The Best of Me

by Tina Wainscott

  “Nope. I put some of those dolphins where they are.”

  “But if you hadn’t, someone else would have.”

  He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. It was me.”

  She took a deep breath, confused by the swirl of feelings this man evoked inside her. He was an enigma, to be sure. And he believed in what he did in a way that was different than the way she believed in what she did. You tout toilet paper, and he saves dolphins.

  Their gazes held again, and a charge arced between them. He leaned forward. She tilted her chin up. He looked at her mouth with a kind of hunger she knew was reflected in her eyes, too. She was captured in the green of his eyes, deeper than the depths of the sea and even more mysterious. The kiss took her by surprise, even though she wanted it with every cell of her body. It was a chaste kiss, yet it spoke of hot, steamy Caribbean nights and naked bodies beneath a full moon. His mouth covered her without hesitation, moving slowly back and forth, drawing out the kiss. Just as her body was on the verge of liquefying, she pulled back.

  She gathered her thoughts as best as she could, but her voiced was slurred when she said, “You kissed me.”

  “And you kissed me back.” He stood and held out his hand to her. His fingers felt strong as they wrapped around hers and lifted her to her feet. He pulled her up too fast, though, pitching her forward. She braced herself against his chest, and he grabbed her shoulders.

  She said, “But you started it.”

  His mouth quirked in a smile. “Yeah, now that we got that out of the way, we can go back to disliking each other.” He glanced up at the gray clouds that were now thin streaks across the sky. “Let’s head back to the park. It looks like the lightning’s over, and I’ve got a lot of work to do with Liberty.”

  Dislike him? After that kiss? “I guess I’ll go back, too. I need some time to think about Crandall’s offer.” And that kiss.

  “You’re not going to sell your place to that guy, are you?” he asked.

  “Why not?”

  “He looks slimy.”

  “You mean I’m supposed to tell him, ‘You’re slimy so I’m not going to deal with you’?”

  “Yeah, why not?”

  “Sorry, that’s not my style.”

  “No, I suppose not. Of course not, what was I thinking?”

  She paused, looking up at him. “You’re picking on me again. I thought we’d come to a, well, sort of peace treaty. You did kiss me, after all. You must like me a little.”

  He ran his finger down her cheek. “You know as well as I do that two people who dislike each other don’t kiss like that. And if we kiss that well, just think what else we could do…well. And thinking about that could be very distracting to a man like me who has a dolphin to see to. And to a woman like you who has a marine park to see to. For now, I think we should forget about that kiss and pretend it never happened.”

  Pretend it never happened? Oh, right. And with the way he was looking at her mouth, and slowly rubbing his own…like that was going to happen.

  6

  “WOMEN ARE WOMEN are women,” Chris said, tempting Liberty closer with a fish. Not all women left their bodily impressions on him for an hour after they’d been pressed together on the moped, and not all of them looked so cute, even dripping wet. Certainly not all of them felt as good under his mouth. “Women are women are women,” he muttered again, and Liberty poked his head out of the water and nodded in agreement. For that, he got the fish.

  “Ah, but you’d say anything for a fish. And you’re smitten with her, too.”

  Chris had no objection to occasional female company, but Lucy wasn’t going to be that company. She was a different breed, and he had no business even being distracted by the likes of her.

  But he was.

  And he didn’t like it one bit.

  So why had he kissed her earlier? She’d clearly wanted to know, but he didn’t have an answer. He hadn’t thought about it, considered the ramifications, or the wisdom of it. He’d simply kissed her, and he would have kissed her more if she hadn’t backed up. In retrospect, he was glad she’d broken it off. At that moment, he hadn’t been too happy about it.

  Movement from the corner of his eye brought his gaze to her as she made her way over to Liberty’s pool. Her dark hair had dried straight, curling under her chin and framing her face. He averted his gaze to the muscles in her legs as she walked, shapely, smooth legs—he looked back at Liberty.

  “Hi,” she said, tucking her hands into the pockets of her shorts.

  He had to stop this.

