Page 135 of When the Smoke Clears

Jamie heads down the stairs, and Fitz steps past me, but he stops for a second and squeezes my shoulder. “I’m happy for you, man.”

Chapter Forty-Four

Everleigh

“Oh shit!” I roll off the sofa onto the floor, scrambling for my shoes and purse with one hand while reaching for my phone with my other. How did I get into such a deep sleep during my nappuccino that I didn’t hear the alarm I set?

In the next breath, I fly out the door and sprint two blocks to work. I’ve never been late. This is so embarrassing. It’s only twenty minutes, but I’m not the employee who runs late.

“Excuse me. Sorry. Excuse me,” I say, worming my way through the afternoon rush line.

“Everleigh.”

I stop and glance back. Did I hear my name? My gaze quickly glosses over the people in line. Then I turn and continue toward the counter.

“Dr. Reichart.”

I freeze. It’s Will’s voice, but it can’t be him. When I look over my shoulder, I do a double take at the tall man in a baseball cap, longer hair curling around his ears, beard thick and unkempt.

“Will? Why do you have a beard?”

He strokes it as if he’s forgotten he has one. “Why are you in Key West?”

“Everleigh, where have you been?” Alexandria, my boss, asks me.

“Uh.” I turn toward her. “I’m so sorry. It won’t happen again.” I squeeze around the corner to the back of the counter, place my handbag in a cubby, and don my lime-green apron.

As I package baked goods for Alexandria, my gaze occasionally wanders to Will moving up in the long line. He’s even more ruggedly handsome than he was the last time I saw him, and I didn’t think that was possible. How did he know where to find me? Surely this isn’t a coincidence.

“What can I get ya?” Alexandria says to Will when it’s his turn to order.

“A piece of key lime pie and a green tea.” He looks at me.

With a nervous smile, I tuck my chin and get his tea and pie.

“Is this line for the pies or for Everleigh?” Will asks Alexandria while glancing around the café.

She laughs. “Why would this line be for her?”

Will taps his credit card. “She’s a prodigy. Graduated college when she was twelve. Now she’s a renowned psychiatrist who has won awards and published over seventy-five papers. People come from miles and miles away to see her. They wait for months because she’s the very best at what she does.”

How does he know how many papers I’ve published?

Alexandria snorts. “Who are you? Is this some spoof thing for TikTok?”

“You don’t believe me?” Will slides his wallet back into his pocket.

“No, honey. Sorry. Everleigh was late returning from lunch. I don’t think that’s prodigy behavior.”

I roll my lips together and shrug when he looks at me.

“What time are you off?” he asks.

I glance at my watch. “In three hours.”

“Okay. I’ll be right there waiting.” He nods toward the last café table available by the front window.

“You’re going to wait three hours for me?”