by Lucy Kevin
His hands were animated as he talked, and he flashed that easygoing smile at the crowd around him as they hung on his every word. The ocean breeze picked up a little, ruffling his hair and lifting up his shirt just enough for Rachel to see a hint of perfect washboard abs.
Not that she was purposely looking, of course. After all, he was clearly an adventure-seeking show-off who’d never grown up. After Guy, she was all too familiar with guys like him, and they were definitely not her type anymore. In fact, the whole image Nicholas presented to the world left her cold.
At least, it should have left her cold and disinterested. Instead, she couldn't seem to stop hanging on his every word, while trying not to think about just how messy and untidy she must look.
Of course, it was right when she was trying to run a surreptitious hand through her hair that he looked straight at her and smiled. A smile that made him look even more perfect, darn it.
CHAPTER TWO
Nicholas had always been told that he could surf before he could walk, since one of his uncles used to hold him on a board in the very shallowest water when he was just a few months old. Honestly, he couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t been surfing. Growing up in Hawaii, that wasn't so unusual, given that swimming and surfing were things that nearly every Hawaiian did. Nicholas was only exceptional inasmuch as he surfed professionally, did occasional stunt work, and generally found ways to keep life exciting wherever he went. There were so many things in the world that allowed him to get his adrenaline pumping by pushing himself a little further every day…and he loved it.
Even coming to this little island in the Pacific Northwest was an adventure. Places like Walker Island tended to bring out the drive in people to try to be so much more. Just like it had with Morgan Walker—she'd grown up here and had become a huge success with both her locally grown organic makeup line and now her TV show as well.
Walker Island was twenty degrees cooler than Hawaii, and the waves were much smaller, but as far as he could tell from chatting with some locals on the ferry ride over, it had the same close-knit community feel to it. And, just like in Hawaii, he bet people here spent as much time outdoors as they did inside.
“What is your first impression of our island from the ferry?” one of the people on board had asked him after they'd recognized him sitting on deck with his surfboard.
“It reminds me of home. There’s nothing as good as island life.” He spent much of his time traveling to all corners of the world, but he always loved being on an island best.
“What’s the best wave you’ve ever ridden?” someone else had asked. “Was it that one you caught at Mavericks this year?”
If there was one thing that Nicholas took seriously, it was waves. Which was why he’d brought his board to Walker Island despite the fact that it was not a well-known surfing destination. He wanted to be ready if it turned out that the perfect wave was just around the corner.
“The best wave so far this year was one I caught not far from my house in Hawaii,” Nicholas had replied. “I was out surfing with some buddies, and there it was. The right height, the right curl, everything. The conditions hadn’t even been all that great until then, and it reminded me of what life is all about—if I only put myself out there when things seem to be perfect, I'll miss out on the times when they unexpectedly are perfect. It was great the way it all worked out.”
“Will you actually be trying to surf around Walker Island?”
Nicholas smiled. “Like I said, I’m always searching for that perfect wave. And you never know where—or when—it will show up.”
Nicholas turned then to look out over the crowd for his ride...and saw what looked very much like the perfect woman. There was no other way to describe her. She was blond-haired, beautiful in a way that made it almost impossible for Nicholas to look anywhere else, and best of all, she was coming straight toward him.
As he’d just said, you never knew when perfection would show up.
Morgan had texted to let him know that her sister Rachel was going to be picking him up from the ferry, and he could easily see the family resemblance. Looked like it was his lucky day.
“I’ve got to go, guys,” Nicholas said to the fans who had gathered around. “I’m pretty sure my ride is here.”
As he moved closer to her, he noted that she had grease on her face and in her hair. “Hi, I'm Nicholas.”
He wanted to reach out and wipe away the grease on her cheek with the pad of his thumb. Partly because he didn’t like the idea of anything marring her beauty. Mostly, though, he just wanted the excuse to touch her. He stopped himself, though, because he always liked to take his time when it came to women. He didn’t want to rush things when he could savor them. “You must be Morgan's sister Rachel. Thank you for coming to get me.”
For a moment or two, she didn’t say anything, simply stared back at him with eyes bluer than even the bluest ocean waters. Her gaze, however, was slightly wary, and he immediately wanted to know why.
“Sorry I'm late,” she finally said. “I had a little tire trouble on the way here.”
Morgan had told Nicholas all about her four sisters, saying he would need that much information to survive staying at the family house with her grandmother and sisters. But she hadn't told him that he was going to fall head over heels for Rachel from nothing more than one glance—and a few softly spoken words.
“Ah, so that's why you’ve got grease on your cheek.” This time, Nicholas did reach out to wipe it away, forgetting whether or not it was too soon to make a move like this. “Is everything all right now?”
That first touch of her skin against his was electric, just as he'd known it would be. But instead of moving closer, she took a step back before saying, “Everything's fine.”
From the way she said it, a little too fast and slightly breathless, he guessed that she'd felt the sparks jump just as much as he had from the one simple touch.
“I’ve left my car down by the next jetty, so we’ll have to walk over there. I know my grandmother is looking forward to seeing you up at the house, and my sisters Emily and Paige will be there later today, too.”
