by Lilac Mills
Waves broke over her head, again and again. Then Paco’s paws were biting on solid ground, his weight and strength carrying them both forward until she was on her knees and crawling up the slope, each wave threatening to drag her back into the watery depths. Paco shook violently beside her and snorted to clear his nose. Then hands grabbed her roughly underneath her arms and hauled her clear of the sea.
A man’s voice called her name, panic-filled and terrified. A dog’s soft breath was on her cheek. A hand on her face. A kiss, hot on her cold lips.
Darkness.
Nothing.
Chapter 35
Sunbeams were shining behind her eyelids, flashing pink, green and orange as Sophie slowly came to. She lay there for a while, not wanting to wake up just yet, but there was something not quite right…
Strange noises assaulted her ears, and her nose was filled with an odd antiseptic smell. Together they brought a flood of memories rushing back to haunt her, of the days and weeks spent at her mother’s bedside as she underwent various treatments.
Her eyes flew open and she tried to sit up, before falling back into the pillows with a groan of pain.
She knew exactly where she was and the reason why.
‘Paco?’ Her voice sounded thin and weak, the word lost amidst the bustle beyond her room.
But someone heard her.
Alex, sitting near the door, got slowly to his feet. Sophie stared at him, unable to take in what she was seeing. Was that really him?
‘Gracias a Dios,’ he breathed.
He didn’t move, just kept staring at her. His dark eyes were strained, his clothes rumpled and creased, his expression serious.
‘Paco?’ she repeated.
‘He’s fine. Do you remember what happened?’
‘Yes. Some of it.’
‘Good.’
‘I don’t remember being brought here.’
‘You kept slipping in and out of consciousness. The doctors suspected you might have had water in your lungs.’
‘That’s not good.’
‘No.’ He swallowed and looked up at the ceiling, blinking hard. ‘You could have died. You nearly did. If it wasn’t for Paco…’
‘How did I get here?’
‘I brought you in the car.’
She gingerly eased her body up the bed until she was reclining rather than lying flat on her back. ‘There’s a lot more to it than that,’ she guessed, her voice growing a little stronger to her immense relief. ‘Tell me.’
‘I heard you scream,’ Alex said. ‘I didn’t see you go into the sea, but I saw Paco leap in after you. He dragged you to the beach, or what was left of it with the sea being so high. I took over from there.’
‘I remember you calling my name. I thought I was dreaming.’ She brought her hand up to her face and touched her lips. ‘You kissed me.’
‘CPR.’
‘I didn’t stop breathing.’
‘How do you know you didn’t?’
‘I just know. You kissed me.’
‘I did CPR,’ he insisted.
She shrugged, wincing as the movement sent aches and pains around her body. ‘Did I break anything?’ She wiggled one foot, then the other.
‘No, you were lucky.’
‘There was a man. At least, I think it was a man. He might have been following me, I’m not sure.’
‘I didn’t see anyone, but I heard Paco barking when I arrived at the villa. It didn’t sound like him – I’ve never heard him bark like that before – but Hugo knew it was him and that something was wrong. He thought you’d been swept away.’
‘I almost was.’ She shivered, the memory of the dark, dark sea still too fresh and raw. It would be a long time before she did more than dip her toe in it again. If ever.
‘I think I already have been.’ Alex’s teeth caught his bottom lip, and he reddened and glanced down at the floor.
‘Why are you here?’ she asked.
‘I brought you here, remember? I wasn’t going to leave you in hospital all alone.’
‘No, I mean, why are you back on Tenerife?’
‘Ah, you are awake, no?’ The voice belonged to a man in a white coat with a pen in his pocket, a pair of glasses perched on his nose, and a stethoscope around his neck.
He checked her over, asking her questions, shining a light in her eyes, listening to her chest, front and back. Alex had slipped out into the corridor at the start of the doctor’s examination, and she heard him talking to someone in Spanish just outside the door when the doctor left.
Alex returned, and the weariness and worry in his face had been replaced by smiles.
