Читать книгу Jewel Heist - JJ Keller - Страница 5

Chapter 1

The bag of uncut diamonds fell from the safe and poured into Mary Keefe’s palm. She gaped in wonder. A million dollars’ worth of Canada’s finest, freshly mined from Whip Lake near Yellowknife. Slivers of ice appeared in the sharp edges, indicating what lay beneath the cool surface. She ran her finger and thumb over one of the chalky exteriors, anticipating what brilliant masterpiece she could create, devising a cut plan while envisioning a beautiful engagement ring.

“Mary, I’m taking off,” Lisa said from the doorway leading into the sales room. “Dental appointment, remember?”

Mary sat at her desk and glanced at her part-time sales associate. Lisa’s bejeweled hand perched on her slender hip, and in the bright lights of the cutting room, all of her sparklers came out to play. Mary had fashioned at least two of the baubles. Unable to resist, she tore her attention away from her co-worker and focused on the rough natural diamonds. “Oh. Okay, Lisa, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Do you want me to put the closed sign on the door and lock it?” Her tone held resignation. “Andre wouldn’t mind having a bit of freedom from guard duty.”

Mary laughed, fingering the soon-to-be resplendent stones. She must return them to their velvet nest. “You knew I’d be fascinated with the goods.”

Lisa chuckled and glanced at her watch. “Sorry, it’s too late to cancel the appointment.”

“No, don’t worry. I’ll put these away and sketch designs between waiting on customers in the lobby.”

A silvery blond eyebrow lifted. “You’re sure?”

Mary nodded to the door. “Yes. Please, go.”

Lisa took a step. “Good night. I’ll see you after you return from your trip.” She strode to the exit, her wide handbag flapping against her narrow side.

Mary sorted through nature’s mysterious stones one more time. At the click of the door, she stashed the rocks inside their dark blue bag.

The shuffle of feet drew her attention from the sack’s drawstring. Lisa must have forgotten something. Instead of her assistant, a tall thin man completely covered in black from his ski mask to leather shoes, swayed inside the room.

Her heart beating as fast as the second hands on the clock collection at the south side of the jewelry store, Mary moved around the desk, intending to stuff the pouch into the safe and slam the door. “Who are you?”

The intruder didn’t deter her. However, the metal safe seemed farther away than it had appeared a moment ago. She crept forward, keeping the dark opening in sight. “My assistant will be back in a second.”

An arm came out of nowhere and wrapped under her breasts, preventing her upper body from moving. Despite her breath expelling so fast it hurt, she hurled the stones and threw her head back, connecting with the chin of her attacker.

“Shit!” a man snapped. A familiar voice. Please, it couldn’t be him.

The bag hit the rim of the safe with a thunk. As with all things earthly, the jewels fell.

She screamed loud enough surely her grandfather, in his office two stories up, would hear the vocal alarm. Where was Andre? God, she hoped he was okay. One huge hand completely covered her mouth and the other twisted her arm. Deep breaths brought scents, a mixture of plant fertilizer and pungent Axe cologne into her nostrils. Beneath the soft wool, she bit her lips, trying to keep them from trembling.

“Go!” he shouted, releasing her mouth. He reached for the dark blue bag of a million dollars’ worth of jewels resting on the cream and gray tiled floor. His partner shuffled out into the lobby, and soon breaking glass rippled through the silence. Smoke billowed into the office. Damn, her new glass display cases, destroyed. Surely her grandfather heard the explosion and would come running.

Her teeth clung to her attacker’s wrist as he bent, until his hand flipped and covered her nose and mouth, forcing her to relax. He stood straight, easing the tension of the hold. Velvet rubbed against her stomach where the blouse had come free from her slacks. They had made love once, on this very floor. An image of him placing a few minor gemstones on her belly and moving them around with his tongue flooded her mind. She resented the intrusion of a romantic tryst now that Conrad Peabody’s true character had been exposed.

