A Man to Remember

by Engels, Mary Tate

  She was overwhelmed with curiosity as she listened to the two men's low voices receding down the hall. Soon there was no sound at all as they moved completely out of earshot.

  So now she was supposed to sit here in bed, like a good girl, and wait for her man to return? Wondering what was happening all around her? Knowing Jake had taken the gun!

  It was too much for Alyse Skye, who had never been very good at following orders or with patience. Bristol Bordeaux, her personal heroine, would never huddle in bed after her lover bolted. She would make sure it was damned necessary or maybe she'd do some damage… to someone.

  Alyse slipped out of bed, determined to find out what was happening. Where were her shorts and blouse? Damned if she would let something exciting happen tonight, right here under her nose, and not be a part of it. She couldn't figure why Jake would take that gun. And why he would need it if the problem was with his sick aunt. If she was the actual problem.

  Alyse heard men's voices again. She halted in mid-step. They were beneath her balcony. She tiptoed over to the half-open window. Ignoring the minor technicality that she was totally nude, she stepped out onto the balcony so she could hear them better. She recognized Jake's voice right away and figured the other was Emilio's.

  "Where?"

  "The man just came from Guaymas, straight across the Sea of Cortes. He says the army is looking for a deserter."

  "How does he know?"

  "He says they are relentless in their searching. They have questioned everyone who might know. They have turned the city inside out looking for this . . . this perpetrator."

  "Do they have a description?"

  "Si. Tall and blond. No beard, though. Maybe that funny color will save you, mi amigo. Who would ever suspect you would have a red beard?"

  "Damn! How close are they? What do you think, Emilio?"

  "They have traced this unknown deserter as far as Guaymas. He says they are sure of it. Presently they are searching along the coast. No stone unturned, as you say."

  "I'd like to talk to him."

  "Si, I thought so. He is in La Paz, a bar located near the waterfront. ..."

  The two men moved out of Alyse's hearing, and she dashed back into the room. Furiously she pulled on her clothes and ran down the hall, nearly tripping on a rug in her rush. She slipped through the kitchen and out the back door, frantically hunting for Jake. Hurrying across the lower patio, she didn't even glance at the pool shimmering in the moonlight. And she didn't see the dark eyes that followed her.

  Where was Jake?

  She looked back at the hacienda, searching every window. Everything was in darkness except for the faint hall lights. If his aunt was having a crisis, there should be a hub of excitement and lights everywhere. She scrutinized the smaller buildings of the compound. Every building was black. The only illumination came from an occasional spotlight strategically located through the villa.

  Apparently whatever had alarmed Jake was not his aunt. It didn't make any sense to Alyse, but she was determined to find out the truth. Maybe someone was trying to break into the compound. But what about that strange conversation she had heard between Jake and Emilio? Was the army deserter trying to break in and hide there? No, that was improbable. But what did the army deserter have to do with them?

  Then there was the remark about Jake's beard camouflaging him. Was he the deserter? Impossible! They were talking about a Mexican national deserting the Mexican Army, weren't they?

  She heard men's voices again and dashed across the road toward the sounds. She reached the small storage shed that housed Jake's valuable art inheritance. Could they be after someone who was trying to break into the shed? When she heard another noise behind the building, she started blindly toward it.

  Before she could reach her destination, Alyse stumbled and fell. She tried to muffle a groan as she grabbed her foot and rolled against the building. Sharp pains shot through her foot and lower leg for a few minutes while she waited for them to subside. Dammit! In the darkness she'd stepped on a sharp cactus with her bare foot.

  Would Bristol Bordeaux have been so stupid as to leave a room in the middle of a desert without shoes? No! Alyse moaned in a low tone as she extracted the sticker from her foot. She took deep breaths against the pain and eventually proceeded toward her mission in the back. She reached the end of the building, heart pounding with excitement, and just as she cautiously rounded the corner, someone grabbed her from behind!

