Page 28 of Shades of You (Calypso Key #4)
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Brenna
Siesta Sunset Resort resembled a painted postcard as I pulled into the sandy parking lot, the seafoam green buildings gleaming under the midday sun. Plumeria trees swayed in the breeze, and the salty tang of the ocean filled my lungs as I stepped into the humid air.
After climbing a few stairs leading to a light-blue building, I walked through the open-air lobby, my flip-flops echoing on the tile. Comfy furniture with bright floral cushions was clustered in cozy seating areas. At the front desk, Harper grinned and waved me over, her golden-brown curls bouncing.
“Hey, baby sis!” she chirped, leaning over the polished teak counter to wrap me in a tight hug. Her usual cloud of coconut-scented sunscreen enveloped me too. “What brings you around today?”
“Just wanted to say hi.” I shrugged, tracing the mosaic of sea glass embedded in the countertop. The truth was I wanted to know if the Dove Key rumor mill had kicked in yet. I trusted that Ben had kept quiet about Hunter and me, but after our PDAs on Main Street, I was curious to see how the old homestead received our new relationship.
“Uh-huh. Hi yourself.” Harper arched one shaped brow. “You sure there isn’t anything else you want to tell me? Like maybe about your love life?”
And there it is.
My stomach lurched. “What about my love life?”
“Missy’s cousin swore she spotted you locking lips with Hunter Markham the other night. At Rousseau’s, of all places.”
I groaned inwardly. Missy’s cousin had a bigger mouth than a grouper, but it had to come out sometime, right? I met Harper’s guarded gaze. “It’s true. Hunter and I are seeing each other.”
She deflated before me, and alarm flitted over her face. “Come on, Bren. Hunter Markham? That man is trouble with a capital T. I saw him running the other morning and could hardly believe my eyes. Sure, he’s hot as a habanero, but he’s been a complete mystery for years. And what we have heard isn’t good.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t believe everything you hear,” I shot back. “People change.”
“Sometimes. But he’s still a Markham.”
Frustration welled that I couldn’t deny that, even if I thought the point was stupid. “So what? He’s also one of the sweetest, kindest people I’ve ever known. And I’ve known him a long time.”
Harper folded her arms on the counter and leaned forward. “I don’t want to see you get hurt again, not after Knox?—”
“I know,” I cut her off tersely. The last thing I needed was a reminder. “But Hunter isn’t Knox.”
Harper pressed her lips together, looking me over with concern softening her eyes. “I just don’t want you getting in over your head. Look, I understand that the heart wants what it wants. But some risks aren’t worth taking.”
I suddenly felt like the walls of the lobby were closing in on me, the cheerful colors too bright, the shell-shaped lamps too glaring. Maybe Harper meant well, but I was a grown woman. I could sleep with whoever I damn well pleased. Even if that someone had a complicated past. Even if our families couldn’t stand each other.
I ran an agitated hand through my tresses, blowing out a heavy sigh. “Harper, I love you, but my love life is not up for public debate. The rumor mill in this town is utterly ridiculous.”
Harper’s brow lowered, and she reached out to touch my arm. “Hey, I’m not trying to meddle. I’m your sister, and I care about you. I just don’t want to see you make a mistake by getting involved with the wrong kind of guy. Again.”
I rolled my eyes toward the slowly rotating ceiling fan. “Hunter isn’t a mistake. He’s… different than what people think.” I wanted to tell her about the tenderness I’d seen beneath his rough exterior, the way his eyes saw deep inside me, but I bit my tongue. Those were private moments.
“I’m sure he has his good qualities,” Harper allowed. “But there are plenty of men in this town! Do you have to be with a Markham? You know the history.”
“Our history is just that. History.” An edge crept into my voice. “It doesn’t have to define the future. Or the present.”
“How can it not? The day a Markham met a Coleridge marked the very moment our fortunes changed. Theirs for the better, and ours for the worse.”
Sympathy made my heart clench tight. “I know. And I know you’re the one holding it all together and trying to keep the one part of Dove Key we’ve still got.”
“Siesta Sunset isn’t in danger of going under, but I won’t deny it’s a struggle.” She gave me a tired smile, then fiddled with the stack of welcome brochures on the desk. “I just don’t want to see you get caught in the middle of some generations-old feud. It’s not fair to you. And honestly, I’m not sure we can all just let bygones be bygones.”
Her cornflower blue eyes shined with love and worry, but that only increased my frustration. “I know you mean well. But you’ve got to trust that I can handle my own affairs, okay? Let me make my own choices.”