His gloved fingers continued to press against her mouth, jamming her teeth into the soft tissue. She finally got relief from the force when he moved his hand and used his teeth to pull off the glove. He stuffed the leather into his pocket, then transferred the bag of gems to his unencumbered hand. His breathing increased, pushing his chest against her back, as his fingers worked open the yellow binding of the casing.

Mary drew a sharp breath. There it was–the mole shaped like molar tooth–at the apex of his right thumb and index finger, confirming the identity of her attacker and thief–a dishonest, unfaithful, and untrustworthy lover. Conrad’s sigh was followed by a sickly sweet scent, which tossed her into darkness.

* * * *

Two days later, Mary glanced at Dr. Kim O’ Dell, at whose house her intimate group of friends had gathered. Kim closed her eyes, as if in thought. Phoenix Bushard, elementary teacher by day and karaoke star at the local Rock-On Bar and Grill, stared at Jenn. Jennifer Lucas was the most vocal of the beautiful threesome. Kim, Phoenix, and Mary had been friends since first grade. Years later, Jenn–Phoenix’s college roommate–joined the group. They were comrades with such a tight bond, not even being accused of accessory to grand theft made their love for Mary falter. Her adoration for them increased in response to their faith in her, but she couldn’t possibly rationalize what they intended for her to do. And if she did, following through with the plan would take a lot of courage.

DNA: Selective breeding.

Organs: In good shape.

Nice: Easy going attitude.

Outstanding: Gorgeous looks.

Resourceful: Intelligence is important in offspring.

Mary tapped underneath the last line on the white board with her blue erasable pen. “All of the donor preferences on this list are excellent and easy for me to remember, but I need a rating system of some sort.”

“Right,” Jennifer said, twirling her white-blond hair around a finger. Snap! Crackle! Her jaws were doing double-time on the chewing gum. Jenn’s new attempt at not smoking was a challenge for all of them.

“Hey, Kim, why do you have an eraser board in your living room?” Jenn, with her usual bluntness, inquired.

Behind the white panel on the large stand-alone contraption with Kim’s precise writing detailing the plan, the great expanse of twenty-foot windows gave them a sneak peek at the sun setting earlier than usual. A hint of fall was in the air. The other furnishings in the room were contemporary style, not her taste. Mary had suggested the mocha paint on the walls, which ran the length of the great room into the adjoining kitchen.

Kim’s slender, light pink-tipped toes curled under her left leg and her other foot rested on her bent knee. Mary was envious, not only of her perfectly rail thin body, but her high cheekbones and dark russet hair rolling down her back in waves.

“It’s new. We use it to help the kids with their homework. You’d be amazed how much after-school studying there is for six-year-olds these days,” Kim said. Her children were gorgeous. Kim was so lucky to be able to conceive and give birth to the little girls.

“Let’s focus on getting me impregnated before my last five days following the HCG injection passes.” Mary recapped the blue pen and laid the dry erase marker in the trough. “I don’t know if going on a cruise is the best method to find a sperm donor.”

“I think it’s amazing for someone who has a morbid fear of needles to get twelve hormone shots in the ass,” Jenn said.

“Had to, and Conrad was by my side the entire time, so I had immediate support.” Mary grimaced. “You can’t imagine how much will power it took for me to go back that last time. At least I didn’t see the needle coming. My tender bum felt like it was being attacked by killer bees.”

“Not as much courage as it took to identify him as the robber of your store yesterday.” Kim stirred her drink.

“Yeah. Can you imagine your partner taking you to get shots to procreate in the morning and stealing all of your untraceable diamonds a few hours later?” Jenn nodded.

“Back to the basics.” Phoenix’s periwinkle blue gaze focused on the words displayed. “This might be a mad scheme and she might not even find someone compatible, so let’s keep her sorting agenda simple. How about a rating system from one to five, with the highest number being the best of the lot?”

Everyone nodded.