  A vise clamped around her waist roughly and a hand clasped her mouth. Caught between surprise and fear, Alyse could hardly get her breath, much less scream. She was lifted completely off her feet and carried, her slender body bouncing against a large male's bulk. Instinctively she began to squirm and kick. She would not make this easy for her abductor! As she twisted, she managed to get her teeth around one stubby finger clamped over her mouth and bit with all her might.

  "Aaiee!" Her assailant uttered a rash of Spanish expletives and tossed her away from him. "This one is part wildcat! Cuidado!"

  She landed on the hard earth with a thud.

  "Alyse! What in hell are you doing here?"

  She looked up into the furious face of Jake Bronson. He was bending over, looking at her as if she were a bug.

  "I. . . I'm trying to get my breath if you'll tell your goon to quit manhandling me! Anyway, I hurt my foot on a cactus." She grabbed her foot and looked around accusingly at the other man, the one who'd grabbed her so viciously.

  Emilio pointed at her angrily. "She bit me, the little—"

  "You keep your hands off me, you big—"

  "Okay, you two. Cool it." Jake lifted Alyse to a standing position none too gently. "Were you the one following me?"

  "Who did you expect?" She shook her hair back in a defiant gesture. "The Mexican Army?"

  "What do you mean by that?" His hands gripped her forearms, and he jerked her off the ground. "What do you know about the army?"

  She stared up into his dark face. For the first time he frightened her. Just a little. "I . . . would you put me down so I can think straight?"

  He glared at her, breathing deeply and slowly, then lowered her until her toes touched the earth. But his hands kept their grip on her arms. "Don't you know you could get hurt sneaking around like that?"

  "I did. I hurt my foot. I should have worn shoes."

  He shook her slightly. "Dammit, Alyse! You shouldn't have left the room. I told you to stay put!"

  "Hey, I'm not used to obeying orders! Especially from you!" she replied with flashing eyes. "I just want to know what's going on around here. I heard you talking under my balcony about an army deserter. And I want to know what this is all about. Your aunt isn't sick. It has nothing to do with your aunt!"

  He looked at her wildly for a moment, then gave the other man an apologetic look. "She's sorry about the biting incident, Emilio. You're okay, aren't you? It won't happen again, I swear. Would you leave us alone for a few minutes? I need to get some things straight with her." He shrugged helplessly.

  The act infuriated Alyse. "What do you mean by that, you macho chauvinist!"

  Jake ignored her reaction and looked over her head to Emilio. "She's all right, amigo. She knows nothing."

  "Sure, sure, Jake. I'll get the car for you."

  "I'll meet you around front in a few minutes, Emilio. Gracias."

  Alyse propped her fists on her hips. "Jake, what the hell is going on here?"

  "Look, Alyse, I can understand your being a little upset with me."

  "A little?"

  He ran a hand roughly through his tousled hair. "Bad timing, I'll admit. But it couldn't be helped. Please try to understand, darling."

  "Don't you 'darling' me! I want to know what's happening. Where were you two heading? And why—"

  He held up a hand to halt her. "Listen up, Alyse. I'm not sure what's going on yet. I have to check it out. But I can assure you of this. It has nothing to do with us. You and me. Or with our deal to get out of here. Everything
is still go."

  Alyse could hear the car's engine roar to life. Emilio was taking it around to the front of the hacienda.

  "What were you talking about under my balcony? That wasn't about your aunt's illness."

  "Just some private business."

  "Jake, I heard you talking about an army deserter and—"

  "Shhh." Jake's fingertips pressed her lips shut. "Alyse, Aunt Myra is slipping fast."

  "Then why isn't the whole place buzzing?"

  "I told you, we don't want to alarm the staff. Or alert the authorities about her illness. It's being kept very quiet."

  "Jake, I know you're lying."

  "Please, Alyse. Don't complicate things worse tonight. Go back to bed."

  "You're going into town, aren't you?" she said accusingly.

  "Yes. For the doctor. Now come on. Let me take you back to the house. And I expect you to stay in your room. Understand?" As they started, Jake noticed she was limping and slid his arm around her waist. "Hey, is your foot all right?"

