Melody glanced away. “Yeah, but I felt all those things. I really did. I just couldn’t admit to you that I’d pined away for a married man for seven years. I had enough on my plate and I didn’t want to hear your lectures. I felt humiliated that he’d rejected me. Ryan’s the one, Vanessa. A girl just knows those things.”
The way Brock is the one for you.
Vanessa bounded up from her seat fearing that thought true. She paced the floor. “Finish, Melody. I want it all.”
“Well, uh. I was devastated if you remember.”
Vanessa sucked in oxygen. She’d remembered.
“Nothing worked with Ryan and I thought I’d lost him again. Forever!”
Melody was such a drama queen. Vanessa rolled her eyes. “So what did you do to change his mind?” Then it struck her. The thought had never occurred to her before. “Are you pregnant?”
“I wish!” Then she smiled. “Someday. Ryan wants children.”
“What, then?”
“I took a good piece of advice. Thanks to Brock.”
“What on earth did he say?”
“He came to see me, to let me down gently, I think. It was a gentlemanly thing to do. We’d never…uh, you know, not even close. I broke down crying and confessed my story about Ryan. Anyway, he saw how devastated I was. He was very sweet and sympathetic. He told me to go to Ryan and tell him the truth. He told me men don’t like women who play games. That if there’s anything real there, Ryan would come around. But most importantly, a man wants a woman to be up front and honest.”
Vanessa braced her hands on the back of the sofa to steady herself. “Oh, God.”
“After weeks of crying and feeling hurt and rejected, I finally got up the courage to tell Ryan the truth. And just like Brock said, he appreciated my confession. He said he was gun-shy after the divorce. It all happened so fast between us that he needed more time so he backed off. But then, just a few days ago, he told me how much he loved me and that he wanted a life with me. And I knew everything would work out.”
Looking at Melody’s dreamy expression sparked Vanessa’s anger. “You lied to me.”
“I know. I had to.”
“No, you didn’t have to! You have no idea what you’ve done!”
“Vanny, calm down. It all worked out.”
Tears sprung from Vanessa’s eyes. “No, it didn’t all work out! Your lies have cost me, Melody.”
Vanessa ached inside from gnawing guilt. Brock had been innocent of any wrongdoing. Her stomach squeezed tight thinking of the accusations she’d tossed at him. The pain she’d caused him. The deception and lies she’d told that she’d justified unequivocally in her mind. All of it came crashing down on her, the weight a heavy burden to bear.
She loved Brock Tyler.
And he’d threatened to have her arrested.
Vanessa looked Melody in the eyes and launched into her story, making her foolish sister listen as she poured out what was left of her heart.
If confession was good for the soul then Vanessa’s soul went through a superdeluxe cleansing. She’d called Akamu first and confessed everything she’d done, explaining her motivation without defending her position. She’d been wrong and she admitted it. Surprise registered briefly when Akamu confessed he’d known of her deception, too. She supposed Brock had to have an accomplice in his retaliation.
Vanessa apologized until the words wouldn’t come anymore. Akamu said he understood and that the person she should be apologizing to was Brock. Before hanging up the phone, they decided to put the past behind them. Vanessa was certain and relieved that she and Akamu would remain friends.
Next she called Lucy, explained the situation and begged her forgiveness. Lucy surprised her most of all. “You’re my hero, Vanessa.”
“I don’t feel like a hero at all.”
“Listen, you made a mistake, but your motivation was dead-on. And you had the guts to follow through on your plan. I thought I was the gutsy one!”
Vanessa allowed herself a small smile. “You are. Only you don’t make a fool of yourself when you think you have right on your side. I went full steam ahead, but not without guilt, Lucy. I want you to know that I never meant to deceive or hurt you. I just never thought I’d make such wonderful friends on the island.”
