Sam kept Kinsey close as he zigzagged through the alleyways, choosing an alternate route back to his B&B.

He suspected staff members at the Porto Takisi had been involved in the attempted abduction of the pretty blonde. The Martins sounded as if they might have been in on the plot, as well. Why else would they leave when they did, with no message or reason left behind to explain their sudden need to exit the island?

The whole elaborate plan made Sam uneasy. If they went to that much effort and staged the plot over a week just to snatch Kinsey, wouldn’t they try again?

When he reached the B&B, Sam insisted on entering the room first. He took a moment to search the closet, bathroom and beneath the bed.

“What are you looking for?” Kinsey asked, stepping into the room behind him.

“Intruders.” He rose to his feet after looking beneath the bed.

Kinsey’s pretty pink lips quirked. “Did you find any in this tiny room?”

“Don’t laugh.” He rubbed the side of his head where she’d hit him with the bar of soap. “You got the better of me in the bathroom just last night.”

She cringed. “I did, didn’t I? Sorry. I thought you were one of the men who’d knocked me out.”

“I get that. No harm, no foul. But I’m not too happy about what happened at the hotel, either.” He set the suitcase on the bed. Then he dug his laptop out of the top drawer of the dresser and laid it on the small table. “I’m making that reservation for you now. That way you know I’m legit about this deal.”

“I’m sorry I doubted you.”

“Don’t be.” He sat and punched the start key. “Where do you want to land in the States?”

“Norfolk, Virginia. It’s the only home I’ve ever known. Not that I have a place to go back to. But it’ll be a start.”

“No house or apartment?” Even he had an apartment in the States, though he was rarely there. If he had someone like Kinsey waiting for him, he’d be more inclined to go home.

She shook her head. “I sold everything. I intended to work in Greece for the next year and save money to move on to another country after that.”

“Can’t you still follow that plan?”

Her lips twisted. “Getting laid off before I started my job and then mugged in Athens, and having all my money and identification stolen, kind of took the joy out of that plan.”

His chest tight, Sam connected to the internet and found the best deal on a ticket back to Virginia. “Do you have friends you can stay with when you get back?”

Kinsey pulled up a chair beside hm. “My ex-boyfriend pretty much cut me off from what few friends I had.”

Sam’s fists tightened. Her ex must have been real a jerk. “What about your old job? Can you go back to that?”

She shook her head. “No. I worked as a bookkeeper for a man who retired the day I left.” She laughed. “He didn’t want to have to train another bookkeeper. He’s living in Cabo San Lucas now. But don’t worry. I know my way around Norfolk. I’ll be okay. And I really appreciate your doing this for me.”

Sam didn’t like that she had nowhere to go, and no one to stay with. But she had her plan and he’d promised her a ticket back.

With Kinsey looking over his shoulder, Sam spent the next few minutes finding a flight departing the same day he was scheduled on the same plane from Santorini. At least he’d see her to the Athens airport before they split up to go their separate ways.

Once he had the flight reserved, he called Mrs. D on the house phone, asked for the password and connected to her printer in the common area. “We can pick up your ticket information when we pass through.”

Kinsey smiled. “Thank you. It’s nice to have one hurdle cleared on the road to my recovery. And I can’t tell you how happy I am that I got back my suitcase.” She crossed to the bed, unzipped the case and opened it. Then she riffled through the contents.

The items appeared to have been thrown in, with no care taken to fold the clothing or organize the content. Kinsey didn’t seem to notice. She shoved her way through, tossing loose items to the side until she reached something at the bottom. When she brought it out, Sam could see that she held a picture frame. “Is that your family?” Sam asked.

Kinsey glanced down at the image of a man with a woman who had blond hair and blue eyes just like Kinsey’s.

Sam almost mistook her for Kinsey, except the girl standing in front of the couple had Kinsey’s eyes and her open smile. A younger version of the woman beside him in the B&B.

“We were at the beach when this picture was taken. My father liked taking us to the ocean for our holidays. We lived in Virginia. Driving to Virginia Beach or further south to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina wasn’t too hard.” She stared down at the smiling family. “Sometimes, I feel like this photo is my last tangible connection to them.”

“Your parents will always be alive in your memories. The good ones never go away,” Sam said. And the bad ones. But he didn’t say that.

“I know that. And I have some digital photos stored online, but this physical photograph reminds me so much of how hopeful and in love they were. I always wanted what they had.”

The longing in her voice tugged at Sam’s heart. His parents had been like that. He’d thought he would be, too. He’d gone so far as to fall in love with a woman early in his Army career. They got engaged, and then he’d watched as cancer sucked the life out of her. “Sometimes things don’t turn out the way we think they should. Some events make you stronger.”

“Or make you run away from everything you knew,” she whispered. “To get away from the disappointment life has left you with.”

Sam nodded, staring down at the picture in Kinsey’s hand but seeing an image of Leigha as she lay in her hospital bed, her body wasted away, her glorious hair gone, and eyes sunken. She’d clung to life until no more life existed to cling to. Then she’d said goodbye and slipped away.

That’s when he’d run away. Away from the dream of having someone in his life and of establishing a home filled with kids.

The last mission he’d flown had been on the second anniversary of Leigha’s death. He should have known better than to fly that night. His heart had been heavy with resurfacing grief. He’d run…or flown into enemy territory, chased by the demons of his past. He couldn’t fly fast enough to escape the truth. She wasn’t coming back, and if they did it all again, he couldn’t have changed anything to save her.

“Hey.”

A hand touched his arm, bringing him back to the present.

Kinsey stared up at him. “Are you okay?”

He shook himself out of his morose memories. “Yeah. Why do you ask?”

“You looked like you’d just lost your best friend.”

“I did.” He turned away and grabbed a pair of swim trunks from the dresser with the intention of changing in the bathroom.

Kinsey stood between him and his destination. “Do you want to talk about it?” She gave him a gentle smile. “After all, I’m your companion. I’m here for you.”

Heart aching, he shook his head. “Nothing to talk about.”

Kinsey stared into his eyes. “I think there is, but if you’re not ready, I won’t push.” She grinned up at him. “I’m here all week. We’ll have time.”

He stepped around her, a spark of anger surging through him. What business did this stranger have digging into his past? Leigha was none of Kinsey’s business, and he had no intention of discussing his fiancée’s death with the woman. As he walked into the bathroom, he heard her voice behind him.

“We both seem to have memories we are running from. I just think it might help to share. You know, get our troubles off our chests. Those things we bury deep inside tend to fester and eventually bubble to the surface in the most regrettable ways.”

Sam spun to face Kinsey. “Some things are private. You’re not a shrink, I’m not your pet project. You’re a paid companion, not a friend or even a real fiancée. I had one once, and she was perfect.” He turned away, determined to get to the bathroom before he said anything more. He was already regretting telling her anything about his Leigha.

“If she was so perfect, where is she now?” Kinsey asked, her tone soft, her voice carrying because of the content, not the volume. “Why isn’t she along for your vacation?”

He drew in a deep breath and let it out before answering. “Because she died."