by Chelsea Hale
“I called your name twice,” he said. “There’s an empty seat next to me.”
Emotions warred inside Mandy. Though Mandy’s duties of being a companion didn’t extend to Derek, she determined yesterday to make this trip enjoyable for both Alice and Derek.
“I was hoping for a window seat,” she said as she gave him a smile. She took a step forward to walk by, when he stood and moved in front of her, gesturing to where he had been sitting.
“I prefer the aisle. It’s all yours.”
“Thanks.” Mandy settled into the seat, putting her backpack in front of her legs, and pulled out her sketchbook. Derek sat next to her. As the rest of the busses finished loading, she could feel his gaze on her. She finally looked up and tilted her head at him.
“You pull that thing out at every spare moment, don’t you?” His twinkling gray eyes seemed to be laughing at her, and her defenses melted at the harmless question.
“I take my inspiration in all the spare moments I can.” She flipped to the center of the book where the next blank spread awaited some creativity from her. Her pencil barely registered a mark on the page before he spoke again.
“And would you be sketching in full-force if your companion were next to you?”
Her pencil stilled, and she met his eyes. They seemed stormier than when she sat down. Was he challenging her? “Of course not. We’d likely be talking about her new beau.”
He stared at her for a few minutes before responding. She hoped she hadn’t given a precious secret away. After all, Alice mentioned Harold in the stateroom on the first night in front of Derek, and Mandy was still hungry for more details of how love blossomed again in Alice’s life.
He clenched his jaw, then spoke quieter as the bus pulled away from the boarding area toward the ruins. “Are you taking part of your two-hour break right now?”
“I hardly think that’s necessary since she wanted to sit by another friend on the bus.”
He squinted at her but didn’t say anything else. She rolled her eyes exasperated. He did want to prove that she was slacking on her job. She didn’t have to transfer Alice’s time to him, but apparently he didn’t seem to understand that.
She hated trying to guess how Alice would take the comments if they were used out of context. They were only at the beginning of their third day. She wouldn’t let him badger her for the next eleven and a half.
She closed the book with her pencil tucked inside. “Did you want to discuss my ideas for Adam’s baby then?” She already had some good ideas.
“Now is not the time for that.”
Leaning toward the window, she narrowed her gaze on him. “What’s really your problem with me?”
He shifted in his seat and glanced around the noisy bus, lowering his voice. “For someone who doesn’t have any European clients, you certainly have a lot of money there.”
How in the world would he know that, unless… “You investigated me?” Her tone rose in pitch. So much for thinking he was going to be nice to her after their conversation this morning.
He hardly nodded, and she would have missed it if she hadn’t been looking for it. “I found out quite a lot about you.”
“I have nothing to hide,” Mandy said.
“Why didn’t you mention more about Europe when I asked you this morning?”
“I answered your questions. I just didn’t elaborate.”
“And I’m supposed to just believe that your money overseas has nothing to do with why you’re a companion? A large sum was just transferred into your accounts. How does that look? Is that why you prey on others’ grandmas?”
Her eyes widened. He didn’t know what he was talking about. A lump rose in her throat. She’d never been so blatantly accused in the last five years she’d been a companion. Her business came mostly from referrals. “Maybe it looks bad, but had your background check come back with anything substantial, you wouldn’t be confronting me like this. I’ll answer the question you didn’t ask. You want to know why an heiress is choosing to live life quietly and help other people’s grandmas have a good vacation?”
She watched him through her statements and Derek’s features softened just a hair.
She lowered her voice, leaning closer to him. “I can’t touch any of that money. And I’m making my own way in life, so I don’t need you feeling sorry for me on that. I don’t get access to any inheritance for a long time, but it’s funded annually with the interest from other holdings.”
Derek blinked. “I thought—”
“The worst of me. I get it.”
“Why do you travel then?” his voice held only curiosity.
She sighed, pushing further into her seat. He’d investigated her, so he already knew her past. “My grandma and I had great plans to travel once I was finished school. She raised me after my parents passed away. We took a few holidays during my breaks, but she promised we’d see the world once I was finished school.”
“And she didn’t take you like she promised?”
“She would have kept her promise, but she died when I was seventeen. It was unexpected.” Mandy shuddered at the memory of the moment she found out and rubbed her forehead. “Anyway, I finished high school, but college had lost some of its appeal and it took me longer to get through it. The terms of my inheriting were spelled out meticulously and I didn’t meet the graduation deadline. The money will come or it won’t, depending on lots of other stipulations. I don’t even think of using it at all at this point. I can live without living off money that I inherited.”
“I’m sorry you lost your grandma.”
“I guess you never really know what you have until it’s gone, and you miss it,” she said.
“I had no idea,” he said and Mandy wondered if Derek was thinking about her or about Alice.
“Then maybe you should investigate better before you throw accusations around.” She turned toward the window and watched the passing scenery of trees and birds in silence until they reached the ruins.
