Page 17 of Hidden Harbor (Evergreen Rescue #1)

I jumped at shadows all week, sure a threat was lurking around every corner.

That I’d turn and he’d be there. The text message, as innocent as it appeared on the surface, brought my past rushing back.

I hadn’t been Anne-Marie in years. The only people who knew that name were associated with my old life. The one I wanted to forget.

By the time I got home Thursday, I was exhausted. If my family had truly found me, what did that mean? Did I go? Stay? I’d vowed never to get wrapped up with them again, but I didn’t want to abandon my new life.

It was possible they were just testing the waters. Fishing. If I didn’t respond, maybe I could continue my life as Anya Rose.

Vi arrived home not long after I did, and we fell into familiar patterns, chatting and making dinner together. It helped me pretend like things were normal.

Drew walked in just as we finished dinner. He smelled like a mix of popcorn and the sea, his hair covered with a ballcap that shadowed his eyes.

“Your timing is impeccable, Freeloader.”

Drew grunted. “Not for much longer, Vi. I’ve got a line on a place. With any luck, I move off your couch tomorrow.”

I felt a pang near my heart at his words. It was silly, really, but his presence last night had made me feel safe. I’d tossed and turned for hours after the anonymous text message, only falling asleep when I remembered no one was getting through Drew.

He turned to me, his dark eyes sincere. “I’ll miss you, but I’m not going far.

Deb at the Anchor has an apartment for a live-in caretaker on her property.

It sounds like I’ll be able to swap chores for a place to stay.

She mostly wants someone she trusts there to keep guests from having large parties. ”

Vi toasted him with her water glass. “No one does killjoy like you, Drew.”

I frowned. She wasn’t being fair. The way she and Zach teased Drew about being the oldest was starting to bother me.

“He’s just trustworthy,” I protested, realizing as I said the words that I meant them.

Violet smirked, arching her brows. “Huh. Looks like you have a fan, Drew. Maybe all this time, all you really needed was a party for two .” She waggled her brows, immune to my scowl.

“Relax, Anya. You didn’t grow up with Mr. Starchy-pants here, scaring off your boyfriends. It’s a wonder I’m not still a virgin.”

Drew winced. “As far as I’m concerned, you are. I don’t need details about your sex life.”

“Thanks to you, Cole, and Zach, I barely have a sex life. Every man on this island is afraid of you. Tourist hookups are about all you’ve left me with.”

Drew clapped his hands over his ears. “Not listening.”

Violet scowled. I’d heard her complaints about her brothers’ overbearing behavior before, but I’d never seen it in person.

The more I got to know Drew and Zach, the less likely it seemed.

Zach was a giant goof ball, and Drew seemed too responsible.

True, they cared about their sister, but I couldn’t imagine men in town being truly afraid of either of them.

Maybe she saw the doubt in my expression. Violet reached out, gripping her brother’s nose between her knuckles, her expression fierce. “Admit what you did to Adam Knowles.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Drew’s denial came out nasally, and I held back a grin. Violet twisted her fingers. “Ow.”

“Tell her.”

I watched, eyes wide. This was a side of my friend I’d never seen before. Drew avoided my gaze.

“We filled his truck with manure.”

I tilted my head, confused.

“The cab of his truck with manure,” Vi clarified.

“You were sixteen, and he was twenty-five!”

Vi released her brother, brushing her shoulders as he rubbed his tender red nose.

“I didn’t get asked out again for two years thanks to you, Cole, and Zach. Not by anybody . I skipped prom junior and senior years.”

I cleared my throat, not sure what to do to relieve the tension. Vi held a mean grudge. While I didn’t exactly agree with Drew’s methods, the age gap made me think his instinct to protect his sister was solid. But there was no way I was taking sides.

“Who’s hungry?” I finally asked.

Vi’s anger seemed to fade as swiftly as it arose, and I breathed a sigh of relief. We dished up, devouring the meal. After dinner, Vi excused herself to read, leaving me alone with Drew.

The living room and couch loomed. Hanging out with Drew was too much temptation. The last thing I wanted after Vi’s spat with him was for her to find us entwined on the couch. But I wasn’t sure I could keep my hands to myself.

Getting fresh air would help me sleep.

“Want to go for a walk?” I asked.

“Sure.” He seemed pleased by my suggestion.

It was overcast but not rainy. Drew ushered me outside, careful to lock the door behind us. A gust of wind cut south, and I shivered, huddling into my jacket.

“Was this a bad idea?” Drew asked. “Is it too cold?”

“No. We’ll warm up as we walk.”

“To town or along the lane toward Turn Point?”

“Let’s head to Turn Point.” That route had views of the water and wound through a quiet neighborhood.

We walked in silence, the trees swaying in the breeze. I could hear the ferry announcements in the distance. Custom homes lined the lane, cars parked tightly along the one-way street. We passed another couple huddled into jackets. They nodded in greeting, and I smiled.

Walking with Drew, it was easy to believe that my past, my family, was of no consequence. Life was simpler on the island. Beautiful. I didn’t want them to intrude and ruin my sanctuary. But the text message I received from the anonymous number worried me.

“You’re quiet tonight,” Drew said.

“Just a lot on my mind.”

“Like what?”

Did I tell him? Part of me wanted to. But I’d made it this far on my own.

“Any news from the sheriff?” I asked.

Drew shook his head, his brow furrowed. “No official statements.”

“You haven’t found more washed-up treasures at the beach?”

Drew smiled, just a tiny twitch at the corner of his mouth.

“Nah. It still bothers me that I let that case get stolen.” He grunted. “Foolish.”

