Page 2 of Island Rescuer

The updates and improvements drove Rhett, Harper’s brother, crazy.

He was convinced the Inn stole business from Ellington properties in the Lowcountry. He was full of crap. There was plenty of tourism to go around. And, in the time-honored tradition of little sisters, Harper gleefully called him out for being dumb and grumpy when he had no cause. Thankfully, her brother’s primary role was to oversee the Ellington Cove in Key West, Florida so he wasn’t underfoot complaining all the time.

But tonight wasn’t about Rhett, the family, or business. Tonight was about having fun.

“Nice job.” Harper grinned. “Did you bribe someone?”

Trina slid out of the booth. “Location, location, location, right?”

“Absolutely.” Harper hugged Trina, then held her at arm’s length. “You look amazing!” she gushed.

Trina did a little spin and struck a pose. “You like it? I saw it at the Beach Belle on Central and couldn’t resist.” Petite and curvy, she was styled to perfection in flowing navy pants with tiny palm trees scattered from waist to hem and an emerald green wrap-top that showcased her lush, hourglass figure. Even her sandals coordinated, with jeweled palm trees sparkling over a flawless pedicure. Her black hair framed her face with casual waves and her big brown eyes were dancing.

“I love it.” Harper made a mental note to swing by the boutique with her mom one day soon. “Tell me everything,” she demanded as they slid into the booth. “What’s his name?”

Trina waved that off. “This isn’t for a man. It’s all for you. And the team.”

“The team, right.” Harper shook her head. “Not buying it.” She cast a look around, searching for someone who might fit Trina’s type: professional, intelligent, wildly attractive, and impeccably dressed.

“Stop.” She pressed her hands on the table. “The outfit is just for me,” Trina admitted. Her lips slanted into a mild frown. “I wanted to feel fabulous for a meeting this afternoon.”

“You nailed it.” Harper smiled. “Bet you slayed the meeting too.”

Trina grimaced. “Time will tell.” She didn’t sound the least bit happy or confident.

Harper bristled, immediately ready to defend her friend from any misplaced judgment. Since Trina had taken over, the Inn was thriving. Surely the revenue was increasing at an impressive pace. From Harper’s vantage point, it seemed as if Trina’s efforts were helping Brookwell Island become a destination in itself, instead of the usual afternoon excursion for visitors to Charleston.

“What do the stakeholders expect?” She caught herself before aiming a glare around the pub. The Inn was collectively owned by the town after falling into disrepair decades ago. A mayor with extraordinary vision and irrepressible determination had come up with the innovative plan.

“No, not the Inn. They’re happy. This involved the stakeholders in my life,” Trina explained. “The monthly family call.” She leaned in close to whisper, “How is it that an entire ocean isn’t enough of a buffer?”

“Yikes.”

Harper understood. The two women had been raised in families where the prime business was hotel and hospitality. And, like Trina, Harper was also feeling the family pressure to find a good partner and settle down. The aunts, her mother’s sisters, had been singing the worn-out refrain annually since she’d graduated college. The nagging only got louder now that her sisters-by-choice, Hannah and Sonya, were happily married. The Ellingtons considered them part of the family. Hannah and her husband Seth were expecting their first child and the aunts were over the moon, planning a baby shower to put all others to shame.

Though Harper was equally excited to become an aunt, she didn’t like the ridiculous pressure to settle down and procreate.

“How bad was it?” she asked.

Trina pressed her lips together. “They’re threatening to send eligible young men across the ocean to meet me.”

“Wow.” Harper sat with that for a moment, wrapping her head around the implications. She might’ve laughed if her friend didn’t look so miserable. “You win the outrageous family award. What can I do?”

“Short of stirring up an international scandal, I’m not sure anything would shift their focus,” Trina admitted. “Granted, the men they want me to meet aren’t exactly trolls.”

“That doesn’t mean they’re the guys you want to date.”

“Right?” Trina threw up her hands. “You get it. I’m not wrong here. It feels pathetic.” Trina rolled her gorgeous eyes. “Can you imagine what those men must think? Being sent across anoceanto take me on a date. How does my family not realize the implications? How do I even overcome the deficit if I wanted to?” She cocked her head, her curls bouncing. “Hello, I’m Trina, the pudgy, stubborn woman who can’t find a quality date in all of America. Please come save me.”

Harper choked on a laugh. “If any prospective dates think like that, they certainly won’t stay long. You’ll kick them back across the ocean in a heartbeat.”

“Damn straight.” Trina grinned. “The last thing I need right now is an arranged husband.”

“Sounds more like they don’t want you marrying an American,” Harper observed.

“Of course they don’t.” Trina’s gaze skimmed over the patrons. “They don’t believe anyone other than a purebred Italian boy is good enough for me. Like I’m some prized spaniel in need of the right mate or handler or whatever.”

Harper threw back her head, cackling. “Don’t even get me started. The aunts have dragged my mom into their theatrics. She pulled me aside last Sunday brunch, asking when she might be a grandma. I aimed her at Hannah, but her baby fever is crazy-intense. She wants all of us reproducing. Stat.”

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