by Carol Ross
Harper didn’t waste any more time. She took a seat in the stern and began snapping photos, knowing the light would change fast now. Kyle stood by Captain Robin, the two men chatting like old friends.
A few minutes later Kyle sat down beside her. “How are you doing?”
Harper mustered a smile. “Great! Will you tell me when we reach the bar? Is there a seat belt or something I should buckle? What is the likelihood of being bounced overboard like a piece of popcorn?”
Kyle snuffled out a gentle laugh as if he couldn’t contain it. “I knew you were nervous.”
“I know you knew. That’s why I’m admitting it. Seems pointless to hide it now. How could you tell?”
“I can’t tell you that.” Kyle slid her a grin. “Then you’ll try and change your tell. But don’t worry. You’re every bit as good of an actress as you think you are. I’m just incredibly observant and intuitive.”
“Whatever.” Harper rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop her smile. “Some people would say those are the same thing, you know?”
“Hmm. You’re probably right.” Kyle peered out at the water for a few seconds like he was thinking that over. Then he caught her gaze again and held it. “Honestly, I’m neither of those things. I’m just becoming skilled at reading you.”
The smile froze on her face while her body went warm and cold at the same time. What did he mean by that? And why did she want it to mean something? She was struck by the thought that she would love for someone to truly know her, to read her thoughts, to gauge her moods, to truly care about her feelings.
Before she could form an answer, he grinned. “Occupational hazard, I suppose.”
Harper ignored the pang of disappointment and forced out a chuckle. “Ha. That’s what you think, Frasier.” Nervous energy had her adding, “The inner workings of Harper Jansen Bellaire’s mind are intricate and complex. I am an enigma, and you will never solve the puzzle that is me.”
Leaning in, mouth forming a playful smirk, he said, “We’ll see about that.”
“Yeah, we will,” she shot back with exaggerated confidence.
“You’re really cute, you know that?”
She changed her mind; Funny Kyle was out, Sweet Kyle was her new favorite. “I appreciate your efforts to distract me,” Harper whispered even though there was no way she’d be overheard. “But why didn’t you tell the captain who you are? That you were a SEAL?”
“Why would I do that?” Kyle whispered way too loudly, which made her grin and decide that Funny and Sweet Kyle could share the title.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I guess so he would know that you know what you’re doing?” She liked sitting this close to him, so she could see the colors change in his eyes. Right now, they twinkled with humor and mischief.
“He’ll know what I can do when he sees me doing it. I’d rather earn his respect than tell him that I think I deserve it.” Harper realized he was happy to be here, to be heading out on the ocean. That helped a bit with her nerves, too.
Harper thought about his answer, and how unassuming he’d been regarding her dad’s rescue, his reluctance to talk about his service, even the way he’d failed to divulge his yoga skills. Maybe he hadn’t conned her exactly. It was just that he was so...blasé about his knowledge and expertise. A fresh wave of admiration rolled through her as she realized how appealing that was. And rare. At least, she’d never known a man like him. The thought flashed through her mind before she could squelch it; why couldn’t she have met him instead of Owen?
She found herself blurting, “Owen would take any opportunity to, um...talk about being a SEAL.”
“Brag, you mean?” One side of his mouth tugged up.
“That’s exactly what I mean. It was something I didn’t like about him. Not that being a SEAL isn’t amazing, because it is. It’s just, he was so...”
“Conceited?”
“Yes.”
Kyle smiled a little. “I know. He used to tell me I was too modest. And I would tell him that it was okay because he bragged enough for both of us. But he was so...lovable it was easy to overlook. Plus, there was his honor and integrity, too, which made up his core. Not to mention he was the bravest guy I knew.”
Honor and integrity? Ha. When she’d first met Owen, he’d put on a good front, showering her with compliments and saying all the right words. He could talk a good line; she’d give him that. And he never missed a chance to talk himself up.
“You are unreal,” she said. “How can you be this superhero expert at everything and still be so...humble?”
His head tipped back in surprise. “Harper, thank you for the compliment. But I am far from an expert at everything.”
“Name something you’re not good at.”
“Well, okay... Um, let’s see, I have terrible handwriting.”
“Ah,” she joked. “So, that explains the anti-note stance.”
He grinned and shook his head.
She pressed him, “You can’t think of anything, can you?”
“Of course, I can. I’m lousy at drawing or any type of art. Which is a shame because my mom is such an amazing artist.”
“Hmm. I’m not sure that counts. I think art is more of a gift.”
“I’m not great at math.”
“I love math. What else?”
“Well, my personal life is...”
“Is what?” she prodded.
“It’s pretty much a mess,” he answered. “I would put relationships in the ‘needs work’ category.”
She wanted to quiz him about that. Was he talking about his sister? Did he have a woman in his life? Was that why he’d turned perky Mandy down? How could she pose these questions without seeming like she was too interested?
Then, Kyle reached out and touched her for the first time. A combination of heat, affection and longing blasted through her with surprising force. She stared down at his hand now covering hers. And that’s when she realized that she couldn’t ask those questions without seeming too interested. Because she was too interested. How had she let this happen? She’d promised herself she wouldn’t fall again, not until she knew someone very well. She didn’t know Kyle well enough. Did she? Even if she did, and he was to return her feelings, she didn’t see a way forward for them without telling him about Owen.
