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Penelope

“ M om! Stop!” Kai pushes my hands away as I try to fix the zipper on his jacket.

“If you wore the other one, it wouldn’t be giving me so much trouble.” This one always sticks. I swear the kid can’t fasten this one without getting it screwed up.

He huffs and I go back to fighting with the zipper. I pull hard on the stupid zipper, which blessedly releases the fabric behind it, and then I zip Kai up.

Now it’s time to get his skates on.

Great.

I crouch and look at them.

Umm, so, I have no idea how to put these on.

Do I take the rubber thing off the bottom? Do they lace up in a certain order?

These are the times I really wish I had a man in my life. Not that Kai’s father knew a damn thing about sports, but still.

“Need some help?” a deep voice asks from behind me. For a split second fear causes my body to lock up, but I force out a breath.

It’s fine. I’m fine. We’re all fine. It’s not him.

Breathe.

I clear my throat and continue trying to tie the skates. “We’ve got it, thank you, though. ”

“Are you sure? He’s going to break an ankle if you lace them like that.”

I turn to see who the stranger is and my stomach drops. It’s Miles Anderson, the incredibly good-looking high school principal we met when I registered Kai for school. He has a hoodie on with the sleeves pulled up to his forearms, a backward baseball hat, and a smile that could melt anyone.

However, it’s his eyes that do me in.

Why does he have to have the most arresting emerald eyes?

The first time we met I thought he was cute, but when he came into the coffee shop, I saw he was really attractive. I was a little worried I’d see him again and find him even better looking, but we haven’t run into each other—until now.

And yes, he is now past attractive and straight into being hot.

I remember he said something about laces, and I shake my head with a smile. “I planned to fix them. I was just trying to ... remember how.”

His deep, throaty laugh goes straight to my chest.

In the last six years, I haven’t found anyone attractive. I thought something broke inside me. My ex loved to accuse me of looking at other guys and raging at me for it. Since him, I’ve spent my life on the run, trying to escape my past and not looking for a man to fill my broken heart.

Which is exactly how it should stay.

Miles winks at me and turns to Kai. “Do you skate often?”

Kai shakes his head. “I’ve never skated before!”

“Never?”

He looks to me, a cheeky grin on his handsome face as he caught me in a lie.

“We skated once,” I say, trying to salvage this horrible encounter.

Miles squats beside me. “Do you mind if I help you, Kai?”

Kai shakes his head. “My mom really doesn’t know what to do. She had to watch videos at home to see what we needed.”

Great, outed by a six-year-old.

“Just two videos.”

Miles chuckles. “Well, there are a lot of good ones.”

“Clearly not about skates,” I admit.

Miles walks me through step by step, fixing Kai’s laces and showing where to make sure it’s tight before moving to the next foot. I pay close attention to the lesson and do everything I can not to watch him .

He doesn’t look like any school principal I’ve ever known. He’s tall, with brown hair just poking out the back of his hat. What is it about a man and hats? Some can really pull them off, and he definitely does.

Staring at him, cataloging his features, is a really bad idea. I do not need to find things that are attractive on him.

All that does is lead to stupid decisions.

So, yeah, I have not found men attractive since my ex.

Until now.

I wish I could explain what makes him different, but there’s this ease around him, as though he will protect anyone around him.

“Do the skates feel tight?” Miles asks my son.

“Yup!”

“Good.”

Another boy runs over and stands beside Miles. “I didn’t get to say it before, but I’m Coach Miles, and this guy here is my nephew, Ethan.”

“Hi, Ethan, I’m Kai,” my son says excitedly.

“Hey! Uncle Miles, are you ready now?” Ethan asks Miles.

“Not yet.”

“Aren’t you a teacher?” Kai asks Miles.

“I’m the principal of the high school, but I often go to the elementary school to check on this twerp”—Miles ruffles his nephew’s hair—“and help out there since the principal just had a baby.”

I smile when I see the obvious love he has for his nephew. “I’m not a twerp,” Ethan says.

“You’re worse, but I have to be nice, or your mother will never let me hear the end of it.”

Ethan grins. “I’ll tell her everything you say.”

“And I’ll go to the lake house and you’ll be without a coach,” he warns.

Ethan sighs heavily. “Fine. Hey, Kai, do you want to go meet the other kids? ”

Kai looks up at me. “Can I?”

I nod. “Go ahead.”

“Be on the ice in two minutes!” Miles yells after them before turning to me. “The things we do for the people we love. Do you have siblings?”

