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Her ankle rolled underneath the awkward jump. The messenger bag hit the concrete with a decided crunch. She cried out and dared a look behind her. The men were both past the bridge behind her and were almost at arm’s reach. Small rocks pressed into her hands as she pushed herself upright and sprinted, despite the lightning bolts of pain shooting up her leg.
Escape. She had to escape.
She screamed through the pain. “Help!” Her arms flailed as she pushed her stinging quadriceps to go faster, to keep up with the desire for speed. The sidewalk curved around another brick tower and then the ceiling disappeared. She squinted into the sudden sunlight. There...there in the distance, a boat with its motor running sat in the water.
A bearded man wore a pair of olive-colored overalls—a uniform of some sort. He looked up at her, confusion on his face.
“Help me!” She passed a trash can and flung it down behind her as she kept running. She doubted it would slow the men much, but every second counted. Would she make it to the barge in time? And would it matter?
* * *
Matt McGuire’s heart jumped to his throat. The frazzled woman ran like her life depended on it. She was either mentally challenged or seriously in danger. Either way, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t try to help.
He boosted the motor and closed the distance between them. She glanced behind her and took a flying leap to the barge. She collapsed in a heap. “Drive,” she cried.
At the sight of two men rounding the corner—one brandishing a long knife—he didn’t need to be told twice. He reversed and sped away, pushing the barge to a speed he’d yet to try. He steered it at a sharp curve into the main River Walk loop. A police boat or officers on bicycles had to be somewhere for him to flag down.
The woman rubbed her ankle on the floor of the barge. She seemed okay, though. “Have you called the police?”
“Yes.” Her breathing sounded heavy even over the hum of the motor. She kept looking over her shoulder.
“They can’t get you now,” he said. “So, the police said they were on the way?”
“Um.” She pulled a phone from her bag and held it up to her ear. “Hello?” She frowned. “I can’t believe they hung up on me. I couldn’t run and talk at the same time. I thought they could use the phone locator to find me.”
A few tourists walked past the shops and restaurants, but nothing was hopping yet. In a couple of hours, people would fill the walkways to bursting. “Their response time has gotten much better the past couple of years, but it still takes the police several minutes. I imagine the GPS thing isn’t as accurate as we’d like to think.”
She straightened. “I guess it’s possible I accidentally hung up on them while I ran. I can’t thank you enough for helping me. I think you saved my life.”
While he kept his eyes forward, he noted in his peripheral vision that she seemed quite attractive when not screaming. And while her voice wasn’t crystal clear over the motor, it did have a pleasant timbre and reminded him of a girl he once knew. “You’re a tourist?”
“I’m here for a conference.”
He nodded. At any given time there were between three and six conferences going on in the area. Late August was considered their off-season, but even then his hotel did well because the conferences never stopped. “For future reference, you probably should stick to the tourist areas. Outside the main River Walk, you can run into some sketchy characters.”
“I never planned to end up somewhere alone. I blame my app.” She shook the phone. “I’m going to call the police again.”
Two officers on bikes zoomed on the right sidewalk in their direction. “No need.”
He slowed the boat and stood, waving his arms to get the officers’ attention. As they looked up, he anchored the boat to the side. It wasn’t an official docking point, but it would serve his purpose.
The officer to the right turned his attention to the woman cradling her ankle. “Did you call about someone chasing you?”
“Yes! And one man had a knife. If this garbageman hadn’t pulled over—”
Garbageman? Matt almost objected aloud. He was the director of operations for one of the most successful hotels in the area.
The River Walk had its own cleanup crew and barges, but the hotel owned one to clean up their private nook, closest to its property. They needed the barge to haul the bags from the trash receptacles placed strategically around the grotto. It was especially useful after a conference or party, when litter inevitably made its way into the water. Matt hadn’t wanted to wait for the usual waste-management rounds.
He glanced down at the overalls. He supposed it did look like he was a garbageman. But it was technically his day off, and since Louis had called in sick, Matt didn’t mind filling in for his job. He always did what was best for the hotel. That, and since he had worked his way up to director, Matt had filled in for almost every position. And more important, he’d yet to train a substitute for Louis. Besides, what would he do with a day off? His family would arrive in a couple of days, and he wanted the hotel to look top-notch.
