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I bit my lip, considering. “Enough about my love life. Let’s get back to the theft. Ben Coleridge works on the landscaping crew that’s doing the grounds update. It’s an awful big coincidence that he shows up and shit starts turning up missing, isn’t it?”
“Ben, huh?” The protective edge returned to his voice. “Don’t go playing detective, Stella. And for God’s sake, don’t confront him. Do you even have proof he’s involved?”
“Well, no. But he’s such a snarly shit.” I’d come across him on my run the other day as he dug a trench. He’d barely stopped to acknowledge me, his eyes going hard as I gave him a cool nod.
Hunter’s sigh came through the phone. “Being an asshole isn’t a crime, or else I’d be in jail. This isn’t exactly your territory, you know. I can come down, poke around a little.”
We both knew Hunter’s suggestion was more than just a casual visit to see family and sightsee. With his background in military Special Forces and current private security work, he’d know exactly what to look for.
“That might not be a bad idea.” I rolled my shoulders, the weight of both issues bearing down on me. The conversation left me with a mix of relief and worry—not just about the thefts, but about the possibility of letting Aiden back into my heart. “We’ll talk about it some more. I need to head back to the kitchen.”
“Anytime. Stay safe, okay?”
“Always do.”
I hung up, my resolve hardening. Ben Coleridge was the worst apple in a bad bunch. Who knew, maybe he had a grudge against me. The thefts hadn’t started until I took over as head chef. As for Aiden… well, that was a storm I’d navigate when the skies inevitably opened up.
The following afternoon, I shaded my eyes with my hand as I wandered down the path toward the restaurant. Shark Bait was entering the canal after the morning dive trip, and Maia tossed a line to Gabe, where he tied it around a cleat on the dock. The sight brought on a pang of longing inside me. Like my other siblings, I’d grown up on the water and been certified to dive as a teen. It was practically the family pastime, but I hadn’t been diving in far too long.
Though if Hunter came around more, that might change. Evan accepted that he couldn’t dive anymore and didn’t resent any of us who did. But I was under no delusions that his easygoing attitude would extend to Hunter, who had caused the diving accident that left Evan paralyzed. They’d only been nineteen and eighteen that day they dove the shipwreck the Benson, and things had gone horribly wrong. Evan’s body had mended over the years, but only over the past few months had he been willing to speak with his little brother. And though Hunter also carried deep scars from that day, they were on the inside. Hunter had planned on a fun adventure that day, not a trauma that would derail both their lives.
But I didn’t have time for diving right now anyway. I turned my gaze away and skirted the lobby on my way to Orchid to start my shift. My mind should have been on my prep work, but it was cluttered with the thefts—those missing lanterns had tipped me over the edge. Ahead, the landscaping crew was busy planting a new palm tree, standing tall and expectant, its fronds still bound. And there he was, in the midst of it all.
Ben—his name alone was enough to raise the hackles on my neck.
Gabe had mentioned to me that he and Ben had recently had a conversation. Apparently, it hadn’t been an overly friendly one. But since neither of them ended up in jail this time, it had to be considered an improvement. Ben and Gabe had gotten in a bar fight when Gabe first moved back, and both had spent the night in the local lockup. I shook my head. Coleridges and Markhams were like bleach and ammonia—a very bad combination.
Hunter’s advice to stay out of the theft situation filtered through my mind, then I disregarded it. I’d never depended on a man to fight my battles, and I wasn’t about to start now.
“Ben!” I called out, striding toward him with purpose sharpening my every step.
He turned, his green shirt sticking to his back with sweat, hands covered in dirt. His normally light-brown hair was darker where sweat matted it to his head. Seeing me, his broad shoulders tightened, as did his jaw. I couldn’t deny he was a handsome guy. Too bad it was wasted on such an asshole.
“Stella.” The neutrality of his tone and light-blue eyes failed to mask the tension already coiling between us.
“So last night, I noticed that three of our antique lanterns were missing.” My voice was tight with accusation. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
“Huh?” His brows knotted together as he leaned on his shovel. “Why would I know anything about that?”
He was tall and I had to stare up at him, which only pissed me off more. “Because things have been missing for weeks. Ever since you started working on the grounds. Coincidence?”
“Yeah, Stella. Coincidence.”
I stepped closer. “I don’t believe you.”
Ben let the shovel drop to the ground and braced both hands on his hips. “Oh, I get it. You think because I’m a Coleridge, I’m automatically a thief?”
“Not just that. How many times have you been picked up for drunk and disorderly again?” I crossed my arms as my question hung heavy in the air, unspoken history coloring every syllable.
“Not for a while. Not since your brother picked a fight with me. I’m working this job to get a clean slate. Not to be hassled because of old news.” His voice rose, and the muscles in his neck tensed, cords standing out.
“Then who is it, Ben? Because someone’s stealing things around here, and I can’t just ignore it!”
“Look, I get it. You’re pissed off. But slinging mud at me without proof is low.”
“Low?” I echoed, incredulity lacing my retort. “I’ve known you practically my entire life, and I know what you’re capable of. What’s low is thinking you can walk onto this Key and not be held accountable.”
“Accountable for what?” His hands spread in a gesture of innocence—or perhaps defiance. “I’ve done nothing wrong, Stella. And I sure as hell don’t need your family breathing down my neck.”
