Читать книгу Cabin Fever - Mary Leo - Страница 9

“I CAN’T BELIEVE you pulled this off, Patti, that this treasure hunt idea is actually happening.” Thanasi Kaldis walked up behind Dylan, who was handing out brochures in the lobby with Patti Kennedy, the cruise director.

“Look at them,” the ship’s hotel manager continued, “half the people aren’t even glancing at their brochures. I still say that no one will bother looking for that silly pendant. I thought the whole idea was rejected, Patti.”

Thanasi was in his late forties, wore his navy-blue blazer over meticulously pressed whites; he had a crop of black wavy hair and a charismatic smile…most of the time. However, at that precise moment he directed a teasing scowl at Patti.

“It was never rejected,” she told him in a confident voice. “You must have dreamed that, so stop your stressing. Just go with it. Besides, it’s going to be fun.”

Patti, also dressed in a navy blazer and whites, was a brown-haired dynamo who had celebrated her thirty-ninth birthday in Venice on a gondola, alone. If Dylan had known about it beforehand, he would have surprised her with a party or dinner. They’d become friends, and he hated to hear that his friend had been so alone on her birthday, especially when she loved people so much and wanted nothing more than to see everyone around her happy.

Her title usually went to a man, but Patti was possibly the best cruise director Dylan had ever worked with. She anticipated the needs of the passengers and was always looking to enhance their cruise experience. Plus she was just fun to be around.

She turned back to a young couple approaching her. “Find the hidden pendant and receive extra perks the entire cruise!”

Dylan watched as the woman took the brochure, glanced at it then stuffed it into her large straw handbag. Perhaps Thanasi was right. The pendant hunt could be a complete bust. He hoped not, though. He’d liked the idea, and he would be taking part in a few fun excursions set up for the passenger who found it.

Patti turned to Thanasi. “Somebody will find the pendant and the entire ship will be buzzing about it. It’s romantic. And you might want to lighten up—our passengers don’t need to see an officer frowning.” The smile she offered would have melted anybody’s heart.

People filed by happily, but Thanasi was still scowling Patti’s way. She was right, Dylan thought. Not a good image. He could tell that all the hotel manager could think of was possible damage to the cabins as the passengers searched for the pendant.

When the idea had been discussed at an activities planning meeting, Thanasi had voiced his concerns. But even then Dylan thought it was simply his way of teasing Patti. As if they were school kids on the playground and he was vying for her for attention by being uncooperative.

One thing Dylan simply didn’t understand was why Thanasi didn’t just tell Patti he was attracted to her. The entire crew could see it, and it was obvious Patti felt the same for him. Dylan decided what the man needed was a dose of good sex to help him lighten up, but Thanasi went by the book, and apparently that book didn’t include onboard romances.

“Find the pendant and find your true love,” Patti said to a group of twenty-something women. They each took a brochure. One of them mumbled something and they burst out laughing as they walked away.

“See, look, they think it’s a joke,” Thanasi announced.

“Hey,” Patti said softly, so only Thanasi could hear, “I’m working here. If you can’t help, then maybe you should just leave.”

Thanasi stared back at her for a moment as though trying to think of something clever to say, but before he could respond, a petite lady with white curly hair and a bright pink visor walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. “Could you please tell me where my room is located? It’s my first cruise and I’m not very good at this sort of thing. I’ve been waiting for a steward, but they all seem to be busy with other people.”

Thanasi smiled at the woman, then turned on his charm as he bowed, his entire demeanor transforming. “I’d be delighted.” He extended his elbow, she slid her arm through the crook, and off they went. “Let me tell you about Alexandra’s Dream,” he said, but Dylan could tell by his tone that he was still a little irritated about the pendant search.

Patti had told Dylan about the necklace she and librarian Ariana Bennett had found among the personal things of Mike O’Connor, the guy who’d been posing as a priest and smuggling stolen artifacts aboard. Apparently the pendant was left behind with a few other reproductions after the police investigation. The whole scandal had required a deft PR campaign to keep the cabins on Alexandra’s Dream at capacity although Dylan had a feeling the press coverage had also gained the cruise ship a few new bookings.

He loved his job and really didn’t want to lose it. Being in charge of the ship’s dive staff paid well, and in the world of cruise ships, it was a tough job to come by. It was his first real managerial position and allowed him to teach water sports and diving, and run a few of the water-themed activities off the ship.