He had been testing the front-desk staff on new efficient task-management strategies earlier that day, which made it extra tempting to unzip the overalls to show he wore a dress shirt and trousers underneath.
The woman stood up and gave her account of the men chasing her. Her animated expression complemented her wide hand gestures. Her brown hair hung in loose waves past her shoulders. The sides were pulled up by a clip, and thick bangs hung down over her eyebrows, the same way...
Matt felt his eyebrows rise. She looked just like Isabelle Barrows, his best friend for seven years in high school. That was, until he’d acted like an idiot. Her dad’s post had moved across the country before they had a chance to reconcile.
But could it really be her? She wore tan dress pants and a white button-up blouse. Not something the Isabelle he knew would wear, but it’d been...what? Eight years? People changed, grew up, in that kind of time. He certainly had.
Before prom, all those years ago, Isabelle had confided an interest in Randy, the star quarterback. Instead of being a good friend, jealousy had reared up. Matt had warned Randy to stay away from Isabelle. But Matt hadn’t stopped there, no. He’d proceeded to list all the reasons dating Isabelle would be a bad idea.
He’d never forget the moment Randy pointed over his shoulder. He turned around and saw Isabelle’s wounded expression. The look of betrayal on her face had morphed into rage, and he never had a chance to explain he’d done it all because he liked her as more than a friend. Matt sighed, reliving the moment. What he’d done had been immature and wrong, but he’d been a kid. He was a different person now.
He turned off the idling motor. The breeze carried her voice, this time unencumbered. Yes, he definitely recognized her now.
The officer nodded. “Okay. Sounds like an attempted mugging. Maybe they saw you earlier take something out of your bag that looked valuable.”
She frowned. “Maybe.”
“We will keep a lookout for them, ma’am. In the meantime, I recommend you stay with other conference attendees.” The officer looked over her head at Matt. “Can you drop her off at her hotel?”
Matt shrugged. “Sure. Where are you staying, Izzy?”
She turned her head around so fast he feared for her neck. Her eyes widened as her gaze connected with his. If he’d seen those eyes at first glance, the color of the deep blue sea, he’d have known immediately. He remembered staring into them while they talked for hours about everything and simultaneously nothing. She could make ironing sound interesting, discussing the cultural impacts the introduction of the iron made on society.
He smirked at the thought. “Hi, Isabelle.”
Her rosy lips parted. “Matthew?”
No one, not even his mother, called him by his full name. Only his tax forms and driver’s license labeled him as such. He had told everyone he much preferred to go by the shorter version, but he’d never told Isabelle. Truthfully, he liked the way she said it. Maybe because it made him feel like they had a special bond.
He blinked away the nonsensical thought as her expression shifted from surprise to hurt. His shoulders dropped. Great. She was remembering the incident.
She recovered quickly, though, as she pulled her shoulders back and smiled. “Wow. Matt.” She nodded, as if processing.
The officer looked between the two of them. “So you know each other? Good. We have your number if we need to get in touch, Miss Barrows. Stay safe.”
Matt made note of the fact she was called “Miss.” Not married yet, then.
Isabelle looked at him with fresh eyes. “Wow. Matt.”
“I’m not a garbageman,” he said, waving at the outfit. “I—”
Her eyes widened, and she raised a hand to her mouth. “Oh. I’m sorry. Garbage person? No, garbage... Waste-management professional?”
He laughed. Same Isabelle, always quick to fix things. “No, I meant I’m director of operations at The Grand River Walk. Where are you staying?”
She told him, and he frowned. “We can’t get there by barge. Let me park this at my hotel, and I’ll take you where you need to go.”
Confusion clouded her features, but she pressed her lips together and nodded. Maybe she didn’t believe him? He tried not to think about it. “Hold on.” He waved at a bar she could hold on to instead of sitting on the barge again.
