Follow Your Heart--A Novel

by Brenda Jackson

  “How long have you lived there?”

  “I moved in right before Christmas last year.”

  He nodded. “Is the town as nice as my political manager claims?”

  “Yes. I am definitely Team Catalina Cove. The people are friendly and respect a person’s privacy. So even if you are recognized, they will understand your desire to be left alone. And if you’re someone who likes to fish, which I am, then you’ll—”

  “You like to fish?” he asked, surprised. Most women didn’t.

  “I go fishing every chance I get, which means when I’m not working or sleeping, I’m on the dock with my pole. I’m Nolan Madaris Junior’s daughter, and I got to go on all Dad’s fishing trips with my brothers. Fishing relaxes me.”

  Roman smiled. “It relaxes me as well, and I definitely need some relax time. Things have been crazy in DC.”

  “Do tell. I’ve noticed the politicians have a lot going on.”

  The politicians? “You say it like politicians is a bad word.”

  She shrugged. “Wish I could apologize, but I can’t. They’re not my favorite people. No offense, Senator.”

  “None taken, but one day you’ll have to tell me why.”

  “Maybe one day I will.” She glanced at her watch. “I need to go to a meeting. Good luck on your interview, and maybe I’ll see you around in the cove. It was nice seeing you again.”

  “It was nice seeing you again, as well, Victoria.”

  Roman watched as she hurried off and noticed that she had an eye-popping walk in those stilettos. It was only when she rounded the corner and was no longer in sight that his heart stopped racing.

  “They’ll be ready for you in five minutes, Senator Malone. Do you need anything?”

  The perky production assistant’s question intruded into his thoughts. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell the woman that a cold shower would be nice right about now. Instead he said, “I’d like a glass of water, please.”

  “Will a bottle of water be okay?”

  “Sure.”

  He watched her walk off, thinking she didn’t have that seductive bounce in her step like Victoria Madaris had. And there was no sway in her hips, either. He could tell Victoria’s walk wasn’t done to intentionally grab anyone’s attention. It just came naturally to her.

  Just to think of all the Christmas parties Marilyn and Jonathan had given that he’d missed. He could easily envision what might have happened had their paths crossed at one of them. He would have definitely asked her out. But then, hadn’t she said she’d missed a number of those parties herself? Obviously, it hadn’t been meant for them to meet again until now.

  “Here you are, Senator.” The production assistant handed him the bottled water.

  “Thanks.” He unscrewed the top and took a long swig. He glanced at the woman and saw her watching him. “Is anything wrong?” He racked his brain trying to recall her name and was glad when he finally remembered it. “Terica?”

  She quickly shook her head. “No, there’s nothing wrong. And they are ready for you now, Senator.”

  Senator. A number of people addressed him as such, and he was okay with it. But for some reason he hadn’t cared much for it when Victoria Madaris had done so. If their paths crossed while he was in Catalina Cove, he would make sure she called him by his given name, Roman. For some strange reason he wanted to hear her say his name.

  The production assistant broke in to his thoughts. “Senator Malone? Please follow me.”

  He followed her, and a part of him wished he’d been following Victoria Madaris instead.

  * * *

  VICTORIA LEFT THE meeting she’d had with her boss to find several people—all women—gathered around one of the television monitors mounted on the wall. “What’s going on?” she asked Bronwyn Lewis, the producer of the evening news show.

  “Take a look.”

  She glanced up at the monitor. Senator Roman Malone was being interviewed by Norma Roadie, the person who’d replaced Victoria on the morning talk show, Hello, New Orleans. She liked Norma and was glad Mr. Richards had acted on her recommendation for Norma to replace her.

  “That man is definitely good-looking,” one of the women said. “Hell, I would have voted for him just on looks alone.”

  “Hey, don’t forget his body. He is so friggin’ built. Why is he still single?” another woman asked.

  “You should have seen how he drank water straight from the bottle. It was such a turn-on,” Terica added. “He caught me staring.”

  Victoria said nothing as she stared at the monitor like everyone else. They were right—Roman Malone was good-looking. She had noticed that right away, even before Terica had told her who he was. He had looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him at first. And just to think their families were close. Small world. How long had it been since she’d seen him? She was certain the last time she’d been in her teens and wearing braces.

  “Don’t tell us he has you speechless, as well,” Roxanne Chambers said to her, grinning. “Too speechless to answer my question.”

  Victoria turned her attention to Roxanne. “Sorry, what did you ask?”

  “I wanted to know what you thought of his body?”

  Victoria glanced back at the screen, as if she needed to check it out again in order to give her opinion. “It’s nice.”

  “Nice? Is that all you have to say?”

  “Yes, that’s about it.” She definitely didn’t want to say that in addition to how great he looked in his suit, the senator had smelled good, as well. Then they would want to know how she’d managed to get close enough to get a whiff of him.

  “We know you don’t care for politicians, Victoria, but even you have to admit Senator Roman Malone is one handsome man. I wonder if he has a steady girl.”

