Contentment slid through her. They really did make a good team and the quiet fishing time gave her new insight into the man who had inadvertently ridden to her rescue.
“Hang on!” Monty held up a finger, then disappeared downstairs, only to return a few minutes later with a tape measure.
“Really?” She folded her arms across her chest and waited as he studied each one. “Well?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
She beamed. “Ha! Sure it does. ’Cause mine’s bigger. For the record and between friends.” She moved him aside and grabbed the handle of the bucket. “That wasn’t a question I needed an answer to.”
He smiled back and chuckled. “Noted for future reference.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE SOUND OF muted conversation and unfamiliar voices drew Sienna out of her sleep. She blinked awake, a bit startled to find sunlight streaming into her cabin at a higher point than she was used to.
She sat up, pushing her hair out of her face, and took a moment to get her bearings. Her and Monty’s dinner conversation had stretched far into the night; long enough to welcome the moon and bid farewell to the ocean bounty they’d caught earlier in the day. She’d finally fallen into bed sometime after one, happy, well-fed and utterly and completely content.
A contentment that was none too thrilled with Monty’s loud speakerphone conversation at... Sienna glanced at her watch. Oh. She bit her lip. It was after ten. Oops. She’d slept through breakfast.
When she popped open her door, she expected to find Monty in the galley, but the entire interior was empty. Whomever he was talking to was up on deck. Taking quick advantage of her solitude, Sienna jumped into the shower, got dressed and headed toward the voices. A smile curved her lips as she passed the table and found a thermos of coffee waiting for her, along with a bagel and cream cheese wrapped in plastic. She grabbed them both and a banana and climbed the ladder...only to stop short when she found Monty buried in the engine compartment, being observed by a woman in a loose-fitting T-shirt, jeans and a black baseball cap with BHFD embroidered on it. One look at the long red ponytail sticking out from the back of that cap would have identified the woman immediately had she not turned amused, friendly and familiar sparkling green eyes in Sienna’s direction.
“You must be Frankie,” Sienna said. After setting down her breakfast, she offered her hand in greeting. “I didn’t realize you’d be making the trip out with Eric.”
“She made the trip out instead of Eric,” Monty’s muffled voice said from inside the hatch.
“There was an issue with one of the tour boats. Had to take precedence,” Frankie explained. She sat on the padded bench and scooted over to make room for Sienna. “And seeing as I have the next forty-eight hours off, I thought I’d do a few favors and come help this pirate find his way home. I grabbed a few hours sleep, then took a boat. Sorry if we woke you up.”
“Don’t be.” Sienna felt a tinge of guilt at having neglected her morning duties. She’d begun to enjoy the schedule she and Monty had established together. “I’m not clearheaded just yet. Give me a minute.” She quickly poured some coffee. Two sips later, she felt the day shift into focus. “Okay, that’s better.” She sighed in a way that had Frankie grinning.
“Oh, yeah,” Frankie said. “You and I are going to get along fine.”
Any unease Sienna might have felt at meeting Monty’s sister melted away.
“Hey, Man!” Monty yelled. “Where’s that kit already?”
“Man?” It took Sienna a minute to connect the name to Monty’s goddaughter. “Oh, Mandy. She came with you?”
“Not willingly, exactly,” Frankie muttered under her breath. “Kyle begged me to get her out of the hospital. She’s been living there since he was admitted.”
“How’s he doing?” Sienna peeled the banana and ate.
“Better than expected. It’s still going to be a long recovery, though, and he doesn’t do that great with all the attention. Between his mom and Mandy, he’s going a bit stir-crazy.”
