Читать книгу Mediterranean Men & Marriage: The Italian's Forgotten Baby / The Sicilian's Bride / Hired: The Italian's Bride - Raye Morgan, Carol Grace - Страница 14

HE CLIMBED BACK ABOARD, being careful to stay away from her neck this time, and asked, “So tell me about this woman you’re taking me to.”

“Gigi knows sailing. You spent a lot of time with her when you were here before.”

Funny that she could mention that so calmly now. At the time, she’d been jealous. It had seemed that every time she had to work, he would suddenly be off with Gigi, testing out her new yacht in the open waters. She’d never been invited along and she’d just assumed that Gigi, a tall, beautiful older woman, was the draw. It was only later that she realized there really had been another motivation at work—the opportunity for sailing. He’d been working on ideas of his own.

Gigi had a huge estate right along the waterfront. They rode down the long driveway, rimmed with tall coconut palms, and stopped before a huge white mansion that looked like something from the nineteenth century, wraparound porch and all.

Before they had time to disentangle themselves from the scooter, a long, lanky woman walked out in a bright red bikini, accented by huge dark glasses and one of the flimsiest cover-ups she’d ever seen. Shayna suppressed a grin. Despite everything, including her periodic fits of jealousy, she liked Gigi. Men tended to react with quick interest when they first met her, not realizing that her lack of modesty showcased a woman who was just natural and unaffected and totally unconscious of how she came across to others. She wore that dangerous swimsuit for comfort, nothing more, and she was slightly built and sinewy enough to get away with it. She didn’t have a provocative bone in her body. This was Gigi and she meant no harm to anyone.

Stalking toward them like a hunter with a blunderbuss, she ripped off her dark glasses and stared penetratingly into Marco’s eyes. “So you don’t remember me, huh?” she accused.

“I’m sorry,” he said with a friendly grin. He obviously liked her on sight. “And you have a very memorable face, so it’s not that.”

“Memorable?” That got her to straighten, her green eyes narrowing. “In what way?”

“It’s lovely,” he said quickly. “Really beautiful.”

Gigi shrugged her unconcern. “Of course.” She reached out a hand to help him off the scooter. “Come on down to my dock. You’ll remember everything once you see the True Yar again.”

Marco joined her willingly, glancing back at Shayna with a rueful shrug. “Maybe that will work. Let’s take a look.”

The yacht was gorgeous. As he walked down the boardwalk to the pier, he filled his senses with it, with the sight of it, the smell of the sea, the sound of the water. It suddenly occurred to him that he looked at women the same way he looked at beautiful sailing ships. No, he had to correct that. Lately he was looking at Shayna the way he looked at beautiful sailing ships, and other women the way he looked at ordinary sailing ships. She was special. There was no denying it.

Once aboard, he ran his hands over the wood and shook his head. “Wonderful ship,” he said reverently. “Where do you get men to crew her?”

Gigi’s smile was radiant. “My estate workers are part-time crew. I hire them for their sailing abilities and then teach them how to garden and paint and all the rest.”

He was impressed. “Good plan.” He noticed the sails as they flapped in the wind. “Did I go out on her with you?”

Gigi nodded. “I took you out into deep water for a half-day trip. Twice.”

He nodded, knowing he wouldn’t have passed that up for anything. “Was I working on designs?”

“Oh, yeah. You were sketching things and jotting down numbers the whole time. Doing measurements with your wind and weather instruments and using mine and jotting things down constantly.” She shook her head. “I don’t know why I didn’t figure out who you were at the time.”

He frowned, wondering why it had been easy for him to let Gigi in on what he did with his life while he’d obviously felt he had to hide that information from Shayna. Strange. He just didn’t get that at all.

He filled her in on the missing plans, about which she claimed to know nothing. She had come in to see him off that last day, but just for a moment, and she hadn’t noticed anything about his portfolio. They went over the times they’d been together and tried to analyze what could have happened, but all their noodling didn’t get them anywhere.

Finally the housekeeper brought them out iced tea and sandwiches and as they ate, Gigi went on about her wonderful husband, Jimmy, who had brought her here to the islands ten years before.

“Where is he?” Marco asked guilelessly.

