Chains clanged against masts all along the docks as the wind picked up. They had best tie everything down if the promised storm hit as predicted. He had considered getting a hotel for the night but in the end felt too tired to figure it out. He would be fine.
He doubted it would even hit as they warned. He squinted into the sun approaching the horizon, then hurried to the end of the dock to start untying lines and getting his sail ready. He’d need to hurry to catch the last two hours of light.
As he finished the final tasks, a boat drifted by, casting a shadow across his face for a moment. The Sonhadora. And at its helm, holding tight to a couple lines while working the rudder, was Jo. She leaned back against the tilt of the boat, pulling the rigging tighter. The boat picked up speed. What was she doing? He adjusted his body so he could watch. She was already close to the docks; there was no need for such velocity, but the look on her face said she loved it. Her face, light, her skin relaxed.
And she was expert. She took the boat in between two rows, going at a tremendous speed, the wind just right for such an angle. He cringed at what could happen to the beautiful wood that lined the sides. When she arrived closer to the slip for her boat, she turned at the last possible second, into the wind, and used the momentum to push forward into her slip.
He let out the breath he held. A beautiful bit of sailing at expert hands.
He clapped. “Brilliant. Positively expert.”
She whipped her head around, and her smile grew. “Thank you.” She called over her shoulder as she worked to tie her boat to the dock, to let the sale go and to start tying down the rigging. Still flushed from the exertion, she stunned him. He picked up his feet and headed in her direction. As if a siren’s song called to him, he couldn’t stay away if he tried.
He hurried to help her tie it all up. “I’m about to go out myself. How is it?”
“Oh, it was perfect. You’ll love it. There’s a strong, steady headwind. You can go out and come back without trouble.”
Her energy filled him. He couldn’t leave her so soon. “Would you like to go back out on the water with me?” Even as he said it, he knew it sounded like a stretch. But he couldn’t let her just go inside and leave him alone. The idea of the quiet on the water did not feel as peaceful as it did lonely now.
She paused. Then checked her watch. “I’m starving and have plans in a couple hours.”
Again he was pleased and challenged at her indifference. And he wondered if he affected her at all. He looked forward to finding out. “Perfect. I can share my takeout and I’ll have you back as soon as the sun sets.” He grinned, full set of teeth, the look that made most women agree to whatever he suggested.
She eyed him for a moment, not taken in, confusion flitting across her features, but then she relented. “I’m in. Especially since you helped me tie down my boat. Thanks.”
She rushed to the main office, and when she returned, met him at his boat, helping with setting up the rigging and all the lines.
“Do you work here?” He was surprised, expecting something else from her perhaps.
“I own it.” She shrugged. “My father does. But he needed some help these last few weeks so I’m here for the summer.”
Excellent. “How’s the restaurant?”
“Some of the best food on the island.”
Thinking of the smell of bacon that morning, he said, “I’m a big fan of breakfast.” Oops. He didn’t mean that in the way most women would take it. He eyed her warily. But she seemed unaffected by what could have been an unwelcome proposition from him.
Her voice, nonchalant, curious, she asked, “Will you be staying at the marina?”
“I will. For now.”
She appraised him with new eyes and he thought he saw a touch of interest, but she hid it. Interesting. Good. If they kept things platonic between them, perhaps he could enjoy a summer friendship with her and the others on the island, whoever they might be. And still keep his promise to his parents. No entanglements.
“We’ll be neighbors then.” She watched him, perhaps to see his reaction.
Ah, the potential just kept growing, and he found himself even more pleased with the thoughts of his summer playing out, sailing, with this beautiful woman at his side. “Do you live on the boat?”
“As often as I can.”
As soon as he was out on the water, Nico felt his shoulders drop, his tension unwind and his headache ease. The wind steadily pushed their boat out to the middle as the sun descended in the sky.
“The best place to see the sun is straight across to the other side.”
The distance seemed further than they could manage before the sun dropped, but he said only, “Yes, Captain.” With a mock salute.
They both settled back, eyes gazing out at the water.
Jo was beautiful, head tipped back, face relaxed. And she clearly did not feel the need to fill the quiet with endless chatter. If he wasn’t careful, this summer could gain him much more than a quick friendship. But a familiar recklessness settled over him and he wanted to know her anyway. The little he had seen, he found fascinating. “Tell me about what you are studying.”
When she turned to him, he was struck by the green of her eyes. Only the ladies from the Mediterranean countries had eyes such as hers. Or the islands. Again he thought how well she would fit in with the people of his country.
“I’ve finished my masters, but I just wanted to do this additional fellowship to focus on public service.”
His eyebrows rose, interest once again piqued. “Oh? What specifically about it appeals to you?” Another aspect of this fascinating woman that intrigued him. The rest of his life would be spent in public service. As the king of a small country, he reminded himself, vastly different from what she was referencing.
