Page 5 of Shades of You (Calypso Key #4)

Chapter Five

Brenna

As I meandered through the stalls of the weekly Dove Key farmer’s market, the air buzzed with haggling and laughter. The scent of fresh produce mingled with the sea’s saltiness that always seemed to linger in town. I basked in the vibrant tableau spread before me—crates brimming with plump tomatoes, hand-stitched quilts waving in the gentle breeze, jars of artisan honey glistening like captured sunlight.

I hadn’t heard anything further from the two men who had wandered into my shop earlier in the week. And that time had given me some perspective, putting my mind at ease. Knox’s silence indicated he had gotten the message we were through. And though he had irritated and embarrassed me, I’d never felt threatened by him. Hunter was the huge unknown—shockingly attractive but possibly dangerous.

“Nice morning, isn’t it?” someone said from behind me.

At the sound of Knox’s voice, I fought off the urge to groan .

So much for getting the message.

I turned to find him standing there, looking out of place among the laid-back hustle of the market. His hair was neater than a few days ago and his clothes were pressed and clean. He stood erect, a certain confidence in the set of his shoulders, but his eyes betrayed him. They fixed on me with a glimmer of despair, like a man clinging to the edge of a cliff and trying to appear casual about it.

“Knox. This is a surprise. What are you doing here?”

He cleared his throat as he shifted his weight. “I’m sorry about the other day. Can we talk?”

Well, at least he’s apologizing.

I narrowed my eyes at the idea of him showing up at the farmer’s market, of all places. “Did you follow me here?”

His jaw tightened, but he held my gaze. “No. I was driving by and saw your parked car. We need to talk, babe. Let’s find someplace a little more private, okay?”

I noted the curious glances from a nearby vendor. My heart beat a staccato rhythm against my ribcage. Knox had never been one for public scenes, and he’d never been violent. And if he was making the effort to clean up, maybe I ought to encourage that by listening.

“Sure,” I replied, curiosity piqued despite my misgivings.

We wove through the crowd, the smell of fresh bread and ripe pineapple fading as we headed down a cozy alley that ran between a whitewashed taffy store and boutique. The noise from the market dulled to a murmur.

“Look, Brenna.” Knox’s voice was low and intimate in the seclusion of the alley. “I know things haven’t been… great between us.”

I crossed my arms, tension coiling in my stomach. “That’s one way to put it. ”

His pleading eyes searched mine. “I’ll change, okay? I’ll knock off the booze and quit calling out at the boatyard. I guess I just want you to know I’m trying.”

I didn’t really know how to reply to that, so I remained quiet.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Who was that goon who threw me out of your store?”

At hearing Hunter described that way, red-hot anger lanced through me. Why was I talking to Knox? I didn’t owe him anything. “Just someone who realized you were way out of line and stepped in to help me.”

“It won’t happen again. That’s what I’m trying to tell you.”

The sincerity in his tone was disarming, but it was too late now. “Knox, I can’t do this again.” My voice wavered despite my resolve. “We tried, and it just… it didn’t work.”

“Because I was a mess.” He pulled his hands from his pockets and emphasized his words as he stepped closer. The space between us became charged with the ghosts of our history. “But I’m cleaning up my act. I can be the man you need.”

“Stop it.” I took a step back, my heart thudding against my ribs like a trapped bird. “Please, just stop. We’re through! This was a mistake. I’m leaving.”

As I turned away, he reached out and curled his fingers around my forearm with more force than I expected. His grip tightened, and I gasped as a jolt of pain shot through me.

“Listen to me, Brenna.” Desperation tinged his features now as he hissed through gritted teeth. “Don’t just walk away from me!”

The pain in my forearm intensified as the despondency in his eyes morphed into anger. He squeezed harder, his grip like a vise. Fear coursed through my veins, and I struggled to free myself from his grasp. With a surge of adrenaline, I mustered all my strength and twisted my arm forcefully, breaking free from his hold. Pain shot up my arm, but I didn’t have time to register it. I stumbled back and toward the crowd.