She waved a hand in the air as though that were an inconsequential matter. “Jimmy went to the mainland to get supplies. He’ll be back one of these days.”

“Oh.” Marco looked at Shayna. Shayna looked at her sandwich.

“In the meantime,” Gigi said cheerfully, “aren’t I doing a good job of maintaining this place? Come on, admit it. I’ve got my own private paradise here.”

There was no denying that. Her place had to be the envy of the island. They made plans for Marco to come back the next day for another trip out to deep water, and then Shayna began to prepare him for their next stop.

“I’m going to take him to Naliki Falls, the short way,” she told their hostess.

“Uh-oh.” Gigi grinned. “That’s quite a hike.”

Shayna nodded, her eyes sparkling with laughter. “I’ve been looking him over. I think he can handle it.”

They both gazed at him critically, studying every part until he began to turn a little red under all this scrutiny.

“Hey, don’t worry about me,” he said, flexing his wide shoulders in a manly manner. “I can hold my own. Just give me a chance.”

Shayna looked at Gigi and shrugged. “He wants a chance.”

Gigi frowned and twisted her mouth to the side. “Gosh, I just don’t know.”

“Very cute,” he muttered, pretending resentment, but actually enjoying the give-and-take. He didn’t think he’d ever felt more comfortable with a woman than he did with Shayna. Somehow their personalities seemed to fit together in ways that pleased him. It was frustrating to feel that there was an obstacle between them, something he couldn’t deal with because he didn’t know what the hell it was. He sighed, rubbing his head. Today they were looking for his lost plans. Tomorrow he was going to dedicate to finding out what he’d done to hurt Shayna, and figuring out how to make it up to her.

“Don’t forget, Elmo’s having a luau today,” Gigi reminded Shayna as they were leaving. “You should take Marco by. Didn’t he and Elmo go out on a fishing trip together while he was here before? Maybe Elmo remembers something.”

“Good idea,” Shayna responded. She’d forgotten all about the luau and she’d planned to attend from the first time she’d heard about it. Half the island should be there. “It’ll be a good way to pick up an evening meal while we’re at it.”

Marco appraised her—her lovely coloring, her brilliant blue eyes, the wonderful velvety texture of her skin—and wanted to hold her. “Will there be dancing?” he asked hopefully.

“Hula dancers,” she responded brightly.

Gigi laughed, seeing the way his mind was working. “I don’t think that is what he has in mind,” she said. “Don’t worry. I’m sure there will be a band.”

“Good.” He patted his stomach. “I’ve got to work off some of this great food I’ve been wolfing down.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Shayna told him with a laugh as they waved goodbye to Gigi. “That’s what the hike is for.”

“What’s Gigi’s husband like?” Marco asked as they made their way back to the Vespa.

Shayna smiled and stretched out her arms, enjoying a cool breeze that was coming through. “You got me. I’ve never met him.”

That seemed strange. “How long has he been gone?”

“That’s just it. I don’t know.” Shayna pulled the scooter around to get into position for starting off. “He’s been on the mainland getting supplies for as long as I’ve known her.”

Marco grunted cynically. “Does the guy actually exist?”

“That is the question, isn’t it?” Shayna waited to feel him settle in behind her and prepared to turn on the engine. “I don’t know if she really believes he’s coming back, or if she uses it as a way of keeping overeager suitors at bay.”

“Whatever,” he said with sigh. “She knows how to manage beautiful sailing ships. The True Yar is in perfect condition. She must work on it night and day.”

“It’s her obsession,” Shayna agreed. “At least until Jimmy comes home.”

He thought about that as they raced on down the road. He was obsessed with ship design, Gigi was obsessed with her yacht. Were they both letting things get in the way of caring for people? He’d been down this path before, wondering why he didn’t find a woman and fall in love. Was the career too important to him? Were the yachts? Was he letting gorgeous objects blind him to the need for human contact—and love and tenderness? He hadn’t had time to find an answer to that question when Shayna turned off the main thoroughfare and started them bumping down a rutted side road.

“Here we are,” she said, pulling the scooter into a small clearing. “This is the hike to the falls.”

He got off the scooter and walked to where he could get beyond the brush, then looked at the sheer cliff she was pointing to.

“What?” he said, reacting with shock. “No way. We’re not climbing up that, are we? That’s impossible.”