“Great, we’re all in agreement.” Mary chewed her tender, bruised lip and tapped the eraser board. “I must admit the donor chart is an innovative idea. I have a total of four days on the cruise. The first three will be used for sorting the prime from the slime. How do I ask questions to try and find the right candidate to provide safe sex without scaring him off?”

She had one chance. Her fertility doctor had spelled her current situation out very clearly. If she didn’t conceive within the next week, because of the Razor family curse, she’d have less than twenty percent future viability. Her Grandfather Keefe threatened to shut down the business and sell her ancestral home if she didn’t get married and provide an heir within a year. The store might be gone, but could she save her home? She had four months left to get pregnant. Half that if her percentage of viable insemination time decreased.

A baby. More than drawing her next breath, she wanted a child.

Six months ago she’d had a miscarriage, so her OB/GYN suggested a fertility regimen. Conrad had agreed, quickly and without blinking. He’d probably thought he wouldn’t be caught robbing her store, and they’d go on the cruise and get pregnant as if nothing unusual had happened.

Mary uncapped the marker and held the dark tip under the first line. “This one is self-explanatory. Organs?” She glanced at Kim. “You’re the doctor. Tell me what type of questions I should ask to get the most from the query?”

“Well, if you’re going to catch an eligible guy unaware, why not ask him about his habits?” Kim rubbed her chin, deep in thought. “If he has a good physique, his overall health will be obvious. If you see a man who drinks alcohol like a fish, I’d wonder about his ability to cope. His liver might not be in the greatest shape, and alcoholism might run in his family.” She stood and paced from the white board to the edge of the family room. “Over dinner or lunch, it will be easy to ask questions about his family history. Heredity is where the risk factors really lie and are those that can’t be changed. Especially when it comes to heart disease and stroke–”

“And?” Jenn interrupted.

“The trick will be to ask as many questions as you can in a casual manner and store all the information in your notes later. If possible you need to search his luggage for any drug use. I’ll write down meds associated with HIV and other diseases. You should abandon unsafe sex if you see any of those,” Kim finished.

“Mention your aunt provided the cruise because she died from heart failure. A few tears would be good,” Phoenix suggested.

“Yeah, every person I’ve ever talked to when an illness is mentioned, they have a comeback story.” Jenn flapped her thumb and fingers, imitating talking.

“The longer they rattle on, the higher number, and five will be a negative.” Phoenix removed her hair tie, pulled her light brown hair into a fresh tight ponytail, and bound the mass into a knot again.

Jenn squinted. “Maybe she’ll keep the same rating system for all of the categories, with one being the negative, like the guy who yammered on and on.”

“Do you think this is a cold-hearted way to create a family?” Mary bit her uninjured lip. Kim was right; needing to filter as much as possible from each candidate would be nerve-wracking and time consuming. Time wasn’t her ally. Her heart clutched as she remembered her doctor’s advice on getting pregnant. There wouldn’t be a better time than now. The future looked grim. Yet, shouldn’t a child be made from love, and not from a tube or a guy she’d only just met?

“No, think of it as the guy is a vessel, holding jewels. You’re simply going to heist them.” Jenn tapped her fingers on the top of her thigh.

“No she’s not,” Kim said. If the circumstances weren’t so gloomy, Mary would have burst out laughing at her aghast expression.

“Uh huh. Five-fingered discount.” Jenn pumped her hand in front of her pelvis.

“You’re disgusting. She’s going to get consent before having unprotected sex.” Phoenix glanced at Mary, as if to ask “right?”

“Yes. Of course I will,” Mary replied, while quickly reevaluating the plan.

“Look for yellow too, in the eyes, a faint tint to the skin. Yellow isn’t a good color for health. It means something’s wrong with his liver or bile duct.” Kim unlatched her leg and stood. She wiggled her toes in the plush cream carpet. “I’m going to get a T. Sunrise. Anybody else?”

