“Really?” she asked. “How do they do that?”

  “Carter removes all the cars from accidents on the island and then someone off island will come and get it from his place.”

  “He’s got a nice little monopoly there,” she said, grinning.

  “More like no one else wants to deal with it. He’s crazy busy. There is another garage on the island that does some small work. Brakes, oil changes and things like that. Mac’s father does it too on the side. Things that Carter sends to him.”

  He started his SUV and drove the short distance to Carter’s shop. He saw Bobby and his family pulling out so they timed it well.

  He and Hadley got out together and he walked into the front door. Dopey was there and lifted his head up.

  “Hey, Duke,” Carter said. “I figured you’d be here. Jason said he saw you at the scene when he picked the cars up.” Plus he was the one that made the call in the first place.

  He was known around town. It was hard not to be. Not just from his family but also his restaurant which was a popular hotspot.

  “Yeah,” he said. “This is Hadley. It’s her car that was hit.”

  She moved in front of him and he held back his grin. “Hi,” she said. “Do you know if the car is totaled?”

  He should have realized that would be the first question she’d ask. “Hard to tell until I get underneath, but the frame looks pretty damaged,” Carter said.

  Her shoulders dropped. “Do you know when you’ll find out?”

  Carter looked at Duke and he raised his eyebrows to see if his cousin had the time to look. “Jason is getting it off the flatbed now.”

  “That’s fine,” she said. “If you can just call me later today if you get a chance. In the meantime, do you have rentals here or can you let me know where I can go on the island?”

  “I’ll know in an hour or so,” Carter said. “I’ve got a few rental cars, but they are all out. I think one will be returned next week.”

  “Okay,” she said. “If my car can be repaired, I’d like to get that. I think I can borrow my mother’s until then. My insurance should cover a rental.”

  “It will go on Bobby’s insurance. No worries there,” Carter said.

  She nodded her head. “We might as well leave, Duke,” she said. “I know you’ve got to be to work in a few hours. I’ll talk to my parents when they get back on the island.”

  Carter was scratching his chin as if he wanted to ask more but didn’t. He’d talk to his cousin another time, but he wasn’t worried about anything. The men in his family didn’t talk much.

  Duke and Hadley went back to his SUV and he drove her home.

  When he got there, she said, “Do you want to come in and see my tiny place? I think your kitchen might be bigger than everything in here together.”

  He could tell by the size of the building she might be right, or it’d be close to it. “I’d like to see it.”

  They moved to the door, she unlocked it and they went in together. “Not much to see,” she said.

  He looked around at the tiny kitchen—if it could be called that—on one wall. A small couch and chair and TV at the opposite end of the room. “Is that the bedroom through there?” he asked.

  She grabbed his hand and pulled him the few steps. “Yes. A tiny double bed I’m not sure you’d even fit on.”

  He laughed. He didn’t think so either. “It is small.”

  “Bathroom right there,” she said.

  He turned where he was standing in the doorway and saw the teeny bathroom that he wasn’t sure he could even fit in to take a piss let alone a shower.

  “Wow,” he said. “You weren’t kidding that it’s small.”

  “It’s free,” she said. “So that is the best part of it. Thankfully I’m chipping away at my debt pretty well. In a few months, with any luck, I can have my cards all paid off. Maybe.”

  He felt bad for the situation she was in but it’s not like he’d offer to help her out. She wouldn’t accept it from her parents, she wasn’t going to from him either.

  “With as stubborn as you are, I’m sure it will be sooner,” he said.

  “I hope so. But honestly, it’s important for me to have some money put aside too so I’m trying to do both.”

  “What were you doing today when you got in the accident? Do you want to bring me to Duke’s and then take my SUV and bring it back?”

  “That’s nice and all, but then I’d have to get back home. It’s not a big deal. I was going to the store to get some ingredients. I just wanted to try out a few new recipes. Things I’d like to put on the menu at Southside, but I want to perfect them first.”

  “What do you need?” he asked. “Anything that is at Southside? You can just go get it there.”

  “It’s fine,” she said. “I like to tinker on my time off. I’ve got something to do for the advertising that I was going to take care of today.”

  He looked at his watch. He wanted to stay and spend time with her but knew he had to get to Duke’s. He was already behind in what he had planned, but he wouldn’t have left her alone to figure out how to get home.

  “I want to tell you to take the day off and relax, but I know you won’t listen to me,” he said.

  She put her arms around him and hugged him. “I appreciate you coming to get me today,” she said. “I’m sorry I bothered you.”

  He hugged her back. “No bother,” he said. “Don’t apologize for things all the time. I’m glad you called. Something tells me you wouldn’t have if you thought I was already at Duke’s.”

  “No,” she said. “I would have figured out a way home. I would have asked the police where to bring my car. I guess I should have done that anyway rather than bug you.”

  “It’s never a bother,” he said. “Don’t ever think that. Are you sure you feel okay? I know you’re working tomorrow, but we can find someone to take your shift.”

