Page 30 of Shades of You (Calypso Key #4)

Chapter Thirty

Hunter

The jingle of Brenna’s keys mingled with the soft sounds of Bookshop in Paradise waking up. As I stood near the back door, I pocketed my phone after scrolling through the day’s itinerary. The biggest item was a new security system for a beachfront mansion. Around me, the bookshop unfurled its charm, shelves stocked with tales waiting to whisper secrets to whoever would listen. The air was rich with the scent of freshly brewed coffee and that unique perfume of new pages—a comforting aroma that somehow always managed to settle the restless parts of me.

“Leaving so soon?” Brenna’s voice was playful, dancing across the room to where I lingered.

“Got to pay the bills,” I replied. “Not all of us are lucky enough to be surrounded by stories all day.”

She moved closer with a sly grin. “Ah, but you forget… Where would stories come from without a little real-world excitement?”

In one fluid motion, I drew her into my arms and buried my nose in her soft hair. The scent of her tropical shampoo filled my senses but couldn’t distract me for long. I pulled away just enough to catch her gaze, hoping she didn’t notice the uneasiness that fluttered beneath my steady exterior.

“Excitement in my line of work is overrated. I’ll take a cup of your coffee to go, though.” I smirked, though it wasn’t the quality of the brew that weighed on my mind. I’d lain awake for much of last night while the cruise with my family ran through my head. Including my roaring desire, almost compulsion, to defend Brenna when I’d seen her talking to Evan and hadn’t known how he’d react. Fortunately, she’d given me that definitive nod, so I’d relaxed and let them be.

And what did that say about me?

All I’d wanted for years was to be close to Evan again. And a rush of protective energy had almost ruined everything. Evan hadn’t caused any problems, and Brenna hadn’t needed my protection. Which had led to hours of restlessness as I tried to figure out why she wanted to be with me.

Brenna’s laugh pulled me back to the present as she left my embrace to cross the floor. Her eyes sparkling with mischief, she unlocked the shop door and propped it open, beckoning the salty breeze. “Of course you want a cup. I make great coffee. One of these days, I’ll teach you my secret.”

“And will I get it before or after you introduce me to the rest of the Coleridge clan?” My question slipped out couched in jest, but it poked at the other tender spot I kept trying to ignore—the nagging fear that maybe I’d never fit into her world.

Her face became still as she paused across the room, her hands deftly straightening a display of local authors. “Soon. You know how important it is to me to move beyond all this strife. Which is why we need to be deliberate.”

“Sure.”

I poured myself a mug of coffee before leaning against the cool back wall. My phone chimed with a text, and I pulled it out to read the message from Garrett. But the words faded as my eyes became unfocused, the weight of my unvoiced worries pressing close. Brenna’s words were steel wrapped in velvet, and I wanted to believe them. But as the morning sun streamed through the open door, the tension inside me tightened. She and I wove a beautiful story together—her with her unwavering support, and me with my silent battles. If only I could shake the shadows of doubt long enough to fully step into the warmth.

Because that was something else that had kept me awake. What if this delay in meeting her family was a stalling tactic? What if Brenna agreed that I wasn’t what she needed, but she was working up to telling me? I shook my head slightly as I recalled our passionate night. If she was acting, she deserved an Academy Award.

Seeking distraction, I concentrated on my phone as Brenna opened a cardboard box of books and began stacking them on a shelf. Lost in a sea of texts from Myles and Garrett, I barely registered the familiar hum of the shop around me. It all blended into white noise as I leaned casually against the back wall. Until an unwelcome voice cut through my focus like a serrated knife.

“Hey, Brenna.”

I hadn’t heard that voice in a while, but I recognized it instantly. Every other sound around me disappeared as an icy shiver of déjà vu rocketed up my spine.

The voice was Knox’s.

I slid my phone into my pocket, and my spine stiffened. Easing off my heel, I moved closer, silent as a predator, though I stayed hidden behind a shelf lined with the latest romance bestsellers. My pulse hammered against my ribs, and each beat was a war drum as I weighed my options—whether to step out and confront him or hang back and observe. Marine training had never left me. It had seeped into my bones to become part of my DNA. I assessed angles, exits, and threats with clinical precision while a storm raged inside me.

Peering around the bookcase, I caught sight of him. Knox looked different—the kind of different that wasn’t just surface level. His hair was now cut short and neat, and he wore a crisp button-down shirt tucked into khakis. It was as if he’d shed his former self and stepped into someone new. I remembered my reaction last time. The raw, pulsing need to defend Brenna that had overtaken me, and I’d damn near turned the guy into a soprano. I was still fully capable of a repeat performance. Hell, part of me yearned for that.

Except things were different now. In many ways, I’d grown since that previous meeting. The shadows had retreated somewhat. Except for the biggest ones of all. Evan’s specter of forgiveness and the logical consequence of that—that Brenna deserved better than me.

“Knox!” Brenna bolted to her feet, her face slack as she stared at him.

“I wanted you to know that I’ve been staying with my cousin in Fort Myers. Getting clean, and I’m attending AA meetings.” Knox’s voice was clear and soft, almost unrecognizable from the slurred mumbles I remembered.

But if he made himself a threat, he was in serious trouble. I studied her carefully, noting her shock and alertness, but not seeing any fear. I’d observe for now.

Knox stepped forward, then halted next to a bookcase as if he didn’t want to alarm her. “I know I messed up, Brenna. But I’ve changed. I’m not asking for forgiveness—I need to earn that. But I am asking for a chance to prove I’m ready to be the guy you deserve.”