“Me,” Jenn called from her position near the white board. She wrapped her gum in a slip of paper.

Phoenix rose. “I’ll take a coffee. I have a late night grading papers.” She trailed Kim into the sunny kitchen adjoining the family room.

“Nice will be easy to judge,” Mary said, loud enough to be heard over the ice dispenser.

“You can’t believe in the niceness of most people. Guys, especially on a single’s cruise, will be agreeable simply because, well, for obvious reasons–”

“What would that be?” Jenn’s sly expression got her a frown from Phoenix.

“They’re looking for an easy hook-up. Which will work in your favor,” Phoenix said.

“So, I’ll need to bash his favorite football team to get a rise?” Mary lifted an eyebrow. “Seems kind of mean.”

“Or heckle him during his karaoke,” Jenn added, as she walked into the kitchen and tossed her gum wrapper into the trash bin. “Like we do Phoenix after we’ve had a few drinks.”

“I know it makes me pissed off,” Phoenix muttered.

Mary joined them at the bar. In an effort to keep the space open, there was a small separation between the family room and the kitchen. Jenn had perched on the chrome bar stool. Kim was adding grenadine to a highball glass filled with tequila and orange juice. Mary glanced at each of them, noting they were mesmerized as the red syrup floated and eventually filtered down, creating a crimson base with the sun above. Kim held an acrylic stirrer. The flamingo’s pink head became the handle to swirl the liquid, creating a sunset effect. “Here you go, Mary, your drink is alcohol free ’cause we don’t want to mess with the hormone jive.”

Mary slid onto one of the stools and took the tall glass. “Thank you. No alcohol for me for quite some time if I get pregnant. Really, I haven’t missed drinking. Let’s talk DNA. How do I get down and dirty, finding out if the guy has good genes?”

“If we had opportunity and time was on our side, we’d get a genetic screening done, but that’ll take longer than your cruise. I’d ask some key questions about longevity, color, basic metabolism. Ask to see photos on his phone. Make sure you get to see family members and not old girlfriends.” Kim sipped her exploding sunrise.

“So, she’s to ask how long life expectancy is in the family and if there are multi-cultural elements?” Across the counter, Phoenix mixed cream into her coffee.

Mary looked at Kim, waiting to see her reaction.

“Depends on what’s important to her.” Kim’s blue eyes lifted from peering into her glass. “You can ask questions without being direct. You can say your mom took a lot of pills, which worried you because you don’t know what they are. They’ll probably describe tablets to you, because of what they’re taking. Text me and I’ll tell you what it’s probably used for.”

“Good. Color or sexual preference isn’t important to me. I mean, I want a straight guy to do me, but if he has relatives who’ve chosen a different life style, that won’t affect my decision to select him as my baby’s father.” Mary stood, nodded in confirmation, and started to pace.

“Damn straight. If a guy has good genes and no signs of illnesses, he’s a viable candidate.” Jenn pulled her hair into a loose knot and then got a fresh piece of gum from her purse.

“Which brings us to another reason we wanted to get together.” Phoenix sat at one of the bar stools, lowered her java and extracted a slip of paper out of her pocket. “We met earlier today.”

“Because?” Mary’s stomach churned. Her heart beat as fast as Jenn chomped on her new wad of gum. It had taken her friends’ constant badgering for the past twenty-four hours to get her to agree to the cruise. The day before, she’d anticipated getting pregnant by the love of her life, and instead he’d robbed her store. The police couldn’t find him or his partner in crime. Her bags had been packed for over a week, so she could pick up and go, but should she? Mary continued to have doubts about the ethics and even the possibility of getting pregnant with a stranger.

Phoenix held out a business card. “Here, take this.”

Her sly expression bothered Mary a little. The paper was a business card. “Your brother in Vermont? Are you trying to tell me if it doesn’t work out, he’ll provide the sperm?”

