Family Secrets: Books 5-8

by Virginia Kantra

  He dropped her arm again to gather up his tools.

  Im just me, Honey said, and she hated the tone of pleading in her own voice. Hed accepted her at face value earlier, the way Paloma had done. She didnt want to lose that.

  Then the roar of another boat had them both looking up at the cove. Amando was back. He had four people on board this time.

  Honey heard Joe swear, but when she looked around for him again, he was already at his dinghy, pushing off in a hurry.

  Five

  H oney forgot about Joe. She knew that tall and willowy brunette out there on Amandos boat. She knew the way she glanced adoringlyoh, gag me, Honey thought, grinning delightedlyat the dark-haired man standing behind her and bracing her against the jolts of the sea swells. Carey? What in the name of all the saints was Carey Benton doing on Brunhia?

  Honey broke into a lope until she was standing in front of the skiff when Amando brought it in. Hello, bonito missy! he called out to her.

  Back at you! Honey shouted. Then she stripped off her gym shoes and socks and waded out to the boat. Youre turning into a rotten influence on this woman, Tynan. She didnt say a word to me about coming here.

  Nice getup, Miss Evans, Matt Tynan replied. Was that a fashion statement? He gestured toward the shoes shed left on the beach.

  Honey grinned up at him. I want to catch myself a badass body just like yours and my legs are my most alluring feature. Stop blushing, Carey. To Matt, she added, She told me all about it. Your body, that is.

  I most certainly did not! Carey erupted. And why were you wearing gym socks and sneaks with a bathing suit?

  Honeys gaze went to Joes dinghy, scooting neatly out to the Sea Change now.

  Carey followed her eyes. Whos that? she asked.

  Hes a work in progress. She looked back at them. Just out of curiosity, did you guys take a major wrong turn from Paris or something? What are you doing here?

  Careys gaze slid sideways. Did she seem guilty? Honey frowned and splashed along beside the boat as Amando poled it in. Matt went off first and held up his arms to catch Careys vault onto dry sand. Shed dig the dirt out of Carey later, she decided. Matt Tynans arrival on Brunhia was making things more interesting. He was a White House advisor.

  So who are you? she asked bluntly of the other couple. Ten to one, they were more government types. Was this week supposed to be an exchanging of marital vows or a Weird Genes Summit?

  The man helped the woman over the bow and Tynan caught her as well. The guy seemed vaguely familiar, Honey thought, but she couldnt place him. She could know him from the Great White Hallowed Halls, or maybe he was an actor or model or some such thing. He had the looks for it in a bad-boy, biker sort of way. Andhe was wearing a wedding ring.

  Oh, sorry, Carey said, jumping into introductions. Honey, this is Ethan Williams and his wife, Kelly.

  Now she knew where she recognized the guy from. Ah, one of our Top Twenty Beltway Bachelors. Hed been featured in a magazine spread some six months ago.

  Not anymore, his wife said, grinning.

  Well, welcome to our humble corner of the world, Honey said, holding a hand out to her. Her dark ponytail was a little worse off for Amandos boat ride. Are you all here because my brother is a genetic wonder or is this purely social?

  All four of them stared at her. Well, Honey thought, that told her something. She just wasnt sure what. Then they all began talking at once.

  Samantha and Ethan go way back, Kelly said.

  I went to high school with Samantha, Matt volunteered.

  Of course, its social, Carey joined in. Its a wedding.

  Well, Ill admit that Marcuss plans to hitch up are convenient. Honey pinned Carey with her eyes. And you havent been able to lie worth a damn since the day I met you.

  Carey drew herself up and gave a small sniff. Which is why Im not going to say anything more at all.

  You know Ill drag it out of you, right?

  You can certainly try. But as youve pointed out before, I dont bleat.

  Honey tucked her hand through her friends arm and began drawing her toward the road even as Marcus appeared there with the mules and the wagon. Ethan Williamss voice shot out from behind them.

  Judas-freaking-priest! Couldnt Evans have sprung for a limo?

  Honey glanced over her shoulder at him. Youre looking at it. Then she leaned close to Carey again conspiratorially. You can bleat to me. Im not the press.

  I cant bleat to anyone. I wont bleat.

  Marcus drew the team to a halt and jumped down onto the sand. He looked at Honey suspiciously.

  Dont worry about me, she told him. I have my own transportation. She let go of Careys arm and sauntered up the road where she had left the scooter. She felt her brother staring after her.

  Ricardo wasnt supposed to give you another one of those! he called.

  Which just went to show who was the persuasive one in this family, Honey decided.

  Four more of them. Four more newcomers.

