“But you did anyway,” she interjected.
“—then you lie to me about a boyfriend—”
“I was being cautious.”
“—and then you show up with Lou at a bar and tell me I’m a stripper.”
“I asked.”
“And now you’re trying to pay me in coffee for the tire I told you was taken care of, plus casually mention an unmentionable ex.” His jaw hardened suddenly, his eyes alert and snapping around their immediate environment. “He’s not in the Cove, is he? He didn’t follow you here?”
“No. He’s not here.”
“You’re safe?”
“Yes. Very.” More so in Brady’s presence. She almost couldn’t process how kind it was that he was concerned.
“And you’re staying at the McKinley place?”
“How do you know?”
“I don’t.” He shrugged. “Ant told me your last name. I checked on the houses in town. It’s my job to know what’s going on.”
That made sense.
“Plus, I have to keep the riffraff down to a minimum.” He took another drink of his coffee, the shadow of seriousness on his face receding. “I think I’ll let you stay anyway, though.”
“Ha ha.” She couldn’t help smiling back at him.
“How long are you in our fair city?”
“Not sure yet. I thought about staying the summer, but…” She lifted and dropped a shoulder, unsure how to admit that she needed to find herself as quickly as possible so she could go back to Chicago and make something of that person.
“But…you don’t like it here?”
“It’s not that. At all. It’s—” she gestured to the pine trees, the gorgeous houses, and the water beyond both, “—utopic. How could anyone not like it here?”
“Glad to hear you say that.”
They smiled at each other for a beat before she looked back down at her coffee and took another sip she absolutely didn’t need.
“I should get to work,” he said, turning his head to look over his shoulder.
“Right. Sorry to keep you.” She moved to stand, and he offered a hand. Chivalry, indeed.
“No sorry necessary. I invited you to sit.” She noted the pleasant warmth of his palm in hers. “One more question.”
“Okay.” She pulled her hand from his and missed the contact instantly. Interesting.
“Have you seen the lake yet?”
“Of course. My parents’ house is on the water.”
“I mean the entire lake. From a watercraft.”
“Not since I was a teenager. My parents sold their boat.”
“I’ll show it to you, Coffee Bean.” He tipped his cup to his lips and then gestured to the drink carrier. “Want me to take those extra coffees to the library? I know Mrs. Anderson, the librarian, drinks decaf.”
“Oh, sure. Good idea. Did you…did you just call me Coffee Bean?”
“Do you prefer just Bean?”
He was so oddly charming, and so not what she was used to. “I prefer Elli.”
“Very well.” He took the drink carrier. “Elli Bean.”
He walked in the direction of the library entrance with a long-legged, confident stride, and she watched, her hand wrapped around her coffee cup and her mind lit up like a marquee. From the caffeine, or from his presence, she wasn’t sure which.
“Saturday afternoon,” he called back to her. “Meet me at Mariner Dock at two. Yeah?”
She wanted to say yes but felt awkward about it.
He stopped walking and faced her, either because he’d noticed her hesitation or because he seemed to notice everything. “It’s just a tour, Elli Bean. You in?”
Time to stop being so hermit-like. If she was here for the summer, she might as well get comfortable. “Sure.” She lifted and dropped an arm. “Why not?”
But after he walked away and she climbed into her parents’ BMW, she thought of a few reasons why not. A few really good reasons.
At the top was that she shouldn’t be hanging out with a guy when she was trying to reestablish her independence. And she definitely shouldn’t be hanging out with a guy who intrigued her as much as Brady Hutchins.
Chapter 7
By the next afternoon, Elli was exhausted.
She’d spent the morning cleaning the house and doing laundry. Halfway through cleaning the keyboard on her laptop, she realized she had too much time on her hands.
Since she’d arrived in the Cove, she’d organized and reorganized the photos on her phone, gone to the grocery store twice, alphabetized the spice rack, and had watched countless videos of cats on the internet.
