Chapter 2
ELODIE
It's like a knife cutting through me and pure elation. One moment I see him and our past flickers in my mind. I never thought I'd see him again. But then I remember Lola, this tiny human, binds Hale and me forever. I could have searched harder.
Fear fills me as he appears unexpectedly, one fact flooding his eyes—those same eyes that haunt my dreams.
He never knew he had a child.
And his fierce gaze, with his brown eyes turning stormy, tells me that I won’t need to confirm what he just discovered.
Even with his hard face, chiseled jawline, and sandy-brown hair, he's undeniably handsome. His black sweater and dark blue jeans show he takes life seriously but can let loose. It's a crazy impression, but it's what I feel.
His breathing changes, chest rising rapidly. My heart pounds.
Did I ever imagine this day? Maybe in my dreams, but never at a BBQ with ranch dip in hand.
My daughter grabs my hair, snapping me into action. Quickly, I hand her to Savannah, my best friend and Lola’s godmother, who’s oblivious but senses my urgency.
I dart back inside to the kitchen. Salads line the counter. Running my hands through my hair, I claw my head and exhale, flooded by memories.
The moment I saw Hale, I was entranced. The conversation led to the discovery that we approach life differently but both value a strong work ethic.
I can easily sink into vacation time and relax.
Him? He’s adjusting, but there is a natural piece inside him that enjoys downtime.
He even turned off his phone that was pinging with email notifications.
He’s well into his career, with ten years on me.
It isn’t exactly clear what he does, but he is definitely business-savvy.
Our groups wouldn’t return until well after dinner. Our conversation continued on the beach and then for a bite to eat.
“You really should be out there, merman,” I say as we continue to eat a late lunch at a bistro along the seafront.
“Hey, I said I was on the swim team in high school, but that doesn’t mean I want to stay in the sea all day.” He cuts into a piece of chicken.
"Disappointed you weren't captain of the hockey team? You'd have scored points on and off the ice.” I've learned things about him, and I've shared things too.
His suave grin is infectious. I can’t stop smiling. “My parents are good people. They never pushed me, even if hockey parents had better fundraisers. Enough about non-island life. Look at us—eating chicken on an island with fresh seafood,” he says.
“We established I hate seafood, and so do you.”
“Two peas in a pod.”
He slips on sunglasses, hiding his eyes. The sun is bright, so I adjust my sunhat.
“You’re headed back tomorrow? You don’t want to spend it doing something, I don’t know… islandy?” I ask.
“I’m sure this constitutes as islandy enough, considering I met you holding a pineapple.”
“I was just checking that you aren’t regretting something. I’ve already gathered you are not used to downtime.”
“My dad always told me to be reckless once. This might be the start of that. Spontaneously ending up spending an afternoon with a stranger.” A different look finds him.
It’s devilish, and I like that. “I’m not regretting anything right now.
That’s a very good thing.” It sounds flirty, dangerous, and only keeps me wanting to stay in his presence. “Except…”
I wait for him to finish. I'm intrigued.
“You’re burning. How have you not had a sunstroke yet?”
I check my arms—they’re pink. “Oh. I didn’t notice. I’ve been too absorbed in our conversation.”
“I guess you don’t have sunscreen with you, do you?” I shake my head. “Totally not me hitting on you,” he holds his hands up in defense, “but my room has a perfect view of the sea, and I have sunscreen there.”
At first, I want to reject his directness. But after talking with him all afternoon, I’ve noticed his polite manner. My intuition trusts him; I’m good at reading people.
“I’ll send a text to my other cousin who isn’t marrying my prom date, in case I disappear and can’t be found. It would be a good story, though. The daughter of a preacher was last seen with a man corrupting her innocence.”
Instantly, he grows still. “What?” He seems petrified.
All I can do is chuckle. “Relax. I was joking. My dad works in agriculture.” The relief that hits him is honest. “Come on.” I grin.
“I might take a page from your father’s book about being reckless, because I can assure you that this is new to me.
” I don’t run off with a man I just met, but he’s different. I feel it in my bones.
“Fair enough.”
And ten minutes later, we’re in his room in a boutique hotel with a balcony overlooking the sea. He keeps his word and hands me a bottle of sunscreen. Our fingers brush, and we both freeze, eyes locked. For a moment, we hover in stillness before we both lean in, and our lips meet suddenly.