“What’s the matter, big boy?” she said, giving him a little sock in the chest with her fist. “Too tough for you?”

“I don’t know about tough,” he said, scratching his head as he surveyed the terrain. “I’m not an experienced climber, by any means. But I would say this climb is beyond the realm of an amateur. So if you think…”

His voice faded away. She’d already begun the climb…and she was doing it barefoot, her zoris stuck in her pockets. He gaped at her. She was climbing like a monkey. This was nuts. He had no problem braving the high seas on a tiny sailboat, clinging to the rigging in high winds when the sails needed tending, sweeping out over rough waters in shark-infested areas. He’d done that sort of thing all his life. But climbing around on slippery rocks in a bug-ridden jungle? This was not his idea of fun.

Still, he couldn’t stand here on the ground while she shimmied up into the clouds, could he? Grumbling in annoyance, he started up after her, only to find himself sliding back down on every other hold. It was definitely a case of two steps forward, one step back—when he was lucky.

A bird swooped down and almost took a hunk out of his hair.

“Hey,” he called up to her after he fended it off. “At least tell me what to look out for in the way of animal life.”

She glanced back down and grinned, obviously tickled that she was beating him. Finding a small ridge, she sat down and waited for him to catch up.

“Snakes,” she said at last as he sat down, too, panting. “Look out for snakes and silver lizards that bite.”

“Great,” he said, giving her a baleful look. “I’ll do that.”

“When I first got here,” she went on, “I was told there were no snakes, but that turned out to be a lie.”

She realized the admission she’d made as soon as the words were out of her mouth and she groaned silently, hoping he wouldn’t pick up on it.

But he did.

“When did you get here, Shayna?” he asked right away. “How long have you lived here?” Reaching out, he gave her a little playful pretend punch in the arm. “Come on. Time to spill the beans.”

The sparkle went out of her eyes. Slowly, she shook her head. “I told you my life was not up for discussion.”

He stared at her for a long moment, then shrugged. “Okay. Let’s get this thing over with.” He frowned toward the jungle that surrounded them. He could hear animal calls in the distance. He would hold off on getting worried until they started to come closer. Maybe.

“What is the purpose of this hike again?” he asked, the tiniest thread of resentment in his tone.

“To see the falls,” she said, and started off confidently. “They’re wonderful. Come on.”

But by now he’d gotten the knack and she soon found that her lead had dwindled to nothing. They hiked through a stream and past a nest of brilliantly feathered birds who scrambled and squawked at being interrupted, and finally, the summit was reached.

“Look at that. It’s magic, isn’t it? It just overwhelms me every time.”

He looked. He had to admit it was okay. They had a panoramic view of the jungle, right on down to where it met the blue ocean. Beautiful. Thrilling, in its own way. But was it worth what they’d gone through to get here? Maybe he was being a wimp, but he didn’t really think so. He was hot and sweaty and sore, and he’d cut his hand. He didn’t love it.

“So tell me, Shayna, what does this hike have to do with finding my plans?” He pinned her with a hard look that was almost a glare.

Her smile was sunny and completely innocent. “Nothing.”

He gaped at her uncomprehendingly. “What?” he said.

“I just thought we needed a little exercise,” she said.

He was about to answer her sharply when he noticed something. Sounds. He climbed a little higher and looked over the top, down to where the waterfall hit bottom. There were people down by the waterfall’s edge. Lots of people. Family groups. Little children. Mothers with strollers.

“Wait a minute. There are cars over here.” Standing, he waved a finger at them and looked back at Shayna. “Those people down there drove to see the falls. Didn’t they?”

She climbed up to where she could see what he was seeing. “Sure,” she said simply. “You can get to it off the highway from the other side of the island.”

Outrage wasn’t a word strong enough for what he felt. He’d made the hike, but he hadn’t liked it much. And now he saw that it was all for naught. “We could have driven here. We wouldn’t have had to go through all the misery.”

She shrugged, her sparkle back as she looked at him, mischievous as a kitten. “Sure, but where’s the fun in that?”

He made a strangling sound, and she replied sunnily, “This amnesia thing is great.” She grinned. “I got to do this to you twice.”

“What? You dragged me here before?”