  “Hi,” he said, though he barely glanced her way, barely enough to notice her nose was pinkening. He pulled another fish from the bucket and sank beneath the water. Liberty’s form loomed before him; he was obviously intrigued by the human-beneath-the-water trick.

  When Chris came up for air, he hoped she would be gone. She was seated by the edge of the pool instead. This bothered him, more so for the fact that the realization created a warm spot inside him. More so because he wanted to kiss her again. Since forming the Free Dolphin Society, he had become good at being rude or ignoring people who impeded his progress. He already knew Lucy couldn’t be ignored, so he had to resort to the rude tactic.

  He stopped what he was doing and looked at her with a tilt of his head, trying not to smile or look too deeply into those big brown eyes. “Don’t you have some slimy real-estate guy to see?”

  “Why, am I bothering you?”

  “Yes.” When she pulled her legs in defensively, he added, “It’s nothing personal. Heck, you’re better looking than the guys who work here.”

  She waved her hand coquettishly. “You charmer, you.”

  He held back a smile. “Hey, I never said I was good at dealing with people, did I? When I get to a place like this, I usually have to deal with an irate owner who bugs me until he realizes he can’t make me budge, and then he leaves me alone.”

  “Ah, that’s how you got so good at ignoring people.”

  “Exactly,” he said with a smile. He was still smiling. “Besides, you’re getting a nasty burn. You should put some sunblock on.” Geez, so much for being rude. He sounded like her damned mother!

  She cocked her head, giving him a wrinkle-nosed smile. “Thanks for caring.”

  He focused on Liberty again. “Don’t mention it.”

  “I’ll try to hold myself back,” she said.

  A thin voice floated over the wind from the front gate. “Yoo-hoo, Lucy!” Crandall stood at the gate with the closed sign hanging on the other side.

  She waved him in. “It’s not locked.”

  The guy looked impeccable, even in the humid, heavy air. And he was as slick and slimy as the fish Chris held in his hand.

  “So, Mr. Slick’s back to work some moves on you again, eh?” he said as the man approached with his hundred-watt smile in place.

  She shot Chris a look that might have melted a lesser man. “I can take care of myself.” She turned to give Crandall a much nicer smile, standing to take his outstretched hand. “Hello, Mr. Sl—Morton.” She shot Chris another irritated look, but he could only grin at her faux pas.

  Crandall held her hand for far longer than a normal handshake. “I’m sorry we haven’t been able to give you nicer weather today,” he said, glancing up at the streaky, gray sky.

  “And you would be the weather god, then?” Chris asked, unable to resist.

  Crandall aimed the smile at him. “Of course not. Just a—” back to Lucy “—spokesman for our island.” Then back to Chris. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

  “That’s because we haven’t.”

  She rolled her eyes. “This is Chris Maddox—”

  Crandall nodded. “The dolphin thief, I presume.” He smiled at her as though the three of them were in on some joke together.

  Chris was about to explain the misunderstanding, but she beat him to it. “Chris has legal custody of Liberty. Now, I’m afraid I haven’t given much thought to your earlier offer. I’
ve been—” he swore he saw a slight flush rise up her already pink face “—enjoying the scenery.”

  “Actually, I stopped by to see if you had changed your mind about joining me for dinner tonight.”

  Brother, he was going to put the moves on her. Chris felt himself wanting to intercede on her behalf, to say they already had plans. But he wasn’t a hero and he wasn’t interested in Lucy, so he turned back to Liberty. Besides, didn’t she just tell him she could take care of herself? He didn’t miss the glance she slid his way before saying, “I’d be glad to. After all, I don’t have any other plans.”

  “Wonderful,” Crandall said, sliding her arm into the crook of his own and leading her away from the pool like she was some princess. Well, she was the advertising princess, wasn’t she?

  “I was thinking white wine, lobster and watching what might be a spectacular sunset later on if it clears.”

  She looked at Chris, and that strange heroic impulse to call her back rose in his throat. He swallowed it down and turned away. She turned back, too, laughing overly loud at something Mr. Slick said.

