“We’re approaching port, I know there’s work to be done,” Blake reminded them.
“We’ve gotten as close as we can. The anchor’s been dropped.” Vincent grinned at Nate. “The man’s been too distracted to notice we’ve arrived at our destination.”
“Well, Alicia is quite a distraction. I know she’s turned my attention a time or two.”
Blake hissed. “I’ll shoot them, one day I’ll shoot them,” he vowed.
“They love you, Blake.”
“It’s what’s kept them alive,” he muttered, then he deliberately pushed them from his mind.
“Alicia, you’re brave and strong and loyal. You say what’s on your mind, and you fight for what’s in your heart. I admire you.” His voice lowered. “I want you in my bed, on my ship, and in my life. Will you marry me?”
Alicia’s eyes filled with tears as surely as her heart filled with love. They’d found each other through a twist of fate, and she was thrilled that good had come from tragedy. That Jacob would finally have his wish. She and Blake would go home and run the shop together. Nothing could be more perfect.
“I’d be honored to be your wife,” she agreed before Blake swept her off her feet and kissed her soundly.
When he set her down again and she was able to hear through the desire that filled her head, she heard Nate’s applause and Vincent’s cheers. Her soon-to-be husband received pats on the back before she was once again swept off the deck.
“That’s my wife,” Blake warned when Nate deliberately held her a little longer.
“Not yet, she’s not. And if she has any sense, she’ll change her mind and come to see I’d be the better choice.” Still, after a kiss on the cheek, Nate set her down. “I’m happy for you, darling,” he whispered into her ear, for no other reason than he knew it would irritate Blake.
“Thank you,” she said, taking in the three men around her. She loved them all, she realized.
A movement caught her eye and she saw Lewis watching them. It was like a cold splash down her back and she shuddered.
“What is it?” Blake asked, taking her hand.
“I don’t like him,” she said and was further disconcerted when Lewis kept staring. Usually when she caught him looking, he immediately pretended to be doing something else. It unsettled her that he was no longer hiding the fact that he was watching her.
“You don’t have to worry about him, sunshine. He’s been dismissed of his duties. He won’t be coming back with us.”
“Good,” she acknowledged and turned to the beach that beckoned off the starboard side. Though the uneasy feeling remained between her shoulders, she tried her best to ignore it. After all, she thought, hands digging into the gunwale as her eyes raked the beach where her sister might even now be walking, she had more important things to think about.
“There it is,” Alicia whispered. She stopped dead, her shoes sinking into the sand. Her heart thudded louder than the hammering coming from the shell of the boat being built. Wood of different lengths was spread about the sand and the various tools were lined up neatly within easy reach of the man who was hard at work.
It hadn’t taken more than two people to find someone who knew where Sam and Luke’s ship building was located. If those people’s excessive chatter was any indication, the whole island was proud as parents to have them there. Now, here they were, at the far end of the harbor where there was much less activity, watching a man with golden hair hammer a board over the skeleton of the hull.
“Do you suppose that’s Luke?” Alicia asked.
From behind, Blake wrapped his arms around her. His chuckle filled her ear. “You’re not going to find out waiting back here, are you?”
Alicia inhaled deeply. The air was rich with a mixture of salty sea and freshly cut wood. The humidity was heavy, and Alicia was glad she’d pulled her hair back into a simple braid as it allowed the breeze from the water to cool her heated neck. She dried her hands on her skirt.
“All right, then. Let’s find out.” Blake moved in beside her and she clasped his hand.
The man must have been used to being watched because he didn’t stop his work when Alicia and Blake stepped up. He did, however, cast them a glance before taking another curved board and setting it into place. Over the thudding of the hammer, Alicia studied this stranger. His hair was long and grazed his shoulders. Though he wore a shirt, it was unbuttoned and revealed both golden skin and at least six gold chains around his neck. Combined with the black patch over his left eye and a cut of mustache over his lip, Alicia was certain she was looking at Luke Bradley. If anyone ever looked like a pirate, to her eye it was this man.
