Page 1 of Fool Me Twice

Chapter one

Evie closed her eyes, savouring the warmth of the sinking sun’s last hurrah before it took its final bow and disappeared over the horizon. It would be back, she knew that, but it wouldn’t be the same. Nothing ever was.

Inhaling deeply, she cocooned herself in the familiarity. The restlessness that had plagued her lately, temporarily abated, calmed by the sounds and smells as familiar to her as her own name.

A rogue waved rushed against her legs, spattering the bottom of her new dress with sea-spray and foam. Hopping backwards, her wet feet caked in the course, dirty blonde sand that always reminded her of demerara sugar, she cursed her carelessness; now she’d have to find something else to wear to the party.

Growing up on the doorstep of one of the most beautiful bays in the whole of England, Evie knew how unpredictable the sea was. Even on a calm summer’s day, only a fool underestimated its capricious nature.

And Evie was no fool.

Not anymore.

Experience had taught her how to navigate the tides, the gentle swells and crashing waves. The ebb and flow, the highs and lows; she’d travelled them all and survived. A little bruised perhaps, somewhat older and, hopefully, a lot wiser.

But this was different. Sometimes she felt like she was floundering, like a tiny sea anemone clinging to the side of a rock pool at low tide.

And she couldn’t put her finger on the reason why.

Evie, already late after her last-minute change of outfit, hurried down the hallway toward the door at the far end. She let out a small chuckle. Surely, they all knew what a give-away a closed door was in her home, and was bound to rouse her suspicions that something was going on. The doors in Evie’s house were rarely closed. Everyone came and went like it was their own home, and they were always welcome.

Her natural warmth and ability to make even her newest clients feel like old friends was one of the things that made Evie’s business such a success. The health and wellness industry had been around for years, and was nothing new. There were probably hundreds of retreats and centres dotted all over the country catering to the busy lives and needs of their clients, but there was something very special about Poise, that kept its clients coming back time and time again.

Evie stopped to check her appearance in the hall mirror, quickly ruffling the choppy layers of her new pixie crop with her fingers. She’d been a little hesitant when Meg, her hairdresser, had suggested cutting a few extra inches off the length, claiming it would take twenty years off her, but by the time Meg had finished working her magic, Evie was thrilled with the result. Leaning in a little closer to the hall mirror, she touched her fingers to the fine lines around her eyes, stretching the skin slightly until they disappeared. She smiled at her reflection. Meg might be an amazing hairdresser, but she was clearly delusional if she thought Evie could pass for a twenty-two-year-old.

The sounds coming from the other side of the door reminded Evie just how late she was, and how long everyone had probably been waiting for her. Although spacious and airy, the family room could become hot during the summer despite the heat reflective glass used in the bi-folding doors running the length of the room, and she hoped that someone had had the good sense to open them.

Giving herself a final once over in the mirror, she turned and continued down the hallway toward the door. She paused briefly outside and took a deep breath before throwing it open and acting like the surprised birthday girl everyone thought she was.

Her son, Jaxon and his new bride, Anya, were the first to throw their arms around her and wish her a happy birthday, followed by the other guests, all offering their own birthday wishes and hugs.

Despite her convincing performance and fake gasps of surprise, Evie had known about the party. She’d found out weeks ago, that’s why she’d bought a new dress; the one that was now sitting at the bottom of her laundry basket. Jaxon was a terrible liar, always had been. Even as a child, he could never pull it off. He’d try his best, but eventually, the deception and half-truths, no matter how harmless, would get the better of him and he’d have to confess.

But she hadn’t wanted to let on that she knew and disappoint him after all the effort he and Anya had gone to, especially since they were both leaving soon. Jaxon was flying to Australia to re-join his band, Orpheus Rides the Subway, on their first major tour, and Anya was heading to Los Angeles to shoot an advert for the shampoo brand she promoted.

Once the sea of well-wishers had thinned, Evie caught her breath and reached for a glass of birthday punch supplied by Jaxon’s friend, Cy, who owned a local bar that was very popular with the surfing crowd during the summer months.

Evie gasped and spluttered when the burning liquid hit the back of her throat, numbing her tongue and tonsils. Cy gave her a thumb’s up sign and grinned broadly when he saw her face contort. She smiled back and held up the glass in salute, while making a mental note to stay away from the punch.

Scanning the room, she caught sight of her best friend, Reeva, who was being chatted up by Gaz, another of Jaxon’s friends. Evie rolled her eyes when she caught her friend’s eye. Gaz had a real thing for Reeva, despite her being several years his senior, and was always trying to get her to go out with him. But Reeva knew all about Gaz’s reputation as a player and loved watching him beg, claiming it was payback for all those girls whose hearts he’d broken with his silver tongue and come to bed eyes.

After offloading her glass of Cy’s lethal birthday punch, that she suspected was another of his home brew experiments, she headed toward the make-shift bar and helped herself to a glass of wine. She took a sip and sighed as she gazed around the room, delighted to see so many familiar faces, despite it being one of the busiest times for local businesses, and was grateful so many had made the effort to attend.

A calmness washed over her, an appreciation for everyone and everything she had in her life. Waverly Bay wasn’t just a place; it was a feeling, a sense of belonging. It was in her blood, part of her DNA, engrained in her soul, just like the millions of tiny beads of sand shimmering on the beach, or the craggy hills cradling the bay.

Not that she’d always felt that way. There was a time when she’d hated it, and couldn’t wait to escape the suffocation of life in a small town, but that was then. Now, she knew where her heart lay, knew where she belonged.

And she belonged in Waverly Bay.

Except, just lately, she’d been feeling a little off, unsettled, perhaps.

Her eyes found Jaxon across the room, his arm draped over Anya’s shoulders, and her chest tightened. Watching them together brought a lump to her throat. You didn’t need to be a genius to see how in love and happy they were together. But was it enough?

She loved Anya, she really did, but they were still so young, and she worried that perhaps they’d moved too fast. They’d only known each other a few weeks when Jaxon proposed. She remembered the exact date because it was the same day his band, ORTS’ debut single topped the charts.

As if sensing she was watching him, Jaxon looked up and smiled, and she thought her heart would burst with love. Anya raised her head and followed her husband’s gaze before beckoning to Evie to join their little group.

She’d barely put one foot in front of the other when she saw him. Her eyes locking onto his as he turned to see who Anya was waving at. Evie froze, stopping dead in her tracks, molten anger burning in the pit of her stomach, her heart racing. How dare he come into her home, today of all days? Who the hell did he think he was standing there, laughing and joking with her son and her friends like he belonged there? How dare he?

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