A deep, throaty chuckle rippled from Phoenix as she released the card into Mary’s open palm. “I think his life partner would have issues. What we want–”

“We think you need to have an out-clause.” Jenn leaned on the black speckled granite counter.

“Out-clause?” The card crunched between Mary’s fingers as her mouth dropped open.

“Considering he arranged this cruise to act out a sex-with-stranger fantasy, odds are he will try to get to you.” Kim’s no nonsense tone vibrated through the room. “Don’t get nervous, Mary, but we think since your ex-boyfriend continues to be on the lam and considered dangerous by the cops, you might want to have an escape route if he should show up at one of the ports where you dock.”

Mary fell onto the seat of the red plaid sofa. “Conrad would not go on a ship. He’ll be caught by the police for sure.”

Jenn snapped her gum. “Mary, I love you, so don’t take this the wrong way, but you always choose handsome but stupid boyfriends. Most definitely Raddy-Boy would be likely to follow you on the cruise or wait for you to disembark and try to–”

“Jenn!” Phoenix shouted. She sat beside Mary. Phoenix’s lips relaxed and her eyes softened, almost giving the impression of intense sympathy. Mary’s heart rate escalated, she didn’t want to hear what was to come. “Honey, we’re your best friends and we have to tell you over the years you’ve selected…not the brightest guys to date.”

“Bill, the pothead,” Jenn said.

“Pete, the fertilizer salesman.” Kim sighed.

“Jeremiah, the poet. Thomas, the artist.” Phoenix patted Mary’s hand.

“Tom and I were in the same design class. He wasn’t dumb.” Mary had to at least defend one of her choices.

“Austin, the waiter, was definitely the most handsome of all of them.” Jenn spit her gum into a piece of paper and zeroed in on the shiny silver trash container a few feet away.

No one spoke. What were they waiting for? Did they think she’d agree her partner choices were idiot pretty-boys? She threw her shoulders forward and took a deep breath. Yes, she had chosen wrong.

“Clearly Conrad wasn’t brainless. It took some intelligence to arrange to steal a million dollars of uncut diamonds and point the blame at me.” Heat rose to Mary’s face. She hated saying the words out loud. Her friends had kindly ignored the subject during dinner and most of the night.

“Oh, honey.” Phoenix wrapped her arm around Mary’s shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze.

Her goal, to become the most sought-after jewelry designer in Keefe, South Carolina, had been achieved. She’d stayed at the top for a mere year, until she met Conrad Peabody. How could someone with such a proper name have fooled her so severely? Her mistakes didn’t deserve tears.

“Conrad was hot. I adored how his bright blond hair constantly fell onto his forehead. I loved his dimples, a charming set resting on the top corners of his mouth. He was built, perfect V.” Mary leaned against the sofa.

Phoenix shifted, before her arm got trapped.

“How can you possibly talk about him in a positive way? Andre is still in the hospital, with a complex concussion. You had to shut down your store while the investigation is going on, because Peabody stole your jewels.” Kim slurped the sunrise until nothing was left but crushed pink ice. “Thank God your grandfather arrived a few minutes after the robbery, or you’d have been tied up until a customer came in, or Lisa.”

“I don’t know, I guess because Conrad was beautiful. Maybe he was forced into stealing.” This thought had been recurring since the entire ordeal began. The incident had to have been some sort of mistake. Didn’t it?

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Jenn stood in front of Mary, looking a bit like a dark Peter Pan. “He was the leader.”

“We’d been together for almost a year. Other than ditching me a couple of times, he was a perfect gentleman.” Mary had to breathe. Her heart tapped little beats against her chest. “I loved him. I thought he loved me too.”

“Hello, part of the con-artist personality. Get in, pretend to be someone else, steal and escape. I thought you understood that by now?” Jenn’s snarky tone must have alerted her to the need for a new jolt of nicotine because she stomped away and withdrew another patch from her purse. As an attorney’s office assistant, her knowledge of criminal activity and the law was priceless, but it came with a lot of stress. In addition, she and her husband had decided to start a family, which had encouraged Jenn to stop smoking.

