“Naw, I’m okay.” Taylor’s shoes scraped on the treads. “Do you think the ghosts made it dark?”
“Maybe.” Amusement tinged Adrian’s voice at his son’s excitement. “Watch your step.”
“I am—Oops!” Taylor’s solid little body collided into Jackie. “Thorry!”
“Okay, brave guy...” Laughing, she scooped him up and set him on her hip. “How about I carry you.”
“Why? I’m not scared.”
“Maybe I am.” She tickled his belly.
“Naw-ah.” He giggled. “You never scared.”
“Why don’t you hold me anyway. Just to be sure. Okay?”
“‘Kay.” He flung his arms around her neck.
The feel of him snuggled against her flooded her heart with joy. She’d thought her dreams had come true the day she’d married Adrian, but that had only been the beginning. Contentment and adventure had filled the last ten years as they’d operated the Pirate’s Pleasure as a windjammer cruise ship, sailing from Galveston to the Caribbean. The honeymoon episode of Cooking Lessons had gone so well, the network had spun it into a new show, Caribbean Spice, with Adrian showing how to cook and where to eat in the islands. The show’s popularity had boosted the cruise business nicely.
All that was about to change, though. With the new plans they’d made during the last few days, their lives were going to take a different, but equally exciting turn. Rubbing her cheek against her son’s hair, she wondered how she’d managed to get so lucky.
“You got him?” Adrian’s hand came to rest on her back.
“Yep.” She took a deep breath before joy got the better of her and she arrived downstairs with watery eyes. Assuming anyone would be there to see her. “I thought they knew we were arriving today.”
“So did I,” he said as they resumed their way down the stairs. When they reached the bottom, she felt him brush past her to flip a switch.
“Surprise!” voices shouted as light exploded.
“What?” Jackie blinked against the sudden brightness.
When her vision cleared, she found Adrian’s sisters beaming in welcome along with Chance and Scott, and the children. Scott’s niece, Chloe was there, as well as Bobby and Paige. Over their heads stretched a welcome-home banner while hundreds of balloons danced along the ceiling, filling the room with color.
“What’s all this?” Adrian asked as Rory bounded toward him, a blur of blonde hair and long limbs. He caught her in a hug that lifted her off the floor. “We’ve come home lots of times.”
“But this time’s special.” When Rory’s feet touched down, she engulfed Jackie and Taylor in her arms. “Welcome home.”
“It’s good to be here.” Jackie laughed as she squeezed Rory back. “But why the party? Not that we don’t love any excuse to celebrate—”
“Because this time, you’re home to stay.” Rory’s blue eyes shown with happiness.
Uh-oh. Jackie’s gaze collided with Adrian’s. We should have told them.
It’ll be okay, he silently assured her.
“Glad you made it.” Chance stepped forward to give Adrian a handshake and backslap. The contrast between the two men had increased over the years, as Adrian grew more tanned and muscular from his life aboard ship and Chance remained lean and scholarly as ever. “Aurora’s been beside herself with excitement for three days.”
“Of course I’ve been excited.” Rory gave Jackie another hug.
Jackie bit her lip with worry. They’d wanted to wait and tell the family about their new plans until they could do it in person, since they knew the sisters, especially Rory, wouldn’t be happy. Had waiting made things worse?
“Rory, you’re hogging.” Allison nudged her sister aside to give Jackie a squeeze. “Welcome home, Jackie.”
“And me!” Still riding her hip, Taylor pointed to his chest.
“And you.” Allison rubbed her nose against his, making him giggle. Motherhood had added a glow of happiness that made Alli prettier than ever. She eyes widened playful as she looked at Taylor. “My goodness, look at how big you’ve grown.”
“I’m six.” He held up the right number of fingers.
“You certainly are.” His aunt clasped her hands together. “Which is why you’re moving back to Pearl Island, so you can go to school with your cousins.”
“I hate school!” AJ, Rory’s and Chance’s six-year-old son, announced with a scowl. His blond curls and blue eyes gave him a deceptively angelic look. While he was sweet as could be, he had a lack of fear and thirst for danger that rivaled Taylor’s. “They make you sit still all day!”
