Shipwrecked

by Ashley Ladd

  "Well, I'd like that, too, but you see, my wife isn't here right now."

  Disappointment fogged the intruder's eyes before a shutter of professional indifference closed over them. “I see. When do you expect her back?"

  Scott accepted the card and stuffed it in his wallet. A scowl drew his lips downward. “That's the question of the day. I'm leaving to find her now. If you'll excuse me."

  "Look me up when you do and we'll talk.” The scout followed him to the driveway where a white Monte Carlo parked behind Scott's cherry red Jag in the circle.

  Unwilling to waste more words or time better spent locating his wife, Scott nodded, then climbed in his car and sped away.

  He needed neither money nor fame, but perhaps Katie did, so he wouldn't shut that door completely. When he reached the Interstate, he turned south towards Pompano Beach where Katie last lived before the shipwreck. It was the most logical place to start his search. Somebody had to have a clue where to find her.

  Chapter Seven

  Katie tired of moping around fast. Heart whole or heart broken, life marched on.

  Civilization appeared lacklustre after the lush rain forest she'd embraced as home for three months—the three happiest months of her life.

  Conversely, she'd fallen into living hell since her return. Scott's desertion pierced her so deeply she feared she'd be maimed for life.

  Taking the small bankroll of money her father had loaned her, she'd fled across country to lose herself in the anonymity of a large city where she knew no one, where she had no ties. She'd chosen Seattle. Using her grandmother's maiden name, she found a small but comfortable apartment downtown and started preparing for the baby.

  As much as she wanted to forget Scott, she couldn't. He was with her always, branded in her heart. His words rang in her ears. He invaded her dreams so that even sleep provided no escape.

  During a two-day flight lay over she'd had her hair cut into a short, stylish bob and coloured light brown. She'd taken to wearing glasses to hide her face. Worst of all, she'd retired her wardrobe, replacing her beloved lacy gloves, frilly skirts, and black leather with conservative clothing. It was as complete and total a makeover as she could do without plastic surgery. She didn't recognise herself, thus she doubted anyone else could either. To be on the safe side, she shied away from karate studios and motorcycles, not that she could ride or practice karate in her present condition, anyway.

  Banging on her door startled her, making her jump and almost burn her hand on the stove where she stood making a peanut butter and jelly omelette for herself. She'd had strange cravings but had indulged herself as they didn't seem harmful.

  Turning down the heat of the burner, she crossed the room to her door and peered through her privacy hole before unlatching it. Tess from next door, her only friend in this new city, smiled at her.

  "What's cooking, mama?” Tess asked, entering. Sniffing, she wrinkled her nose. “What inedible things are you force feeding this poor child tonight?” Not at all shy, she strolled to the stove and cut the omelette with the side of a fork and lifted it up to the light for inspection. Turning to Katie who now called herself Betsy, short for Elizabeth which was her grandmother's name, she asked, “I know it's an omelette, but what's that gunk inside?” She regarded it warily, wrinkling her nose.

  Flipping the folded egg onto a plate, Katie poured two tall glasses of milk and carried them to the kitchen table. “Peanut butter and jelly. Want half? It's delish."

  Her friend shook her head, her lips pulled way down. “No thanks. I promised my stomach I wouldn't make it commit suicide. But you go ahead and enjoy."

  "I will.” Shovelling the food into her mouth, Katie savoured every bite. How she'd missed ordinary chicken eggs on the island. Fish eggs and turtle eggs didn't count. Curiosity assailed her. “Did you just come over to watch me eat, or is something up?"

  Tess laughed. “Not that it isn't amusing to watch you eat, or that your company isn't scintillating, but I have an agenda."

  Not missing a beat with her words, even though her heart skipped several, she asked, “What agenda?” She watched her new friend using her peripheral vision.

  Licking her lips, worry settled on Tess's face. “I just saw you on TV..."

  Nearly choking, spluttering food onto her plate, Katie stared wide-eyed at her friend. “Are you sure? Why was I on TV? Publicity should've died down by now."

  Tracing the rim of her glass with her finger, Tess squirmed in her chair. “Your ex is looking for you. He put out a reward on one of those missing person's shows."

