JJ Maybank had seen plenty of new faces come and go in the Outer Banks, but something about her made him pause.

She was standing near the docks, the golden glow of the late afternoon sun catching the strands of her hair as she looked out over the water. She didn’t seem like a Kook—there was no designer bag slung over her shoulder, no air of entitlement in the way she carried herself. But she wasn’t exactly a Pogue either. She was… different.

JJ leaned against his dirt bike, watching as she adjusted the strap of her backpack and kicked a loose shell along the wooden planks. When she finally turned, her eyes flickered toward him, just for a second. A brief, curious glance before she kept walking.

And just like that, JJ Maybank had a new distraction.