“Sure.” Her grin widened. “Maybe you’ll get a new round of amnesia and I can do it again.”

He stared at her for a moment. Her smile was a little too cocky and her eyes gleamed just a little too brightly. He lunged.

“You’re going to pay!”

She tried to run, but this time he was too fast for her, so she squealed instead. He held her close and growled at her. “You were just trying to torture me, were you?” he teased. “Well, turnabout is fair play. So let’s see. What could I do to torture you?”

He pretended to think, and she tried to squirm out of his arms and shrieked again. But not for long. He dropped small, hot kisses along her neckline and in an instant, all resistance melted away. She sighed, arching her neck for him, closing her eyes as his mouth covered hers. He kissed her, sinking into her intoxicating warmth and she kissed him back, opening to him, accepting him with a passion she’d never felt for any other man. Every part of her sizzled with excitement at his touch. She began to need him with a deep, dark current of desire. For just a moment, she was his, and he was hers, and that was all that mattered.

A shout from below was a wake-up call, and though it wasn’t aimed at them, it was enough to remind them they weren’t alone. She drew back and looked into his dark, limitless eyes, but he didn’t let her out of his arms. He held her close, pulling her up against his chest so that she could hear the wild beating of his heart. She sighed, happier than she’d ever been.

She gazed down at the falls. He might not appreciate them but she certainly did. They were gorgeous from here—the jungle dripping flowers, the smooth flow of water over the edge, the drops spraying out and catching the sunlight in diamond sparkles, the crash as the water hit the rocks, the red and green parrots squawking in the trees, the white lacy butterflies like living flowers against the cliff. This place, along with the beach, epitomized the island to her. She loved the peace, she loved the excitement, she even loved the danger. She loved everything about Ranai. It had saved her life. She was more determined than ever that she would never leave.

Pulling back, she looked into his handsome face. “I’ve got to admit that this, more than anything else, has convinced me that you really have had a memory loss,” she told him.

He smiled, his gaze tracing the outline of her face as though he were memorizing it. “Why?”

“If you had remembered this hike, you wouldn’t have made it a second time, would you?”

He almost laughed. “You’ve got that right.” Then he finally let her go, shaking his head. “They invented cars for a reason, Shayna.”

She laughed, still carrying the happiness he’d given to her. “Come on,” she said, preparing to climb back down again. “Let’s go to the luau.”

Darkness hadn’t fallen yet but the torches were already lit, lining the long, winding driveway as they made their way to the top of the hill. They could hear the music before they shut the engine off.

“How do you want to play this?” she asked him. “Shall we tell people you’ve lost your memory? Or will you just go around with a smile on your face and pretend to know everyone?”

He nodded. “Let’s go for the latter at this point, unless we have to resort to the good old-fashioned truth. You can point out people I need to remember for sure and I’ll play it by ear from there.”

There were people spread all over the grounds of the beautiful glass and wood house that jutted out over the valley. At this point, alcohol seemed to be flowing more freely than food, though the delicious aroma from the cooking pit filled the air, as did the Hawaiian style music. A group of very large men, most of them Polynesians, played ukuleles and sang in high falsetto voices, while a line of hula dancers swayed. The beginnings of a gorgeous sunset was making amazing watercolors across the surface of the sea. The ambience was perfect. Another wonderful island evening was in store.

Marco talked to a lot of people in the next half hour, not one of whom he remembered at all. But the conversation was engaging and no one seemed to notice when his answers seemed a bit disengaged. Still, the only meeting that really stuck with him was the one he had with Eddie’s mom.

“Mr. Smith, hi. I heard you were back.”

Marco turned to find himself talking to a beautiful young woman with huge, haunted eyes. She held a tray of appetizers and he took a stuffed mushroom automatically, even though it was the last thing he wanted.

“Hello,” he said, stammering slightly. He had no idea who this was. “Uh…nice to see you again.”

She smiled and offered him a cracker with a shrimp on it. “Here,” she said in a husky whisper. “Better fill up on these. The Kalua pig is nowhere near done. It’ll be hours before you’ll get any real food.”

“Oh. Of course.” He took the cracker and began a balancing act that included his drink.