“Luke Bradley?” she asked when he’d finished with the plank.
He lowered the hammer, looked at her a little closer this time.
“Maybe,” he answered, stepping to the front of his ship and kneeling. He angled his head, checked his lines. Satisfied it looked good, he went for another board.
“I’m looking for Samantha Fine. I mean, Bradley, I guess.” Alicia fidgeted when he dropped the hammer and it sank silently into the blanched sand.
His right eye narrowed. “Why?”
“I’d rather tell her myself,” Alicia answered. “It’s a long story.”
“She’s come from Port Royal to find her,” Blake added.
He turned his attention to Blake. “And who in blazes are you?”
Blake raised his chin. “Blake Merritt.”
He shrugged. “Never heard of you.”
“That’s what I said when I heard your name.”
“No need to be insulting,” the man grumbled.
“Please, if you can just tell me where Sam is. I’ve waited a long time for this.”
His spine stiffened. He took a step toward them, not a speck of warmth in his gaze. “Sam? Who are you and what do you want with her?”
Blake moved in front of Alicia. “We only want to talk to Samantha.”
Luke had to look up to meet Blake’s gaze, but Blake was impressed by the determination he saw there. This wasn’t a man easily cowed. But then, a notorious pirate wouldn’t be.
“Are you in the market for a ship?”
“No, we’re—”
“Then tell me what you’re after.” Alicia stepped around Blake. “This is going to come as a huge shock to Sam. I think it’s best if I tell her.”
He scowled. “What in blazes are you talking about?”
“Luke?”
Alicia spun around at the sound. Her heart jumped to her throat, preventing her from saying anything. She may not have seen Sam in years, but her memory was fresh. Though Sam had turned into a beautiful woman, there was enough of the girl she used to be for Alicia to recognize.
Luke strode to Sam, pulled her close to his side while Alicia’s eyes feasted on her sister. Sam’s hair was long and flowed around her shoulders. It was darker than Alicia’s, but with the sun reflecting off it, she could see several strands that were the same color as her own. Questions swirled in Sam’s eyes as they darted from Luke to Alicia and Blake.
“Hello?” she said.
Sam’s smile was friendly and familiar and it knocked Alicia’s breath from her chest. Her legs shook and she grasped Blake for support. Oh, God, it really was her!
“I’m Blake Merritt and this …” He turned to Alicia. “Sunshine?”
Alicia nodded, licked her dry lips. She placed a hand to her racing heart. While Luke scowled, Sam waited patiently. If she was curious, she wasn’t unfriendly about it the way her husband was. The waves of mistrust rolling off Luke were as real as the waves that rolled into the beach.
Letting go of Blake’s hand, Alicia took a shaky step toward Sam.
“This will come as a shock. I don’t know how else to say it but to simply tell you outright. It’s me, Sam. Alicia.”
Sam took a step back. Her face lost all its warmth and color. Her eyes turned icy.
“I don’t know how you came to learn of my sister, but that’
s a cruel thing to say. She died years ago.”
“No, Sam. I didn’t. I made it to Port Royal. Our mother swam me to shore.”
“Liar,” Sam said waspishly. “My mother never made it off the ship. Neither did my sister.”
Alicia reached for Sam, but her sister flinched and stepped out of range. The action tore Alicia’s heart. Her hand fell to her side. Blake lay his hand on her shoulder and she drew strength from that. She had to remember that for Sam this was an impossibility. Sam had no reason to believe her sister had survived and it only made sense that she didn’t believe the truth the first time she heard it.
“We were in the bilges while the pirates attacked. We stayed until they’d looted the ship and were gone.”
Tears shone in Sam’s eyes. “Nobody else survived. I know because I was in the water and went back after the pirates had left. There was nobody alive.”
Alicia gasped. “That was you?” Her own eyes pricked with tears. “When we thought it was safe to come up, we heard footsteps and voices so we remained below.” Her voice cracked. “If we’d gone up, we wouldn’t have wasted all these years.” She turned to Blake. “It was her. She was there and we didn’t even know it.”
