Page 45 of Somehow You Knew

“Who’s that for?”

Axel hovers over my shoulder as I finish a sketch for a client that’s coming in later tonight.

“The guy’s name is Tucker.”

“Ah, yeah. Harold’s boy. Didn’t know he was in town.”

I shade in the branches of the tree he asked me to design, a symbol of his growing family. “Oh, he doesn’t live here?”

Axel shakes his head, leaning his forearms against the top of my desk. “Last I heard, he was in West Virginia with his wife and kids, but Harold is turning seventy this week, so Tucker must be here for the occasion.”

I try not to focus on the fact that everyone in this small town seems to know everything about each other and, instead, dial in on the finishing touches of this design.

Axel nods toward the trunk of the tree. “Now the dartboard on the trunk makes sense. Harold is always playing darts with Baron and Thompson at Catch & Release.”

“That’s Dallas’s restaurant, right?”

“Yup. I figured you’d know that place pretty well by now.”

Shaking my head, I pick up the brown pencil and darken a few branches. “Haven’t been there yet, actually.”

“Really? Aren’t you married to his sister?”

Fuck. I was hoping to avoid this topic a little longer.

I set down my pencil and twist to face my new boss. I’ve been working at CC Ink for three weeks now, and except for the occasional small talk, Axel has left me alone. I’ve had several walk-in clients leave happy, and I’ve paid my booth rent on time. We never got into specifics about why I needed a job, but I guess word’s finally spread about the youngest Sheppard sibling tying the knot.

“I am.”

Axel crosses his arms over his chest. “Then I figured you’d have enjoyed the family discount ten times over by now.”

The truth is, ever since the birthday party, I’ve been avoiding her family. That day did something to me, made me yearn for that life when I know it’s not a possibility. Big families are foreign to me, and meeting hers just confirmed that it’s better if I keep my distance. That way, it’ll be easier to say my goodbyes when the time comes.

I shrug, turning back to my design. “Just haven’t gotten around to it, I guess.”

“That Hazel is quite the catch. How’d you trick her into marrying you?” The teasing lilt in his voice is easy to detect, but something about those words makes my stomach turn, like she would need convincing to marry me.

Forcing a grin, I say, “She couldn’t resist the ink, Axel.”

His boisterous laughter echoes in the small room. “If I had a dollar for every jackass who’s come in here getting inked because he thought he’d attract more women.” Shaking his head, he says, “Hell, I could retire now instead of in a few years.”

I glance around the tattoo shop. It’s small, but honestly the perfect size for a town like Carrington Cove. I didn’t even know this shop existed until a year ago, but back then I never dreamed I’d actually be living here, needing a new place of employment. “How long have you owned this place?”

“Twenty years,” he says, running a hand through his short, gray hair. Axel is covered in tattoos himself, though time has softened the ink on his skin. “My wife’s been on me about trying to sell the place. She wants to travel, but there’s not much time for that when you own a business, you know?”

“No, I don’t,” I admit. “But I can imagine.”

Owning my own shop has always been the end goal, but the last place I would want to set up shop is Carrington Cove. I have clients and friends back in Orlando that I know would support me. That’s where my life is.

Definitely not here.

“I’ll find a buyer one of these days. The other guys here have no interest in being the boss, and regardless, I don’t trust them not to run this place into the ground.”

“I’m sure you’ll find someone,” I say, picking up my pencil again—half to get back to work, half to signal that I don’t want to be recruited as his retirement plan.

He claps me on the back. “Only time will tell. Well, I’ll let you get back to it. Make sure to lock up when you’re done.”

My appointment with Tucker is the last one for the day, which means I’m responsible for closing up the shop when I’m done.