by Nina Singh
“Then finish up. I’ll call the concierge to arrange transportation.”
Tori gave him a dramatic salute. “Aye, aye, matey.”
* * *
Don’t look so deep into things. Don’t overthink. Just see where things go and heed your heart about whether you’d like to follow or not...
Her sister’s words echoed through Tori’s head as she rushed back to the kitchen to leave detailed instructions about how the tarts should be set out tonight at dinner. She’d be too busy to do it herself as she’d be playing the part of a lady pirate.
If it wasn’t for Eloise and their phone conversation earlier this morning, Tori was certain she’d have turned Clay down. She would have thought of an excuse and spent the day in her hotel room reading or mindlessly watching TV. Instead, she was going to follow her sister’s advice. And she wasn’t kidding about rubbing it in her brothers’ faces that she’d be experiencing an authentic pirate adventure. That was just an added bonus, like icing on the cake.
She was so deep in thought about the afternoon that awaited her, she almost missed the recognizable figure seated at one of the dining tables outside the food services building. Tori focused on what she could see of the woman’s face to be certain of who it was.
There was no doubt. It was Adria, Clay’s other sister. She was sitting by herself, her head bent, and she appeared to be clutching her middle.
Tori hesitated, deliberating what to do. Clay had ordered a car and was probably waiting for her right this minute. On the other hand, Adria’s entire demeanor looked as if she could use some kind of assistance.
There really was no decision to be made.
Tori approached the table and cleared her throat. “Hi, Adria.”
Adria’s head lifted ever so slowly. She just stared for a moment. Then her eyes seemed to clear with recognition.
“Tori, isn’t it?” A shaky smile spread over her lips, her pallor the color of dewy damp grass on a New England morning. “You remember me then. You did the cake for my wedding, as well. Butter cream frosting. Marble sponge with seven tiers.”
“A trophy,” Tori supplied.
The woman’s smile grew wider. “That’s right. Somehow, you were able to craft it in the shape of a trophy.”
“Your husband is a professional soccer player.”
She nodded. “A striker for Madrid Royale. We didn’t think you’d be able to do it. But you came through.”
It had taken Tori weeks to try to figure it out. One of her most challenging creations. Most other cakes were...well, a piece of cake in comparison.
“You didn’t go on the shopping excursion with the rest of the wedding group?” Tori asked. Why exactly was Adria here? And why did she look so unwell?
Adria visibly swallowed as if she’d just consumed something unsavory. “We came back early. I wasn’t feeling well.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’ll be fine. Just the heat. And all the excitement. Enrique went to find me some crackers or something. Anything to help soothe a roiling stomach.”
“Why don’t we get you inside then?” Tori suggested. “Into the air-conditioning.”
“You know, I think I’d like that.” She pulled out her phone. “I’ll just let Enrique know.” After she fired off a text, they walked to the dining area of the main hall and Tori had her take a seat at the bar.
There were definitely some conclusions that could be drawn given the scenario before her. Adria still hadn’t removed her left arm from where it rested on her stomach. She was clearly feeling nauseous. And she was holding her middle in a rather interesting way. Protectively.
Her years spent working in a restaurant, with a steady flow of female servers, Tori had encountered more than her fair share of pregnant colleagues. She’d be ready to bet money that Adria was expecting. Why she was keeping it a secret from everyone was a mystery however.
Tori was helping Adria get settled on a stool when her husband burst through the door. He was carrying Lilly in one arm and holding a grease-spotted paper bag in his other hand. Tall and lean, Enrique Maduro was the quintessential specimen of a Spanish heartthrob. Right now, however, he looked completely lost and panicked.
“I’m so sorry, mi querida,” he addressed his wife. “All I could find was some popcorn.” He gave Tori a distracted nod of acknowledgment.
Adria visibly shuddered and turned a deeper shade of green. Her eyes grew shiny with unshed tears.
Greasy popcorn for a queasy stomach was far less than ideal, even under the best of circumstances.
To make matters worse, Lilly had her head draped on her father’s shoulder and was hiccupping loudly. Her cheeks were wet and stained with streaks of tears. It appeared she’d just completed the mother lode of toddler temper tantrums. Tori couldn’t decide which of the haggard trio before her she felt sorrier for. They all looked completely miserable.
None of this would do at all.
Tori reintroduced herself to Enrique and gently took the bag of popcorn out of his hand. “Why don’t you get Lilly back to your room? I’ll make sure Adria gets something to eat that will calm her stomach.”
One would think she’d just offered the man the key to eternal salvation. His look of relief was downright comical.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
Tori nodded. “Leave her to me.”
He didn’t argue. “Gracias, señorita. Muchas gracias.”
With an affectionate kiss to the top of his wife’s head, he bid Tori thanks once again, in English this time, then left.