  “Women are women are women,” he said, giving Liberty the last fish in the bucket. He walked over to the edge of the pool and grabbed the raft. This was what he wanted. So why did he feel disappointed?

  LUCY FELT a little stab of disappointment when Chris turned away from her. What did she expect?

  Crandall had her arm tightly tucked in his, going on about the weather patterns in the Bahamas. She pulled away as soon as they neared the entrance in preparation to open the gate, which could actually be done one-handed. Once it was relatched, she kept her arm a safe distance from Crandall.

  Wait a minute. What was wrong with her? She’d cuddled up to Chris on a very small seat earlier—and enjoyed it, if she had to be honest with herself—yet this respectable man who at least wore clothes merely wanted to hold her hand, and she felt hesitant. If this man kissed her, he probably wouldn’t then turn around and say they should forget it.

  He opened the car door for her as he told her about the charming restaurant he was part owner of that he was taking her to. She didn’t even realize at first that the car was backward, with the driver’s side on the right. She slid into the import that was clean and new, but found her gaze on the old moped leaning against the side gate.

  “Should I change into something nicer?” she asked, wrenching her attention from the moped. “I’m a bit wrinkled.”

  “No, you look charming. Besides, we’re very casual down here. You’ll fit right in.”

  He drove as crazily as the natives, but apologized every time she reached for the strap. He spent the drive to the restaurant talking about himself, a subject he seemed quite enamored of.

  She thought of the differences between Chris and Crandall, focusing on the latter’s positive traits. “You know, it’s refreshing to hear a man talk about himself after being with Chris, who only talks about himself under duress.”

  “I’ve heard about him. He’s some kind of dolphin freedom fighter, isn’t he?”

  She smiled. “Dolphin freedom fighter. I like that.”

  He waved off the subject with a flip of his hand. They pulled beneath a portico, and two young men ran out and opened their doors, bowing as though Crandall was royalty. Well, he certainly acted that way, holding his thin frame erect, patrician nose in the air. Her mother would approve, to be sure.

  The host led them to a table by the windows that lined the entire back of the restaurant. After approving the wine, Crandall ordered for them, and they were left alone. The sunset was not spectacular, and the dark green water stretched restlessly out until it kissed the sky. She took a deep, quiet breath and drank it in. It wasn’t pretty, but it was peaceful. For the first time, she wanted to sit there and absorb.

  With a smile, she turned to Crandall as his mouth opened to say something. “Can we just…you know, sit here for a minute without saying anything?”

  He looked at her as though she’d asked for a hot dog and fries. “Why would you want to do that?”

  Her smile widened, because hadn’t she said the same thing to Chris? “To absorb.” The way Chris had explained it made sense, but she couldn’t remember his exact words. “Never mind.”

  He gathered her hands in his across the small tabletop. “Good, because I want to talk to you, Lucy. First, a little business to get out of the way, and then we can…absorb each other’s company.” He gave her a patronizing smile along with a squeeze of her hands. “The investors are anxious to hear about their offer on your property.”

  “I told you, I haven’t decided yet. If they’re in that big of a hurry, let them buy something else.”

  He nodded. “I told them you were not a lady to be rushed.”

  “You did, did you?”

  “Certainly.” The man had poise, she had to give him that.

  “Good, because it’s true. Besides, I kind of like owning a bit of property in the Bahamas, and I want to enjoy it.”

  “Business over then,” he said, tipping his wineglass against hers.

  She took a sip of her wine. “You know, it is so refreshing to talk to someone…civilized. I think Chris is part dolphin, and he has no manners, no chivalry. I fell into the dolphin’s pool my first day here, and you know what he does? He dries himself off with a towel and then hands it to me to use.” She found herself laughing at the memory. “Oh, he did help me out of the pool, I’ll give him credit for that.” With his hands on her behind, his strong fingers molding her curves….

  The waiter brought plates of broiled lobster, and she found herself glad she didn’t opt for silence. She was having fun talking.

  “And so he got arrested for trying to free these dolphins. Can you believe someone would have such conviction to risk going to jail? I can’t think of one thing I believe in that strongly. Can you? But when I watch him work with Liberty, I see why he feels so strongly about them.