I pace the kitchen, knowing I have seconds before Hale storms in. But that’s not his real name, is it?
It connects to me that Savannah told me who was on the guest list, and I assume the guy close to Julian narrows down the options.
The sliding door opens. I look up and see that I was right. He quickly steps in, shuts the door, and we face each other at last.
“Elodie.” With his gaze piercing my eyes and voice firm, I’m not sure what direction this conversation will go.
“You are not Hale. So what is your name?”
“Hayes.”
I laugh once under my breath—this world just got smaller.
We both used fake names that day, each not far from our own.
“Right. Our real names suit us better, I think. I’m Elodie Miller, and you’re Hayes Callahan.
” His brows knit, confused. I tug my sweater sleeve, nervous.
“Savannah mentioned you a few times, a friend of Julian's. I just didn’t realize it was you.”
“Obviously. Otherwise, I would know about her. Wouldn’t I?” His tone is measured, direct, not at all compassionate.
We both glance out the window. Lola is giggling in Savannah’s arms on the lawn below, safe and unaware.
Swallowing emotion, I say, “You would.” I step forward, but he steps back. “She’s yours. In case—”
His jaw ticks, with his face remaining stone. “I know, Elodie. It’s fucking obvious. We may have been together one day, but I never got the sense that you’re a liar.”
“I searched for—”
Hayes steps back. “And gave up,” he accuses me.
This isn't the man I remember. Everything about him right now ignites a fear that he isn't the man I had hoped. His tone causes my mood to shift to angry. “I’m not the only one who kept details off the island,” I say defensively.
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Elodie, I don’t fucking care. I have a kid out there that I didn’t know about.” He points outside.
My hands find my hips. I won’t tolerate his mood, even if he has every right to be shocked. “She’s not a kid. She’s Lola,” I bite out.
Remorse shades his face. “You’re right.”
A deathly silence surrounds us for a good long beat or two.
“Who does she think her dad is?”
My eyes drop to the floor. Unsure if my words will help his mind that is probably chaos right now, I meet his fiery gaze.
“She’s two—she doesn’t get it yet. Her world is playing, snacks, and loud cartoons.
All she knows is me as her parent. The only man in her life now is Julian.
My brother Sam is deployed overseas; she’s seen him just once.
Her grandfather is in her life. So, to answer your question, there isn’t a story yet. ”
His eyes grow. “A story yet. Well, that’s going to fucking change.”
There’s a pit in my stomach because I'm unsure what he means, but it only makes me more determined to stay poised in this fragile situation.
Hayes walks a few steps to the floor-to-ceiling sliding doors to watch the party, and I cautiously follow him.
When Savannah and Julian see us, they quickly look away and, along with Lola, cross to the other side of the party.
“I thought we were careful. Wait…” His fingers find his temples to massage. “That one time.”
We didn't just have sex once; it happened two more times.
“I got food poisoning the next day, and obviously that affected the efficiency of the pill too.”
Another long inhale finds him, and he rubs his face. “Of course it would,” he whispers. “Of course, we would be the 1%,” he says cynically.
“Don’t be mad, please.”
He looks over his shoulder. "I’m not mad at that. I’m pissed I missed my daughter’s first years. I won't shake that anger soon."
I close my eyes, feeling unfairly targeted. "Can we talk? Just not now. She’s out there."
He nods gently once while he shoves his hands into his jeans pockets. “Okay.”
I ease a little, still stuck in our standoff, emotions spinning in all directions.
Our silence doesn’t last long, though.
“Wait. Julian mentioned something about the office.”
I laugh nervously. It’s not funny—I feel disaster looming. "I work at Haven Crossroads."
Hayes rubs his jaw, growling. "You’ve got to be kidding." I wince. "First Lola, now I’m your boss? My entire world changed in ten minutes."
“What do you mean?”
“I’m the new COO that they’re announcing this week. They’ve been tight-lipped about it.”
Yep, there is that other set of nerves that fears a looming disaster.
This can’t be happening.
I couldn't care less that the man has more figures in his bank account than I can imagine. But my daughter’s father, Julian’s good friend in our social circle, working in the same building? This is effed up to epic proportions. Too many coincidences to make it even possible, yet here we are.
I take a tiny step forward, but our closer proximity feels like a bolt of lightning strikes between us. And the crazy thing is that even in our current states, it feels anything but edged. For a brief second, it comes back to me.