Page 2 of Keeping Caroline
“Uh-huh,” she mumbled between bites of her fruit, nodding enthusiastically.
“Good. You’re going to knock ’em dead today.” Taking another sip of his coffee, he returned his eyes to me. “You settling in okay at the bookstore? You seem to like it.”
“Better than okay.” I smiled, the thought of Tangled in the Pages Two, the bookstore he and Scarlett had just opened, sending warmth straight into my heart. “It’s like finding a piece of myself I thought I’d lost.”
Ethan nodded, understanding without needing further explanation. We’d both sacrificed pieces of ourselves along the way—his to the darkness, mine to despair. Yet here we were, piecing them back together, side by side, the only family we had left.
“Scarlett’s lucky to have you,” he said after a moment, his tone laced with pride.
It was amazing to see my brother settling down and smiling. His happiness and love showed in everything he did, in every glance toward Scarlett. She was his world. I couldn’t imagine ever dating again, not after losing the love of my life, but if I ever did, I hoped to have what they did. Theirs was the kind of love that filled your chest until there was no room for hurt; the kind of love that left you breathless.
Reaching across the table, I wrapped my hand around his, needing my brother to know how important he was to me. “And I’m lucky to have her… and you. Maybe one day, I’ll find something like what the two of you have, but I have a feeling it’s a once in a lifetime thing, and I’ve already had my soulmate.”
Pulling into the drop off lane, I squeezed Evie’s hand, the ritual as much a comfort to me as it was to her. She was only on a hybrid school schedule, going to school three days per week, but having her away from me was hard. I’d only just gotten her back. “Remember, I’ll pick you up right after school.”
“I know, Mommy.” Her smile was the kind that crinkled her nose and made her entire face glow. “And then we can go to the bookstore and see Auntie Scarlett!”
“We can certainly do that, nugget.” The familiar tug at my heartstrings sent a smile onto my face as well. Letting go was never easy, but this routine—our little morning dance of reassurances—had become the steady beat to the start of each day, whether she was going to school or not.
With a quick kiss on my cheek, she pulled on her backpack, the one adorned with vibrant stickers she’d chosen herself, and joined the crowd of children bustling through the school doors. I lingered for a moment longer, ensuring she melded safely into the sea of uniforms before I finally drove away.
The drive to Tangled in the Pages Two was short, only three miles from Evie’s school. As I parked and stepped out onto the sidewalk, the late spring air filled my lungs, carrying with it the scent of freshly brewed coffee mixing with the fresh mountain air, nothing like what we had lived with in New Orleans.
The bells above the door chimed as I walked in and my gaze immediately found Ethan, who was lifting a box of newly arrived books onto the counter. Customers milled about, their fingers trailing over spines, while a few stood at the cafe counter.
“Need a hand?” I asked him, slipping behind the counter and grabbing my apron.
A smile spread across my brother’s lips, one I was seeing increasingly as of late. “I’ve got it, Cara, but we may need some help at the register.”
I nodded, aiming for the front of the store. “Got it.”
Heading toward the register, I passed Scarlett as she meticulously arranged a display of books, unconsciously stopping to rub her baby bump. It was a testament to the new life they were building together and how far she had come since her ex-husband, Joshua—who was thankfully no longer wasting oxygen—had tried to erase her existence. When she noticed me, she smiled, her dark eyes lighting up with genuine affection. “Good morning, Caroline.”
With a few customers at the register and only one cashier handling everyone, I didn’t stop to chat, but I touched her forearm as I passed. “Good morning. That looks great.”
Even in a small mountain town, there was a steady stream of customers throughout the day, making time go by quickly. Between helping customers, restocking shelves, and brewing cups of coffee for those seeking a quiet corner to immerse themselves in a good book, I ran around all day, barely finding time to take a break. If anything, it prevented me from getting lost in my head, a place I sometimes needed an escape from.
Arriving back at the bookstore with Evie in tow later that afternoon, I’d barely put the car in park before she jumped out of the car and bolted into the building. After a long day at school, I would have thought she would have had less energy. I was exhausted.
Crouching, Scarlett wrapped Evie in a hug. “Hey, sweetie! How was your day?”
Before Evie had a chance to answer, Ethan grabbed her and lifted her off the ground, tickling her sides and sending her into a fit of giggles. “We got a new toy train today, munchkin. Wanna play with it?”
“Y-y-yes. P-p-put me down!”
Chapter 2
The Phantom
The glow of multiple screens was the only light in the room, emitting an eerie luminescence over the scattered hardware and half-empty coffee cups and soda cans that seemed to accumulate on every surface in my computer room. My downtown apartment was large, but my lab was where I spent the majority of my time. With the number of clients who called on my services regularly, I was never away from a device for long. Aside from my clients, who I rarely met face to face, my cat, Houdini, and Legacy, my mentor and the man who got me off the streets, I kept to myself.
Sitting in front of my center monitor, my fingers danced across the keyboard, a rhythmic melody to the uninitiated, to those unfamiliar with the world of computer hacking, but to me, each keystroke was a familiar symphony of code. The digital fortress I had constructed around myself in my home was more than just a workspace. It was a haven—a retreat from a world that demanded too much connection, too much emotion. Having lost my parents at sixteen, I had always found it safer to stay firmly within my bubble, my only roots being the wires that connected my technology to its power source.
“Phantom” was not just a moniker. It was my reality. In my lab, amidst the hum of the machines and the flicker of lines rushing past across monitors, I could disappear. It was a somber existence punctuated by the crackle of electrical circuits and the occasional purr of my furry companion, who seemed to appreciate the quiet as much as I did. He was good company, so I wasn’t truly alone.
A soft ping broke the silence, a simple notification sound, yet it sent a ripple through the stillness of my sanctum. It was Ethan—Bane—or Boss, as I usually called him. The encrypted message came across my device, finding me in my self-imposed exile.
“Need you at the new cabin in AL. Security setup. Can you make the trip?”