Dylan was happy the ship wasn’t docked somewhere and he was out looking for another job. If that had happened, it would have given his brother the perfect excuse to press him even more to return home.

His absence was a sore subject between them, even though Dylan tried his best to make up for it by sending half his pay home to Newfoundland every month, something he’d been doing for the past eight years, never missing a month. And besides, jobs were still scarce in his hometown, further confirming he was doing the right thing. It gave him great comfort to know that at least his mom didn’t have to worry about money.

But, he admitted, a job shortage wasn’t the only reason he was reluctant to go back. The place had too many sad memories, and Dylan was doing his best to avoid them.

He loved the routine of welcoming passengers and a week or so later bidding them farewell and getting ready for a new group. But today’s boarding had been different. Today he’d felt a totally unexpected personal interest in one of the passengers—the woman he’d just escorted to a penthouse suite.

Becky Montgomery.

He remembered what the adorable, little blond-haired angel had told him about her mommy crying when her daddy left, just like the moon goddess who’d flooded the earth with her sad tears. How could any guy leave that perfect little family, let alone such a fine-looking woman as Becky? And from what her little girl implied, Dylan assumed it must have been one nasty divorce, and her mom hadn’t taken it well. The hurt was still there in her pretty eyes.

Plain as day.

The son seemed distant, maybe still harboring feelings he didn’t quite know what to do with. A boy needed a father, though Dylan would bet a year’s salary his mother bent over backward to keep those kids safe and happy.

Strange, how he’d picked up on all of that in just those few moments.

Then he stopped himself. Stopped the feelings that had rushed through him as he’d been thinking about the beautiful woman, the charming little girl and the obviously troubled boy.

He admitted to himself this could be trouble. Big trouble. He couldn’t deny he felt a strong attraction to her, but there were strict rules about passenger/staff onboard relationships.

He’d never broken that rule before, but Becky Montgomery might just cause him to bend it a little if he wasn’t careful.

He could only hope she and her kids hated water sports.

“BUT WHY DO WE HAVE TO wait until after dinner to go to the pool?” Connor asked, giving his suitcase a little kick while he stood in front of the twin beds.

“Can we at least unpack first?” Becky liked settling in when she was in a strange place.

“Don’t you want to look for the pendant first?” Sarah asked, still hopeful.

“No, I don’t want to look for that dumb old pendant,” her brother grumbled.

“Well, I do,” Sarah said, and flung herself across her bed.

A knock at the door stopped further arguments as the kids ran to answer it, nearly tripping over themselves trying to get to it first.

When they opened the door, both Sarah and Connor squealed with laughter and excitement. Their cousin Laura slowly entered the room, both kids hanging on her.

“Mom wanted me to wait until dinner to see you guys, but I couldn’t wait. I am so happy you’re here.” The kids tumbled Laura to the floor in a heap of tickles and laughter.

Becky couldn’t believe her eyes. All Laura had to do was walk into the room and Connor’s whole disposition changed. Whatever magic Laura was dispelling, Becky wanted the potion.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Becky echoed.

“Save me, Aunt Becky,” Laura spluttered as she tickled Connor’s belly. Sarah lay on Laura’s stomach, one hand tickling Laura under the arm. Laura fought to get her off, but Sarah was persistent. Finally, after a few minutes, both Connor and Sarah rolled away, scrambled to their feet, grinning from ear to ear. Laura stood, then walked over and gave Becky a warm hug.

“Let me look at you,” Becky said as they pulled apart.

Laura backed away and Becky was pleasantly surprised by how much this fifteen-year-old had grown. She had almost reached Becky’s height of five-seven and her hair was a rich golden-brown cut short and shaggy around her face. She definitely looked like a Montgomery with those thick eyebrows and that chiseled nose. Her skin had cleared up and was now glowing, and although she was several pounds heavier than Becky had remembered, it seemed to suit her well. However, her makeup was rather thick and her clothes were simply too tight, but Becky didn’t care if she wore vampire makeup and arrived in a toga. She was thrilled to see her, and instantly realized just how much she’d missed her.

“You’re beautiful,” Becky told her.

“I’m fat,” Laura countered.

“Aren’t we all?”

“Not my mom. She’s perfect.”

“Impossible. Nobody’s perfect.”

“Tell that to my grandmother.”

“I’ll do that.”

“Can I watch?”

“Only if you hide any and all sharp objects first.”

“It’s a deal.”

