Page 11 of Me and Mr. Just Right

Recognition flickered in Mr. Ruggedly Handsome’s eyes. “You sat beside me on the plane.”

“And then you followed me here.” She paced backward a step, relieved when none of the men pounced on her again. “I’m leaving. Don’t come after me.”

“That weather is turning fast,” Mr. Ruggedly Handsome said, in that same tone of voice he’d used to calm her down on the airplane. “Even with a lot of boating experience, I think it’s a bad idea to go out right now.” She followed his gaze to see a large boat rocking on the choppy waters.

She clutched the boat keys like a lifeline and walked out into the rain. Her foot came down on something sharp, and she cried out. Mr. Ruggedly Handsome tossed his slides over toward her. Not too proud to reject them, she slid her socked feet into the too-large sandals and marched toward the boat. She got to the dock and watched as the wooden platform rolled around on the waves. She didn’t even want to step on the dock, much less get into the boat.

And why should she have to?

She swiveled around to see the three men still standing on the porch, watching her under the overhang that covered them from the worst of the rainwater drenching her to the bone.

Theywere the ones who’d woken her up from a good sleep, who’d come into her quiet space thatshehad paid for and were ruining her quiet alone time. They should go away. Not her.

Besides, she wasnotleaving her guitar.

She stomped back to the house, and their conversation abruptly stopped when she got within hearing range. “You three need to leave. I’m staying.”

Mr. Ruggedly Handsome pushed his long, damp hair away from his face, showcasing his muscular triceps, as he exchanged an entire silent conversation with the other two men. “How did you get out here?” he asked her. Thankfully, he hadn’t seemed to notice her perusal of his arms. “There’s no other boat at the dock.”

“Someone dropped me off.” She folded her arms. Why was she answering their questions? They needed to leave, and she desperately needed to get inside where it was warm and dry.

“But this isourisland. We own the entire thing,” the bearded one said in surprise.

“I rentedthishouse for the week,” Lia insisted, but she blinked. They owned the whole island? That couldn’t be right. “Maybe the rental company messed up the dates, but this is what I paid for.”

Mr. Ruggedly Handsome shook his head. “We don’t rent our house out.”

“I can show you the invoice on my phone … which isn’t working because there’s no Wi-Fi,” she finished, her voice fading. Lia’s mind spun, and she reached out to hold on to the railing as she suddenly felt dizzy.

Nothing could be easy. Not even her remote island getaway.

Oh, poor little famous rich girl crying about life not being easy, Inner Gwen mocked.

“It all adds up,” Mr. Ruggedly Handsome said, his jaw tight and so different than the easy smile he’d had on the plane.

“What does?” Beard asked.

He ticked off his fingers. “Vacation rental. On our island. Us coming unexpectedly without telling anyone. And other times we’ve come to find food occasionally gone. Beds not made. Items sometimes broken …”

The three men looked at one another with varying levels of annoyance on their faces, and in unison, they said a familiar name that finally put her at ease. “Rosie.”

Chapter 6

Thewomanlookedlikeshe was one wrong word away from bolting again—and Haydn still hadn’t decided if he’d actually let her take the boat out in water like this.

No. He couldn’t let her. Which maybe did make him a kidnapper. Or at least a withholder? Holding someone against their will, but for their own good? He winced. That would go over real well in court, for sure.

“Rose Forrester?” she asked.

They all looked at each other and nodded. Yep. Confirmed it was their sister who’d gotten them into this mess. “Let’s go inside and figure this out,” Haydn suggested.

Jules stalked inside first, followed by Bennett—who headed straight to the kitchen, probably to stress-cook. Haydn walked in behind them, his ears perked for the sound of the woman following them into the house at last. Relief dropped from his shoulders like a weight vest after a workout.

While Jules went to get the SAT phone from his room, Haydn grabbed a blanket from off the back of the couch and tossed it to the shivering woman. She wrapped it around herself without hesitation, though she still didn’t leave the doorway. Wrapped in a huge blanket, her dripping wet hair tucked inside of it, and wearing his sandals—which were several sizes too big for her—she appeared extra vulnerable.

She noticed him studying her, and her chin lifted in defiance. He recognized her now, from the plane, and she was even more stunning without the mask, though her stay-back vibes were palpable.

“You know Rose Forrester?” she repeated.

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