Chapter 12
Natalie couldn’t drum up any decent conversation for the short drive from the Hideaway to home, too lost in her thoughts.
Checking her text messages, she saw the responses that both her sisters would be out for most of the day.
She wasn’t sure if that was good news or bad.
She wanted company, but she didn’t want to answer questions.
“Thanks for helping out,” she managed as Jess turned onto the street.
“My pleasure,” Jess replied. “Though the circumstances suck.” She pointed to another car, across the street from the house. “That’s the extra detail. It’s a two-person team watching the entire property. You’ll be safe.”
“Awesome. Safe is awesome.” Nat twined her fingers together.
“Will Trent be okay?” She had no doubt he’d go straight to the marina repair shop to talk to Corey.
It gave her chills to think someone in her hometown was willingly helping a thief and killer.
Someone who knew her. Please don’t let it be Corey.
It would be awful to know she’d been fooled again.
“Absolutely. He’s a professional.”
That sounded more like a deflection than an answer. “Am I a problem for him?”
In the driveway, Jess parked, her gaze scanning the house and surrounding areas. “You know I was a cop.”
“Yes.” Natalie guessed where this was going. “Trained to observe and read people.”
“Correct.” Jess dipped her head. “There’s clearly something between you. He’s a great guy,” she added. “What you see is what you get with him. And he’s an excellent part of our Guardian Agency team. He’s also now your primary protector until Royer is no longer a threat.”
“So I am a problem for him.”
“Not if you listen and cooperate, okay?”
Natalie swiped her finger over her chest. “Cross my heart, I’ll behave.”
Jess chuckled. “I feel better already. Have a good day, Natalie. This’ll be over before you know it.”
Once inside, Nat did her best to appreciate having the space to be alone and deal with all her nerves and feelings without an audience.
She didn’t want to worry her sisters any more than she wanted to trouble Trent.
She was safe. A protective detail was keeping watch.
The best thing she could do was to relax and recharge. Starting with a long, hot shower.
It helped, and building on the good start, she packed an overnight bag before throwing herself into brainstorms for upcoming art workshops.
Then she adjusted her ideas and plans in case she needed to handle things remotely.
Working happily for several hours, once the flood of ideas slowed, her hands itched, longing to build something.
She wandered into Roni’s office and found the jar of paperclips on her desk.
While she toyed and bent the paperclips into new shapes, she came closer to forgetting about the man capable of terrible acts out there somewhere searching for her.
Late in the afternoon, with no sign of Roni or Celeste, anxiety crept in. Troubled, she checked in with her sisters individually to make sure they were fine.
Relief flooded her when the immediate, affirmative replies hit her phone. Roni even scolded her for picking the wrong time to become a mother hen. Nothing riled up her curiosity more and Nat vowed to get the whole story soon.
In the meantime, it looked as if she wouldn’t see her sisters before Trent arrived. Probably for the best, even with Jess’s endorsement. Whatever was happening eluded a definition and any questions or concerns would be impossible to address to their satisfaction.
Thinking about the evening ahead, she ordered supplies for s’mores to be delivered. They’d talked about a fire and she wanted to contribute in a positive way. As if bringing dessert would somehow make up for the fact that Trent was, in effect, her babysitter until he closed his case.
Even with the text updates, she jumped when the doorbell rang. She tiptoed closer, checking the view from their doorbell camera. Of course it wasn’t Royer, just the sweet older woman who’d been a cashier at the grocery store for as long as Natalie could remember.
“Groceries for you, Natalie!” she called through the door.
Nat raced to open it. “Thank you, Carrie.” She accepted the paper bag. “You saved me a trip.”
“My pleasure, hon.” With a big smile, Carrie backed down the steps. “Y’all have fun!”
“We will,” Nat called. As she looked around, she spotted Brayden Leggett sitting in the car across the street. “Hey! Why don’t you come on in?”
He exited the car and loped across the street.
Brayden had been friends with Veronica forever.
Only friends, which was a shame in Nat’s opinion.
The two shared so many interests from sports to favorite movies when they were growing up that a romance had seemed inevitable.
Then again, that was the pre-fiasco Natalie, when she saw love and happy endings everywhere she looked.
“I didn’t know you were coming by,” Nat said when he followed her into the house. “Roni’s not here.”