  Katie's heart stopped pumping and her blood stopped circulating. Petrified, she stared dumbly at the other woman for several seconds before she could coax her vocal cords to work. “He didn't. He wouldn't.” She still sounded as if she'd swallowed a frog.

  "He did. I thought I was delusional at first, catching your paranoia. Girl. He's offering a three million dollar reward for information leading to you."

  Dizziness washed over Katie as fear permeated each and every one of her cells. “He must know about the baby. He wants to take it away from me.” She splayed protective hands over her thickening belly.

  "You don't know that. I thought you said he doesn't know about Junior.” Tess ambled over to the sink, poured a glass of cold water, and handed it to her. “Breathe. Drink."

  After she took a long swig, Katie closed her eyes, scanning the recent past. “I imagine he suspects. Unless...” Oh no! Had her dad blabbed the news of her condition to Scott? He wouldn't, would he?

  "What?” Her friend paced in front of her, clearly agitated herself. “Maybe he's come to his senses and realises he can't live without you."

  Katie shot her friend a withering I-stopped-believing-in-fairy-tales-years-ago glance. “I can't chance it. Your head would spin at how fast they'll take this baby away from me, if that's their intention.” Picking up her dishes, she carried them to the sink and washed them with frenzied movements. Adrenalin pumped through her, making her jittery.

  "Do you still love him?” Arms crossed over her chest, Tess stood by the window, watching the busy street three stories below. Cutting her glance back to Katie, she persisted. “You do, don't you?"

  "What if I do?” Anger blazed through her chasing away some of her stupefaction. “He chose Julia over me. He doesn't love me. Even if he did, I'll never be good enough for him. His father made sure I had no doubts about that.” Blinking back unwelcome tears, she tossed her head defiantly. “You'd think I'd have learned my lesson from Sam, but oh no, brain dead me has to go and fall in love with another rich man. Only this one's family is twice as loaded as Sam's ever was. Maybe quadruple so.” She laughed at herself unkindly. “I'm a cursed fool."

  "Stop calling my friend a fool."

  Katie's thoughts slammed into and ran over one another in their hurry. Schematics of carefully laid out flight plans filled her mind. Scooping up her picture frames, she started clearing the apartment in preparation to move. “I have to get out of here. He can't find me."

  "Every woman in love wants her man to find her.” Apparently the delusional woman still believed in Prince Charming and suffered from the Sleeping Beauty syndrome.

  Katie didn't anymore. At least Sam had taught her something. She'd moved a step up the evolutionary scale. “Not this one. Not if all he wants is to steal my kid. I'd sooner die.” She moved into the bedroom and started tossing clothes into her suitcase haphazardly.

  "Why are you so scared of him?” Tess perched on the side of her bed, depressing the mattress.

  Soul-searching, she forced herself to face the truth. She was scared Scott would reject her, but it was his hard-hearted father she feared the most. He'd take her child without a moment's regret. Bill had probably decided that the baby had Vanderhorne blood running through its veins despite the fact that she was its mother. “Daddy Dearest is a ruthless jerk. He's on a mission to save his son and his family from the undesirable likes of me. He'd love to finish destroying me if th
at means I'll never talk to his son again."

  "You mean your father-in-law?” Tess's forehead pinched. When a stray lock of her light brown hair fell over her eyes, she tucked it behind her ear. Crossing one leg over the other, she swung her foot in mid-air.

  "Yes. The devil incarnate. He tried to bribe me to leave his son,” she paused for added effect, “for thirty million dollars. Can you believe it?” She seethed all over again at the humiliation and indignity heaped upon her.

  Tess blinked rapidly, an awe-struck expression dawning across her pixie face. “I take it that you refused it but still left his son? Why?"

  Incredulous at her friend's response, she stared back. “I don't want his blood money. Besides, you're half wrong. I didn't choose to leave Scott. He chose to stay with his ex-fiancée."

  "Girl, your life is a soap opera.” Putting a hand on Katie's wrist, she said, “Stay. You can't run and hide forever."

  "I can and I will if necessary. I'll just have to hide better next time.” Zipping and buckling her suitcase, she lowered it to the floor.

  "Where will you go?"