Chapter Six
Derek walked off the bus before Mandy, but she didn’t use his outstretched hand to balance down the steps. She was willing to help him with baby gift ideas for Caden, but after his initial accusations she never spoke to him through the entire ride. He pushed off the voice in his head telling him it was because he bothered her. He struck a chord bringing up her past, but he had no idea. Adam hadn’t said anything about a family inheritance. He’d jumped to conclusions and he needed a way to fix it. He would do just that once Adam confirmed her story.
Grams stood next to Mandy and introduced her to another lady. Probably the friend she met earlier. He scrutinized Mandy. She was attentive to Grams and seemed genuinely interested in her. Realization that Mandy was living out her dream of traveling with her own grandma hit him. He caught up with the three women as they moved toward where the tour guide stood. Their cruise ship tour was broken into several smaller groups.
Their tour guide, Patty, gave them each a sticker with her name on it, making sure they stayed as a group. They stood at the base of one of the Mayan ruins. “The Maya lived in this area from…”
Derek tuned her out as she started talking about the culture, not in the mood for a tour. He ran his hand through his hair, wishing he had just stuck to the safe gift idea topic with Mandy until he knew more from Adam.
He went through the motions of pretending to be interested at the different ruins scattered around, but his eyes blurred, refusing to actually read the signs that he stared at. A large rock pyramid stood in the center of the ruins, and Derek noticed that Mandy’s gaze wandered to it repeatedly throughout the tour. He told himself that he wanted to make sure she was paying attention to Grams. He almost convinced himself that was the only reason he noticed her so often.
Patty finished the guided part of the tour, explaining some of the larger ruins and giving instructions on their meeting time. “And so I’ll let all of you explore! I’ll be over by those trees if you have more questions,” Pa
tty said.
“I think I’ll keep my feet planted firmly on the ground,” Grams said as she looked at the steep steps climbing the outside of the ruins to be explored.
Derek watched Mandy’s facial expressions to see if they betrayed any disappointment about Grams’ limitations.
Mandy simply smiled and nodded. “That’s just fine. Let’s explore the other side. Maybe there are a few more ruins to see or some artifacts.”
They walked around the base, and he noticed Mandy still eyeing the top of the ruins toward the cave opening. Did she want to hike to the top? Curiosity took hold. “Grams, I think I’ll go up to the top.” He nodded toward the highest part of the ruins.
“Our tour guide made it clear to never explore alone.” Mandy’s voice held an edge. Was she concerned for him or just trying to hold him back?
He looked in all directions. No groups were going to the top. “Come with me then.”
“My group isn’t exploring up there,” she countered.
“Mandy, I’ll be fine,” Grams cut in. “Betty and I want to check out the artifact shop and get out of the heat.”
“But I don’t need to see the top of the ruins. I’m happy to join you inside.”
Grams gave her a smile. “It’d mean a lot to me if you’d go with Derek. He won’t be able to see it if you don’t.”
“Okay, Alice,” Mandy said. When she was next to him she huffed out a breath. “Fine. I’ll come.”
They fell into step together as they approached the base of the pyramid, and Derek smiled to himself. “Don’t sound so excited about it. I just gave you a way to see the top.”
She paused. “I’m doing this for Alice.” They walked up the ruins, using a rope to remain steady. She glanced over her shoulder at him once they reached the top, breaking the silence between them. “The view is pretty great.”
“It’s amazing,” he said, taking it all in. The ruins ascended above the tree line in some areas, the old dark stones contrasting with the bright blue sky. It struck him how different his view was in New York. “Are you in the mood to sketch?”
“And suffer from your disapproval again? No thanks. I’ll reserve it for my time off.” She pulled out her camera and adjusted the settings before putting the viewfinder to her eye. The shutter clicked several times in a row as she turned in a circle at the top.
“Will you sketch from your pictures then?”
Mandy shrugged. “It’s never as good as sketching live.”
He took her hand, aware of how soft her fingers were next to his own, and led her to a large boulder. “This looks like the perfect place to sketch.”
She folded her arms across her chest and furrowed her brow. “Why are you so set on me sketching here?”
Why was he? Because he’d been a jerk on the bus and she had had an answer to everything he’d accused her of. “I can tell you want to…I’m sorry about the way I acted on the bus. You can sketch. Really.”
She didn’t look convinced.
He needed to give her space. “I’m going to look around a bit more.” He turned toward the cave entrance. It was surrounded by vines and moss. He peered inside, taking in the small barren room with shelves cut into the walls of the rough stone. Toward the back was another small opening, and he went through it. He found himself on the other side of the peak, on a rock balcony that could only be reached from the cave.
A few minutes later he returned to find Mandy busy at work on a sketch of the ruins and the tops of the trees. “Mandy, you need to come see the view from the other side.” He looked down at the vast treetops, all done in pencil, appearing as real as the ones in front of him. He raised his eyebrows. “You sketched all of that in the last ten minutes?”
“I work fast when I’m inspired. It’s a much bigger perspective than the ground level.” She wiped her forehead then stood and closed her book. “Is it time to head back to the tour group?”
