by Dara Girard
“I’m glad you did. I would have found out anyway. You know news travels fast on this island. I just know you can do better.”
Aaron set his fork down, no longer interested in eating. “I thought you’d be impressed.”
“Impressed by what? Plain, boring, dull—”
“She’s pretty and sweet.”
“I wasn’t talking about how she looks. I was talking about her clothes.”
“Not all women are interested in fashion like you, or can afford to change their wardrobe every season.”
Candace made a face. “There’s no need to exaggerate.”
Aaron grinned. “I thought I was being conservative.”
Candace rolled her eyes and swung her foot. “She’s just not the right one for you.”
Aaron sat back and folded his arms, trying to keep his tone neutral, although his sister’s criticism bothered him. “I thought you’d at least be happy for me. You’re the one who’s been pressuring me to start dating again.”
“Settling for the first woman who said yes was not what I meant.”
Aaron frowned. “I’m not settling.”
“She’s everything Ina isn’t.”
“Exactly.” He speared a large slice of pineapple with his fork.
“You shouldn’t sound so proud of it.” Candace waved her fork at him before she stabbed another melon slice. “You’re going to get bored with her. You’re a lot wilder than you think, little brother. Remember, you’ve got the blood of a pirate running through you.”
“I’m nothing like our ancestor,” Aaron said, picking up his fork again, feeling suddenly restless. He hated the comparison. It made him seem more mysterious than he actually was. “That’s what disappointed Ina the most. She thought she was marrying someone else.” Early in their marriage, he discovered she had bought into their ancestral history and thought she had married a “rogue,” and was very disappointed.
“She was stupid. She didn’t know what she had.”
“Martha is good with Brandon.”
“Of course she is,” Candace said, waving her hand in a dismissive gesture. “She’s a librarian, for goodness’ sake.”
“Teacher,” Aaron corrected.
“See?” Candace waved her hand again, as if he’d just proven her point. “She’s paid to be good with children.”
“And she’s smart and—”
Candace shook her head again. “And she’s still wrong for you.”
“She loves this island as much as I do, she likes my son and she likes me.”
Candace set her fork down. “Are you thinking of marrying her?”
“It’s too soon for that, but—”
“But you’re thinking about it?” She removed her sunglasses and stared directly at him.
“I’m ready to marry again,” he said, avoiding her gaze.
Candace sighed and folded her arms. “Promise me one thing.”
He looked at her. “What?”
“Don’t get too serious about her until after the fashion show.”
A month later, Candace’s words still echoed in his head. Aaron turned from the window, trying to let the memory of that talk fade, but it wouldn’t leave him. He still found the request odd. He was a grown man. He didn’t need his older sister’s blessing on anything. But he still remembered the look on her face when she asked him to wait until after the show. He recalled how sly she looked. But if she thought surrounding him with an endless supply of beautiful women would change his mind, she’d be disappointed. But would she go this far to get him involved? He sighed when he heard a quiet knock on the door.
“Come in,” he said, returning to his desk.
His eight-year-old son, Brandon, entered and he felt some of his annoyance subside. His son was the only thing he didn’t regret about his marriage. “What is it?” he asked with a smile.
Brandon bit his lip. “Promise you won’t get mad.”
“I can’t promise you that, but tell me anyway.”
“I’ve looked everywhere.”
Aaron’s smile fell. “Looked for what?”
“Can you please promise not to get mad?” Brandon said, nervously playing with his fingers and turning his feet inward.
He stood. “Brandon.”
“At least don’t shout,” he said, straightening his shoulders and trying to look brave.
Aaron folded his arms. “What happened?”
Brandon hung his head and spoke to the floor. “Trident is missing.”
Chapter 2
As a child, Rebecca Cromwell feared the monster under the bed. At twenty-nine, she finally saw it. It was the last straw. Her nerves were already frayed due to three days where everything had gone wrong. Since landing on St. James, she’d faced one mishap after another and feared that the latest incident would severely hamper the success of her upcoming fashion show.