“Okay, we know he had attributes. But overall, he stole from your place of business and made it appear you were to blame.” Phoenix rubbed Mary’s arm, gentle little circles that reminded Mary of how she soothed Kim’s girls when they’d been hurt.

Mary put her drink on the side table and held her palms to her eyes, pressing so the pain would stay away. Everything her friends said was factual. She had to admit the truth and move past this entire ordeal. “Which is why this sperm-seeking cruise will be perfect. I’ll get a baby without the blind fallacy of love.”

“You’ll need to hear the rest of the out-clause before you leave to jump on the boat.” Kim withdrew a notebook from the sofa table. “Phoenix, you have the best penmanship. Write down the donor list and what the acronym stands for.”

Kim met Mary’s gaze as if she sought the truth. “Do you still want to have a child?”

Mary lowered her hands to rest on the top of her thighs. Last chance kept repeating in her head. “You all know my grandfather’s edict. I haven’t saved enough money to buy my house. It’s the only thing of value left from my parents. The job, I can get one anywhere. I’d miss being my own boss and I love the store, but the building isn’t as important as the memories inside my home. If I want to keep my life the way it is, then yes. I need to have a baby and hope Grandfather won’t care about the marriage first.”

“Okay then. You’ll leave from Port Authority in about an hour. After the second full day, you’ll disembark at Kingston. Then, you’ll stop at the big island. I think it’s called Port Yama. You’ll find out straightaway if slime ball is on the ship because he’ll find you. If he is, you jump ship at Kingston, seek out Sasha Framee. His name and phone number are on the back of this card.” Kim handed Mary the card. “He’ll get you on a plane or boat to Vermont.”

“Go to my brother’s house in Cage, and he’ll hide you in his guest cottage.” Phoenix sat down on the edge of the sofa. “Once we’re notified you had to run, we’ll go to Jenn’s friend, Hotel Director Stubbing, who works on the ship. He can let us know what happened. As hard as it’ll be for all of us, we’ll have to stay away because Conrad had a partner and we don’t know what he looks like…right?”

“Right, no one knows who he was. Conrad kept at my back the entire time and I didn’t see any skin on the accomplice, just black clothing from head to toe. I recognized Conrad’s voice, scent, and then the molar shaped mole on his hand. The hidden camera showed Conrad, but not a clear view of the other guy. They did get a voice imprint from the store’s security equipment. He sounds a little like Darth Vader.” Her throat had closed, making breathing difficult.

The entire situation was really too much. She should stay at home and hide out like she’d been doing for the last several hours. Why hadn’t she canceled the cruise after Conrad betrayed her, stole from her and left her blind-folded and tied to a chair?

“James Earl Jones is the voice. Deep. Husky, kinda sexy,” Jenn said, “like a smoker. God, I wish I had a cigarette.” She jumped up and paced to the edge of the family room and then to the white board.

Phoenix handed Mary the diary containing the donor list. “Calculate the averages and select the best candidate. You have four days for optimum fertilization. Make them count. Probably research the top of your list for two days, select the father for your baby, and let the little spearheads swim the next two days.”

“You’re going to have to act a part, Mary. You can’t be prissy or let guilt ride you. Most important of all, send snap shots of the finalist if you get a chance.” Kim winked.

“I’m not sure I can be a scientist like you, Kim. I do feel guilt and I’m not sure I can select a guy to impregnate me using such a cold and callous scientific method.”

“How do you think women select a sperm donor from a bank?” Jenn asked. “The only difference is you get to see the real guy. Unfortunately, you have to do the screening process. Also, having unprotected sex with a near stranger will be risky.”

Mary slipped Dane Bushard’s business card inside the journal and pressed it against her chest. “Maybe I shouldn’t go. My destiny might not include children or love.”