It didn’t take long to park in the small dock underneath the hotel’s little cove. Isabelle stiffened at the dark atmosphere. “You’re safe now,” he said. He couldn’t imagine what she’d gone through. Though he didn’t really have that much time to start what could be a lengthy conversation. He’d do what he promised, though, and maybe even plan on grabbing a coffee with her sometime.
She followed him silently as he waved the magnetic strip on his badge to open the employee entrance. He escorted her through the glistening hallway to the front desk. “Ask Miranda to get you a hard copy of a map. She’ll show you the safest routes to walk back to your hotel, for future reference.” He placed a hand on her arm. “I’m going to change real quick.”
She nodded mutely. Maybe she was going into shock? He darted into the employee locker room and quickly removed the overalls. From his locker, he pulled out a suit coat and an azure tie.
Not wanting to keep her waiting, Matt strode confidently into the marbled lobby. He smiled expectantly, ready to impress Isabelle, but he spotted only a tourist on one of the couches. “Miranda? I sent a woman here for a map.”
“Oh, yes. I showed her how to get to the Adobe Suites. She left a couple of minutes ago.”
“She wh—” Matt groaned. Could it be she didn’t want to be near him for another second? Although, in his haste, he supposed he hadn’t made it clear he planned to escort her back to her hotel. What kind of jerk did she think he was? “Could you pass me another map? Show me what route you told her.”
Miranda handed it over. The Adobe, one of the cheapest hotels in the area, wasn’t located in what was considered the tourist zone. She’d have to walk through a relatively sketchy area to get to it.
Would she be safe?
TWO (#u8011b9fb-36dd-52d5-8a88-eb1b6ba6abda)
Isabelle studied the highlighted paper map in front of her. Perky Miranda at the front desk insisted there was a tourist-friendly way to walk to her hotel. Unfortunately, without going back on that horribly secluded path, it would add another half mile to her throbbing ankle. Besides, as far as she knew, they hadn’t caught the men who’d chased her, so she decided to wait next to the doorman for a cab.
Why did her hero have to be Matt McGuire, of all people? Her eyes stung with unshed tears as the reality of her situation hit her. All alone in a giant city, after a near miss with armed men, she was left with a rescuer who had betrayed her friendship. Her hand reached for her collarbone as if her heartbeat was exposed to the rest of the world.
Matt no longer resembled the young boy she’d known throughout junior high and high school. His jaw looked chiseled, barely covered with a trimmed beard. The caramel mop with strands of honey-colored hair used to be bushy and unkempt, but now it was cropped, serving to emphasize his dark eyes. The man had aged well.
She’d grown up moving all over the country, aside from those seven precious years in Northern California. Matt had been her best friend right up until the day she’d stupidly listened to her girlfriends’ advice: “Tell him you like someone else, and then he’ll finally notice you as more than a friend.”
Oh, he noticed all right, and Isabelle finally found out what Matt really thought of her. She had been on her way to meet Matt and confess her lie when she’d overheard him.
“Randy, look, man. You don’t want to go out with her. Isabelle’s... She’s intense.”
“I’m pretty intense,” Randy responded.
“No, you don’t get it. She has this way of questioning everything. And she’s stubborn. You’ll never meet anyone more stubborn. And so intelligent...logical to a fault, really, yet still somehow naive.”
Her neck had felt on fire, and the heat had spread across her entire body, paralyzing her in the hall. Randy caught her gaze and pointed over Matt’s shoulder.
Yeah, that had been a pretty bad day. Isabelle shook away the memories.
She glanced down at the colorful map. She’d been eager to check out the art galleries and historic buildings before the incident. Now sightseeing didn’t hold the same appeal. She glanced up. Across the street, a man stood under the overhang of a building. He held a newspaper but stared directly at her.
The realization gave her an unnatural chill in the heat.
It was probably a coincidence. He wasn’t one of the men who’d chased her earlier, but she didn’t want to take time to study his face. She pretended to look at the map and dared another peek underneath her eyelashes. The man in the jacket continued to stare at her. Jacket? Who would wear a jacket in the heat of August? He reached into an inner pocket.
Was it a weapon? Isabelle no longer cared if she looked foolish. Her ankle smarted as she spun around to run back into the hotel and barreled right into another man. She screamed and stepped back.
