Chapter1
Tori stared at her reflection in the glass at the airport as the night darkened outside. She hardly recognized herself. But then, that was the point, wasn’t it? She glanced around nervously, but so far no one had recognized her.
Her normally vibrant red hair was now a subdued gray. She never imagined she’d ever let herself go gray, but now, here she was. Simple makeup barely highlighted her features. But that, too, was the point.
She glanced at the screen behind the gate agent. Her plane was set for an on-time departure. She pulled out her phone, checking her ticket she’d purchased that clearly showed general boarding, not her normal first class. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d flown anything but first class. But she wanted to blend in with the crowd. There hadn’t been time to replace her obviously ridiculously expensive luggage or her designer handbag. At least she’d tried to pick out the least conspicuous one in her closet.
She found a simple pair of black slacks and a white blouse in the back of her closet, along with a wool blazer. Nothing like she would have worn before, always acting her part. Flamboyant, expensive outfits. Shoes that cost more than most people made in a week… or a month.
But not anymore. She’d closed the door on her Fifth Avenue apartment and walked away from all of that. And maybe once she left New York, she’d feel even more comfortable and less recognizable.
At least that was the plan.
She glanced at the boarding pass on her phone. Passenger: Victoria Duran. Destination: Sarasota, Florida. Soon she’d board the plane, and about three and a half hours later, she planned on leaving Victoria behind. She would simply be Tori. The childhood name that her grandmother called her.
The ticket agent called for first-class passengers to board, and she glanced over at them, trying to shove away her jealousy. She waited for her section to be called and slowly wound her way up to the gate agent. The agent smiled mechanically at her as she scanned her ticket. “Enjoy your flight, ma’am.”
Victoria—no,Tori, she reminded herself—nodded in reply, matching the gate attendant’s automatic smile with one of her own.
She slowly followed the line of passengers down the jetway, each step taking her further away from her problems. At least that’s what she hoped.
As she entered the plane, she tried to ignore the first-class passengers and their roomy seats. Why had she never appreciated the perks of first class when she’d flown before? When she found her row, the gentleman in the aisle seat stood and helped her swing her bag into the overhead bin, then let her slip into the middle row seat. There, sandwiched between two broad-shouldered men, she settled back for the flight.
The flight attendants walked through the aisle, closing the overhead bins. The speaker crackled, and soon a perky attendant was explaining all the safety procedures.
She closed her eyes, hoping that neither man would try to strike up a conversation. The engines rumbled to life, and the plane shook as it pulled away from the gate. They taxied out onto the runway and she gripped the armrests as they soared off into the sky. Leaving Victoria Duran firmly in her past.
ToriDuran flew into her new life. Whatever that life turned out to be.
Chapter2
Tori spent the night at a modest hotel in Sarasota. No penthouse suite for her this time. Not even a waterfront room. Just a standard room, hoping to avoid anyone even noticing her. She headed out early the next morning for Magnolia Key in a nondescript gray rental car. How many years had it been since she’d driven a car? Not much need to have one in New York City. She kept her driver’s license current though, for the occasional times she rented a car on a trip. But she couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually driven.
At the ferry dock, she sat tapping her fingers on the steering wheel while a long line of cars offloaded. Soon the cars in front of her moved, and she followed them onto the ferry.
She parked, locked her car, and then found her way to the stairs. The spiral staircase led her to the top level of the boat where there was a sitting area on the bow. She adjusted her sunglasses carefully. The sunglasses that once had been just a fashion statement but now were a shield from prying eyes.
Soon Magnolia Key became visible in the distance, and excitement fluttered through her. The island grew larger as the ferry chugged through the green-blue water. As they got closer to the island, the water cleared into the brilliant turquoise color she remembered so well. The sun danced off the tops of the waves, sparkling like diamonds. Like the diamonds safely locked in her safe back home, no longer worn to fancy play openings or charity galas.
She pulled in a deep breath of the salty air, letting it wash through her. The vast openness of it all welcomed her, so different from the stifling high-rise buildings surrounding her back home in New York City.
As they approached the landing, she went back down to her car. Rolling off the ferry as her turn came up, she pulled the car onto solid ground. Magnolia Key.
She wasn’t sure what she’d expected when she arrived. No one to greet her. She didn’t know a soul on the island. And yet, she was sure this island was just what she needed.
Brightly painted homes lined the street like candy in the sweet shop that had been around the corner from her childhood home. She drove down sun-dappled Main Street, and it mostly looked like what she remembered. Some freshly painted storefronts here, a missing sign there. The same cobblestone sidewalk she remembered was lining the road.
Her stomach growled as she pulled into a parking space on a side street. She looked in the rearview mirror, once again surprised by the gray hair. How long would it take her to get used to it? She had no reason to create an illusion of herself anymore. She was simply… Tori.
She resolutely slipped out and walked down the street, spying a coffee shop near the boardwalk. How she’d loved that boardwalk. The memories brought a smile to her lips. Long walks along it with her grandmother to indulge in a daily ice cream cone. Fried funnel cakes sprinkled with powdered sugar. And eating at Sharky’s with delicious friedeverything.
She headed over to Coastal Coffee and went inside. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the low hum of conversation welcomed her.
A friendly woman bustled up to her, balancing a tray on one hip. “Welcome to Coastal Coffee. Be with you in a sec. Take any table you’d like.”
She took a table near the back and settled onto a worn wooden chair.
The woman approached again. “Hi, I’m Beverly. Coffee?”
