I didn’t know what to expect after what had happened in Minnesott Beach with Evan.

While I did join them for dinner that afternoon and Evan was attentive to me, I genuinely wasn’t sure if he was putting on a show for Alex or if he felt like our tryst had meant something.

I tried to tell myself that it was never going to happen again – how could it? He was returning to Seattle anyway and he was Evan Collier, my dad’s best friend.

The behavior was so uncharacteristic of me, it was as if Maya had somehow overtaken my body and the good girl Vyolet was floating above my head somewhere, watching me.

I went home to Oriental, my mind racing with what the future might hold for us.

Desperately, I wished there was someone to call, a friend who might help me through the rollercoaster of emotions I was experiencing but I dared not share my dirty little secret with anyone.

Anyway, I had school to prepare for as the end of August approached and my lesson plans demanded my attention.

I threw myself into the impending school year, pushing Evan into the recesses of my mind.

It was a moment of weakness, I told myself. We both got it out of our system and now it’s done.

At least that is what I tried to pretend I believed.

Still, as I sat in my solarium, pouring over my curriculum for the first graders, my mind continued to wander toward Evan and what he had planned.

A knock at my door interrupted my unfocused mind and I rose to answer it although I knew who it was almost instinctively.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, stepping aside to allow Maya inside. She grinned, her auburn eyebrows raising.

“A girl can’t come to visit her sister unannounced?” she asked coyly, and I cringed at the tone of her voice.

She knows something is up. I hate that she knows something is up.

It shouldn’t have surprised me to see her. That is the way triplets work; we are inherently connected without reason.

We shared the same womb for nine months after all.

Still, I sometimes felt that Maya and I were closer than Yvette and me or even Yvette and Maya although I knew our middle sister managed to keep us together in her eccentric way.

“I dunno,” Maya replied, collapsing onto my pristine suede sofa. “Maybe if you answered your texts, I wouldn’t have to pop by without warning.”

“Did you text?” I asked innocently, knowing full well that she had not stopped texting in two days.

I had simply been unable to deal with Maya’s pointed questions, aware that she would be able to see right through me without issue.

“You’re a terrible liar, Vy,” she informed me, but I already knew that. “Why are you avoiding me?”

I glanced at her dubiously.

“I’m not avoiding you!” I protested. “I’m preparing for the new year.”

At least that was partially true, and I could see that Maya half-believed me.

“Where does the time go?” she mumbled, turning to look out the living room window. “It’s almost September!”

“Time flies when you’re having fun,” I commented dryly, gingerly sitting on the wing chair across from her and Maya howled with laughter.

“You say the word fun like it’s a dirty thing,” she chided. “You should try it sometime. Although…”

She trailed off and I felt my neck tense as she studied me with intense green eyes.

“What?” I demanded. “Why are you giving me mom’s look?”

“I can’t help but feel like you are up to something,” she said. Her tone was light but there was a glimmer of concern in her eyes.

“Like what?” I asked defensively. “I told you, I’m busy!”

I loathed how defensive my voice sounded but before Maya could respond, my cell phone chimed, and I rushed to answer the text, grateful for the distraction.

My pale face turned bright red as I read the message.

It was from Evan.

I could barely reconcile that he was texting me.

Over the past two days, I had been hoping for a call from him, stopping myself from messaging him with every ounce of resolve I could muster.

I had no idea I was capable of such willpower when the taste of his lips was still so fresh in my mind, but I didn’t want to be the woman pursuing a man who I knew I couldn’t have.

Yet there he was, texting me.

“Who’s that?” Maya asked, studying my face carefully and I slammed down the phone.

“Nobody. Josie,” I replied too quickly. A smirk appeared on my sister’s face and she shook her auburn waves.

“Wow. I had no idea Josie could cause you to turn that shade of red,” she commented, folding her arms across her chest.

“Maya, I love you, sincerely but you need to go. I have a ton of work to do and – ”

She held up her hands and rose gracefully to her full height.

“You don’t need to say anymore, Vy. I can tell when I’m not wanted…” she paused and peered at me. “I hope you know the same.”

A rush of heat assaulted my face and my mouth dropped open as I gaped at her.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked angrily.

“I think you know exactly what I mean,” she replied gently. “This is no judgment on you but Vy, Evan Collier is only looking out for himself. You have to protect yourself.”

My lips parted further but no words fell out, despite the myriad responses floating through my brain.

“Vy, you’ve got a good heart and you’re a fixer by nature but not everyone can be fixed, and you are going to get hurt if you fall in too deep.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” I settled on saying but I darted my eyes away from her face.

How can she know?

A feeling of dread overwhelmed me.

If Maya could sense whatever was going on between Evan and I, could mom and dad see it too?

“Look, we both know that I am the last person to judge,” Maya sighed. “But I am your sister and it’s my job to look out for you.”

“I appreciate your maternal instincts,” I retorted sarcastically, a burst of anger rising through me. “But I think you should mind your own business.”

Maya seemed taken aback by my tone and a smidgen of guilt filtered through me as she nodded.

“Okay,” she relented. “You’re a grown woman.”

“I am,” I replied sharply. “Thank you for noticing.”

Maya pursed her lips together as if trying to suppress any further comment and turned toward the front door.

“If you need someone to talk to about this – ”

“There’s nothing to talk about!” I almost yelled. “There’s nothing going on between Evan Collier and me!”

I don’t know why I said that when obviously Maya knew something was up, but I felt like it was my duty to shield the secret of our attraction from everyone.

Anyway, it was a one-time thing. No need to talk about it since it won’t happen again, I reasoned.

Maya made her way to the entrance, but I could see she still had more to say.

I willed her to remain silent and she seemed to heed my internal message.