Adria rested her head on the counter. “Just thinking about that popcorn makes me want to—”
Tori held her hand up to stop her from continuing. She could figure out the rest. It didn’t help matters that the putrid aroma of burned grease still hovered in the air. She had to move quickly or Adria was sure to start to feel sicker. “There’s a fresh baguette in the back that was baked just this morning. Loaded with a thick layer of sweet butter, it will make for a tasty, hearty toast. I’ll also whip you up some scrambled eggs. Well done.” Runny eggs would just make things worse. “The protein and the carbs mixed with a dose of fat should get you squared and feeling better in no time. And I’ll pour you some ginger ale while you wait for the food.”
It was Adria’s turn to give her a grateful look. “You are a heaven-sent angel.”
She shrugged. “Hardly. I just know when people need to be fed. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant.”
“Lucky for me you found me then.”
Tori was spared the need to respond when Adria immediately followed her statement with a rather unexpected one. “So I hear you’ve been keeping my brother company these past couple of days.”
Tori had to try hard not to betray any physical reaction to the mention of Clay. It wasn’t easy. “We seem to be the only two people here unaccompanied.”
Adria nodded. “I’m not sure why he came alone. But I’m glad he did.”
It wouldn’t do to read too much into that statement, tempting as it was to do so. “You are?”
“Yes. Some of the women he dates...” She let the sentence trail off.
Tori would ignore that. She didn’t really want to think about the women Clay dated. Or who might be angry that she hadn’t been invited to the wedding yet still awaited his return. That would be overanalyzing and she’d assured her twin that she was going to try to do as little of that as possible.
Easier said than done.
Pulling out a chilled can of soda from the industrial-size fridge, Tori set it in front of Adria after popping it open. “I’ll get started on the food. It will just take a few minutes.”
“You’re very kind,” she heard Adria say behind her as she pushed the kitchen door open.
When she returned with a full plate of hot food about ten minutes later, some of the
natural color had returned to Adria’s complexion. She was glad to see the ginger ale seemed to be doing the trick.
When Tori set the plate in front of her, Adria sighed. “So much better than greasy popcorn. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I feel strange eating when you’re not having anything.”
“I just finished lunch with—” She caught herself before his name dropped from her lips. Probably not a good idea to bring him up. But it was too late.
“My brother, I take it,” Adria concluded with a knowing smile.
“Yes.”
“It’s good that you kept him company while the rest of us were out. He wanted to do something completely different as an excursion.”
And not one of them had even entertained the idea.
“He told me,” Tori said. “Pirate town.”
Adria smiled around a forkful of food. “That’s right. He’s always loved pirates. Since he was a little boy.”
“Then perhaps someone should have accommodated that one small interest of his?” Tori wanted to suck the words back as soon as she’d said them. None of this was really any of her concern. She certainly had no business second-guessing the bride’s wishes let alone the wedding party’s. Plus, in all fairness, Adria and Enrique had more pressing matters to deal with.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
Adria set her fork down. “No. You have every right to say what you think. Ironic that Clay finally has someone defending him for a change.” Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
“I don’t understand.”
She gave her head a shake, as if she’d been the one to say too much this time. “Never mind. It’s not important right now. And you happen to be right. We owe Clay a debt of gratitude that neither Gemma nor I will ever be able to repay. A debt that has nothing to do with him financially taking care of us. Or paying for elaborate weddings, by the way. We could have at least extended the courtesy of indulging him with something he wanted to do.”
Tori waited for her to elaborate but it was as if Adria had read her mind. “You’ll have to ask him about it yourself.”
She could try. Something told her that asking Clay anything about his past would be fruitless, however. Plus, the whole conversation was starting to make her feel uncomfortable.
“You’ll have to excuse me,” she told Adria, perhaps a little too abruptly. “I have to go leave some instructions to the staff about tonight’s dessert.”
Adria was gone when Tori returned. She’d left her a little note on a napkin.
Feeling much better. Thank you for your kindness.
I’m guessing you’ve figured out my little secret. Please be discreet and help me to keep it a while longer.
She’d included a cell phone number.
Curiouser and curiouser, Tori thought as she folded the napkin and placed it in her pocket. It seemed the more she learned about Clay, the more mysterious he became.
* * *
What was taking her so long?
Clay stood leaning against the wall by the entrance of the resort trying not to count down the minutes until Tori showed up. Had they miscommunicated the meeting spot? That didn’t seem likely. The plan had been pretty clear.
Had she changed her mind?
It would be unlike Tori to just have a sudden change of heart like that. And even more unlike her to not even let him know. Maybe she’d lost the connection on her cell phone.
He was beginning to panic when he finally saw her through the glass doors. A surge of relief flooded his chest. He’d been worried about her.
And worried that she might have decided to blow him off.
After all, it was rather silly when he thought about it. For a grown man to be excited about visiting a fake pirate town. Tori was probably just being polite, too embarrassed for him to up-front turn him down.
Nevertheless, now she was here and he was glad for it.
