Hideaway Hero (Brookwell Island #8)

Chapter 1

For a tourist hot spot, there wasn’t much of a night life in Brookwell Island. The sidewalks didn’t exactly roll up, but it was a close thing. Then again, the island was known for its pristine beaches and the quaint small-town vibe.

Trent Blakely had been told the annual music festival held in early August was the best time to visit. Great music, excellent food, dancing, and loads more to see and do right there on the beach. With a little luck, maybe he could make plans for next year.

Something to add to the bucket list.

Walking down Central Avenue, he chuckled to himself as he passed the bakery famous for its strudel. The lights in the front window were dim now, but come morning a line would stretch down the block.

One day not so long ago, he had spent one of the best hours of his life in the Bread Basket, chatting over coffee and a wedge of strudel with a woman he was eager to see again: Natalie Hargrave.

She’d left an indelible impression on his memory.

Deep down, he worried that he’d exaggerated the impact of that conversation.

Then the memory would replay in his mind, just as he was dozing off or waking up, and he knew better.

She was unique and completely different from any of the people he typically dealt with. So comfortable in her own skin.

He wasn’t worried about finding her. Tomorrow, he would check-in at the B&B Natalie owned with her sisters.

His reservation covered the next two weeks—what he hoped would be the last two weeks of his current assignment.

His company was counting on him to hunt down and drop the net on a dangerous criminal operation and close the case his team had been working on for months.

His current cover story meant posing as a tourist in Brookwell and he’d been in a hurry to get here ever since he’d learned Natalie would be his point of contact during his stay.

She definitely knew the area and the locals.

That insider information might provide the break they needed to wrap this up.

And then…

Well, when this assignment was over, he had some choices to make.

While the job came first, always, he intended to make time during or after the assignment to get better acquainted with Natalie. And there was no better place to start than right here in the center of town, where one of her sculptures was on permanent display.

For a man known for his observation skills and ability to gather solid intel, trying to get a grip on Natalie was a refreshing exercise in all the things he didn’t know.

He suppressed a smile, thinking back to the first time he’d seen her. She had been wandering around the marina, moving in and around the boats with such easy familiarity, he thought she might be connected to his assignment.

Even after he learned her name, he worried she was connected. A good family or business reputation didn’t automatically clear anyone. Trent had learned the hard way that singular bad apples could be ruinous.

His pursuit of boat thieves had led him to Brookwell Island and Natalie had been scrounging on the docks for bits and scraps—what most folks would consider trash.

When she found an interesting item, she tucked it into her mesh tote bag, regardless of the condition.

At the time, he’d been sure she was making excuses to be where she didn’t belong, a cover employed to make it easier for her to deliver a signal or message.

Was he cynical? Absolutely. There had been too much crap in his life, more darkness in his career, to easily believe in innocent-looking behavior.

For Trent, innocence was merely a vague, ephemeral theory, a state reserved for children. And far too often children lost their innocence too soon.

He silently scolded himself for letting his mind wander back into the darkness as he stood in the presence of something so beautiful and inspiring. Granted, his work danced along life’s dark edges. But when he wasn’t working, he focused on the light, if only to remind himself it was still there.

The sculpture and the artist herself were the brightest lights he had seen in a long time. It was no wonder he felt drawn to her. She surprised him in so many ways. That first meeting on the dock, her easy, open conversation at the bakery. Her art.

So many things might’ve been misconstrued in the moment, but her motives weren’t dark at all. She was bright and happy. Someone who lived fearlessly in a world full of threats.

It was as if they weren’t looking at the same world at all.

And yet, as an artist, she had to know the shadows were out there.

He’d done a little research about art and sculptors after his first visit. Light and shadow worked together, as essential as color, shape, and movement to bring any artistic vision to life.

His smart-watch buzzed and he checked the text message—an automatic reminder from the Hargrave Hideaway about his check-in time tomorrow afternoon.

Smiling in anticipation, he circled the sculpture again, stunned by her talent. Natalie’s art emphasized light and joy as much as his work drew him into the grim, criminal dark. The odds of them ever existing in tandem were slim to none.

Why did that make him want to rethink all his choices?