Page 12 of Shades of You

“I don’t think he meant to hurt me,” I explained, wincing as I rotated my arm to show her the full extent of the bruise. “He looked shocked about it afterward.”

Harper’s hand covered mine on the table and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “If he’s dangerous?—”

“He’s not,” I cut in, almost too quickly. “Just frustrated. And we’re over now, truly.”

“Are you sure about that?”

I gave Harper a laugh, swallowing quickly at how shaky it sounded. “I’m sure. He told me I was a dumb bitch and then stormed away. We’re through for good.”

“Good riddance to the asshole,” she said firmly. “You know you can always count on me, right?”

After the server brought our iced teas, I smiled at Harper, grateful to have her. “Of course—that’s why I called you. I needed someone to vent to. I was definitely shaken up. But looking back, I’m pretty sure that little episode just put an exclamation point on our entire relationship.”

But when Harper gave me a relieved smile, a different image seared its way to the forefront of my thoughts—Hunter stepping in, his presence like a shield. In stark contrast to Knox, there had been a confident fluidity to Hunter’s movements, an ease with which he’d defused the tension. A protector in the guise of the town’s bad boy. A shiver ran through me at the memory, a war waging inside. I was drawn to him, undoubtedly. But there was caution there too.

If Hunter handles conflict like it’s second nature, does that make him more or less dangerous?

My thoughts circled the question, but I clamped down on them. This wasn’t the time or place, not with my sister across from me. She would balk at the idea of me getting entangled with a Markham. And after my traumatic breakup with Knox, a dangerously attractive man was the last thing I should be thinking about.

“Brenna?” Harper’s voice brought me back to the present.

“Sorry.” I shook off the thoughts of Hunter with a twitch of my lips. “Just… processing. Let’s eat.”

After we placed our lunch orders, I toyed with the edge of my napkin, lost in thought. The urge to reach out to April and Liv gnawed at me—they’d seen me through the worst after Knox and I split. Yet they were firmly on the Markham side, a line drawn so deep in the sand it might as well have been carved into stone. A sigh escaped me, the weight of old grudges heavy on my shoulders. “This war between us and the Markhams is so stupid.”

Harper’s eyes went wide as she held her glass of iced tea. “Where did that come from?”

I half-smiled, feeling a little foolish. “Oh. My mind wandered to my friends who helped after I broke up with Knox. April and Liv, who are both involved with Markhams. They understood, you know? But I still hesitate a little to reach out. This family feud is so… exhausting.”

Harper gave me a sympathetic look. “It’s hard to change generations of animosity. But you’re allowed to have friends wherever you please, you know.”

“Try telling that to the rest of our family,” I murmured. She was open-minded, and I didn’t doubt she was fine with me having friends on the other side of the divide. Butdating a Markham? Sleeping with one? Just the thought of seeing all those muscles I couldn’tnotnotice under Hunter’s shirt was enough to banish Knox from my mind forever.

We settled into our meals, and with each bite, the memory of Knox’s grip on my arm grew fainter. Too bad the bruise and soreness were growing stronger. But I pressed the encounter firmly away. The room around us buzzed with the easygoing rhythm of a small-town café, and I found myself relaxing despite the morning’s events.

Lunch passed in a blend of sisterly conversation and laughter, a soothing balm that enveloped me. But eventually, Harper glanced at her watch and sighed. “I need to pick Finn up from school, so I should get going. Then it’s back to the resort. We’ve had two housekeepers quit this week, and I’ve been filling in where I can.” As general manager of the resort and a single mother, Harper had her hands full.

“Yeah, I talked to Ben the other day. Sounds like he’s been helping a lot too.” I frowned, hating to see them all stretched so thin.

“Ah, we’ll manage.” Harper waved off my concern. “You stick to your books. I’m proud of how successful you’ve made that shop. Beaches are my battlefield, not yours.”

“I promise I’ll come by soon.” My smile returned, wholeheartedly this time. “Maybe Eli can take us diving.”

“Good luck finding a free slot.” Harper laughed as she stood up. “Our big brother is becoming quite the celebrity dive instructor in these parts.”

We hugged, a tight embrace that said everything words couldn’t. Then we parted ways in the parking lot, and I slowly strolled back to where my car was parked by the farmer’s market. The sky stretched out above me, a canopyof endless possibilities, but its brilliant azure mocked the turmoil within me. Mindlessly, I tapped a rhythm on the steering wheel as I drove home. A rhythm that soon morphed into the memory of Hunter’s steady presence when he’d stood so close. I shook my head, trying to dislodge the thought of him.

The animosity between our families had gone on too long. And here I was, caught in the middle and yearning for peace. Or perhaps something even more foolish. After parking behind my building, I entered the quiet space where solitude wrapped around me like a comforting shawl. My eyes were drawn to the spot where Hunter had stood, larger than life. Protective. Mysterious. Unpredictable.

What would happen next? I didn’t have the answer, but I was ready to find out.

Chapter Six

Hunter

The soundof kibble hitting the metal bowl echoed in my sparsely furnished apartment. Pedro looked up at me with those bright, inscrutable eyes before he padded over and nudged my leg with his head.

“What? You’re more interested in me than your food? Don’t get any ideas, furball,” I muttered even as I reached down to scratch behind his ears. Pedro responded with a rumbling vibration that seemed impossibly loud for such a small creature. With a sigh, I plopped onto the couch and let him climb into my lap. He curled up on my abdomen as I gave in and scratched under his chin.

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