  Puckering her lips and then releasing the pucker, she pondered her answer. Iceland? Northern Canada? Alaska? New Zealand or Australia? It had to fit two criteria. One, it had to be very remote and two, it had to be English speaking. “In a galaxy far, far away.” She felt less desperate cracking a joke. Maybe Darth Vader, aka Daddy Dearest, wouldn't think to look for her down under or up at the polar ice cap.

  "Not funny.” Tess dogged her steps back to the living room. “I don't want you to go. I don't want you to live like that."

  Trying to act brave, she smiled, even though truly brave would be to stay and fight. That would be brave all right—brave and stupid. She couldn't fight a billionaire with a prayer of winning. “I don't want to leave you either, but he's not giving me a choice."

  "You look a lot different than the picture they have of you. No one will recognise you.” Tess ruined the confident words with a muttered ‘probably'.

  That instilled a world of confidence in her. Not. New Zealand appealed to her. It wasn't too different from the States, yet it was away from the mainstream. She imagined its climate was similar to what she was used to.

  "You're going to disappear without telling me where, aren't you? I'll never see you again."

  "If I told you where and Scott found you, you might slip and tell him. I know you wouldn't rat me out on purpose."

  Tess didn't respond, just stared at her with sad eyes. “I guess this is goodbye then?” A sob stuck in her throat, making her voice thick.

  Katie tried to swallow its twin that lodged in her throat, but she wasn't successful. “Just as soon as I can arrange a flight. I doubt I can get one tonight though."

  Hugging her and kissing her cheek, Tess cried softly. “Please reconsider. Running isn't the answer. I'll miss you like crazy."

  Squeezing her back, Katie held on tightly for several moments, scared to leave but even more scared to stay. “I'll miss you like crazy, too. I'll try to email you, so don't go changing your email addy. Promise?"

  That brought a weak smile to Tess's lips. Holding up three fingers in a salute, she said, “Scout's honour."

  "Will you say goodbye before you leave?"

  Katie nodded. “Of course."

  Tess finally left and Katie called all the airlines until she settled on a ticket to Auckland, New Zealand. She prayed she was doing the right thing.

  Chapter Eight

  Scott couldn't believe that he'd finally found Katie, that this tip hadn't been a false lead like all the others. She must have really wanted to disappear to have come to the other end of the world like this. And he was told that she went by the name Mary Anderson now, a generic name if he'd ever heard one.

  The lady in question sat across the office about thirty feet, her back to him, her hair completely different than he remembered, but when she turned her head, it was definitely Katie's profile. His heart flipped over in his chest at the sight of his wife. God how he'd missed her, how he'd feared he'd never find her.

  One of her co-workers, an attractive young woman with long silky dark brown hair dropped a hand on Katie's back, startling her. Katie jumped, clutching her throat. Her elbow knocked into her desk and she muttered an oath under her breath as she turned around.

  She expelled a deep sigh when she spotted her office mate. “Don't sneak up on me like that. I nearly had a coronary."

  "Sorry love.” The willowy blonde put a pastry, soda, and several coins on Katie's desktop next to a stack of papers. “I hope a scone and a fizzy is okay. Here's your change.” The young woman rubbed the small of Katie's back, making her groan in delight. “Collywobbles bothering you again? When I was expecting my Jeremy, I got them every morning like clockwork, just like you do.” The woman looked down at Katie's feet and clucked her tongue. “You should ask Denny for permission to wear your dressing gown and sandals in the office. If you don't, I will."

  Katie chuckled, shaking her head, her short blue-black hair swinging in tandem. “No way am I going to wear a bathrobe and slippers in the office. Well, maybe slippers if my feet swell any larger. They already look like boats.” She lifted her leg for closer inspection. “See? Did your feet get huge like this when you were pregnant?"

  Drinking in the sight of her, Scott stopped short when he heard the word pregnant. Shock punched him in the gut. She couldn't be pregnant. It wasn't possible or she'd have told him. Unless the child wasn't his. He'd not seen her in at least four months since she'd stormed off the Air & Sea Rescue boat after his father's unforgivable behaviour. He peered at her stomach, trying to get a good look but it was hard to tell anything from this distance or from the position in which she sat. He willed her to stand up so he could get a better view.

