Falling For A Stranger

by Barbara Freethy

  "I'm not picky when it comes to food. Growing up in a big family, you learn early to eat whatever is there and eat it quickly."

  "I always wanted a brother or a sister," Megan said, a sad note in her voice. "I don't know why my parents didn't have more children."

  Ria didn't know why, either. Kate had always talked about having more than one, but that was probably before she realized just what kind of family she had married into.

  "So where is this double wedding?" Ria asked, wanting to get off the subject of Megan's parents.

  "I have no idea. I try not to pay attention when the women start talking weddings," Drew said. "I don't know why anyone wants to spend so much money and time on a party."

  "It's not a party; it's a wedding," Megan said. "It's the most important day of your life."

  "Don't argue with a sixteen-year-old," Ria advised. "Especially when it comes to romance and love. You will lose."

  He smiled. "Are you speaking from experience?"

  "Absolutely."

  Megan rolled her eyes, then took her empty plate to the sink. "Can Lindsay come over for a while? We want to work on our English project together."

  "Sure."

  As Megan left the room, Ria glanced over at Drew and caught him staring at her with a more serious and thoughtful expression than their recent conversation should have elicited. "What?"

  "You don't like it when Megan talks about her parents. Are you afraid she's going to give away your big secret?"

  "It's painful to talk about my sister, and, yes, I'm always afraid that Megan will give something away. She thinks that we're safe now."

  "You've allowed her to think that way. You don't want her to live in fear. So you take it all on," he said. "I admire that, Ria. But don't you ever want to share that burden?"

  She shrugged. "I'd only be making someone else's life as difficult as mine."

  "What did your mother want?"

  "She was just checking in."

  "And…"

  "She noticed an odd car in her neighborhood. She's going to check it out with the local police."

  "So your mother can go to the police, but you can't?"

  "She can talk to the police about an odd car in her neighborhood. That has nothing to do with me."

  "Obviously, she thinks it might. Why doesn't she have Megan?"

  "My mother has another family. She has young children to worry about."

  "Your family is getting bigger by the minute, too," he said with a wry smile. "So much for it's just me and Megan."

  "It is me and Megan. I honestly don't think of my mother's second family as mine."

  "How many kids in her second family?"

  "Two boys; they're eleven and twelve."

  "Not much younger than Megan," he commented.

  "Kate was nineteen when she had Megan. And my mother was forty when she had my brother. It's weird. We're quite the dysfunctional group."

  "Not that weird. I have a blended family, too. My father had four boys. My stepmother had two girls. Together they had twins. I know what it's like to merge two families."

  "We didn't merge, Drew. My mom got remarried and started a new life that didn't include me. She met her second husband when I was thirteen. I had agreed to live with her instead of my dad, because I didn’t want her to be alone. Two years later she wasn't alone. She was in love. And I was the third wheel. They got married and started having babies when I was in high school As soon as I graduated, they wanted me out of the house so they could have more room."

  "That's when you decided to sail around the world."

  "I had some friends who were crewing on some luxury yachts. I decided to sign on, and from there I jumped from one gig to the next. I rarely made it home for anything, and it didn't seem to bother anyone that I was gone. I think in some ways I was a reminder to my mother of her first failure. It was easier when I was away."

  He frowned. "I'm not getting a great vibe on your mom."

  "She's not a bad person. She loves me. She just doesn't show it much."

  "How does she treat Megan?"

  "She doesn't have contact with Megan, but she cares about her in an abstract way. And that is enough about my family," she said decisively, as she got to her feet. "You've had dinner. Time to go home."

  He rose, blocking her way, and she had the same feeling they were about to repeat last night's goodbye kiss.

  "Drew, I can't do it again."

  "Do what?" he asked with mock innocence.

  "You know," she said, wishing his smile didn't melt her resolve every single time.

  "One kiss," he glanced towards Megan's door. "A quick one."

  She doubted that would be the case, since time ceased to exist whenever he put his mouth on hers. "Lindsay is on her way over."

  "Well, that's a new excuse."

  "I don't need an excuse. I'm saying no." She couldn't help the little sigh that punctuated the end of her sentence.

  "I feel the same way," he said quietly, and before she could react he pressed his mouth against hers in a warm, tender and brief kiss. "See, that wasn't so bad."

  No, it wasn't bad. It was a tempting little appetizer, and she wanted more. But she couldn't have more. "Goodnight Drew."

  "Ria, before I go—"

  "No more questions tonight. You need to understand that I've told you all I can. I don't want to put you in danger, and I don't want to put you in a position where you have to compromise your ethics or your integrity."

  "That's my choice, Ria. But I think your main concern is whether I'm going to turn you in for whatever it is you did."

  "Yes, it is. I don't know what you're going to do next. You're a wildcard and that bothers me."

  He gave her a long look. "Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do next, either. It occurs to me that maybe you're just trying to find another way to get me out of your life by playing the I've done something horrible card. Or you could be doing exactly what you said, trying to keep me away from a bad situation. Or—"

  "There's another scenario?" she asked wearily.

  "Or," he emphasized. "The truth lies somewhere in between. I don't have enough facts to come to a logical conclusion."

