by Aubree Lane
She picked up the life vest that hung on the back of his chair. “Put this on first. I don’t know how to drive this thing, and I’m not interested in drowning today.” Annie sat down, but when he hesitated for a moment, she shook the orange life preserver at him. “Go on, put it on. Or do you need help with yours too?”
Terence had every intention of putting it on. He just hadn’t got to it yet. He wondered if Annie was always this bossy. Bossy was fine, he’d take that over falling apart any day. He stuck his arms in the vest and pulled the straps tight. “Feel better?”
“I don’t know,” she shot back. “If you can still breathe, then I doubt it’s on tight enough.”
She was beautiful, bossy, and sarcastic without even a hint of hysterics behind her blue-green eyes. He chuckled to himself, knowing he was in a world of trouble. He threw the boat into gear, and the Erika Rose burst forth full throttle towards safe port.
His sister’s place was close to Waianae on the west coast of Oahu. Lena had her own private dock, but its poor design made it difficult to pull into during rough weather. The good news was with its long sloping coral reef it rarely saw the spectacular surf advertised as scenic hot spots further up north.
If he was serious about getting rid of Annie, heading for Honolulu and the protection of the harbor, was his best bet. There were so many hotels in the area, she was bound to find some sort of accommodations. With its large tourist population, the odds of her running into Marissa Crandall were slim.
Still, he preferred Lena’s. Erika was there, and he didn’t want her worrying about him. They had so little time together in her short life that she tended to get a little skittish when he was gone for too long.
In the back of his mind an idea began to form. Annie could stay at Lena’s. There was plenty of room, and his sister had been toying with the idea of putting her degree in hotel management to use by converting the old farm into a small hotel. It was a good plan. The place was perfect for it. Perhaps this was the push she needed to get started. His sister probably wouldn’t be happy about having a surprise guest, but he figured Lena would get over it when she heard how much money was involved.
He glanced over at his passenger. She was not doing well. Annie’s eyes were closed, and her head bobbed up and down. “Open your eyes!” he commanded. “Look out towards the horizon and keep your eyes there. Do not look down.”
She did as instructed and a few minutes later when her equilibrium stabilized, he decided to let her decide on their final destination. “What do you think?” he asked over the howling wind. “Further away with an easier landing, or closer with a slightly more difficult mooring to pull into?”
She took her eyes off the horizon and glanced at him. With his attention on her instead of the rough water around them, the Erika Rose dropped off the crest of the wave and fell into the trough. Annie’s head bobbed and her tortured stomach convulsed. She grabbed her mouth, flung her head in the opposite direction and heaved.
Terence was impressed. She successfully missed both him and his boat. The next time he might not be so lucky. He had to get her ashore as quickly as possible. “That’s it,” he yelled. “We are going to my sister’s.”
He quickly adjusted their course and throttled down to maintain a more comfortable attitude. The Erika Rose ran slightly behind the crest of the growing waves. Terence followed a wave train, riding crest to crest as they slowly zigzagged their way toward Lena’s.
The rain hit when they were still about ten minutes out. Terence’s wet hair fell into his eyes. He had a ball cap tucked in the seat behind him, but he couldn’t take his hands off the controls long enough to grab it. Annie noticed his dilemma and raked his hair back over his head. Her cold fingers sent shivers down his spine and a surge pulsating through his groin. Shocked at his reaction, he jerked his head away.
“There’s a cap in the back of my seat,” he yelled over the wind. “Can you reach it?”
She had to stand in order to retrieve it. Annie stumbled when the boat pitched and she crashed into his shoulder.
“Never mind, sit back down!”
Annie regained her balance, ignored his command, and reached for the cap. It was situated between his backside and the crevice of his Captain’s chair. He felt her fingers wiggling around his cheeks and almost dropped back into the trough. Too soon, or not soon enough depending on how you looked at it, Annie pulled the cap out and fixed it firmly on his head.
