Page 9 of Island Guardian (Brookwell Island #7)

Chapter Six

Trina did a few rounds of calm and restorative breathing as Rhett drove away, leaving Brookwell behind. “I shouldn’t let him scare me. I mean, I know I’m safe.”

Of course that wasn’t what bothered her most. She was angry that her parents had given Luca what amounted to her home address. The whole reason she didn’t live off-property was that she felt safer inside the Inn. She pulled out her phone and opened the messaging app, only to put it away again.

“More texts?”

“No.” She looked down. “I’m turning off my personal phone.” She shoved the device deep into her purse. No more interruptions from well-meaning parents. “Jacob can reach me on the business phone if he needs me.”

“So you can set boundaries.”

“Yes.” Wound too tightly, she needed to dial down her ire and aim it at the right target.

Rhett had been miraculously helpful. Just whisking her away to Key West for a few days could be enough to deter Luca.

They might not need to marry after all. “Jacob forwarded your call earlier because he knows you’re a friend. ”

Rhett snorted.

“You’re disputing the status?”

He shifted a little in the seat, drawing her attention to his shoulders, down his arms to his hands on the steering wheel. She couldn’t recall ever being this attracted—enthralled—by a man’s arms before.

Of course, she’d kept anything remotely resembling desire in lockdown mode for ages. Especially if the temptation was within reach.

“Wouldn’t you?” he challenged.

“At one time, maybe,” she admitted. She changed the subject, trying to keep her emotions from running amok again. “You said your suite in Key West isn’t accessible to guests?”

“That’s right. You should do the same here.”

“Never thought further precautions would be necessary.” Her parents hadn’t told the first two men where her room was located. “Besides, I can’t expect them to build a wall or anything when the next manager might need a different setup.”

“You have plans to move on again?”

Was that concern in his voice? “Not at all. I hope to stay forever.” She tried to laugh, but the sound was garbled. “Just don’t tell my parents I said that.”

“They seriously expect you to take over the family hotel?”

“Worse.” She sniffed. “They want me raising their grandchildren while my husband runs the management company. That’s why they sent Antonio first.”

“Unfair.”

She relented. “It would be if I was interested in taking over the company some day.” She’d mostly gotten over that offense. Mostly.

“Would you be more inclined to go home and step into your inheritance if Luca wasn’t nearby? ”

A question she’d never bothered to consider. “I don’t know.” She’d been focused on staying single, secure. Out of Luca’s reach.

When her voice trailed off, Rhett let her think, embracing the quiet as he drove on to the airport. It was an easy silence, though he was sure she wasn’t thinking easy thoughts.

He checked the mirrors as they drove, still edgy and braced for trouble.

Gallo was definitely a threat to her peace of mind, even if he had no intention of deliberately harming her. The man’s absolute certainty about marrying Trina was an unpleasant frustration. Like a sandspur he couldn’t pluck free.

As if becoming Mrs. Gallo was a done deal she only needed to accept.

Why would her parents assume she’d cooperate?

For that matter, why were they being so pushy about this at all?

They should be proud of her accomplishments.

Her independence and success should be celebrated.

Why were they so sure she needed to marry to be happy?

Yes, the aunts and his mom had been applying some not-so-subtle pressure about him settling down, but they’d never do anything as drastic as send him prospective brides. There had been jokes about inviting eligible women to the family brunch, but they were only jokes.

Well, it wouldn’t be an issue for her much longer.

“You probably know all about the Inn, growing up in the area,” Trina said.

“A little,” he admitted. “Our parents brought us out here for beach weekends, but we’d rent a house.”

He didn’t mention the way he’d studied every facet of the Inn’s colorful history.

The highs of celebrities booking quiet getaways here in the 1940s, followed by the sad years, when the building sat empty and fell into disrepair.

He let her tell him everything she’d learned as he drove to the airport, discovering those old stories anew through her enthusiasm.

“This is the last place I thought you’d land,” he said. “Back in school, I assumed you were destined for bigger places.”