  "Well, it does hurt a little." She leaned on his sturdy arm. "Jake, I don't like to be left out of whatever's going on. I love a good adventure, and I want to know all about this. I want to go with you."

  "Don't worry about a thing, Alyse. There's no adventure. Come over here in the light and let me check your foot." He bent over to inspect her injury. "Hey, it's bleeding a little."

  "Of course, it is. I stepped on a sharp prickly pear."

  "Well, let's not take any chances of getting it infected." He swung her up into his arms and carried her all the way to the house and upstairs to her bedroom.

  Alyse clung to Jake's broad shoulders, wishing she could hold on to him tonight. But she knew that was impossible. Jake had other business— whatever it was—and it didn't involve her. Obviously it was more important than even spending the night with her.

  He sat on the edge of the bed. "Before I leave, I'll send Lena up with some antiseptic and bandages. But please don't mention La Duena to her. She might become upset, and it'll spread around here like wildfire. We don't want that. It might alert the authorities."

  Alyse nodded sullenly.

  "I expect you to stay put, mi preciosa."

  She clung to his neck. "And I expect you back soon."

  He dipped his head and kissed her lips, lingering for a moment to savor the sweetness. "Will do."

  "Jake, why do you have that gun?"

  His expression feigned indifference. "Just a precaution. Not to worry. See you soon. Wait for me. We'll finish what we started . . ."

  Alyse watched him leave, her mind whirling with the suspicious activities of the last few hours. She could hear his gruffly muttered "Wait for me" and wondered if he would return soon. Or if at all.

  As she feared, he didn't make it back all night.

  When morning came, Alyse was still alone in the bed. Lena brought coffee and sweet empanadas to her room and inquired shyly about her foot.

  "It's a little sore. But not infected, thanks to you, Lena. You were wonderful to get up in the middle of the night to help me."

  "De nada, señorita."

  "Oh, Lena, is Jake—er, Señor Bronson here?"

  "I don't know, señorita."

  Alyse sighed and picked at the tiny fruit-filled pie on her tray. "Gracias, Lena."

  Later Alyse wandered downstairs and found Emilio having coffee on the upper patio. "Buenos dias, Emilio. Please accept my apologies for biting your finger last night. I was somewhat upset when you hauled me around like that."

  The dark-haired man stood up and smiled apologetically at her. "I understand, señorita. I hope I didn't hurt you either."

  "No, I'm fine. No worse for the wear. Where is Jake this morning?"

  "He sends his regrets that he cannot be here. Perhaps you would like to go swimming until he gets back."

  Alyse's eyes flashed intently. "Emilio, what is going on here?"

  "I am not at liberty to say, señorita. You will have to ask Jake."

  "I see." She'd tried that, and could see where it got her. Nowhere but waiting for him with no answers. "Could you provide me a ride back to town, Emilio? I would like to leave now."

  "Si, claro, señorita. Should I tell Jake where you're going? Give him a message from you?"

  "No, thank you. No message. He'll understand."

  Back on the boat, Alyse decided a quick swim would help to clear her mind and dampen her anger at being abandoned. She piled everything into a soft backpack and took the back road to Balandra Beach. She looked over the glistening stillness of the beach, the gentle waves folding over the sand. Memories of rough kisses and tight male muscles washed over her and she wished she hadn't stopped him – them. Wished she could feel him over her, in her. A woman's wish.

  She dived directly into a cyclonic swirl of black grunts. The fish circled her, brushing against her arms and legs as if she were one of them. She imagined they viewed her as some strange sea creature with her purple swimsuit, long legs and snorkeling headgear. She swam underwater naturally and freely, finally breaking the surface for air. Immediately she plunged again into the crystalline waters. It was a good place to escape. And think.

  Finally breathless, she emerged and dug her toes into the pristine sand as she strode to her beach blanket. She sat down and hugged her knees to her chest while she watched a tour boat glide past the remote and beautiful bay. Then she was alone on the beach to consider her predicament, to remember Jake and try to get a bearing on her emotions.

  Alyse took a deep breath. If she didn't let Jake help her get back home, then whom would she get? Should she give in and call her father? Brother? Or worse, Evan?

