6. Sadie
Sadie
We finish the last bites of our meal and push back from the table at the Lobster Shack.
The bill sits paid between us, and the warm evening air welcomes us as we step outside.
Jace keeps my hand firmly in his, fingers interlaced like we’ve done this a hundred times.
The marina lights twinkle across the dark water like scattered stars, reflecting off the gentle ripples.
“Walk on the boardwalk?” Jace suggests, the charming tone back in full force. “We can sell the couple thing a little longer. Maybe even make some of these locals jealous.”
I nod and squeeze his hand once, trying to ignore the way my stomach flips at the contact. “Lead the way, fiancé. Just remember this is all for show.”
We stroll along the wide wooden planks that run parallel to the harbor.
Gentle waves lap against the pilings below us with a soothing rhythm.
The air feels thick with the smell of salt, fried seafood from nearby vendors, and the faint coconut scent of sunscreen left behind by the day’s beachgoers.
Couples stroll past us arm in arm, while families point excitedly at the boats rocking gently in their slips.
Children chase each other with ice cream cones dripping down their hands.
I match my steps to Jace’s longer stride and focus on the solid feel of the boardwalk under my sandals instead of how natural his hand feels wrapped around mine.
A group of beautiful women walks toward us from the opposite direction.
They look like they stepped off a magazine page.
Tall blondes with sun-kissed skin glowing under the string lights, flowing hair that catches the breeze, and dresses that hug every curve with effortless confidence.
They laugh loudly, heads thrown back, drawing eyes from every direction as they glance around with bright, flirtatious smiles.
Jace’s head doesn’t even turn. Not even a little bit. His gaze stays forward, occasionally flicking to the shadows between the shops and docks, always scanning.
“Something wrong?” I ask him.
“Just thought I saw that guy from the bar.” He squeezes my hand. “Let’s walk a little faster.”
My heartbeat kicks up as I keep up with his stride. Someone could be following us and all I can think about is the group of blonde women who just walked by.
Danger at every turn, but I truly can’t help myself.
The words tumble out before I can stop them.
“I bet those women are your type,” I say, keeping my voice light and teasing even as curiosity burns in my chest. “Blonde, beautiful bombshells who know exactly how to turn heads and keep a man’s attention. ”
Jace glances down at me, one eyebrow raised in that arrogant way of his. “That what you think of me, Sadie? That I chase after every face that walks by?”
I shrug and look straight ahead, watching the lights dance on the water.
“I can tell you’re a flirt. The way you smile at cashiers, the way you throw around pet names like it’s nothing.
You probably date a lot. Women probably throw themselves at the charming bodyguard with the killer smile and the hero complex. ”
He slows our pace a little, the boardwalk lights casting a soft golden glow across his sharp jawline and messy hair.
“My job leaves little to no time to date,” he says quietly, his thumb brushing once over my knuckles.
“I haven’t had a serious girlfriend since I got back from overseas.
She tried, but she wasn’t the one. Deployments that lasted months, long assignments where I disappear for weeks, moving around constantly from one high-risk job to another.
It isn’t fair to drag someone through that kind of life.
I watched too many buddies lose relationships that way. ”
I study the side of his face, searching for the usual playful spark in his eyes. It dims for a moment, replaced by something more honest. “What’s your version of the one, then?” I ask, my voice softer than I intend. “The woman who could actually keep up with all of that?”
Jace stops walking completely and turns to face me.
He grabs my other hand so we stand there in the middle of the boardwalk, fully connected, with the harbor lights dancing on the water behind us like a private show.
His thumbs brush slow circles over my knuckles.
He looks straight into my eyes, his voice calm and steady, carrying enough weight to make my breath catch.
“The one makes the chaos feel worth coming home to,” he says.
“She challenges me every single day, calls me out on my crap, and still makes me laugh even when the world feels heavy as hell. I want someone I can protect with everything I have, but who also stands right beside me, not behind me waiting to be saved. Someone whose smile hits me harder than any mission adrenaline rush ever could. The kind of woman I’d burn down every rule, every protocol, every careful plan for if it meant keeping her safe and happy.
Someone real. Someone who sees the man behind the badge and the jokes. ”
Heat floods my cheeks. I blush hard and drop my gaze to our joined hands, my heart beating faster than the waves hitting the shore below. For a second the whole busy boardwalk fades away. Only his words and the warmth of his skin against mine remain, wrapping around me like the summer night itself.
We start walking again, still hand in hand.
The water reflects all the colorful lights of the harbor, turning the surface into a shimmering, living painting of oranges, pinks, and golds.
The scene feels impossibly romantic. Part of me wants to lean into his side, rest my head on his shoulder, and let the moment carry me away.
But reality presses in hard. This is a protection detail.
A job. I’m not the woman he described in those quiet, heartfelt words.
I’m the assignment he needs to keep alive until this mess with my sister and his family blows over.
“Is that man still following us?” I ask him.
He shakes his head. “No, we lost him.”
I release a deep breath as my thoughts drift to Anniston.
My baby sister always charges straight into danger with her heart first and her head catching up later.
I’ve looked out for her since we were little girls sharing a bedroom, me making sure she ate her vegetables and stayed out of trouble.
Now she chases dangerous leads on powerful people while I hide in this beautiful beach town pretending to be someone else entirely.
I squeeze Jace’s hand a little tighter. “Can I call Anniston tomorrow? Just to check on her. Not knowing how she’s doing, whether she’s safe, drives me crazy. I need to hear her voice.”
Jace nods without hesitation. He lifts our joined hands and presses a light, lingering kiss to the back of mine.
The featherlight touch of his mouth unravels me.
“Yes. First thing in the morning. We’ll make it happen.
I promise. We’ll keep her in the loop as much as we safely can.
I know how important family is. I’ve got like a million brothers. ”
I laugh at that. “I can’t keep them all straight. Who’s the eldest?”
“Nash. He’ll remind you about it too. Next is Crewe, then Mack. Sin’s next and he’s the other one who was taken. He and Nash were there one second and gone the next. Banks is after that and we’re the closest in age.”
My breath catches. “I’m so sorry about Nash and Sin.”
“It’s okay. We’re all doing our part. Even Colt, he’s the youngest and he’s beside himself because he couldn’t save them from getting snatched.”
I squeeze his hand, wanting to be closer to him. Wanting to touch him in some small way. “We’ll find them.”
He gives me a soft smile. “We definitely will.”
We keep walking along the boardwalk, hands linked, the romantic lights dancing on the water.
My mind spins with everything he said and everything I can’t let myself believe right now.
For now I hold his hand a little tighter and let the harbor night wrap around us like a soft blanket.
Tomorrow I’ll hear my sister’s voice and know she’s okay.
Tonight I walk beside a man who confuses every single rule I thought I had about keeping my distance.
And that scares me more than any threat lurking in the shadows.