She smiled, watching him, but made no move to help until the shrimp began to slide off the cracker. Finally, she reached out and caught it just before it hit the deck. Calmly and without a word, she popped it into his mouth, just as though that were the most natural thing in the world to do.

“Want another?” she asked.

He shook his head, trying to chew as fast as he could. “Why don’t you have one?” he suggested once his mouth was clear.

She shook her head. “I can’t. I’m a server.” But there was a sad, hungry expression in her eye and she said it so regretfully that he couldn’t help himself. He turned the tables on her, taking a shrimp from the tray and tucking it into her mouth before she could stop him.

“Oh!” she said, laughing, but she chewed and swallowed quickly, after a few surreptitious looks around to see who might be watching. “There’s dinner,” she said happily.

Marco grinned. She was adorable, but who the heck was she?

As she waved and strolled off to serve appetizers to the others, Shayna appeared at his elbow.

“So you’ve seen Leila,” she noted. “She’s working every single job she can come up with to keep those kids fed.”

“Leila!” Of course. Why hadn’t he realized it? “That’s who that was.”

“You didn’t know?” She gave him a look.

“No. She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?”

“Yes, she is.” Shayna felt her jaw tightening, stopped, and laughed at herself. That reaction was so typically female. Every time another woman got a compliment didn’t mean that she was suddenly in competition with you, she reminded herself. In many ways, that seemed like a holdover from her old life that she had to get rid of.

They strolled over toward the entertainment and watched the beautiful Tahitian dancers churning their hips. The action was fun and the music was wild, and everyone seemed to be having a heck of a time. But Marco wasn’t getting anywhere. He wanted to get back to the reason they were here.

“Is there anyone I should be talking to that I haven’t?” he asked Shayna, getting a little impatient with it all.

“Elmo,” she said. “He’s the one giving the party, after all.”

“Okay. And how is he connected? What might he have seen?”

She twisted her mouth, thinking back. “He took you out fishing one day while you were here before. You came back fairly inebriated but without any fish at all.” She fixed him with a schoolmarmish look. “But you seemed to have had a good time.”

“So I guess his boat was of the inboard motor variety?” Marco noted.

“Yes. All rigged up for deep sea fishing. But I had the impression you two mainly sat around drinking beer and telling each other stories about fishing glories of the past. Though I could be wrong.” She put her nose in the air, teasing him. “You never know.”

He wanted to kiss her when she teased him like that. But he had to keep his focus. “Lead me to him,” he said instead, feeling a bit regretful but doing what was necessary. “Let’s see what the man knows.”

Elmo was a big, gruff Danish bear of a man who’d come to the islands as a teenager and stayed for good. He’d done well as a home builder for the high end trade that had developed over the last ten years or so, wiping out his previous image as a beach bum. And he loved to give parties.

He remembered Marco fondly and there was a lot of backslapping and loud joking about beer and large fish that got away. But when Marco tried to pin him down on remembering anything about his portfolio, he drew a blank.

“I remember you jotting down information now and then,” he admitted. “But I never really paid much attention.”

Another dead end. Elmo was called away, and Marco found Leila at his side again with a new plate of appetizers.

“Pigs in blankets,” she whispered to him. “I bet they’re your favorites.”

They were. He took two.

“I hope Jilly and Eddie haven’t been driving you crazy,” she said before heading off. “I haven’t been home much in the last few days so I haven’t been able to keep as close an eye on them as I usually would.”

“They’re fine,” he said. “They’re beautiful children.”

“Oh, thank you,” she said, and seemed to mean it. “They’re so good, too. They’re home right now and Jilly is fixing them tacos for dinner.” She had a faraway look in her eyes, as though she wished she were there with them. “I hope this party doesn’t last too long,” she murmured, more to herself than to Marco.

There was a veil of secret sorrow about this woman and he couldn’t help but be intrigued. She looked so spunky, yet vulnerable, that it made him want to do something for her.

“Leila, I was sorry to hear about your husband.”

“Yes.” Her dark eyes flashed his way. “He disappeared out by Sangria Island.”

“No sign of him?”

She hesitated. “Well, they searched Sangria and those two little islands right close. Then I told them about the island where he used to go with his dad as a kid, Grigos, and they said they searched it, but…” She scrunched her face tightly for a second or two. “You know, I don’t think they searched enough. That’s why I’m trying to make some extra money so I can charter a boat and go out there and look for myself.”