“Oh, the torture that must be.” Scott’s niece, Chloe, laughed as she ruffled AJ’s hair. Jackie hadn’t met Chloe until after she and Adrian married, but she’d bonded quickly with the troubled tomboy—who’d grown into a striking young woman. “You’re lucky the teacher doesn’t tie you to your chair.”
“They tie you up?” Taylor’s eyes went so wide, Jackie had to laugh. He looked like his father in everything but the hazel eyes he’d gotten from her. He shook his head gravely. “I don’t have to go to school, do I?”
Jackie shot another glance at Adrian. The question provided a perfect opening to announce their news, but they’d barely walked in the door. They couldn’t just blurt it out.
“Tell you what.” She lowered Taylor to the floor. “Why don’t you ask Derrick and Raff if they have any new toys.”
Allison’s twins, who’d turned out to be boys despite the doctor’s prediction, had just turned nine. With just enough of their mother’s prettiness to soften the sharp features they inherited from their father, they promised to be heart stealers by the time they hit their teen years.
“We’d rather see the ship,” one of the twins—Derrick she thought—told her. Yes, it was definitely Derrick, she decided when he flashed her a beguiling smile. He was the charmer of the two, while Raff usually stood in the background, silently plotting their next mischief. “Can we, Aunt Jackie?”
“Fine with me.” She looked at Scott. “Ti is onboard and can watch them.”
“I’m not sure Ti is enough to keep these guys out of trouble.” Scott narrowed his eyes at his sons.
“We promise to be good as gold.” Derrick crossed a finger over his heart.
“Me too!” AJ jumped up and down.
“Okay, you can go, if”—Scott held up a finger—“Chloe goes with you.”
“Oh man,” Chloe complained as the boys cheered. “I’m twenty three, guys. When do I go from being one of the kidlets to hanging with the adults?”
“When all these boys are old enough to be trusted on their own.” Scott circled a finger to include all four boys.
“In other words, never.” Plopping her hands on her hips, Chloe gave the boys a threatening frown that slowly gave way to a twinkle in her eyes. “Okay, listen up, me mateys. You’ll be minding what I say, or I’ll have ye walking the plank.”
“Woo-hoo! To the ship!” Derrick shouted and raced his brother for the stairs.
“Wait for me!” AJ ran after them with Taylor bringing up the rear.
“Taylor!” Adrian called.
Taylor stopped on the bottom step.
“No swinging from the halyard without your mother and me there to supervise.”
“Why not?” Taylor looked genuinely perplexed as the other thundered up the stairs. “I can show them how to do it.”
“No,” Adrian told him. “I mean it.”
“Okay.” Taylor shrugged and disappeared up the stairs.
“It’s all right,” Chloe assured all the parents. “I’ll keep my eyes on them.”
“Can we go too?” Lauren asked. She’d grown from an angelic little girl to a beautiful pre-teen with golden curls tumbling down her back.
“Might as well.” Chloe gestured for her to follow.
“Come on Nicki.” Lauren took the hand of the Allison’s and Scott’s three-year-old daughter, Nicole. “We can be girl pirates, just like Aunt Jackie.�
�
Jackie laughed. In years past, being called a pirate would have had her back up, but she’d left that old defensiveness behind. “I wonder if I should call Ti and warn him the ship’s about to be invaded.”
“He’ll be fine,” Adrian said. “Heck, he’s probably expecting them.”
“True.”
“So, let’s get this party started.” Rubbing his hands, Adrian went to check out the spread of food on the bar. “What do we have to eat?”
“A little bit of everything.” Allison swept a hand to present the offerings. “Including our now famous Pearl Island brownies.”
“Mmm, chocolate.” Adrian sent Jackie a wink that made her blush. They’d had more than one chocolate covered encounter over the years, to the point that the mere sight of a brownie made her tingle.
“Who wants wine?” Chance walked into the kitchen. A chorus of I dos rang out.
“So, how’s the ship?” Bobby said as he and Paige joined the food line.
