by Stark, Cindy
Late Sunday afternoon, Elena pounded a nail into her living room wall, intent on hanging up her latest acquisition. Yes, the watercolor would remind her of Joe and the time they'd spent in Carmel, but it was a shame to leave such a lovely piece of art hidden away because she'd screwed up her relationship with him.
Time would pass, and she'd eventually be able to appreciate it without thinking of him. She hoped.
She lifted the framed picture, admiring the beautiful colors, the way the artist had depicted Tor House surrounded by spring flowers. Calm. Peaceful. It was lovely and would go perfectly with her country cottage décor.
The doorbell rang, and she sighed, leaning the painting against the wall. She glanced out her window, spying an unknown silver sedan in her driveway. Curiosity led her to the front door, and she peered through the peek hole. She blinked in surprise. Joe's sister stood on her porch.
Her heart rate increased as she opened the door. "Renee?"
"Elena." Renee offered her a warm smile. "I'm so sorry for dropping by unannounced. I tried to call several times, but was unable to reach you."
Because she'd turned off her phone. She'd already spoken to Cassie that day, and she didn't want to talk to anyone else. Except Joe, and he wasn't calling her. "Please come in. I'm afraid I'm in the middle of fall cleaning." She ran a hand down her old blue jeans, as she stepped aside, wondering why on earth Joe's sister would call on her.
Renee walked inside, looking beautiful in a creamy angora sweater that set off her slim looks and styled, dark hair. "You have a beautiful home," she said, looking around. She spied the painting that Elena had been about to hang. "And this is gorgeous."
"Thank you." Had something happened to Joe?
"I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here."
"I'm a little curious," Elena answered. Renee didn't seem upset, which was a good sign.
His sister inhaled, giving her an uncertain smile. "I hope you'll forgive me for interfering." She paused as though rethinking her next statement. "I know I'm completely out of line, and Joe will shoot me for coming here, but I can't stand by any longer."
Elena watched her, trying to sort out her confusing words. "I'm sorry. What are you trying to say?"
"Can we sit down?" Renee walked to the couch and sat. Elena followed her. Renee looked at her with earnest eyes. "I'll just spit it out, and if I offend you, please ask me to leave."
"All right." She searched Renee's face, looking for some kind of clue.
"Joe's in love with you."
Elena raised her brows, trying not to get her hopes up as well. "Love?"
"Oh, yes. He is so in love with you." She rolled her eyes. "After Cabo, he had to find you. I've never seen him behave that way over a woman before. He called in some major favors to get that hole in your street fixed, and he begged me to go to the mayor's ball with him because he couldn't wait one more minute to tell you how sorry he was for trying to move too fast in your relationship.
"He won't admit it," his sister continued. "But he's not eating, and the bags under his eyes tell me he's not sleeping." She paused, her gaze intent. "He's in love with you, but he's too stubborn to call." She slowed long enough to gather another breath. "I may be wrong here, but I have the distinct impression that you care about him, too. And I've probably said way too much, and he's going to kill me."
"I do."
Renee halted. "I'm sorry?"
"I do care about him." She couldn't say love quite yet, but she was pretty certain it was there. Barely contained emotions stirred inside her, leaving her a little shaky.
His sister smiled and scooted closer to her. "I knew it." Elena was drawn to the warm presence emanating from Renee. "So, I'm here to convince you to call him. This holding out for the other one to call first is really silly. The best way to get things resolved is to talk to each other."
"I've tried a hundred different times." Elena grasped on to the hope that his sister provided. "He won't return my calls."
Renee narrowed her eyes. "That bugger. What am I going to do with him?" She sat silent for a moment and then focused on Elena. "Well, he can run, but he can't hide. I happen to know where he's going to be this afternoon. If you show up, he'll have to talk to you."
Renee outlined the plan to her, and Elena widened her smile as her hope grew into faith. She now knew Joe still loved her, and maybe, just maybe that would be the arrow she could use to pierce the armor he'd wrapped around his heart.
