Playmaker - Jami Davenport Page 0,14
my boyfriend or just a lover. We’d never discussed being exclusive, yet I’d been, not sure about him. In my situation, a boyfriend wasn’t possible, but I didn’t want anything else.
“And last week?”
“I’m not sure, but I think he sent them.”
“Is he who you’re hiding from?”
“No, oh, God, no. I mean it’s not like that. I am hiding from him, but for his own good, not for mine.”
Mandy and Brody exchanged glances. I was being as clear as mud, and I knew it.
“What’s going on, exactly? Who are you running from?”
“I know things about someone, bad things, things that would help keep him locked up for a long time. I’m a problem for them, and they want me gone.” That was all I could say on the subject. I’d leave them to speculate on what bad things and who they were. “Kaden, the guy who was here, knows nothing about all this. I left and didn’t tell him where I was going, but he’s figured it out.”
Of course he had. Kaden was a smart guy, and I didn’t exactly make it hard for him to find me. Had I gone to this island on purpose? Or merely because it’d sounded like a safe place to hide?
“Are you in witness protection?” Brody finally spoke.
“No, not now. I’m responsible for my own protection. That’s all I can say. I’ve said too much as it is.” Tears were building up again, and Mandy handed me another tissue. I dabbed at my eyes.
“You have us, honey.” Mandy’s kind smile made my heart ache for friends I wasn’t allowed to have and friends I’d lost.
“I should leave. I don’t want to put either of you in jeopardy.”
“You’re not leaving.” Mandy’s voice was insistent, and Brody backed her up with a firm nod.
“I—” I didn’t want to leave, but I should.
“Promise us you’ll stay for now,” Mandy begged. “I don’t know what we’d do without you, especially with that wedding coming up.”
Ah, yes, the Schmidt wedding. The bride made most bridezillas look like angels, while the groom had agreed to the wedding to throw a big party afterward. Fiddler’s Cove had done a few smaller weddings in the past, but none of this scale and none this high-profile. There’d be upwards of a few hundred guests, and they were taking over almost every available room on the island.
“If you feel the need to leave, give us a chance to discuss it and assess the situation. We won’t stop you, but we’ll be a good sounding board. Can you make that promise?” Brody asked.
“I promise. I’ll stay at least until after the wedding.” I blinked back more tears and smiled at them. Not feeling so alone for the first time since I’d left Kaden.
Chapter Five
Moving on
~~Kaden~~
With a heavy heart, I returned to the cottage. Steele waited for me, ready to go shopping since we were out of the essentials—beer and chips. Steele might be a finicky bastard, but he didn’t cook for himself and ate whatever was on hand. He tried to eat healthy but didn’t always manage unless I was cooking. His cooking entailed boiling water for Top Ramen or mac and cheese. While Steele wasn’t a big drinker, he was a beer connoisseur, preferring microbrews and IPAs. I drank almost any beer that was put in front of me.
Steele’s gaze clouded with concern as he noted my glum expression, but he didn’t pry. At least, not yet. He wanted to get the shopping done. Food and beer first. Buddies second.
My roomie pushed the cart as I scanned the grocery store shelves. The selections were limited, but we didn’t have much choice short of taking the ferry to the mainland. At least our cottage on the cove was well stocked, though, with lots of spices, and I appreciated the locally sourced vegetables, meat, and other items. I was picky about my ingredients and only used organic, free of anything unnatural. I was weird like that. My roommates would eat anything thrown in front of them like a pack of wolves in a feeding frenzy. I’d taken it upon myself to make sure they ate healthy, at least when I was cooking.
Not that I didn’t fall into the bad-food gutter at times. I’d been known to eat pizza dripping with cheese and covered with greasy meat and fast food more than I cared to admit. My guy card was firmly intact.
I still don’t know how Steele managed to weasel the cottage we were staying in. That guy