Chapter 4
four
SKYLER
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” a pretty brunette shouts out as she rushes into the bar ten minutes later. Ayda is at the counter happily coloring a house with a red crayon. Her dog is lapping at a bowl of water I gave him, still standing guard over his little ward. The only time he’s let her out of his sight is when he decided to go around the counter to grab his toy rat.
“I’m so sorry,” the brunette continues. Wait, is this Ayda’s aunt? I frown, because I expected somebody more like Eileen. Somebody older and more… responsible. Not someone who looks like she’s my age or younger with her hair flying behind her, a t-shirt reading ‘please don’t make me do stuff’ printed across her chest. It’s knotted at her waist, revealing her perfectly toned stomach, and like me she’s wearing cut-offs.
She grabs Ayda, who still has a crayon in her stubby fist, and hugs her tight. “You monster, you were supposed to be in the grocery store. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
Ayda shrugs and goes back to her coloring.
“You must think I’m a terrible person,” the woman says, giving me a rueful smile. “I’m Autumn, by the way.” She holds out her hand and I shake it. “You must be Skyler. You’re the talk of the town.”
“In a good way, I hope.”
She wrinkles her nose, but is clearly too polite to tell me the truth.
“You can’t keep running off like this,” she tells Ayda. “Your dad will kill me. Do you want him to hire a full-time nanny?” she asks.
Ayda looks like she couldn’t give a damn.
Autumn takes a breath. “Honestly, I’m usually better at taking care of her than this. I just got distracted by a call from a client. They wanted me to check something and when I turned around she was gone. I’ve had half of Liberty out looking for her.” She looks around the bar. “Damn, this place looks sad.”
“It needs a bit of work,” I agree.
“And then you’re selling it, right?”
“I’m not sure,” I tell her, her question reminding me of Mr. Sexy-But-Angry from yesterday. “I’m still thinking about what to do.”
A smile pulls at her lips as she looks at me, and I realize just how pretty she is. “That would be amazing,” she says. “There aren’t enough women my age on the island. I’m so bored here. Do you know I even thought about joining the knitting circle? But they refused to let me in because I can’t knit.”
“Knitters can be very territorial,” I say solemnly and she laughs. Then she catches sight of my tattoo.
“That’s so pretty,” she says. “I’ve always wanted a tattoo. But my brothers would have a meltdown if I did.” She tips her head to the side, as though a thought has just occurred to her. “Maybe I should. Did it hurt?” she asks.
“Like hell,” I admit.
“And how about your lip piercing?” she asks, her eyes on my mouth.
“That didn’t hurt at all,” I say. “The tattoo took hours though. The worst part was needing to use the bathroom when he was doing the intricate parts.”
“You’ve put me off.” She ruffles Ayda’s hair. “Okay, miss, you’ve been bothering this nice lady long enough. We should head home.”
Ayda carries on coloring.
“You can take the book with if you’d like,” I tell the little girl. “I don’t really need it.”
Ayda slides off the stool, her little feet landing on the wooden floor with a thud. She has the book in her hands, but instead of heading out, she walks around the counter and opens the drawer, putting it back in.
“Honestly,” I tell her. “It’s yours.”
She shakes her head and I look at Autumn.
“She’s stubborn,” Autumn tells me. “Just like her dad. And she has plenty of coloring books at home, it’ll be fine.”
“Okay then.”
Autumn clasps her hands together. I notice a stunning engagement ring and gold band on her wedding finger. “Hey, would you like to… I don’t know… meet up some time?” she asks me. “We could get coffee or something.”
It’s weird, but I can see how much effort it’s taken for her to say that. Like she’s not used to asking.
“I’d like that,” I tell her truthfully. Because I’m already feeling pretty lonely too.
“Great. Let me take your number.” She pulls her phone out of her pocket. But before I can give her my number, the door to the bar flies open once more.
For an abandoned building, it sure gets a lot of unannounced visitors. I open my mouth to tell the interloper we’re closed until I see who it is.
The angry man from yesterday.
Looking stupidly sexy in a gray suit and blue shirt.
“I haven’t changed my mind,” I tell him, in case he’s here to rant about me selling the bar again. But instead of looking at me he strides straight toward where Autumn and Ayda are standing, scooping the little girl into his arms and hugging her tight.
“You got my message then,” Autumn says. “I was about to call you and tell you she’s safe.”
He’s actually shaking. I frown, realizing that he must be her dad. Autumn’s brother. Damn, well that puts an end to that friendship. “Of course I got your message,” he says, his voice low. “I came straight here.” He puts Ayda down and holds her at arm’s length. “Is she okay? Is she hurt?”
“She’s fine,” Autumn tells him. “Skyler’s been taking care of her.”
It’s like he’s only just realized I’m here. His gaze moves from Ayda to me. “You should have called me when she got here,” he says thickly.
It takes me a second to realize he’s talking to me. “What?” I frown. “How would I know who to call? She wouldn’t tell me who she is.”
“Of course she wouldn’t,” Autumn says, her voice soothing. “And it’s okay. Skyler went to Eileen. She messaged me.” Then a thought occurs to her. “Wait, you two know each other?” She looks from her brother to me.
“We met yesterday,” I say.
He lifts an annoyed brow at me. My heart starts to speed. I hate the way I react to him. Like I want to lick his face. Ugh, he’s so not my type.
And yet my body still isn’t getting the memo.
“You’re welcome,” I tell him. “It was a pleasure looking after your daughter.” Because seriously? He hasn’t even thanked me.
He lets out a long breath, his gaze not leaving my face. “Next time you’ll know to call me,” he says, taking his daughter’s hand. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
Autumn frowns. “Wait. I’ll take her home. You have meetings.”
“Not anymore,” he says brusquely. “I canceled them.”
From the surprised look on his sister’s face, I suspect that’s not something he does often. So he’s an angry, sexy workaholic. Definitely not my kind of guy.
“You didn’t need to do that,” Autumn tells him. “I got this. I just turned my back for a minute. She’s fine.”
His face softens as he looks at his sister, and a weird feeling of envy flashes through me. “It’s not your fault,” he tells her. “We both know what she’s like.” He tickles his daughter’s face and she laughs, then with the hound from hell behind them, he sweeps out of the bar, back through the door.
Wait. What? So it’s not Autumn’s fault, but somehow it’s mine for not being able to read his daughter’s mind and work out that he’s her dad? The envy is replaced by a strong sense of injustice. He didn’t even thank me.
Autumn screws her face up, as though she knows exactly what an ass her brother is. “I’m sorry. He’s not usually like this.”
“Yes he is,” I say and she actually laughs.
“He’s had a bad couple of days. Ayda’s not been sleeping well and…” she shuts up, as though she’s thought better of making excuses for him. “Okay, he is always like that. But I’m nice, I promise.”
I start to laugh, too. I like this woman. “I believe you,” I tell her. “I’m nothing like my sister, either.”
“Then we have lots in common.” She leans forward to hug me, taking me by surprise. “Thank you for taking care of my niece.”
“You’re welcome.”
“And here’s my number,” she says, passing me a card with Autumn Designs written across it. “Call me if you fancy having coffee and don’t hate me too much by association.”
As she walks out of the bar I notice she has the same strong, determined stride as her brother. Hopefully that’s all they have in common, because I get the feeling she might be my only friend on this island.
I take a deep breath, looking at the abandoned stuffed rat laying legs up at my feet.
“I guess we’re both staying for now,” I tell him. “But you might be more welcome here than I am.”