“You’re still my friend, Vanessa. And that means I can tell you a thing or two. First, you need to come back here and ask for Brock’s forgiveness. It’s been almost a week since you left and our boss has been immersing himself in work, not speaking to anyone but Akamu. He goes out on his yacht alone every night. Which makes our lives tough, since he’s pulled a few of us in to helping with the double wedding.”
“It’s in a few days, right?”
“No, that’s been changed.”
“Oh, so he meant what he said. He’s basically undone everything I did for the wedding, including changing the date.”
Lucy didn’t acknowledge what Vanessa knew for fact. “Did you know he threatened to have me arrested?”
“He wouldn’t do that. Bad for business.”
“That’s what Akamu said!”
Lucy chuckled. “Sorry, but it’s true. Akamu has been pressuring him to hire a new event planner. We need help around here. But the boss won’t consider it. He only stares out the office window and shakes his head whenever Akamu brings it up.”
“I’ve ruined him for event planners,” Vanessa said sourly. “That’s all I meant to him.”
“I think you meant more than that…a lot more. Do you love him?”
Vanessa nibbled on her lip.
“Do you?”
“Yes,” Vanessa said finally, with no joy. Shouldn’t a person have joy in their heart when they admit to falling in love? “But I’m sure he hates me. He’d never trust me again. I know I tried some awful things, but he believed I’d ruin his family’s double wedding. There’s nothing I can do to change his mind.”
“Now that’s not the determined friend I know. You’re gutsy, remember? And quite determined when you need to be.”
Vanessa sighed into the phone. “Not anymore. I’ve learned my lesson.”
“You’ll always have my friendship, Vanessa, but if you want to maintain hero-status in my eyes, you need to do something. You can’t just give up!”
“I treasure your friendship, Lucy. But I’m not a hero. I’m furious with Melody for lying to me, yet I did the same thing to people I cared about.” Vanessa’s eyes misted and she held back tears. She was through crying outwardly, but inside she bled with infinite remorse. “I played a dangerous game and I lost.”
The next day, Melody barged into the guest bedroom she’d offered Vanessa for the time being. She didn’t have a job or a place to stay. Her own apartment five miles away was rented out until summer. “When are you gonna stop moping?”
“I’m not moping,” Vanessa defended, lying sideways on the bed. “I’m job searching.” She flipped the newspaper to the want ads and pretended interest.
“I’ve never seen you like this,” Melody said.
“I’ve never been in this position before. Hmmm, I can’t seem to find ‘saboteur’ in any job description.”
“Cut it out, Vanny. You’re scaring me. You’ve always been the dependable one.”
Vanessa shook her head with wry amusement. “I babied you. Mothered you until I smothered you. I was furious with you a few days ago, but now I’ve had time to reflect. I understand why you lied to me. I probably would have lied to me.”
Melody sat down on the bed. “Oh, no, Vanessa. You didn’t baby me too much. I needed you. When Mom got really bad, I was still young and you were there, showing me that you cared. You have no idea how much that meant to me. You’re my big half sister but you always were my whole sister in every way. I took you for granted and I realize, now that I’m older, how much you sacrificed for me. I love you so much for being exactly who you are. A sister who’d go to battle for me, when she thinks I’ve been wronged.”
Vanessa sat up
on the bed and slanted her sister a look. “Really?”
Melody nodded. “Really and truly.”
“Thank you,” Vanessa said quietly.
Melody reached out and took Vanessa’s hand. “I’ve learned not to play games with people’s emotions. Honesty works. And if it doesn’t, then you gave it your best shot.”
“Why do I think a lecture is coming?” Vanessa asked.
Melody smiled wisely. “Because you’re the expert on giving them. Now it’s my turn. Be still. Be quiet and listen to me.”
“Gosh, now you’re repeating my words.”
“Heaven knows I’ve heard them so many times, they’re ingrained in my head. Now, about Brock Tyler…”
The view from his rental house was breathtaking. Brock stood out on the backyard cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean with a vodka tonic in one hand and a cell phone in the other. He had calls to make, business to conduct, but today he wasn’t in the mood.