Yes, she certainly did have spunk. He nodded approvingly.

“Hey, Leila, good for you. Even if you don’t find anything, you’ll feel better because you’ll be sure.”

She nodded. “You know, Mr. Smith—”

“Call me Marco.”

Her smile was a little shaky. “Okay. Marco.” She sighed, her gaze wandering nervously. “I know people have probably told you that Tony had a girlfriend and he might have jumped ship to…to go be with her,” she said, her voice breaking. “But that’s not true. Yes, he is very handsome, and yes, he has always had an eye for the ladies.” She turned her eyes back to meet his, and he could see that they were shimmering with unshed tears. “But what people don’t understand is, he loves me and he loves the kids, and there is no way he would leave us. Not ever.”

She gazed up into his face beseechingly, as though he could do something about this, and he was at a loss.

“I…I’m sure he’ll turn up,” he said unconvincingly.

She gave him a tight smile and turned her attention away as she melted into the crowd again. He watched her go, his heart breaking for her. He knew his answer hadn’t done anything to satisfy her or make her feel better in any way. He’d never felt more inadequate. If only he could think of something…

Evening turned into night. The sunset had come and gone. And suddenly, he remembered Eddie. He went looking for Shayna and finally found her near the koi pond.

Shayna had been mixing freely, talking to so many people that it took her aback to realize how many friends she’d made in the little less than a year she’d lived here. Everyone treated her like an old-timer. The cliques and backbiting she’d known in her milieu at home weren’t apparent here. She felt good about that. She felt a part of things. Best of all, she didn’t get the sense that she had to do something to excite the crowd and justify her existence as she’d felt for most of her life before she came here. People accepted her for who she was. No circus tricks.

Of course, things weren’t perfect. There was the occasional jealous woman who acted as if she had to protect her man from cheating bait such as Shayna. And there was the occasional lecherous man who thought he could talk his way into gaining a few sexual favors. But she’d learned how to deal with problem people over the years and that sort of thing had pretty much died down since the first six months she’d been here.

She was happy here on Ranai. She was whole. The only thing missing was a man of her own. And a child. But she was pretty sure she’d taken care of that last request—thanks to the original Marco, the one she’d fallen for weeks ago. The trouble was, she was getting the two Marcos mixed up. They were blending together in her mind. And that was just too dangerous.

The reality was, she adored both of them. And even more reality—she was pregnant. If only she could tell him. If only he would be happy about it, as a father should be. She could close her eyes and pretend, but fantasy did not become her. She was going to have a baby, and she was going to have this baby alone. Had she really faced this yet? She was afraid the truth would overwhelm her if she let herself think about the gravity of the situation.

She was walking out toward the terrace when Marco caught up to her. She’d been still thinking about how she had to beware of him and how hard it was to do that. Somehow that fear, that wariness, translated into seeing her only refuge as being in his arms. Before she knew what she was doing, she found herself clinging to him, pressed tightly against his chest.

“Cara mia, what is it?” he said, lifting her chin so that he could look into her eyes. “What’s the matter?”

She shook her head, unable to speak without letting him know how close she was to crying. He dropped a soft kiss on her lips, she made a tiny sound, like a kitten, like a sigh, and his arms tightened around her. She felt safe, protected. How could that be when the one she feared was the one holding her? It didn’t make any sense.

“I’m sorry,” she said, pulling away. “I’m being a big baby. I’m…I’m really sorry, Marco.”

“What is it, Shayna?” he asked, catching hold of her hand. “What has frightened you?”

“Nothing.” She managed a fairly good smile and congratulated herself on it. “Nothing at all. Now what was it you were coming to tell me?”

He frowned, wishing he understood what had upset her. He was glad she’d turned to him instead of away, but he didn’t understand it. And he’d been shocked by the deep, fierce emotional response he’d had—as though he would do anything he had to do to make her smile again.

“Shayna—”

“Hush,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s nothing. But I was just thinking. What about Eddie?”

He nodded quickly. “That was exactly what I was coming to tell you. We’ve got to go. We forgot all about Eddie. I made a promise. I’ve got to keep it.”