Page 59 of Finding Carly
“Shawn’s neighbor?” Carly asked.
“Yeah.”
“What was he doing?”
“Smoking a cigarette and looking shady as hell,” Jag said. “I don’t think he saw me, but just as I was going to go and find out what the hell he was doing there, he ducked into the market and I lost him amongst all the vendor tables and kiosks.”
“And?”
“And what?” Jag asked.
“Did he do something else?”
“No, I told you, I lost sight of him.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?” Jag asked, surprised by her reaction.
Carly nodded and shifted so she was facing forward again. She rested her head against the back of the seat and closed her eyes. “Yeah. I’m not happy that he was so close to Duke’s, but I can’t control people’s comings and goings, and there could be a hundred reasons he was there.”
“Name one,” Jag blurted, having a hard time believing she was truly so nonchalant about this. He was proud of how well Carly had been doing recently. She’d come a long way from the terrified woman who hid in her apartment all day. But at the same time, he was a little worried that now she was maybe being too nonchalant about her safety.
“A drug deal? Meeting with a tourist about a new scam? I don’t know.”
Jag knew she had a good point. Eddie Evans wasn’t exactly an upstanding citizen, but he did own a boat, and if Shawn had offered him enough money to come and pick him up, he might’ve been all too eager to get involved in a kidnapping plot.
“Besides, he can stand across the street and stare at the hotel all he wants, he can’t hurt me from over there. If he’d been inside thehotel, or if he’d tried to get into Duke’s or talk to me, he wouldn’t have gotten far. I swear I’ve got more people looking out for me now than I ever would’ve thought. Vera’s like a damn guard dog, which, don’t get me wrong, I like. And Justin and the other servers all know what Luke looks like, and the pictures of the other possible accomplices are posted in the kitchen of Duke’s…you know the ones Baker sent over? And don’t get me started on Kaleen and Paulo. They’re still upset they didn’t do more when Shawn came into the restaurant and took Kenna. I have no doubt if anyone tried any shit with me, they’d lose their freaking minds.”
Carly’s voice was level and she didn’t sound particularly stressed out, which Jag liked, but again…it also kind of concerned him. He didn’t want her freaked out, but hedidwant to make sure she was still taking the situation seriously. He opened his mouth to tell her just that, but she kept talking.
“If I had to walk to the parking garage by myself, then yes, I’d probably have a very different reaction to the fact that Eddie was anywhere near Duke’s. But since you’ve offered to continue to pick me up for the foreseeable future, and I know without a doubt you’d never let anyone get near me, I don’t want to spend energy panicking about this.”
She turned her head without lifting it to look at him. “I hate that we haven’t figured this out, but I refuse to let my past dictate my present or future anymore. Maybe Eddie was there to spy on me. Maybe he was trying to figure out the best way to get to me. I don’t know. But sitting here stressing about it isn’t going to change anything. And I’m trying not to get all wigged out about something I have no control over, Jag.
“I had a long day, I’m exhausted, but I feel really good about how things went today. It was busier than it’s been since I started back, and even though my feet hurt, it’s nice to return to a semblance of my normal routine. I also made a ton of great tips, which helps make the tiredness worth it. After we drop this food off, we’re gonna go home, maybe you’ll let me take a bath while you make us something to eat, then I get to snuggle with you. All of that is much more appealing than trying to figure out what Eddie was doing in the international market.”
Jag’s respect for her bloomed. She was right. He’d tell Baker and Detective Lee that he’d seen Evans in Waikiki and let them try to figure out why he was there. All he could do was make sure his woman relaxed and recovered from her day. And maybe help her celebrate another step toward getting back to the woman she used to be.
“You’re right,” he said simply.
Carly smiled and closed her eyes again. “I know.”
“And humble,” he teased.
Her smile grew. “I learned that from my boyfriend.”
Jag couldn’t keep the smile from his own face. “Anyone I know?” he quipped.
“Maybe. He’s amazing. Tall, muscular, so good-looking you want to weep when you look at him, smart, caring, and he smells delicious.”
It thrilled him to hear her describe him that way. “Nothing beats your cherry blossom lotion,” he murmured.
Carly laughed. “You have an obsession with that stuff.”
“Yup,” Jag agreed.
They were quiet for a few minutes, then Carly spoke again. “I’m not taking my safety lightly,” she said in a serious tone. “I’m not thrilled Eddie was there, but I’m trying not to let him, or anyone else, get to me again. I lost myself for a while and it didn’t make me feel good. And you know that I’ve been seeing Shawn’s cronies everywhere recently. If I freaked out every time I saw Jeremiah, Beau, Gideon, Jamie, or even Luke, I’d have to be hospitalized. It’s been months, Jag…and I’m sick of being scared.”
