Page 40 of Sergeant O'
“Fuck, I’m not. I feel terrible that I was there and was part of that.”
“Don’t feel bad, Bri. You couldn’t have known. Besides, that night on the island alone taught me a lot about myself and what I’m made of. It turns out, I’m pretty tough and resilient.”
That knowledge came in handy ten years later, during my senior year of college.
“I already knew that. I just wish you hadn’t had to learn it that way.”
I mustered up a smile. “What doesn’t kill ya, right?”
“I guess…”
We sat in silence as I drove down Main Street, then he piped up. “Hey, can we swing into the bank? I want to get cash, so I don’t have to use my credit cards.”
“Why? Are they maxed out?”
He shot me a look, obviously offended as I turned into the parking lot. “No! Of course not. I just don’t want a paper trail of where we’re going, that way no one—including the media—will know where we are.”
“Unless they have a tracker on your truck.”
“I already had Adam look it over when he was checking my tire pressure.” He grinned like he was proud of himself for thinking of it.
“Do you think I can usemycredit card?”
“Yeah, as long as no one knows we’re together.”
I pulled into a spot closest to the entrance so he wouldn’t have to walk that far, then put the truck in park and shut it off.
“Well, that ship sailed when I called in to use my vacation time on such short notice. They would have told me no if I hadn’t said I was helping you.” I closed my eyes and murmured, “I can only imagine the rumors that are already flying.”
He reached for the door handle and waggled his eyebrows at me. “We could really give ’em something to talk about.”
I hopped out of the driver’s door and came around to help him.
“Whatever you’re thinking, Brian Michael O’Shaughnessy, the answer isno.”
His grin was wicked when he pulled a ballcap low on his head and replied, “I was hoping you’d say that.” He closed the door and added, “Jade Eleanor Beaumont.”
****
Brian
“How do you know my name?”
I shrugged. “How do you know mine?”
“I don’t know… I guess I’ve heard it said enough over the years.”
“Exactly. Why do you think I call you Sunshine?”
“Jade doesn’t mean ‘sunshine’—”
I cut her off. “Eleanor does. Well, it means ‘shining light’. Close enough.”
She seemed to be pondering how I knew that when I reached for her hand while we ambled inside the bank.
“You don’t mind if I lean on you for support, do you?”
We were walking slowly, and I was trying to keep my face angled so no one would recognize me. I had no idea if the people Angus moved from my street had left town or simply relocated.
