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Thinking of Iris brought her face to his mind. He paused, an amused smile on his lips as he thought about her mismatched features. She was all angles and sharp lines mixed with soft lips and almond-shaped eyes. Nothing about her face should have gone together. It was like someone had mixed two different puzzles in the same box, yet Kane had found it difficult to look away from her. How she’d rapid-fire her thoughts on damn near anything yet immediately shut down when he danced too close to any serious topic was fascinating. Her face lit when she spoke of something she liked, her hands moving in the air so fast it was almost like she was acting out her words while her shock of auburn hair tumbled around her head. The red wasn’t real, as Kane had been able to see the faint line of dye on her forehead, but he found the color highlighted the misty gray-green of her cat-like eyes.
She was running from something, of that much he was sure. As an observer of people, Kane picked up on nuances that others might not. And Iris had instantly reminded him of a wounded animal, suspicious of the outside world and bristly when approached. Though he was certain a therapist would have something more to say about it, her vulnerability coated in armor spoke to the hero complex inside him. Although Kane wasn’t sure if it was a complex so much as an ego thing. Most men he knew had daydreams of being a hero in one scenario or another. It was why he wrote books, after all. If he couldn’t be a hero in real life, at least he could create worlds where he lived out all those daydreams. The feeling of failure that had plagued him since Alison had left him at the altar filled him once more.
Instinctively, he knew that he’d dodged a bullet. Alison wasn’t his soul mate, nor had it been the kind of love he wrote about in his stories. But at the same time, he’d grown comfortable with her, and she’d fitted neatly into his life. It was the sense of failure, though, that dogged him now. As a creative, he tended to be hard on himself and the work he produced. It didn’t matter how many rave reviews he received. If he allowed himself to read the bad ones, he would remember those words. With Alison, it didn’t matter how many times his friends had told him that she had been the one in the wrong or that it wasn’t his fault. He still couldn’t shake the feeling of defeat.
Plus, how was he supposed to write about love when he clearly knew nothing about it? Maybe that was the crux of his issue with his current manuscript. He was diving into new territory that he had been quite excited about when he’d pitched the concept. Now, he felt barefoot at the bottom of Mount Everest as he stared up at the unattainable peak.
A breeze kissed his cheeks, bringing with it the scent of the sea, and Kane inhaled deeply, nature settling the nerves that threatened to kick up. This felt right. Being here, at this moment, in this village that he’d often dreamed of, felt like the first step he’d made on the road to finding himself again. Kane returned to the cottage when his stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten since a hurried granola bar early that morning. Already, he felt calmer than he had in months.
Hopefully, Grace’s Cove would work her magic on him.
Chapter 5
“That is so not like you,” John’s voice exclaimed through the phone as Iris unpacked her bag. The apartment she rented was small but serviceable, and Iris found the space cozy and welcoming. While some people would have cringed at the narrow bathroom and shared bedroom and living space, Iris warmed to it. She hadn’t grown up with much and had lived well within her means for years now. Big houses and large spaces made her uncomfortable and increased her anxiety about having one more thing to take care of. With only one suitcase to unpack and her future uncertain, Iris appreciated the coziness of her quarters. A double bed was tucked neatly in a small alcove on one side of the room and made up with a thick woven quilt and plenty of plush pillows. At the foot of the bed sat an oversized loveseat in a soft turquoise material, and Iris imagined it would be a lovely spot to curl up with a book. Pretty curtains picked up the turquoise color in a brocade pattern and framed large windows that looked out over the busy harbor. Below, people wandered past on their way to dinner or clutching shopping bags from the market.
On the other side of the room, a small kitchenette was tucked next to the door, with a window that overlooked a walled courtyard that the residents could use. Iris wasn’t much of a cook, but the kitchen more than suited her needs with a small cooktop, a kettle for tea, and a toaster oven. Since it looked like the market was close by, she’d be able to make do with the small cabinets, as she wasn’t really a foodie anyway.
