Page 8
“I was sixteen, Sun. What did I know?”
“Well, for starters, you knew you loved Nick.”
Evie shook her head. “Like I said, I was young and clueless.” Looking away, she fixated on the lumbering puppet, his arrival imminent. “A lot’s changed since then. I’ve changed. I know what’s important now, what I want in a partner.”
“And that’s One-Kiss Caleb?”
Evie lifted her shoulders in a half-hearted shrug. “I’ve been too picky, chasing after some ideal that doesn’t exist.”
Sunita grimaced. “But Eves—”
“I’m lonely, Sun.”
Sunita opened her mouth to answer, but Evie jumped in first.
“I want what you have with Micah—someone by my side who loves me with his entire soul, ready to take on the world.” Evie fussed with her long hair as it tangled in the chilly wind. “I know being with Caleb sounds random, but he’s a good guy. Just got a promotion, too. He’s the new head teacher at Kirkwall Grammar.”
“So you’re saying he’s going places.”
“While staying put.” Evie braced herself as the gusts roared along Broad Street again. “That’s one thing we have in common: our fondness for Orkney.”
“Well, I guess you could do a lot worse.”
“Exactly.” Evie paused for a beat then pulled out her phone. “You know what, why make him wait?” Her thumbs flew over the screen.
Evie:
8 tomorrow sounds great.
She hit send and watched the swaying Viking on approach, its team of handlers fighting the gusts. “He’s pretty fun, eh?”
“He reminds me of the giant puppets they had in Liverpool a few years ago,” said Sunita, watching one of the performers raise and lower the Viking’s muscular arms. “Pretty awesome.”
A gentle buzz in Evie’s palm dipped her chin.
Caleb:
Perfect! See you there.
She lingered over the screen. “All confirmed. Dinner at Inga’s.”
“Mmm, nice!” Sunita’s smiley eyes skimmed right, watching the disintegrating grade school conga line before it veered onto Castle Street. “Do they still serve that amazing sea bass with chili butter?” She raised her voice over the marching band passing through.
“Yep. I’ll probably stick with their mac ’n’ cheese, something yummy but safe.” Hair flying in front of her face, Evie typed an extra Looking forward to it x then hesitated, a knot of uncertainty tightening her chest. No, too soon. She tapped the screen, deleting the x, and hit send.
Sunita’s roaming gaze narrowed. “Shhiit.” Her curse stretched along with her wince. “That’s not…”
“Not what?” Evie stuffed her phone in her jacket pocket and tracked Sunita’s stern glare where she clocked six feet one inch of square-jawed handsomeness on the corner of Castle and Broad. A sharp inhale lodged in her throat.
The trendy aviator sunglasses, the impeccable suit—bespoke, of course—and his dimple-framed grin, widening as he burst into the infectious laugh Evie had loved once upon a time. By his side, sharing in the hilarity, was a well-dressed, dark-haired woman she didn’t recognize.
But there was no mistaking Nick.
Her pulse pumped quick and heavy in her ears, drowning out the children’s carefree laughter and the fading notes of the marching pipe band. Teenage memories fizzed and strobed in her mind: seawater glittering on his bare chest; his mouth hungrily claiming hers; secrets revealed and promises spoken.
Then thirteen years ago, he vanished and broke them.
Despite her swallowing hard, the lump in Evie’s throat refused to budge. She couldn’t look away, lost to Nick’s flirty and familiar I-only-have-eyes-for-you body language and his adorable yet unsuccessful attempts to tame his wildly frolicking hair.