Harper stared at me for a long beat. “This might be a situation where we have to agree to disagree. But I’m your big sister, and I’ll always be here for you.” She came around the desk to wrap me in a fierce hug. “I love you. Even if your taste in men is highly questionable.”
“Love you too.” I pulled back and grasped her shoulders. “All I’m asking is for you to give him a chance.”
She eased out a long sigh. “I can’t promise that. Maybe I’m just being an overprotective big sister, but I’m worried you’re making a big mistake here. I’m even more worried that Hunter Markham is dangerous. Be careful, okay?”
“He’s not Knox. I already said that.”
Harper just stared at me. “I know he’s not. And that’s what scares me.” Then she glanced back at the counter. “I’d better get back to work. Keep me in the loop, okay?”
I promised I would and headed for the door, hardly seeing the familiar red-and-yellow Florida Keys mural as I passed. As much as Harper’s probing questions had set my teeth on edge, I knew they came from a place of love. But what now? I’d always suspected dating Hunter would cause waves with my family, but confronting the rollers was more daunting than I’d expected.
I skirted the edge of the resort pool, the overhead sun sending shimmering patterns on the surface. Laughter and conversation drifted from Braden’s bar, mingling with the splashing in the pool.
I had a sinking feeling this situation with Hunter would get messy before it got better. And as much as I wanted us all to get along, I couldn’t force anything. When I rounded the corner of the main building, I spotted Ben hunched over a flowerbed. His blue Siesta Sunset polo was dark with sweat between his shoulder blades. He glanced up as I approached, rising to his feet and swiping an arm across his brow.
“Hey, you.” He set aside his spade and pulled off his gardening gloves, giving me his full attention. The furrow between his brows deepened as he took in my expression. “Everything okay? You look a little… rattled.”
I blew out a breath, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind my ear. Leave it to my perceptive big brother to zero in on my unease. “Yeah, Harper just grilled me.”
Ben’s lips pressed into a thin line, and he nodded. “I didn’t tell her, by the way.”
That made my smile reappear, though it was tentative. “I know. It was the patented Dove Key rumor brigade.”
He leaned against his shovel like something out of an old painting. “I’d really hoped this thing between you and this guy would have run its course by now.”
And just like that, the smile fell off my face. “Well, it hasn’t. This isn’t some casual fling, Ben.”
“Great.” He scrubbed a hand over his face, then his blue eyes flashed. “I thought you had more sense than this.” I opened my mouth to respond, but he barreled on, his words tumbling out in an agitated rush. “Have you forgotten what happened with Gabe? The fight that landed me in jail? And Hunter’s got an even worse reputation than his brother.” His nostrils flared, the vein in his temple pulsing.
“That fight was several years ago, Ben. And look at how you’ve changed since then.” I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze head-on. “Who’s to say Hunter can’t do the same?”
Ben let out a humorless laugh and shook his head. “Leopards don’t change their spots. You’re playing with fire.”
I bristled at his dismissive tone, my nails biting into my palms. “That’s not fair. You don’t even know him.”
“I know his type.” Ben’s voice was hard, unyielding. “Reckless, volatile, secretive.”
My temper flared, and I drew myself up to my full height as I squared my shoulders. “Like you were, you mean? Before you got your shit together?”
Ben recoiled as if I’d slapped him, hurt flickering in his eyes. Regret twinged inside me, but I pushed on, determined to make him understand. “If you can turn over a new leaf, why is it so hard to believe Hunter might be trying to do the same? That he might be more than his reputation or his family name?”
Ben’s stony expression wavered—a crack in his armor. He looked away, and his throat worked as he swallowed. “I just… I don’t want to see you get hurt again. You’re my little sister, you know?”
My heart clenched at the raw concern in his tone even as frustration simmered under my skin. Why did our families’ feud have to taint every aspect of our lives? I took a deep breath and let the salty air fill my lungs. “I know you’re trying to protect me, and I love you for that. But I need you to hear me out. ”
He crossed his arms, his biceps straining against his sweat-dampened T-shirt. “I’m listening, Bren. But I can’t promise I’ll like what you have to say.”
“I know our history with the Markhams is… complicated,” I spoke slowly, choosing my words carefully. “But we can’t let the mistakes of the past define our future.”
Ben’s jaw clenched, a muscle ticking beneath his tanned skin. “It’s not that simple. There’s too much bad blood between us.”
“But what if it could be that simple?” I challenged, desperation edging into my tone. “What if we chose to see people for who they are, not just their last name?”