“Fabulous.” Jackie pulled her mind away from thoughts of smearing chocolate all over her husband’s magnificent body. “You should have been with us on the last leg home. The minute we entered the Gulf the wind hit us from the stern and we had the longest, fastest downwind run I’ve ever had in my life.”
“Seriously?” Paige’s eyes lit up. “I wish we had been there.”
“It was...amazing.”
Adrian had to smile as Bobby and Paige pumped Jackie for details. Those three, he knew, could talk sailing for hours.
“How are things here at the inn?” he asked Allison, filling his plate.
“Busy as ever,” Allison told him. “My online gift shop is doing so well, we’ve finally talked Chloe into managing the gift shop here at the inn full time.”
“Which means we don’t see Alli nearly enough.” Rory gave her sister a disgruntled look. “Not that we mind having Chloe here. She’s great. It’s just, the whole point of us starting a B and B together was so we could, you know, be together. But Alli’s cyber business is so successful, she spends most of her time at her home office, filling orders.”
“So much for Scott getting an office.” Allison laughed, since she’d taken over the space above the garage they’d built behind the Bouchard Cottage. They’d meant for the office to be Scott’s.
“You’ll hear no complaints from me,” Scott said. “I got so used to having the boys underfoot while I was writing, now I can’t concentrate without the noise and chaos of the house.”
“You are such a sucker for your boys.” Allison gave his cheek a quick peck. “And Nicole.”
“Guilty.” Grinning, Scott caught Alli around the waist and pulled her to him for a quick kiss on the mouth. She laughed out a protest and squirmed away, a pretty blush coloring her cheeks.
Watching them, Adrian hid a laugh of his own, then he caught Jackie looking his way. The grin that flirted with the corners of her mouth let him know she wouldn’t mind a playful kiss or two.
Later, he promised her with his eyes.
Her smile deepened.
“The problem with all this success,” Rory said as she moved down the food line, “is we don’t get to spend enough time together. At least you and Jackie are moving back, so I’ll get to see you more.”
At Rory’s words, Jackie’s smile faded. He tried again to assure her everything would be fine.
“How are Aunt Viv and Carl?” Allison carried her plate into the living area and took a seat on the sofa. “Their move from Granada to St. Thomas sounds so exciting. I assume you saw them when you sailed through the Virgin Island.”
“We did.” Adrian glanced at Jackie. This is it. Time to share our big news.
Are you sure? Her face lined with worry.
“Well?” Allison asked. “Fill us in on how they’re doing, since we haven’t heard a thing from them in weeks.”
“They’re both great, but really busy,” he said, feeling guilty. The reason his aunt hadn’t called was because he’d asked her not to. He’d wanted the news to come from him. Searching for the right way to ease into it, he took a seat in one of the armchairs. “Aunt Viv has her hands full, learning the island, making friends, getting settled in their new house. And Carl”—he chuckled—“he’s so excited about this new shipwreck, he’s like a kid.”
“Who can blame him?” Scott sat on the sofa beside Alli. “I understand the ship was part of the Spanish plate fleet.”
“You got it. And man, was it loaded with treasure.” Adrian tipped his head. “Carl’s had one heck of a time keeping the exact location under wraps while he scrambled for funding and permits. This is going to be one for the history books. Even better...” He glanced Jackie again, and found she hadn’t moved from the bar. She stood with her arms wrapped about her as if she were cold. Distress lined her face, as she stared back at him.
Are you okay?
“Even better what?” Allison asked.
He hesitated, but knew waiting wouldn’t help anyone. Especially with everyone watching him expectantly. Alli and Scott sat hip to hip on one end of the sofa, while Rory sat on the other, waiting for Chance. Bobby had taken the other big chair with Paige perched on the arm. “Carl asked Jackie to be part of the recovery team.”
“Oh my goodness.” Paige gasped. “That’s so exciting. Are you going to do it?”
“Too bad we’re not divers,” Bobby told his wife. “I’d apply in a heartbeat. Or even volunteer.”
“Me too,” Paige agreed. “Can you imagine getting to see the wreck of a real Spanish galleon?”