  She laughed and moved out of his arms and he was missing the heat already. Her brown hair was down and straight; it’d been blowing around her face when they were outside. Her mocha eyes had been wide and confused, trepidation in them too. He was glad that wasn’t the case now.

  “No,” she said. “I’m fine. I really am. I’m sure I can use my mother’s car until I find out more about mine. My parents are almost always together and if they aren’t, one of them is home.”

  “Let me know,” he said.

  “I will,” she said, reaching up and putting her arms around his neck again. “Give me a kiss to get me through the day.”

  He laughed. “I can do that.”

  He left a minute later, went home to change and then went right to Duke’s to get to work for the night knowing that his mind was going to be on Hadley when he’d never had that problem before. He’d always focused on work and work only.

  25

  Just Be Heard

  “Hadley,” her mother said a few hours later. “Why didn’t you call us when you got into the accident? We would have come back right away.”

  She was at her parents' house now for dinner. They’d gotten back a little after three and hadn’t seen her car in the driveway. They’d texted to see when she’d be home to find out if she wanted dinner with them since they knew she was off.

  She came outside and went to their house to tell them what happened and prepared herself to be babied more than what Duke did earlier.

  No, he didn’t baby her.

  He came in on his dark horse like a knight ready to slay anyone in her way.

  She’d seen it and was shocked Mac Bond hadn’t put his cousin in his place.

  Who knows, maybe that was part of that private conversation the two of them had.

  She didn’t ask because she didn’t want to know. She didn’t want him to get in trouble because of her. Not that she thought that would happen.

  It just felt like so many times in her life people wanted to shield her rather than support her. And why she couldn’t figure out the difference was beyond her.

  “That is why I didn’t tell you,” she said. “There was no reason for you to rush back. There wasn’t anything you could do about it.”

  “You could have been hurt,” her father said.

  “I wasn’t and I’m not.”

  “But you didn’t have anyone to call. You haven’t made that many friends since you’ve been here,” her mother said quietly.

  She ground her teeth. “I did have someone to call. I called Duke. He came and you know it.”

  “But what if he was working?” her mother said.

  “Stop trying to make this into something that didn’t even happen. Duke wasn’t at work. He came and got me. If he didn’t or couldn’t I would have figured it out like I have everything else in my life.”

  She knew her voice was firm, but man, she was getting tired of this. She supposed this was part of the best thing about living in another state.

  “Did you find out how much damage was done to your car?” her father asked.

  “Carter called an hour ago. He said the car can be repaired. That is all I was concerned about. I’m not in a position to get another loan and don’t want one when this car will be paid for in less than a year.”

  “At least it’s someone else’s insurance so you don’t have to worry about your rates,” her mother said.

  Another thing that crossed her mind. “A rental should be covered on his too. I only need to use one of your cars for a week. Carter said he’d have one of his rentals back by then and I can have it until my car is done.”

  “You can use our vehicles as long as you need to,” her mother said. “Did they say how long it would take to be repaired? Life on the island is much slower than on the mainland.”

  “I know that. He said maybe a month. He has to order the parts, which will take a few weeks, and then schedule the work. There are other cars and work ahead of me. I know that. It’s still less hassle than having the car brought somewhere in Plymouth.”

  The thought of that was too daunting though Carter assured her that she wouldn’t have to do anything other than go over and pick it up when it was done.

  “It’s nothing to be concerned about,” her mother said. “It will get done when it does and you don’t have to worry about anything.”

  “Thank you for that,” she said. She hated taking help from anyone but knew in situations like this, there wasn’t much of a choice.

  She could have said she’d use her mother’s car the whole time and let the rental go to someone else, but she wouldn’t inconvenience her parents more than she needed to. She didn’t even want to do it as much as she was going to have to.

  “Any time. And we are glad that Duke was able to come and take care of you,” her father said.

  She knew there wasn’t any negative intent behind those words, but they bothered her just the same. Rather than argue, she just said, “It was nice of him.”

  “What would you like for dinner tonight?” her mother asked. “Dad can grill if you’d like some chicken or burgers?”

  “Chicken is good,” she said. It was horrible, but after eating Duke’s food, the last thing she wanted was a plain old burger, but she’d never say that to her mother.

  Not that she’d want it loaded with anything, but Duke just put so many spices in his meat. It’s like he had the magic touch with anything he served to people.

  Heck, he had the magic touch with her.

  In his actions, both in the restaurant and the bedroom.

  She’d never in her life felt more appreciated by someone.

  He always made her feel like she was doing a good job at work and encouraged her to continue. To step out of her comfort zone too. Eddie tried to do that, but he wasn’t sincere. It was more selfish to get her to do what he wanted so he didn’t have to go alone.

  She’d found Duke was like that with most of his staff so that diminished some of that special feeling.

  Maybe it was nothing more than his norm, she’d tell herself.