“And you?” Nicholas asked hopefully.
“I have my own place for just me and Charlotte, my little girl.”
He remembered that Morgan had told him Rachel was a single mother and that she was doing a really great job of raising her daughter. “It must be nice to have that big family of yours nearby.”
“It is, most of the time.”
“When your sister isn’t having you pick up strange guys from the docks?” Nicholas suggested with a smile.
“Something like that.” He thought he saw her lips twitch before she said, “We’d better get going. Grams will be expecting you, and Morgan will want to know that you got to the isla—”
Rachel stopped as her phone rang. She answered, and Nicholas could see the concern on her face when she looked at the number on the screen and picked up. “Yes, this is Rachel Walker. Oh no, she is? She seemed fine this morning, although her aunt isn’t very well either. Yes, I’ll be right there. I'm at the ferry terminal, so it will be less than ten minutes.”
As she slipped her phone back into her pocket, Rachel looked over at him. “It’s Charlotte. She’s sick, and I have to go pick her up at school immediately. Which means we’re really going to have to hurry so that I can drop you off at Grams’ place on the way.”
“There’s no need to do that,” Nicholas said. It was obvious how much Rachel wanted to get to her daughter, and he couldn't stand the thought of a sick little girl shivering in the school office as she waited for her mother to come get her. “Just take me along with you.”
“Take you with me?” She looked more than a little stunned by his suggestion. “I'm sure you don’t want to be around a sick child.”
“Why not?” He'd already decided that he would take more time with Rachel any way he could get it. “Especially if it will work out better for you to head straight there.
”
Apart from her little girl getting sick, it seemed that everything really was working out. He’d already had a great ferry ride over to the island, seen a couple of whales, met the most beautiful woman on the island, and now he was getting to spend more time in her company. What could be better than that?
Though she was still clearly surprised by his offer to go pick up her daughter together, a moment later she finally smiled and said, “Thank you, I really appreciate it.”
Nicholas had seen many beautiful things in his travels, but he'd never seen anything as pretty as Rachel's smile.
CHAPTER THREE
Nicholas quickly tied the surfboard into place on the roof of Rachel's car with some bungee cords and rope that he pulled out of his bag. While he worked, she thought about all the places he must have been with this surfboard. Hawaii, Brazil and hundreds of beaches around the world. Places she’d always wanted to go...but once she had Charlotte, traveling to new places, and seeking out new adventures, wasn't at the top of her list anymore. Not even close.
“That should be secure enough,” he said as he finally stepped back from the car. “I know you're anxious to pick up your daughter.”
“How quickly can I drive without worrying that it will slide off?”
“We should be just fine. Unless you're planning on doing some white-knuckle stunt driving,” he teased.
Rachel was surprised that he would even suggest that about her. Didn't he see what everyone else did? The staid and steady single mom. The woman who did the right thing—the safe thing—all the time.
Or was it possible that he could see the glimmer of the girl she used to be? Wild...and more than a little unruly and adventurous.
Shaking off her thoughts of the past, she got into the car and buckled up, waiting until Nicholas did the same before setting off through town.
As they made their way up along one of the winding roads, Nicholas said, “Walker Island looks like a really great place.”
“It's a fairly quiet island,” she said, already distracted enough by trying to concentrate on the road rather than on the gorgeous profile of the man sitting next to her without trying to make sparkling conversation, too. Did Nicholas have to go around being that good-looking? Rachel knew all too well just how many accidents were caused every year by distracted driving.
“Something tells me,” he replied in a deep voice that made her more than a little melty in all the places she hadn't so much as felt warm these past few years, “that things will be exciting enough for me here, even if I don't parachute out of a helicopter the way one of the TV producers was suggesting.”
“Are you really thinking of doing that?” Just thinking of what it would be like to jump out of a helicopter over the island with a parachute on her back sent a rush of adrenaline through Rachel.
“Actually, I was planning to stick to aquatic pursuits, but now that you mention it, that would probably be one heck of a way to get a great aerial view of the island.” She could feel him turn his gaze to her from the passenger seat. “I'm glad the school is close by so that you can get to your daughter soon.”
“Sometimes the island feels too small,” she found herself telling him, “but on days like today, it's definitely a good thing.” Rachel wouldn’t be able to relax until she’d made certain that Charlotte's illness was just the bug the teachers thought it was.
They pulled into the school parking lot sixty seconds later, and after Rachel let Nicholas know she'd be right back, she rushed in to find the school nurse who had Charlotte in her office. The poor little thing looked practically green as she sat there, and when Rachel reached out to touch her forehead, it felt burning hot.
“I'm sure it isn’t anything to worry about,” the nurse assured Rachel. “Lots of kids have been coming down with the flu. Charlotte will just have to stay home from school for a day or two, I'd expect.”
“Thank you,” Rachel said, lifting Charlotte up to carry her, wanting the feeling of her daughter in her arms, knowing she was safe. “I’ll get her to the doctor right now.”