They hugged again, laughing, then parted. Sarah joined them and tugged on Laura’s hand. “I want to find the magic pendant.”

“How could you ever find it on this big ship?” Connor said with more than a little sarcasm as he stepped closer. Apparently it didn’t take long for his mood to change.

“Yeah, but somebody has to find it,” Laura suggested, ignoring his crankiness and supporting Sarah’s excitement.

“And it won’t be us,” Connor scorned. “Nothing good ever happens in this family.”

Laura tousled his hair, and Connor let her, but Becky could tell his attitude was deteriorating quickly. “Oh, I don’t know. We’re all on this cruise together. That’s something good.”

“You know what I mean.” He moved away from her hand. “I mean to my family, like me and my sister and my mom.”

“Well, maybe if we find the pendant, your luck will start to change,” Laura said.

“I seriously doubt it.” He walked away and plopped himself down on the sofa.

“If we all think positive thoughts, maybe we’ll have a better chance of finding it,” Laura decreed, sitting next to him.

Connor shrugged. “Whatever.”

Sarah looked pensive for a moment. Becky could tell she was trying to figure something out. Suddenly her face brightened. “Thoughts like raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens?”

“Don’t get her started,” Connor whispered.

Ignoring him, Laura added, “Sure, whatever makes you the most happy.”

Suddenly, Sarah started singing “My Favorite Things.” Connor slid down on the sofa. Laura joined in the tune, then got up and grabbed Sarah, spinning her around, laughing. Becky joined in, as well.

When they’d finished dancing around the room, and bugging Connor whenever they got the chance, his attitude picked up slightly.

Becky relished the fact that Laura had such a positive effect on her kids. She knew Connor was just as thrilled as Sarah to see his cousin, but he purposely didn’t want to show too much enthusiasm. However, it was almost impossible when Laura was in the room. It was as if he was fighting against his true self and couldn’t trust his own emotions. As if he was afraid to be happy.

It tore Becky apart.

At least so far it didn’t seem to be affecting his schoolwork, and he still participated in some school activities, so she didn’t think he needed a therapist yet. However, if this family cruise didn’t change his somber disposition, she had already decided to make an appointment with a good family therapist when they returned home.

“I think I’m going to find the pendant and we’re going to be the luckiest family in the whole world,” Sarah announced.

The chances of them finding the pendant were next to zero, Becky figured, but Laura’s enthusiasm was infectious. Becky wished, for Connor’s sake, that by some miracle the kids would find the pendant.

“This is bogus,” Connor mumbled. “We can think positive thoughts for the next million years and we still won’t be able to find it.”

“No deadbeats allowed,” Laura insisted, grabbing hold of Connor again and tickling his belly. He smiled briefly, but then turned away. Becky knew Laura was working her happy magic on him, and the ice was at least melting around the edges. “Come on, Connor, have a little faith, at least for a few hours. You don’t want to break our positive vibes, do you?”

Connor shrugged.

“I sometimes believe six impossible things before breakfast,” Sarah said.

Connor stared at his sister then rolled his eyes. Becky knew how much he hated it when she quoted from Alice In Wonderland. It was one of those movies Sarah had watched over and over until Becky couldn’t take it anymore and had actually pretended to lose the darn thing for two whole weeks. When she found it again, Sarah was into The Little Mermaid, thank you very much.

“Tell you what,” Laura said to Sarah. “What would make you the happiest right now?”

Sarah thought for a moment. “Swimming!”

“I don’t think we can do that right now, so what else?”

She thought again. “A really big chocolate ice cream cone with sprinkles.”

“That’s something we can do,” Laura confirmed. She turned toward Connor. “And what would make you happy?”

“Nothing,” Connor grumbled.

“Come on, Connor. There must be something.”

“No. I don’t want to.”

“You don’t want to be happy?” Laura argued.

“No. I don’t want to play your stupid game,” he announced, and stomped into the bathroom and shut the door.

“Connor,” Becky called after him, but the only thing she heard was the lock turning in the door. Laura gave Becky a quizzical glance, but Becky didn’t respond.

“Pickles. Those great big sour ones,” Sarah said, her eyes dancing.

“Pickles?” Laura asked.

“Connor loves pickles,” Becky told her.

“Then let’s get you a double-scoop ice cream cone and Connor the biggest pickle on the entire ship.” Laura grabbed Sarah’s hand and headed for the door then stopped. “If that’s okay with your mom.” She looked at Becky.