As she reached for the doorknob, she glanced back over her shoulder and offered me a tight smile.

“I’m your friend, you know,” she told me.

“I know,” I said quickly, trying to return her beam but I’m sure it looked more like a grimace.

“And if you need to talk to someone, I can be a good listener.”

I stifled a sigh and leaned in to embrace her.

“I know that too, Maya. There’s nothing to discuss. Nothing is going on, okay?”

She shrugged as she pulled out of my hug and I could see she didn’t believe a word coming out of my mouth.

“I’ll text you later,” I promised, and she nodded, exiting the apartment.

I locked the door behind her and hurried back to the desk where I had dropped my cell, my heart hammering wildly.

I had barely glanced at the message in my nervousness and I unlocked the phone with trembling hands.

<Vyolet, are you around today?> it read.

A combination of annoyance and relief flooded through me.

I hadn’t spoken to the man in two days and suddenly he was texting me as if nothing had happened.

I paused, debating on how to play the situation.

<Of course!> I replied, and I hated myself the second I hit the send button.

Could I have sounded anymore desperate? He probably wants me to babysit Alex or –

Immediately, the phone dinged, and I peered at the response.

<Can you meet me at Starbucks in Oriental? By the lawyer’s office?>

I gulped back my excitement, remembering our last interaction at the coffee shop.

<Sure. Just tell me when>

<Does one work for you?>

I glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner of the living room and nodded to myself.

I really did have work to do but a coffee date wouldn’t take up too much time…unless he wanted to come back to my place…

My mind began to wander with the possibilities.

If I closed my eyes, I could still feel his hand clamped around my throat and unexpectedly, I felt a warmth tingle through me.

I had never been handled so roughly before.

Sure, I had dated men, but the sex had always been so conventional, so vanilla.

Evan had unleashed something in me that afternoon as my bare skin pressed against the glass.

There was a danger in him that I had not known in any other man before and I wanted to experience it again.

One more time won’t hurt anyone, I told myself. Just to remember him by when he’s gone.

<Are you still there?> he texted, and I snapped out of my reverie. I was glad he couldn’t see me in my embarrassment.

<Yes. One o’clock is fine> I replied hastily.

I had half an hour to get ready.

I arrived before him and I sat nervously at the very same spot where we had the day Evan had met his sister’s lawyer.

I don’t even know what kind of coffee he drinks, I thought nervously, taking a sip of my green tea latte as I stared impatiently at the parking lot.

There was a lot I didn’t know about my dad’s best friend.

My dad’s best friend, I thought, cringing at the categorization. Will I ever be able to think about him in another way?

The truth was, I already did.

He no longer seemed to be the same person we had called “Uncle Evan” in our childhood as if that guy had gone away and another man had returned to his place.

And I’m certainly not the same woman he knew all those years ago.

“Ah! Am I late?”

I started, not realizing that Evan had entered the shop.

“No no!” I answered quickly. “I’m early. I live closer, remember?”

He smiled, and I felt my heart flutter as I watched his mouth.

“Sorry, I would have bought you a coffee, but I don’t know what you drink,” I told him, gesturing at my own. “I’ll get you one now if you want.”

His grin broadened.

“That’s fine, Vyolet,” he told me, his hand reaching up to stroke my face unexpectedly and my breath caught in my throat.

I coughed slightly, averting my eyes in shock as his hand fell back to his side.

He just touched me. In public!

I found myself glancing furtively around to see if we were noticed but no one paid us any mind of course.

The nervousness was all in my head.

“You’re blushing,” he teased me, and I knew he was right.

I forced myself to return his gaze, but my insides were quivering.

No man should be able to turn you into complete putty like this, I told myself crossly. Let off all some man who is going to leave you in a few weeks and you’ll probably never see again.

Evan cleared his throat.

“I called you here to see if you could help me,” he explained as if he could read the naked conflict on my face.

“Anything!” I blurted out and wanted to slap myself as the word fell out of my mouth.

He smiled, his grey eyes gleaming.

“Alex needs to go back to school,” he told me. “And we need a place to live.”

My jaw dropped in shock.

“You mean – I mean what – ”I silenced myself, trying to get my bearings together. Inhaling, I tried again.

“Why doesn’t she go back to school in Minnesott Beach? Aren’t you staying at the house?”

Evan sighed and took a seat on the stool beside her, shaking his head.

“The house is packed up. It’s not a home anymore, it’s a shell. It’s empty and no place for a girl to be, especially at a time like this. We need an apartment and I remembered that you teach at the elementary school here in Oriental. It would be good to have a familiar adult face with her at school.”

I could not close my mouth as I continued to stare at him.

“You want to enroll her here?” I echoed. “You want to move to Oriental? You’re staying?”

The happiness in my voice overrode all other emotions until Evan shook his head.

“We’re staying until the house sells,” he told her. “After that, I have to go back to Seattle.”

I stared at him for a long moment, my heart beginning to thump so loud, I was sure he would hear it.

“Will you help me?” Evan asked imploringly, and I bobbed my head happily.

“Of course!” I replied breathlessly. “I’ll see about enrolling Alex right away.”

He nodded gratefully.

“Thank you, Vyolet,” he said, reaching out to squeeze my fingers. I did not pull away, relishing the feeling of electricity coursing between us.

“I am here for anything you need,” I told him meaningfully, our eyes locking, and his full mouth curved into an alluring smile.

“That’s good to know,” he said softly. “Let me get some caffeine and we’ll get started.”

I watched him walk away, a dozen thoughts I had no business thinking flew through my mind.

Maybe he’ll change his mind. Maybe he’ll fall in love with Oriental and stay.

But I knew that it wasn’t the town I wanted him to fall in love with; it was me.