Not wanting to be rude, I force a smile and keep my demeanor friendly. “I have a brother.”

His eyes narrow just a tinge. “Older or younger?”

“He’s older.”

“Tell your brother we have a club and he’s welcome to join.”

I pull up a little straighter. “A club for what?”

“Older brothers with sisters who, no doubt, drive us bonkers,” Miles teases and then winks.

I laugh, shaking my head. “I’m pretty sure it’s the younger sisters who need the club. Let’s not pretend older brothers are easy to handle.”

He offers a wolfish smile and lifts both hands. “Me? I’m an angel. Ask anyone.”

I laugh. “Quinn would say the same.”

“Sounds like your brother is a smart man.”

“He’s something .”

My brother is a smart man, a former Navy SEAL, and my biggest protector. He’s who found Ember Falls and moved us here. He’s been the one keeping me and Kai safe since I left Chicago. As much as he loves me, he would also say I drive him crazy, but the feeling is mutual.

Quinn loved to get me into trouble when we were little.

Miles extends his hand. “We’ve met, but not officially. I’m Miles Anderson.”

I take his offered hand and shake it. “Penelope ... Walker.” I almost forgot and said Miller.

A few weeks ago we moved here to outrun my past, and when we assume new identities, it always takes time to remember the new last name. The one thing I’ve asked my brother is to always keep our first names the same. It’s way too hard to explain to Kai why his name would change.

“It’s nice to formally meet you. ”

His warm hand engulfs mine for a few seconds longer than normal, and I feel sparks in my belly. A warm sensation fills me and I pull my hand back, tucking my hair behind my ear as I try to hide the heat in my cheeks. “It is. And you’re coaching the team?” I ask, my voice shaking, and I hope he misses it.

He speaks and we start to walk toward the rink. “I’m filling in. This isn’t my normal gig. Ethan’s father, Doug, broke his leg and apparently was unwilling to try to coach ice hockey on crutches.”

I grin. “I can see why that would be an issue.”

“Right, you see it as a dereliction of duty too? A father should at least try for his son.”

“Well, I mean, sure.”

He smiles and my stomach clenches. Oh, I need to get a grip, and I definitely can’t be flirting.

I look down before meeting his gaze again.

“Are you settling into Ember Falls all right?” Miles asks.

“I think so. It’s only been a few weeks, but everyone has been really nice.”

Each person who comes into the coffee shop always makes a point to welcome me, tell me a little about them, and I swear everyone mentions a kid they know or have that would just love to meet Kai.

The last town we were in didn’t have that kind of feel. Everyone was nice enough, but no one talked to us unless they had to. In all honesty, I sort of liked it. When we had to pack up, I didn’t feel all that bad about it since I didn’t have any real connections.

“The town is filled with really kind people. We don’t have a lot of people moving in, so when we get some new blood, the sharks tend to circle. I promise, they’ll move onto annoying someone else soon.”

I smile. “Good to know.”

“So where are you from?” he asks as we walk toward the rink.

“North Carolina. What about you?”

It’s not a lie, it’s where I spent a lot of my childhood. My family owned a beach house in Corolla, and it has always felt like home. It’s actually the first place that I went to after leaving my ex. However, it wasn’t hard for the people after me to find me, since the house was in my name.

“I’m a born and bred Ember Fallsian. The only times I didn’t live here were when I left for college, and when I was a marine, but then I came back, and I have no intentions of leaving.”

I wish I could say the same. I really do like it here. The place is beautiful, with the mountains flanking the main area of town.

There’s one thing he said in there that piqued my interest. “You were a marine?”

Miles nods. “Once a marine—always a marine.”

I laugh because it’s something my brother would say. Before I can say anything, Ethan yells from the other side, impatience written all over his face.

“Uncle Miles! Come on! It’s time to skate!”

“You better go, six-year-old boys are very demanding.”

“Yes, and nothing says a fun summer day more than giving them a stick and telling them to skate around.”

I let out a soft laugh. “Good luck to you.”

He gives me a two-finger salute. “I’m going to need it.”

Yeah, he really is.

“Mom, did you see how good I did?” Kai asks, buzzing with excitement.

“I did. You were amazing.”

“I was! I hit the puck four times and got it in twice! I can skate good too.”

I won’t mention that there wasn’t a goalie. “I saw.”

He throws his gear down on the ground beside me. “I’m such a good hockey player, and Ethan wants to be on my team with me next practice. I love hockey, Mom.”

I love that he loves it, and that Quinn found us a town where there’s a league. It also works out that Hazel was able to give me time off during his practices. I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to find something flexible, but she’s truly wonderful and feels family should always come first.