“She’s with a client,” Brayden said as he locked the door. “And you’ve nearly blown my cover.”
“What?”
“I’m working,” he said, voice low. “Part of the protection detail. We’re trying to keep a low profile out there.”
Oh, crap. Another mistake. Trent needed her to do better and she would. Starting right now. “Sorry.” She set the bag next to her suitcase near the door so she wouldn’t forget it. “It’s not like anyone would believe Roni would let you sit in a car all day.”
“No one on this street knew us back in the day.”
He made a good point. “Help yourself to the tour or a snack or something,” she said, leading the way to the kitchen. “Do you know when my sisters will be home?”
“Last report has Celeste in Charleston at some networking thing,” Brayden replied.
“They tell me she’ll be late. Roni’s doing some consulting work with a new gym owner.
” He reached around her for a glass and filled it with cold water from the fridge, making her wonder when he’d grown so comfortable here. “Not sure about her ETA.”
“Okay. Thanks.” She’d send another text to her sisters before Trent arrived.
“I’m going—” The doorbell interrupted her. “Out,” she finished.
Brayden beat her to the door, leaning forward to peer through the security peephole. Easing up, he opened the door to Trent. Neither man was surprised to see the other and she realized they must’ve been in communication. All she could do was lean into it.
“Hey! I’m all set.” With a wobbly smile, she dipped her chin toward the items near the door. Though she tried to play it cool, her nerves had to be obvious to both men. Part of it was the situation. Most of it was just being around Trent.
“Great.” He picked up her overnight bag and turned to Brayden. “You’re good here?”
Getting a nod, he touched his hand to Natalie’s back. “Then I’ll keep you posted.”
She paused on the porch to hug Brayden. “Thank you. It helps to know you’re out here.”
“Always, Nat.”
She had a thousand questions as Trent drove back to the Hideaway. All of them felt foolish or naive, so she kept them to herself. If Trent had news, he’d volunteer it when he was ready.
“Did you have a good day?” he asked.
“More productive than expected.” She sighed. “Roni will be mad though.”
“Why?”
“I used her paperclips and forgot to put them back.” Trent laughed, the sound dulling the sharp edges of nerves and worry. “My sisters will be okay, right?”
He reached over and squeezed her hand. “Absolutely.”
Natalie took a deep breath. “Thanks for that. How was your day?”
“Not as complete as I’d hoped for. The research team is doing their thing,” he added. “It’s just a matter of time.”
This was her first official date with Trent, although neither of them had actually called it that.
She didn’t want anything to overshadow the moment.
Her mind replayed their first kiss on the boardwalk again.
It had been like that all day long. The way he’d held her.
The way she’d breathed him in, his scent weaving around her.
Every moment near him deepened her fascination and she was looking forward to more kisses around the fire tonight.
The intensity of her feelings made it hard to focus and left her off balance.
The tantalizing physical attraction was easier to accept and understand.
The mystery was how Trent slipped right past her defenses and straight to her heart.
It was too reminiscent of that dizzying infatuation for one cute guy after another as a teenager.
And uncomfortably similar to when she’d fallen for every line Jackson fed her as he steamrolled through her life, crushing her romantic dreams and irrevocably changing her outlook.
Abruptly, she shoved aside those thoughts.
She wouldn’t dwell on Jackson while sitting beside Trent.
The only similarity was the brief acquaintance before her feelings took root.
The men couldn’t be more different. And after the shock and pain of her failed marriage, she was different too.
No longer that naive kid, she’d grown beyond her disastrous love-blind decisions.
Tonight, despite everything else, she would have time to discover what it was about Trent that drew her in. Time to explore the x-factor that made her want to spend every available minute with him.
“Here we are,” he said, turning into the driveway. He eyed the bag between her feet. “If you wanted something particular tonight, I could’ve shopped for you.”
“You had other things to do,” she said. “Besides, I needed to be proactive about something.” She lifted the bag and held it open. “S’mores supplies for dessert.”
He glanced at the contents, then his gaze lifted to meet hers. “You are clearly a dessert-first person.”
She might’ve argued except the gleam in his eyes was so sexy and tempting it scrambled her thoughts. And his smile… Well, she was glad to be sitting down.