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EVERLY LOOKED UP FROM the sofa of Tyler’s apartment the next day, shocked to see a little girl rushing in as Tyler opened the front door. Everly had woken up early and then fallen back asleep at some point during the morning, exhausted between the jet lag and her long day yesterday. Tyler reappearing with lunch and a five-year-old was not what she’d expected to see though.
“Hi! Are you Mr. Tyler’s sister? Can I call you Aunt Everly? I bet someday he and my mom will get married, then he’ll be my dad, and you’ll be my aunt. Will you come to the wedding? Where do you live? Want to color with me after we eat lunch?”
“Keira!” a woman called out.
Blinking in surprise at the barrage of questions, Everly watched as a blonde woman hurried into the apartment after the little girl, Tyler chuckling behind them as he locked the front door.
“I’m so sorry. I’m Rachel, by the way—Tyler’s girlfriend. This is my daughter Keira. We live right next door, and she’s been really excited to meet you, if you can’t tell.”
“We brought lunch,” Tyler said, carrying over several bags of Mexican. “You were still asleep, so I hope you saw my note. We got tacos, chips and guac, a cheese quesadilla just for Keira, and frozen margaritas for you ladies. I’m sticking with a beer though.”
“Their margaritas are the best,” Rachel said, turning to help Tyler with the food. “We can stick yours in the fridge if you’d rather just have water or something nonalcoholic, but they are amazing.”
“Did you really almost drown yesterday?” Keira asked, plopping down onto the sofa right beside Everly. “And Mr. Mark saved you? He’s in the Navy, too. I like Havoc the best. Aside from Mr. Tyler.”
“Havoc?” Everly asked in confusion.
“Another one of my teammates,” Tyler said easily, setting all the food down on the coffee table. “His name is Owen, but we all call him Havoc. Keira included,” he said with a wink at the little girl.
“Huh. What’s Mark’s nickname?” she asked casually.
Her brother’s lips quirked. “Mayhem. And he definitely caused plenty of it when he was younger. He’s calmed down for the most part now,” he added with a smirk. “He’s my age, Ev. Way too old for you.”
She flushed, glancing at Rachel. “What makes you think I’m interested in your friend?”
“All the texts he sent me yesterday and today, for starters. I get that he saved you, but no one is that invested in learning more about the person they rescued.”
“He texted you,” Everly pressed.
Rachel looked at her knowingly, then grabbed her daughter’s drink from the to-go containers. “Yeah. I think the fact that he kept texting Tyler gave it away,” she hinted. “He’s interested in you, much to Tyler’s annoyance.”
Tyler shot her a look. “I told him yesterday that he’s all wrong for you. He’s a good SEAL, and I trust him with my life, but I don’t think he’s had a serious relationship in...ever. He’s never had a serious relationship. You don’t want to get burned by a guy like him. He knows you’re my sister, but hell. I still wouldn’t trust him to date you. Plus, you’re only here a couple weeks,” he added as if that settled everything.
Everly flushed. “We’re not dating. I never even saw him before yesterday morning. We just...bonded, I guess you could say. That’s all. He rescued me and calmed me down afterward. The EMTs were helping me, but Mark was just....”
Her voice trailed off, and heat washed over her face as she realized both her brother and Rachel were watching her. She didn’t need to feel embarrassed about the situation, but goodness. She still felt the touch of Mark’s fingers burning into her skin from when he’d carefully lifted her oxygen mask. Somehow, just looking into his eyes had soothed her. His presence made her feel safe. And while she had to admit something had passed between them in those stolen moments, Mark would never act on it. He had the same protector vibe that her brother did, and he’d basically told her himself that she was too young for him. She wasn’t blind though. She’d seen the way he carefully watched her. This man she barely knew was more attuned to her than any of her ex-boyfriends.
She and Mark would just be friends though. Nothing more.
“Don’t go getting any ideas about dating my friends,” Tyler quipped. “Although, I’m not sure if dating a guy your age works either, come to think of it. Maybe you should become a nun.”
Everly rolled her eyes as Rachel laughed. “Good grief, Tyler, I’m an adult. I’m not some teenager in high school anymore. Besides, maybe he was just texting because he was worried about me.”
After she’d been released from the hospital yesterday, Tyler had brought her back to his place. He’d gotten her suitcase and things from the hotel, telling her she could stay with him a few days until she needed to be back for her photoshoot. And after she and Mark had realized whoever was sending her the creepy texts had been following her? That they were right here in San Diego watching her? She was more than happy to stay with her Navy SEAL brother.
She felt the tiniest twinge of guilt for not filling Tyler in, but she’d told Mark the truth. Tyler would want her to cancel the photoshoot. She couldn’t blow this opportunity.
Still. To know Mark had been asking her brother about her was...flattering. Her chest warmed just thinking about it. He’d only shot her one quick text last night. Funny that he’d kept asking her brother for updates. Tyler wouldn’t have said anything about the texts if they meant nothing.