‘The doctor said I can go home,’ she told him, studying his expression, waiting for a reaction, good or bad.
His smile grew wider. ‘I know. That is the best news. Speaking of news, I have some too.’
She froze, hoping he wasn’t about to tell her he was getting married.
‘It’s about Hugo,’ he added.
Oh, yes, of course. Hugo. How could she have forgotten?
‘He does not have to sell the villa,’ Alex said.
Sophie took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. ‘That’s wonderful news! How did you manage that?’
‘Do you know Luis?’
‘He owns the fields next to Hugo’s.’
‘That’s right. He also now owns most of Hugo’s fields. Or he will do when the abogado, the solicitor, has drawn up the contract.’
‘Will it be enough so that he doesn’t have to worry about money for a while?’ Not that she had any idea how much farmland cost over here, but she was pretty certain the money from the sale wouldn’t last indefinitely.
‘I will be helping Hugo with the bills, and everything else, so he will be fine.’
What did he mean by everything else? Did he mean that it was time for her to go? Nooo, she wasn’t ready. Not yet.
‘I don’t understand,’ she said in a small voice, wishing someone would fetch her clothes so she could dress and get out of here. ‘Does Hugo want me to leave?’
Alex chuckled, the sound sending shivers down her back and making her stomach do an odd little flip. ‘He says you can stay at the villa for as long as you want.’
‘I can?’
‘Apparently he likes having you around.’ Alex cleared his throat, his attention on the less than inspiring view through the window. ‘So do I.’
Now she really didn’t understand. It was all too much to take in.
She shook her head slowly, thinking hard. ‘I can get a job and help pay the bills and—’
Alex held up a hand. ‘As I said, he will not need any help from you. I’m to pay the bills. It will save me renting, and I love the villa.’
She shook her head. ‘Now I’m really confused.’
Alex took a step closer, then another, until he was standing right next to her bed. ‘I’m sorry, I’m not making myself clear; I am going to live at the villa.’
‘You are?’
‘With Hugo – and with you, if you would like to stay.’ The smile faded from his face to be replaced by uncertainty. ‘Unless, of course, you still intend to move in with Dominic Brockman?’
‘But what about Iceland? And your girlfriend?’
‘I don’t have a girlfriend.’ His brows drew together as he frowned. ‘I don’t have a job in Iceland any more either.’ He took hold of her hand. ‘I have just accepted a position at INVOLCAN. My home will now be on Tenerife and I will live at the villa.’
Sophie was speechless, the words sticking in her chest, which seemed to be swelling to unmanageable proportions as joy swept through her.
‘You’re not happy about this?’ he asked, all trace of brooding Darcy-ness gone. How on earth could she have thought he was grumpy? He looked uncertain and worried, and rather vulnerable.
‘I am very happy,’ she said.
He squeezed her hand and she squeezed his back.
‘Good. I was worried that you might not want me at Villa Delfín.
Or that you would still want to move in with Dominic.’
‘You don’t like him much, do you?’
‘I was jealous of him because I thought you liked him. And he’s a bit of a player too. From what I’ve heard, he doesn’t believe in commitment.’
‘And you do?’
‘Most definitely.’
They were still holding hands, and Sophie pulled him down to her, his face inches from hers.
‘And I was jealous because I thought you had someone special in Iceland. When I phoned you I heard a woman laughing.’
Alex frowned then his brow cleared as she realised what she was referring to. ‘That was Angetta, a colleague. There was a group of us out that night. I do not have a girlfriend,’ he repeated.
‘I’m so glad. You do realise we’ll be living in the same house?’ she murmured.
‘I do. It will be wonderful.’
‘Not in the same bedroom,’ she warned.
He gave her a hurtful look. ‘I think we need to get to know one another better before that happens, don’t you?’
‘Good. I don’t want you getting the wrong idea. Now kiss me, then go and ask someone where my clothes are so I can get dressed.’
