The Man I Want to Be (Under Covers)(37)

"Want something to drink?" Bryan asked.

"Wine, please."

As Bear made his way to the bar on the other side of the patio, Kenna  scanned the table. Place cards had been set out with everyone's names in  black script. She found hers near the middle, smiling when she noticed  she would be sitting next to Aunt Estelle and Bryan.

She picked up Bryan's card and reread his name. How formal and classic  it looked in the beautiful font. So different from the man himself, who  wasn't formal or classic. And she loved him for it. She always would. He  knew who he was and be damned with anyone who didn't like it.

She placed the card back onto the table, then pulled out her chair,  hopelessness filling her. The prospect that they may never get that ring  back at all was too much for Kenna to process. It was the only thing  she had left of her mom. It was something she'd always thought she'd  pass down to her own daughter. Her own daughter whom she would never  have because there was no other man for her but Bear. No one else she  wanted to share the beauty of parenthood with.         

     



 

Spending time with Bryan again had been amazing. It was all she'd wanted  for so long. But how did multiple orgasms help her find her mother's  ring? It didn't. She'd gotten distracted by his body and her lust for  it. That never-ending ache low in her belly that only he could  extinguish. Once again, she was blinded by her love for him.

If he didn't want her long term, which he said he didn't, and things  would never be like they used to be, then what good was acting as if he  did? What good was it to imagine that this time they might actually make  it work? That they'd leave this island together.

They wouldn't.

He came back to the table, handing her a glass of red wine, lowering his  voice as he sat. "Just had an interesting conversation at the bar."

Now what?

She took a sip and prepared herself.

"Remember that couple I told you about? The ones who thought her mother's watch was stolen?"

Kenna nodded. Richard and Claire. Their family heirloom went missing around the same time as Kenna's ring.

"They found it."

"You mean they found the thief?" she nearly gasped. "They got the watch back?"

Bryan shook his head. "She found it in their room this morning. No one took it."

He looked at her, and the unspoken question hung between them until  Kenna adamantly said, "I searched. Trust me, I looked everywhere. The  ring isn't in my room."

His shoulders sagged, and his face said he figured as much.

Oh, how she wished it were that easy. Especially since the ring and the  brooch seemed to have evaporated into thin air. No leads. No more  suspects. Nothing.

"There's something else I need to tell you."

The glass rested on her lips, red wine ready to pour over into her  mouth, but she lowered it onto the table and waited. "Go ahead."

He chewed on whatever he had to say a moment longer, then, "Clint's gone."

"What?" She gathered herself enough to quietly hiss, "Gone where? What happened?"

"While we were at Clint's place, I found drugs." When she opened her  mouth, most likely to berate him for not telling her, he flashed a palm.  "Save it. I didn't know if it had anything to do with our  investigation. Just in case it did, I passed his name to the cops.  Figured he was worth a second look. But something must've spooked him  because he bolted. They have a few leads on where he might have went.  They're confident they'll catch up to him pretty quick."

"So he did it," she said. "He wouldn't run from the cops if he was innocent, right?"

Bryan sipped his beer, his expression clearly saying he had similar suspicions. "We won't know more until they catch him."

That made her think about the ferry and her deal with Finn. She quickly  recounted the story to Bryan about how she'd asked Finn, the driver of  The Bay Bee, to text her if any man with dark hair and lean build tried  to leave the island. If Finn hadn't contacted her, then Clint hadn't  tried to escape that way.

"The cops are on it. Trust the process, Kenna."

Easier said than done. Especially since Bryan's eyes shadowed with doubt that the cops would actually come through.

"Bryan, I feel like a broken record, but this time I'm really worried.  What if they don't find him? What if we don't find the ring? The wedding  is tomorrow."

She knew he heard her voice crack because his eyes took on a hard glint.  He brought his face to her level. "Don't talk like that. We will. I  promise."

Kenna closed her eyes and inhaled a fast, deep breath to hold off the  frustrated tears gathering in her eyes. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because I never make promises I can't keep."