“I like knowing you can see what you’re doing,” she said curtly before she eased cautiously back into her seat.
He gave her a quick, but unnecessary, reassuring smile. Her nausea had passed, and a smile played on her lips. She even looked as if she was enjoying herself a little. Terence relaxed, he understood the thrill.
It had been a long time since he tested his boating skills. He’d been caught in some extremely frightening weather conditions in his life. Now he tended to avoid it whenever possible. Keeping his customers and family safe always being his first priority. With this storm he needed to concentrate on what he was doing, but he was confident in his ability to handle it.
Annie pointed off in the distance. “Is that where we’re going?”
He followed the direction of her finger and saw the surf pounding Lena’s dock. He nodded but hoped Annie didn’t get a false sense of security with the news. There was only one way in, and it was a bit tricky, even in good weather. His insurance company wasn’t going to be happy if he didn’t maneuver this just right.
Terence made his approach carefully. Then just as quickly as the storm hit, it began to abate. The rain still poured, but the wind stalled and caught him off guard. Without the strong swirling head wind, Terence had to throw his vessel into reverse sooner than anticipated. The Erika Rose bashed into the dock, and he and Annie were thrown forward with the impact.
Without a moment to spare, he killed the engines, grabbed a line and securely belayed his pride and joy to the dock before the waves had a chance to knock her away.
• • •
They were soaked but safe. Annie breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad the ordeal was over, but the experience had been exhilarating. She was so scared, she forgot all about feeling ill.
She looked around at her surroundings. Off to the right there was a small beach area, and up a lush green hill stood a vast estate. “Wow! Your sister lives here?”
Terence tossed his PFD back in the boat. “Yes, she does,” he snickered. “It looks pretty impressive at a distance.” He took her hand and helped her out of the rocking boat.
The force of the rain no longer felt like stabbing little needles against her face, and when her feet were planted firmly on the dock, Terence grabbed her life preserver and pulled her towards him. She ran her fingers down his arms as he released the clasps. Her touch was way too familiar, but the adrenaline pumping through her veins made it impossible for her to stop. She was wet and ready to go. The PDF slipped off her shoulders and dropped to the ground. Annie looked into Terence’s dark eyes and felt his arms wrap around her waist. She smiled and rose up to meet his kiss, but stopped short when she caught sight of a little girl running down the hill.
She ducked away from Terence’s incoming lips and pointed towards the excited little munchkin. “I think someone has been waiting for you.”
He looked confused until he heard his daughter’s happy laugh. His arms instantly released her. Shocked at the level of unrequited desire she felt with his departure, Annie gasped. With a regretful sigh, Terence stepped back and rushed away to greet the flesh and blood, Erika Rose.
Annie watched him go. She wished they had just one more minute of privacy, but she couldn’t help smiling at the scene. She could see Marissa and David’s kids running to them in the exact same manner.
Annie lagged behind, realizing how much she had imposed herself on this family. She had barged into Terence’s life without considering the ramifications. This was a real family she was dealing with, not just some imaginary boy
from her childhood.
Looking back at the last twenty-four hours, it was hard for her to believe how irresponsible she’d been. After her conversation with Marissa, she’d thrown herself a gigantic pity party. She never had any time for herself. Her clients were a pain. Alan was fantastic, but something was missing. They were better friends than lovers.
When she piled all her complaints together, the only way she could see out of the massive rut she dug for herself was to dump her work on her already overworked assistants, leave Jack and Sandy with their grandmother, and Alan with an extra ticket to the concert.
It was pretty scary, but at the time her logic made perfect sense.
She felt awful for the way she treated Marissa. If Annie had taken the time to think things through, she would have let Marissa kiss Terence, and then showed up to hire him. It would have solved so many problems. She seriously messed things up by letting her jealousy get the upper hand.