“I’m glad, sweetheart.”

“Can we stay here for a long time?” Kai asks, and the hope in his voice makes my stomach ache.

Lying to him would be the easier thing. I’d give him the comfort of knowing he could have what he wanted, but I won’t do it. Living our life isn’t easy, and I have to be the one thing in his world that will always be honest, since almost nothing else is.

“We’ll stay for as long as we can,” I promise.

His face falls a little, but he nods. “I understand.”

I hate that I’ve disappointed him. Kai deserves to have people in his life for more than just a fleeting moment. He needs friends that he can play with, know, and grow with, and I worry that all I’ve done is what causes his anxiety, because each time he gets comfortable, we have to leave. I don’t want to keep him in a perpetual state of fear because that’s my job as his parent, but I also have to keep him, us, safe.

“Hey, what if we go get ice cream?” I try for a diversion tactic. Ice cream is always a win.

“Can I invite Ethan?”

My first instinct is to say no. The more we stay guarded, the easier it is to leave when we have to, but ... it could be days, months, or we could get to stay in Ember Falls forever. I just don’t know.

But for now, I’ll give him everything I want him to have in the hopes that this can be a place for him to stay longer.

I groan internally and nod. “Sure, honey.”

He’s running the other way before I can say another word. “Ethan! Do you want to come get ice cream?”

The two kids talk animatedly, and I see Ethan pleading with his uncle. He must agree, because the two boys jump up and down and then rush toward me, with Miles behind, carrying all the gear.

“Sorry, I said he could ask him and he took off,” I explain when Miles gets closer.

“No problem, I’m sure my sister will be absolutely overjoyed I’m returning him sugar filled.”

I smile. “Oh, I bet. Every mother just loves that.”

He winks. “It’s payback for my canceled trip.”

“You canceled a trip?”

“I did. I should be up in Michigan, enjoying the cooler weather with a pole in the water and a beer in my hand. ”

“Instead, you’re coaching hockey. At least there is a cooler climate involved, and you also have a stick, just not in water,” I say with a smirk.

“Yes, Eloise noted that as well.”

“Is that your sister?” I ask.

“It is. She’s my twin, and according to her, she’s two thousand or something months pregnant, and I broke her husband’s leg, therefore I’m required to fill in as a coach so Ethan still gets three days a week where he’s out of the house.”

“Wait, you broke your brother-in-law’s leg?”

He shakes his head. “Not like that. I had him play a game with me and he got hurt. She blames me since it’s easier. It’s fine, I’ll take her wrath if it means Doug will owe me later.”

We start to walk toward the car where the boys are standing. “I know you feel coerced to coach, but it’s really nice you’re doing this. Kai ... has had a hard time meeting kids, and this clinic was really important to him.”

“Then it’s worth it.”

“Not for your nephew’s sake?” I ask with a grin.

“That too, but ... I see a lot being a principal, and kids have a hard time settling into a town that’s pretty much been inhabited by its founders. I’m glad Kai can transition and that he hit it off with Ethan right away. My nephew knows everyone and he’ll show him the ropes,” Miles explains.

“Can I ride with Ethan?” Kai asks as I get to the car.

“No, honey. We’ll meet them there.”

There are certain things I just can’t do, and this is one. I need to know where he is and be able to get to him at a moment’s notice if Quinn calls and we have to leave quickly.

His face is crestfallen. “Okay.”

Miles steps in. “Hey, trust me, you don’t want to drive with me. Ask Ethan. It ruins your cool-kid status hanging out with the principal.”

“But Ethan said you were in the NHL!”

I turn to look at him, my eyes wide. “You were?”

Miles shakes his head. “No, I almost was, but I joined the marines instead. ”

“Really? My uncle Quinn was a Navy SEAL, and I’m going to be just like him.”

There goes not telling him about my brother’s job.

Miles’s eyes move to me and a brow lifts. “He was, huh?”

I shrug. “We don’t like to put that out there.”

“Of course, the SEALs are known for their humility.” I snort a laugh and look away. Yeah, humble is definitely not my brother and his friends. Miles returns his attention to Kai. “We’ll be right behind you guys, all right?”

Kai nods. “Okay.”

On the car ride to the ice-cream store, Kai goes on and on about Miles and Ethan and another boy named Sam. He tells me about how nice they are and how he can’t wait for practice this week.