  No, those were her last choices. She had decided to handle this by herself and wasn't ready to give up yet. After all, it had been only a few days since Evan left her. But just look how much had happened: her attraction to and involvement with the mysterious Jake Bronson.

  When her own solutions didn't come readily, she turned over on her stomach, got comfortable, and picked up her book. Soon Alyse was lost in Bristol Bordeaux's breathless adventures.

  Bristol followed the black limo along Houston's dangerous Wayside Drive, one of the roughest places in the city for a woman alone. She'd been warned about this district along the waterfront where ships from all over the world docked. The limo she was tailing stopped next to a harbored Greek ship. Bristol hid her car behind a rusty blue van and watched three men board the ship. She followed fearlessly. After all, she had her snug Beretta tucked against her thigh for reassurance.

  A male hand traced her naked backbone.

  Alyse whirled around, heart pounding. Then she slumped back down on the blanket with a loud sigh. "Jake! You scared me! How did you get way out here?"

  "Like you, I rented a scooter. I should have known you'd come to Balandra." Jake heaved himself down on the blanket beside her. "It took me awhile to figure it out, though."

  She glared. "My, my, aren't you clever. And sneaky." How could he appear so casual after last night?

  "So are you, my dear. You could have left me a message that you'd be here. It wasn't very considerate, you know. Why did you take off alone like that?"

  "Because that's the way I want to be. Alone."

  "So do I. Alone with you."

  "Oh, yeah? Could have fooled me last night." She refused to look at him.

  "Look, Alyse, I can explain about that. And I'm sorry. Truly."

  She turned an angry face toward him, her blue eyes clear and questioning. "I'm all ears. But don't tell me it was your aunt. I know differently."

  Jake's traitorous brown eyes flickered amusedly over her. "Not quite all ears, thank God! I much prefer your enticing feminine shape in this purple suit." He traced the tops of her breasts with one finger.

  She shivered involuntarily. "I'm waiting for your full explanation, Jake, not your analysis of my body. It isn't often that I end up in a strange man's bed. Then to have him build me up with great expectations and abruptly leave and
not return all night cools my passion considerably. And I won't even mention what it does to my ego!" Alyse had worked herself into fair lather during her speech, and her cheeks burned pink.

  She was certain that Bristol would have left a guy high and dry after a trick like that. So why was she giving Jake a chance to explain?

  Jake took a deep breath and raked a rough hand over his stubby beard. At any other time he would have thought himself crazy. Here was this woman of such beauty that she took his breath away. And here he was trying to explain why he'd slipped out of her arms last night. Of course she was angry and hurt. Undoubtedly he'd botched everything with her. "Would you believe it was a matter of life and death?"

  She explored his serious face, and a tiny smile began to form. "No."

  Jake's brown eyes squinted at her. What now? "It's the truth, Alyse."

  "Jake, I'm having a hard time believing all this about your aunt. Seeing her would have helped, you know."

  He pursed his lips and nodded. "Yep, I understand your doubts, believe me. Look, Aunt Myra is very bad now, Alyse. I had to go and get the doctor, wait for him to medicate her, then take him back. It took all night."

  Alyse gazed mockingly at him. "And the gun? Did you have to force the doctor to come at gunpoint?"

  "No. That. . . that's a carryover from my policeman days. I just feel safer with a weapon around, especially in a foreign country. It was foolish to have it, though."

  Alyse grew quiet and let him ramble.

  Jake looked away from those penetrating blue eyes of hers. "Aunt Myra's in a coma. It's just a matter of time. God, it's been hell. I think we ought to plan to leave any time now."

  "Oh?"

  "Yeah, things are getting hotter for, uh, for me. The family isn't exactly on my side, you know. They're making it rough. I think we should consider leaving soon."

  Alyse's gaze softened. Oh, God, how she wanted to believe him. But her doubts outweighed everything at this moment. "Well, I think we should get you some sporty clothes if you're going to make a boat trip, Jake. You look like you stepped right across the Rio Grande. Everything about you screams Texan. We need to go shopping before we depart."