Hidden Hearts (Haven Crossroads #2)

Chapter 1

HAYES

Listening to the real estate agent jabber over my car speaker, I’m growing a little frustrated.

I’ve looked at five different places in Chicago, and I’ve set my sights on the last property shown.

A penthouse with three bedrooms, a small office, approaching the north side of the city, and high enough for a great view over the lake, too.

So why is she going over the homeowners' association and fees? I don’t know.

This is the agent that HR sent to me while I prepare to relocate?

“Just get it done. I don’t care if fees don’t cover the parking spot.

Let’s wrap this conversation up. They’re announcing my new role at the office later in the week, and I have enough to deal with right now.

” I’m moving to Chicago from Austin to become the Chief of Operations at Haven Crossroads.

The owner, Julian Haven, who happens to be my best friend, wore me down until I said yes. It just hasn’t been announced yet.

“Of course. It’s the weekend. You won’t hear from me until I have news.” Steffy, on the other end, sounds apologetic.

“Thanks,” I sigh and end the call. I’ve worked hard, striking gold investing in a few startups, to get the number of zeroes in my net worth, and I’m sure as hell going to enjoy it.

I squint as I begin to see fall-colored trees on the horizon on this blue-sky Saturday afternoon, and the landscape of dry cornfields turns slightly hilly when I exit the highway onto Lake Spark County Road.

I’ve been out of the city and suburbs for a good hour, and all I’ve seen is flat farmland.

A few times, I tried to guess the crop when it didn’t look like corn. I just needed to pass the time.

Entering Everhope, the quaint town greets me with a classic Main Street and well-maintained storefronts and sidewalks.

Definitely postcard-worthy. I find my way to Julian’s weekend home and sputter a laugh.

There’s a field of wheat behind the large house with a sprawling front porch.

Parking, I find my way around the house to the backyard and instantly spot my best friend by the grill with hanging streamers in the background.

Wasting no time to make myself at home, I grab two bottles of beer from the chilled bucket on the long table with a plaid tablecloth in passing. I continue my way to him.

“Look what the cows dragged in.” He grins, and I hand him a bottle.

“Only for you did my navigation send me through corn fields to get to your weekend chalet.”

We both use the side of the workstation edge to pop the caps before we clink our beers together.

The guy looks ridiculously relaxed, and I’ve never seen him this way. "It'll grow on you, just wait. Thanks for coming. Nothing’s better than having a friend and new COO at my backyard BBQ for Savannah’s birthday."

I give him the once-over. “All you need is an apron with some ridiculous phrase on it, and we’re all set.”

“Har-har.”

“Where is the birthday girl? Contemplating her birthday wish and if it should involve you or not?” I tease him.

He holds out his bottle, wanting me to accept a toast. “It does, as we are getting married.”

A wide grin finds me. “Ah, congrats.” Another clink of our drinks. “You’re settling down. Next thing you know, there will be a little one and a Labrador running around.”

“We’ll wait. Unless I get a little demanding on the honeymoon.”

Kids.

That’s already on his mind. Makes sense, we are at the age. I guess if I were with someone, then the topic would come up, too. A long discussion, actually. I have my career in full swing, but so does he.

I have to highlight caution to him because he has a tendency to go overboard. “Marriage and having a kid are two different things. Anyhow, where is the bride-to-be?” My eyes scan the yard.

I spot Savannah walking out of the kitchen carrying a tray of veggies. And then I freeze.

A chest-dropping, stomach-sinking, blood-rushing-in-my-ears type of freeze.

The woman following Savannah is holding a bowl of dip. Her hair is still long and slightly darker, and she seems happy, smiling with a warm, familiar smile. The forest-green sweater paired with those dark jeans screams natural beauty.

But what the hell?

I do a double take, it can’t be. I feel perplexed. “Why is she here?”

Julian swings his gaze to his fiancée and must notice that my eyes are on the woman next to her. “Elodie? She’s Savannah’s best friend and also works at the office.”

My eyes go wide. That can’t be right. “You mean Ellie?”

“I mean, Elodie,” he repeats.

The corner of my mouth ticks before my thoughts swarm me, and it only causes me to laugh to myself, almost hysterically, because of a realization. “Of course, we used different names.”

Even though I can’t look away from the woman whose true name has now been revealed, I zone out into memory.

