Perilous Encounter (Daring Protectors Book 3) by Emily Jane Trent

It's never too late for the love that was always meant to be.When Cadie Ladd inherits a historic music conservatory in Charleston, she's expecting paperwork — not a murder investigation. Her late aunt left one final request: hire a PI to look into her death. The investigator is Barrett Anson, the man who kissed Cadie goodbye after a high school dance and never looked back.Twenty years later, he's more attractive than ever, and every moment they spend together unraveling her aunt's death chips away at the walls she built to protect herself. But the truth they're uncovering is darker than either expected, and the man behind it isn't done yet.A slow-burn, second-chance romance for readers who love later-in-life romance, protector heroes, and high stakes.