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“Tell me, Travis,” Will began.
Travis braced against the obvious change in the man’s tone.
“Are you an independent contractor?”
Oh, this guy was serious about protecting Lila. Travis couldn’t be mad about Will going back to the station to run his name and background. He wasn’t worried. No unsavory skeletons in his closet. Lots of people enlisted at eighteen and never went home again.
“No sir. I’m licensed with the Guardian Agency.” And never more thankful for the affiliation than right this minute.
“Out of Chicago?” Surprise lifted Will’s eyebrows.
“Yes, sir.”
“Huh. Guess it’s a small world.” Suddenly the intensity eased up again. Apparently, the connection alleviated his lingering doubts about Travis.
“You know of the group?” Travis asked.
“A bit. It’s a new connection.” He paused, as if uncertain how much he should share. “A few people helped us out on a recent job,” he replied. “I was impressed by their work.”
There was clearly more to that story, but he could nudge Jess for details. Or wait until Will shared more on his own. Maybe at the barbecue, if Travis was still in town this weekend. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“Where are you headed next?” Will asked Lila.
“I thought we’d walk down to the marina to see Eli.”
Travis felt another pang of possessiveness. Was that the friend she’d mentioned earlier?
“That’s a good walk,” Will said. “Go and enjoy the marina, but Eli’s in Key West.” He glanced at Travis and covered a chucklewith a not-so-subtle cough. “Eli’s my wild child. He decided to stay and train with one of the Guardian Agency guys. Used to be a protector. You know Max Crosby?” he said, apparently taking pity on Travis.
Hell, yes, he knew Max. Admired him in the field and as a person. “Max is good people,” Travis agreed. “I learned a lot working with him.” He missed seeing Max, as a fellow security expert and as a friend, but he was happy to hear that his new plans were working out.
“That was my assessment, too.” With that, and one more hug for Lila, Will went on his way.
They walked down to the marina anyway and Lila shared a few stories as they went. Her earlier excitement had dimmed, though she didn’t let it show whenever she introduced him to yet another person she knew.
When he asked, she only smiled and claimed to be lost in thought.
That only raised his concerns that whatever she was thinking about went a whole lot deeper than coming home and helping her grandmother transition to retirement.
Chapter 8
That evening, Lila sipped white wine and let her gaze skim over the marsh as night fell. She and Gram and Travis were among the first to arrive for dinner at Parker’s Fish Camp, due to Gram’s early schedule. All her senses told Lila not much had changed and yet everything around her felt different.
The view was comforting. The air blowing across the porch was crisp and clear. The sounds of a restaurant in good working order were so very familiar.
But Travis had her seeing everything in a new light. He changed it all. She couldn’t get away from his scent, his presence, and how she felt being in constant proximity.
Running into old friends while showing Travis around town hadn’t been unexpected. This was Brookwell. Not just a small town, but a smalltouristtown, in the off-season.
Which meant fewer visitors to buffer her from all those friendly faces and memories.
She’d been on edge all day. Wondering if the thief would make contact or get caught in some trap she assumed Travis had planted. She felt like bait.
That wasn’t nearly as bad as feeling like a liar. Holding hands, introducing Travis to everyone as if he mattered. As if he’d be in her life once this awkward situation ended.
It was probably for the best that Eli was out of town. Several years younger, he was the little brother she’d always wanted. When they’d met, she found him silly and charming. She’d had more patience with his antics than his brothers did. They’d become close friends, sharing in the joy of board games, distance running, and a weird mutual fondness for Godzilla movies. She wasn’t great with lies, despite the best effort of her parents.
Eli would surely have seen straight through this charade with Travis. He would’ve insisted on the details. Insisted on helping.