“Get out of here,” I called out, fear lacing my voice. “Leave me alone!”

His eyes widened, and for a moment, I saw the flicker of the man I’d been attracted to once—a man who would never want to cause me pain. But then it was gone, the hardness that had become so much more common masking it. He glanced around, as if suddenly aware that our semi-secluded alley was mere feet away from the bustling market.

“Fine,” he spat out. “You don’t deserve me, you dumb bitch.” Before I could react to that, he turned on his heel and strode away.

The adrenaline raging through me waned, leaving my legs shaky. My hand went to my forearm. It was already red with a blossoming bruise and tender to the touch, and my elbow throbbed. As I hurried from the alley, the lively chatter of the farmer’s market felt surreal, like a distant melody unable to reach me through the fog of my thoughts.

How did it come to this?

Sweet-turned-bitter memories with Knox swirled in my mind, the sting of his grip tainting them. I deserved better. Better than heated arguments, and better than love that hurt. I had to distance myself from him, from us, once and for all. I fumbled for my phone, needing a voice of reason, a touchstone to reality.

“Hey, Harper,” I said when my sister answered, relief flooding through me. “Don’t suppose you’re free right now, are you?”

“Actually, I was just going to grab something to eat. What’s the matter? Your voice doesn’t sound right.”

“I could use my big sister. Could you meet me at Island Breeze in fifteen minutes?”

“Of course, Bren. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I just need to bounce some things off you.”

The walk to Island Breeze Bistro was a blur, and my determination to find solace carried me as much as my steps did. The diner’s exterior was painted a bright yellow with a red-and-white striped awning stretched over the entrance. Inside, the walls were lined with photographs of the town’s history and locals enjoying meals and events.

Harper was already there when I arrived, her soothing presence drawing me like a beacon as I approached our usual table by the window. We shared a similar shade of light-brown hair, but hers had a gorgeous wave I envied. Though she was only a few years older than me, her young son Finn gave her the maternal warmth I sometimes craved more than our own mother. And Mom was visiting her sister in Georgia for several months anyway. The booth I slipped into was upholstered in soft red vinyl and the seats were slightly worn from constant use.

Harper’s brow wrinkled as she noticed me rubbing my forearm, her hazel eyes zeroing in on me. “What’s going on?”

I hesitated before answering, not wanting to alarm her. After my walk, the entire scene had become removed, like a bad dream I couldn’t quite remember. “I ran into Knox at the farmer’s market.”

“Did he hurt you?” Harper’s voice was steady, but her face was rigid.

“No, no, it’s not like that. He hasn’t taken our breakup well and wanted to talk to me. When I turned to leave, he grabbed me.”

Her gaze shifted to my arm, and she gasped as she gently touched the darkening mark on my skin. “But he did hurt you.”

“I don’t think he meant to hurt me,” I explained, wincing as I rotated my arm to show her the full extent of the bruise. “He looked shocked about it afterward.”

Harper’s hand covered mine on the table and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “If he’s dangerous?—”

“He’s not,” I cut in, almost too quickly. “Just frustrated. And we’re over now, truly.”

“Are you sure about that?”

I gave Harper a laugh, swallowing quickly at how shaky it sounded. “I’m sure. He told me I was a dumb bitch and then stormed away. We’re through for good.”

“Good riddance to the asshole,” she said firmly. “You know you can always count on me, right?”

After the server brought our iced teas, I smiled at Harper, grateful to have her. “Of course—that’s why I called you. I needed someone to vent to. I was definitely shaken up. But looking back, I’m pretty sure that little episode just put an exclamation point on our entire relationship.”