His voice threaded through the air with a vulnerability that sounded damn sincere. Desperation shined in his eyes, a hunger for redemption that I understood all too well. But this was Brenna he was speaking to. My Brenna, goddammit, and my protective instincts flared as hot as the surface of the sun. Every muscle in my body tensed, ready to spring into action at the slightest sign of trouble.

“Knox,” she said, her tone steady but not unkind, “it’s good to hear you’re doing better.”

The tension in the room was like a physical presence. Though the man before Brenna bore little resemblance to the drunken mess I remembered, it wasn’t his transformation that reverberated through me.

It was the echo of his plea that gnawed at my insides.

“I’m ready to be the guy you deserve.”

Those words should have been mine. Instead, they ricocheted around my skull, stirring up the storm of self-doubt that raged beneath my sternum. My fists clenched reflexively, releasing only to clench again tighter, the skin over my knuckles stretched white. Was I any better than him?

He stared at her arm, the arm he’d damaged. “I need to apologize for grabbing you. And… hurting you. I had no right to do that.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“I was really messed up, okay? But I’ve come such a long way. I’ve been working in a boatyard, and I’m sure I could get my job back here. We could make a fresh start.”

“Knox.” Brenna’s calm and assertive voice cut through my inner turmoil. “I appreciate your honesty, really. But you need to understand something.” She moved behind the counter, her movements deliberate and controlled.

“Forgiveness isn’t an issue,” she continued. “I forgave you a long time ago. But that doesn’t mean we go back to the way things were. I’ve moved on.” Her hands came to rest casually on the counter, just above where I had installed that panic button—a silent signal that belied her outward composure. She clasped her trembling hands.

And that was it.

I was moving before I made the conscious decision to do so. After closing the space between us, I stood behind Brenna and placed my hands on her shoulders in a wordless vow of solidarity. There was power in that touch, a promise that whatever happened, I’d be there to protect her.

“Don’t take another step closer,” I said softly but with a steel edge, a skill I’d perfected over the years.

Brenna leaned ever so slightly into my support, her spine straightening as if drawing strength from my presence. “Knox, we’re not getting back together. I’m with Hunter now.”

Knox’s face was a picture of disbelief, his eyes darting between Brenna and me as if we were some sort of apparition. The veins in his neck stood out, taut with the effort of keeping his emotions in check.

“Brenna, think this through.” Knox’s voice held a note of anguish, but it also carried an undercurrent of hurt. Hurt that turned to hard anger when he met my gaze. “I know who you are.” Then he shifted his eyes back to Brenna. “You can’t seriously want to be with him. Hunter Markham? And you’ve been afraid I’m dangerous?”

Heat rose in my cheeks, the old accusation hitting too close to home, but I held my ground. Silence could be louder than any rebuttal, and my stillness was a wall, an impenetrable warning.

Brenna’s head snapped up, her shoulders squaring under my hands as she faced him squarely. “Hunter has been there for me in ways you never were.”

Knox’s face reddened. He looked like he wanted to say more, but the sight of me standing there, silently daring him, gave him pause.

“I want to make this crystal clear,” Brenna said in a distinct, strong voice. “I forgive you for hurting me, but we’re through. Forever. So go back to Fort Myers and start fresh. Build a new life for yourself there. Without me.”

“I’d be happy to make sure you stay there,” I said, the threat implicit in the steady, low quietness of my tone.

Knox looked at me then, really looked, and whatever defiance he had mustered faltered. It was in the slump of his shoulders and the way his eyes lost their fire, replaced by a dawning resignation.

He opened his mouth, but Brenna cut in before he could speak. “Just leave, Knox. For good this time. Believe me, Hunter can keep me safe from any threat.”

Behind her, I squared myself to enhance my full height, staring him down and not giving an inch. I’d faced down more adversaries than I could count—I was sure the battle was over. Now it was just the formalities.

“Fine,” he murmured. The man before us seemed to shrink, his presence diminishing as he turned away. He slid a hand into his pants pocket before raising his eyes to stare at Brenna. “I’ve tried to call you, but I’m guessing you blocked my number.”

“That was me,” I added.

As Knox withdrew his hand from his pocket, a surge of adrenaline coursed through my veins. I tensed, ready to push Brenna to the ground and spring into action. But as Knox opened his hand, I realized it was just a thin slip of paper. I let my muscles relax again, exhaling a silent breath. Knox turned to place the folded slip on the nearby bookshelf. The light caught it to reveal digits scribbled in hasty lines.

“If you change your mind, there’s my number.” His eyes searched Brenna’s face for something—forgiveness, a flicker of doubt, a sign. I couldn’t see her reaction, but I felt her tense shoulders under my hands and could picture her eyes holding steady.

“If your ass isn’t out that door in five seconds, you’re going to regret it,” I said through gritted teeth.

Knox turned on his heel, the store silent as he stepped out into the bright morning light.

The muscles in my jaw flexed involuntarily. It was over, but the echo of his words hung in the air between Brenna and me, stirring the whirlpool of emotions inside me even further.

Maybe it was the way Brenna’s head followed him, or how the simple act of him leaving his number felt like a challenge to my own place in her life. Knox’s walking away didn’t just close a chapter of her life. It opened a floodgate of questions for both of us. Knox was a man trying to start over, to be worthy of her. How was I any different? He was right about one thing—my list of sins was a mile long. So was I just Knox in a different package?

But first I had to know how she was after seeing him pop up like a ghost. “Hey. Are you okay?”