If she was staying here even a moment longer, she needed to find a job. For one, she’d been putting off using her father’s credit card—which he’d insisted she take for emergencies—and she was nearly out of money of her own. For another, she needed to keep her idle hands busy.
She hadn’t worked in almost six years, but she had a business degree and had organized many a dinner and cocktail party for Neil’s firm. Plus, she was damn smart. Surely someone would want temporary help with the tourist traffic around here.
But after spending two hours visiting shops in town, she’d learned that most people weren’t looking for temporary help. She’d popped into the shoe store, the bakery, a furniture store, and even the grocery she’d frequented this week. No luck.
She’d worried she would find herself uncomfortable around people, but she’d made those inquiries without embarrassing herself. And even though no one she’d talked to was hiring, they’d each asked her how long she was staying, and if she was enjoying herself. The people in this town were easy to like, that was for sure.
Elli made a beeline for Cup of Joe’s, having craved coffee since before starting her job hunt. She’d naively thought she’d come here to celebrate her success, but now the visit would instead fuel her to continue.
Inside the coffee shop, a woman in her early forties was straightening mugs on a shelf. She wore stylishly torn jeans, high-heeled wedge sandals, and her shirt was Cup-of-Jo’s maroon with her name stitched in marigold yellow over one breast. It read Jo.
“Morning, sweetheart,” the raspy-voiced blonde greeted, her painted pink lips offsetting the bold blond streaks in her hair. “That’s a gorgeous dress.”
“Oh. Thank you.” Elli swept her hands over the navy-blue dress she’d pulled on and paired with sandals. She was on her way to the counter when it occurred to her… Why not work here? She liked coffee. She loved this atmosphere. “I was wondering if you’re looking for summer help?”
Jo’s eyebrows rose. Her expression wasn’t unfriendly, but it held an authority that almost made Elli eat her words.
You can do this.
Elli smiled. “I need a temporary job while I’m in the Cove, or else I might lose my mind. I’ve checked with some of the local retail stores, but I haven’t had any luck.”
The other woman wordlessly examined Elli with her head cocked to one side. “You like coffee?”
“She loves it,” answered the barista behind the counter. “She spent forty bucks here yesterday.”
“I do love it,” Elli agreed.
“Ever work in a service-based establishment?” Jo propped a fist on her hip.
“Um.” Elli thought back to her work experience. “No, but I used to serve dinner to a dozen people my ex-boyfriend worked with. Entertaining is in my blood.”
“Perfect.” Jo broke into a smile. “Just so happens, I’m looking for a barista to fill in when Zack isn’t here. He could use some advice on being more entertaining.”
“Hey!” Zack, tying on his apron, called in mock protest.
“How soon can you start?” Jo asked.
“Tomorrow.” Elli grinned. Yes, she could picture herself here. Wearing an apron. Making coffee. Wiping down tables. The place smelled like heaven. And it was close to home.
“How about Monday?” Jo said with a laugh. “Grab an application from Zack, and we’ll expedite it. Unless you’re
hiding a criminal record, you’re in.”
Now why did that joke make her think of Brady arresting her? Blushing, Elli extended a hand. “Thank you, Jo.”
“You’re welcome…” Jo raised her eyebrows, waiting.
“Elliott McKinley.”
“You’re welcome, Elliott.” Jo released Elli’s hand and turned to greet another patron. Jo gave the tattooed guy with earrings a big hug paired with a hearty laugh.
“Asher, as I live and breathe,” she said to the man as Elli stepped out of the way.
Wait… Is that…
Elli blinked. Asher as in Asher Knight from the band Knight Time. He was hands down the biggest celebrity she’d ever seen in person. She stared for another few seconds before remembering her manners and turning to Zack.
“Is that…” She shot a thumb over her shoulder.
“The one and only,” Zack answered. “He lives in the Cove with his wife and kids.”
“Wow.” She shook her head to reset her brain. Totally not who she’d expected to bump into while she was here, that was for sure.
“So what’ll it be?” Zack asked, clearly far less star struck than Elli. “Another five coffees today?”