But when Harper gave me a relieved smile, a different image seared its way to the forefront of my thoughts—Hunter stepping in, his presence like a shield. In stark contrast to Knox, there had been a confident fluidity to Hunter’s movements, an ease with which he’d defused the tension. A protector in the guise of the town’s bad boy. A shiver ran through me at the memory, a war waging inside. I was drawn to him, undoubtedly. But there was caution there too .

If Hunter handles conflict like it’s second nature, does that make him more or less dangerous?

My thoughts circled the question, but I clamped down on them. This wasn’t the time or place, not with my sister across from me. She would balk at the idea of me getting entangled with a Markham. And after my traumatic breakup with Knox, a dangerously attractive man was the last thing I should be thinking about.

“Brenna?” Harper’s voice brought me back to the present.

“Sorry.” I shook off the thoughts of Hunter with a twitch of my lips. “Just… processing. Let’s eat.”

After we placed our lunch orders, I toyed with the edge of my napkin, lost in thought. The urge to reach out to April and Liv gnawed at me—they’d seen me through the worst after Knox and I split. Yet they were firmly on the Markham side, a line drawn so deep in the sand it might as well have been carved into stone. A sigh escaped me, the weight of old grudges heavy on my shoulders. “This war between us and the Markhams is so stupid.”

Harper’s eyes went wide as she held her glass of iced tea. “Where did that come from?”

I half-smiled, feeling a little foolish. “Oh. My mind wandered to my friends who helped after I broke up with Knox. April and Liv, who are both involved with Markhams. They understood, you know? But I still hesitate a little to reach out. This family feud is so… exhausting.”

Harper gave me a sympathetic look. “It’s hard to change generations of animosity. But you’re allowed to have friends wherever you please, you know.”

“Try telling that to the rest of our family,” I murmured. She was open-minded, and I didn’t doubt she was fine with me having friends on the other side of the divide. But dating a Markham? Sleeping with one? Just the thought of seeing all those muscles I couldn’t not notice under Hunter’s shirt was enough to banish Knox from my mind forever.

We settled into our meals, and with each bite, the memory of Knox’s grip on my arm grew fainter. Too bad the bruise and soreness were growing stronger. But I pressed the encounter firmly away. The room around us buzzed with the easygoing rhythm of a small-town café, and I found myself relaxing despite the morning’s events.

Lunch passed in a blend of sisterly conversation and laughter, a soothing balm that enveloped me. But eventually, Harper glanced at her watch and sighed. “I need to pick Finn up from school, so I should get going. Then it’s back to the resort. We’ve had two housekeepers quit this week, and I’ve been filling in where I can.” As general manager of the resort and a single mother, Harper had her hands full.

“Yeah, I talked to Ben the other day. Sounds like he’s been helping a lot too.” I frowned, hating to see them all stretched so thin.

“Ah, we’ll manage.” Harper waved off my concern. “You stick to your books. I’m proud of how successful you’ve made that shop. Beaches are my battlefield, not yours.”

“I promise I’ll come by soon.” My smile returned, wholeheartedly this time. “Maybe Eli can take us diving.”

“Good luck finding a free slot.” Harper laughed as she stood up. “Our big brother is becoming quite the celebrity dive instructor in these parts.”

We hugged, a tight embrace that said everything words couldn’t. Then we parted ways in the parking lot, and I slowly strolled back to where my car was parked by the farmer’s market. The sky stretched out above me, a canopy of endless possibilities, but its brilliant azure mocked the turmoil within me. Mindlessly, I tapped a rhythm on the steering wheel as I drove home. A rhythm that soon morphed into the memory of Hunter’s steady presence when he’d stood so close. I shook my head, trying to dislodge the thought of him.

The animosity between our families had gone on too long. And here I was, caught in the middle and yearning for peace. Or perhaps something even more foolish. After parking behind my building, I entered the quiet space where solitude wrapped around me like a comforting shawl. My eyes were drawn to the spot where Hunter had stood, larger than life. Protective. Mysterious. Unpredictable.

What would happen next? I didn’t have the answer, but I was ready to find out.