Charlotte's eyes grew big as they approached the car. “Mommy, why is there a surfboard on top of the car?”
“A friend of Morgan's is in town, and I went to pick him up at the ferry. It's his surfboard.”
“Do you think he could teach me to surf?”
Rachel's chest tightened. Charlotte had always been a little adventurer, and it wasn't always easy for Rachel to walk the fine line between keeping her daughter safe and giving her wings to fly.
“I don't know, sweetheart. But right now, we've got to take you to the doctor and get you well.” When Charlotte didn’t argue about going to see the doctor, Rachel realized just how bad she must be feeling.
As Rachel got her daughter buckled into her car seat in the back of the car, Charlotte asked Nicholas, “Are you the surfer?”
Nicholas grinned at her. “That's me. My name is Nicholas, and you must be Charlotte.”
“That's me,” her daughter echoed with a smile that temporarily seemed to take away her pallor. “Is surfing fun?”
His grin grew even wider. “Some of the most fun I've ever had.”
“What happens if you fall off?”
“Then I just swim out and try again.”
“I bet I wouldn’t fall off.”
“Everyone falls off. That’s half the fun.”
Despite how easily Nicholas was chatting with her daughter while they drove, from the rearview mirror Rachel could see Charlotte's skin grow even more flushed. The island’s busy doctor’s office was the only one in the small community, which meant that they had to cope with everything from tourists who felt a little sick to serious maritime accidents.
Charlotte's eyes were closed by the time Rachel pulled up outside the doctor’s office. Quickly lifting her daughter out of the car, she was surprised when Charlotte said to Nicholas, “Aren't you coming with us?”
He smiled at her. “As long as it's okay with your mommy.”
Rachel didn't know what to make of her daughter's fascination with Nicholas. Or, rather, she wished she didn't know what to make of it. The problem was that she was very much afraid she and Charlotte were two peas in a pod where the good-looking surfer was concerned.
“That's fine with me, unless you're worried that someone will make off with your board.”
“It seems a little quiet here for that,” Nicholas said before turning his smile to her daughter again. “Let's go in so that you can start feeling all better.”
With Charlotte in her arms, Rachel hurried into the waiting room and explained things to the receptionist. While she completed several forms, Nicholas was nice enough to keep her daughter company in the waiting room. Charlotte still looked quite ill, but she was obviously enjoying telling him about the art project they'd been working on in class before she got sick. Rachel hoped her daughter didn’t end up infecting him. She could only imagine how upset the TV network would be if Nicholas was laid up in bed when he should be filming.
Ten minutes later, she and Charlotte went through to see the doctor, who checked her temperature, throat and ears and proclaimed it to be the flu that was going around the island.
“Just like that?” Rachel asked. “Shouldn’t you do a few more in-depth tests first?”
“I could, Ms. Walker, but honestly, I’ve seen so many cases of this in the last few days that there really isn’t any need. I’m sure we wouldn’t want to distress Charlotte by doing tests she doesn’t need.”
Charlotte buried her head against Rachel’s chest at the word “tests.” She obviously didn’t like that idea. Even so, there was a part of Rachel that wanted to overrule them both and insist that the doctor make absolutely certain it wasn’t anything more serious.
Perhaps the doctor guessed what she was thinking—and how much she worried about anything ever happening to her daughter—because he said, “Why don't I give you a prescription for some children’s medicine that will help alleviate the symptoms an
d make it easier for Charlotte to sleep? But honestly, in this situation, what she mostly needs is rest. If she isn’t feeling better in a couple of days, or if her symptoms get worse, bring her back right away.”
Rachel nodded. She knew she should be relieved that it was as simple as that, but she couldn’t help but worry all the same. As she went out into the waiting area with Charlotte, she saw that Nicholas had yet again attracted a small crowd of people who couldn't get enough of his surfing stories.
From Rachel’s arms, Charlotte looked around at the crowd and then at Nicholas, who immediately excused himself from his group of admirers when he saw them.
“Are you famous?” Charlotte asked him.
Nicholas shrugged. “Maybe a little bit.”
“My Aunt Morgan is famous, too. She’s on TV.”
When Charlotte put her head down on Rachel's shoulder and closed her eyes again, Nicholas lowered his voice and asked, “How’s she doing?”
“The doctor says she’ll be fine in a day or two, although he did give us a prescription for some medicine to help her sleep better. Grams’ house isn’t far from ours, so if it’s okay with you, we’ll make one more stop to pick up Charlotte’s medicine at the pharmacy and then I’ll drop you off on the way home.”
“Whatever you need works for me,” Nicholas assured her.
What Rachel needed right then was to get home with her daughter. That, and figure out what she was going to do about work that afternoon. Morgan was still sick, obviously. Emily and their father were both at work. Paige would be busy teaching classes down at the studio. That left either Grams or Rachel's honorary stepbrother, Michael. She sighed, thinking that the hardest thing about being a single parent was having to come up with contingency plans for someone else to watch Charlotte. Every instinct she had made her want to be right there at home with her daughter, ready to comfort her if she needed it.
