Page 17 of Rescuing Brinley

He headed out of the resort toward the beach. Might as well scope out the area and clear his head at the same time.

The resort was located on a protected cove, which meant the water was usually calm. There was a private beach where guests could swim, along with a bunch of inflatables in the water for both children and adults to play on. Not too far away were a pair of long docks that jutted out into the cove. There were a few boats tied to the docks, and, to Shadow’s surprise, there was also a float plane. It must’ve arrived sometime in the last few hours, because it wasn’t there earlier.

Sending a quick text to Zero, letting him know about the plane and asking him to make some inquiries about who it belonged to and why it was there, Shadow continued his walk down the beach. It was nice to be able to just stroll and not do PT in the sand. The weather was warm; it felt hotter than it probably was because of humidity and since he was used to the temps in Alaska. It was early spring, the snow was finally melting back home, and summer would bring warmer temps. Last year, they’d even had a few days in the nineties, which was extremely unusual, and a sign of the warming climate.

Shadow hadn’t gone too far when he saw a lone figure ahead of him, sitting on a bench, staring out at the water. As he got closer, he blinked, wondering if he was somehow imagining who was sitting there.

A warmth spread through him as he realized it was the one person he’d been hoping to get a chance to talk to over the last two days. Brinley.

Then he frowned. What was she doing out here in the dark? True, this was private property, but still. It wasn’t safe. He spent his days and nights watching over Ayla and her family…but who was watching out for Brinley?

No one.

And that bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

He stopped about ten feet away and said softly, “Hey.”

She hadn’t been paying any attention to her surroundings, her gaze locked on the water, which definitely wasn’t safe. At the sound of his voice, she whipped her head toward him.

Her shoulders slumped with what Shadow hoped was relief when she saw him.

“Hi.”

“Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Just taking a break from…you know.” She gestured toward the resort.

“Yeah, I know,” he said.

“Want to sit?” she asked, sounding shy.

Shadow’s heart rate sped up. He was thrilled she’d asked. “Love to.”

He lowered himself onto the wooden planks of the bench, making sure to leave plenty of space between them so he wouldn’t make her nervous. “How’re things going with your clients?”

She smiled at him, and Shadow was amazed at how her face lit up. “Good. They’re super happy with their outfits, and honestly, I’ve only needed to do a couple small alterations here and there. And I’ve gotten at least fifteen more people possibly interested in ordering designs from me.”

“Have you been able to do any sightseeing?”

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “No, but it’s okay. I don’t really enjoy that kind of thing. And…” Her voice trailed off.

“And what?”

“It’s better if I just lay low. I really don’t want to be the center of attention again if my sister decides to lay into me for some imagined slight. I also haven’t had the pleasure of talking with my mother yet, and I’d rather not. So it’s better if I just stay here at the resort and avoid them altogether. I’m sure they’re doing all the group activities.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

The way she tilted her head was adorable. Which was so strange; Shadow hadn’t ever thought someone moving their head to one side was cute before. “That you feel more comfortable being by yourself and hanging out here than getting out and seeing more of Fiji. And that your sister and mom aren’t incredibly proud of what you do. I looked up your website and I have to say, I’m impressed.”

“You did? You found Diamond Sash Designs online?”

“I did. You’ve got an impressive resume. The number of your clients who’ve won competitions speaks for itself.”

He could easily see Brinley’s deep blush in the moonlight, and it was all Shadow could do not to sweep his fingers along her pink cheek.

“Thanks. But I don’t think I have anything to do with my clients winning.”