Page 35 of Secrets Along the Shore

His lopsided grin was apologetic. “If you’re on social media. And who took the last doughnut?”

“Sorry not sorry?” I retorted, taking an exaggerated bite and smiling as Alan feigned a look of disappointment.

“I don’t know! What’s going on, homies?” Elsie limped in, her aged, petite frame looked as if it’d blow away in a slight breeze, and I could see her scalp through her thinning permed hair dyed a weird ash blonde. “Tell me all the news.” Her voice had that elderly shake to it also.

“Nothing,” I said.

“Someone broke into her apartment last night,” Alan supplied.

“Leave the kid alone,” Toby groused.

Elsie’s eyes widened behind glasses that already magnified them twice their normal size. “For all that’s holy! Are you alright, honey?”

“I’m fine.” The attention was becoming uncomfortable.

“Don’t you go home tonight. You come stay with Harold and me. I have a spare room and my mother’s afghan collection is in there too, so it’s all comfy and cozy.”

I had a vision of being cuddled in a bed with piles of yarn on top of me. It wasn’t the worst idea. “I’m staying with my friend, Livia.”

“That’s good.” Elsie patted my arm.

Why was everyone always so touchy? I tried not to pull away.

“Gotta get going.” Toby winked. “You know you can call me day or night, right, kid?”

I nodded. But no, I hadn’t even thought of calling Toby. He was a co-worker—not a friend.

“Seriously, Noa. Next time, speed dial me. I’ll come bust someone.”

A little piece of the wall I’d built up against trusting people broke at that moment. Warmth filled me and saturated the fear that was still driving me this morning.

Alan lifted his finger and waved it at me as he followed Toby. “Me too! You’ve got a crew of guys here who’d wrestle an alligator for you.”

The door closed behind them, and I squeezed my eyes shut for a second to push back unwanted and unexpected tears. I was relieved that they had left and removed so much focus from me, but there was also an unfamiliar sense of comfort that these two men, who mere coworkers, were so protective of me.

Elsie sidled up next to me. “Sometimes the safest folks are the ones closest to you, dear.”

She left me standing in the middle of the break room, staring at an empty table and a now silent time clock.

Oh Elsie. The sweet naivete of old age. I swear. If she only knew how many times growing up in foster care that it was the people closest to me who were the most dangerous?—

I froze.

Closest to me.

A movement in my peripheral vision snagged my attention. I spun to my right.

Sophia was there.

Her fingers in her perpetualv.

The people closest to you . . .

The idea lit a new idea in me. One that I knew I needed to pursue. Locking eyes with Sophia as she stood motionless in the corner, I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it before. I sucked in a shuddering breath. I couldn’t wait either. I needed to act on this. I had to see Reuben. I had to find himnow.

CHAPTER

TEN