by Elle James
She was holding Mari’s hands as she jumped a wave when Tony joined them, wearing a pair of black swim trunks and nothing else.
Lily’s breath caught in her chest.
The man had broad shoulders, muscular arms and taut abs. As he walked toward her, Lily could barely form a coherent thought.
He smiled and held out his arms. “Want me to take her?”
Her knees wobbled, and she had to think to process his words. “No. I’ve got her. Right, Mari?”
Mari giggled and kicked at the waves.
Tony scooped Robbie up and tossed him into the water.
Robbie came up smiling. “Do it again, Papi.”
The two guys splashed and played while Lily and Mari sat in the sand, letting the waves wash over their legs.
When the sun got too hot, they moved to the shade of the umbrella and drank from the water bottles.
A man dressed in the uniform of the hotel staff brought out sack lunches for them, and they enjoyed a picnic on the beach.
When Mari fell asleep on one of the lounge chairs, Lily repacked their bag, slipped into her dress and stood.
Tony carried Mari, and Lily followed, holding onto Robbie’s hand.
Lily couldn’t help feeling like they’d spent the day as a family. If she were married and had children, she would hope they would be as happy as they had all seemed to be that day.
Tony had hurried through his morning meeting with the staff and read through the status and financial reports. Nothing stood out that needed immediate attention, so he’d changed into his swimsuit and joined Lily and the kids at the beach.
It had been a long time since he’d enjoyed a day so much. It made him realize just how distant he’d been with Robbie and Mari. He’d left raising his children to Rosa, when they’d needed him most. Now that he could see what he’d done, he regretted missing so much time he could have spent getting to know his children better
Lily had helped him to see what he’d been missing. She’d done it from the moment she’d told him off in front of the school, to the way she showered his children with the kind of love and support they truly deserved.
Being on the beach had brought back memories of spending time with his parents on that very strip of sand, when he was Robbie’s age. They’d been there for him every step of the way. Robbie and Mari deserved no less.
He’d wallowed in his grief long enough. It was time to get on with living and being a part of his children’s lives.
When they entered the lobby of the hotel, he spotted Marcus and waved him over.
Lily held out her arms. “Let me hold her.”
Tony transferred his daughter into Lily’s hands, and then turned to Marcus. “Do you have a fishing trip scheduled for tomorrow?”
Marcus shook his head. “I have a sightseeing boat trip scheduled. Is there something you’d like me to do?”
“I’d like you to take me, Robbie, Mari and Lily fishing and snorkeling.”
“How about the day after tomorrow? I don’t have anything scheduled then,” Marcus offered.
Robbie’s eyes widened. “We get to go fishing and snorkeling?” He looked up at Lily, a grin spreading across his face. “Did you hear that?”
Lily frowned. “Are you sure Mari’s big enough to go along?”
“We’ll take special care of her,” Marcus assured her. “I have a life vest that will fit her perfectly.”
“What do you say?” Tony asked, glancing down at Robbie. “Do you want to see some fish, and then catch some?”
“Yes!” Robbie yelled.
At the sound of Robbie’s excitement, Mari lifted her head and blinked open her eyes.
“What about you?” Tony directed his question to Lily. “Are you up for a boat ride?”
She nodded. “Sounds like fun.”
“Good, then it’s all settled.” Tony turned to Marcus. “Eight at the dock, the day after tomorrow?”
Marcus grinned. “Great. I’ll have the boat ready. My deckhands will be glad for another day’s wages.” Marcus shot a glance toward Lily and the children. “Can we talk in private?”
“I’ll be right back,” Tony excused himself and stepped aside with Marcus. “What’s up?”
“I’ve had some of my security guards quit today.”
Tony frowned. “How many?”
“Almost half. Some didn’t show up for work this morning. When I called the others, they informed me they no longer wished to work at the Bahía Azul.”
Tony’s frown deepened. “Did they say why?”
Marcus shook his head. “I tried to find out through the grapevine, but no one’s talking.”
“Can you hire more?”
Marcus shook his head. “I hesitate to hire local. Until I find out the cause of the sudden exodus, I don’t trust that those I hire will stick around. Nor will they be up to speed on what it takes to be a security guard here.”
“Do you have any suggestions in the meantime?”
Marcus nodded. “I’ve been in touch with a former teammate of mine from when I was in the Navy. He’s started a security service up in Montana, employing prior special operations men who’ve come off active duty. They’re combat trained and highly skilled. It might cost you more, but if they say they’ll be here, they’ll be here.”
Tony’s jaw tightened. “Get them. Until we know what’s going on, I prefer to have people we can depend on. The safety of our clientele and staff is what’s important.”
“He said he could fly four men in by morning.”
“Good.” He touched Marcus’s arm. “As soon as you hear anything about why the guards quit, let me know.”
Tony turned back to Lily and the children. Their smiles helped lift his spirits after Marcus’s disturbing news.
Robbie skipped all the way to the elevator, chattering on about the big fish he would catch.
His excitement was contagious, making Tony look forward to their fishing adventure.
“I’ll have to work this afternoon and much of tomorrow to free up the following morning for fishing.” He handed Lily a credit card. “You’ll want to do some shopping to find them snorkels and masks. The boat has some, but a thousand tourists have used them.”
