Page 61 of Flirting With Forever
The risk to Gage was real and dangerous, and she had to get away from him before something terrible happened to him because of her.
The thought left her struggling to choke down the delicious Thanksgiving leftovers she’d claimed to want. They tasted like sawdust and cardboard and held the delicious flavor of unadulterated terror.
She had to leave. She had to wait until she could sneak off. But she had to leave. The sooner the better.
So her night with Gage had ended in a standoff. Gage kept insisting he could help if she’d open up to him while she sounded like a broken record stating there was nothing to be done. That it was just Noah being Noah and she was the one who had to decide. Another truth about an impossible situation.
But she wasn’t about to pit Gage against her family and their ties to people who made problems disappear without a trace.
On Black Friday, when the majority of the US was out shopping or purchasing from the comfort of their couch, the tourists spending Thanksgiving weekend in Carolina Cove were out and about in droves, keeping the rentals building blessedly busy, so much so she barely had time to think about anything but helping the next customer.
Cole worked as a driver for their more affluent clients, while Sloane spent the day renting chairs and umbrellas, golf carts and game boards—and jumping at every sound and movement, knowing Noah was undoubtedly somewhere nearby watching it all and wondering what it was about this life that was so much better than the one she’d had in Chicago.
Gage stuck close and reluctantly left her alone to handle things whenever customers paid the extra fee for delivery or set up. But Alec and Brooks were both on site, and she noticed that whenever Gage left to do a delivery, one of the other brothers made an appearance to lend a hand.
That was something she’d thought of this morning. The fact they hadn’t hired anyone to replace her so she could train them. Now it was too late. And a part of her hated that she’d leave Gage and Cole struggling again once she was gone.
The door opened as she restocked a shelf of sunscreen. It might be the tail end of November, but the sun was brutal today, and those who’d ignored the item for their Thanksgiving trip had already cleaned the shelf once.
“Not exactly your usual place to shop,” Noah drawled.
Sloane flinched, despite her attempt to remain unmoved. “I realized a long time ago that I don’t need that kind of stuff to be happy.” She placed the last four bottles on the shelf before facing him. “I don’t have time for you. Go away. I’m busy.”
Noah whistled softly. “Look at you baring claws.”
She carried the now-empty box with her behind the counter and made a point of grabbing a box cutter from the drawer and flicking it open with a pointed look at her brother. “Alec is coming right back. You shouldn’t be here when he gets here.”
“Yes, I know all about your boyfriend’s family.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Nice try. But if that were true, then what’s the problem?”
“The problem? Seriously? Would you like being sold to the highest bidder?”
“You’re not being sold. Sloane, come on, you know how things work in families like ours. Every marriage is an alliance in one way or another. This is no different than that.”
“Maybe not but it doesn’t change the fact that I refuse to have any part of it. And— I can’t leave right now.” The words emerged before she could stop them, and while she hadn’t planned on uttering them at all, there they were.
Right. There.
Noah’s gaze narrowed on her, and she took a steadying breath. “I’ve heard your threats, okay? I’ve heard them. So just go home. I’ll— I’ll train the person they hire to replace me, and once that’s done, I’ll return to Chicago. On my own.”
Noah made a low mmm sound. “Nice try, baby sister. But none of us will fall for your game of hide-and-seek again.”
She leaned against the counter and used her frustration to break down the box for recycling. “It’s not a game. Maybe… Maybe you’re right. I am tired of running and—being threatened all the time,” she said with a wary glare at him. “Ever think of that?”
Noah put his hands in his pants pockets and strolled toward her as though he hadn’t a care in the world. “No one has threatened you.”
She lifted her chin and glared at him. “You threatened Gage.”
Noah shrugged. “He’s not you. And you claim he’s not a boyfriend. Besides, you can’t be serious about a guy like him.”
That statement drew her up short. “What’s that supposed to mean? He’s successful and hardworking. He’s a good man.”
“He’s a nobody.”
A huff left her chest along with a sarcastic chuckle. “You sound like Father.”