Kim was right on with the guilt comment. She couldn’t tell the candidate her intentions or they might not perform, thinking she had ulterior motives. Yeah, she had motivation–she wanted a child. Did this make her an unlikable person?

“Sweetie, we didn’t mean for you to abandon the donor project. We simply want you to be safe,” Phoenix said, sincerity flooding her words. “We included an escape bag with a pay-as-you-go phone inside in your luggage.”

Mary forced a smile. “Who knows the man in Kingston?”

“I do.” Jenn had added a new piece of gum and chomped. “He’s an old friend. Quite a nice guy. Clean, good looking, family dates back to the early Jamaicans…and the organs were all in working order.”

Kim laughed. Phoenix’s body jiggled with suppressed mirth.

“What?” Jenn’s expression was one of surprise. “She only has two days on the ship before she ports, she might need a last chance.” Jenn pressed her lips together as if in thought or recapturing a memory. “He’s not blond, but he’s hot, handsome, and quite skilled with his tool. He has the sexiest wink, slow and deliberate. I get orgasmic just thinking about him.”

“Thanks, Jenn, I’ll keep that in mind.” Mary glanced at the board and then her friends. What if she couldn’t get pregnant? Being the last member of the Keefe family might not be too bad. The town’s name, Keefe, would last forever even if the descendants died off.

When she reached thirty, she’d inherit her trust money and could adopt a baby. She stood. A guy to hold at night, to kiss, and take to dinner or the movies–she didn’t need one. Abandoning the cruise would be very easy to do.

“Don’t, Mary.” Phoenix’s low tone drew everyone’s attention.

Of all Mary’s fabulous friends, Phoenix knew her the best and had always delved into her mind and found her weak points. Mary started for the door, notebook in hand, handbag in sight.

“Don’t what?” Jenn asked between snaps and crackles.

Phoenix must have known Mary was ready to bolt. “She thinking of canceling. Get her luggage, Jenn. Kim, gather her purse, wrap, and make sure she has sun screen. Mary, is your cell fully charged? We’re taking you to the ship and getting you on board early.”

Kim twisted Mary around, grabbed both her arms and shook her. “Mary, you’ve had a rough way to go so far, losing your parents in that horrible manner and then being used by Conrad. Why not take control of your life, your future? You want a child, right?”

The mention of her parents brought a fresh pain to her heart, and her stomach muscles clenched.

“Yes.” She lowered her gaze. Selfishness wasn’t something she was comfortable with or wanted, but she needed a baby to make her life whole again.

“Forget everything then. Don’t think twice about commitment and your usual strict values. Look past the blonds. And as always, we’ll be here for you.” Kim hugged her.

Jenn’s arms circled her from behind. Phoenix came from her side and pushed her cheek against Mary’s. Excitement and fear shocked her heart into beating at a scary-fast rate. If she couldn’t conceive a baby, at least she’d have the most caring friends on earth.

“Let’s go.” Jenn stepped back and tugged Mary’s vest.

“Okay, but we say good-bye in the car. You drop me off. I’ll find my way to the cabin. I’ll keep in touch daily. When possible, photos will be sent.” Nauseous saliva wet her mouth. She swallowed, trying to keep everything in place as they rushed from the house and piled into Kim’s van.

A traffic accident on the highway made the short drive much longer. Police vehicles and fire trucks blocked the street at nine PM. There wasn’t an alternate route. The ship sailed at ten, and while they chewed their fingernails waiting for the emergency squads to leave, they reviewed the donor requirements. Finally the road patrol created a round-about and they rushed to the dock. Kim drove her vehicle as close as possible to the structure, hoping the Port Authority would not give her a ticket.

“Any minute that horn’s going to blow. You’ll to need to hustle. Too bad you wore the sexy five-inchers, your feet are going to hurt like hell.”

“Jenn, seriously, is it time for another patch?” Phoenix asked, as she climbed into the rear of the van and extracted Mary’s luggage.