“Just the one. A caramel latte—”
“Extra shot,” Zack said, tapping the screen.
“You know, why don’t I add on a donut?”
“Freshly baked by Sugar Hi.” Zack approached the glass case. “Chocolate, glazed, or Devil Dog?”
Elli’s eyes locked on the Devil Dog, and her mouth watered. It wasn’t a donut, but a rectangular chocolate-dipped cake topped with whipped cream and a cherry.
“Devil Dogs are their specialty,” Zack encouraged.
“I’ll take it.” Looked like she was celebrating her job hunt after all. “On second thought, make it two.”
Live a little, part of her whispered, thrilled at the rare experience of no one around to stop her from eating one or both of the tasty desserts.
Chapter 8
Elli arrived home from Cup of Jo’s fully intending on a dessert binge, but once she was standing in the empty kitchen and spotted Lou, she changed her mind. She crossed the narrow patch of grass to Lou’s deck and held up the treasured cakes. “Devil Dog?”
“Heck yes, girl. Bring ’em over.” Lou opened a second lawn chair and set it next to the one she’d been lounging in.
“Cute dress,” she said as Elli served them each a Devil Dog with napkin.
“Thanks. I start my new job at Cup of Jo’s Monday.”
“Well, look at you. In town for two weeks, and you’re already employed.” Lou tapped her Devil Dog with Elli’s in a “cheers.”
Elli took a bite of the sinfully delicious cake and watched the boats on the water in the distance before turning to her new friend. “What do you know about Brady?”
After Lou finished chewing her bite and swiping her mouth with a napkin, she shrugged. “Good looking. Great cop. Never seen him with anyone long-term.”
Elli chewed on that statement and her Devil Dog.
Lou’s eyelids narrowed. “Why do you ask?”
“He offered to show me the lake today.”
“Oh, really?” Her neighbor grinned. “Considering a fling with a hot cop while you’re here?”
“No! No. Of course not.” Elli shook her head. That had “bad idea” written all over it in giant letters. No matter how good it sounded out loud. “He was being friendly. I’m not looking. Trust me.”
“I hear you on that.” Lou nodded in solidarity.
A fling was exactly what Elli didn’t need. A job? Yes. A temporary stay on the lake in order to recover her independence? Sure thing. But a great cop who was good looking—although Elli thought Lou had those two adjectives reversed—no, Elli didn’t need that in her life.
“Plus, if you end up staying long-term, having a fling could end up being awkward,” Lou added.
“Yeah.” That was wise. Elli needed some wisdom in her life. “Although, I won’t be here too much longer. Just until… I have to go home to Chicago. My mom keeps calling me and reminding me that Dad put in a good word for me at his office. No way could I see my Dad at work every day, but I do need to find a responsible job, you know?”
Lou snorted. “I used to have one of those. I left it to follow a passion, which I highly recommend doing at least once.”
It occurred to Elli she didn’t know what Lou did for a living. “What do you do?”
“Travel vlogger.”
“Really?”
“Yep. I share video diaries of my trips. Though I do some blogging as well. I love to write.”
“Wow. That’s the coolest job I’ve ever heard of.” Elli had no idea anyone could make a living vlogging.
Lou grunted. “It’s cooler when you travel. Haven’t done that in too long. But I have a lot of video and blogs banked from when I did. I’ve featured Evergreen Cove plenty. It’s a pretty cool place to live or visit.”
“It really is,” Elli said wistfully.
“I hear you on the responsibility thing. I’ve been thinking about returning to the world of finance, which is not a passion, but it does pay the bills.”
Lou’s voice dipped into an almost remorseful tone. Elli hoped Lou didn’t have to give up what she clearly loved—travel—for finance. But who was she to give advice? She was just now figuring out her own stuff.
On her walk home from Lou’s, Elli thought about all they’d talked about. Specifically, about Brady’s invitation to see the lake. She didn’t want to give him the wrong impression, especially since she’d likely bump into him a time or three after she started working at Jo’s.