The kiss took far, far longer than either of them had anticipated… But neither of them were complaining at the end of it.
Chapter 36
Last night seemed like a lifetime ago. When Sophie got out of the car – the back seat still damp from Alex’s mad dash to the hospital, with her semi-conscious – the sea was its usual relatively calm self, the storm having blown over during the night and the early part of the morning. Apart from a few palm fronds scattered on the path and her tomato plants looking the worse for wear, no one would ever guess anything untoward had happened last night.
Hugo and Paco were waiting anxiously by the door for her, and Hugo enveloped her in a big hug the moment she stepped through it. Paco leaned against her leg, and she nudged him gently with her thigh in acknowledgement.
Hugo buried his nose in her hair and muttered, ‘I thought I had lost you…’ He trailed off, and sniffed again, and when she pulled back to kiss his cheek, his eyes were wet with unshed tears.
‘I’m fine,’ she assured him. ‘A little bruised and I’ve got aches in places I didn’t know could ache, but that’s all.’
‘I told you not to go too near the sea. It is dangerous when it is rough.’ He threaded his arm through hers and led her into the living room, settling her on the sofa and sitting down next to her, holding her hand. Paco followed, so closely that his nose kept bumping into her leg.
‘Bring tea,’ Hugo called to Alex. ‘With sugar.’ He lowered his voice a little and said to her, ‘It is good for the shock.’
‘I’m not in shock. Can I have coffee instead, without the sugar?’ She ruffled Paco’s ears and the big dog landed a sloppy wet tongue on her cheek. She laughed and gave him a one-armed cuddle, because Hugo was still gripping her other hand, refusing to let go.
Hugo narrowed his eyes, searching her face. ‘Are you sure you are OK?’
‘They wouldn’t have sent me home if I wasn’t.’
‘Alejandro, coffee not tea, and no sugar,’ Hugo yelled.
Home, she’d said home. ‘Can I really stay here with you?’
‘Do you want to? Or would you prefer to live with Dominic?’
‘I want to stay here,’ she replied firmly and without hesitation.
‘It won’t just be me…’
‘I know, Alex told me.’ It was her turn to scrutinise Hugo. She hadn’t noticed it when she’d seen him at the door because she’d been too busy being hugged by him, but now that she had a chance to examine him properly, she realised there was something different; he looked younger, less fraught, less worried.
‘It is good news, yes?’ he said, beaming.
‘Yes, it most certainly is.’
‘I knew he liked you from the start.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘Alejandro. And you like him. I can tell.’
That wasn’t what she’d meant, but perhaps Hugo didn’t know that she knew about TZC, the Russian offer, or his financial problems, so she decided not to mention anything. Changing the subject, she said, ‘About last night – someone was following me. Paco heard them, and when he began snarling and barking, I thought the only thing to do was to skirt around the rocks and try to get back to the villa that way. Then a wave hit and I—’ She gulped back sudden tears, her eyes stinging and her throat burning. ‘Paco saved my life. He jumped in after me and pulled me to the shore.’
‘I know,’ Hugo said, looking up at Alex as he entered the room holding a couple of cups of coffee. ‘Alejandro came to the villa, and when I opened the door to him, I heard Paco barking. He never barks, so I knew something was wrong. Alejandro went looking for you and found you and Paco on the beach. He took you to hospital.’ Hugo’s expression had grown solemn. ‘We did not know whether you would survive.’ He hugged her again, his voice breaking.
‘I’m fine,’ she said, tears wetting her cheeks. ‘More importantly, how’s Paco? He looks OK, but…?’
‘He’s good. Tired, worried about you, but he is not hurt.’
‘He’s one very brave dog, aren’t you, boy?’ She leaned forward to put both arms around his neck and he snuggled into her, whuffing softly in her ear. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered in his.