“Except Jackie can’t,” Rory said. “Taylor starts school this year. Plus, the network is planning a new series for Adrian focusing on the Gulf. I bet that was really hard to turn down, though.”
“Actually,” Adrian said, “she’s—”
“Considering it,” Jackie cut in.
What? He frowned at her. What did she mean “considering it”? They’d spent the last two weeks talking excitedly well into the nights, figuring out how they’d pull it off.
“It’s just something we’re thinking about.” Jackie rubbed her arms despite the warmth of the room.
“But how could you do it?” Rory frowned. “Would you leave Adrian and Taylor here while you fly back and forth?”
Jackie sent him a look, pleading for help.
“No, we um...” He hesitated, not sure what to say. Right up until they docked, their plans had been set. Surely Jackie hadn’t changed her mind. “We’ve decided to home school Taylor. Or, in our case, I guess that would be ship school.”
“You’re going to home school Taylor?” Chance asked, handing out wine glasses. “Aboard the Pirate’s Pleasure? Whatever you do, don’t tell AJ. He’d give his eye teeth to trade the classroom for life onboard a sailing ship.”
“He’s not the only one.” Scott chuckled. “Derrick and Raff will pester us endlessly when they hear about this. “
“Lauren too, for that matter,” Chance added as he sat beside Rory.
“Oh God.” Scott pressed a hand to his brow. “Can you imagine all of them living aboard a ship?”
“Maybe we should send them off with Jackie and Adrian, like boarding school on the high seas,” Chance joked.
“Wait a second.” Rory cut through the laughter. “You’re not thinking about moving to St. Thomas, are you? Adrian, what about the show?”
“We’ve decided to stick with the current format, but focus just on the Virgin Islands.”
“So, you won’t even be sailing home to Galveston at all? You’d actually move to St. Thomas?”
“Well, not permanently,” Adrian said. “Just during the excavation of the ship.”
“How long will that take?” Allison asked, looking unhappy.
“Not sure. About three years, maybe.”
“Three years?” Rory set down her glass. “No...”
“Rory.” Adrian shook his head at her. “It’s not forever.”
“Actually,” Jackie cut in. “Nothing’s set. It�
�s all still up in the air. And speaking of the kids, I really should check on them.” She started for the stairs.
“Jackie?” Concern brought Adrian to his feet. “Do you want me to go with you?”
“No, I’m good.” She waved for him to sit back down. “Stay. Visit with your sisters.”
He watched her vanish up the stairs, torn between following her and comforting his sisters.
“Adrian?” Rory stood as well. “Are you serious about this?”
“Aurora.” Chance tugged at his wife’s shirt, trying to get her to sit back down. “Adrian and Jackie have to do what’s right for them. This is a chance of a lifetime for Jackie.”
“I know.” Rory’s slumped. “It’s just...three years.”
~ ~ ~
Her heart pounding, Jackie hurried up the stairs with one goal in mind, to get to the ship so she could think. The minute she reached the lobby, though, her body went from slightly chilled to freezing cold. Her lungs seized up with a panic that surpassed reason. She’d known Rory would be upset, and thought she’d braced herself for that. So where had the ball of doubt ballooning inside her come from?
Pressing a hand to her chest, she tried to slow her short, shallow breaths. Beneath her palm, the pearl pendent felt like ice.
Marguerite.
The day they’d found the pearl necklace, they’d been sure the ghosts of Marguerite and Captain Jack had found their peace and moved on. But every once in a while, they seemed to return. Mostly when someone in the family needed help or guidance.
Glancing around, she listened intently. The central hall looked as peaceful and welcoming as it always did, with a cheerful blend of antiques and homey accessories. No ghostly specters hung in the air. But her skin tingled with awareness.
“What are you trying to tell me?” she whispered.
No answer came.
She didn’t need words, though, to know Marguerite wasn’t any happier about the news than Rory or Allison. And why would any of them be happy to learn she was taking Adrian and Taylor away from Pearl Island for such a long stretch? The whole idea had been completely selfish on her part.
She’d tell everyone she’d changed her mind.
Return to Pearl Island, Bonus Chapters Page 4