The absolute joy emanating from him has my smile growing with each word. I pray that this time we can stay here. I know Quinn and his team are doing absolutely everything they can to erase any traces of us, but with the men hunting me, it’s a game of chicken on who is going to be better at hide-and-seek.

It’s exhausting and frustrating because I just want to live my damn life.

As soon as the car is in park in front of Sugar High, the little ice-cream shop, Kai is out the door and running to the entrance of the store, then waiting for Ethan.

Both Miles and I smile at each other as we meet up where the boys already went inside. “After you,” he says as he opens the door.

“Thank you.”

A teenager in her 1950s soda shoppe uniform smiles warmly at Miles. “Hi, Mr. Anderson!”

“Hello, Matilda,” he replies.

“Hi, Mr. A!” another kid calls out from the seating area.

“Grant.”

As we’re standing at the counter, an older woman I haven’t met before walks over to him and smiles. “Miles, how are Doug and Eloise? I was thinking about them the other day. Oh, and who is this?”

“Mrs. Hawkins, this is Penelope. She works over at Hazel’s store. ”

Her eyes widen slightly. “Oh! Hello! I’ve heard so much about you. Well, not so much. It’s just that us old ladies are a bunch of clucking hens that like to gossip. They said that you moved here and you have a son?” She looks over to where Ethan and Kai are standing.

“Yes, we came to town about three weeks ago.”

“Well, welcome to Ember Falls. I’ve lived here my whole life, and my daughter Andrea is a teacher at the elementary school. She’s usually a second-grade teacher, but she might be teaching first. Maybe she’ll have your son,” Mrs. Hawkins suggests.

“Maybe. Kai is entering first grade this year.”

“Oh, I hope he has her. She’s a gifted teacher. I know she’s my daughter and there’s a bit of bias there, but she genuinely loves these kids.”

“I hope so too, then.”

Kai’s kindergarten teacher was not the best last year. She got angry at his nervous tics and found constant things to criticize him on, which then made those things worse. The school resources were worn thin, and of my many talents, tutoring is not one.

Miles smiles warmly and tilts his head. “We better get the kids their ice cream before Ethan starts a revolution.”

She grins. “He’s so much of his mother.”

“That’s what I keep saying,” Miles says in agreement.

Miles places his hand on my lower back and leads me forward. “She’ll talk for days and always about Andrea. It’s best to have an escape plan at all times,” he whispers against my ear.

I fight back the shiver that runs down my spine at his closeness. God, he smells good. It’s woodsy with sandalwood and hints of amber and sage. It’s intoxicating.

I can’t be intoxicated.

No, I need to be sober.

What is wrong with me?

I clear my throat and step out of the bubble he created. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”

There’s a flash of something in his gaze, but it’s gone before I can name it. “I’ll try to warn you about the others.”

I smile. “I appreciate it. ”

I’ve already gotten a ton of advice from Hazel. She’s been so helpful in letting us know the area and who is who.

“You’ve already met the guys from the Disc Jocks, right?” Miles asks after we place the orders.

“I have.” Apparently Ultimate Frisbee is quite the sport in this town. There are four guys that play together: Miles, Everett, Lachlan, and Killian. Everett is Hazel’s best friend and comes in a lot to Prose & Perk to either have lunch with her or drink a ridiculous amount of coffee. “Lachlan and Everett the most.”

“Killian lives in Boston most of the time. You’ll see him a lot less.”

“Hazel mentioned that he has a big dating app business?” I ask, curious which one.

“He does.”

“That’s pretty cool.”

He laughs. “Yeah, except when he tries to make his friends sign up.”

We take the cones from a kid working behind the counter and head to the open booth at the front of the store.

“Can we sit outside?” Ethan asks.

“No way, it’s like a hundred degrees today,” Miles notes with a shake of his head.

“But we don’t want to sit with you,” Ethan says matter-of-factly.

I fight back a laugh, but Miles replies without missing a beat. “Good. You two sit over there, and I’ll hang out with Miss Penelope.”

Ethan nods, and he and Kai head to the other table. “And here I thought kids were only awful to their parents.”

Miles laughs once. “If only. I’m around Ethan a lot. My sister and I are pretty close, plus she’s married to my best friend. So, if I’m not at work or the field, I’m usually over at their house.”

“Do you have other siblings?”

“Nope, just Eloise. What about you?”

“Just my brother.”

“Ahh, yes, your Navy SEAL brother. You didn’t mention that before.”

I grin. “Former. He’s retired now.”