She sighed. “Back in school, I assumed the same thing. And I’ve invested years in bigger operations.” She smoothed her palms over her thighs, around her knees and up again, lacing her fingers together in her lap. “Landing this job felt like winning a marathon after working all over Europe.”

“America was that important to your resume?”

“That would be a convenient answer,” she allowed. “I wasn’t ready to go home and…”

When her voice trailed off, he glanced over. He was sure her mind had drifted to Gallo. “Swim in the family pool?” he supplied.

She did a double take and then burst into laughter. “Yes, exactly that. I understand the importance of our business and the legacy my parents intend to live on for generations to come. Some days I feel guilty for wanting something for myself.”

He was shocked that they had that in common.

Though he was completely content making his mark within the family through innovative planning and keeping an eye for smart expansion opportunities.

The way his parents structured their business, there were plenty of challenges to keep him invested and interested.

Unlike Trina, he didn’t feel smothered by expectation or responsibility.

“Do you ever feel that way?”

The tentative tone, so unlike her, caught him off guard. Then again everything about tonight was a steep learning curve. He glanced over, saw her hands still tightly woven in her lap. “You know it doesn’t bother me if you talk with your hands. ”

“Pardon me?”

He started to reach for her and caught himself just in time.

“Your hands.” He squeezed the steering wheel.

“You’ve always been exuberant. It’s a compliment,” he added in a hurry.

He decided to take a chance. If they were going to be married, it was best to be as candid as possible.

He wanted her to be herself. “Lately it seems you’ve been trying to rein yourself in.

You certainly don’t need to change that habit for me. ”

He would bet his shares of the Ellington Cove that Bachelor One or Two had mentioned it. During his recent visits, he’d noticed her making an effort to dial it down. “You should never apologize for being yourself.”

“Who are you and what have you done with the real Rhett Ellington?” she asked on a burst of bold laughter. “You were always trying to boss me around when we were in school.”

He didn’t like the abrupt pinch in the vicinity of his heart. “I wasn’t trying to change who you were. If I gave you any grief,” there was no if about it, “it was only in the pursuit of a win.”

She tapped a finger to the corner of her lush mouth. What he wouldn’t give to be that fingertip. Holy cow, he had to get a hold of himself.

“And yet you didn’t win.”

“Not one time. Not when I was up against you. You were impervious. A woman on a mission.”

“Impervious,” she echoed. “I like the sound of that. Are you bucking for an apology?”

“Hell no.”

She did that sexy humming thing again. “To be fair, I’m sure I was terribly obnoxious.”

“We both were,” he said. “We were motivated, then and now. For what it’s worth, I think that’s a bonus for both of us on this particular endeavor.” Marriage . He needed to get comfortable with the word because it would define his life for the foreseeable future.

“How so?”

“With ambition and drive, the sky’s the limit.”

“True.” She sounded as if she was smiling.

He wanted to reach for her again. Caught himself again. “People like you and me go after what we want. We get things done.” He smiled as he said it, hoping she could hear his sincerity even if she couldn’t see his expression.

“You’re right.” Her voice sounded a little brighter. She held up a hand for a high-five. “Here’s to the problem-solvers.”

He tapped her palm to hers. “Here’s to us,” he agreed.

It was the strangest thing, stepping into her life like this. He had plenty of drive and ambition. Along with an abundance of determination to help her out of this dicey situation. No, she hadn’t shared the full story of her issues with Gallo.

Rhett didn’t need to hear all the details.

He was certain that his urge to leap in and help—even taking drastic measures—stemmed from his hours spent with Max and the other Guardian Agency folks.

Those training sessions and stories had increased his awareness of how quickly things could go wrong. He was better at recognizing fear.

He couldn’t stand by and let her deal with Gallo alone. Their rocky history didn’t make any difference. Especially not when he’d seen the debilitating fear in her beautiful eyes.

He had the time, means, and compassion to help.

And that was exactly what he’d do.

Soon they’d be in his resort, in a town he loved and knew well. He was already brainstorming how to fill the next few days and the months ahead with good memories.

Their marriage wouldn’t be conventional, but he intended to make it remarkable for her.