“He’ll have to get used to the hovering.” The young woman who climbed up the side of the boat and dropped onto the deck aimed a look at Frankie that would have stopped Sienna from arguing. “Hi. You must be Sienna.” Mandy set a green metal toolbox down near Monty, then wiped her hand on her cutoff jeans. “I’m Mandy.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mandy. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“I’ll bet.” Mandy grinned and flashed a quick look to Frankie. The teen wore her blond hair in the same manner as Frankie, but Mandy’s baseball cap displayed her dedication to the 49ers, as did the black-and-red T-shirt she wore. She stood at about Sienna’s height and displayed more curves than angles—a testament, no doubt, to the amount of time she spent in and on the water. “And I know very well Kyle asked you to kidnap me, Aunt Frankie. Lori and I took bets on which one of us he was going to try to get rid of first.” The young woman’s smile widened, but Sienna could still see a trace of concern in her brilliant blue eyes. “I won twenty bucks for the shelter fund.”
Sienna recalled Monty telling her about all the work Mandy did for the local animal charity. Sienna sipped her coffee and listened to the ensuing banter between Mandy and her godparents. The affection among the three was obvious and it was clear Monty had been right when he’d said Mandy was fifteen going on thirty-five. There was a maturity about her that made her comfortable to be around the adults in her life.
“Squawk! Pretty bird. Pretty bird. Guaca-mooleeeee!”
Frankie and Mandy both jumped. Monty jerked and bashed his head on the compartment ledge. Amid the cursing echoes, Sienna laughed. “I was wondering where she’d gotten to. Good morning, Duchess.” Sienna grabbed her banana, broke off a piece and stood up to offer it to the parrot. “Duchess, this is Frankie and Mandy. Duchess found us after one of our stops.”
“You didn’t mention the bird,” Frankie said in a tone so identical to her brother’s, Sienna thought she was hearing double. “You starting a collection or something?”
“Or something,” Monty muttered.
“She’s so pretty,” Mandy whispered, sticking close to Sienna who offered up a chunk of fruit. Duchess grabbed hold with one foot and began nibbling the offered banana. “Oh, look! That’s so cute. Look at how she eats.”
“You may not have a bird, Man,” Monty said as he slipped free of the hatch and sat back on the deck. “Tribble and Balthazar would not approve. Neither would your father.”
“I wasn’t going to ask for one.” Mandy watched as Sienna drew a finger down the bird’s back. “Yet,” she mumbled under her breath.
Sienna shared a secret smile with the teen. “She’s been pretty friendly, but go slow with her. And no matter how much she asks, no guacamole or avocado.”
“Hi, Duchess. I’m Mandy.” Mandy moved a bit closer. “You’re very pretty.”
Duchess stopped eating, blinked assessing eyes at Mandy and inclined her head as if making a life-altering decision. She clicked her beak, ruffled her throat and said, “Get your knees up!”
Mandy and Frankie laughed. Monty groaned. “Don’t encourage her.”
“Are you bringing her home with you?” Mandy asked and took the rest of Sienna’s banana that she offered and continued to feed Duchess.
“I doubt anyone decides anything for Duchess,” Monty said. “But so far she’s along for the ride. If that storm didn’t frighten her off, I doubt anything will.”
“What’s the verdict with the belt?” Frankie asked.
“Going to take more work than I thought to get it running again.” Monty dug around in his toolbox. “There’s a lot of rust that needs scouring off, otherwise this will happen again and maybe do more damage next time.” He looked up at Sienna. “It’s going to be at least another day before I can get her going again. Maybe it’s best if you head back with Frankie and Mandy. I’ll g
et in when I can.” He leaned into the engine as if she’d been dismissed.
“Oh.” Disappointment crashed through her. It might have at least been worth a discussion. “I guess that makes sense.”
He hadn’t mentioned this idea to her yesterday; then again, he hadn’t known Frankie was the one coming out with the parts he needed. Or that the belt would need more work. Had he? Sienna hadn’t considered going anywhere near Butterfly Harbor without Monty. She wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to. But it seemed she didn’t have a choice. “Is that okay with you, Frankie? Are you ready to trust me with your wedding?”
Frankie’s gaze shot from her brother to Sienna, and only then did Sienna see the relief and gratitude shimmering. “I was ready the second Monty suggested it and so was Roman. I have to leave the day after tomorrow for that conference. If I can get you in touch with everyone before then—”
“Don’t worry. We’ll get it taken care of.” Sienna found dropping into wedding-planner mode delayed the emotions she’d have to deal with later. She was saying goodbye to Monty. Today.