  Victoria ignored the conversation around her as she kept her attention on Senator Malone. Unlike the others, who were ogling his body and wondering about his love life, she was listening to the way he was handling the interview and what he was saying. He was definitely a charmer and was even answering questions that the last politician they’d had on this show had evaded. Roman had no problem stating his opinion on any subject Norma asked him about, regardless of whether his position was a popular one or not. She liked that. She also liked that most of his positions reflected hers.

  She also liked that he looked directly at the person he was taking to. So many times, people would look at the camera, as if they wanted to make sure they were seen.

  “Well, his interview is almost over,” Terica said, grinning. “I think I’ll just wait out here in the hall, just in case he needs something else.”

  Victoria rolled her eyes. Sometimes it amused her how women could get carried away at the sight of a good-looking man. Looks were good but they weren’t everything. She much preferred a man who not only looked good, but was also good character-wise.

  She had grown up surrounded by good-looking men. So much that in some cases their looks had gone to their heads. At least her brother Nolan was no longer out there, but she didn’t want to think of the number of other single Madaris men still left in her generation.

  Deciding to leave the gathering and go to her office to get prepared for her noonday show, she said, “Well, I’ll be going to—”

  “So the two of you do know each other.” Terica presented it as a statement rather than a question.

  Victoria noticed it got quiet and all eyes were on her. Leave it to Terica to share that with everyone. “Yes, our families are close. My uncle and aunt are his godparents. However, I haven’t seen him in years, which is why I didn’t recognize him.”

  “So you never had a crush on him or anything while growing up?” Monica, the meteorologist, asked.

  “Nope. To be honest, while growing up, good-looking guys turned me off. I was surrounded by too many of them.”


  They all nodded since they’d met her brothers and a few of her cousins when they had helped her move from New Orleans to Catalina Cove. “I’ll see you guys later. I need to get ready for the noon show.”

  Before walking off, Victoria glanced back at the monitor. She was glad the others had returned their gazes to the screen, as well. Otherwise, they would have seen her drool when she caught sight of Senator Malone smiling. He had such a gorgeous smile and it matched the rest of him. The man was simply eye candy in a suit.

  As she headed to her office, she found it strange that she felt a tingling sensation in her stomach when she thought about the senator. However, whenever she thought about Tanner Jamison, she felt nothing at all.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  TWO DAYS. THAT WAS all it took for Roman to conclude he was in paradise. There was no other way to describe Catalina Cove, the quaint shipping town located on the Gulf and surrounded by the Moulden River, Lafitte Harbor and other waterways in between. The August weather was beautiful—sunny through the days with a little breeze off the water in the evenings. Each morning, he awoke to see the sunrise over the Gulf, and then in the evenings, he had a front row seat for the sunset.

  From the locals, he’d learned the parcel of land the cove sat on had been a gift from the US government to the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte for his help in the fight for independence from the British during the War of 1812. Some people didn’t believe Lafitte was buried at sea in the Gulf of Honduras like history claimed, but that he was buried somewhere in the waters surrounding Catalina Cove. Due to Lafitte’s influence, the cove had become a shipping town. It still was, which was evident by the number of fishing vessels that lined the piers in what was known as the shipping district. The Moulden River was full of trout, whiting, shrimp and oysters. Locals boasted that tourists would come from miles around to sample the town’s seafood, especially the oysters.

  Mint had known exactly what he needed and had delivered. A gorgeous forty-foot yacht that was docked in the perfect location was his exclusively for three weeks. He took it out both days and appreciated that the weather had been great and the fishing even greater. He returned in the evening and discovered there was always something to do in the marina. There were numerous restaurants, game rooms, a coffee shop and a variety of other shops to patronize. The distance between each slip was ample, so each boater had the space and privacy they needed. That also made leaving and returning the boat to the pier easier.

  The refrigerator and pantry had been packed with food items Mint knew he liked. For the past two days, Roman had lived the life of a sea bum, and hadn’t even bothered to shave. He was enjoying being alone in his element doing nothing. He hadn’t known just how much he’d needed this time to just chill. Yesterday he’d gone to one of the restaurants to pick up his dinner and had roamed around. He noticed the locals respected his privacy. He was here for R and R. The last thing he wanted to do was talk politics. Then again, there was a chance no one had recognized him because of the beard. Whatever the reason, it was nice not to have a slew of reporters on his heels.

  The boat had both upper and lower decks, as well as a main cabin. The main cabin was too luxurious for words. Covered in marble flooring, there was a spacious bedroom and a small galley, a sitting room, an eating area and a nice-size bathroom with a shower. Everything was just the right size for a crew of four, with all the amenities.

  The one thing he hadn’t planned to do while he was here was watch television. He figured that he could keep up with the news on his cell phone. However, he hadn’t been able to resist the temptation to turn it on at noon to watch Victoria Madaris’s hour-long talk show.

  Seeing her on the show sparked a fire within him. Not everybody looked good on camera, but she did. He thought the other two ladies looked good, as well, but his focus was on Victoria. She had a way of relaxing her guest and not making them feel intimidated, even when he figured she didn’t agree with what the person was saying.