  "You're not going to get any more facts until you can promise whatever I tell you stays between us."

  "Would you believe that promise if I made it?" he challenged.

  She nodded. "Yes. I believe you're a man who keeps his promises. And I think the reason you haven't pressed me for the rest of my story is that you're not sure you can make the promise I'm asking of you."

  He frowned. "I feel like we're talking in circles."

  She felt much the same way. "I never asked you to get on this treadmill with me. You jumped on, and so far I can't seem to get you off. I don't know what the problem is. Most men would have run for the hills by now."

  "You don't know what the problem is?" He moved over and framed her face with his hands, his heat burning through her skin. "The problem is you. You're sexy, beautiful, intriguing, irresistible." His gaze fell to her mouth. "I want to kiss you. I want to strip these clothes off of you and make love to you the way I did before. I want to know if it was as good as I remember or if it's better."

  Her heart started to race. "Drew—"

  He shook his head, cutting her off. "I know. I need to stop. Megan is in the next room."

  "Even if she wasn't, we couldn't—we shouldn't. It was a mistake the first time."

  "No, it wasn't." He paused for a long moment, his fingers sliding through her hair. "I like you, Ria, and I'm concerned about you. I think you're into something way over your head. I suspect it involves Megan, and knowing the threat is international, I can't help noticing the fact that Megan's looks are not exactly all-American. She has an exotic beauty, one that reminds me of some of the native women I met on the island."

  She swallowed hard, Drew's words reminding her that the very intelligence she liked about him could unravel everything.

  "Nothing to say?" he
asked.

  She shook her head and stepped away from him. "No. I can't tell you anything more without your promise. Can you make it?"

  The length of time it took for him to answer was her answer.

  "That's what I thought," she said, feeling suddenly sad.

  "Hold on."

  Before he could say anything more, Megan opened the bedroom door and came back into the living room, her dark eyes sparkling with excitement. "I just had the greatest idea."

  Ria had the distinct feeling that whatever was coming next was not going to be great at all.

  "I have to write an essay on someone who makes a difference in the world, and I couldn't really think of anyone I could actually talk to, and then I thought, wait a second—Drew works for the Coast Guard. He saves lives. That's making a difference in the world. What do you think?"

  "Uh, sure," Drew said distractedly. "You can interview me if you want."

  "I need more than an interview. I need photos, too. Maybe of you in your helicopter." She gave him a hopeful smile. "Could I come to the Coast Guard Station and see you at work, maybe take a ride in a helicopter?"

  "You can definitely get a tour of the station, and you can sit in the helo, but I can't take you up unfortunately. We only take civilians up for very special reasons."

  "It would still be cool," Megan said.

  "I'll check my schedule tomorrow and see if I can set it up."

  "That would be awesome. The paper is due on Monday, so this week maybe?"

  "Got it."

  "Great." Megan skipped back into her bedroom.

  "Sorry about that, Drew," Ria apologized. "Megan put you on the spot. You don't have to do it. It's too much trouble."

  "It's not too much trouble. I'd like to show Megan around the Air Station. As I said before, you need to stop trying to make decisions for me, Ria."

  "Fine."

  He stared back at her. "Are you going to come with Megan?"

  The last thing she wanted to do was set up another date with Drew, and she had a feeling that Megan's request for a tour was not just based on her need for an essay subject. She was determined to get them together.

  "If you can do it tomorrow afternoon, I can make it," she said. "The rest of the week will be busy with work."

  "Then let's plan on tomorrow afternoon. I get off at four, so come then." He paused. "How are you going to get there?"

  "We'll take a bus or a cab. Don't worry about that."

  "I'll give you a ride home afterwards."

  "All right," she said, knowing it was pointless to argue.

  "Give me your number in case something changes," he said.

  As she rattled off her number, she couldn't help thinking that the more she tried to push Drew away, the closer he seemed to get.

  Drew slid his phone into his pocket and grabbed his coat. "I heard what you said, Ria. I need to think about everything you've told me. Because you're right; I won't make a promise I can't keep." He gave her a long look. "Just give me a little time, all right? Don't disappear on me."

  She stared back at him. "I won't make a promise I can't keep, either."

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ria and Megan arrived at the San Francisco Coast Guard Air Station just after four o'clock on Tuesday. The sight of a security gate and armed guards sent a little chill through Ria's body. She hadn't really thought of Drew as law enforcement, but rather as a pilot. In truth, he was both. She'd been crazy to tell him she'd broken a law. He wouldn't be able to forget that, and he probably also wouldn't be able to commit to keeping her secrets. With any luck, he'd come to realize that the less he knew the better.

  The Air Station was located just north of San Francisco Airport, and Drew met them just outside the main building. He was in uniform, wearing a navy blue shirt and matching slacks. On the chest pocket was his name Commander Drew Callaway.

  Ria had a hard enough time not finding him sexy in normal clothing; the uniform put her over the top, and she couldn't help but feel a bit of pride to be with him.

  "Perfect timing," Drew said. "I just got back."

  "Did you rescue someone?" Megan asked, her brown eyes lit up with excitement.