Rachel passed her a to-go container of Mexican food, and Everly smiled. “This smells amazing. Thanks so much for grabbing lunch, Ty.”
“I helped him pick up lunch,” Keira said proudly. “Mommy was busy, but I got to go with him and help.”
“You did? Well, thanks to you, too, kiddo.”
Keira giggled. “Mr. Tyler calls me ‘kiddo’ also. It’s funny.”
Everly didn’t miss the amused look her brother and Rachel exchanged. They were close. Closer than she’d expected. She knew Tyler had a girlfriend, but he wasn’t one to go on and on over the phone about her and share all the details. Everly thought they’d just begun dating fairly recently, but obviously, things had gotten serious. Goodness. The little girl had already outright asked to call her Aunt Everly. It was strange imagining her older brother getting married and having a built-in family. He clearly cared about them.
She had no idea how the rest of her own life would turn out. Did she want a family? Kids? In many ways, her life was just getting started.
Everly took a sip of her frozen margarita, blinking in surprise at how strong it was. She wasn’t a big drinker, despite the fancy cocktails she posted on her social media feed. Like everything else she presented to the world, it was just for show. People wanted the idea of her, not her actual life. And she was good at faking it to the world. Everly’s real passion was in designing her own clothes. She had sketchbooks full of ideas at home. Someday, she’d make it happen. She’d get there. And for now, she posted staged pictures and had a ton of followers.
“So, you’re really here for a photoshoot?” Rachel asked, seemingly having the same thoughts as her.
“Yep. I’ll be posing in some of the new clothing line and then sharing the photos on my social media channels. The company will use the modeling shots in some of their own advertising, too. Honestly, I’m hoping to show them some of my own clothing designs though and see if we can collaborate.”
“You design clothes?” Rachel asked. She shot Tyler a look. “Your brother didn’t mention that.”
“Her brother didn’t know,” Tyler quipped. “I thought that was just a hobby, Ev. Will you work with this company again?”
Everly lifted a shoulder. “Maybe. They work with bloggers and influencers like me to promote their own clothing, but I’d love to get my designs made. Hopefully we can collaborate on a future collection.”
“Wow. That’s be amazing! I’d love to see your sketches sometime,” Rachel said.
“I can show you them.”
They dug into their Mexican food, Everly quietly watching her brother interact with Rachel and Keira during the meal. She was tired, she realized. Despite the nap earlier, she just felt drained. Here she’d come to San Diego a few days early to relax and get away from things, and she was staying at her brother’s apartment instead of a luxury hotel, dealing with harassing texts, and oh yeah, she’d also nearly drowned. Life was just peachy.
Her phone buzzed, and she saw it was her best friend, Chloe. They’d met a couple of years ago when Everly was just starting out in the social media world and had quickly bonded. Chloe was a hairstylist and exuberant and talkative compared to Everly’s more laidback personality. While Everly enjoyed the creative side of taking photos, appreciating them for the art they were, Chloe loved the attention. She’d go live on social media, make reels, and try to make her own posts go viral.
Their friendship worked for them though. Everly toned down Chloe’s wild ideas, and Chloe encouraged Everly to broaden her horizons. Most of the time, anyway.
Excusing herself, Everly stood and made her way back to the guest room. She’d texted Chloe yesterday but hadn’t gone into any details about her ordeal. Although they were constantly texting and calling each other back home, sometimes Chloe was too much to handle. Everly had needed a break from everything, even her friends.
“Hey girl,” Chloe said after Everly had answered. “How’s sunny San Diego? You said you weren’t feeling well yesterday but never answered my text asking what was wrong.”
Everly briefly explained falling off the pier into the Pacific and then being rescued. “Holy crap!” Chloe exclaimed. “You nearly drowned? Oh my God. Wait. Did you get photos of that? It would make an amazing story. You should go live from the pier and give everyone a play by play of what happened. Maybe find the guy who saved you. Oh! You can reenact it. Think of how that would blow up your social media channels!”
“I’m fine, Chloe, thanks for asking.”
“Of course, you’re fine, hun. You’re talking to me now, am I right? I’m just thinking of how you can spin this to make it big. God. I’d kill for that kind of social media coverage. I’d have a client-list a mile long.”
“I don’t want to spin it,” Everly muttered.
“Right. No. You don’t like doing live videos. Well, did you get some good pictures before you fell in? You were going to do different swimwear shots, but I didn’t see you post anything. Or did I miss it? I bet the pictures looked awesome with you posing right in front of the ocean. Followers eat up travel pics and exotic locations. We should take a girls’ trip soon. Think of all the awesome content we could create.”
Everly let out a breath. She actually hadn’t even looked at the bikini photos yet. Part of her was mortified that Mark had seen her posing for selfies on the pier. She had a good body, was young, and knew she looked good in a bikini. Her presence online was just that though—her online persona. It was nothing like her real personality. She’d flaunt her looks and wear sexy clothes, show some cleavage, but goodness. She’d rather be designing clothes than in front of a camera. It was hard to stop the momentum she’d built up though. If she wanted a successful shot at a design collaboration, she needed to keep her fan base growing, not disappear and disappoint her followers.