The smartest decision was to sit this one out and keep her distance. If she had no intention of finishing anything with Brady, there was no reason to start.
Brady hadn’t stopped thinking about Elli since she brought him coffee a few days ago. She’d been sweet and trying damn hard. And she liked him. He could tell by the furtive glances she gave him whenever he’d smiled at her. He could read people, and he’d read Elliott McKinley like oversize words on a billboard.
She was cautious, thanks to an ex-boyfriend who sounded like he needed his ass kicked, but she was also interested.
Brady had never intended to be a summer-fling kind of guy, but that was where he’d ended up. He’d had a long-ish-term girlfriend a few years back, but after three months of dating, Meghan had bailed on him and the Cove in one fell swoop. Before she’d left, she’d told him she couldn’t handle his wacky schedule. Part of him thought that might be true, but he also knew Meghan couldn’t stand that he was never fully off the clock. He was always watching his back, hers, or someone else’s. He had never successfully turned that off, and she hadn’t liked sharing his attention with others.
Sometimes, he wondered if he cared too much. Not that he blamed her. He didn’t even resent her for leaving. It’d reinforced what he’d always suspected. Relationships were hard, and for cops, ten times harder.
After Meghan, he’d dated on and off. Most of the women he knew in the Cove were either married or on their way, so he dated the ones who weren’t living here year-round. Whether it was for dating, sex, or casual hangouts—or a combo of the three—the women he saw didn’t much care about the hours he kept or the dangers on the job. It made for an easy, if unsatisfying, way to be a part of a relationship. He’d gotten used it, though. Some nights that was sad, and others, it was just what he needed.
Anyway, he had a girl in his life now. Lila. His pup was a long-term commitment for him. She’d never experience another harsh word or touch as long as she lived.
His date with Elli Bean tonight was another matter altogether. He was just being friendly.
Bullshit.
Okay, he was being friendly with a very open mind. Long term might not be in the cards, but he couldn’t deny his instincts that had twanged to life when he’d first met her. They twanged again now as he sped across the lake on the Jet Ski. Wind slapped his face, water
splashed his legs, and the sun warmed his arms sticking out of the life jacket.
Whenever he thought of Elli, he wondered what she’d been through with the ex that had sent her fleeing for the Cove. Brady had a protective streak a mile wide. Hell, he’d become a cop because he wanted to help people. He’d be the first to admit he had a hero complex, which could be why he was preoccupied with Elli’s situation.
No one, especially a woman, should have to put up with a guy who wasn’t treating her like gold. He was determined to treat the women in his life well, even if he wasn’t going to be around permanently.
Similarly, if he could help Elli through a rough patch in her life, why not? His life was full enough without another attachment. He had Gramps and Lila to look after. He had the entire town to look after.
He powered down the Jet Ski and floated near Mariner’s Dock. He’d chosen it because it was close to the marina, and he figured Elli would enjoy seeing that as well as grabbing some dinner at one of the gourmet food trucks that parked here on weekends.
He waited. Watched. Waited some more. Then he parked and climbed off to poke around. He ran into people he knew, which was pretty much everyone, before deciding that something must’ve come up for Elli. She wasn’t here. Even in the crowd, he’d spot a petite brunette looking for him.
He climbed back onto the Jet Ski and zipped across the lake to her house. If something had happened between there and the dock, Lou might know. He tried not to imagine a disaster as he drove over the water, but he did anyway. Thinking the worst was another side effect of being a cop.
Since Lou had once owned a Jet Ski, but her dick of an ex-husband had taken it, there was an empty spot for Brady to dock.
He climbed off and dropped the life vest, pulling on a shirt and a pair of flip flops next. The second he moved to the side yard, he caught sight of Elli in her kitchen window. She caught sight of him, too, her brown eyes widening with guilt.
She pointed to the back door and he met her there as she was sliding it open. Her blue dress hugged her small curves, and the sandals boosted her ass and her calves in a way that sent his mind to the gutter.
Bad Boy Blues (Evergreen Cove Book 1) Page 4