The cut through her stomach was quick and efficient. As if he'd pulled  that fancy knife he'd had the other night out of his belt and jammed it  into her side. He didn't realize what he said. What his words meant.  Promises didn't mean anything to Bryan Tyke. She knew that firsthand.

"So … " she started but had to tamp down the rise of anger. "What about us? What was that? Didn't you make me a promise?"

Almost instantly she watched his fire die. Regret. Anger. Despair  replaced it. "Not tonight, Kenna," he said barely audible. His voice was  pleading.

Kenna quickly scanned the area, noticing most of the wedding party at  the bar, laughing and talking. Everyone enjoying the evening with one  another, not caring about the past. Simply relishing in their time in  the present. The time they had together before the week came to an end.  And of course, the beginning of a new shared life for Ash and Sam, and  Luke and Cass. A long-lasting, picturesque marriage as husband and wife.         

     



 

"If not tonight, when?" The week was just about over. It's not like  she'd be able to have this conversation later. Once they left the  island, she'd never see him again. Her emotions started getting the  better of her. Started making it hard to see and think straight. The  lump in her throat made it difficult to get the next words out. "Were  you ever going to tell me why you never came back? Or was your plan to  leave me hanging forever? Because that's exactly what happened, Bryan. I  waited for you. For years."

He squeezed his eyes closed and massaged his temples. "Kenna. I can't do this-"

She finally cleared her throat enough to thrust her words at him. "You  never could, could you? You never planned to come back. Like a fool I  waited for something that wasn't going to happen. How could you do that  to me?" She jabbed a finger in his chest, and this time he recoiled. He  absorbed the impact by curling his shoulders forward and dropping his  chin to his chest. "I would've done anything for you. Would've turned  myself inside out if that's what it would've taken."

"I wouldn't have let you."

"Yeah, well," she continued, "that would've been nice to know before you  promised me you'd come back. Would've saved me a hell of a lot of time  caring about something that wasn't real." She huffed out a breath and  gathered a bunch of his linen shirt in her fist. "I feel sorry for you,  you know that? You're alone because you choose to be. And I won't be a  part of it anymore. I'm over you, Bryan. It's time I start living my  life. You gave me everything I needed in your bed. I've had my fill, and  now I'm finished with you. I'm going to find it with someone else. I've  wasted too much time thinking you'd come to your senses. That you'd  change. That my love for you would be enough. But you don't change. You  never did."

"Great," he said with a shake of his head. "I knew this was gonna  happen. I knew you'd get attached. We never should've slept together. We  promised. You promised."

"So this is my fault?" she said, affronted. "Really? You're going to blame me for thinking-no, believing-you'd changed?"

"What's going on here?" Aunt Estelle said. She placed her short glass of  clear liquid on the table in front of them. Spearing Kenna and Bryan  with a stern look, she crossed her arms over her snug-fitting navy  sleeveless top. "Someone start talkin'."

"It's nothing," Kenna said, throwing up her wall. She smiled at her aunt  as she stood. "This is a huge misunderstanding. But it's all sorted out  now. We're good. Aren't we, Bryan?"

He wiped all emotion from his face and flicked a final hard look at Kenna. "Yeah. It's done."

She gave a quick nod. "Good. Now if you'll excuse me."

Kenna brushed past Bryan and moved as fast as she could away from the  crowd without drawing too much attention to herself in the process. She  caught Sam's stare, but she smiled and mouthed, Not feeling well. Going  to lie down. Sorry. Sam darted a glance over Kenna's shoulder at Bryan  and Aunt Estelle. She didn't know how they reacted because she wasn't  turning around to check.

She, of course, crossed directly in front of Michael Tucker, suspect  number one and the man she'd left naked in the shower a few days ago.  Faltering a step, she groaned. She attempted a pathetic smile and a  sorry again, to which she earned an eye roll back, before continuing on  her way.