* * *
The sun had started its descent toward the ocean when Elena pulled her convertible into the seaside warehouse parking lot. The drive with the top down had messed with her hair, but there was nothing like traveling the California coast and letting the wind caress her with its wild touch. She'd focused on the beautiful landscape to distract her from the coming confrontation. The untamed surf had kept her nerves at bay, but now, as she shut off her engine, every hope and fear collided inside her, making it hard to breathe.
She forced salty air in her lungs as she glanced at the black Landrover parked next to her car. He was there.
Her nerves kicked into high gear, and it was all she could do to fight back her fears. This would be okay. This was what she wanted. What she needed.
She grabbed the picnic basket and headed for the door beneath the brightly-painted words that read "Diver Dude". She smiled at his choice of names for his new business, but knew that it would draw in the young people looking for a fun experience.
From what Renee had told her, Joe had already landed a contract using his diving skills to do repair work on underground tanks, but his diving instructor side of the business was what had really taken off. He was booked through the end of October, and even had some dates scheduled into December.
He must be so happy with his quick successes. If only he'd talk to her, she'd have a bunch of questions to ask him.
With a nervous hand, she tested the doorknob. It wasn't locked. She solidified her resolve and turned the handle. The small room held only a table with an old wooden chair and a telephone for company. A sign perched on the table read, "We're in the back".
Okay. She could do this. She just needed him to listen, then he would understand and hopefully forgive her.
She exited the office, walked down a hall, and found herself in a larger room with various pieces of diving gear laying on a countertop. A cluster of chairs occupied one corner of the area, facing a large white board. Beyond that she could see another sign, indicating the way to the showers.
"Joe?" She called out to the empty room. "Joe?"
No answer…but he had to be there somewhere. He'd left the front door unlocked. She glanced around, unsure what to do. There was another door that led out the back of the building, so she continued on.
Outside was a small grassy area that ended with a concrete barrier between land and ocean. A small dock with a couple of boats attached lay beyond. Joe's boat was nowhere to be seen.
"Hello?"
Elena jumped at the sound of the male voice to the side of her. A kid near Cassie's age knelt on the ground, two diving tanks near him. "Hi," she greeted.
"May I help you?" It took her a moment to recognize him. It was the same kid that had been on Joe's boat in Cabo. Maybe Joe had offered him a job here?
She smiled, trying to quiet some of her nervous energy. "I'm looking for Joe. Is he around?"
The young man stood, dwarfing Elena with his gangly height. "Nah, you just missed him. He's out on the water." His red T-shirt had several holes in it, matching the knees of his jeans. The sun had bleached his cropped hair, and the smile on his face had no doubt won him the attention of plenty of females.
"Oh." Her heart sank. She supposed she could wait for him, but who knew how long he'd be.
He nodded toward the ocean. "He's checking out a potential job. Can I help you with something?"
"No. I really need to speak with him."
The kid eyed her picnic basket. "You're the lady from Cabo, right? The one who swam with
the jellies. The one he came back for."
That made her smile, and her small tendril of hope blossomed. "Do you know how long he'll be?"
He shrugged. "Could be a while."
"The sun will be setting soon. Do you think he'll be back by then?"
"Don't know. He's got lights, so it won't make much difference to him. Sometimes, he just sleeps on his boat out there. Did he forget a date with you or something?"
"Or something." She tapped her foot, thinking. She'd come this far, she didn't want to turn back now. "Do you know where he's at? Can you take me out there?"
He glanced at the dock holding two small boats. "Uh…I'm not sure if I should."
She sighed. "I'd wait here, but I'm afraid he won't return tonight. I hate to think I came all this way for nothing." Plus, if they were stuck on the boat together, Joe would have to talk to her. Elena smiled. "I'll pay you."
That caught his attention. "How much?"