Looking at the brighter side, her life was now on an uptick. The timing was lousy, but this was just the kind of adventure she needed. So far, things had been pretty exciting. She actually survived a storm out on a boat, which looking at now seemed way too small to be out in the ocean, with her high school fantasy man. In front of her was a fairytale house waiting for her to explore, and she just had the privilege of witnessing a beautiful, excited child run to her father. More notably, the father’s incredibly shaped backside made her think of things she hadn’t thought of for a while. Not bad for only a few hours of work.
Terence’s mocking implication of Lena’s house was way off base. As Annie grew closer, she became more and more impressed. It needed work, but nothing a new roof and paint job couldn’t fix. The foliage in the surrounding area was in need of a bit of tender loving care, but Annie saw the makings of a lush tropical garden in her midst. Someone had truly loved this place once upon a time.
“Your house is amazing,” Annie complimented Terence’s sister upon entering her home.
As expected, the inside was in just as much disarray as the outside. It was an eclectic mix of Polynesian and Asian architecture with a little Eastern Seaboard thrown in for good measure. Annie suspected the home had been in the family for several generations, with each one adding their own sense of style. The place had good bones, but without a cohesive design, it felt cluttered and messy.
Lena answered Annie’s compliment by slamming a cupboard door and banging a bowl on the counter.
Annie jumped at the sound. Terence’s sister didn’t seem terribly enthusiastic about having a house guest. She took the bowl from Lena. “Let me help. I know you weren’t expecting me, it’s the least I can do.” Annie wasn’t kidding. She was a horrible cook. “What are we making?”
“Lunch,” Lena scowled as she grabbed the bowl back.
Annie wrung her hands and wondered where Terence disappeared to. She was way outside her comfort zone being left alone with this agitated Amazon. Annie looked around hoping to find some other way to assist her hostess and to ease the tension between them. A wine rack was positioned in the corner of an old laminate countertop, and Annie imagined a slab of sealed granite in its place.
It had been years since she’d been able to walk into a room without trying to improve on it. That had to change. If there was one thing her poor behavior had taught her, it was that she had to learn to leave her work at the office. From now on when the clock struck six, work ended and personal time began. Quickly she decided six was a little too constricting and made it six-thirty instead. Seven at the very latest.
She picked a bottle of chardonnay out of the wine rack and examined the label. Cooking might not be her thing, but wine she could do with her eyes closed, and a little libation might improve Lena’s mood. “This wine from the Alexander Valley in California is superb. I don’t know how you got a hold of it. I was told this reserve was sold only to restaurants. You are a very lucky woman. Shall we have a glass while we cook?”
Lena cracked a smile. “I ordered it online for seventeen bucks a bottle.”
Annie was floored. “What? That waitress lied! I go to that restaurant all the time. I thought she was my friend.”
“She kept you coming back,” Lena winked. “I bet you paid around thirty or forty dollars for the bottle. The bigger the bill, the bigger the tip. She knew what she was doing.”
“Ex-waitress?” Annie asked.
Lena nodded. “All through college. I’ve worked at some of the finest establishments on the island. I know all the tricks.” She kicked her head towards the refrigerator. “There’s an open bottle in the fridge. Help yourself.”
Annie didn’t know as much about wine as she thought, but at least her stupidity helped break the ice.
The rain stopped, and the air had turned hot and humid. She longed for a shower, but she didn’t think it was wise to test her newfound friendship with Lena just yet.
She opened the refrigerator and found the bottle. Annie glanced out the window while she wrestled with the cork. At the bottom of the hill, Erika was trying to teach her dad how to do a cartwheel. Try as he might, Terence could not get his heels up and over his head.
Annie laughed. “Look at those two.”
Lena looked out just in time to see Terence fall on his keester. She shook her head. “They are a pair. Too bad Erika has to go home soon.”
“So Mr. Javier and Erika’s mother share custody?” Annie tentatively asked the female version of Terence. Lena had the same dark hair and eyes. She was beautiful, and Annie felt like a scrawny wet cat next to her.
