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Chapter Six

EDEN

All of Sunrise Island is pretty, but this place might just be heaven.

Mud and rock pools stretch between us and the Pacific Ocean. Beyond them, the water rolls on and on, disappearing into the blue of the clear June sky. I can’t tell if it’s a shoreline I see in the distance, or just a mirage.

I’m sitting on the lowest boulder in the semicircle that forms Brothers’ Cove, watching the boats in the distance. Some speed past, and others putter along without a care in the world.

“Aren’t they romantic?” I breathe out softly.

“Who?” Murph is leaning on the boulder next to me, giving me a puzzled stare.

I giggle, waving toward the water. “Boats. In general, they’re romantic. Very… old-world.”

“The smell of diesel gets you off, huh?” Murph says dryly. “I’ll remember that.”

I can’t stop my giggle—or the prickle of hot excitement that shivers down my spine. “No, but… think about it. Like that guy there, headed to destinations unknown,” I say, flourishing a hand toward another passing boat.

Murph squints at me. “Uh huh...?”

“I mean, he knows where he’s planning to go… unless he’s like me.” I giggle. “But even then, who knows where he’ll end up?”

Murph’s forehead crinkles as he presses his lips together. “Mmmm,” he grunts noncommittally, glancing at the ocean.

I can practically see the nautical maps flashing in front of his eyes. That whole combination of rugged and nerdy is Murph’s whole thing, and it’s really hot on him… but it does kind of ruin the moment.

“You’re deciding whether to break the illusion, aren’t you?” I snort.

Murph sheepishly shrugs. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“You’re good at saying nothing,” I tease him, winking when he glances at me. I’m just waiting for him to scowl and say nothing, so I can poke fun at him for proving my point.

Murph grunts. “So are you.”

Wait. What did he just say?

As I try to pick my jaw up off the floor, Murph leans against the warm rock to gaze at the sea.

“Well,” I finally manage. “I’ve never been accused of keeping my mouth shut.”

Is he just trying to play my game and get me riled up? If so, it’s working.

“Mmm.” Murph shuffles his feet, balancing himself on the smooth beach stones. I swear there’s a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “That’s certainly not what I said.”

“Hey!” I gasp, grinning with surprise. Looks like Murph does hide away some fire under that calm surface.

“Mm?”

“Now you’re calling me a loudmouth,” I complain, playfully shoving his shoulder, but it doesn’t even budge him. “Pick one—but be warned, there is a right answer. Unless you really do hate the sound of my voice?—”

“No,” Murph cuts me off. He glances up again, frowning slightly as his gaze flicks between my eyes. “No, Eden,” he repeats himself, a little softer. “I really don’t.”

Oh.

The first thing I noticed about Murph is that he doesn’t waste words. If he says he really doesn’t hate something, it means he likes it.

He likes me .

“Good answer,” I manage in a rush of breath.

Murph rests a hand on my forearm, stopping me from nervously fidgeting with the hairs at the back of my neck. He draws my hand down into his, twining our fingers together. “It’s true. And Brothers’ Cove is a place for truth.”

Whatever he says, it feels like a big deal that he invited me here. I can tell by the way he gets quiet and respectful, like someone walking onto sacred ground. “Yeah?” I murmur. “Is it named after you and your brothers?”

“We might be the only ones who call it that,” he admits with a wry smile. “But yeah. Sometimes I come down here to think. Sometimes we all show up with a case of beer and hang out here until we’ve eaten so many Doritos that we have to roll each other home.”

“On the gravel roads?” I giggle. “That must hurt.”

“Island guys gotta be tough.” Murph’s eyes sparkle as I grin at him.

I really like his subtle, playful sense of humour. It would be easy to miss—especially when he doesn’t tend to take the first opportunity to talk about himself.

“How many brothers and sisters do you have?” I ask, trying to get everything I can.

“By blood? One big sister, Lizzie. She lives on the mainland now. By choice…” Murph pretends to pull a face. “Or bribery, and their stubborn refusal to leave me alone…” I clap a hand over my giggle. “Five of us Sunrise Island Brothers, who pretty much grew up together. Then there’s the part-timers, and the boyfriends and fiancées…”

“Whoa.”

“Yeah. I count my luck by the friends I’ve got. And I’d say I’m real lucky.”

It makes my heart almost burst to hear this. “Yeah,” I breathe out, clearing my throat. “So, who are they? The guy in the coffee shop, right?”

“Me, of course,” Murph says, raising a finger. “Carter and his fiancé Felix—his best friend’s little brother,” he adds in a scandalized undertone. Don’t worry, the two of them are good now. Nobody broke a nose, despite their best efforts. It’s Felix you saw in the coffee shop.”

I lean in, eager to hear the gossip.

“Then Alph came back and locked Ronan in his basement to moon over him until he said yes,” he raises two more fingers. “Kieran’s back for good, and he pulled his head out of his ass just in time for Gage to settle for him...”

I’m laughing more than I can even remember in ages. But it makes me feel so warm and fuzzy to see this side of Murph. I can tell who his oldest friends are, because he clearly loves the people he loves—and he pretends to be the grumpiest about them.

“And Zach and Drew,” Murph finishes simply. “So, nine.”

“No funny story about how they got together?”

Murph blinks. “Shit. Wait. No, they’re not dating.”

“Oh. You meant… Zach,” I pause and raise a hand like I’m conducting a pause in an orchestra, “and Drew.”

“Right. Not… ZachandDrew,” Murph says in a tumble of syllables. “No. Definitely not.”

“Mmm. The last two singles, right? Should I stir that pot?” I grin.

“Please don’t.”

“Fine,” I laugh. “No stirring. I’ll stay out of trouble.”

Murph coughs loudly. “Mmmm. Anyway , we should be getting back now. Tide’s coming in.”

He’s right. The furthest rock pools have already vanished. “Anything else you wanna ask me while we’re in the Cove of Truth?” I tease him, gently sliding down the boulder to land on my feet.

Murph studies me more intently than a portrait artist, but just as I lick my lips nervously, he shrugs. “Next time, perhaps.” He hooks his arm around mine, towing me back up to the path.

I nearly broke every bone just walking down here, so I can see why he’s not taking any chances. And it feels good. I like being nestled against this big mountain of a man and his rolling seafarer’s gait. The only part that doesn’t feel great is the squirm in the pit of my stomach.

It’s not like George is a secret , exactly. But after two years trapped in his orbit, I don’t want to waste another minute thinking about him. It’s obvious that Murph likes me, and I like him. This isn’t a rebound. It’s something completely different—and I don’t want to risk shattering it now.

As we step back onto the gravel road, I reach for the surest bet to get Murph talking.

“So, how do you park a boat?”