First Time in Forever (Puffin Island 1)

“Except the truth. You don’t have to believe me, but you’ll at least listen.” He was standing so close to her she could smell that elusive male scent that made her knees weaken.

“Why are you suddenly so keen to tell me the truth?”

“Look around you, Emily. What you see is a man who has plowed every last dollar and cent into this business and this island. I’m not a journalist. I haven’t worked as a journalist for four years, and even when I did I wasn’t reporting the sort of story you’re describing.” There was a hardness to his jaw and shadows in his eyes that she hadn’t seen before.

Or maybe she hadn’t been looking.

“So why didn’t you mention what you used to do?”

“Because it isn’t part of my life now, and once I discovered why you were here, I knew I couldn’t talk about it. You needed someone to trust, and if I’d told you, you wouldn’t have trusted me.”

“You’re right, I wouldn’t have. But that should have been my choice to make.”

“Brittany trusts me. Isn’t that enough for you?”

“She should have told me the truth instead of telling me you were a friend.”

“I am a friend. And the reason she didn’t tell you is because she didn’t think it was relevant.”

“You were a journalist! How can that not be relevant? And whatever has happened before, I need you to be honest with me now, for Lizzy’s sake, if not for mine. Should I be worried? Have you told anyone she’s here?”

He hesitated for a second too long. “I made one call after that day you saw the photo in the newspaper, but only to try and get a sense of how interested people were.”

Her heart started to race. “You called someone?”

“An old friend. And he didn’t know why I was calling.”

“How do you know? What if he guesses? They could come here.”

“The media is losing interest. Lana was the story, not her child. They’re not going to come.”

“If they do—if they find her and scare her—there is no quick way off the island. If they come, where do I run to?”

“You won’t need to run. They won’t come.”

“That first day when you came knocking on my door—” it was painful to ask the question because she was afraid of the answer “—it wasn’t because you were looking for Lizzy?”

“I’ve told you. Brittany asked me to keep an eye on you.”

“Why would you agree? I’ve known you long enough to know you don’t do anything that doesn’t suit you. What is this relationship you have with Brittany that you’re willing to put your life on hold to keep an eye on a stranger? What do you gain from this if it isn’t a story you can sell? She told me that you owe her.”

He gave a tired smile. “That’s a private joke.”

“I’ve had enough of private. Exactly what do you owe her?”

He turned and paced across to the window of his office to stare out over the water. “I was best man at Brittany’s wedding.”

Of all the things she’d expected him to say, it hadn’t been that. “Her wedding? The wedding? So you’re friends with the bastard who walked out on her at the end of their honeymoon? Oh, my God.” A suspicion formed in her mind. “We saw him. He was flying the plane Skylar took last weekend. I recognized him. The first thing Brittany did when she arrived at college was pin a large photo of him on the wall to remind her never to be stupid about a man again. I stared at his face long enough to be able to recognize him when I saw him in person. Did you know he was back here?”

“Yeah, I knew. Zach is the best pilot you’ll ever meet. He owns his own plane now and flies the mega-rich to their yachts and beach cottages. The rest of the time he does his own thing, and it so happens he’s chosen to base himself on Puffin Island.”

“He was flying for Maine Island Air.”

“He helps them out sometimes. I didn’t think it was something that needed mentioning as Brittany isn’t here anyway, and their marriage was over before it started.”

“You are the master at withholding information.”

“Whereas you clearly support the principle of full disclosure, so by all means go ahead and tell her he’s here if you think that’s going to make her day and lift her mood.”