Ugh. She really should post something today. They’d be expecting awesome shots of her trip.
Her heart began pounding in her chest, and she took a deep breath. Geez. Even thinking about social media was stressing her out lately. It was never ending. There was no finish line to cross, no project to see to completion, no fashion line to launch. She just kept posting photos, getting people to click on her links, and dreaming up new content. For a lucrative job, it was damn exhausting. Especially since she was documenting her every move. She’d love to just go somewhere and enjoy without having to photograph everything.
“I didn’t post them yet. I was in the hospital until late in the afternoon and then came back to Tyler’s apartment. Between jet lag and the stress from it all, I just crashed.”
“Geez, hun. Did you have any panic attacks?” Chloe asked in a low voice.
Everly had confided to Chloe a few months ago that her panic attacks had started coming back. Sometimes the pressure, the comments she got online—it was all too much. Chloe would’ve thrived on the controversary, but Everly hated anytime someone wrote a negative word about her. It was hard to believe people could be so cruel. She tried to focus on the positive and ignore the darker parts of her job. Sometimes that was easier said than done. “I almost did,” Everly finally admitted. “After I nearly drowned, and I was about to be loaded into the ambulance, I freaked. They put an oxygen mask over me, but it was like I just couldn’t breathe.”
“Well, don’t worry about posting any pictures. Everyone will think you took a day or two off because you were up to something fabulous. Want me to start some rumors?” she asked with a laugh. “I can stir things up and get people asking where you are.”
“No! Chloe, I swear. I know you love attention, but this is a means to an end for me.”
“I know, I know. You want to be a fashion designer. You’re lucky though, hun. You’re an honest-to-God social media star. Run with that. Work it.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I better get going. Tyler’s girlfriend is here, so I need to spend some time with them, not hide in the guest room.”
“What happened to the fabulous hotel? You could be relaxing at the pool with champagne and room service. Snap some selfies of yourself on a chaise lounge with a cute cabana boy. Ohh, I know. What about a vacation fling?”
“Nearly drowning happened,” Everly muttered. “I’ll check back into the hotel when I have to do the photoshoot though.”
“Oh good,” Chloe said.
Everly frowned. “Why is that good? I hardly ever get to see my brother. I don’t mind spending some extra time with him.”
“Oh, I know. Just, the hotel sounded fabulous, am I right? I don’t want you to miss out on relaxing. That’s why you flew out there a few days early. To take some time alone to recharge, you know? I’d love to be in your shoes.”
“Yeah, yeah. I suppose you’re right.”
“Where’s your brother live anyway? Right there in San Diego?”
“Yep. He’s got an apartment here, and his girlfriend lives right next door. Isn’t that cute? It’s how they met. I think he’d been interested in her for months before they got together.”
“Awww, that’s cute.”
“What happened to your new guy? You went out on a couple dates, right?”
“Oh, he’s good,” Chloe said quickly. “You know we were flirting for weeks online before we actually met. He’s really into social media, too, so he’s helping me with some new ideas. I swear the guy’s a genius at that. My followers are going to explode soon, I just know it.”
“That’s awesome. Good for you. You’ll be opening your own salon years before you thought it was possible.”
“That’s the plan. You’ll meet him someday. I just know you guys will hit it off. He’s taking me to a fancy dinner Friday night—that new place in DC that I’ve been dying to try. It’s our third date, so you know it’ll be good. He was traveling for business but will be back soon. I can’t wait.”
Everly shook her head in amusement and heard laughter coming from the living room. “Well good luck, girl. I hope date three is amazing. Anyway, I really better get going. Talk soon, okay?”
“Text me later. I want to see those pictures!”
Reluctantly agreeing, Everly said goodbye to her friend. She sat for a moment on the bed, her mind whirling. Something had seemed a little off during their phone call. Chloe had almost been more interested in playing up Everly’s ordeal than making sure she was okay. She’d always had a flair for the dramatic though. And while Everly probably could have milked nearly drowning and being rescued by a hot sailor if she wanted, Everly didn’t want to relive that moment. Plus, it would draw unwanted attention to Mark.
Without even asking, she knew Mark was like her brother. They served their country without fanfare, not expecting any thanks and certainly not wanting public attention. Tyler was proud to put on his uniform, and she got the same impression from Mark. They were doing their duty. Mark wouldn’t want to ever end up in the limelight. In a weird way, Everly needed to protect him, too.
Shrugging off the conversation she’d just had with Chloe, Everly went back down the hallway to the living room. She heard Keira’s peals of laughter and smiled. Rachel and her daughter were good for Tyler. Everly might not be relaxing at the hotel like she’d planned, but she’d make the most of the unexpected time with her brother.