She’d buy him the biggest steak she could find, she vowed, because without his bravery and total disregard for his own life, she wouldn’t be here. Tears threatened again, and she blinked them back. She’d done enough crying in recent months. Now was the time for rejoicing. She had a place to live, with two people (three if you counted the dog) she had come to care for deeply, and Hugo’s problems were solved. All she needed to do now was to find herself a job so she could contribute to the upkeep of the villa. She had no intention of scrounging off either Hugo or Alex. Besides, now that Hugo was almost back to normal (another couple of weeks should see to that), she’d be bored. She had to do something with her life, otherwise it would be like she was on a perpetual holiday, and as nice as that was, it would grow stale eventually.
‘Shall I start lunch?’ she asked, wanting to get back to normal. Her stomach was rumbling and although it was getting on for mid-afternoon, she needed to eat. Alex too, because she guessed he’d been sitting by her bedside ever since he’d taken her to the hospital last night.
Alex. Just the thought of him sent little tremors through her.
She glanced up to find him watching her, a small smile playing about his lips, his dark eyes full of love.
Could she hope that…?
It was too early, too soon for anything like that. They barely knew each other. They’d have to share many more kisses before the L word was mentioned, if indeed it ever would be.
‘You are not doing anything, pequeña. I shall make us a snack. You’re to rest for a couple of days, at least.’
‘But—’
‘No.’ He held up a hand to stop her. ‘I insist. Hugo insists. You are not to do anything, not today, not tomorrow.’
She bit her lip, trying to look as though she was going to comply. She probably would for today, because she had to admit she felt washed out and was still sore and achy, but as for tomorrow…? She’d wait for Alex to go to work, then she’d—
‘I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not going to happen. I don’t start my new job for a week. I will be here to keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t overdo it tomorrow, and the next day, and the one after that. Then we shall see. In the meantime, tell me what needs doing and I shall do it.’
Sophie screwed up her face, thinking. OK, if that’s the way he wanted to play it, then she’d see what jobs she could find. She’d certainly enjoy bossing him around and giving him a taste of his own medicine.
‘All the beds need changing for a start, and the windows could do with a clean. Then Paco could probably do with a bath after his dip last night, and you’ll
have to check all the plants to see which ones can be saved, plus they’ll need to be watered thoroughly to make sure all the salt spray is washed off them, otherwise you’ll lose them. After that, the villa should be swept and—’
‘OK, OK, I get the message. You’re going to keep me busy as a punishment for not letting you do anything.’
She smiled innocently up at him. ‘Would I do such a thing?’
‘Yes.’ He said something in Spanish to Hugo and Hugo saluted.
‘What did you just say? You do know it’s rude to speak Spanish when you know I don’t understand.’
‘Which is exactly why I did it. I told Hugo to make sure you don’t move off the sofa while I make us a meal, even if he has to make Paco sit on you to keep you there.’
Paco whined, his tongue drooping comically out of the side of his mouth, and Sophie could have sworn he understood what was expected of him, because he placed one heavy paw on her lap as if to hold her down.
‘I’ll get bored,’ she warned, as Alex, clearly thinking he’d won the argument, turned to leave.
He stopped and looked at her, a wicked expression on his face and a twinkle in those gorgeous dark eyes. ‘I’ll just have to find something to keep you occupied, then, won’t I?’ And with that he gave her a wide smile which sent her heart racing and a pulse leaping at her throat.
Kissing him for hours on end would certainly keep her occupied, all right.
Chapter 37
‘Sophie, there’s someone here to see you,’ Hugo called from inside the house.
She was supposed to be relaxing on the terrace while Alex walked Paco (she was actually covertly giving it a good going over with a broom, and she could see the pair of them in the distance, sauntering along the path towards the headland. The thought that she could have so easily died there sent a shudder through her, and she was glad of the distraction of a visitor.
‘Dominic!’ she exclaimed, when she walked into the living room and saw him standing in the doorway. ‘What a nice surprise. What are you doing here? Please, take a seat. Would you like a coffee?’
‘No, thanks, I’m not staying,’ he said, making no move to sit down. ‘I just stopped by to see how you are. I heard about what happened. Are you all right?’
