Water…

She spoke without thinking. “I was in a storm. I took a job as a teacher at this orphanage, and we got stranded in this building. The storm wasn’t too long, but when it was over—”

It was all happening again. She was back there, and she heard that eerie silence.

“Some of the kids were outside playing.”

She ran out and grabbed whom she could. The first wave was coming down—she couldn’t grab them all. A lump was sitting in the back of her throat. It was blocking her air, and she could barely grasp for oxygen again.

“The water slammed against our building, and the bottom floor was swept away. It was there and then it wasn’t. Part of the wall maintained, and we climbed over to the next building. Then the wall collapsed. We were stuck in that second building.”

They couldn’t get out.

No one knew they were there.

“Once it was over, it was a while until we heard the search parties. We could hear them, and we’d call out.”

She blinked a few times, feeling the tears falling free. “They didn’t hear us for the longest time. We were so weak, and a lot of the kids couldn’t move. Some were injured from running into the building. Some got hurt trying to get into the second building. Some were hit when the wall collapsed against where we were.”

She was in that room again. Her throat was burning. Her stomach was hurting. The smell of urine was so thick in the room. They were throwing up. And then nothing… “They all just fell silent.”

“You were in a tsunami?”

“It hit a small island where we were.”

“A tsunami’s not a storm. It’s a natural disaster.”

“No one knows about where I was.” Now the shock started in. She hadn’t talked about it with anyone, even Boone. Mae. No one. Panicked, she turned to him. “Don’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

He patted her hand, or it might’ve meant to be a pat. His hand touched hers and began to leave, but she turned hers over quickly. She grasped onto his hand, and held it. “Thank you.” Dani was staring right into his eyes. Only a few inches separated them, and she felt her lips lifting in a half-grin. “Erica was right. She once said your eyes could spin a rock into a frenzy. I see what she meant.”

His eyes darkened. “That was a long time ago.”

“I still remember.” Dani saw the dreaminess of his eyes. They were a dark brown, and they were almost black when he felt strong emotions, like he was feeling now. They could smolder, burn, get heated, but she saw something Erica hadn’t. There was a calming effect to them, too. Peace. She saw a refuge in them. “You’re not the guy everyone thinks you are, are you?”

“No.” He regarded her with a faint grin. “I know one of your secrets. Now you know one of mine.”

She sat on the bench for another ten minutes after Jonah left. He asked if she wanted to go back to the beer gardens with him, but she didn’t have it in her. When he left, it was an odd feeling that settled over her. She felt comforted, but also exposed. One of her secrets wasn’t a secret anymore. She hadn’t gone into detail, but he knew about the storm. Her head was down as she walked the rest of the path around the pond, circling it toward where her car was parked.

“Dani.”

She looked up now and saw Aiden waving to her. The group had moved to one of the farthest tables outside the beer gardens. It was the closest to the where the cars were lined up.

Jonah sat at the end of their table, with a redhead trying to hang on him. His arm wasn’t around her. He wasn’t even paying her attention, instead listening to Hawk across the table, but Dani could tell the redhead wasn’t giving up. Hawk had his own woman, clad in black leather, and they seemed perfect.

Aiden separated from the group, crossing to her. “Hey, are you leaving?”

“I think that’s for the best. I don’t want to air any more dirty laundry, and I will if I see Julia again. Apparently, I’m in the confessing mood tonight. I think it’s time to turn in.”

“Look.” Aiden’s tone turned serious. “I wasn’t outside when you talked to your sister, but in case you’re leaving because of Kate, I want you to know she’s not always this power hungry. She told me about your conversation earlier today and how she wants you to break up Julia and Jake. She’s not using you or anything, if that’s what you were concerned about. It’s just she’s affected more than the rest of us. I have Jonah and everyone loves Bubba. Robbie’s accepted no matter what, you know? Everyone thinks Stilts is the most hilarious thing that’s come to town in a long time. So for most of us, yeah, we’re affected by the small-town politics, but it’s more for Kate. She’s—”

“Not accepted.” Dani could relate.

“Yeah.” Aiden looked guilty. “Kate was so excited when she heard you were back in town. Julia has made her life hell. She’s gone out of her way to be cruel to Kate and everyone knows it’s just because Kate is Jake’s partner. She thinks he’s going to leave her for Kate or something.”

“Kate’s not an O’Hara.” Dani rolled her eyes. “Doesn’t Julia know? That’s a dating requirement for Jake.”

“Try telling that to your sister’s jealousy. It rears an ugly head sometimes.”

“I have in the past. Never works.”