“I am interested in non-profits, in programs that help people, in running fundraisers and service or volunteer organizations.” She pulled her hair back in a low ponytail, her slender neck and lovely profile outlined against the turquois water, as they would be in a portrait. She seemed completely unaware of her own beauty. “We had very little focus on those types of things in my MBA, and I am interested in running a non-profit. It is a valuable skill no matter what I go into.”
“I agree. Most valuable. Do you have an area of interest for your non-profit or a place you would start in public service?”
Without a breath’s pause, she answered. “Alzheimer research. And I want to set up an activity center, a community club house for the elderly so that they can come and keep their skills alive, their immediate memories active. Studies show that the more active their brains are, the longer they will retain skills. The brain actually rebuilds some of these neural pathways.” Her face lit and she glowed with her own ambition to help in this cause.
In his own country, the elderly were still an active part of the younger families and he didn’t guess there was as much need for community centers and things, but it must be important in America and to her personally for her to feel so strongly. He considered for a moment, and even in his country, they might enjoy opportunities to spend time with people in their same age and situation. He would bring it up to his father as a possibility to consider. “I can see this is an important dream. I admire your passion. Rarely do I see a person so energetic and focused on pursuits outside herself. It seems our age set is much more self-minded.” Especially the women he dated. Angelika came to mind.
Himself included, he chided. And perhaps his myopic outlook on his age group was due to the company he kept. Had he done anything besides entertain his every notion for the last five years? Any public service besides that which was thrust upon him by birth had been far from his mind. When had he ever considered the elderly in his nation?
She sipped from her water bottle. “I just think that we have a responsibility to make the world a better place. We are all neighbors, old or young, are we not?”
“I suppose.” Something about that felt a bit like church and he wasn’t r
eady to go in that direction with their conversation. “Just look at that sun.” He loved watching the sun go down. Tonight the colors spread out in all directions. Not the brilliant rainbow he could often see at home, but deep burgundy and yellows lit the sky. They still had time to catch the actual setting. The sun always hovered for what felt like forever at the very edge of the horizon and then, when it was good and ready, if you blinked, you missed it. But the sky stayed light long after.
“We get some beautiful sunsets here. Especially later in the summer. People come from all over because we rarely have a cloudy day in August and the haze coming up in the evening brings out the most spectacular colors.”
“I’ll look forward to it.” They had arrived at the other side.
“Will you be here?” She smiled.
He enjoyed the hope in her eyes. “I plan to. At least all summer but perhaps all the way until January.” He watched her face, pleased to see a slight flush.
“I’m glad to hear it. I’ll be here for the summer also.” She glanced at him, questioning, before suddenly reaching for the rudder. “Let’s get out.”
“What? And leave the boat?”
“Just for a minute. You won’t regret it.”
They used the wind for momentum and rode the boat up on the sand. Then they pulled the lines forward and tied them to a tree. He let the sail loose, tied and flapping in the wind.
She hurried up through the sand into the trees. “Come on. We have to make it to the top.”
His gaze followed her retreating form. She wanted them to crest the hill before the sun fell beneath the horizon. It would be a race, but they could do it.
He took off after her. “Race you!” Soon overtaking her, he considered slowing down a bit.
She laughed. “Excellent.” Then burst ahead of him with such a surprising start that he faltered in amazement.
But enjoying the challenge, he roared, “Oh no, you don’t,” and tore after her again.
They pushed through the brush, the trail underused, brambles scratching at his legs as he ran. Then, completely out of breath, they crested the top of the hill, and the area around them opened up.
Jo leaned down, both hands on her knees, sucking in breath. “Well done.”
He admired the gentle color to her cheeks, the rise and fall of her breathing.
“I’ll take a tie from a worthy opponent any day.” She surprised him again, so different from all the other women he usually dated. Adventurous, game for running up the hill. And she hadn’t yet complained about anything.
She stood, circling, with hands out. “Isn’t it magnificent?”
He would never have guessed their small hill to give them a surprising view in all directions. The entrance to the marina on the opposite side of the lake with the thick green forest all around. Then the lake spread between them in both directions, widening to their right and stretching so far the other side was not visible on either the right or the left of where they stood. From here, the sun would set over the water.
He breathed it all in, letting the magnificence fill him. “Thank you. I needed this.”
They stood, watching in silence.
“I did too.” Something about her expression told him the significance of those three words, that she was carrying a burden he didn’t understand.
He reached for her hand as though he needed the support. He sensed it might help, and he didn’t know what else to do. They didn’t know each other well enough to be confiding deep concerns. But he somehow knew she might appreciate his gesture. And that she wouldn’t take it the wrong way. So when she laced her fingers in his, he didn’t assume much more was meant than comfort between the two of them. But a sudden and surprising thrill raced up his arm at her touch and could not be denied. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles and wondered if she felt the same.
3
What was she doing with this beautiful Adonis kind of man? Was he Greek? His name sounded Greek when he said it. Nick, but he added a slight O sound. Nico. He changed the subject whenever she tried to talk about his home or family. And the more he did it, the more she felt such an attraction to a stranger, the more fascinated she became in knowing everything about him.
