Chapter 4 Eve #2
Eve found parking near the historic district, and they walked, taking it all in.
The air smelled like the ocean and something sweet, maybe roasting nuts from a vendor somewhere nearby.
People strolled past them, couples holding hands, families with children pointing at decorations, tourists snapping photos.
“This place is amazing,” Lila breathed, her eyes wide. “It feels like we stepped back in time.”
“It really does,” Eve agreed.
They walked another block before Lila suddenly stopped, pointing at a street vendor ahead. “Can we get a hot chocolate? Oh, and a hot dog from a street vendor?” Her voice held hope and mischief in equal measure. “Mom never allows me to get them in Los Angeles.”
Eve suppressed a shudder. “I’m not sure we should be eating from them anywhere in the world. And we just had lunch.”
Lila gave her a look. “You hardly ate yours. And you know I’m not big on spaghetti, that’s why I picked at mine. To be honest, I’m starving now.”
Eve had to admit she had the same problem. “No, I do not much like spaghetti either. But William was so keen for us to try the Inn’s authentic Italian spaghetti. Everything is made from scratch in the Inn’s kitchen.”
“Yeah, me too,” Lila said. “I didn’t want to burst his bubble and let him know I’m not a big pasta fan.”
“Your mother enjoyed it,” Eve pointed out. “It’s the first time I’ve seen her eat so well in days.”
“That is a good sign,” Lila said, already moving toward the vendor they had been walking toward. She stopped and turned back, her smile turning pleading. “Come on, Aunt Eve. We’re on holiday, so let’s live a little.”
“I’m afraid that we won’t live very long eating street vendor food,” Eve stated, though the smell of the hot dogs and cooking onions was making her mouth water despite her better judgment. “Okay, let’s do this.”
She ordered them hot dogs, loaded with onions, ketchup, and mustard. The vendor handed them over with a smile that suggested he’d heard every health concern in the book and didn’t care.
They started walking again, looking for the hot chocolate vendor Lila had spotted earlier.
“You have to try it,” Lila insisted, gesturing at Eve’s hot dog. “You can’t just carry it around.”
Eve laughed and lifted the hot dog to her mouth, not watching where she was going. Lila was laughing at something, pointing at Eve’s chin, and neither of them saw the man walking toward them, his attention on his phone.
The collision happened fast.
One second Eve was biting into the hot dog. The next, she slammed into a solid wall of muscle and stumbled backward, the hot dog flying from her hand. Her purse slipped from her shoulder. A phone clattered to the pavement. Lila bounced off to the side with a surprised yelp.
Strong hands grabbed Eve before she could land on the ground, steadying her with a firm, warm grip that sent a shock of awareness through her entire body.
“I’m so sorry,” Eve started at the exact moment the man said the same thing.
Their eyes met.
Hazel. No, green. No, both, shifting with the light, flecks of gold scattered through them like stars.
The world narrowed to those eyes, to the feeling of his hands on her arms, to the tingling sensation dancing across her palms where his hand had hers.
A zing of electricity shot up her arm.
“I was reading my phone and walking,” the man said, his voice low and slightly rough, like he didn’t use it often. “That was completely my fault.”
“I wasn’t looking where I was going either,” Eve managed, her brain scrambling to form coherent thoughts.
He was the most handsome man she had ever seen. Tall, broad-shouldered, with silver threading through dark hair. His face carried lines that spoke of years lived hard, but his eyes held warmth beneath the careful control.
He looked a little familiar, though Eve couldn’t place why.
“You have, uh...” The man pulled a napkin from his pocket and held it out to her. “You have some ketchup on your chin.”
His eyes dropped to the hot dogs on the ground, and his expression shifted to genuine dismay. “Oh no. I’m so sorry.”
Their eyes met again, and Eve felt heat flood her cheeks. She was fifty-seven years old and blushing like a teenager.
She swiped the napkin across her entire chin, probably smearing ketchup everywhere.
“It’s gone now, Aunt Eve,” Lila said from somewhere to her right, her voice filled with barely suppressed amusement.
Eve glanced at Lila, who stood with one eyebrow raised, clearly enjoying the show.
“Oh,” Eve said. “Thank you, honey.”
The man turned toward Lila, and something flashed across his face. Fast. So fast Eve almost missed it.
Shock. Recognition. The look you got when you saw someone you weren’t expecting to see, or hadn’t seen in a very long time.
Eve shook it off. The man was probably just embarrassed about plowing into her and a young girl.
“Are you okay?” he asked Lila, concern clear in his voice. He glanced at Eve. “Both of you. Are you both okay? My clumsiness didn’t hurt either of you, did it?”
