table.
“We must win that vote. I cannot bear the thought of looking at his self-satisfied face if we lose. So, what’s on the agenda this evening?”
I realized my mouth was hanging open and closed it. It was a bit rich for Eleanor to call someone else out for their arrogance, but I definitely wasn’t going to point it out. I liked my limbs attached to my body, thank you very much.
Tom looked a bit stunned at Eleanor’s diatribe, but he recovered quickly, shaking his head and pulling a folder out of his briefcase.
“I thought we could go over the status of the petition, and look at our calendar of events for the month. I won’t be able to be here as much as I’d like, but as I was just saying to Julian, I did manage to hire someone to keep an eye on the beach, and he can be a liaison between your committee and me.”
“Is he an islander?” Eleanor frowned. “You know how I feel about mainlanders. There’s no way they can understand the value of—”
“He grew up here,” Tom interrupted smoothly. Probably afraid of Eleanor starting another five minute tirade. I didn’t blame him. “He moved back recently. And I asked him to come tonight, so—ah, speak of the devil. That’s probably him now.”
Footsteps echoed down the hall behind me. Tom beamed an expectant smile at the door, and I turned around, wondering if I would recognize the person he’d hired.
The door opened, and for the second time in under a minute, my jaw dropped open.
Connor Murphy stepped into the conference room.
5
Connor
Julian stared at me.
To be fair, I stared at him, too.
It was impossible not to. I hadn’t seen him in years, but I’d felt his absence like an out of town guest who camps out in your living room and leaves shoes and memories scattered around your house. You have to step carefully so you don’t bang your shins.
I’d been tripping over Julian’s ghost for so long it felt like he was a part of me, like a tattoo, or a tumor. And now here he was. How was I not supposed to stare?
He looked the same and he looked different. Ten years will do that to a person, I guess.
Same dark brown eyes with a warmth you could feel when you looked into them. Same black hair, cut just long enough to hint at its natural waves. Sensitive eyebrows, long straight nose, soft lips parted in a silent ‘O’ of surprise, a chin that came to a boyish point.
His eyes used to crinkle at the corners when he laughed. Did they still do that? Seeing him triggered a cascade of memories, but the longer I looked, the more the differences came to the fore.
Julian was older, obviously. I could see a hint of stubble forming on his cheeks, a seven o’clock shadow after a long day. Was he taller? I couldn’t tell, with him sitting down. But his body had lost some of the whiplike slimness he’d had as a teenager. His shoulders were broader, and he didn’t carry himself like he was hoping nobody would notice him anymore. I even caught sight of a few gray hairs threading through the black at his temples, which only served to make him more mouth-watering.
I felt like a horse had kicked me in the chest. What the hell was Julian doing here? For that matter, what was Eleanor doing sitting across the table?
“Having a private meeting,” Eleanor said in clipped tones, which was when I realized I’d spoken aloud. “What on earth are you doing here?”
“I’m—” I looked at Tom in confusion. “Did I get the time wrong?”
“Not at all, not at all.” Tom smiled broadly. “You’re in the right place.” He glanced between me and Eleanor. “I take it you two know each other?”
“Connor is my grandson,” Eleanor said, her smile thin and sharp as a razor.
“Your grandson!” Tom was equal parts shocked and delighted. “What a surprise. Well, I imagine this will make work easier all around. I couldn’t have asked for better news.” He grinned at Eleanor. “Did you know Connor was coming and not mention it? Wanted to see me look flabbergasted?”
Eleanor raised a single eyebrow. “I didn’t know my grandson was coming at all. He’s not the most communicative of boys.”
My eyes narrowed. I didn’t know if it was on purpose or just the way she talked about everyone, but she made me sound like I was still fourteen years old. Julian,