Instead he stared down at the blue waters cast somewhat murky by gray clouds overhead, lost in thought. He hadn’t really planned on business calls when he took his phone out of his pocket. No, he’d been tempted to call Vanessa Dupree.
But he couldn’t bring himself to speak to her by phone. He wasn’t ready to forgive her. He might never be ready. He feared he’d fumble his words and end up arguing with her again. The anger hadn’t yet faded, but something else was there, too, and that something had kept him from sleep every night since she’d left.
Vanessa had him fooled and not too many people had ever accomplished that with him. He thought he knew her. He thought, now here’s a real woman, someone he wanted to know on every level. When he’d been with her, fleeting thoughts entered his mind of settling down, of caving in and abandoning bachelor-hood like his brothers Evan and Trent and his best friend, Code.
Thoughts of Vanessa tormented him since he ordered her off his property. He couldn’t shake her. Brock slipped his phone back in his pocket, writing off any idea of calling her, and sipped his drink. The strong liquor, more vodka than tonic, burned his throat and dulled his senses, but nothing washed Vanessa’s image from his mind. She’d tried to ruin him, and yet when he compared her to the other women he’d known in his life, she always came out on top.
Hell, he was a fool and an idiot.
Because, still with all she’d done, he had to admire her loyalty to her sister. Vanessa thought Melody had been wronged and she went full steam ahead with her plan to exact her revenge. Brock understood that in an elemental way. He’d do anything for his brothers.
The clouds drew closer to shore, marring the last burst of sunlight on the horizon and putting a chill in the air. The weather matched his mood.
Stormy.
Brock polished off his drink and sought his nightly escape on the Rebecca. Sailing off at sunset brought him clarity, and he needed that right now. His mind rattled with unease. Was letting Vanessa go in his best interests? Everything inside him pushed and pulled. He wanted to go after her.
He missed her like hell.
“A girl has to do something crazy to get her man, doesn’t she?” Vanessa repeated her sister’s words in a whisper as she secretly slipped onto the Rebecca.
You can’t just give up. Lucy’s advice rang in her head.
If this didn’t work, she’d blame both of them for planting the seeds.
Of course, if she were really brave, she’d confront Brock face-to-face in his office, or at his home. Instead, she chose to stow away on his yacht where he couldn’t turn her away.
He could throw her overboard, though. The image passed in her head and she immediately discounted it. Brock wouldn’t do that.
That would be terrible for business.
“You love him. Tell him, Vanessa,” she said, sneaking into the bedroom where they’d made love. “Tell him you’re sorry you misjudged him.”
Vanessa took her shoes off and waited.
It had been a horrific day. She’d been taken out of the line at the airport for a security check and if that hadn’t been enough, her flight had been delayed. The airplane had been kept on the runway for thirty minutes before allowing them clearance for takeoff. When they’d finally landed, she’d discovered her luggage had been lost.
Vanessa took everything in stride. She was determined to see this through and find out, once and for all, if she’d destroyed any chance she’d had for happiness with Brock.
She glanced at her watch. She was still on Louisiana time, but she figured it was past seven here, since the sun had already set and there was a chill in the air. She hadn’t seen Lucy yet. She hadn’t told a soul her plan. All Melody knew was that she was heading back to Maui to talk with Brock.
Vanessa shivered as she sat in the dark on the bed. She pulled up a blanket and wrapped it around herself. She closed her eyes just to rest them a little and laid her head back.
The boat swayed and stirred restlessly and Vanessa popped her eyes open, realizing they were out to sea. She must have fallen asleep.
Which meant that if they were moving, Brock was on board. Vanessa rose and almost lost her footing. The boat rocked back and forth. Rain pelted down, the sky dark and dismal from what she could see out the window.
She made her way carefully to the deck and came face-to-face with Brock, dripping wet, helping his crew stow away equipment. He took one look at her and cursed.
“Damn it, Vanessa. What the hell are you doing here?”