  Didn't that just beat it all! He'd stood by Julia's side out of a sense of honour when Katie was the one expecting his child. It had better be his child or he was going to have to get rid of the competition. How could he have been such a fool?

  Bending closer to her ear, the blonde spoke in a conspiratorial tone although her words carried to him. “I have it on good authority that Wayne plans to chat up to you and ask you out for tomorrow night. He'll probably come over sometime this afternoon before tea."

  Jealousy ripped through him. Who was this Wayne character? But at least it sounded as if she didn't have a permanent relationship. Could he safely assume that she carried his baby, then? Again, his gaze devoured her stomach, looking at its size, unable to tell a thing bent over in her chair as she was. Counting backwards, he calculated that she could be as much as seven and a half months pregnant. He hung on her words, hoping she'd tell her friend to tell the guy to get lost. If she didn't, he would.

  Her lips curved in that half smile of hers that always drove him wild. Humour flashed in her eyes as she looked down pointedly at her stomach, standing. Shaking her head, she pierced her friend with a sharp glance. “I can't imagine anyone wanting to go out with the Goodyear Blimp. I'm certainly not very sexy right now."

  He leaned against the wall for support as his gaze riveted on her obviously expectant belly. There was a definite swelling under the loose fitting maternity suit. His guess was that she was a good seven months pregnant. The knowledge that she'd had no intention of informing him he was going to be a father, struck a raw nerve. Fury and pain ripped at his heart. Even pregnant, she was still beautiful, even more so than he remembered. As far as not being sexy, she couldn't be more wrong. He ached to take her then and there. God how he'd missed her. Dragging in a deep breath, he forced his feet forward. No point in waiting. He couldn't chance her eluding him again.

  "Now you're getting cheeky on me, Love. Cheers.” Fluttering her fingers at Katie and then spinning on her heel, the woman returned to her desk where she slid a pair of wire-rimmed glasses onto her nose and squinted at her computer screen.

  When Katie sat down and resumed her work, Scott pushed off against the wall and strode to her desk, wh
ere he stood behind her. Clearing his throat, he gathered up his courage. Dropping his hands on her shoulders, he looked down at her head. “Katie,” he said breathlessly at the same moment she said, “What now?"

  Gasping, Katie whirled away from under his hands, crashing her chair into her desk. Rising to her full height, she stared at him open mouthed. “Tarzan. What are you doing here?"

  "What do you think I'm doing here?” he growled. It wasn't exactly the way he'd planned to greet her but it would have to do. He was lucky he could speak at all he was so tied up in knots, so furious. “What are you doing in New Zealand? I've searched all over the world for you.” Including the Tibetan Mountains, the Nile, and all of Europe.

  Surprise widened her eyes, turning them midnight blue. Joy flooded them, and then a shutter of fear chased away the happiness.

  Frowning, he wondered why. Holding out his hand to her, he reached for hers.

  She stepped back away from him until the desk brought her up short. Hiding her hands behind her, she clutched the edge of her workstation. “Why are you here? What do you want?” Friendly did not even remotely describe her voice. Wary, even slightly hostile, was a better guess. It seemed fair to guess that she wasn't happy to see him.

  A tall man with a slight paunch around his middle strode up to them purposefully, glaring at Scott. His fat polka dotted tie was loosened and askew. When he turned his gaze on Katie, gentle concerned mirrored in his eyes. “This bloke bothering you, Mary? Looks like a stirrer. He having a wobbly?” To Scott, he said in a sterner voice, “I don't need any deals in my office. State your business and be gone.” Looking at Scott disdainfully, Denny said as if it was the worst plight in the world, “You're not a Kiwi, are you?"

  Keeping his voice as level as possible, Scott said, “I'm her husband. Can I speak to her in private?"

  "Shush!” Katie spoke with her hands, and mouthed, “I don't want them to know.” Blue fire flashed in her eyes.

  Disgust slithered through him. Why was she mad? She'd been the one who had run off and hidden his child from him. He couldn't keep his anger out of his voice. “Why in the hell not? Are you ashamed of me?"