  But it wasn’t like that when the two of them were together.

  Those times she felt almost cherished.

  And maybe because he invoked those feelings in her, she felt like she had a little more power to stand up for herself.

  Or even just be heard.

  She’d always been able to speak when it was right or needed. But most times she stayed back.

  Like today when Bobby and his parents were all but down her throat.

  Should she have stayed there and taken it and almost felt as if she was going to have a panic attack?

  No, she shouldn’t have.

  But her fight or flee response kicked in and the fight never came out. She thought she was fleeing to her car, but it hadn’t helped.

  Maybe because she knew deep down help was on the way.

  The police were coming and she believed one hundred percent they’d find out who was at fault without her having to say a word or fight and argue.

  She also knew Duke was coming.

  For someone that didn’t like to be saved and wanted to stand on her own, there was part of her that knew she’d be fine when he got there.

  She’d felt her heart calm almost immediately. She did have to fight the annoyance that he wanted to save her.

  That wasn’t what she wanted at all and wasn’t sure how to get people to believe her.

  Getting support and being saved were two completely different things. She just didn’t know how to get everyone to understand that.

  “Do you want to help me cook?” her mother asked. “Or just relax? You seem almost distracted right now. Are you sure you feel okay? Maybe you should have gone to the hospital just in case to be looked over.”

  “I’m fine,” she said. “Just a lot on my mind more than anything. Once Carter called and told me the car could be fixed and knowing I can use yours, I can put everything aside for now.”

  “You knew you could have ours,” her father said. “Don’t ever doubt that.”

  “I did know, but you know how it is.”

  “We do,” her father said. “You never want to accept help.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want to,” she said. “I just don’t want to be seen as weak and I know everyone sees that.”

  Her mother looked at her father. “We aren’t sure we see you that way,” her mother said.

  “You kind of do,” she said.

  “Let’s not talk about this anymore,” her father said.

  She let out a sigh. There was no use arguing with them about this. She wanted the subject changed anyway.

  One of these days she’d figure out how to get what she wanted and voice her thoughts to more than just a few people.

  26

  Finding Love

  Duke was behind the bar at Southside having come out from the kitchen.

  He’d scheduled himself to work tonight because Zeke had a family emergency and it was easier to shift the schedule at Duke’s than here. He didn’t have as many on staff here trained and with it being a few days after July Fourth Duke’s was much busier, but his staff had it.

  He turned his head and saw his cousin Hudson come in with Delaney. “Hey, didn’t know you guys were coming in. Take a seat anywhere. The hostess is running late.”

  It was not what he wanted to deal with either, but the new hostess he’d hired had been reliable and she said her car wouldn’t start. Her friend was coming to get her.

  It’d been about three months now that he’d been running Southside. Most thought he owned it now, but he wasn’t one for talking about business with anyone other than those that needed to know.

  “Tell us where you want us to go,” Hudson said. “We aren’t fussy.”

  “Come back with me,” Duke said. They followed him back toward the bar and off to the side. “I’ll send Heather over in a second. I know she’s covering this side of the room and she’s good.”

  “Thanks,” Hudson said and they took a seat.

  Duke went back to the bar and grabbed the bourbon he wanted for one of the specials he was going to have tonight.

  He wished that Hadley was working, but she got off shift an hour ago. He didn’t need her to stay late and there was no reason to ask just so he could see her.

  It’d been almost two weeks since her accident. She’d gotten her rental and life seemed to be on track. Or at least stable.

  They were back to the way they were. If he was hoping to have a bit more progress he kept that to himself.

  They’d known each other two months or so, been dating a little over a month.

  She was someone who took her time getting places and he was trying to give it to her.

  Forty minutes later, he’d seen there were two orders of his triple chocolate cake. Since he knew he’d be here tonight, he’d told Hadley he’d bring it from Duke’s. He’d made a few this morning and figured why not have it here for the night?

  He checked the ticket and realized it was for Hudson’s table. Hudson had snuck back and told him he’d be ordering it and that he’d be asking Delaney to marry him tonight.

  Lucky bastard. Just another one of his cousins finding love in their life.

  And though he was sure he was finding it himself, he knew there were things that just couldn’t be rushed.

  He grabbed the two slices and decided to bring them to his cousin. Delaney had all but licked the plate clean when she had this at Duke’s months ago. He supposed that was just one more of those fate things of this island that he’d be here and have the cake on the same night that his cousin was going to propose.

  “How was dinner?” Duke asked.

  “Wonderful,” Delaney said. “Oh God. Is that your triple chocolate cake from your other restaurant?”

  “It is,” Duke said, grinning at Hudson. “Good luck.”

  He moved back toward the kitchen but then watched as his cousin proposed, Delaney moving over and then saying yes and sitting in Hudson’s lap.

  Yeah, he was jealous for a man that hadn’t been jealous of much or many people in his life.

  He went back to work after he heard the applause.