Which circled right back to finding him.
He parked in the drive and spotted Natalie. She was at the slider, smiling, and his heart did a funny little shimmy in his chest. Amazing. If only the timing was better.
Dressed for an early evening on the boat, she had changed into quick-dry pants, deck shoes, and a long-sleeved shirt under an open windbreaker. Her hair was braided back from her face and dark sunglasses were hooked at her collar.
“Hey!” she called, opening the door for him. “Was it a productive day?”
He stepped inside and managed to close the door before he claimed her gorgeous mouth in a kiss that set him on fire. Breathing hard, he soaked up every small moan and heated touch as her hands roamed over his shoulders and up into his hair. “Hello to you too.”
She licked her lips. “Does that mean you got what you needed?”
“About Royer?” Her chin jerked. “Not yet.” When she frowned, he stroked her cheek. “We’ll find him. Did you stay busy?”
“Celeste came by and we chatted while I made dessert.” She bounced on her toes and pointed to the cooler and a big basket on the counter. “All packed up and ready to go.”
“Lucky me.” He kissed her again, lingering over it. Wishing he could forget the purpose of tonight’s outing, he straightened. “We don’t want to lose the light.”
“Smart.” She picked up the basket and he grabbed the cooler.
“What kind of dessert?” he asked as they walked out. He paused to set the security system. If Royer came around, Trent wanted to be sure they caught him in the act.
“Not telling.” She stowed the basket out of his reach. “And no peeking.”
They took his truck down the marina, parking close to a lamp that would come on automatically at dusk, just in case they wereout longer than he anticipated. The spot also put them within clear view of the security cameras installed along the row of shops on the waterfront. Again, if Royer had somehow identified Trent as part of the team in pursuit, he wanted the jerk to think twice about taking preemptive action.
Carrying the cooler with a duffel slung across his body, he didn’t have a hand free to touch Natalie as they headed toward the dock. Probably for the best, considering the active small town gossip grapevine. No reason to start rumors that might reflect poorly on her once he left. Natalie was famous—especially here—and recognized by even more folks now that her sculptures were permanent fixtures around town. He refused to undermine her reputation in any way.
In the office, he signed the waivers and accepted the keys to the boat while the young man at the desk chatted with Natalie as if they were the closest of friends. “Wear your PFDs!” he reminded them as they walked out.
Trent smiled. “Are you friends with everyone on the island?”
“Not even close,” she laughed. “Breck, short for Breckenridge, is named after his mother’s favorite town. He was in one of my classes last year. He wasn’t sure about heading straight to college, so I suggested he come out here to find some work and think it over.”
It sounded as if she was a natural with kids. He respected that tremendously. And it reminded him about Corey’s comment about her being an art teacher. “You were teaching full time last year?”
“No.” Her braid swished as she shook her head. “It was my usual guest-instructor deal. I was at his school for two days. People are always saying I have a knack with kids. Really, I’m just a good listener.” She wrinkled her nose. “And still in close contact with my whimsical nature. Breck loves fishing. Deep sea, rivers, lakes, or ponds. It doesn’t matter. I thought if he spenttime around here he’d find some opportunities that might fit. Give him some direction.”
“Huh.”
Her braid swayed as she shook her head. “I know that sound. Yes, I have met a stranger.”
Trent stopped short when they reached the slip. “Here we go.” He’d rented a sweet little cruiser that would be agile and suit his purposes to a tee. He boarded, setting the cooler down and shrugging off the duffel before holding his hand out to Natalie for balance. She nimbly stepped over the gunwale, tucking the basket and her tote near the cockpit while he secured the cooler and stowed his duffel bag.
Then she went to the cleats, where she could release the lines when he started the motor.
“Just to clarify, that wasn’t what I was thinking.”
She twisted around, her eyebrows lifting up over her sunglasses. “My apologies for assuming you’re like most people.”
He nearly apologized for the shortsightedness of everyone in her life. It bothered him that anyone would make her feel like she wasn’t enough or wasn’t toeing some invisible line of traditional expectation. She was an artist. And clearly, he was too close, too invested in her after such a brief time. This was so out of bounds for him, it took him a second. “Even your sisters?” he asked.
“Oh, leave them out of it.” She laughed. “Of course, they know me better than anyone. And they gladly lean on my strengths when it suits us. But they also let me lean on them to balance my flaws. The three of us make a good team.”
“What flaws?” he asked as they glided slowly away from the marina, the motor puttering along. “If you get seasick, I’m entitled to know now.”
“Don’t worry. My flaws are much bigger.” She sat down in the seat next to him, ready for the boost of speed as they exited the no-wake zone. “And I don’t just share them for free.”
“Smart woman.”