She’d hoped for some time to decompress, since over the past three days she’d hardly slept or eaten. After scrambling to find replacements for the three models she’d lost, she’d decided to take a long, hot shower and enjoy one of the luxurious amenities in her spacious suite. It was one of thirty private villas that lined the secluded cove where Red Beacon Villa Resorts was located. She could see the sun’s rays dancing along the crystal clear waters from one of her many palatial windows.
Humming to herself, she’d left her bathroom and crossed the cool bare marble floors, and she’d planned on a quick nap when she saw a green head with dark eyes peek out from the shadowy depths under her bed. She screamed and jumped on the mattress. That’s when she thought that being on top of the monster was worse than seeing the monster, so she jumped off the bed and up on a chair.
“Rebecca!” Her assistant, Kelli Davis, pounded on her front door. “Are you okay?”
“It’s open.”
Kelli rushed into the room with her hair uncombed, half-dressed, her shirt still hanging off her shoulder and jeans unzipped. She stared up at her. “What’s wrong?”
Rebecca pointed with a shaky finger. “There’s something under my bed.”
Kelli grinned. “Giant dust bunnies?”
“No, something big and green. Don’t look!” she said when Kelli bent down to look under the bed.
“Then how am I supposed to see what it is?”
“I already told you what it is.”
Kelli ignored her and lifted the sheet, then screamed, stumbling back. “Oh, my God, you’re right. It’s huge. We have to kill it.” She madly looked around for something to grab, just in case the thing came out from under the bed and tried to attack her, but couldn’t find anything.
“I’m not going to kill it.”
“Then what are you going to do?” Kelli finished zipping up her pants and adjusted her top.
“Get someone to get rid of it.” Rebecca jumped down from the chair and ran out the front door, and smack into a wall. Or what she’d at first thought was a wall before something grabbed her and kept her from falling backward. She gingerly touched her face, her nose still stinging from the impact, then glanced up and nearly screamed again.
It was him. Mr. Beautiful. Mr. Wonderful. The man who’d once been the object of her dreams. Her hero—Aaron Wethers. The man who’d broken her heart ten years ago.
Just like everything else in his life, time seemed to have given him an advantage, broadening his shoulders, refining his impressive physique. The wind and the sun seemed to have ripened the beauty of his brown skin, making his handsome features almost majestic. And her traitorous heart responded to his compelling, golden-brown gaze.
She knew she’d see him again, but she hadn’t planned on a moment like this. She had planned on returning to St. James as a success, so that he could see how much she’d changed. She’d planned
to be cool and suave, and hoped to seduce him by showing off her gorgeous figure, casting a glance in his direction then ignoring him. But now her show was in trouble and she’d crashed into him after racing out of her villa with no makeup on, her hair in total disarray and wearing just her bathrobe.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Goodness, even his voice was better than she remembered. Deep and intoxicating as rum punch, his island lilt made her want to step closer and listen more. “I’m fine,” Rebecca said in a voice that was too high. She gathered her robe close around her and tightened the sash, wishing she’d at least put on her bra and panties, but she hadn’t, and at that moment she felt vulnerable and bare. “Perfectly fine,” she said with a wave of her hand. She tried to brush her hair into place, but it wouldn’t cooperate.
“Fine?” Kelli squealed behind her. “There’s a giant—”
“It’s nothing,” Rebecca said with a light laugh, seeing that all the commotion was attracting an audience. It was then that she saw a miniature version of Aaron looking anxious beside him. The little boy looked up at Aaron, then her, then his gaze dropped to the ground. Rebecca immediately guessed the situation. Her monster was likely his pet. And it had escaped. Rebecca knew how they responded could really hurt Aaron’s image if other guests knew what she and Kelli had found.
Rebecca bent down to the little boy’s level and said in a low voice, “You look worried, but you don’t have to be. It’s okay.”