  “Aw, you should have seen Liberty toss that ball to me. You would have fallen right in love with him. And I fed him a fish! Well, not the first time when Chris threw one in my lap. But I actually handed Liberty a fish, and he took it from me!” She clasped her hands together, shaking her head. “It was amazing! Chris thinks they’re smarter than people. He certainly thinks they’re better than people.”

  He was looking very relaxed after his fifth glass of wine. Every time she took a sip, he’d fill her glass again.

  “I’m fine,” she said after the eighth time he’d done this.

  “But you’re not drinking, you’re too busy talking.”

  “I’m not much of a drinker.”

  When the waiter took their plates away, he tossed his linen napkin on the table. “You don’t want dessert, do you?”

  “I shouldn’t. But thank you for…asking.” His charm was wearing thin, or perhaps it was his patience, though she couldn’t imagine why. “Thank you very much for a lovely dinner.”

  His smile quickly resumed. “You’re very welcome, my dear. Please allow me to take you around our little island and show you some of the sights.”

  “Well, I really should be getting back—”

  He cut her off by squeezing her hand. “Please, I want to show you a few of the special places on the island. Then I promise I’ll leave you alone and let you make your decision about the property.”

  She hesitated, but figured she could go along since he’d treated her to this wonderful dinner. “All right, perhaps for a short while.”

  CHRIS PULLED HIMSELF from the pool and dried off. His enthusiasm over Liberty’s acceptance had waned somewhat while he’d sprawled out on the raft and thought of nothing in particular. Especially not Lucy having dinner with Mr. Slick. He shrugged into a shirt and stepped into a pair of shorts. His big plans for the night included going over the dolphin’s medical history and preparing a chart to track his progress.

  “Hey, dolphin mon!”

  Chris looked up to find Bailey walking over with something less than a hosti
le expression on his face. “What’s up?”

  “Do you know where Miss Lucy be? She usually be hanging around wit’ you, mon.”

  Chris rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I don’t think she’ll be doing that anymore. She’s having dinner with Mr. Slick of the real estate company.”

  Bailey’s eyes widened, making him look comical. “Oh, no, he’s probably taking her to his fancy restaurant, da Blue Conch, giving her da whole dine and wine t’ing. You let her leave wit’ dat man?”

  “She didn’t exactly ask my permission.” But he couldn’t help remember the look on her face as she’d glanced back at him before they’d left. “Why, what’s wrong with her having dinner with the guy, except that he’s probably a jerk.” Something cold settled into his bones. “That is all he is, isn’t it?”

  Bailey flattened his palm on his forehead. “I don’ know, mon. Morton be a bad mon eenai’ place, you know what I mean?”

  “No, explain it to me.”

  “He jus’ gonna charm her right into signing dose papers. He got ways of charming a woman.”

  Chris relaxed again. “Is that all? I mean, she’s not in danger, is she?”

  “Jus’ maybe her virtue. And her common sense. Dat man can be pushy, if you know what I mean.”

  “Maybe you didn’t notice, but Miz Lucy’s a smart lady. She’s not going to let any two-bit mambo talk her into anything she doesn’t want. She can take care of herself, believe me.”

  Bailey didn’t look convinced. “I’ve got a friend who might be interested in dis place. I don’t want her to make any fast decisions without getting to talk to her.”

  “Miz Lucy’s not the impulsive type.” Then he remembered their ride on the moped. “Most of the time. You can talk to her in the morning.”

  “Okay, mon.”

  Chris followed Bailey out, glancing up as the lights over the park came on with a crackling noise. Bailey got into his little car and sped away, but Chris sat on the moped and wondered why his paperwork wasn’t calling so loudly anymore.

  CRANDALL’S MOOD lifted once they left the restaurant. He drove slowly through the town and pointed out different structures he had a hand in selling. She’d noticed the bottle of wine and two glasses he’d taken from the Blue Conch, but wasn’t in the mood for any more wine. Or any more Crandall, actually.