“Isabelle!” Matt’s hands grabbed her shoulders to steady her. “It’s me. Are you okay?”
She flinched and twisted to look behind her. The man was gone. She pointed a shaky finger. “He—he—”
Matt let her go and stepped around her. “I don’t see anyone.” He offered her a kind smile. “You’ve had quite a scare today. It’s understandable you’d be on edge. I’m so glad you haven’t left yet. I never intended to leave you alone. Sorry for the miscommunication.”
“Yeah, well, we’ve always been good at that.” She stared at the empty doorway across the street. Matt didn’t believe her about the man? Great. Where could he have gone, anyway? Behind one of the cars?
Matt stiffened. “Speaking of misunderstandings, I’d like to explain sometime about what you overheard me telling Randy all those years ago.”
“No need. Water under the bridge.”
He frowned. “What are you going to do tomorrow? Which conference are you attending?”
“The Oceanology Conference.”
He pointed at the map in her hands. “Your conference is almost a mile from your hotel.”
“I’m aware.” She sighed. “Maybe I’ll call a cab.” It would have to come out of her own pocket, though, and the way the conference was split up, she would need four trips a day for the entire week. She couldn’t afford it. The plan had been to walk everywhere...until those men had chased her.
Matt squinted as if deep in thought, little lines forming around his eyes. “If I weren’t so busy—”
He felt guilty? “Matt, you don’t owe me anything. It’s not as if it’s your town. You don’t have to feel responsible.”
He chuckled. “Well, I do. The River Walk has been my home the past couple of years. I’d hate for you to leave with a bad impression.” He looked down at her feet. “How’s your ankle?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
A cab pulled to the curb. The doorman walked forward and opened the door for her. Isabelle got in and turned to give Matt a little wave, but he was already gone. Figured.
The other side of the car opened, and Matt slid onto the seat next to her.
“You don’t have to—”
He smiled, the same smile that’d made her knees go weak when she was younger. “I promised those officers I’d escort you back to your hotel, and that’s what I intend to do.” His fingertips brushed her forearm as he leaned forward to point the driver in the direction of the hotel. The touch felt familiar, and a flash of homesickness hit her in the gut. She missed the boy Matt used to be. She blinked back the sudden emotion. It was unlike her to be overcome with feelings, but it’d been a most trying day.
The cabbie kept Matt occupied for a moment, discussing shortcuts and ways to avoid construction. When they’d run out of topics, Matt leaned back in his seat. “It’s been a long time. Please let me take you out to coffee while you’re here so we can talk.”
“I told you, the past is water under—”
“Yeah, yeah.” His eyes crinkled with warmth. “If that’s true, then you’d have no problem catching up like the old friends we used to be.”
Her guard broke down. He had a point. If she really weren’t nursing a grudge like she claimed, he’d have been right. But she wasn’t about to admit that his actions all those years ago still hurt. She forced a smile. “Okay. I’ll check my conference schedule and get back to you.”
Ten minutes later, the cab pulled into the driveway of her hotel. Matt hopped out and paid the driver before she could object. He opened her door and helped her out. “Today’s my only day off, believe it or not. It’d be better to get our coffee on my calendar now. I’ll walk you up to your room, and while I grab you some ice for that ankle, you can check.” He caught her annoyed expression. “And then I’ll be out of your hair.”
She composed her features. “That’s sweet. Thank you.” Somehow he knew. He knew that the moment he dropped her off, she’d make sure she was too busy for coffee. Spending time with him after all these years would be more awkward than she had social skills to handle. But if they had something on the calendar, she’d feel bound to follow through.
They walked through the automatic sliding doors. The conference had proved engaging so far, but as an introvert, she craved some recharging time. Especially today. She’d never experienced fear as intensely as she had while running from those men. Would she no longer feel safe to go to the grocery store late at night? Or take a walk with her dog after sunset? From now on, would she imagine strangers following her?
Would she even be able to fall asleep tonight? She couldn’t take any sleep aids like many business travelers did. She had a history of sleepwalking, and any treatments for insomnia would increase the chances. That was the last thing she needed in a big city.
