“Four isn’t a lot. I’ve got the wedding and then some children’s birthday cakes in the next few weeks. Oh, I do have someone for a baby shower, but they are going to let me know for sure.”

  “You’ll get it,” he said. “And you need to tell me if you need to cut back on hours to make it happen.”

  “I wouldn’t do that to you,” she said.

  “Hadley. You are working a lot. You are doing a ton of stuff for me even outside of Southside. If you go in and make the desserts in the morning some days and not be a server or bartender, someone else will be scheduled and it still helps me with the desserts. I know this isn’t what you signed on for.”

  “It’s not, but I like it. I guess sometimes in life things happen when you didn’t expect or plan on it.”

  She was telling him.

  The last thing he thought was that he’d be losing a part of himself to a woman. One with a little bit of drama and needing some nudges too.

  Yes, his mother always told him he tried to bring the best out of people, but he never thought he did that with women he was dating.

  It was more he was overly protective of them and maybe hovered more than he should. He was trying not to do that with Hadley.

  He figured he had enough marks against him in his dating life with his limited time that having faults to turn people away had to be reined in.

  But this was different. Hadley was his employee first so of course he cared and wanted to see the best in her.

  He also wanted to see her grow on a personal level and that was why he had to watch which line he was crossing and when.

  “It seems to be that way,” he said, knowing they had to change the subject.

  They got through the ferry ride and left. He realized now her car was at his house. Crap, he forgot that. Good thing they had a lot of time.

  “I should have remembered my car was there and we could have met at the docks instead when you suggested this date.”

  “It’s my fault. I was thinking of staying and should have clued you in. I guess it was a good thing you threw your stuff in my car.”

  “I only did it because you said to,” she said, laughing at him.

  He had told her to. Oh well. “Don’t worry about rushing in at nine. Take your time.”

  “I’ve got plenty of time. No worries.”

  They arrived at his house and she got out, walked around and gave him a kiss when he was getting out in his garage.

  “I had a good time,” he said.

  “Me too,” she said. “The best I’ve had in a long time. And I promise not to stare at your ass when you get to Southside.”

  Her hand went around and cupped him there and he leaned into her for a hug and a kiss.

  There were times she needed a nudge, and the other times, she shone through and he wondered if there were two people in there clamoring to come out. It’d be interesting to see who won.

  23

  Never Saw Coming

  Almost two weeks later Hadley had finished up the desserts for Southside on Monday and then had the rest of the day off.

  She’d done the wedding cake a few days after her little day trip with Duke. The bride and groom loved the look and the taste of it.

  She had it on her website along with the pirate birthday cake she’d made and delivered for a birthday party yesterday. She’d delivered the cake to the house at nine and got to Southside by nine thirty to start on desserts. She’d cleared it with Duke to show up a little late, but he’d laughed and said she was efficient enough that thirty minutes wouldn’t mean anything.

  It hadn’t. She’d planned on desserts that were fast and easy. Duke was pretty much letting her make the dessert menu on her own. She only told him what she was doing for the ingredients to order rather than the approval.

  She hadn’t had that much freedom in her employment before and was slightly shocked it came in the form of a job she’d never seen coming.

  With her afternoon off, she was going to run some errands and then work on a few recipes for a different dessert to put on the menu. It was a risk to try something new, but that was why she’d practice it at home a few times first.

  She stopped her car at the four corners before the store that sold her ingredients, looked both ways and started to pull forward. Almost immediately her car was slammed into on the passenger door and she was jerked against the side and back.

  She shook her head a second and all she could think of was, Dang it, this car better not be totaled when it’d be paid for in less than a year.

  When she opened the door to get out, she grabbed her phone to call 911 and saw a teenage boy all but stomping over to her screaming, “You didn’t stop. It’s your fault.”

  “What are you talking about?” she said, getting out of the car. “It’s a four-way stop. There was no one there when I stopped. You came plowing into me.”

  “No,” he yelled. “I stopped and you didn’t.”

  She couldn’t believe this was happening to her. She was shaken up from the wreck on top of it. “I’m calling the police now,” she said. “They can sort it out.”

  “They will just find out it was your fault. I’m calling my parents,” the kid said.

  She didn’t care. She walked away from his screaming, even though she could hear the kid yelling at his parents that it wasn’t his fault and his car was a mess.

  As calmly as she could, she spoke to dispatch and told them where they were and said she didn’t think her car could even be moved now that she looked at the damage. The kid’s car was even worse.

  She disconnected the call when she was told someone would be on scene in a few minutes.

  She went back to her car and took a seat with the door open to get some air. No reason to be standing around looking like a fool. Some people were stopping to see if they were all right and all she could think of was who the heck to call to come get her.

  Her parents went off the island for the day. She didn’t have any other friends she could call. She supposed she could try to get an Uber.

  Then she realized she didn’t even know where to have her car towed. She didn’t know any of that.

  If she called her parents they’d only be worried and rush home and she didn’t want that. She was fine.