So he had no idea why he’d snapped at her when she reached him. “I was beginning to think I’d only imagined that you’d agreed to come.”
She didn’t take the bait. In fact, she looked rather distracted. “Sorry, I ran into someone.”
“You couldn’t stop chatting with this someone long enough to let me know?”
Her eyebrows drew together as she squinted at him in the sunlight. “My phone wasn’t readily available. Are we going to go or not?”
Great. Now they were both annoyed. Should make for an enjoyable day then, with the two of them snapping at each other for no real reason. He was going to suggest that maybe they forget the whole thing but Tori was already walking down the wooden pathway that led to the catamaran.
Uttering a curse under his breath, he followed her.
By the time they arrived at the main island and reached the awaiting car, the tension between them had only grown thicker.
Their driver wordlessly started the engine and drove down the long driveway before pulling out onto the main road. An awkward silence ensued with only the vehicle’s navigation system doing any talking.
They drove that way with neither saying a word for about seven minutes before Clay couldn’t stand it any longer. “Look, I’m sorry if I sounded short with you back there. I was worried, that’s all.”
She tilted her head. “Thank you for the apology,” she said simply, somewhat surprising him. Most of the women he dated prolonged his attempts at atonement. He’d been fully expecting to have to border on groveling to break the tension between them.
Then she surprised him even further with her next words. “And I’m sorry for making you worry,” she added. “I should have found a way to let you know I was running late. It was unfair to you.”
Her words echoed in his head. For the life of him, he couldn’t remember receiving a genuine apology from someone in his lifetime. He was always expected to be the strong one. The rock.
Heaven knew, the one person on earth who was supposed to care for him and protect him had failed miserably. It would never occur to his mother to apologize for any of it. On the contrary, she refused to even acknowledge the neglect, would never take any responsibility for any wrongdoing.
“Apology accepted,” he mumbled. But Tori had already turned to stare out her window at the passing scenery, unaware of the impact her words had delivered.
Finally, he eyed the specter of a large makeshift pirate’s ship in the distance, complete with the skull and crossbone flags and willowy sails at full mast.
“Oh my God,” Tori exclaimed next to him with clear glee.
“Impressive, huh?”
“It’s even better than I had thought.”
She really was excited to be here. Maybe even more than he was. He should have never doubted her.
* * *
The first exhibit took Tori’s breath away, though to call it an exhibit was a discredit. They stepped into a moonlit night in the year 1716 on what appeared to be an authentic era dock. The sounds of lapping waves and roughhousing pirates in the distance added to the ambience. She could even smell the salty, fishy aroma of the ocean.
She couldn’t help her squeal of delight. “I feel like Blackbeard is going to come walking out from behind that ship any second.”
“With a yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.”
She couldn’t tell which one of them looked more entranced with the place. Oh yeah, her brothers were going to hear all about this museum.
Tori hadn’t realized she’d said the last bit out loud. “You’re gonna rub it in their faces huh?” Clay teased. “That you got to see this and they didn’t?”
“Absolutely. Josh, too. He’ll also be green with envy. Though I don’t dare call it a museum or they’ll stop listening.”
Clay laughed as they walked further along the makeshift quayside in the shadow of a frigate. A drunken
“pirate” lay sprawled on the ground in front of the pub. A loud argument could be heard from inside in clear pirate brogue.
“Want to board the ship?” Clay asked.
“You need to ask?”
They walked up the wooden ramp, which creaked loudly with each step. She could have sworn she felt the frigate rock as if it was really navigating ocean swells. An open treasure chest sat at the top of the ramp and there was a large map of the Bahamas on the wall.
It took a full hour to explore all of the attractions on the pirate ship alone. By the time they walked out of the museum, the afternoon had grown dark. Tori wore a felt pirate’s tricorn adorned with a skull and crossbones in the front while Clay brandished an aluminum cutlass.
“I could use a drink,” Clay announced, pointing to the pub next door.
“I’ll find a table if you go to the bar.”
He gave her a pirate’s salute. “Anything for the fine young lady.” His accent needed work.
“Why, thank you, guv’nor.” Okay, so her accent wasn’t all that much better.
Tori pulled her phone out as soon as she sat to take notes about everything they’d just experienced. She didn’t want to miss any details when she told the three wannabe swashbucklers back home about any of this.
She had a full screen written by the time Clay arrived with two of the day’s rum cocktail specials.
“That was a tour I’ll never forget.” And she had Clay to thank for it. Spending time on a makeshift pirate ship and walking through a replica eighteenth-century town was not something that would have even occurred to her.
“Same. Can’t wait to do it again.”
To her surprise, he reached across the table and took her hand in his. “Thanks for coming, Tori. Really.”
An electric current ran up her arm and down her spine from the contact point. She would never get used to the way her body reacted whenever this man touched her.
She tried for a nonchalant shrug. “Sure. What are friends for?”
“Is that what we are, then?” he asked, his voice thick with heat and promise. “Just friends?”
