Page 20 of Island Rescuer

With a thank you to the others, Harper exited out of the video call and retreated to her room. She needed some space to gather her thoughts and regain her composure.

ChapterFive

Knox had let her go,hoping some alone time could help her come to terms with this mess. Her reactions throughout the call left him wishing he understood her better. Wishing he had a way to put her at ease. What was so bad about him that she’d rather be left alone while he worked the case?

As if that would ever happen.

He skimmed through the file Jenna kept adding to, searching for clues to her bizarre request.Alone. Seriously? He’d missed something important. Harper was outgoing and yet a private person by nature. There were layers of relationships in her life from close family to fringe acquaintances, but when she was with a person, she made them feel like the center of their world. She listened better than anyone he’d ever met. But she trusted a select few.

Clearly, he didn’t fall in that camp.

She didn’t maintain much of a social media presence, either. Didn’t vent her spleen online or share viral memes. His best source of intel was her family and he could hardly get away with interviewing them at this point. Rhett would share plenty of insight, until Knox brought up his personal queries. Besides, if she kept everything locked down, her brother probably didn’t have the valuable intel that would help Knox watch over her.

He needed her to open up, to trust him. At least enough to explain why she’d rather be alone than have his help.

His cell phone rang and, seeing Jess’s name, he picked it up. “Hey.”

“What’s wrong? You sound morose.”

“I’m fine.”

“I heard Lila brought you strudel.”

“She did.”

“Count your blessings, Knox. People on this island would go to great lengths for free strudel.”

“You are so pregnant,” he teased.

She laughed. “That I am. But I’m also five minutes out. Nash and I have the laptop and a new phone for Harper. All set up and ready to go.”

“Anything from our bad guy show up yet?” He listened while she asked Nash to check.

Jess swore. “Affirmative. Jenna will handle it.”

Of course she would. Knox peered up the staircase. Harper’s door was still closed. “What do you know about Harper’s plans this spring?” he asked in a whisper.

“Not much. Why are you whispering?”

“Something’s wrong and?—”

“You are not asking me for inside information on your client,” Jess cut him off. “If she called me, I wouldn’t spill the tea on you.”

Knox pulled the phone away from his ear to stare at it. “I’m not keeping secrets.”

Jess laughed as if he’d just delivered the joke of the year with perfect timing. “We all have secrets. You’re one of the best protectors on the payroll, Knox. And one of the best men I know. You’ve got this.”

“She asked to stay here alone,” he confessed.

“And wounded your pride,” Jess guessed.

Yes. And way more on top of it. “No. I’m worried I’m missing something big here. Do me a favor and help me figure it out when you get here.”

“See you in a second.”

The call ended. Knox shoved his phone into his back pocket, well-aware that Jess hadn’t agreed to help him. He went up the stairs, lifting his hand to knock on her door when it opened.

The evening light from the window painted her with a soft-focus angelic effect. He gripped the door frame, his fingers curling around the wood rather than her chin. He wanted to kiss her so badly. “Jess and her husband are almost here.”

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