Brothers of Paradise Series

Turner’s confusion is short-lived. He nods and presses a small kiss to my cheek. The impulsive gesture makes me blush, knowing who’s watching.

“Catch you later,” he says.

I want to watch-to see how Hayden talks to him-but I turn my back to them. Losing sight of him hurts. His presence at this party feels heavy, and my body seems linked to his, like we’re two planets in orbit.

Instead, I find Marissa and Leighton, two girls I’ve known from childhood. They’re the epitome of Paradise Shores, one engaged and the other just about to become a doctor, both of them beautiful.

It’s not long until the conversation turns to gossip. Who’s dating who, what houses have been sold, did I know that Tyler Bates had just divorced his wife? After twenty-seven years?

Finally, Marissa turns to me. “All right, Lily, you have to give us the details.”

“About what?”

“Turner! You’re here together? What does that mean?”

“We’re friends,” I say. “We work together and enjoy spending time together. Nothing more than that.”

“Come on,” Leighton says. “There’s always more than that.”

“Not this time. Not yet, anyway.”

“Only time will tell, I suppose,” Marissa says with a smile. “But what about Hayden Cole’s return? Did you know he was coming back?”

I shake my head. “No, I had no idea. No one in the family did.”

“I remember him from high school,” Leighton says thoughtfully. “Always so brooding, you know? He’d be at all the parties, right at the cool kids’ table, but there was something so… aloof about him.”

“Yes,” Marissa says. “Understandably so, though. When did your family take him in? When he was ten?”

“Around then, yes,” I say. “But he lived with his uncle. They had their own place.”

Leighton looks thoughtful. “And then leaving for the military… our very own veteran. I’ve never known anyone who was in the Army.”

“The Navy,” I correct.

Marissa shakes her head. “So brave, truly. What kind of career path does that result in, though? Must be hard to give the most important years of your life to the military.”

“Yes,” Leighton sighs. “It’s a shame, really.”

My hand tightens on the champagne flute. “Sorry?”

“Lily, it’s very impressive, don’t get me wrong.” Marissa’s eyes are wide. She looks surprised that I’m not in agreement. “But it’s not really an up-and-coming profession, you know. It’s just unfortunate that his prospects were wasted on enlisting. You want the best for him, I’m sure. Don’t you agree?”

“Hayden and others like him help keep us safe, so we can be here and drink expensive champagne and talk about who-divorced-who.” My words are coming out stronger than I intend, but I can’t seem to stop them. It’s the same feeling I used to get when people asked if he was the gardener. “They step up to the plate day in and day out, and occasionally pay the ultimate price for doing so. You can think what you like about the profession, but we owe people like Hayden respect.”

Both Marissa and Leighton look stunned. They’re silent for a moment, digesting my outburst.

“Well,” Leighton finally says. “You’re right about that. Supporting the troops is a very important cause, and I don’t think Marissa meant to imply that it’s not.”

“No, no, of course I didn’t. And the look suits him.”

“Absolutely,” Leighton says with a nod. “All that muscle? I’d love a military man. Do you know if he’s single, Lily?”

“Or how long he’s staying?” Marissa asks with a smile.

I swallow my discomfort and excuse myself as fast as possible. Not for the first time, I miss Jamie. But my best friend is still in New York, angry at me for returning to Paradise Shores.

She would never have expressed herself so… distastefully. According to these women, Hayden is wrong to have enlisted, because that’s clearly below people from this town, but he’s gotten muscular from it so it’s absolutely all right to sexually objectify him. It makes me want to throw up.

The whole thing does. The people here, the expectant look on Turner’s face that I’m not sure I can live up to, Hayden disappearing and reappearing without so much as an apology.

I need some space.

I set my drink down on one of the tables and walk toward the beach. The grass is soft under my wedges, the sun strong as I venture out from the marquees. People are everywhere, polite laughter and the sound of glass against glass. I’ve just turned behind the last pavilion when I’m stopped by a strong hand on my arm.

He drops the hand the second I turn around.

“Lily.”

Along with that elegant gray suit, Hayden wears an inscrutable expression. I can’t tell what he’s thinking or what he’s feeling. He looks entirely at home here-like he fits in, in a way he never used to. If it wasn’t for his unruly hair, I’d think him a different man entirely.

“What do you want?” I hiss, knowing I’m being rude and not finding it in myself to care.

He narrows his eyes. “You’re here with Turner?”

“Yes.” I cross my arms over my chest. We’re behind the pavilion and a hedge is hiding us from view. I don’t like the intimacy. “We work together.”

“You and Turner?”

“Yes.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“Turner Harris.”

“Yes! Why is that so hard to believe? How many times do you want me to repeat it?”

He runs a hand through his hair. It’s an achingly familiar gesture. “Of all the men I was expecting to find you with, you really surprised me with him.”

For a moment all I can do is stare. “What does that mean? The men you expected to find me with?”

“He’s an idiot.”

“No, he’s not.”

Hayden exhales and the sound is impatient. “Do you remember freshman year? He cut the ropes from the left side of the railings to-”

“He was fourteen!”

“Doesn’t matter. Still an idiot.”