  Max watched the goings-on on the beach from the door hatch that led below deck on the Sea Change. He tried to remember exactly what Elise had told him about what was happening at the big house this week. Shed implied that the hoopla wouldnt last forever but had she said anything about even more people arriving?

  Damn it, he muttered aloud. It was turning into his favorite phrase lately.

  He should just pull up anchor and head into Portimao until this was over, he thought. He found himself going below for a beer instead. When he got back to the hatchway and looked out again, the newcomers were loaded into Kurts wagon and were headed up the road. Elise was gone.

  He needed to do something about her, Max thought. Pull up anchor and head into Portimao. Every once in a while, he liked the jolt of it, the noise and the smells and action of the mainland. He took it in small doses because Portimao was rapidly becoming one of Portugals premier tourist spots and that was inching a little too close to civilization for his comfort. His face was known all over the world, at least without long hair and a beard.

  So why hadnt she recognized him?

  Maybe she had, Max thought again, going up on deck to sit in the sun now that the coast was clear. Maybe she was playing some kind of game with him. God knew that rich little socialites were aces at playing games. But he could give her the benefit of the doubt and almost convince himself that she hadnt made him because no one would expect Maxwell Strong to turn up on Brunhia.

  He was dwelling on her, Max realized. Again. She confused him. Hed just pegged her for another shallow rich bitch who would only really want his money, then shed gone off on him with all that business about smiling at strangers and making noise for good causes. He couldnt get a handle on her.

  Irritated with himself, Max drained the last of his beer and went to pull up anchor.

  Honey tapped her own bottle of beer against Matt Tynans in a mini-toast.


  Truce? he asked, widening his eyes innocently. He used charm without even thinking about it, she thought, but she couldnt dislike him for it. Theyd had a falling out when hed accused Carey of bleating some top-secret White House gobbledygook. Carey of all people, Ms. Midwest Integrity.

  Jeez, you are such a politician, she replied.

  They were in the big room at the house. Ice tinkled in glasses and someone had put on a muted CD of forties classics. The chandelier was dripping golden light as, outside the windows, the day yawned from a job well done and gave up its efforts at sunshine. Delicious smells were coming from Rafaelas kitchen.

  You gave her a bum rap, Honey said, and shes my friend.

  You collect friends like most people buy groceries, sweetheart.

  Honey felt a quick, tight squeeze in the area of her heart, but he had a point. That was the rep she had created for herself. For the second time that day, she opened her mouth and something utterly un-Honey-like came spilling out. I genuinely like Carey. Shes a much better person than I am.

  Tynan drank from his beer. Now what am I supposed to say to that? If I agree, Im putting you down. If I dont, Im putting her down, which isnt happening.

  This is one of those areas where silence is the best policy, Honey advised. And then, because he seemed a little off balance, she took a shot. So why are you here, Tynan? The truth this time.

  Ive been friends with Sam since high school. I told you that earlier.

  So much for catching him off guard, Honey thought. She rounded him for another approach. Kurt says Im in danger with this genetic voodoo business.

  Tynan lowered his beer slowly. Kurt said that?

  Especially after what happened with What the devil had that guys name been? Zach, she said, remembering.

  Kurt told you about Zach?

  What was that other term Kurt had used? He said the Coalition was capable of anything. But his eyes were doing that thing that said all his guard was going up. Shed watched him face down the press corps often enough to know the look.

  Honey, with all due respect, the word is out not to talk to you about any of this.

  She frowned at him fiercely. Now that is just ridiculous. What does everyone think Im going to do? This is my brother were talking about. I have a right to know.

  All the same, go poke at someone else. Youre no match for me.

  Under other circumstances, that might have made her laugh again. Honey set her jaw instead as he walked away to join Kurt and Marcus. The men were having some confab over at the bar.

  Jerk, she muttered under her breath.

  Honey, please. That whole business is water under the bridge. Dont hold it against him.

  Honey turned about to find Carey. Hey! Howve you been? Hows it going with the impending wedding bells and everything? It had been a hectic few months what with Carey returning to Kansas then turning up in D.C. againengaged, no less.

  That adoring gaze of hers went to Tynan again. Im happy.

  Im glad.

  I know you are. Carey looked down into her wine and sighed. Blissfully, Honey thought. I just wish that you could feel like this. That youd find someone.

  It was an honest-to-God Kansas-Carey sentiment, and Honey loved it. Thanks just the same.

  Honey, you cant just keep whipping through men like they wereI dont know, fast-food cheeseburgers.

  I can sure try.

  But why?

  Ask me that in a few days after youve met the rest of my family. Then Honey heard her own voice and something like a jolt of electricity warmed every inch of skin on her body. What was happening to her today, for Gods sake? Why was she saying all these out-of-character things? She never talked about her family. Maybe it was something in the Brunhia water.

