Page 6 of Island Rescuer

So far so good, Knox thought, walking away from the table. He hadn’t given in to his urges to plant a kiss on Harper’s lush mouth. More to the point, she hadn’t seemed to notice that he’d been lurking in her rear-view recently.

Sometimes literally, although most of the time he gave her more space. Sticking close enough to keep an eye on her and a closer eye on the people in her orbit. He’d been on the job now for almost two weeks, trailing after her and scoping out her various appointment destinations ahead of her arrival. Between Bruce sharing her schedule and Jenna’s research skills, that aspect of the assignment was running smoothly.

It wasn’t always easy to stay out of her way and he frequently rehearsed an excuse, keeping it ready on the tip of his tongue if she ever caught him. He used the time when she was in a safe location, usually her suite at the resort or her office, to research the situation that had brought him on board.

Two envelopes had reached her childhood home in Charleston, one week apart. Both pieces of mail had the same return address and were strange enough that her parents had opened them, contrary to their normal respect for her privacy. The envelope contents couldn’t be classified as letters. They were more like ransom notes, and Harper’s mother, Darlene, immediately worried that other threats were reaching Harper directly. They talked to Bruce first and quickly decided to bring on the Guardian Agency.

No one had any idea why she didn’t mention it. Knox had a theory starting with the obvious: Harper was entirely too stubborn. Far too determined to be independent. He knew she’d taken self-defense classes in college and since taking this case, his suspicions were confirmed that she requested background checks on most of her dates. Having watched her from a distance for some time now, he figured she also didn’t want to be a bother or worry her family.

He couldn’t rule out the possibility that she knew the source of the threats and believed ignoring the situation would be the best option.

Professionally, he disagreed. Looking at the intel they’d gathered so far, the Ellingtons were right to be concerned. This didn’t feel like some passing nonsense.

Although they didn’t have a solid lead yet, with a little luck, they’d sort it out without Harper ever knowing he was involved.

That sucked for him. He wanted her to know. Dumb—foolish really—but true. There was a better man out there for her. It was only a matter of time until they met.

Anyone with clear vision could see that Harper Ellington came from money. At the very least, an outsider could see she came from an entire uplevel of confidence. He imagined that could be a problem for some men. She carried herself with grace and courage and compassion, at all times. It was remarkable. More remarkable was that she had been that way for as long as he had known her.

She was just a skinny kid the first time they’d met. He had a year on her older brother, Rhett, who had three years on her. It had been a big beach bash, a fundraiser for marine wildlife. Knox remembered the endless sunshine, the wind off the water, boogie board races, sandcastles, and beach volleyball. Harper had trailed after Rhett, and Knox by association. They’d had a helluva time ditching her to go find some trouble and attempt to impress some older girls.

As much as he’d worked to forget his childhood, that day was etched in his memory. It had been one of the few days worth remembering. They’d struck out with the older girls, but being tall for his age, they’d won a couple of volleyball games. His parents had written a check and bailed early, leaving him to find a way home on his own.

Of course, the Ellingtons had noticed his predicament. Rhett invited him to dinner and then his dad, Forrest, had driven Knox home. Not a quick trip either. About two hours one way. Two hours that gave Knox a glimpse of a different parenting style.

Like Harper, he came from money. But that’s where the similarities between their families and upbringing ended.

He could point to that day as the catalyst. A day he’d been unexpectedly happy and a day that ignited the spark of anger deep in his gut and fanned it into a flame of defiance. Unable to properly channel his frustration and temper, he’d acted out at every opportunity, becoming a notoriously bad influence everywhere he went.

He didn’t regret that as much as he should, because all that angst-driven trouble-making had cut him loose from his parents and the path they’d intended for him. He was proud of that.

Unlike his father who consistently looked for the easiest money-grab in any situation, Knox’s work for the Guardian Agency actually mattered. He made a difference.

Being on this case for Harper was an excellent example.

He’d carefully sifted through all her recent contacts, anyone she’d met in person or spoken with more than a few times, he had done the digging with the help of the Guardian agency research team. No, they hadn’t identified a concrete threat, but they were now working through a concise list of potential problem-children. There was a decent list of men who’d wanted to keep seeing her, and a shorter list of business ventures and investment opportunities she’d turned down after initial meetings.

According to her current schedule, the only men she met with were professional contacts. Over the past six months her dating life had dwindled to practically non-existent. Why? He had to figure it out. If there was an incident, no one knew about it. The Ellingtons were a close-knit family. They got along and spent a lot of time together, outside of their business interests.

Knox couldn’t imagine her successfully hiding something serious enough to prompt the ugly notes.

It bothered him that whoever was behind this had sent nasty mail to her childhood home. Who would know to do that? Why take the risk? Officially, she lived at the resort. If harassment was the goal, why not focus there? The decision had to be deliberate, because no one on his short-list struck him as that foolish.

He could only think of one man in her past who might stoop to involving her parents. The guy everyone thought she’d marry. But she’d suddenly broken up with him a few summers ago. If Rhett knew the reasons, he’d never shared them with Knox.

Not that he encouraged his pal to spill details about Harper’s love life. No, thanks. He didn’t need the frustration.

The good news-bad news was Jenna’s research cleared the theoretical suspect immediately, dropping them back to square one.

His gaze drifted back to the table where she and her friends were dominating the trivia contest. The four of them were a sight, for sure, but he returned to his job, scanning the pub for any sign of the culprit.

ChapterTwo

Harper watchedTrina’s anxiety grow as they discussed and eventually submitted the answer to the final question. They pulled off the win and Trina was giddy as they celebrated with one last round of drinks and a new cookie-charcuterie board dessert Lila had created with the Pelican team.

Was it any wonder she enjoyed visiting out here so much?

She loved the resort, but now that she was the manager it was impossible to shake the sense of responsibility. The buck stopped with her—for better or worse—from all sides. Moving out was the obvious choice and she’d looked at several properties, but she’d felt so lonely on the tours that she gave up the idea.

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