Lena gently opened the cupboard, and set two wine glasses on the counter. “Mr. Javier was our father, just call him Terence.” She took the bottle out of Annie’s hand and filled the glasses. “As you can see from our appearance,” she said waving her hand down her body, referring to her tank top and shorts, “we are pretty casual around here, so relax and get in to the spirit of the island.”
Annie smiled and wagged her hand at Lena. “Hang loose.”
• • •
Lena’s rolling laughter was heard all the way down the hill.
Terence flung his ten-year-old princess over his shoulder and charged up the knoll. “Let’s see what’s going on inside.” He slipped on the wet grass, and Erika squealed with delight. It turned into a game and Terence dipped, tossed and swung his growing daughter all the way up to the house.
He banged opened the screen door and set Erika down. “What’s so funny?”
Lena was doubled over, holding onto her side laughing. She pointed at Annie. “Show him.”
Annie shrugged and repeated the gesture. Another round of laughter burst out of Lena’s mouth, and Terence smirked under his breath.
Annie appealed to the youngest member of the family. “I don’t get it. What’s so funny?”
Erika rolled her eyes and pulled the backside of Annie’s hand towards her. With strong confident fingers, she folded all three of Annie’s middle fingers down and pulled her thumb and pinky up. When she finished, she looked sweetly up at Annie with eyes the color of the ocean and smiled.
Annie presented this new configuration to Terence and Lena. “Is this better?”
Lena smiled approvingly. “Shaka, friendly island hand gesture.”
Terence performed Annie’s improper variation. “Texas Longhorns, Hook’em Horns. Or,” he brought his other hand up in the same formation. “The ever popular Rock On.” He opened his mouth wide and stuck out his tongue, causing his daughter to giggle with delight. He picked up his sister’s wine glass and took a sip. “It’s a family pet peeve. You’d be surprised how many people get it wrong. Sorry if we embarrassed you, we won’t laugh again.”
Annie took a sip of the rich, oaky wine and rolled her eyes Erika fashion. “I’ve been embarrassing myself in front of you all day. Why should this be any different?”
Terence hadn’t thought she’d been embarrassed at all. A little shaky perhaps after getting sick but even then she possessed an air of confidence. He sc
ratched his head.
Annie smiled and once again reminded him of someone. He watched her gracefully lean over and whisper something in Erika’s ear.
Erika loved adult attention, and it had taken Annie exactly three seconds before she had his daughter eating out of her hand. Terence groaned. Erika was a talker. It wouldn’t be long before their guest knew everything about them.
Annie straightened and rested a conspiratorial hand on Erika’s shoulder. “If you can do without our help, would you mind if Erika showed me around?”
Terence looked at the two pair of pleading eyes and gave up. They were already in cahoots. “Get out of here. I’ll help Lena with lunch. Just be back in an hour or you will both be in trouble.”
The girls scampered outside. The moment the door closed behind them, Lena turned on him. “I can’t believe you brought that woman here. You didn’t even have the courtesy to ask me first. Now look at them!” She pointed out the window. “You know how Erika gets when you introduce her to one of your girlfriends. She starts believing she’s going to have a real family. If Erika has anything to say about it, those two are going to become thick as thieves, then we’ll be left to pick up the pieces when Annie leaves.”
“I have introduced Erika to exactly one woman, and Annie is not my girlfriend,” he protested lamely.
Lena snorted and cocked her brow. “Excuse me? I saw the two of you down on the dock.”
Terence wished his sister wasn’t so observant, but she had a point. Annie’s eyes had drawn him in. Her hands caressing his arms had sent jolts through his body. Kissing her seemed like the most natural thing in the world, and she had responded. When Annie dodged his kiss, he felt like an idiot. Not only had he almost kissed a complete stranger, but his daughter had almost witnessed it.
“Erika will be fine. I’ll explain that Annie is a paying customer. We will be friendly to her, but she is not our friend. Even if she gets attached, Erika will still be fine. My daughter has a pretty thick skin.”
