Jordan tugged on her hand. “Mommy, I’m hungry.”
Like most boys, Jordan was a bottomless pit. He’d eaten two packs of airline pretzels and one pack of cookies just before landing. Yet, she wasn’t the least bit surprised that he was still hungry.
“Let’s get our luggage. I’ve got some granola bars in my suitcase.”
He frowned. “But my tummy hurts,” he said, eyeing a nearby food stand.
The fragrant smell of teriyaki chicken wafted through the air making Everly’s mouth water, reminding her that Jordan wasn’t the only one who was hungry.
“It won’t take us long to get the luggage. Remember what we talked about? I need you to be a big boy, okay?”
He blew out a breath. “Okay.” He switched gears. “When can we go to the beach? I want to build a sandcastle.”
The excitement in Jordan’s voice made her smile. He was a bundle of energy, and the only time he slowed down was when he was asleep. But he’d captured her heart the moment he was born—the best thing that had come from her marriage to Mitchell. “First thing in the morning, I promise.”
He scrunched his nose. “Aw, man,” he said slumping his shoulders in an exaggerated manner only a five-year-old could perfect. “I wanna do it today.” He scrunched his eyebrows together. “Please?”
“We still have to get our rental car and drive to our place. It’ll be dark by the time we get there.” As she watched disappointment cloud his features she softened. “Hey, maybe we can find a pizza place. Would you like that?”
He brightened. “Pepperoni?”
“Of course.”
He started skipping along beside her. Everly wished she had a tenth of Jordan’s energy. Of course, it helped that he’d slept on the plane. But, she didn’t. She could sleep in a car just fine. But, the moment that plane lifted off the ground she was wide-awake thinking about the empty air beneath her feet. The journey was starting to catch up with her. Her legs felt heavy, and the straps of her backpack cut into her shoulders. Everly’s oversized bag felt like lead slung over her arm. Her day started at 4 a.m. when she hustled Jordan out of bed before driving to the airport in Charleston. From there they flew to Atlanta, followed by a 10-hour flight here. A soft bed and pillow sounded divine, but they still had a ways to go. According to Google Maps, it would take over an hour to get to their rental house on the North Shore. She’d booked a one-bedroom, one-bath cottage directly on Sunset Beach. Everly wanted a true Hawaiian experience, away from the touristy hotels. Plus, it would be easier to maintain a low profile, while checking into Mitchell.
Humidity pressed around Everly like a warm blanket as they walked by sections of walls, open to the outdoors, revealing lush green grass, palm trees, and bushes loaded with large, red hibiscus flowers. Coming from South Carolina, Everly was used to her share of humidity, but not this much. The sweet scent of plumeria flowers filled her senses as they passed a lei stand.
“Mommy, look!” Jordan exclaimed, pointing at the neat strands of white and pink flowers.
A pretty Polynesian girl in her mid-twenties smiled. “Aloha.”
Everly returned the smile. “Aloha.” She turned to Jordan, “The flowers are beautiful, aren’t they?”
He nodded, his bright-blue eyes wide with wonderment.
For the first time since they’d left South Carolina, Everly felt a twinge of excitement. It would be nice to soak up some sun. Dig her toes into the sand on the beach. Feel the salty breeze on her face. Play in the ocean and build sandcastles with Jordan. Tomorrow, she planned on spending most of the day on the beach. Eventually, she’d have to search for Mitchell, but she planned to put that off for a few days. She and Jordan needed some R&R. A little downtime to steel her for whatever she’d find.
Everly’s heart clutched when she saw a familiar face at baggage claim. Hot anger suffused through her as she glared at the man standing two carousels away. A panicked look came over him when he realized he’d been spotted. He ducked back and disappeared into the crowd. Everly’s first impulse was to charge after the man, but she couldn’t very well leave Jordan standing in the airport alone. What was his name? She searched her memory? Briggs. Yes, that was it. He was on her ex-husband’s payroll. She’d seen him lurking around Roland’s office. She should’ve known Roland would have her followed.
“Ouch!” Jordan yelped. “You’re squeezing my hand.”
“Oh, honey. I’m sorry.” She relaxed her grip. Dread settled in the center of her stomach. Would she ever be able to escape Roland? Panic steamrolled over her. She’d tried to be discreet about her travel plans. She didn’t even tell Jordan about their trip until they arrived at the airport, fearing he’d tell Roland. She’d not breathed a word to her co-workers at the fitness center. Only her mama knew. Everly only planned to be gone for two weeks. Two measly weeks! And Roland sent his guy all the way here to watch her. A cold sweat broke over her brow. Had Roland somehow gotten wind that she was looking for Mitchell? Did he have a tracker on her phone? Was he having her followed 24/7? She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Roland had a different woman on his arm nearly every week, and yet, he was insanely jealous about her. It was crazy! She glanced around, trying to catch sight of the man, but he was nowhere to be found. Even so, she knew he was nearby … watching.