I reached out, grasping Ben’s work-roughened hand. “Hunter isn’t responsible for the choices his family made. And neither are we. We have a chance to break the cycle, to be better than the generations before us.”
Ben’s gaze dropped to our intertwined fingers. “I’d like to believe that. But…”
“No buts,” I cut in fiercely. “Forgiveness isn’t weakness. It’s strength. And holding onto this animosity is only hurting us in the end. I’m not asking you to forget the past. I’m asking you to help me build a better future. Can you do that?”
Ben’s broad shoulders slumped as he blew out a heavy sigh. When he met my gaze again, I saw a flicker of acceptance in his eyes. It looked like the first ray of sun after a hurricane. “I’ll try. For you.”
“That’s all I’m asking.” Hope unfurled in my chest like a sail catching wind. After squeezing his hand, I let my arm drop to my side. “We’ve got to start somewhere.”
“Just keep Gabe and me out of jail, okay?”
I laughed as we embraced, and I soaked in his familiar feel. Even during his bad times, Ben always stood up for me. Always watched out for me. As he returned to his landscaping, I marveled at the unexpected ally I’d found in my brother. I’d come here expecting to win over Harper and to attempt to reason with Ben. Yet the opposite had happened. He’d come so far from the lost, angry boy he’d once been, and pride swelled within me.
But Hunter and I weren’t on an easy path, and my family wasn’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat for him. And that made me damn worried. I hadn’t talked to my other brothers yet. What if my siblings couldn’t accept Hunter? What if my mother hated him when she came back home?
What then?
Closing my eyes, I conjured up memories of stolen moments with Hunter—dancing on the moonlit rooftop, his strong arms around me as we swayed to the music of the night. Lounging on my couch, my legs draped over his lap as we lost ourselves in the pages of our favorite books. The way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed. In those intimate moments, there were no family feuds, no painful pasts, no uncertain futures. Only the two of us.
And just like that, I needed to see him.
Driving away from Siesta Sunset, I headed toward Main Street. And Hunter. The drive passed in a blur as my mind reeled from the tense conversations I’d just had. When I pulled into the parking area behind KeyMark Security, I pushed the encounter with my family away.
I stepped into the building, where Hunter sat alone at his desk, his handsome face creased in concentration as he pored over paperwork. The sight of him, so diligent and focused, filled my heart with affection. And more.
At the sound of my footsteps, he glanced up and his face instantly brightened. “Hello, beautiful. This is a nice surprise.”
I didn’t speak as I crossed to him, needing his arms around me, to breathe in his familiar, comforting, and very male scent. With that unconscious grace, he stood and pulled me close, and his strong arms enveloped me. I melted into his embrace, tension draining from my shoulders.
His lips found mine in a sweet, soft kiss hello. Pressing my hand to his face, I drew it out, soaking in his nearness.
“Everything okay?” he murmured as he searched my face.
I nodded, not trusting my voice. How could I burden him with my family’s disapproval when we were still finding our footing as a couple? I needed to protect this precious, fragile thing blossoming between us.
Hunter brushed a thumb across my cheek. “I’ve been thinking… I told my siblings about us, and I want to introduce you. What do you say we take a trip to Calypso Key this weekend? I’ll work out something low-key and fun. No pressure.”
My heart stuttered. Meet his family? After the reception I’d gotten from Harper and Ben, the prospect filled me with equal parts longing and dread. Could I handle more skepticism about our relationship? Judgment over our families’ bitter history? Judgment about me?
But the hopeful gleam in Hunter’s big brown eyes melted my defenses. I couldn’t deny him, not when he was trying so hard to show how much I meant to him. So I pushed down the doubts churning in my stomach and plastered on a bright smile.
“I would love that,” I said brightly, praying my voice didn’t waver. “It’s gotta happen sometime, right?”
“Exactly. And don’t worry about meeting my family. I’ll be right there by your side.” Hunter sealed his declaration with a kiss, and I lost myself in the delicious slide of his mouth on mine, the soft rasp of his beard against my skin.
Even as desire coursed through my veins, unease lingered in the back of my mind. Given how my family had reacted—especially Harper, normally the reasonable, supportive one—how would Hunter’s siblings feel about seeing us as a couple? Could the Markham-Coleridge feud truly be laid to rest, or were we fooling ourselves by thinking we could overcome generations of resentment?
One bridge at a time .
For now, I’d focus on making a good impression, on proving that Hunter and I belonged together no matter what. If only I could silence the small, insistent voice in my head warning me that we were sailing into dangerous waters. And that maybe neither of us would make it back to shore unscathed.