Sure, she’d see him again, but the time they’d shared on Dream was over.
“I’ll need to make a few phone calls and figure out where I’m staying.” Sienna had thought she’d have time to figure out her arrangements. Now, everything seemed to be moving in fast-forward mode.
“Luckily, you have a couple of choices,” Frankie said. “Roman and I can arrange a room at the Flutterby—”
“That gorgeous inn on the cliffs?” Sienna’s heart soared. “I’ve only seen pictures, but it’s stunning.”
“Pictures don’t do it justice,” Frankie agreed. “Or there’s an apartment over the Butterfly Diner you can use. It’s unoccupied now that Brooke moved out.”
“Brooke’s my mom,” Mandy explained. “She and my dad got married last month. On my birthday,” she added with a radiant smile. “It’s a cute little place. She fixed it up while she lived there.”
“How about you let her decide when she gets there?” Monty said. He’d finally looked up. “And you and Roman aren’t footing any bill for this. This is all on me, Frankie. She’s my wedding gift to you, remember?” His face went red when the three women on the boat all looked at him with the same expression. He pointed a wrench at them in turn. “You know what I mean. Every single one of you. Sienna and I have a deal.” Finally, he met her gaze. “No money changes hands between the two of you, understood?”
“What kind of deal do you two have exactly?” Frankie asked Sienna, turning away from her brother.
“It’s a really long story.” Sienna cringed.
“Well then.” Frankie slung an arm around Sienna’s shoulders and squeezed. “It’s a good thing the boat ride to Butterfly Harbor is a long one. How about Mandy helps you get your stuff together.”
* * *
MONTY STAYED WHERE he was and avoided his sister’s probing gaze as Mandy and Sienna went below deck. He didn’t have time for the regret surging through him. He’d known from the moment he’d kissed the runaway bride that he needed to find a way to get her off his boat. Leave it to Frankie to unintentionally give him the out he needed.
“Hold up there, baby bro.” Frankie stooped down and grabbed his arm before he could resume his repairs. “What’s going on, Monty?”
“You need your wedding planner operational and I need to work on my boat,” Monty explained, but there was no point in trying to hide anything from Frankie. His twin knew him almost better than he knew himself.
“Please. You’ll have this thing up and running in a few hours. You’re trying to get rid of her. Why? You two not getting along?” She narrowed her eyes. “Or maybe you’re getting along too well.”
He and Frankie had only one rule between them. They didn’t lie to each other. That meant, at this moment, it was better to stay silent. Better, but not easier. Whatever feelings he had for Sienna couldn’t go any further than this boat. Because beyond this boat was a reality Sienna needed to deal with. But not answering only gave Frankie the answer she’d clearly been expecting. She sank back on her heels and let go of his arm.
“Oh, man.” She looked toward the open hatch, then back at him. “Oh, man. You finally did it, didn’t you? She’s it, isn’t she?” She let out a whoop of laughter.
“Keep your voice down,” he snapped.
The teasing light vanished from Frankie’s look. “Oh, Monty. I don’t mean to make fun. It’s just so...unexpected. Or maybe not, considering you dated Leah for a while last year. She wasn’t your usual type, either.”
“My usual type?” Monty echoed. “I don’t have a type.”
“Oh, please. Of course, you do.” She gave him her men-are-so-dumb-sometimes look. “You like women who are settled, low-maintenance and content. I’ve only spent a few minutes around her, but I can honestly say I don’t see Sienna as any of those things.”
“She’s also not available,” Monty reminded her. “Did you see the rock on her hand?”
“Hard not to.” Frankie shrugged. “Doesn’t mean anything. She didn’t exactly drag him along like an anchor. It hasn’t even been a week since she dumped her fiancé—what was his name again?”
“Richard Somersby. And she didn’t exactly dump him. More like she...abandoned him.” And that, he had to admit, was what continued to gnaw at him. She hadn’t told Richard she didn’t want to marry him. She hadn’t told Richard anything, nor did she seem particularly inclined to at any time in the near future. “Whatever might be going on with the two of us—”
“So there is something going on?” Frankie pressed.