  She took a deep breath and called Duke. She knew he wasn’t at either restaurant at this time.

  He answered on the third ring. “Hi, Hadley. What’s going on?”

  The fact it took him so long to answer made her think he was busy. “I’m sorry to bother you. I was just in an accident and I don’t know who else to call. The police are on the way. My car isn’t going to be drivable. I don’t know where to take it, or how to get home. My parents are off the island and—”

  “Tell me where you are and I’m on the way.”

  She tried not to laugh that he cut her off. This was the same guy that had hung up on her early on without saying goodbye.

  She told him where she was and then waited when he disconnected right after. No reason to tell him not to rush, that the police weren’t even here yet. She could tell by his voice he’d be here fast and might get a speeding ticket in the process.

  A few minutes later, the kid’s parents arrived and there was lots of screaming and they were all coming over to yell at her for not yielding the right of way. That she wrecked their son’s birthday gift.

  She was just left sitting there stunned and ready to cry. She couldn’t get a word in edgewise and felt ganged up on while she all but crawled backward for some space.

  “What’s going on here?”

  She looked past the parents and the kid to see a big man standing there in jeans and an Amore Island Police shirt, a badge on his belt with his gun.

  “Chief Bond,” the father said. “This woman didn’t yield the right of way and now my son’s car is a mess. I hope she’s getting a ticket.”

  “Is anyone hurt?” Chief Bond asked. She shook her head and the kid said no. “I don’t understand why you are crowding her in her car then. Let her out so she can breathe. I need statements from the two drivers and then if there are witnesses.”

  The chief’s voice was loud and firm and she wanted to slide back into the car more, the parents and the kids moving back for her to get out.

  She knew this was Mac Bond and Duke’s cousin, but that meant nothing to this situation.

  She stood up and was leaning against the car. “No witnesses,” she said.

  “Then let me hear what happened,” Mac said to her. “You first.” He turned to the kid. “Go get your license and registration and insurance information. As you can tell, she is prepared.”

  She had everything in her hand and gave it to Mac. He had a tablet in his hand ready to listen to what she had to say. “I stopped at the four-way stop. There was no one there. I moved forward. I don’t even think I was up to fifteen miles an hour when I got rammed in the side.”

  “That’s a lie,” the kid yelled. “I stopped and was moving forward and her car came out of nowhere.”

  “Are you kidding, Mac? You and I know damn well what happened by looking at the accident.”

  She turned to see Duke striding toward them. These two men were big and intimidating. “Duke,” Mac said. “What are you doing here?”

  “Hadley called me to come get her. On top of that, it seems as if she is being all but attacked for something she is the victim of. How come you aren’t doing anything about it?”

  “Duke,” she said, putting her hand on his arm. “Stop. The chief is going to do his job and I’m sure he can figure out what happened here.”

  “She caused this accident,” the kid yelled. “I’m telling you right now, Dad, she did it. I stopped.”

  Duke all but snarled at the people who were starting to realize the connection she had to the men here. The Bond family men of the island.

  It shouldn’t make a difference. If she was at fault she’d own up to it. But she wasn’t.

  Not that she could get a word in edgewise. These people were all intense and her heart was racing and her palms were sweaty.

  She just wanted it over with, but it was going to take time to sort it out, she was sure.

  “Do you hear that?” the woman said. “My son said he didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Enough,” Mac said. “All of you. I know my job and I know what happened here. It is obvious to anyone looking, not that I need someone pointing it out to me.” Mac had his eyes on Duke.

  “That she didn’t stop,” the mother said.

  “Stop talking,” the father said quietly to his wife.

  “But Bobby said—”

  “Stop,” the husband all but growled as he was looking at the accident now that things were being pointed out.

  “By the placement and the impact on Ms. Breaton’s car, she was hit. The amount of damage sustained indicates that Bobby’s car was going at least forty, not to mention the skid marks when he tried to brake. If Bobby had stopped and was just starting, and Ms. Breaton was the one who didn’t stop, she’d have sideswipe marks all down the side of her car as if she was in motion, not hit and come to a stop. And stop all the way on the other side of the road.”

  There was silence there. It was exactly what happened. “I didn’t even see him. I just felt the impact,” she said. “I should have been paying more attention.”

  “So it’s her fault,” Bobby yelled. His face was red now.

  Duke went to open his mouth and she put her hand on his arm and shook her head. “Let it go,” she said.

  “You don’t need to be treated this way,” he said to her.

  “Mac is handling it,” she said.

  “I’m going to call my cousin Carter to come get your car,” Duke said. “You aren’t going to be able to drive it.”

  She wanted to argue, but she had said she didn’t know who to call for anything so she had to let it go for now and be happy he was taking care of this for her. She’d figure it all out after the fact.

  “Bobby,” Mac said. “You ran through the stop sign. The damage on impact tells me you were speeding also. Tell me what happened, and remember, you don’t want to give false information to law enforcement. I already know you’re at fault for the accident. The evidence tells the truth.”