“I know,” Iris said. She finished putting her clothes away in the armoire, the only storage piece of furniture in the room, and plopped down on the loveseat. “I surprised myself at that. But my spirit guides promised me he was safe, and you know I’m trying to be better about listening to them.”
“Yes, but when I suggested you listen to them more, I wasn’t advising taking long car rides with random strangers in a foreign country,” John said.
“He was harmless. Plus, you know I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. I find that most people, given the chance, want to help you.” Iris furrowed her brow as her thoughts drifted to Warren. The pain came, sharp in her gut, his betrayal still fresh.
“And that’s what landed us in this mess, isn’t it?” John chided her gently, and Iris shrugged a shoulder. He wasn’t wrong.
“Thank you for taking care of me, John. You’re…” Iris’s voice caught as she thought about how lucky she was to have the type of friend who could wade into the middle of chaos and weather the storm with her.
“The best? Don’t I know it.” John laughed. “Plus, I got a date out of it.”
“Who? How?”
“I guess wearing gray sweatpants at your doorstep was a good choice. Some pictures ran in the press somewhere, and I was labeled a thirst trap. A few guys slid into my DMs and, well, one seems actually nice, and we’re going to dinner later.”
“I love this so much.” Iris cheered up immediately. “Like, seriously, I can’t wait to hear all the details. Where are you going for dinner?”
“Suzette’s. It’s meant to be the talk of the town. They do a surprise menu,” John said.
“Even cooler. Yay! I’m beyond delighted for you. And, as a woman, I’ll admit, gray sweatpants on a guy is hot. It’s just…yeah. Maybe we’ll have some silver linings out of this whole mess after all.” Iris sighed happily.
“You know, Iris…that’s one of my favorite things about you. No matter that your world is falling apart, you still always rejoice in happiness. I’ve always thought that was your best quality. You, well and truly, want other people to be happy. It’s what makes you so good at your job. I’ve gotten other readings, you know.” John lowered his voice conspiratorially.
“You haven’t!” Iris gasped, her hand on her chest. “You, too, have betrayed me!”
“Hey now, how am I supposed to understand your industry if I don’t try out other services? At least then, when you told me what you were up against with getting people to trust you or what some of your challenges were, I could better understand,” John explained. Iris could hear him running water in the background as he put on his tea.
“I’m not actually mad, John. It’s always good to get other opinions. I can only catch so much in my readings. Perhaps others can do better,” Iris said. She meant it, too. She certainly wasn’t all-knowing.
“Well, I can tell you there are a lot of hacks out there. I could see when someone was trying to get information from me or lead my questions so they could give me the answers they thought I wanted. But you don’t do that. You’re the real deal. I’m going to make it my mission to exonerate your reputation. Oh, and to squash Warren like the cockroach he is. I’ve got some ideas there, as well.”
“Have they found him?” Iris asked, pinching her nose. Someone laughed outside, the sound carrying through the slightly cracked window, and Iris wanted to be as carefree as the woman down below.
“Not that I’ve heard. He’s probably on a plane to South America right now.”
“Like he’d think that far ahead.” Iris sighed. Warren hadn’t been the brightest, which was another reason it stung that he’d pulled this stunt on her. Well, that and he’d singlehandedly ruined her reputation and destroyed her career. For a lousy twenty thousand dollars. If Iris had known he’d needed the money that badly, she would have given it to him simply to forego the mess she now found herself in. Some things were more important than money, and now Iris felt like a rudderless ship as she stared out at where the sun kissed the horizon.
“No, likely not. What did you see in that man again?”
“He chose me,” Iris said, hating how it made her sound. But it was the truth. Warren had chosen her when others had not. It was a lesson her mother had drilled into her for years. Being lonely was worse than being alone. So Iris had settled, content to be a part of a couple, and had staunchly avoided any deep self-reflection. Now, it seemed she’d have nothing but time for introspection, the thought of which was not particularly appealing at the moment. At the very least, maybe she would go out tonight to get the lay of the land.