“Luv?” Luke asked Sam. “Is it possible?”
“I—I don’t know. I didn’t think so, but she does have similar features.”
“Look,” Blake interrupted, “there must be something she can tell you about your past that nobody else would know.”
Alicia nodded, wiped her tears with her palms.
“Our father was Edward, our mother was Helen. We left England when I was twelve and you were seventeen.” Alicia scrambled for a memory that would prove beyond a doubt who she was, something that wouldn’t be known or couldn’t be learned from anyone else. Her sister was so close, and all she wanted was to hold her and know they’d never be separated again. She had to rid Samantha of any doubts.
“Remember that boy you liked, Adam? Before we left England, you wanted to say good-bye, and I lied to Mother and Father and told them you were sick and couldn’t come down to dinner. You promised if I lied for you, you’d let me—”
“Have my dessert for an entire week,” Sam said, her face crumbling. “Alicia, it really is you?”
“Yes,” Alicia sobbed, “it’s me.”
They raced for each other, arms wrapped tightly around shaking shoulders, and held on.
“I thought you’d died,” Sam cried and her arms held Alicia like a vise. For a time they simply clung to each other, then Sam pulled back and pressed her palms to Alicia’s cheeks, tenderly traced the scar. She ran them over her arms as though to convince herself Alicia was real.
“I never dreamed it was possible.” She turned to Luke, her smile as wide as the beach. “This is my sister.”
Luke grinned. “Yes, luv, I see that.”
Alicia laughed, then Sam pulled her back. Her voice broke again. “My baby sister, I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you, too, Sam. We’ve lost so much time.”
Sam sniffled. “Then we won’t waste another moment. Let’s go home. I can make a nice dinner.” She grinned. “We have so much to talk about.”
“Would that include your husband?” Alicia asked, laughing.
“Oh!” Sam blushed. “I didn’t introduce you. Alicia, my husband, Luke Bradley. Luke, this is my sister!”
Luke’s smile was humorous but Alicia didn’t miss the love in his gaze as he looked at his wife. “It’s good to meet you,” he said to Alicia.
Sam turned to Blake. “And is this … ? Oh, are you married as well?” Sam’s eyes, which hadn’t a chance to dry, once again spilled over. “I missed your wedding.”
“It’s good to meet you, Samantha. My name is Blake Merritt,” he said, coming to stand near Alicia. He grasped her right hand as Sam still held claim to the other. “You didn’t miss the wedding. She only accepted my proposal today.”
Alicia shoved him with her shoulder. “He only asked me today.”
“We haven’t missed it?” Sam’s chin trembled. “I’ll get to see you married.”
Emotion clogged Alicia’s throat. She’d given up hope of ever getting married, and now here she was. Not only was she going to marry a wonderful man, the sister she’d lost so long ago would be there. She sniffled. “Yes, you will. But in the meantime, can we go somewhere, where we can talk? I want to know everything I’ve missed.”
“Oh, yes,” Sam agreed, “let’s do that. Our home is just over that small rise. Luke, Blake, you’ll join us?”
“You go, luv. We’ll catch up in a while.” He stepped to Sam, wrapped an arm around her waist, and kissed her thoroughly. “That’ll hold me,” he grinned when he released his wife. Turning to Blake, he asked, “You good with a hammer?”
“I am.”
Luke pulled it from the sand, tossed it to Blake.
“Good. I can use an extra pair of hands.”
Sam’s house was beautiful. It wasn’t exceptionally large with its two bedrooms upstairs and a parlor and kitchen downstairs, but it was welcoming. Large windows in the parlor took advantage of the stunning view. Standing in the kitchen while Sam fixed some sweet tea, Alicia marveled at the way the transparent green water of the bay turned darker and darker blue as it made its way farther out to sea. The sand was amazingly white, and Alicia knew before the day was out, she’d be digging her toes in it.
“It suits you,” Alicia said, once again looking at her sister. “This house, the location.”
Squawk. “Sam’s house. Sam’s house.”