I spot her right away, sitting at the tropical bar.

It’s Vieques, Puerto Rico, with the clock almost noon and the sun bright, not a cloud in the sky, and the water a perfect blue.

The woman, maybe ten years younger than me, seems content yet bored.

A blue wrap covers her bikini-clad body as she stares aimlessly at a drink in a pineapple with a straw and an umbrella.

Suddenly, I’m relieved that I didn’t join my cousins for a group scuba diving trip to check out turtles.

My win, because now I can casually slide onto the stool next to her, and I do just that.

“Please tell me there isn’t rum in that. It would be too cliché,” I say.

“Please tell me you’re not about to order a fancy bottle of beer with a slice of lime,” she counters and slowly angles my way, only for her to still and her lips to part open. She seems surprised.

I smirk proudly because I have a feeling it has to do with my looks. Today, I’ve skipped a suit and opted for a white, unbuttoned linen shirt with my shorts. I’m a man who keeps himself fit before conquering the office. I don’t consider myself arrogant, but right now I’m playing that card.

“Gosh, you’re gorgeous,” she says.

Bingo.

“And you’re beautiful and alone. I feel like that is a travesty.”

She laughs and shakes her head slightly, amused. “Is that your usual line?”

“Not the travesty part,” I promise.

She turns her attention to the barman who arrives. “Can we create a code word or something in case I need to escape this guy? You can save me.” We all look around to see an empty pool area. “Okay, fine, you’ll notice if I need to be saved.”

“Why aren’t you out on a beach somewhere enjoying the island?” I wonder. In the corner of my eye, I spot the bartender lifting his brows.

She sucks on her straw for a long drink, and I most definitely notice the way her lips move. “I’m here for a bachelorette trip for my cousin… not that I care, but it’s a little awkward since she’s marrying my high school boyfriend.”

I feel my face contort. “Eek.”

She waves me off. “Yeah. But it’s okay, water under the bridge. I just didn’t want to tag along on the cousin's boat excursion; they won’t be back until late. You?”

“What a coincidence, I’m avoiding scuba diving with turtles on a bachelor party with my cousins. A getaway from Texas.”

“You don’t have an accent. What a shame. Those are kind of hot.”

Chuckling, I like her candidness. “I’m only working there. My family is on the east coast. Do you have a name?”

She tilts her head slightly to the side, and her gorgeous blues squint. “Name territory means we might actually have a long conversation.”

Shrugging, I feel my mouth begin to stretch. “I guess so.”

She pauses for a second. “Ellie. You?”

“Hale.”

“That’s not really your name, is it?” she shoots back simply with a wide grin.

“Nope. And Ellie isn’t yours.”

“Nope.”

“We’ll stick to our island names then.”

I’m completely puzzled as I watch her set items on the buffet table.

“You know her?” Julian is trying to catch up.

Confusion hits me hard, and I hiss a whistle to myself. “You can say that again. Kind of a one-night thing about three years ago.”

His brows rise. “That’s her?” Oh yeah, I’ve mentioned the mystery woman to him a few times. Borderline unhealthy how much she has occupied my mind.

Taking a deep breath, I’m utterly lost. “I didn’t think I would see her again. I’m kind of caught off guard in this moment.”

In the corner of my eye, I notice that Julian tips his head to the side. “Wait… did you say about three years ago?”

I take a long swig from my beer as my feet are cemented to the ground. “Yeah, why? Wait, you mentioned Savannah and the office? Tell me she doesn’t work for you.” I already know the answer, but it doesn’t hurt to check.

The sound of a little girl giggling snaps my gaze to her as she wobbles during her run. She’s smiling, part of her darker blonde, almost-brown hair up on top of her head, very cute, and races straight to the woman I now know is Elodie. She lifts her and tickles the girl’s belly.

Huh.

I turn to my friend, and a feeling itches me, my forehead scrunching.

“She has a kid?”

Julian takes a very long drink from his bottle as though he is delaying the seconds. "Uh, yeah. Lola’s a little over two years old, so plus nine months is… math, right?" His voice lacks his usual confident tone.

Math.

That’s all it takes for me to drive my vision straight back to Elodie and Lola.

And the moment that Elodie’s eyes tip up to meet mine, her smile wilts.

My chest gets tight like I’ve been stabbed in the heart.