  What does your family have to do with it? Carey asked.

  Honey lifted her bottle to her mouth and polished off the beer. They want me to be my mother, and I cant be Drew or Marcus so She trailed off and shrugged. I dont want to talk about me. Did I miss anything in D.C. by flying in here a little early?

  Carey scrunched up her nose. Yesterdays tabloids from the sounds of it.

  Honey perked up. More wacko gene stuff?

  More what?

  Youre doing it again, Honey said. Whenever you used to pull that I-really-cant-talk-about-it routine on me, you wouldnt look at me.

  Where am I looking? Careys eyes came back to her.

  Three seconds ago you were finding something fascinating about the fireplace.

  Its a beautiful fireplace.

  I couldnt agree more. What was in the rags yesterday?

  Carey took a quick and basically relieved breath, which Honey didnt like the sound of. That meant whatever it had been was something she could talk aboutergo, it had nothing to do with mutant adopted babies.

  Remember that sleazy reporter who started all that mess between Matt and me? Carey asked. Cantrell?

  How can I forget? But your lover boy apparently didnt take my reaction so seriously that hes stopped speaking to me. At least, hes speaking to me on subjects that suit him.

  Carey sighed. You pumped him for information, too, didnt you?

  I tried. So what happened with the sleazebag reporter?

  Oh! He printed that Ive been seeing a sex therapist.

  Honey frowned. You? Why would he And then her blood established a very sudden and extreme rapport with her toes.

  Carey was frowning at her. Its not that bad, Honey. Its just more of the same gossip column stuff. This one was just so bizarre. I mean, I barely start having sex and suddenly Im bad at it? Or Matts supposed to be bad at it, which is even weirder what with all the testimonials to the contrary. Where do they get these things?

  From women who pass out in rose gardens, Honey thought helplessly. From women who use a friends name to see awell, a sex therapist. She opened her mouth and closed it again fast before the Brunhia water could do the utterly unacceptable to her again and have her blurting out the truth on this score, too.

  She backed off from Carey and placed her bottle on a nearby table. Got to go.

  Are you all right? Carey asked, concerned.

  I was out in the sun a lot today.

  You look pale, not burned. But I meant to ask you, what did you do to your face?

  Im fine. Its fine. Honey plastered a hand to her bruised cheek and flew.

  Guilt felt like a razor inside her, scraping her bones. Which was ridiculous. Given whom she was marrying, Carey was going to be written about, had been written about, but she sure as hell didnt need Honeys shenanigans adding to the press. Honey reached her bell room and slammed the door behind her. Then she hugged herself and wandered to the closest of the amazing, surrounding windowsher favorite, the one that faced the cove.

  What the hell is happening to me? she muttered aloud. In the space of a day, shed demanded to know why a man didnt like her, as though Honey Evans would ever give a damn. Shed had some sweet, incred
ible drink with Paloma and had felt simply and utterly at peace for one of the few times in her life. And now she was all wacked out because shed inadvertently hurt someone. Okay, not just someone. A friend. But still. No fear, no regrets, she whispered. It had always been her motto. She brought her hands up and framed her eyes to look out at the cove. The sky was lavender now and the view was sweetly murky. She couldnt quite see.

  Then her eyes adjusted. The Sea Change was gone.

  Hed run from her! No one ran from her. Ever. No way.

  Honey stood in the kitchen the next morning and swigged coffee. Maybe she was coming down with something, she thought. Some off-the-wall Brunhia-water ailment. People who went to South America took pills first for malaria and dysentery. There was probably a pill for this place, too, and she had just missed it in her hurry to get across the Atlantic and find herself a European hottie. Something that would keep her mind sane and her life recognizable no matter how much Brunhia water she drank.

  Okay, she thought. Maybe she didnt have a pill. But she did have common sense and determination by the bucket load. Maybe hed just gone to Portimao for supplies or something. But in any event, she had a point to get across here. Said point being: Three miles of ocean is nothing, pal, because when I want something, I get it.

  Shed never chased after a man in her life, she thought, slugging back more coffee and going to the urn for more. Shed always picked and chosen from those who had come after her. And then she passed out in rose gardens. But that didnt mean she couldnt change the status quo. In fact, changing the status quo was probably a very good thing. Change was what she was after, right? Shed told him her name was Elise; she was shedding her past and all those preconceived notions about her. She was going to get laid far, far removed from D.C. or Conover Pointe.

  What happened to you last night? Marcuss voice shot at her as he came in from the dining room. Its not like you to skip happy hour. Or dinner either for that matter.