My cone starts to drip a little, and I quickly bring it to my mouth, taking a bit of ice cream away so it doesn’t make a mess. I hear a quick intake of air and look up to see Miles’s eyes wide as he watches me. I pull the cone away, realizing what exactly it looks like as I’m licking the cone.

Then he reaches out and wipes at my nose. “Sorry, you had some ice cream.”

“Oh, right. Thanks.” I smile and shake my head.

“So your brother is a former SEAL. Are you guys close?” Miles asks.

“We are. Even though we don’t live near each other, I talk to him frequently.” Although it’s not nearly as much as either of us want. Our conversations are always based on pertinent information or warnings. This is the first time that Quinn has placed us this close to him. Hopefully that means we’ll get to see each other more.

“That’s good. I called Eloise every week when I was deployed and stationed in Colorado. We’ve always been close. Our mother died when we were just four days old, so we lived with our gran after my father took off. Gran still lives in town. You’ll meet her, God help you.”

“Why God help me?”

“That woman is the reason meddling exists. She probably knows your entire life story already. You tell one person one thing, Donna knows within minutes. She’s like the mayor.”

I highly doubt she knows anything about my life story, since nothing is true, but Donna sounds like an amazing woman if she raised her grandkids.

“I’m sorry to hear about your mom and I can’t wait to meet Donna.”

Miles chuckles. “You’ll regret that last one, but thank you. Eloise and I were lucky to have my gran. She’s really the best. What about your parents?”

My parents cut me off when I got pregnant and they’ve never met Kai. No matter how much Quinn has tried to defend me to them, in their eyes, I’m a sinner who is unrepentant.

Never mind that my brother got his wife pregnant before they were married. That’s Quinn—he’s perfect to them .

But I don’t tell Miles any of that. Instead, I settle for a portion of the truth.

“My parents aren’t around since I had Kai, so ...”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Penelope.”

I shrug. “It’s fine. At least I have my brother and please, call me Penny.”

He smiles and I feel a flutter in my belly. “You mentioned you grew up in North Carolina, but Kai was talking about how you guys moved from Tennessee.”

Thankfully, that’s probably the only place that Kai can remember we’ve lived. When I first left Chicago, we went to North Carolina, then to California for about three months before there was something that alerted my brother he needed to move us again.

After, Quinn moved us to a small town in Oregon called Rose Canyon. I had about two years there, loved it, and then made the mistake of sending a photo to an old friend. She sent me a text two days later, telling me that my ex’s business partner offered her $250,000 for any information on me. She was broke and needed the money. So she sold us out, but she let me know once she had the money, so I could get out.

Jackson, my brother’s boss, was at the house in six hours, and we were gone. That’s when we went to Texas, which I hated, so Quinn moved me to Tennessee. I stayed there for a year. It was fine, but ... somehow they found us again.

Now we’re here and I have no idea how long we’ll have before it’s time to run again.

“Yeah, we were there for about a year.”

“What did you do there?”

I know he’s only being polite and making conversation since we’re stuck at a table together, but a part of me can’t help but wonder ...

What if he knows who I am?

What if he’s not who he says he is?

Rationally, I know this sounds ridiculous. I mean, he’s from Ember Falls. He grew up here. His family is here. He’s a freaking high school principal and isn’t in the same business Edward was.

I know this.

However, I trust nothing .

“Worked, mainly.”

“Ahh, so you’re a traveling barista?” he jokes before taking a bite of his ice cream.

I laugh and do the same. I opt to lean back into our cover story and the things Quinn has laid out for me. Stick to the script.

“No, I gave up the rat race to come to a small town where I could focus on what matters—Kai.”

“There’s a rat race for baristas in Tennessee?”

“You’d be surprised,” I say, looking away and hoping this will end the inquiry.

“I’m sure I would.”

“Mom! Mom! Can Ethan come over to our house?” Kai asks with a hope I wish I didn’t have to squash.

“Not today, buddy. We have boxes everywhere, and I have to go to work soon.”

His face falls. “But . . .”

“Maybe in a few days, once we’re settled more and the house is more put together,” I say, trying for a consolation.

“Fine,” he says, clearly dejected.

Miles speaks up quickly. “Listen, Ethan isn’t going anywhere, and he’s going to stay with me whenever his mother goes into labor. Maybe we can have some meetups at the rink and other things I’m going to be doing to keep him from being super bored with his old uncle.”

I chuckle, but that seems to mollify Kai. “Really?”

Miles nods. “Absolutely. I think it’ll be fun ...”

But the way he looks at me at the end of it makes me wonder if he’s saying fun for Kai and Ethan or fun for him.