“Benny Basil and Micky Mint,” she says, her eyes lighting up with laughter.
“Nice to meet you, Benny and Micky. I would shake your leaf, but my hands are tied up at the moment.” I hold my arms up with the boxes.
“Shake your leaf?” Her body shakes with laughter. “There’s never a dull moment with you.”
“Nor will there ever be,” I grin and follow her out the door, glad to have this place in her past where it belongs. If I have my way, she will never want for anything again.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LYLA
Ifinish putting away what little clothes I have and stick the few framed photos of my parents and me around the apartment. When I left, I took only what I could carry. I have a few reminders of my happier days with my parents before my dad died, and just the basic clothes I could grab.
I'm sure all the lavish clothes he bought me have been donated by now. I wasn’t about to wear anything that he gifted me. I managed to pawn all my,I’m sorry, jewelry, and it was enough to get my mom moved to a different facility and set up for a couple of months while I got settled here with a job.
Before I escaped, it took me a year of careful planning and tucking away what little money I could sneak without being noticed. As soon as I moved my mom, I made sure to remove his name from the visitor list and be contacted immediately if he made any moves to see her. So far, I haven’t heard from him, so I’m hoping he’s moved on.
I make sure to lock up before walking outside. I can’t help myself as I make my way across the deck, bypassing the pool to admire the view once more.
Grasping the railing, I take in the ocean before me. It’swarm today like any other day, but the breeze coming off the water makes the heat more bearable.
I’ve loved the ocean for as long as I can remember. We used to take vacations every summer, and my parents would have to bribe me to leave the beach for the day.
My hair blows gently, and I take a deep inhale of the salty air, feeling calmer in this moment than I have in a long time. I know I still have a lot of things to deal with, but for the first time, I see the light at the end of a very dark tunnel I’ve been walking through most of my life.
A six-foot-three, dark-haired man with grey eyes is at the center of it all. He’s come in out of nowhere and has completely shaken my life upside down in such a short amount of time. He’s stubborn and overly protective and always gets his way, but none of it scares me like it should.
Under all that is a guy who loves hard for the ones he cares about. I watched how he was with his family at the wedding. He would do anything for them, and somehow, I got in his line of sight. He’s determined to insert himself into my life and make it all better.
My biggest question is…would he still feel that way if he knew the whole story?
I can’t change my past…it’s part of who I am today, and there are unresolved matters that I will eventually have to deal with if I’m ever to be truly free.
I already know I’m in too deep with how I feel. Instead of dipping a toe in, I dove straight into the deep end without a life jacket and no way of knowing at the end of this if I’ll survive.
After all that I have gone through, all the pain that was emotionally and physically inflicted on me, I know without a doubt that the deeper he weaves his way into my heart, he has the ability to hurt me far worse than words or physical touch ever did just by walking away from me.
I take another deep breath and try to push the fear aside. For once, I’m in a place that is lighter, and I have days ahead to look forward to. I don’t want to cloud it with thewhat-ifs. I turn and walk back to the house to get ready for my busy afternoon.
Jake went to work and won’t be back until later this evening. I need to stop by Clara’s and see if I can borrow some of her old muffin tins. I have my first delivery tomorrow at Blue Haven Cafe, so I need to start making them this afternoon.
I take the van keys and head to the garage. I grin when I see the black van with their band logo printed on the side. I’ll have to look up some of their music later to learn more about Miles.
I laugh when I get in and see the inside. It’s a typical band van. The back has been transformed into a hangout area that could be used for sleeping. Wood flooring was installed, and two sofas line each side, facing each other. There is a small area for heating up food and a mini fridge. I notice fold-out beds above the couches for the long nights on the road.
It’s perfect, I grin. It will be a lot of fun cruising around with it. For now, all I need are some bins to keep the food secure while traveling.
I enter the quaint downtown area a short time later and roll down the window, wanting to take it all in. As I pass by, I take note of the Blue Haven Grocery Store, wanting to stop on my way home to make a nice dinner for Jake on my first day of work.
Slowing down, I seeInkedand Jake’s truck parked on the side of the building. I notice an ice cream shop and a florist next to Blue Haven Cafe. A few other restaurants line the streets, along with some boutiques and a coffee shop. It’s the perfect coastal town and immediately draws you into the small-town living.
A marina on the left docks several boats and gas pumps on the water. Directly across from it, I see Jake’s brother's business,Ryder’s Restores. It’s a beautiful building painted black with metal accents. Glass windows line the front, allowing people to peek inside when they walk by.
I see several exotic cars in the parking lot, and a group of people are standing and talking around them. I get a flash of auburn hair and wonder if it’s Eve.
I’m curious if Jake has said anything to his family about hiring me and letting me move in. They seem like the type that would immediately welcome me in. Just the little time I spent with them at the wedding and then meeting his mom, you can feel their love for one another. It’s the way all families should be.
I follow the road out of town and pull into Clara’s catering business thirty minutes later. Our next event isn’t for a couple of days, so most of the staff will be gone, but Clara is a workhorse and will undoubtedly be in the back working on something.