“What about fishing poles?” she asked.
“Marcus has the best. He’ll have what we need in the way of bait and tackle.” Tony nodded toward one of the valets. “Juan can drive you into town tomorrow and show you the best place to find what you’re looking for.”
The valet hurried over. Tony told him what he wanted, speaking in Spanish.
When Tony was done, Juan grinned at Lily. “I’ll take you where you want to go. When would you like to leave?”
Lily hefted Mari in her arms. “Tomorrow, an hour before noon…? Then we can have lunch in town.”
Juan nodded. “I’ll be here when you’re ready. Just come to the lobby and ask the concierge for me.”
Tony took Mari from Lily and carried her all the way up to the penthouse where he laid her on the bed.
Mari sat up and rubbed her eyes. When she tried to get off the bed, Lily laid down with her on one side and Robbie on the other.
“Go on to work,” Lily said, waving him away. “We’ll be fine after a little nap.”
Tony would rather have stayed and joined them.
Robbie leaned his cheek against Lily’s shoulder, while Mari curled her tiny body into her au pair.
He could have stood there all day, loving how the three of them looked all snuggled together, but Tony had work to do.
With his children and their au pair to come back to, he made sure he didn’t bury himself in the work he did. In the short time he’d known Lily Grayson, he’d learned so much about her, Robbie and Mari. Most of all, he’d learned about himself. Life was short. Marisol’s death had taught him that. The little teacher from Hellfire had taught him he couldn’t waste a second of precious time with his family. Along with this golden nugget of insight, he realized Lily was becoming more and m
ore a part of his family.
Chapter 7
Fishing day dawned bright and beautifully clear, with the sun warming the sky and a gentle ocean breeze making the air fresh and slightly salty.
Lily stretched and smiled. She was surprised Robbie and Mari hadn’t already climbed out of bed and come to crawl into her little rollaway. The sun was just edging its way around the blinds, making the room lighter.
Lily had taken the children shopping for masks and snorkels the day before and had lunch at a cute little café overlooking the waterfront. The children had behaved beautifully and, as a treat, she’d bought them ice cream. After a short nap back at the hotel, Lily had taken them out to the pool and let them play for an hour.
At dinner that night, Robbie couldn’t stop talking about the day they’d spent at the market, and Mari had shared with her father the English words for the food she ate. All in all, the day couldn’t have been finer.
Unless Tony could have spent more time with them. At least they had him for breakfast and dinner. Lily looked forward to those hours, sitting across the table from him, her heart beating a little faster, and her face heating every time he glanced her way.
The man appeared more relaxed. Happier.
Lily glanced at the clock. They had exactly one and a half hours to dress, eat and get down to the boat. She threw back the blanket, rose from her bed and opened the blinds to the sunshine.
“About time someone woke up,” a deep voice said from across the room.
Lily spun to face Tony, already dressed in shorts, a loose light blue guayabera shirt and deck shoes. He’d shaved and combed his thick black hair back, though one strand always managed to fall forward over his forehead, as if in protest. The manmade casual look amazing.
Lily’s breath caught and held before she found her tongue. “Good morning.” Then she realized she was still wearing her not-so-sexy flamingo pajamas, and she probably had bed hair. She raised her hand to smooth the tangles. “I’ll get the children up and dressed.”
“No hurry. We still have plenty of time. Can I offer you a cup of coffee or tea?” He waived to the mini kitchen in the apartment.
“Tea would be nice. But I can get it. Have you had your coffee yet?” She laughed. “Of course, you haven’t. I’ve been out here snoozing while you’ve patiently waited. How long have you been up?”
“About an hour.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “That long? You should have gotten me up. I guess it’s awkward me sleeping out here. You could have enjoyed a cup of coffee while relaxing on the sofa and enjoying the view.”
He turned to fill the carafe with water at the sink in the mini bar and poured it into the coffee maker. “I didn’t mind waiting on the coffee. And I was relaxing on the sofa, enjoying the view.” With the water poured, he turned, his lips curved upward at the corners. “Did you know that you talk in your sleep?”
Lily pressed a hand to her mouth. “I do?”
“Oh, it’s not loud, and I couldn’t make out what you were saying, but yes, you do.”
She frowned. “You were watching me?”
“Not so much watching. I was reading the paper, listening to you mumble.”
Her cheeks heated. “Maybe I could move the bed into the room with the children, so that I don’t disturb your morning routine. You should have woken me.”
“No, please. I found the sound strangely soothing. I was afraid I’d wake you by rattling my paper.”
“I’m so sorry. An au pair should be almost invisible. Only showing up when the client needs her.” She straightened the sheets and blankets on the bed and fluffed the pillow. “Really, we should ask them to move the bed into the other room. I can sleep in there.”
“You worry too much. I only made an observation. The sleeping arrangements are fine the way they are.”
“If you’re sure… I guess I should get dressed and wake the children.” She started for the bedroom door.
“Please, let them sleep a little longer. I love their enthusiasm in the morning, but it’s also nice to sit in the quiet and enjoy the sun rising over the ocean.” He poured hot water into a ceramic mug and dropped a tea bag into it. “What do you like in your tea?”