  “Tell Chief Bond what happened,” Bobby’s father said. “Did you just not realize you had to stop until it was too late?”

  Hadley could see that the father was coaching his son on what to say. If the kid was smart he’d just admit that much and end it, but she could see he wasn’t. “Stacy was texting me. We were fighting. I was texting her back to—”

  “Stop talking,” Bobby’s mother screeched. “My son just admitted that he didn’t stop.”

  “He also admitted he was texting and driving, which is against the law too,” Mac said.

  She stood there while Mac wrote up his report on the tablet, then told everyone they could go to the station to get a copy this afternoon. Bobby was given a few tickets on top of it and walked away crying.

  A big flatbed truck came and both of the vehicles were loaded up on it. Bobby and his parents left and Hadley was walking to Duke’s SUV when Mac called him over for a minute.

  “Why don’t you go wait in my car,” Duke said to her.

  “Maybe I want to see you get yelled at by the chief of police,” she said with a teasing smirk. She was shocked she’d had the strength to even say that much when all she wanted to do was go home and crawl back in bed and start this day over.

  24

  Went Overboard

  Duke didn’t know that his heart could beat as fast as it had when Hadley called him.

  He was just stepping out of the shower when he heard his phone ringing. He normally didn’t bring it into the bathroom with him and was surprised that he had this time. Maybe it was just one of those fate things that happened on this island.

  He dried off as fast as he could and reached for it. When she said she’d been in an accident, he should have asked if she was okay, but she was talking and sounded fine and he could hear all the yelling in the background. His first thought was to cut her off and get to her side.

  “You were out of line,” Mac said to him when they were alone.

  “Yeah, I know,” he said. “Sorry.” He didn’t apologize for much in his life but would when he was wrong.

  Mac lifted his eyebrow at him. “What’s Hadley to you?”

  “She’s an employee,” he said.

  “Really?” Mac said. “I know you go above and beyond for those that work for you, but even I could see her lightly touching your hand to calm you down. Or shut you up. Probably the last one since you came riding in on your horse ready to scoop her up and carry her off.”

  “Very funny,” he said.

  “Is it?” Mac said. “Since I’ve got a wife and a kid on the way, I know that feeling well.”

  “Then you also know what it’s like when the rest of the family is aware of what is going on on this island.”

  Mac let out a snort. The guy hardly ever laughed or smiled, but he had loosened up in the past few years since he’d met Sidney.

  “I do,” Mac said. “No one knows?”

  He let out a sigh. He couldn’t remember Mac being nosy like this before. “My sister and parents do. That’s it. It’s early yet, and as I said, she works for me.”

  “So keeping it quiet more for that than anything,” Mac said. “Got it. Though you are going to go see Carter I’m sure, since his garage just took her car away.”

  “The last person I’m worried about is Carter saying anything,” he said. “He barely talks to anyone other than his dog.”

  Mac grinned. Carter and Mac were first cousins. Mac’s brother Alex worked at Bond Auto part time when he wasn’t at the firehouse too. There weren’t a lot of secrets in this family, or there wouldn’t be for long.

  “Dopey is man’s best friend,” Mac said. “On his hind legs, he’s taller than some men.”

  They both laughed over Carter’s St. Bernard that never left Carter’s side. Everyone was used to seeing the big mutt in the shop “guarding” things.

  “He is that,” he said. “But he can’t talk.”

  “If you brought him some food I bet he’d find a way to talk,” Mac said.

  “Most likely. Anyway,” Duke said, “I need to get Hadley over there and find out how long it’s going to take for her car to get fixed.”

  “Could be a while,” Mac said.

  “Yeah,” he said and was trying to figure out how he could help her in the meantime. Then he had to tell himself he had to dial it back. He’d been told more than once he went overboard with people and he was doing it again.

  He left Mac’s side and then went to get in his SUV. “Did you apologize to your cousin?”

  He turned and looked at her. She did speak her mind when she felt comfortable. He knew that now. But yet she got ridden all over by Bobby and his family until Mac showed up. Hell, he felt it until even he showed up.

  “I did,” he said. “I’ll take you to Carter’s now so we can figure out how long it’s going to take to get your car back. My guess is Bobby and his family are gone now.”

  “Once Bobby’s father calmed down and it was pointed out what happened he had to get his wife under control,” she said.

  “That’s their problem,” he said. “Are you sure you’re okay? Nothing hurts?”

  “I’m fine. I’m sure my body will be sore tomorrow, but nothing more than that. I’m more annoyed than anything. I just hope the car isn’t totaled. It’s going to be paid for in less than a year and the thought of having to get a loan for something else and have payments again. Yeah, don’t want to think of it.”

  “It will work out,” he said. What more was he going to say?

  “I hope so. I wonder what my chances are of getting a rental on this island?” she asked. It seemed to him she was only talking to herself out loud.

  “Carter will know,” he said. “He might have some. He’s the only one that can do body repair work on the island. Everyone else has to go off island for it.”