“It’s perfect,” Becky said, “In the meantime I’ll stay here with Connor and we’ll unpack.”

Sarah looked up at her mother. “Tell him he can have the bed next to the wall if he wants. I don’t care.” And with that, she and Laura went skipping out of the cabin, leaving Becky alone with Connor.

Suddenly, Becky realized the ship was moving. It was almost surreal. She glanced out the sliding-glass doors that opened onto the huge, private patio. Not only were they moving, they were well away from port and headed out into open water.

She had wanted to be on deck with the kids when they sailed away, a glass of champagne in her hand, toasting this cruise meant to appease her mother-in-law and somehow bring her son out of his shell. But instead she was in her cabin, alone, with no champagne in sight, and a somber Connor locked in the cabin’s bathroom. She sighed, knowing it would be a few minutes before he’d emerge. Becky had learned to let him have his quiet time. Time to think. But she was worried her ten-year-old spent way too much time thinking.

She gazed out the sliders. At least the view was spectacular. Dusk had descended and the sky was ablaze with color, the lights from Miami fading in the distance, but Becky didn’t seem to really care. The person who now held the power to make this trip work or turn it into a complete nightmare wasn’t Estelle, it was Connor. Becky was terrified that she’d lost her sweet son, and she had no idea how to find him again.

Connor walked out of the bathroom, staring down at the floor. His smile was gone, replaced with his usual scowl.

“Your sister said you could have the bed next to the wall,” Becky told him.

“Whatever,” Connor mumbled. But Becky could see that he was happy about the turn of events. She watched as he pulled his suitcase closer to the bed, unzipped it and began sorting out his clothes.

While Connor figured out just what drawers he wanted, Becky continued to unpack her own bag. Connor was a neat freak, as his dad had been, and it would take him the next couple of hours just to make sure all his clothes were lined up properly in the drawers and in the small closet.

He liked to keep his clothes color-coordinated, and his shoes lined up according to usage, with his flip-flops closest to the door. Clothes were never something he took for granted, but a statement of his mood, and lately Connor favored camouflage military attire. However, when he’d packed he’d taken along one orange tee, which Becky saw him hang in the back of his closet. She couldn’t figure out why he’d brought it along. She knew he would never wear something so bright.

The suite had ample closet space, but Becky had packed light. When she carefully hung up her turquoise cocktail dress, a memory flashed of the day she’d bought it for the company Christmas party. She hadn’t wanted to go, but Ryder had insisted saying it was good for them to get to know some of his employees at Wireless Technologies. They had actually shopped for the dress together, and when she’d tried it on, his eyes had lit up and she’d known she’d found the right dress.

Afterward, they had hurried home before Connor had to be picked up from preschool. They had made love on the stairs leading up to their bedroom. The buttons on her silk shirt had popped off, and Ryder hadn’t even bothered to remove his pants.

When they were both spent, they lay sprawled across the steps, Ryder’s knees and shins sporting rug burns and her own elbows a little raw. Memories of the waves of pleasure that had surged through her still brought a flush to her cheeks. She was convinced that had been the precise moment she’d conceived Sarah.

The turquoise dress never did get worn for the company Christmas party. Estelle and Mark, who owned and ran the company, had sent Ryder to New Jersey on urgent business, so Becky had made her excuses to Estelle. But Estelle had insisted she make an appearance for Ryder’s sake, and even sent over a car on the night of the party.

But Becky was stronger than both Ryder and his sister Kim. She knew how to say no to Estelle and mean it.

As her fingers touched the dress, a classic style, it slipped off the polished wooden hanger and onto the floor. Becky picked it up and reached for a satin padded hanger from the other end of the closet. It would prevent the gown from sliding off and ending up in a heap on the closet floor.

As she pulled the hanger toward her, something glittered in the center of the pink satin. At first she thought she was seeing a reflection from the hook, but as she slid the hanger closer, she saw that something was wrapped around the center. On further inspection, she realized she was staring at what had to be the moon goddess’s pendant.

As she reached for it, Connor’s voice startled her. “I’ve looked everywhere in this darn room and it’s not here.” His voice was heavy with despair. “We’re just unlucky, that’s all. We’re one unlucky family.”

Becky had become so lost in her memories that for a brief moment she didn’t know what he was talking about. Then reality came rushing back.

She pulled the pendant off the hanger, walked into the next room and leaned against the doorjamb. Spinning the necklace around her hand, she said, “Now, just what were you saying about us being unlucky?”