I laughed. “I’ve got a sister, so I get it. Look, you stay put in Alaska. We can coordinate from a distance. Let me get you the investigator’s number so y’all can chat. I’ll ask Mari about her phone this afternoon. She didn’t say much about it, but it’s clear Brett showing up last night shook her up.”
After I recited Trent’s number, Max commented, “Do me a favor, and promise you’ll call me if anything else weird happens.”
“You didn’t need to ask, and it’s not a favor—I’ll call you. In the meantime, I’ll make sure Trent knows who you are.”
“Where are we going?” Mari asked as I hooked a left along on an old country highway.
“I’m taking you to a special spot along the Mississippi River.”
“So, you grew up around here?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, don’t call me ma’am.”
“Okay, darlin’.”
When I stole a glance sideways at Mari, her cheeks flushed slightly, and a throaty laugh escaped.
Fuck me. Mari was too damn sexy. She could recite the alphabet in that raspy voice of hers, and it would turn me on. Hell, she turned me on just by breathing in my presence.
“Let’s get specific. Did you grow up right in New Orleans?”
“Not downtown, but on the outskirts. As I mentioned, my daddy was a shrimp fisherman. He worked his tail off, back when you could make decent money off of it. I might have money now, but don’t go thinking I grew up with it. We got by, but that was about it. He worked seasonally doing construction in between shrimp season, while my mama was a preschool teacher. She loved those little kids.”
“Are they retired?”
“I practically had to beat them into retirement, but they finally did. My mom still does a little daycare on the side for friends and family because she can’t help herself. But my daddy, well, his body is damn near worn out. He’s worked hard his whole life. I’m glad to be able to support them. I bought them a nice place, but they would only let me get it so nice. Anyway, tell me about you. I know Max, but all I know about him is he kicks butt at security and makes a ton of money.”
Mari laughed softly. “Yeah, Max is the moneymaker in our family. Like you, we didn’t grow up with much money. Our father has his own business as a mechanic in a garage right beside the house where we grew up. My mom was also a teacher. She finally retired a few years back, but she still does substitute teaching whenever they need it.”
“And how’d you get into your job?”
I felt her shrug. “Sort of by accident, although I do like it. I had a crush on a guy in college.” When I looked sideways, I saw her roll her eyes. “He was all right, but not worth sticking around. I got paid for doing stories at the university paper. He quit, and I stayed there. I got another job and ended up in grad school. Here I am now. I don’t make a ton of money, but it pays the bills, and it’s flexible.”
“What’s your plan? Anything keeping you in San Francisco?”
Mari was quiet for a moment. I slowed as I turned down a narrow road and stole another look at her. She looked tense, with her shoulders held up and lines bracketing her mouth. “I don’t know,” she finally said. “Brett screwed me over on my lease. Fucking asshole. Max and Harlow live in San Francisco part-time, but he’s in Alaska a lot too. It’s not like he needs to be in one place for his business. I’ve already picked up some jobs, including one here. It’s a fluffy piece on local inns, but people love those kinds of stories. I’m going to start with Inn Boudreaux. I already talked to Gabby, so I’m planning to go out tomorrow.”
“Need a ride?”
“I can handle it. I’m picking up a rental tomorrow morning. My job will cover it. How about you work, and let me know what’s next on the agenda for our tour tomorrow afternoon?”
“You got it.”
Mari fell quiet as the trees opened up. “Oh wow,” she breathed. “This is beautiful.”
The narrow road we were on opened up to a field. The Mississippi stretched ahead with cypress trees dotting the shoreline and Spanish moss swaying lazily in the soft breeze. I came to a stop on the edge of the grassy field.
Mari threw her seatbelt off and clambered out quickly. I followed as she walked to stand beside a picnic table situated under the shade of an old live oak.
“Is this a public place?” she asked when she glanced up at me.
“No, darlin’. It’s part of the property I bought for my parents.”
“Wow, it’s incredible here.”
Mari spun in a slow circle before walking closer to the shoreline. The scent of gardenias filled the air, along with the subtle hint of salt from the ocean nearby. Gulls called, and the river drifted slowly in front of us. This portion of the property was on a bluff above the river.
I paused at Mari’s side. “I love it here,” I commented.
“It’s hard not to love it. I imagine it’s different for you because this is where you grew up.”
Glancing down at her, I nodded. “It feels like home to me. Always will.”
When she looked back toward the water, I closed my eyes and took a breath. Since it was mid-afternoon, the day’s heat was at its peak. The languid air clung to my skin, but I didn’t mind. Under the generous shade of the trees, I let the peace of this place wash over me. Although I hadn’t grown up in this specific spot, everything about it felt familiar.
I’d spent many a day when I was a boy near the shores of the Mississippi, playing in the water and getting called back whenever a storm rolled in.
When I opened up my eyes, I felt Mari’s gaze. Turning to face her, I took a moment to absorb her. She had her dark hair pulled up into a knot. It had been down earlier, but now she had a pen stuck through it. Several loose tendrils curled against her neck. Lifting a hand, I brushed a lock off her cheek, feeling it slide through my fingers when I tucked it behind her ear. “How am I doing so far at giving you a good week in New Orleans?”
Her eyes darkened to navy as she looked at me. “You’re doing very well. Under the circumstances, that’s remarkable.”
“I’m sorry about everything Brett’s doing. We’re going to stop it.”
Anger tightened my chest. The feeling spun into the ever-present desire that ran like a live wire through my body whenever I was near Mari.
“Not that I need to point this out, but none of this is your fault, Nash. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help. Between you and Max, I know it’ll all be okay. In the meantime, you’re making me fall in love with New Orleans.”
As we stood there, the air felt electrified—snapping and crackling around us. I couldn’t have stopped myself from kissing Mari if I wanted. As she watched me, her tongue darted out, dragging across her bottom lip.
Stepping closer, Mari’s scent drifted around me—that hint of vanilla and some kind of flower. It was intoxicating. I slid my hand around to cup her nape. When her breath drew in and caught in her throat, lust sizzled through me.
I waited for a beat—because I didn’t want to be alone in this. She bit her lip. “Kiss me, Nash.”