Page 10 of Shades of You

I snorted. I had plenty of complications and could hardly remember a time when my life had been without them. Evan and I had had some tentative interactions. As much as I missed the brother I’d idolized, I couldn’t blame him for hating me and finding it hard to trust me.

I felt the same damn way.

After another plaintive cry, I setThe Odysseyaside and pushed to my feet. I crossed the cement ground and openedthe door, staring down. Pedro called out to me, his four white socks almost glowing in the dark space. My gaze widened to take in the dark stairwell behind him. It couldn’t have been easy for him to jump up all those stairs. The kitten squeaked another meow at me, a tiny sound in a cavernous space.

A small creature who had also been displaced. Removed from everything he’d known.

“Dammit, Stella.”

I lifted him into my arms and returned to the lounger. Now purring happily, he curled up on my abdomen, digging his daggers in nicely in the process. My fingers moved rhythmically through Pedro’s fur, the soft vibrations of his purr comforting against me. And inevitably, my mind turned to Brenna and her mane of hair that made me want to bury my face in it and just inhale.

The wildcard was her ex, Knox. Was he a disgruntled afterthought who’d had too much to drink? Or was he serious about making sure he and Brenna got back together? I’d worked some domestic abuse situations and a few stalker cases. Enough not to take Knox lightly, though Brenna hadn’t seemed overly scared.

And then there was me. The guy who’d been too late more than once, and I still remembered the weight of failure. The first was with Brenna, and she didn’t even know about it.

And the other time…

No, I refused to let my mind go back there. Pedro shifted position, as if sensing my mental walls flying up. With a long, cleansing exhale, I gazed up at the stars, the pinpricks of light offering silent reassurance. They’d witnessed eons of human struggle and triumph, and yet they endured, burning steadily in the vast darkness.

That first meeting with Brenna hadn’t gone how either of us had expected. She certainly hadn’t anticipated Knox’s visit. But something had been forged by me in those minutes.

Concern. A need to protect.

Maybe Knox would never show his face again, and we could go back to our tentative connections over much-loved books. But if Brenna needed help, I would be the sentinel between her and whatever threats might come creeping from the shadows. Because some things, some people, were worth fighting for. Even when the battle was waged silently under a blanket of stars.

Chapter Five

Brenna

As I meanderedthrough the stalls of the weekly Dove Key farmer’s market, the air buzzed with haggling and laughter. The scent of fresh produce mingled with the sea’s saltiness that always seemed to linger in town. I basked in the vibrant tableau spread before me—crates brimming with plump tomatoes, hand-stitched quilts waving in the gentle breeze, jars of artisan honey glistening like captured sunlight.

I hadn’t heard anything further from the two men who had wandered into my shop earlier in the week. And that time had given me some perspective, putting my mind at ease. Knox’s silence indicated he had gotten the message we were through. And though he had irritated and embarrassed me, I’d never felt threatened by him. Hunter was the huge unknown—shockingly attractive but possibly dangerous.

“Nice morning, isn’t it?” someone said from behind me.

At the sound of Knox’s voice, I fought off the urge to groan.

So much for getting the message.

I turned to find him standing there, looking out of place among the laid-back hustle of the market. His hair was neater than a few days ago and his clothes were pressed and clean. He stood erect, a certain confidence in the set of his shoulders, but his eyes betrayed him. They fixed on me with a glimmer of despair, like a man clinging to the edge of a cliff and trying to appear casual about it.

“Knox. This is a surprise. What are you doing here?”

He cleared his throat as he shifted his weight. “I’m sorry about the other day. Can we talk?”

Well, at least he’s apologizing.

I narrowed my eyes at the idea of him showing up at the farmer’s market, of all places. “Did you follow me here?”

His jaw tightened, but he held my gaze. “No. I was driving by and saw your parked car. We need to talk, babe. Let’s find someplace a little more private, okay?”

I noted the curious glances from a nearby vendor. My heart beat a staccato rhythm against my ribcage. Knox had never been one for public scenes, and he’d never been violent. And if he was making the effort to clean up, maybe I ought to encourage that by listening.

“Sure,” I replied, curiosity piqued despite my misgivings.

We wove through the crowd, the smell of fresh bread and ripe pineapple fading as we headed down a cozy alley that ran between a whitewashed taffy store and boutique. The noise from the market dulled to a murmur.

“Look, Brenna.” Knox’s voice was low and intimate in the seclusion of the alley. “I know things haven’t been… great between us.”

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