Monty glared at her. “Whatever is going on with the two of us, there’s no moving forward until she makes an effort to clean up her past. She needs to deal with what she left behind if there’s to be anything going forward.”
“You are such a romantic.” Frankie wiped away an imaginary tear.
“Knock it off, Frankie.”
“Oh, please,” she snapped back. “You need to get over yourself. Maybe if she knew you were waiting for her on the other end of whatever she has going on it would make it easier for her.”
“I can’t be the reason she cuts ties with Richard.” He wasn’t about to be anyone’s escape plan. “She needs to do it for herself. Not for anyone else. Not for me.”
Frankie opened her mouth as if about to say something more, then closed it again. “All right. I won’t disagree with you there.” She pushed to her feet. “Oh, one thing.” She snapped her fingers before he started to resume his repairs. “Have you told her how you feel about her?”
He pretended not to hear her.
“Monty—”
“Stop.” He lost his grip on the wrench. “Please, Frankie, just stop.” He glanced up and found his sister watching him with surprisingly concerned eyes.
“Not until you tell me why.”
“Because.” He shook his head. “Because women like Sienna don’t stay. She might be adrift now, but she won’t be in a few days when she gets her inheritance. Once that money hits her bank account, she’ll be off on new adventures, just like she was with her grandmother. She wouldn’t be happy with me, Frankie. Not long-term. And when people aren’t happy, they die. Maybe not for a while, but inside, a little every day.”
“A bit melodramatic.”
“We saw it happen, Frankie. We lived through it with Mom. She fell for the romance of it all with Dad. She married the heroic firefighter thinking she was getting one thing and then reality hit and it turned her into someone else. Someone neither of us even recognizes.” He looked back at the engine. “Or wants anything to do with. I won’t do that to Sienna. She needs to discover things for herself, on her own. I can’t have anything to do with whatever choices she makes from here.”
“Sienna isn’t Roxie.” Frankie’s voice sharpened. It always did on the few occasions they’d discussed their mo
ther. “I never once saw our mother look at Dad the way Sienna looks at you. Roxie didn’t want to be happy, Monty. You know how I know? Because we ceased to matter the second Dad was gone. The second the life she pushed him toward vanished, so did she. It just took her a couple more years to actually leave.” There wasn’t anger in her voice, just disappointment. And it wasn’t just aimed at Roxie. “I don’t think it’s Sienna feeling trapped that has you worried, Monty. You’re scared of finally having everything you’ve always wanted.”
* * *
“OOOOH, THIS IS GORGEOUS!” Mandy scooped up Sienna’s wedding gown from the twin bed and held it in front of her as she twirled and twirled. She held out the long skirt and sighed like Cinderella in front of her fairy godmother. “You actually got to wear this?”
Sienna wrapped her wedding necklace in a T-shirt before placing it in one of the store bags for transport. “I really did.” That fateful morning felt like weeks, even months ago. And it had only been several days. “Don’t be fooled by how it looks. It’s very uncomfortable.”
And after the time she’d spent on Dream, she doubted she’d fit into it any longer. In more ways than one.
“It’s a princess dress,” Mandy whispered.
“I suppose it is.” But she hadn’t felt like a princess wearing it. She’d felt like a prisoner. “I’m not sure it’s really my style.” She wasn’t entirely sure what her style was.
“How can this not be anyone’s style?” Mandy whipped off her baseball cap and let her long blond hair tumble free. “Is there a mirror on the boat? Do you mind if I go see?”
“Knock yourself out,” Sienna said. “There’s one on the inside of the bathroom door.”
“Cool.” She ripped open the cabin door. “Oh, hey, Aunt Frankie. Look at this dress! Isn’t it the ult?”
Frankie’s eyes went wide before she trailed a reverent hand down the tight sparkling embroidery. “That is positively stunning.” She shifted disbelieving eyes on Sienna. “That wasn’t enough, huh?”
Bride on the Run--A Clean Romance Page 15