That’s when something else occurred to her. What if she told him about Owen and he didn’t think anything was wrong with it? No, that wouldn’t happen. His sister was a veterinarian. Of course, he would think dealing in exotic animal parts was wrong, right? Swallowing around the lump in her throat she was afraid to look up.
“Hey.” Kyle squeezed her hand. “You’re going to be fine. It’s a nice calm morning. Captain Robin has been calling around, and it should be a fairly smooth crossing. I’ll be right here with you. And I’m not bragging when I say I’m pretty good at this ocean stuff.” Releasing her hand, he stood. “I’m going to go check in and see how much longer, okay?”
Harper nodded and turned away, her anxiety over the dangerous bar crossing dwarfed by the new fear overtaking her; if he could tell when she was nervous, what else would he see?
* * *
KYLE STOOD BESIDE the captain, gazing around at the beauty of the ocean before him and trying not to watch Harper too much. Captain Robin had been spot-on; the crossing had been relatively smooth. Harper was a trooper the whole way. It hadn’t been a hardship to sit with her and hold her hand. He liked how it seemed to help soothe her nerves.
They’d been motoring south and west, faster now, having passed the south jetty of the Columbia River. In deeper water, the swells were long and shallow, making the trip a joy. No whales had been spotted, but Harper seemed to have settled comfortably into the ride.
Suddenly, Captain Robin cried, “Spout! Starboard.”
Camera at the ready, Harper already had her camera in posit
ion. Captain Robin maneuvered the boat as close as he could. “The females have their calves this time of year, so we’ll hover round here.”
“Kyle?” Harper asked, without taking her eyes off the camera. “Can you come here?”
He moved toward her. “Yep.”
“Can you take this camera while I get a different one? Just watch the LCD and if you see movement hold the button down.”
“Got it.” He took the camera.
Harper retrieved another camera from her bag. Harper peeked around him. “You’re doing great. I’m going to change lenses real quick.”
A burst of movement dead ahead grabbed his attention. His finger hit the button, but his focus was not on the LCD. Kyle watched, mesmerized, as a whale emerged from the water and then tipped sideways, its giant body crashing against the ocean’s surface. It was so close, Kyle could see the barnacles adhered to the rubbery surface of its skin. Another one followed suit.
“Oh, boy,” Captain Robin said. “These guys are getting a little close. We need to get back a bit.”
“Kyle, did you get that?” Harper asked excitedly, snapping photos beside him.
“Maybe...” He doubted it. He was all over the place. How did she do this?—keep one eye on the subject and the other on the LCD? Another whale followed. Definitely missed that one. Finger poised, he was determined to get a good shot for her. Suddenly, it was extremely important that he not disappoint her.
“I’m going to have to move us forward,” Captain Robin’s voice barely penetrated Kyle’s concentration.
Holding the camera with both hands, he leaned over the railing... Too far, he realized too late, as the boat accelerated and his feet slipped on the deck beneath him. Falling toward the ocean, he braced himself for the cold, but his only real concern was for Harper’s camera.
Not being a stranger to frigid water didn’t make his accidental swim any warmer. Kyle easily broke the surface, thrusting the camera upward. The boat had slowed and was already turning around.
“Kyle!” Harper called. “Are you okay?”
Treading water, he flashed a thumbs-up with his other hand to indicate he was fine and waited for the boat to circle back. Doing a sidestroke so he could keep the camera out of the water, he easily swam to the stern where he handed the camera off to an extremely concerned Harper.
“I got your camera wet.”
“Who cares? Oh, my gosh, you must be freezing. You’re going to get hypothermia.”
Captain Robin was more amused than sympathetic. “That’s something you don’t see every day.”
“What’s that?” Kyle asked, expecting the joke he deserved.
“A navy SEAL imitating a real seal.”
Kyle laughed. “That’s actually a really good one.”
Harper’s expression was pure concern. “I’m sorry, Kyle. I told him because he was worried when you went overboard.”
“It’s fine, Harper. It’s not a secret.” Kyle climbed the ladder and stepped on board.
“Seriously, I’m honored to have you aboard, son.”
Kyle waved away the adulation. “I’m the one who’s honored, Captain.”
Another whale breached, farther off this time.
“At least you didn’t scare the whales,” the captain offered helpfully.
Harper shoved one of her bags at him. “I always pack a change of clothes. Hurry, get those wet things off. You’re going to get hypothermia while you’re standing around making jokes like you didn’t just fall into the ocean.” She mumbled something else that sounded like “shark bait.”
Kyle chuckled even as her concern helped ward off the chill seeping into him. Taking the bag, he headed into the cabin where he peeled off his soggy clothes. He didn’t think about what she’d packed until he was staring at the garments inside: black leggings, a long-sleeved thermal and a fleece pullover. “This should be good,” he muttered and then silently thanked her for the pair of thick wool socks at the bottom of the bag. There was no way he could squeeze his feet into a pair of her shoes.