  "Not today. We flew a training mission. We practice a lot to keep our skills up." He paused, glancing at Megan. "Your bruises are almost gone."

  "I know. I'm so happy," she said with a big smile. "I can cover a lot with makeup now. So what are we going to see today?"

  "I'll give you the grand tour, starting right here." He waved his hand toward a bright red helicopter sitting on the tarmac. "That's an H-65 helicopter, what we call the Dolphin," he said. "It can fly in any weather, night or day. A typical crew includes two pilots, a flight mechanic and a rescue swimmer. I'll take you inside the hangar so you can actually sit in the helicopter."

  "This is so cool," Megan said. "You have the best job."

  "I love what I do. It's not only a great job; it's an important job."

  "What else do you do besides rescue people from the water?" Megan asked as they walked toward the large helicopter hangar.

  "I'm glad you asked," he said with a smile. "We do a lot more than most people realize. The objectives of the Coast Guard are not only search and rescue missions, but also homeland security, maritime enforcement, which includes drug smuggling, and we also get involved with environmental protection." He paused, glancing over at Ria. "You've probably had some dealings with the Coast Guard during your sailing days."

  She nodded. "Yes. For most boaters, the arrival of the Coast Guard is a welcome sight."

  "Unless you're doing something wrong," he said dryly.

  "Right," she said, meeting his gaze.

  He opened the door and waved them into the large hangar. "This is the helicopter hangar. The building next door houses our fixed wing aircraft." He took them over to the helicopter and allowed Megan to hop into the left seat. Then he proceeded to explain the console and controls, talking briefly about the basics of flight.

  Ria was surprised at how interested Megan was in Drew's talk. Even when he got technical, Megan seemed to follow along, often asking very intelligent questions. Her niece had never shown that much interest in boats. But apparently helicopters were more exciting to her.

  "Do you ever get scared?" Megan asked. "Have you crashed?"

  "I've had a few harrowing moments," he admitted. "A few months ago we were looking for a boat in trouble off Bodega Bay. The fog layer was below a hundred feet, and we need to hover around fifty feet. We were completely blinded on the way down, and the ship's mast was about thirty feet tall on pitching waves. If we missed by just a little, we could hit the mast and take everyone down."

  "What happened?" Ria asked, caught up in his story.

  "We made it through the fog, rescued the fishermen, and headed for home."

  "Do you ever have to abort?" Megan asked. "Leave someone behind, because it's just too dangerous?"

  "We try not to. The motto of the Coast Guard is Semper Paratus, which means Always Ready. And The Coast Guard's Rescue Swimmer motto is So Others May Live." He paused, his gaze somber. "I can't lie and say we haven't lost people, but we save everyone we can save. As a pilot, I have to protect my crew as well as the people who are in trouble. Sometimes it's a tough call."

  Ria thought that call would be extremely difficult for Drew to make. He wasn't a man who was comfortable with failure. He set high standards for himself and probably everyone around him.

  Drew took them through the engine and prop room next, then gave them a peek into the operations center and dispatch. As he exchanged hellos and introduced them to his coworkers, Ria could see how well liked Drew was and how well respected.

  "So that's it," Drew said as they completed their tour. "I wish I could take you up for a ride, give you the true experience."

  "This has been more than enough," Ria said. "I'm sure Megan has lots of material for her report."

  "I do," Megan said. "But I might have some questions when I start writing."


  "I'm always available."

  "I need to change clothes, then I'll give you a ride home," Drew said. "You can wait here. There's water, coffee, a restroom."

  "We'll be fine," Ria assured him.

  As Drew left, she and Megan moved into the lounge. One wall was covered with grouped photographs, each group showing a different decade in Coast Guard history that started around World War II and ended with the present.

  "This is seriously more interesting than I thought it would be," Megan commented.

  Ria appreciated the interest in Megan's eyes. While her first priority with Megan was keeping her safe, her long-term goal was to give Megan what she needed to live a happy life.

  Megan paused in front of the most recent group of photos. "There's Drew," she said. "It looks like he's getting some kind of award."

  Ria took a closer look. Drew was in full dress uniform, and he was shaking hands with the Mayor of San Francisco. The accompanying article talked about the bravery displayed by Drew Callaway during a search and rescue mission. His rescue swimmer and another male were trapped in a sinking vessel. With no other available swimmers, Drew turned over command of his helo and went into the water to save both people.

  "Wow," Megan murmured, reading the article over Ria's shoulder.

  Ria met her niece's gaze. "Wow," she echoed.

  "Do you really think you're going to find someone better than Drew?" Megan asked. "He's like a superhero."

  Ria smiled. She couldn’t argue with that.

  "You're like a superhero, too," Megan added. "You saved my life. I think you and Drew would be perfect together. And you're crazy if you don't think so, too."

  * * *

  Ria was still thinking about Megan's words when they piled into Drew's car and headed back to the city. She didn't think she could do better than Drew, but she thought he could probably do much better than her. Another time, another place, another lifetime—maybe they could have finished what they started, because she liked him so much. But it was ridiculous to think that they could have a future in the life she was living now. Maybe Megan could let herself get caught up in the romance of it all, but Ria didn't have that luxury. She had to guard everything and that included her heart.