He lifted his gaze to hers, his big brown eyes hopeful. “You found Trident?”
“I think so,” Rebecca whispered, aware that people were watching them closely. “But you’ll have to check.”
Aaron shook his head. “I’m really so—”
Rebecca straightened and screamed again, this time like a woman arriving at an airport and seeing a long-lost friend. “It’s so good to see you again,” she said, hugging the little boy, even though he looked at her, startled. “You’ve grown so tall!” She turned to Aaron and screamed like a fashionista seeing an outfit she adored, then hugged him, too. “It’s been ages, darling. Kiss, kiss.” She kissed his cheeks, then waved them inside. “Come in, come in.” She glanced at an older couple who watched them with a frown. She winked at them, then turned. Once they were all inside, she closed the door and pointed to the bed. “Trident is under there.”
The little boy looked up at her, curious. “Why did you scream and hug us like that?”
“Because I didn’t want people asking questions.”
He giggled. “You acted really silly. Like one of Aunt Candace’s friends.”
Aaron nudged him. “You shouldn’t be laughing. What should you be saying?”
“Oh, yes. I’m sorry, miss.”
Rebecca nodded. “You’re forgiven.”
“Now go get Trident,” Aaron said.
The little boy rushed forward and lifted the sheets. “Trident, you’re in big trouble.”
“I’m very sorry about this,” Aaron said.
“What is it?” Rebecca asked, once the boy had coaxed the creature from under the bed.
“A giant iguana. He must have snuck in when they were cleaning your villa. The maids keep the door open to air the room,” Aaron said with a note of apology.
“I understand how he got in, but how are you going to get him out of here without anyone noticing? I assume you don’t want anyone to know that Trident escaped.”
Aaron ran a tired hand down his face, then looked around as if considering his options. “You’re right.” He looked at the little boy. “Didn’t I tell you to keep an eye on him?”
“I’m really sorry, Dad.”
Even though she’d guessed that the little boy was his, hearing him call Aaron Dad validated her assumption. Strangely, fatherhood looked good on him. Rebecca mentally shook her head. She didn’t care. She’d come to St. James to show him what a success she had become and what he’d lost. She would remain calm, collected and distant. “I have an idea, but you have to wait. First, I have to change.” Rebecca excused herself, grabbed some clothes from her closet, then disappeared into the bathroom.
“Get a hold of yourself,” Rebecca mumbled to herself as she quickly changed. “It doesn’t matter that he’s still gorgeous or that he has a cute little boy. He doesn’t even remember you. The jerk.” She stared at her reflection. “You are going to help him this one time, and then you’re going to ignore him. You didn’t come here to fall for him all over again. Your career and this fashion show are all that matter.” She pointed at her image. “Are we clear?” She quickly massaged ointment in her hair and put on some lip gloss, then left the bathroom, ready to deal with the issue at hand.
She told Aaron her idea. At first he was skeptical, but then he agreed. He called the maid service and requested they bring a large laundry trolley to the villa. When it arrived, Aaron set Trident inside, then Rebecca and the maid covered the iguana with several sheets and towels. “Now nobody will ever know I had a surprise visitor,” Rebecca said, pleased.
Aaron looked at the maid. “You know what to do. Make it quick. He can’t be under there too long.”
She nodded. “Yes, sir.”
The little boy took Rebecca’s hand. “Come on.”
Aaron grabbed his son’s shoulder. “What are you doing?”
Brandon looked up at his father, affronted. “I’m going to show her where Trident lives.”
“You have to ask permission first.”
“Oh, right,” he said, looking contrite. “Dad, can I take her to show—”
“No, you have to ask her permission.”
The little boy turned to Rebecca. “Can I show you where Trident lives?”
“I’m sorry,” Rebecca said. “But I have a lot to do today. Perhaps another time.”