“You didn’t let anything happen. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“I wish I’d busted the lock now. I’m curious about what was in there, if anything. It’ll serve the thief right if all they got for their trouble was an empty case.”

“You’d think it would be odd, someone carrying a case like that through town. I can’t believe no one remembered seeing someone with it.”

“The case probably just looked like luggage for the ferry unless you’re a boater. They’re mostly used for carrying things you need to keep waterproof. Documents. Firearms. That kind of thing.”

I shivered, a gust of wind whipping my hair around my shoulders. We paused at the landing above the private marina, watching the boats bob at the dock.

“C’mere,” Drew offered, opening his arms.

I stepped into them without hesitation. He was warm at my back. Solid. I sighed, relaxing into his embrace. He dropped his chin on top of my head, wrapping his arms more tightly around me until I was wrapped in a Drew cocoon.

“This is nice,” I murmured.

“Mhmh.” He hugged me.

We watched the boats nod in the breeze. It was the most peaceful I’d felt in forever. Drew was solid and steady. He made me feel safe. Something about his strength bolstered mine. Giving me courage.

He’d been careful to offer me the space I asked for. To keep things friendly. And it was driving me freaking crazy. Even with the jumbled mess that was my life, I couldn’t quite shake the idea that I should hold on to Drew Fenwick with both hands.

Starting something new with him while my past hung over my head was a terrible idea, but damned tempting.

Simple moments like sharing our coffee or watching TV with Violet had become our norm.

The fleeting, desperate hope that one touch – our one kiss - would ease the gnawing need inside me shattered the night our lips met.

If anything, it had only made my yearning for him worse.

One kiss could never be enough. I was fooling myself thinking I could just be his friend.

He deserved better. More than a woman whose past mistakes lurked in the shadows.

Just knowing he was out on the couch at night calmed my nerves more than I wanted to admit.

The truth was, when he moved out, I’d miss him.

The gentle teasing, the quiet moments when he said nothing, all of it.

I was a mess of contradictions, too tangled to know up from down.

But one thing was clear: I needed an excuse to see him once he was gone.

“Can we go out to dinner this week?” I blurted out.

“Sunny Girl, you just name the night. I’ll make the reservation.” I could hear the grin in his voice, the soft rumble of his pleasure rolling through his chest, sending an answering ripple of elation through me.

“Before we get too carried away, I’d better ask—can you promise Vi won’t load my car with manure?”

He chuckled, the gentle vibrations sending a delicious thrill through me. I loved hearing him laugh. He was usually so serious, the stoic older brother. Pulling laughter from him filled me with pride.

“She wouldn’t dare,” he promised.

I snorted. “I’ve never seen her that mad. I had no idea Violet could get that mad.”

“My sister has a temper. She’s just slow to anger. But Adam absolutely deserved it. He was running his mouth about how he was going to get her alone.”

“And big brother stepped in?”

He shrugged, the move shifting me against his chest. “He was bad news.”

“Did it really kill her dating prospects?”

Drew shifted. “Cole, Zach, Lee, and I may not have been at our most mature back then. But we had help.”

I gasped. “Gran?”

“Where do you think we got the manure?”

“Did you get in trouble?”

He stepped away, grasping my hand as we wandered up the hill, back toward the house. “Vi suspected, but no one could prove it. You only get in trouble if you get caught.”

I wanted to marvel at the protectiveness the Fenwick men showed for their sister, but part of me bristled at their interference.

Vi wasn’t weak. She could take care of herself.

But it was nice that she didn’t need to.

A sliver of jealousy crept in. What would it be like to be protected like that?

My family had all but turned me into cannon fodder.

It troubled me that Drew brushed off what they’d done because they hadn’t gotten caught. I wanted someone who would do the right thing, regardless of who was watching. But I hadn’t exactly lived up to that standard myself, so who was I to judge?

“If you had it to do all over again, would you?” I asked.

“I try to stay on the right side of the law. But when family is on the line? Sometimes things get blurry. I’m always going to take care of my own, even if there are consequences.”

“Do you think you get that from your gran?”

His eyes flashed. “Bite your tongue, woman.”

I grinned, a zip of excitement drilling through me at the teasing glint in his expression as he considered me.

“Or am I gonna have to do it for you?”

His playful threat made me laugh, and I swayed closer, tethered by our joined hands. He drew to a stop, pulling me into his arms. Like a flower turning toward the sun, I offered my mouth, sure only that I wanted him to kiss me.

Other thoughts fell away as his lips molded to mine.

Gentle and playful turned into demanding in a flash.

A car passed, its headlights illuminating us briefly, and we broke apart, breathing hard.

Drew’s eyes glittered in the gathering gloom.

His chest heaved. He clasped his hands behind his neck, pacing like a winded runner. He chuckled, shaking his head.

“What’s so funny?” I asked.

“Us. I keep trying to keep things casual and take things slow, picking public places, and it keeps backfiring in the best possible way.”

A warm rush filled me. He wanted me. Bad. And the feeling was mutual. Common sense warred with yearning as I relived our last kiss. Spending time with Drew was the best part of my day. My week. I couldn’t regret any of it, even if it set the gossips’ tongues wagging.

As if he sensed the direction of my thoughts, he arched one dark brow. “So. Dinner. It’s a date?”

Slowly, I nodded, and he grinned, extending his hand for mine.

“Good.” He squeezed my palm, and we resumed our walk home.

I waited until I’d safely shut my bedroom door before I launched myself onto my bed, kicking my feet and smiling into my pillow.

I was developing a massive crush on Drew Fenwick. Protective. Sweet. Caring. He was everything I wanted in a man.