“I’m fine,” Lila assured him. She looked pointedly at her ruined hot dog on the pavement. “Just hungry.”
She bent and scooped up both hot dogs, carrying them to the nearest trash can.
“Please, let me buy you another,” the man said. “It’s the least I can do.”
“Here,” Lila said, bending to scoop up Eve’s purse and his phone from where it had landed near the curb. She dusted it off and checked the screen. “It doesn’t seem cracked.”
The screensaver lit up as she turned it over, and her eyes widened. “You have the cryptographer screensavers?”
The man’s expression shifted to something almost shy. He finally released Eve’s hand, though the loss of contact left her feeling oddly cold. “Oh. Yes. I love puzzles.”
“Me too,” Lila said, her excitement genuine. “I want to be a cryptographer.”
The man’s smile softened. “Great career. Cryptographers work in cybersecurity, government intelligence, data protection, and financial systems. There is a huge demand for people who can create and break codes, especially given the growing digital security needs. Pattern recognition and mathematics are key, and it sounds like you have the mind for it.”
Lila beamed. “That’s exactly what I want to do.”
“I’m David,” the man said, his eyes narrowing slightly as Lila opened her mouth. “David Lawson.”
“I’m Lila, and this is my aunt, Eve Reynolds,” Lila said before Eve could introduce them properly. “We’re on holiday here and just arrived today from California.”
“Oh!” David’s eyes widened. “Wow. You’re from the other side of the country.”
“Yes,” Lila answered. “And you?”
“I’m born and bred in St. Augustine,” David told them, warmth filling his voice despite something guarded in his eyes. “I did move away for a couple of years but...” He gave a soft snort. “You know, they say home is where the heart is, and as it turns out, my heart has always been here.”
“From what I’ve seen so far,” Eve said, finding her voice again, “there’s nothing wrong with that. St. Augustine is gorgeous.”
“You’ve come at one of the most festive times of the year,” David said. “Now, can I buy you two ladies another hot dog?”
“No, it’s fine,” Eve told him. “We’ll get something back on Anastasia Island.”
“Oh, is that where you are staying?” David asked.
The words were out before Eve could stop them. “Yes, at the Christmas Inn.”
“A good choice,” David said, his tone carefully neutral.
“Oh, look, Aunt Eve,” Lila said suddenly, pointing across the road. “There’s Uncle William and Julie Christmas from the Inn.”
David didn’t turn to look, but Eve was certain she saw him stiffen. His shoulders went rigid for just a second when Lila mentioned William’s name. Eve told herself she was imagining things and probably still a little giddy from the impact.
David glanced at his wristwatch. “Oh goodness, is that the time?” He looked up, first at Eve, then at Lila. “Well, it was lovely meeting you both. I’m so sorry about the collision and sorry to sound rude, but I didn’t realize it was so late, and I have a job to get to.”
“Of course,” Eve said, stepping out of his way. “It was nice meeting you, too.”
“Maybe we’ll run into each other again,” David said, his eyes holding Eve’s for a beat longer than necessary.
“Maybe,” Eve said, unable to help the shy smile that curved her lips.
“Here,” David pulled a card from his pocket. “If you need a tour guide or want to take me up on that hot dog or pizza that I owe you.”
Eve took the card, her fingers brushing his for just a second. “Okay.”
“I’d better run,” David said. He nodded once to both of them, his gaze lingering on Lila for just a moment before he turned and walked away.
“Uncle William!” Lila called, her voice pulling Eve’s attention away.
Eve looked across the street where Lila was waving toward William and Julie. They spotted them immediately, their faces lighting with surprise and pleasure as they waved back.
Eve turned to look at David one more time.
He was gone.
Vanished.
Eve frowned, scanning the street. It was a straight road with no side streets for at least another block. Storefronts lined both sides, their windows bright with displays. People walked in both directions, but none of them were David Lawson.
He had disappeared like he had walked through some invisible portal.
Eve glanced down at the card in her hand, then slipped it into her pocket. It had been a long, long time since she had been bowled over by someone both physically and emotionally. She could still feel the tingle where his hand had held hers for far longer than necessary.
“Are you okay?” Julie asked as she and William reached them, slightly out of breath from hurrying across the street. Julie glanced in the direction Eve had been looking. “Are you looking for someone?”
“What?” Eve asked, feeling a little bewildered. She shook her head and pulled herself together. “Oh, no. Just admiring how beautiful the city looks, and I can’t wait to see it all lit up at night.”