She had a marina to save, a father to help and a boyfriend in Tennessee. A twinge of guilt niggled at her, but Nick’s gesture had felt friendly. When his fingers laced with hers, he didn’t stare at her like he wanted something. He didn’t even ask her out. It was just a companionable reaching out to share the sunset together. At least that’s what she told herself, ignoring the hairs that stood on end up and down her arms. But she couldn’t have let go of his fingers if forced. Something about his gesture strengthened her. Everything in her life felt that much easier. And she, that much more capable. Shuddering, she admitted she needed strength. And he offered comfort at the moment when she felt overwhelmed.
Last night her father had startled when she came home, thought she was an intruder in his home and nearly called the police.
With tears, she had shown him their family pictures, pointed out herself, and he had calmed. After a quick nap, he remembered her again and acted as normal. But that had been a difficult window into what was coming, and she needed to emotionally prepare for it.
Without knowing it, this stranger’s hand had reached out just when she needed a lifeline and her pretended casual acceptance felt to her like the white-knuckled gripping of a drowning child.
They pulled into Nick’s dock slip using the boat lights and the marina spotlights. They hurried through the tasks of docking the boat together as though they’d done it their whole lives. When she finished wrapping up a rope, he was there to grab it; when the mast needed to be lowered, she took the other end. When it was all stowed and tacked and everything tied down, she remembered to warn him. “There’s to be a storm tonight. Many are taking refuge in the hotel. If it gets too bad, the clubhouse is open for all boat owners.”
“Thank you.” His forehead wrinkled. “Do you think it will get bad? What are the storms like here?” This peninsula could not be cursed with the storms of his homeland.
“I’ll be watching RomCom on my flat screen in my boat, storm or no.”
He laughed. “So not too terrible?”
“I don’t think so. But I don’t get queasy with the swells, and my boat is sheltered.”
True. His was a bit more exposed towards the end of the dock. “OK, so if I come pounding on your door…”
“I’ll know you’re scared?”
He quirked up an eyebrow. “No, you’ll know I need a good dose of RomCom.”
She eyed him from his chin to his hairline, suspicious. “I find that hard to envision.” Though, she could imagine him starring in any number of these films.
He offered his hand to help her step out of the boat. “Careful, one dousing in this frigid water is plenty for me.”
She nudged his arm. “I suspect you won’t be letting that go any time soon.”
“Naturally. You would expect nothing less from a gentleman.”
She snorted. And then walked away. She called back over her shoulder. “Do call if you have any trouble tonight, or if the docking isn’t secure.”
She felt his eyes on her as she walked down the long dock towards her own. He was something. Sierra would pass out in raptures when she saw him. The more Jo thought about it, the happier it made her that he had come, only for the summer and would be gone at the end. A little friendly distraction was just what she needed with all the stresses that were going on. And no matter how charming he became, he or she or both would be gone in August.
Her phone rang. Kevin’s ring tone made her check the docks to ensure Nick was out of sight on his boat. Terrible. The pang of guilt twisted her insides. “Hi!” She told herself she was happy to hear from him.
“Hey, babe. How’s it going?”
As she told him about the marina and the books balancing, she remembered again what a help he was in her life with things like this. She wished h
e were here with her. “It would be so helpful if you could come out. I need someone else to double-check all my numbers and help me close out a few things.”
“Oh, babe, you know I can’t do that. We have the gala. It’s already hard enough without you here to help plan it.”
“I know. I know you can’t come.” She felt foolish for asking. “I just wish you could.”
“Sounds like you got it under control. You can handle this. And then work on the marketing side of things to sell a few more slips and we won’t be totally in the red with this thing.”
We?
“OK, babe, I gotta run. I’ll be out tonight but let’s talk tomorrow.”
“Bye.”
When she put her phone back in her pocket, she realized he hadn’t even asked about her father. She should have been happy he said “we,” right? He was thinking of their future together. He was planning to take on the responsibility of the marina with her. But for some reason that felt less like a lifeboat and more like a hostile takeover of her life.
The smell of something delicious wafted in the air, almost like a Jamaican jerk chicken, and her stomach growled. Who was cooking something so amazing?
Time to order takeout. Nothing she could fry up would taste half as good as the smells that just tempted her.
She pulled out her phone and headed for the marina office.
“Jo! Hey, Jo!” Nick’s head was leaning out one of the lower windows of his boat.
“What? I hear you! What is it?”
“Want some dinner? We made extra.”
“We?” Uh oh, please don’t be a girl.
“Yeah, out on the barbecue while we were gone, come on. There’s plenty.”
“OK, thanks!” She hurried back, climbed back up on the deck and headed toward what she thought would be the stairs down below.
Nick lifted a hatch, his head poking up with an excited and adorable expression. “Hey, come on down this way.” He held it open, standing on a set of narrow stairs that led down below in his boat.
The Heir_Billionaire Royal Page 2