  At the end of his second full day in Catalina Cove, Roman was sitting on the upper deck of the boat, drinking a beer and looking out across the water after watching a spectacular sunset. Moments later, his attention was drawn away when he saw a woman strolling on the boardwalk beneath a cloudless evening sky.

  Victoria Madaris.

  Dressed comfortably for the weather in a pair of blue shorts and white tank top, it appeared she was headed to one of the restaurants lining the pier. The moment he caught sight of her, he felt his blood surge. He thought the same thing now that he’d thought when he’d watched her earlier—she was an absolutely beautiful woman. He’d been in the company of beautiful women before, but there was something about her that kept him spellbound.

  He had hoped to see her that day after his interview, but hadn’t. When he’d asked the production assistant about Victoria, he’d been told she was preparing for her noonday show. He had regretted leaving without seeing that smile and dimples.

  As he continued to watch her stroll along the pier, he wondered if she was involved with anyone, and figured she probably was. She was so beautiful that she had to be involved with someone, seriously or otherwise. He saw her stop to chat with several people and concluded that she was definitely the friendly type.

  When she began walking again, he felt what seemed to be an awakening in the lower part of his stomach with every step she took. The very sensation unnerved him because lusting after a woman was definitely not something he had time for. He needed to rest and relax, because when he returned to the nation’s capital, he would be busier than ever.

  But still...

  Roman watched her walk into Lafitte Seafood House and slowly returned his gaze back to the water. Moments later, he glanced at his watch. He hadn’t eaten dinner yet and figured now was just as good a time as any to do so. And a seafood dinner sounded pretty darn good about now.

  He knew the only reason he suddenly had a taste for seafood was because of that restaurant Victoria Madaris had walked into. That was fine, he thought as he stood. He would call himself all kinds of fool later. Right now, he didn’t want to be alone in his element. He wanted to share it. And with her.

  It then occurred to him that she might be meeting someone for dinner. If that was the case, then he would not intrude. If it wasn’t, then today would definitely be his lucky day.

  * * *

  “I ENJOYED TODAY’S SHOW, Victoria.”

  “Thanks,” Victoria responded to Neil Surrey, the owner of Lafitte Seafood House, as she looked around for a vacant spot. “You’re busy today.”

  “Yes, we are. A lot of people are in town for the wedding of Nina Murray and Arnett Staples. They both grew up in the cove and moved away after college,” Neil explained. “Last Christmas they came back to their high school reunion and have been a couple ever since.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful.” When she saw a couple leaving their table, she said, “I think I’ll grab that table in the back, Neil.”

  “Go ahead and get seated. I’ll send a busboy over to clear off the table.”

  A short while later one of the busboys had cleaned off the table and a waitress handed her a menu. She liked coming here and was glad Bryce had recommended it to her when she’d first moved to town. This was one of her weekly drop-ins, and she’d gotten to know a few of the regulars.

  Instead of studying the menu to see what she would eat today, her thoughts shifted to Senator Malone. Had he gotten settled in? She wondered if he was staying at Shelby by the Sea, the beautiful inn that sat on the Gulf. That would make perfect sense if he was, since he’d indicated he liked to fish.

  She couldn’t help but recall how good he’d looked that day at the television station. Several of the women were still talking about his visit. She wasn’t talking about it, but she was still thinking about it. She’d even downloaded the interview to watch the entire episode and had enjoyed it. Judging by the number of call
s the station had received from viewers, he’d been a favorite that day. Out of curiosity, she’d done her research and saw that he was well-liked among other politicians and his constituents.

  Her thoughts shifted yet again, this time to Tanner. She’d honestly expected him to have connected with her for that rain check to dinner by now. It had been a little over a week. She knew exactly where the nightclub he was renovating was located and had been tempted to stop by to see if he was there, say hello and ask to look around.

  But then she figured doing such a thing would make it seem as if she was chasing after him, when she wasn’t. If Mama Laverne was right—and there was no reason to think she wasn’t—he would eventually come around. And like Christy said, she had to be patient.

  “The place is packed and there’s not a vacant table. Mind if I join you?”

  Victoria looked up to find Senator Roman Malone—at least she thought it was him. Gone was the clean-shaven, suit-wearing, suave and charismatic senator of a few days ago. Standing at her table was an unshaven man dressed in jeans and sporting a Houston Astros T-shirt. If you put a bandanna on his head and a loop earring in his ear, he could pass for a pirate. Why did this man have to be so breathtaking, even when he looked like a ruffian?

  She deliberately broke eye contact with him. It was either that or let him see feminine interest in her gaze. Glancing around, she noticed that even more people were there than when she’d arrived. Returning her gaze to his, she said, “Yes, of course. I was lucky to get this booth when I did.”

  “Thanks.”

  She watched how he eased into the booth seat and wasn’t prepared for the jolt of lust that raced through her. Where did such a thing come from and why was it affecting her with this man and not Tanner? Swallowing, she looked up to find him staring at her. Why? Had he said something and was waiting for a response from her? “Did you say something?”