Page 5 of Hargrave Health Kick
His critique got under her skin. Yes, her business pages were about training and fitness. And the three of them rotated content for the pages dedicated to the B&B itself. But she connected with friends online. At least she thought she did.
“You’re keeping tabs on me?”
“Hell, yeah. Especially now.”
She did a double take. “What does that mean?”
“I’m with the Guardian Agency now.” He beamed like he’d won gold at the Olympics. “They gave me a better deal than re-upping. When I heard about an opening here, I jumped on it so I could make sure you didn’t become a statistic.”
“You’re talking about the fire? That was Celeste. She’s fine now.” Thank goodness.
“That was all of you,” he corrected. “You own the place together.”
“You just wanted to see the summer house I bragged about.”
He folded his arms and stared down at her over that rocky path of a nose. “Won’t deny that was part of it. You went on and on about having your own private beach.”
“And yet here I am.” She spread her arms wide. “Because that beach isn’t just for Hargraves anymore.”
“Whoa. I’ve never heard you bitter.”
She scrubbed at her face. “I’m not really.” Before she registered what was happening, they were walking toward the public parking. Just like old times, he put her at ease and coaxed the whole story out of her.
“It’s a day, that’s all. We have a difficult guest in residence. Not a real problem child. Just someone going through some crap. Cancer,” she blurted.
In her opinion, it was always better to say it clearly. Dancing around the topic or whispering the word as if the disease might hear you just pissed her off.
“I’ve got a bunch of stuff on my mind and the demanding guest made me realize that we should block out more time for the Hideaway to just be the sister house. I didn’t think I’d miss the access as much as I do.”
“I get it. We never know what we have until it’s gone.”
She glanced up at his wistful tone, wondering who he’d lost. Because that was the kind of thing people said when they’d dealt with pain and heartache on a soul-deep level. “Do you want to talk about it? You know I’m a good listener.”
“I remember.” His strong shoulders tensed up as he gazed out over the horizon. “Not today.”
She respected the boundary. “Care to share more details about what you’ve been up to lately?
“That’s easy. The Guardian Agency is the best,” he gushed. “Military precision with private industry pay and excellent benefits. Better travel destinations too.” He grinned. “I didn’t think this was what I wanted. Now that I’m in it, I can’t think of a better fit for me.”
“Good for you,” she said. “And good for us to have you watching over our little B&B.”
He snorted. “Little? I’ve been over there already. Jess Keller—Billings—gave me a tour so I could fill in for one of your usual guys.”
Jess had grown up out here. Though she’d moved away, when she returned, she’d sunk deep roots. Marrying Nash, starting a family, and taking on the role of regional coordinatorfor the Guardian Agency. With a little luck, Veronica might get some insider intel on Brayden’s arrival.
“You had every reason to brag,” Brayden was saying. “That’s some place you’ve got out there.”
“Thank you, I think.”
“Pretty sure you normally would’ve heard the compliment,” he joked. “You are in a mood.”
There was comfort in having a friend who knew her so well.
He hooked his arm with hers. “I know how to cheer you up. How about dinner tomorrow?”
Skin to skin, he was even more intense. Dinner was a great idea. She couldn’t think of a single restaurant on the island that didn’t require shirts. Because Brayden had always been fit, but now he was a shredded, imposing man. Natalie had been hassling her about not going out enough. It sucked big time that her little sister was right.
“Can’t tomorrow.” She eased away, too afraid she’d start to cling. She’d kept her hands to herself when they were in school, but the temptation to touch him all over right now was daunting.