He didn’t give her time to answer. He grabbed her arm and led her to his room. “There’s a hurricane out at sea. We’re getting hit with a big storm. Stay down here. I’ll be back later.”
With that, he left and Vanessa shivered. Not from the cold. Not from the storm they’d encountered. But by Brock’s chilling tone. It was clear to her she’d made a big mistake coming here and now there was no escape. She’d have to wait out the storm and hope she’d be left with some semblance of dignity when they made it back to shore.
She ached inside, the pain the worst she’d ever felt in her life. She’d lost a really good man, and she may never recover. Brock’s fierce expression told her all she needed to know. She experienced the same hollow hurt that Melody felt when Ryan had rejected her. She understood better now the devastating loss.
Waves crashed and the boat rocked violently. Vanessa’s fear intensified. She’d been thrown a few times, so she laid down again, hugged the bedpost for support, closed her eyes and waited for the storm to end.
The next time Vanessa opened her eyes, she found Brock beside her, his warmth soothing her, his arm draped around her body. She blinked and thought she was dreaming.
“Hi,” he said, gazing at her softly. “We’re out of danger and almost back to Tranquility Bay.”
Vanessa swallowed and nodded. Cushioned by his strong capable arms and looking into his seriously gorgeous face, she could think of worse disasters. “Will you have me arrested for breaking and entering?”
Brock smiled and traced the corners of her mouth with a finger. “That depends. Why are you here?”
She turned to her side to face him fully. “To ask for your forgiveness. I’ve misjudged you. Melody told me everything. She lied to me, Brock, and made me think awful things about you. I know that doesn’t justify what I did and I don’t know how to apologize enough. I’m probably the last person you want to see right—”
“Wrong,” he said firmly. “When I saw you here, my heart nearly flew out of my chest. My feelings for you were cemented when you came on deck during the storm. I thought you might get hurt. Or tossed overboard. I couldn’t stand anything happening to you. Not on my watch. Remember, I protect what’s mine.” He rose from the bed. “Wait here.”
He left her cold and curious. When he returned, he held an orchid. He laid down on the bed again and placed the light purple flower behind her left ear. “Consider yourself taken, but not just for tonight this time, Vanessa. I’m in love with you.”
Hope swelled in her heart. “I’m in love with
you, too.”
“I want you in my life forever.”
“I want that, too…so much.” Then Vanessa shook her head. “But I don’t understand why you would.”
“For sex, why else?” A mischievous gleam entered his eyes and then he kissed her deeply before she could react. “Lucy and Akamu came to me tonight. They pleaded your case but, honey, they didn’t have to. You weren’t the only guilty party. I played along and I’m sorry for lying to you. I was just as deceitful as you were. I could have confronted you when I first found out what you were doing, but I chose to play your game and drag it out. I hope you can forgive me.”
“I do forgive you.”
Brock sighed and admitted, “I booked a trip to the mainland to see you before they spoke with me. I had to know if I was crazy falling in love with a woman who would see me ruined.”
“But it was a mistake! And I’m so sorry.”
“How sorry?”
“Very, very sorry.”
“Sorry enough to come to the double wedding with me as my fiancée?”
“Oh, yes,” she answered, breathless. “I would love to.”
“And no more games?” he asked softly.
“I promise, the only games I’ll play from now on will be in bed with you.”
Brock grinned. “I can wrap my mind around that. You know, I’ll have to thank Melody next time I see her.”
“You can’t possibly be glad she lied about you.”
“I am. If she hadn’t made up that crazy story, you wouldn’t have come to the island. And we wouldn’t have met.”
“Even after all the trouble I caused you? I was such a—”
Brock put a finger to her mouth, stopping her sentiment. “You were just what I needed—a beautiful, smart, determined challenge. The hardest thing I’ve ever done was to throw you off Tempest property. All I wanted was to love you.”
Joy warmed her heart. “Really? That’s sweet.”
“I’m a sweet guy, when given the chance. So it’s a date. You and me, forever?”
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