have nothing to do with you,” she said to Gage.
“Look, I’m…short on cash and, yeah, sleeping in my car.
I try to pick quiet spots where I won’t get hassled, but I had no idea you lived there.
That truly was an accident.” She grimaced.
“Though I suppose I should’ve guessed you worked here considering the resemblance and how we met outside.
I just hoped maybe it was at least in the other building or somewhere else.
Cole said not all the brothers work here so…
Is that really a reason to fire me? Because I’m between residences? ”
“No, it’s not,” Cole said. “But if you work for us, we need to know you’re safe.”
She brushed her hair back over her shoulder. “I’m fine. This island is practically Mayberry.”
Gage snorted. While the island was on the low end when it came to major crime, it didn’t mean crime didn’t exist. Drugs, theft, drunk and disorderly.
They happened everywhere, and Carolina Cove had their share like any other city.
“Hardly. How long have you been here? The truth. Was there actually a roommate that kicked you out?”
Gage watched as she sank her teeth into her lower lip and grimaced again.
“No.”
“A boss who wanted favors to come with the job?” Cole asked next.
Gage scowled at that and glared at his brother. He knew there were plenty of sleaze ball bosses out there, but he hoped that was a made-up story like the other for Sloane’s sake.
“That one was true,” she said with a nose scrunch. “I worked as a maid for motel a few hours from here.”
“Which one?” Gage growled.
A huff of laughter emerged from her. “It doesn’t matter. Look, I’m sorry I don’t meet your expectations of the perfect new hire, but I need this job. And we agreed to a trial period,” she said to Cole.
“I won’t be lied to by my employees,” Cole said.
“I haven’t lied to you,” she said to Cole.
Gage took a step toward them. “Tell us your story and tell the truth. Otherwise, you’re done.”
As though emphasizing Gage’s words, Cole used his foot to scoot a stool toward her, indicating she’d be there awhile.
Sloane’s shoulders sank, but she grabbed the top and pulled it back even more, distancing herself from them both before taking a seat atop.
“I told you the roommate story because it’s easier than admitting my car is my current home. Shoot me for having some pride. The ex-boss story is true. Doesn’t matter who he was or where it happened, it did, and I left.”
“How long have you been in Carolina Cove?” Cole asked.
“Just a few days. I stayed downtown in Wilmington the first night because I got in so late, but the next day I drove to Carolina Cove to see the beach, and…it seemed like a really nice area. That’s when you saw me. My first night here.”
“What about family? You have nowhere else to go? Stay?” Gage had moved closer to them, leaned against a nearby wall as she told her story and made note of how her foot suddenly started popping on the lower rung of the stool.
“The truth, Sloane. You are of legal age, right?” Cole asked with a sudden scowl.
She laughed softly at that. “Yes, I’m legal. I look young because of the freckles and crazy curly hair, but I’m twenty-six.”
“You got ID?” Cole pressed. “And answer the question about your family.”
Gage shut his eyes briefly. Had his brother seriously not checked her ID before hiring her? Granted, every now and again they’d give a homeless person a few bucks to clean up trash outside to help them out without asking for more than a first name, but this was different.
Sloane inhaled and lowered her gaze. “I have ID. But if you check it, my…last name is different than what I told you. I lied about that, okay? My family situation is complicated. Once I could get out of there, I left and I haven’t been back, but they…like to keep tabs.”
“Which is why you asked me to pay you in cash,” Cole said.
Gage frowned at that. No wonder he hadn’t been able to find any paperwork on the new hire after Cole had left the night before. This just kept getting better and better. No ID, no paperwork or new employee forms….