“Thank you, all. I love you. Wish me luck!” Mary slid from the seat, holding her large purse close to her side, knowing the shield wouldn’t protect her from the future.

Phoenix set the suitcases on the ground, and then hugged her. “Don’t worry, it’ll all work out. You’ll be happy,” she whispered before she let her go.

“We’ll see, won’t we?” Mary asked. The towering ships rising above the outline of the buildings were ominous. She grabbed her bags, gathered courage, and entered the check-in station. The passenger terminal was an outdated structure, beige covered with rust, not what Mary had expected from one of the most beautiful harbors on the coast.

“Are you with Verbena Cruise?” a sweet round woman with merry blue eyes asked. Her white name badge had Mary embossed in black.

“Yes, I’m Mary Keefe. Sorry I’m late. There was an accident.”

Cruise Mary flipped through a stack of papers. “Good name. I’ll get you squared away and give you the key card to enter the ship and your stateroom, but you’ll need to carry on the luggage.”

A few moments later, her bag was going into a scan machine. The attendant sorted through several documents to verify Mary was who she claimed to be. Finally, the papers had been nodded over and approved. Her luggage had dropped off the conveyor belt. Before she could change her mind, she grabbed the bag and ascended the gangway. It felt more like walking the plank. A few stragglers were strolling along the ramp. Passengers leaned over the railing, waving to their friends and loved ones.

The larger than life whistle blasted, vibrating the wooden platform as she scanned her card and went onboard. On deck, she dropped her bag to the floor.

“Welcome to Verbena Cruise lines. May I have your name?” The uniformed attendant–Purity, according to her name badge–held a clipboard with pen in hand. Her voice sounded chipper, but her face looked angry. Maybe her expression was a result of the tight white uniform pulling apart at the bust line.

“Mary Keefe.” She held onto the railing as the gangway was disengaged from the ship.

“You’re on Deck Eight, Oceanview Ninety-eight. Take the elevator around the corner.” Purity pointed to her left. “Up one flight, turn right, four doors on the left.”

“Thanks.”

Mary snapped the handle of her wheeled case. The sound of it locking in place was lost in the noise of the ship’s motors grinding and whinnying. She tugged her luggage down the corridor, around to the elevator. Most of the passengers must have been unpacking or celebrating setting sail because no one waited on the lift and it arrived in a moment’s call. A finger to the Deck Eight button, and the doors closed.

A whoosh and ping later, she’d arrived. She glanced at the locator map on the outside of the elevator. Right looked to be the correct route. Handbag settled on the handle of her wheeled luggage, she started down the corridor. A pleasant baritone voice came over the speaker as the ship tilted toward the ocean. She double-stepped to the left.

The announcement became background noise as she rocked from one side of the aisle to the other. An older man started to exit a room when the ship shifted again. Mary took the opportunity to fly down the carpeted passageway until she located Ninety-eight. While dragging her purse closer, intending to remove her bag and snap the handle in to get a tighter grip on the luggage, the door opened. The ship tilted portside.

Mary jolted forward, smashing into something hard covered by soft cotton and smelling of spice. Propulsion sent both of them down, to land partially on the sofa. The thud of her plastic luggage hitting the wood floor blasted through the air. Mary glanced into his face. Handsome. Brown-black hair. Sharp cheekbones. Her purse clung to her forearm, snagging the tail of the guy’s shirt along the way and exposing a good portion of tight, dark beige skin. From the way his body fit snug against hers, they were equal in height. He weighed in at…a little heavy. Muscle mass? She’d have to wait and see him in a bathing suit to find out. He smelled delicious, like those hot cinnamon nuts she loved to eat.

Lifting her gaze to his face, she stared into his dark brown sparkling eyes. “Sorry, I guess I don’t have my sea legs yet.”

“Definitely off to a rock hard start,” he replied, but didn’t bother to separate from her.