Swallowing his pride in the face of the very real threat of hypothermia, he pulled on the ill-fitting garments and ventured back onto the deck where Harper and Captain Robin stood side by side. Grinning. So obvious that they were waiting for him to emerge. They exchanged quick glances before simultaneously erupting with laughter. The leggings only stretched to his knees, and the thermal top looked as if it had shrunk to something that was kid size. Placing his palms on his thighs, Captain Robin doubled over. Camera in hand, Harper was snapping photos like a deranged paparazzi. Kyle wondered how she managed it through her delighted cackling.
“Are you two having fun?” Kyle asked, gesturing at himself.
“So much fun,” Harper said and cracked up all over again. “These are the ones that will go on the internet if you don’t watch it.”
“I’m going to tweet it—hashtag SEAL in women’s clothing.” The captain snorted out a fresh burst of laughter. Harper had tears streaming from her eyes.
“Well,” Kyle said, planting his hands on his hips. “I think we can officially count photography as something I’m not great at. Although, those photos I took were undoubtedly awesome. Too bad I probably ruined them all when I fell overboard, huh?”
“Don’t you worry,” Harper assured him. “They’re all on the cloud. All my photos are on the cloud.”
CHAPTER TEN
“MAYBE I SHOULD stick around, talk to your dad.” Kyle watched Harper glide around the kitchen making breakfast and thought about the meeting he’d scheduled.
Most mornings he had breakfast before Harper because he worked out before she got up. Today, he’d taken a rest day and accepted her offer of sausage and eggs.
She’d charged him with mixing the orange juice and making toast. Two slices of whole wheat bread were browning in the toaster. After the effort it had taken to arrange, canceling the meeting would seem flakey and could possibly cost him the opportunity he was hoping for. He also had lunch plans with his mom. Breaking a lunch date would disappoint her, and his days of letting Nora down were through. Or at least, he planned never to do so on purpose.
“Kyle, you haven’t had a day off since you started. I’ll be fine with my dad.” Since David was coming for a visit, Kyle knew his security team would be with him, so leaving Harper would likely be fine.
“I could find out the latest in the investigation of the Salmon Egg Stalker.” That’s the nickname Harper had given her dad’s would-be attacker once police had confirmed the contents of the jar. Thus far, the investigation suggested that he’d been acting alone.
“I’ll ask, don’t worry. Dad will be here by noon, and he’s never late. In the meantime, I have a ton of editing to do. I promise I will set the alarm, and I pledge to not open the door for anyone I do not know.” She waited a beat, and added, “Except for Santa Claus. Because he might be bringing that new wide-angle lens I want.”
“Funny,” he said drily. Unfortunately, his accompanying grin foiled his attempt at remaining earnest. That didn’t mean he would let up where the locking-of-the-door issue was concerned.
“I know,” she said looking smugly pleased. Removing the sausage links from the pan, she added, “I enjoy it when you smile in spite of your tough-guy self. What are you going to do on your day off?”
“Meeting a guy for coffee, running a few errands and grabbing a late lunch with my mom. I’ll let you know when I’m on the way back.” He hadn’t mentioned who he was meeting, and he hoped she didn’t ask. “What are you guys doing?”
Harper cracked eggs into the pan. “I’m not sure. Even in this rain, we’ll take a walk on the beach for sure. Dad loves it here. I don’t know if you know this, but this house originally belonged to my grandparents, my mom’s parents. Mom was an only child like me, so after they died, she inherited. My parents lived here for a few years after t
hey were first married. Later, it became a vacation place for Dad and me. It’s funny because my dad insisted that my mom keep the house in her name and will it to me.”
“That’s very cool.”
“It is, especially because my dad didn’t have anything then. My parents were pretty poor for the first few years of their marriage. It wasn’t until after I was born and he sold his first patent that they had any money. And even then, he poured most of that back into his research. The big money didn’t happen until I was a teenager.” Harper scooped the eggs out of the pan.
“That explains a lot.”
“How do you mean?” Harper slid their plates across the counter and then walked around to take a seat at one of the stools.
“Your dad,” Kyle said, buttering the last piece of toast. “He doesn’t act like some egomaniac rich guy. And you certainly don’t act like a snobby self-involved rich girl.” Kyle moved around the table to join her.
“Thank you.” One eyebrow nudged up as she nibbled on the edge of her toast. “That’s really nice to hear.”
“Calling it like I see it.”
Harper set her toast down and fiddled with her napkin. “You’ve known a lot of rich girls, have you?”
Kyle shrugged a sheepish shoulder and took a bite of sausage. “A few. And you are not anything at all like the one I knew the best. Or her friends.”
Harper went very still before turning her thoughtful blue-gray eyes on him. “Kyle Frasier, did a rich girl break your heart and make us all look bad?”
“No.” He chuckled and then winced a little. “I think I might have broken hers though. I didn’t mean to, but we just weren’t a good fit.”
“I see.”
“My friends thought I was an idiot for breaking up with her.” Owen included, but he didn’t add that part. Despite what Mia apparently believed, money was not Kyle’s primary motivation for taking the job with Dahlia. It had a little to do with money and everything to do with who he was. What would he do if he wasn’t protecting someone or something?