"Fifty-bucks?" She had no idea of the going rate for cajoling the younger generation.
He grinned. "You got it."
In all actuality, it took them very little time to travel the short distance up the coast, and find Joe's boat anchored near some kind of underwater structure. She climbed aboard to find another teenage guy, but not Joe.
Within a minute, she'd convinced the second kid to accompany the first back to shore, promising that if Joe ran into any trouble, she could handle it.
She nodded and waved good-bye as her water taxi head back down the shore.
When she was alone, her nerves kicked in full force. Needing something to keep her busy while she waited, she took the picnic basket below and put the perishables in the fridge. The evening wasn't turning out exactly as she had planned, but that could very well be for the best.
She tried tugging on the line to see if that would get him to surface, but it didn't. The next ten minutes dragged by as she anxiously watched for any sign of him.
Elena gave up. She'd waited long enough. Without dwelling on her decision, she began going through the outdoor lockers, searching for an air tank. If he wouldn't come up, there was no reason she couldn't go down and get him.
She lucked out when she found a full tank along with a set of diving equipment. In another locker, she located a wetsuit that looked like it might fit.
She was going after her man.
Now that she'd made her decision to accept Joe, her vision of the future grew crystal clear. With steady fingers, she undid the buttons on her shirt. Her bra and panties would have to serve as her swimsuit, but at this point, she really didn't care. She would have her say with Joe right now, and that was that. If she had to wait for him any longer, her reserve would falter and her nerves would send her over the brink.
She tossed her blouse on a nearby chair and undid her jeans. She shimmied them down her legs and bent over to remove them from her feet.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
She stumbled in shock as she tried to turn around. Her feet tangled in her jeans, and after several attempts to right herself, she landed on her behind, staring up at him.
Joe watched her for a moment, water dripping from his wetsuit, and then he began to laugh. She had to look like an idiot sitting in her bra with her pants twisted around her feet. "Obviously, I came to see you."
"And you're taking off your clothes because…"
"I was going to dive down to find you."
"Uh-huh." He searched the surrounding water as she got to her feet and pulled up her pants. Half naked, sprawled on his deck was not what she'd envisioned when she pictured them finally meeting again. She snatched her blouse and shrugged into it.
"How did you get here?" He pinned her with a pointed gaze. "And where's Travis?"
"Your employee at the dock brought me out. Then I led them both to believe we had a date, so they went back to shore, knowing that I'd be here in case you had any trouble." At least Joe hadn't tossed her overboard yet.
"Was it Paul?"
Joe was also speaking to her, which was another good sign. "I didn't ask his name." But she was pretty sure he'd been introduced to her on their dive trip as Paul.
"Did he ask yours?"
"He remembered me from Cabo." She didn't like the frown that settled on his face. "Don't be mad at him. What kid do you know who could resist a bribe?" All in all, it was a brilliant move on her part.
"You paid him?"
"Fifty dollars."
A grin cracked his serious demeanor. "You paid Paul fifty bucks so you could come out here to see me." He sounded incredulous.
"I'm a desperate woman. I didn't know what else to do. You won't answer my calls."
He studied her for a moment. "What would be the point when there's nothing left to say?"
She took a step forward. "That's where you're wrong. I have something I need to say."
"I think enough has been said and done. I gave you my heart, and you tossed it back and ran into the arms of another man." He looked down as he unzipped his wetsuit. "I should have listened when you said you weren't interested in a relationship."
"I love you." There, she'd said it.
He pulled off his wetsuit and stepped out of it, without sparing her a glance. She wondered if he'd heard her.
She took a step forward. "Did you hear me, Joe? I love you. I know you don't want to talk about that kiss, but I did it because I was angry with Richard and scared of you, and all it did was prove to me how special our relationship was. Is."
She closed the remaining distance between them, watching him as he eyed her with a guarded gaze. "You terrify me, Joe." A tremble rocked through her. "The feelings I have for you are so powerful. I'm afraid they're going to swallow me." She put her hand on his cheek still wet from diving, watching his expression for any sign of hope. "But I can't lose you."
