Page 12 of Island Whispers
“Nina, this surely won’t be more than a few days,” Boone said, pulling her attention once more. “What if we pretend I’m a contractor you’ve brought in for a consult or something?”
“I don’t think so.”
“An evaluation? I’ll come over and take a look around. You can introduce me to whoever you need to introduce me to. We’ll say you filled out a form or something. If there’s nothing for me to work on around your shop, then we can make an excuse that I’ll find a project for you at home.”
“Are you any good at building things or repairing things?”
“I have a few skills.”
The spark in his eye convinced her he’d said it on purpose, to get under her skin and remind her of that night.
“And a contractor’s license handy? Because I live and work in the town center. Any work I do in that building must be permitted.”
“No permit needed to take a look,” he countered. “And that would give me time to assess how best to protect you or close up any gaps a criminal might exploit.”
She couldn’t suppress the shiver. Better to blame it on the threat than the bodyguard, even if she knew the truth.
“He’s here to help, Nina,” Jess said. “Let’s start there and let the story grow.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, suddenly wary.
“Two people meet, find common ground, and mutual attraction,” Jess said. “Happens every day. If they’re lucky, they go on a few dates and it becomes something more.”
Nina wanted to roll her eyes at Jess’s rose-colored outlook. How rosy would that outlook be if she knew about the one-night stand? Maybe she should just confess it all and allow Jess to bring in a different bodyguard.
“She’s right,” Boone chimed in. “Why wouldn’t I be inspired to ask you out? To romance you?”
Nina did not want to go down this path. Not many of the men she had dated in the last year had an inkling of how to romance a woman. At least they didn’t understand what romance meant to her.
“I don’t see that working.” She caught Jess’s eye once more. “If you’re worried enough to assign a personal bodyguard, then we should just tell my parents what’s really going on. Better if we’re all prepared and alert for the potential risks.”
“I’ll make it clear you don’t need them to hover,” Jess promised.
“Thanks.” She tipped her head toward Boone. “I’m sure he’ll do enough of that.”
“Like a professional,” he said with pride.
Of course. He was the professional and she was just the worn-out person stuck in an awkward situation.
“This is probably for the best,” Jess said. “Your mom would be more concerned about a relationship moving too fast anyway.”
“Right again,” Nina agreed. At the very least, making the decision meant she could get out of here. With Boone in tow, obviously. But they needed to clear the air and that was best done without an audience.
She loved Jess, but there were hurdles she wasn’t willing to leap right this second. Admitting she knew Boone from a one-night stand was a biggie.
Chapter 4
Boone was on thin ice with his charge. He could practically hear the crackling and feel it giving way under his feet. One wrong word or move and he’d be sunk. A weird sensation considering it was springtime on this South Carolina island.
“Have you ever had an ice storm in Brookwell?” he asked as they drove away from Jess’s office in his truck.
She gave him an odd look. “No. There are folks who remember snow flurries once on January first, but that was decades ago. We’ve had hail when conditions were right during summer storms. Not often. Why?”
“No reason.”
“Did you have ice storms where you grew up?”
“Yes, actually.” He smiled at the memories. “I have fond memories of school closure days.”