Alicia giggled. The parrot had already greeted her upon her arrival with a low whistle that had flustered her.
Sam turned from the counter, smiled. “I’m working on his language. Carracks used to be a very well-spoken bird until Luke decided to teach him some new phrases.”
Squawk. “Luke’s in charge. Luke’s in charge.”
“See what I mean?”
As though the parrot knew he’d said the wrong thing, he turned on his perch and buried his red head in his yellow and crimson feathers.
“And he has a nasty habit of repeating things.”
Smiling, Sam passed Alicia a glass of tea, then sat at the wooden table. She looked over Alicia’s shoulder to the water outside.
“I wasn’t sure, after the attack and then the plantation, that I’d ever find someplace where I’d feel whole, where I’d belong.” Her eyes fell to the glass that she turned within her hands. “I always tried to believe life would be good again, but there were times when that faith was hard to come by.”
“I know you escaped the plantation. What happened?”
Sam lifted her head and Alicia was taken aback by the pain that clouded her sister’s eyes. “We had nothing when we landed on the beach. When Oliver Grant found us and offered medical help as well as lodging and work, it was more than we’d dared hope for.”
Alicia gasped. “I forgot! I heard Joe and Willy also survived. Are they here?”
Sam clutched Alicia’s hand to keep her from launching out of her chair in search of more family.
“No. Willy stayed in Barbados. He’s working there. Joe stayed with me. He’s out now with Aidan fetching supplies for Luke. I expect them for dinner.”
“Who’s Aidan?” She pressed a hand to her heart. “Is that your son? Do I have a nephew?”
The blood drained from Sam’s face, leaving her cheeks as white as the sand outside. “I don’t have any children.”
Her voice trembled and Alicia could see it was costing her to keep her emotions under control.
“I’m sorry, Sam. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
“No, it’s all right. I try not to think about it, but it’s impossible not to.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I can’t conceive, Alicia. I’ve tried everything I can think of, more rest, no spirits, not getting out of bed for days after making love, nothing works. But that’s a discussion for another time.” She drew in a choppy breath. “I didn’t
think there was a person alive as vile as the captain of the pirate ship that attacked us, but I was wrong. Oliver Grant was.”
Alicia pushed aside her tea, took both her sister’s hands in her own. Sam gave her a watery smile.
“He tortured people, Alicia, and not only adults. He used food as leverage, whipped his slaves, regardless of their age, and raped the women.” Her gaze fell to the table. “I was one of them.”
“Oh, Sam,” Alicia gasped, her stomach in a tight knot. “I’m so sorry.”
“I vowed after he did that I’d make him pay, and the next time he came for me, I was ready.”
“I’d have killed him,” Alicia said, shuddering at what her sister went through.
“I thought I had. I hit him with a hammer. He was bleeding and not moving when I ran. Before I left, I freed as many of his slaves as I could. Then I took Joe, Willy, and Aidan—he was one of the children that had been abused—and we took Grant’s ship.”
“So Grant died that night?”
“Not then, not as I thought. He followed me for years and finally caught me in Barbados. He tried to hurt me again but Luke came in time. Grant shot Luke, but before Grant could touch me any further, his heart stopped and he died.” Her eyes met Alicia’s and in them were both regret and conviction. “I’m not sorry he’s dead.”
“Nor should you be, but I can see it weighs on you.”
Sam sighed. “It does. I know it shouldn’t, but I can’t help how I feel. I wasted four years trying to get revenge for our family and all the time Grant was doing the same to find me.” She shrugged. “So much time and energy lost.”
“Captain said Luke killed the pirate that killed our family?”
“He did. I tried to avenge them, but when the time came and I had Dervish in my sights, Luke made me see that killing Dervish wouldn’t bring back our family. So I turned my back. Unfortunately Dervish was armed and would’ve killed me had Luke not shot him first.”
“He saved you twice,” Alicia realized. If she hadn’t already liked Luke for making her sister happy, she would for knowing he’d saved her sister’s life.
Romancing the Pirate Page 15