The little boy looked disappointed but nodded. “Okay. I’ll come back later.”
“No,” Aaron said. “You’ll call and make sure she’s free.”
“But, Dad—”
“We’ll talk about this later. Go.”
The little boy sighed, started to leave, then turned. “I didn’t tell you my name. I’m Brandon Wethers,” he said, holding out his hand.
“I’m Rebecca Cromwell.”
“Do you have any kids?”
“No.”
“Are you married?”
Aaron nudged him toward the door. “That’s enough.”
“My dad’s not married.”
Aaron shoved him a little harder. “Get out of here.”
“I’m just trying to help. Aunt Candace says women always want to know that about you.”
Aaron held up his hand. “One more word, and I will get angry.”
Brandon nodded, then waved. “Bye, Miss Rebecca.”
Rebecca grinned. “Bye.”
Brandon looked at her for a long moment, then tugged on his father’s shirt. Aaron bent down, and the boy whispered something in his ear.
“No,” Aaron said.
Brandon gripped his hands together. “Please.”
“Go home.”
Brandon made a face, then left.
“Your son is a character,” Kelli said, walking up to Aaron. “But he had the right idea. You’ve already met Rebecca, but let me introduce myself. I’m Kelli Davis.” She held out her hand like a canary offering herself to a cat. The red highlights in her black hair caught the light, and she lowered and raised her eyes in a way that made her interest clear. She had taken the time, during all the commotion, to make sure she looked presentable.
He shook her hand. “Aaron Wethers.”
She grinned. “It’s nice to know we have something in common.”
“And what’s that?”
She winked. “I’m not married, either.”
Aaron nod
ded, making no indication what he thought of her statement, and turned to Rebecca. “There’s no excuse for what just happened. Let me offer you a complimentary dinner and spa treatment at the VIP lounge.”
“That’s really not necessary,” Rebecca said, embarrassed by her assistant’s flirtation.
“Yes, it is. I was just made aware of the other troubles you’ve had since you arrived, and this incident with my son’s pet iguana is unacceptable. I’m looking into what’s going on.” He pulled out his wallet and gave her a card. “Just give them this.”
“You really don’t—”
His cell phone rang, interrupting her. “I have to take this. Excuse me,” he said, then walked outside.
Rebecca nodded and watched him leave.
Kelli snatched the card from her and studied it. “You lucky girl. A free dinner and spa.”
“You can have it.”
Kelli stared at her, surprised. “Why?”
He didn’t remember her. She’d hoped her name would have meant something, but saying it hadn’t triggered a memory. Not even a little. Of course, it had been ten years, but when they had met, it had been such a monumental moment in her life. She had hoped she’d made some impact on him. What was the point of trying to ignore him or show him how successful she’d become when he didn’t even know who she was? “I’ll be too busy to use it,” Rebecca said.
Kelli eagerly tucked the card away, as if she were afraid Rebecca would change her mind. “Well, if you’re sure.”
“I’m positive,” Rebecca said, then reached out and pinched her.
“Ow!” Kelli said, rubbing her arm. “What did you do that for?”
“Because you know I hate when you flirt in front of me. I don’t care what you do on your own time, but when you’re with me I expect you to be a professional.”
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I mean, don’t you think—”
“It doesn’t matter what I think. His family owns this resort and—”
Kelli started to fan herself. “Oh, yes, he’s Candace’s brother. Just my type.”
Yes, Candace’s brother. Candace had tried to bring up the subject of her brother with Rebecca numerous times, since the first day they’d arrived, but she’d always found a way to avoid the topic, preferring to pretend that she’d decided to host her collection at their resort because it was convenient rather than because of their shared past. And with the recent mishaps, it hadn’t been hard for her to focus on something other than him. Now Candace was gone, and Aaron had taken her place. Rebecca couldn’t afford to have anything else go wrong. Worst of all, she didn’t want him to see her as the helpless damsel she’d been all those years ago.
