“What about you?” she asked him.

“I’m good.”

She forced her gaze from scanning over his body, while also thinking, he was most certainly good...and immediately regretted those thoughts. Deciding to focus on something other than him, she glanced around and saw that the beautiful blue waters of the ocean had gotten replaced by the dark, murky waters of the swamp.

The first time she’d come through here she’d been afraid. It had been storming and she’d been convinced their boat would turn over and they would be eaten by alligators. However, Kaegan had calmed her fears by telling her how important the swamp and bayou were to the habitat and inland areas, mainly against coastal erosion.

He’d helped her to understand the environmentalists who fought to keep out developers from invading the inlands—developers who didn’t understand and appreciate the swamp’s and bayou’s contributions. And then he’d held her while singing to her. They’d made it through the swamp to the inlet and they’d spent the night in the bunker out of the rain. It was the first time he’d shared the bunker with anyone. That night they’d made love for the first time.

Bringing her thoughts back to the present, she saw the marker alerting trespassers to keep out. She looked at Kaegan. “Do you get many trespassers?”

He smiled. “Not anymore. Those who ignore the sign usually are greeted by Sawyer when they return to the docks. Even if they try to deny they’d been on my land, thanks to modern technology I can prove otherwise. Unknown to them, I have video cameras installed in several areas. By the time they pay a hefty fine they figure it’s not worth the risk to come back.”

He steered the boat out of the swamp. They passed by several low-hanging trees while heading toward the inland, where the water became a beautiful blue again. She heard the chirping sounds of several birds, the splashing of otters and the croaking of frogs. After passing through the trees, she saw it. Like Kaegan, she’d always thought it was a beautiful place. To her it had always been a sort of paradise.

“We’re here.”

As she gazed upon the beauty of Eagle Bend Inlet, she tried wrapping her head around the fact it now belonged to Kaegan. He had to be proud of that and was probably wondering why she’d asked to come here. The reason was simple. For closure. More than anything, she needed it, totally and completely. Hopefully then she could finally move her life forward. She’d honestly thought that she had, but a recent self-evaluation of her life was a good indication that she hadn’t.

She was in awe of all she saw. Regardless of all the horror stories she’d heard about the island, not to mention her fear the first time she’d come here, she could now admit it was a picturesque wonderland.

“I’ll help you out, Bryce.”

She watched as Kaegan tossed his long legs over the side of the boat to stand on shore. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she didn’t need his help, but it was too late—he reached out and took her hand. The moment their hands touched, sensations swept through her, invigorating her senses.