“I’ll fix it while you make your coffee.” Feeling a little self-conscious in her flamingo pajamas, she joined him at the bar, mixed a little sugar into her mug and removed the teabag. Standing so close to him that early in the morning made her nervous. Especially since he was dressed for the day, and she was still in her pajamas. She glanced up at the mirror over the bar and gasped at her reflection. “Oh, my. I look like something the cat dragged in.”
“You look lovely.”
“With my hair sticking out like a wicked witch’s?” She finger-combed her hair, trying to smooth out the tangles.
Tony captured her hand. “Let me.” He weaved his fingers through her hair, gently easing tangles free. When he was finished, he stared into the mirror from behind her. “Better?”
She nodded, her heart pounding and her body on fire from his nearness. “You do that so well.”
“I do this for Mari when she doesn’t want me to brush her hair.”
Tony poured his coffee into a mug and waved toward the sofa. “We have maybe five minutes, if we’re lucky, before they wake.”
Lily took her tea and sat on one end of the sofa, facing the view of the ocean. She tucked her legs under her and sipped her tea, the warmth of it nice after the coolness of the air-conditioned room. “You must love coming here. It’s so beautiful.”
“It has its beauty, and its ugly side.” He stared out at the ocean, as if looking into the past.
“What do you mean?”
“Of course, the land, the sea and the sunsets are beyond compare. But Costa Rica has its problems. Being halfway between the source of drugs and the consumers, it has become a warehouse of sorts for storing the product in transit.”
“Are the drug cartels here like the ones in Mexico?” Lily asked.
He nodded. “They work as an extension of the cartels in Mexico. The murder rate in Costa Rica has risen over the past decade. Most of those murders have been drug-related crimes.”
Lily looked over the rim of her mug at him. “Is that what happened to your wife?”
Tony drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly before answering. “Marisol was visiting a friend’s mother who was sick. The woman lived in a poor barrio on the south side of the town. When she left the house, she happened to step out at the same time as a drug lord was performing a hit on a group of men who’d crossed him. Marisol was caught in the crossfire.”
Lily’s heart pinched hard in her chest at the anger and sadness in Tony’s words.
“She’d asked me to take her there, but I was too busy handling some insignificant employee crisis at the time. If I had gone…” His words faded off as he stared out at the ocean.
“You can’t second-guess the past. If you had gone, most likely, you’d have been killed as well. Then Robbie and Mari would have been parentless. Who would have raised them?”
Tony shook his head. “Marisol’s parents died in a motor vehicle accident. Mine had me when they were older. They passed shortly after Mari was born.”
“Don’t you see?” Lily leaned forward. “Had you gone with Marisol, your children would have been orphans. They need a parent to be there for them. They need you.”
Tony’s gaze shifted from the ocean back to Lily. “They needed their mother. She was so much better at parenting than I’ve been.”
“Don’t knock yourself,” she said. “You’re not doing such a bad job.”
Tony snorted. “That’s not what you told me on Robbie’s last day of school.” His lips twisted into a wry grin.
“Well, maybe I was a little harsh.” She sat back with her mug of tea. “Besides, it’s never too late to work on being a good parent. You’re making good progress, from what I can tell.”
He tilted his head, one eyebrow hiking. “I’m glad I’ve met with
your approval.”
She shook her head. “You don’t need my approval. You need the approval and trust of Robbie and Mari.” She smiled as she recalled their day at the beach. “They really do love you.”
“Is today fishing day?” Robbie emerged from the bedroom rubbing his sleepy eyes.
Tony held open his arms. “Yes, it is.”
Robbie ran into his father’s embrace and snuggled against him.
Mari toddled out next, yawning and holding a pink teddy bear by the arm. When she saw Robbie in Tony’s arms, she turned and ran toward Lily.
Lily set her mug on the end table and lifted the little girl onto her lap.
Mari leaned her cheek against Lily’s breast and closed her eyes. “Te amo.”
Lily’s heart swelled, and she whispered, “I love you, too.”
“I love you, too,” Mari echoed, followed quickly by, “I’m hungry.”
Lily’s smile broadened. Mari had continued with a new thought…in English. Without being prompted. Between the nightly reading and working with her all day, the little girl was improving quite well. At the rate she was going, she’d be ready for kindergarten and bilingual to boot. Lily didn’t want to discourage her from speaking both languages. She actually believed learning different languages should begin at an early age, when a child’s mind was like a sponge.
“Let’s get you dressed,” Lily said, “and we’ll go down for breakfast.”
“How about we order room service?” Tony lifted the phone on the table beside him. “It will be here by the time you’re ready.” He quickly placed the order and added an order for lunches to take with them on their boating adventure.
Lily gathered the children and herded them toward their bedroom where they chose outfits that they didn’t mind getting dirty. She dressed Mari in a two-piece swimsuit with a bright pink shirt and a pair of matching shorts. Robbie wore his superhero swim trunks and a matching royal blue superhero T-shirt with all his favorite heroes displayed.
Tony appeared in the doorway. “I’ll do Mari’s hair while you get ready.”