He checked his watch. “We have another hour before the tour leaves this area. Ready to come see your next inspiration?” He led the way without waiting for her answer. As they walked through the cave to the opposite side of the ruin, he made a sweeping gesture with his hand and waited for her reaction to the new scenery.
“It’s breathtaking,” she said, and she stared toward a break in the trees where a waterfall was visible. “I wonder if we could get there from here.”
Breathtaking. It was a good word for it. He watched as she opened to a new page and did a rough sketch of the area, and then took out her camera again to capture the scene.
She turned the lens toward Derek, and the camera clicked a few times in his face.
He frowned. “The view. Not me.”
“Camera shy?” She poked her head around the camera and her eyes sparkled.
“You’re up here to capture the view, not me.”
She took the camera strap off her neck and put it around his. “Here. Take one of me. With the waterfall in the back.” She turned toward him and held the brim of her hat.
He took a few and then turned the camera, getting a portrait shot. He flipped through the other photos. “You are much more photogenic than I am.” Looking at the pictures, he noticed how beautiful she was and how perfectly he had captured her smile.
She peered over the camera, looking as he went through the other pictures. “Here, let me take another one of you, with the waterfall in back.” She held out her hands to him, and he gave her the camera.
He stepped back to where she had been standing, and she took a few pictures. She studied the screen. “There. The lighting is much better in that one. Take a look.” She tilted the camera toward him.
He shaded the screen and squinted at it. She had an artistic eye. “Photography. Artistry. Anything you can’t do?”
“Ha. Careful. I might take that as a compliment.” She put the lens cap back on the camera, and looked at the landscape one more time. “Mind if I sketch a little more before we head back? I want to capture the essence of it before I forget what it feels like.” She bit her lip as she waited for an answer, her eyebrows raised toward him with hope.
“We should have time.” He sat next to her on the smooth rock and rested a hand under his chin, as he took in the stillness of the area. They were above most of the bustle of the tourists, and the voices that did carry from the ground sounded like a gentle hum, not distinguishable words.
He focused on the profile of the woman next to him, who sat hunched over her sketchbook. She would look up to study the waterfall, make a few rough strokes, look again, add in more detailed strokes and repeat. He watched the scenery in front of them become the reality she created on the blank page. Unconnected lines melded to complete the full picture, ending with the waterfall on the right side of the page. One of his favorite artists was a family friend, and Derek had spent summer days at his house, not too far from Grams, and watched him paint for hours. This was no less impressive. She looked up again to take in the scenery.
“That’s impressive. You’re talented,” he said.
“Thanks. Just getting the broad strokes in. I’ll use the pictures to get the right colors in later, but this will work for now.”
He stood and arched his back to alleviate the stiffness of sitting on the ancient rock. He held out his hand to help Mandy off the rock, surprised when she actually placed her hand in his as she stood. Energy rushed through him at her touch.
She grabbed her backpack and slung it on, tightening the straps and adjusting the weight from side to side. He kept a hand at her elbow as she balanced on the first steps down.
“Careful. It’s slippery right there,” she said, placing a hand on her hat as she descended.
The protective side of him wanted to make sure Mandy was safe. The idea hit him like a punch to the gut. One he couldn’t easily dismiss. If he wasn’t careful, he would be falling, and not just down the rock staircase.
Chapter Seven
Mandy unclamped the curling iron for the final time and brushed out the
curl. Her short bob didn’t allow for large ringlets, but she could add some wave and body to the fine gold strands with enough product and time. She sprayed her hair one last time, bouncing the bottom of it to make sure the spray set in. Surveying herself in the mirror, she added one more layer of red lipstick, and smoothed down her long gold sequined gown. Her matching rhinestone heels added three inches to her height. She always dressed up for the ship’s formal nights, but tonight she took extra care to make sure her appearance was flawless.
She knocked on Alice’s door, and Alice opened it immediately.
“Your dress is beautiful,” Mandy said as she admired the fuchsia-colored dress accented with white shoes and a long string of brilliantly white pearls.
Alice beamed at her. “Harold loves this dress. We went to a big band swing charity dance last month, and I decided to get something new for it. We’ve gone dancing two other times since.”
“He sounds like a keeper.”
Alice gave a fast wink. “I think so too.”
They took the elevator to the Starlight Restaurant on deck three.
Alice linked arms with Mandy as they exited the elevator. They meandered around the mid-ship area, and Mandy took some pictures of Alice in front of the entrance to the formal restaurant where a bronzed statue of a ship stood on a pedestal.
Mandy loved shooting portrait mode on her camera. It gave a buttery softness to the background that made the subject pop. “Okay, Alice. Get ready to be a little crazy.” She lifted a brow as she peeked over her camera. “Make a silly face.” She waited as Alice made moose ears on herself. Mandy laughed and took a few more pictures of Alice in different poses.
“All right, final one. Strike a pose,” Mandy said.
Alice put her hands down flared outward and tilted her head. Mandy could see Alice as a ringleted school-girl in a faded black and white.
“What are you doing?” A dangerous voice sounded much too close to her ear.