He wiped a trickle of water from his forehead. "What if I want to get married?"
She inhaled a large breath and released it. "I…I won't say it's out of the question."
He paused, his expression still void. "What about living together until you decide you're ready?"
"Do you mean it?" Was he really forgiving her?
He paused and then nodded. "You know I love you. Even if sometimes I'd like to throttle you."
Yes, she could handle that much of a commitment. Her heart swelled with love for her dear, dear man. The thought of waking up next to him each morning filled her with happiness. "I'd like that very much. Living together, not the throttling."
He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her against him, the warm skin of his bare stomach touching hers. "What if I want to have kids?"
She sucked in a surprised breath. "That might be a problem."
He chuckled then and kissed her. "I'm teasing. We'll both love Cassie and wait for her to give us grandkids."
She couldn't help the grin that dashed across her lips. "That sounds wonderful." She hugged him, happiness welling inside her. Now that she'd decided to keep him in her life, everything seemed perfect. This was a love like she'd never known. Honest, well-grounded, passionate. Something she could treasure forever.
"I love you, Joe Stephens." She meant it with every fiber of her being.
"I love you, my sweet Elena." He gave her a kiss that left her sizzling. "Let me take you below and show you how much."
"Only if you'll let me show you how grateful I am that you took care of the big hole in front of my shop."
"Heard about that, huh?"
"Renee." She grinned as they headed inside. "She also sent me with food for later."
"Renee, huh?" He rolled his eyes. "I'll never hear the end of how she was right, and I was wrong." He grinned at her, his smile warming her inside and out. "But it'll be worth it."
Later, as they lay sated in his bed, Elena rolled over on top of him, trapping him with her gaze. "Joe?"
He leaned up and kissed her. "Hmm…"
"Tu robaste mi corazon." She recited the words he'd written on the card h
e'd given her in Cabo, meaning every one of them. She placed her lips against his in a soft kiss. "You've stolen my heart. Forever."
Excerpt from Sweet Vengeance
CHAPTER ONE
She was nineteen and pregnant.
Could things get any better? Allie Jordan didn't think so. Excitement bubbled in her like the fizzy Coke she held in her hand while she waited outside the local bowling alley after finishing her shift. She watched for her boyfriend's face among the few stragglers who walked Chicago's darkened west-side streets.
Sure, her friends thought she was crazy for wanting a baby and a family right out of high school, but they didn't know lonely like she did. They had families who waited for them to come home. Allie was lucky her aunt still let her crash on the rotted couch in the basement. She desperately wanted someone she could love forever. Now, she'd found him.
Half the marquee lights above her were burned out, leaving a soft, protective glow around her. The summer temperatures had come early in May, giving warmth to the evening and coaxing the hoodlums out of their hangouts. Being out alone in that part of town was not for outsiders, but this was her small section of the city. She knew how to avoid the dangers. Besides, nobody messed with Joey Pagano's girlfriend.
She took a sip of Coke and rocked on her heels in anticipation. Once she told Joey about the baby, she knew he'd want to get married. Then she'd finally have the family she longed for. An odd kind of energy swirled around her, and Allie knew this was a night she'd remember forever.
Her heart rate jumped when Joey came in to view as he hurried toward her, his dark hair and jacket making him seem part of the night. "You're late again." Allie wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his. His breaths were quick and deep from exertion, but he was there, and everything was perfect. The world lay at her feet, and she couldn't wait to grab it and run. "Someday—"
"Allie, stop."
The fear in his voice surprised her. Her happy mood dropped like a block of cement in the nearby Chicago River. When she looked closer, she realized he had a black eye and his beautiful lip was cut, leaving a bit of dried blood on his mouth. His injuries struck a chord of fear that had long been dormant inside her. "What's wrong?"
