He would have given anything right now for something cold to drink, but it would take more than an insatiable thirst to make him wander belowdeck to cross paths with Allie. She was clearly in an unpredictable mood, and he was no saint. The next time she offered, he might not be nearly so concerned with what was right and honorable and decent.
He heard her footsteps coming up the stairs and forced himself to keep right on staring out to sea, his eyes shaded by very dark sunglasses. He almost jumped out of his seat when he felt the sprinkles of ice water on his chest.
“Damn, Allie,” he muttered and looked up into eyes glinting with satisfaction.
“I thought you might want something to drink,” she said sweetly.
“I’d rather have it in me than on me,” he grumbled under his breath, but he accepted the can of soda, which was still dripping from being submerged in the cooler of ice. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she said just as politely. “If you’re hungry, I could bring up lunch.”
He regarded her uncertainly. Was she trying to make amends for her overreaction? Or did she intend to find some way to spoil the food and poison him? Because he wasn’t entirely sure, he said, “Not just yet.” He wanted a little more time to get a fix on her mood.
He gestured toward the seat next to him. “Want to sit?”
“I’ll stand.”
“Whatever.”
Unfortunately, her decision to stand put her legs at eye level. He couldn’t seem to drag his gaze away from her bare, lightly tanned thighs. He wondered what she did to get that kind of muscle tone. He wondered how her skin would feel, how it would taste.
He wondered too blasted many things he had no business thinking about, he told himself sternly.
He looked up and saw that she was studying him with a frown.
“Everything okay?” she inquired.
“Perfect,” he retorted irritably. “Everything is just perfect.”
“Yes, it is, isn’t it?” she murmured with a smug smile.
Then she turned and strolled to the bow of the boat, hips swaying. That sway was deliberate, Ricky concluded, as was that entire encounter. Apparently his sweet, vulnerable, brave Allie was dead set on revenge.
Ricky was pretty sure that the day, which had started with such promise, couldn’t get any worse, but he was wrong. When he and Allie arrived at his house just after five—still barely speaking—he found the place crawling with people. Apparently his family had tired of waiting for an invitation to meet Allie and had decided to come calling.
If he was appalled by the timing, it was obvious that Allie was alarmed. When she spotted Maria and the boys, she clearly guessed the identity of the others. She cast a frantic look at him.
“Couldn’t we run away?”
“We tried that once today and it didn’t go so well,” he pointed out. “It won’t be so bad.”
“Easy for you to say. It’s your family.”
“Which means I’ll catch the brunt of the inquisition,” he said. “They’ll be nice to you.”
He wasn’t nearly as sure of that as he tried to appear. The gleam in his mother’s eye as she approached the car was not reassuring. He’d seen that look before, directed at the men who were now his brothers-in-law.
His mother ignored him and headed straight for the door on Allie’s side of the car.
“You must be Allie,” she said, all but dragging Allie from the car and embracing her in a hug. “I am Enrique’s mother. I’ve been so anxious to meet you, but my son kept telling me that I must wait until you have recovered. It is when you are not recovered that you need family around you, is it not? Men do not understand such things.”
Allie cast a desperate look in his direction. “I suppose,” she murmured, clearly not knowing what to make of this stranger who was already treating her like a member of the family.
“Come, meet the others,” his mother commanded, not giving Allie much choice in the matter as she led her up the walk.
The two women disappeared inside the house, and Ricky breathed a sigh of relief. He exited the car slowly, grateful for his own reprieve. There was nothing he could do to save Allie, anyway. If he could just sneak around back, he might be able to hide out until the worst of the visit was over.
“Sorry, little brother,” Maria said, joining him as he rounded the corner. “Inside. Allie needs you.”
“Actually, she’s not very happy with me at the moment.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“Long story and not one I’m inclined to discuss. Suffice it to say that the timing of your arrival sucks.”
Maria laughed. “Maybe not. By the time Mama extols all your virtues, Allie won’t be able to resist you.”
Of course, her susceptibility to him wasn’t exactly the issue, not the way his sister meant. Again, though, he refrained from explaining.
“Everyone’s here?” he asked.
“Every single one of us, kids included,” she said with a disgusting amount of glee. “Not to worry, though. Mama brought enough dinner for an army, with plenty for leftovers.”
“You’re all staying?”
“Well, of course. Mama’s not about to cut short a chance to get to know a prospective daughter-in-law. She’s been waiting for this day for too long.”
Ricky wondered if it was too late to bolt. He could run faster than Maria, though her speed had improved somewhat since she’d started chasing after four active sons. He sighed and gave up on the idea. Allie would never forgive him if he abandoned her. He might not understand a lot about women, but he knew that much with absolute certainty.
He turned to his sister. “One hour,” he declared firmly. “You get them all out of here in one hour. Allie needs her rest.”
Maria chuckled. “Nice touch. All that concern is very sweet, but something tells me it’s not Allie you’re worried about. You want us gone before we start planning your wedding.”
“Bite your tongue,” he snapped, then stalked inside.
He found Allie sitting on the sofa between his mother and his father. His sisters were planted in the remaining chairs, while their husbands stood uneasily surveying the scene—probably recalling when they’d been in similar uncomfortable circumstances.
Nine children, all under the age of ten, were racing from room to room, enthusiastically chased by a barking Shadow, who rarely had an opportunity for such indoor antics. For once Ricky almost envied Allie her deafness. The noise level was earsplitting.
“Shadow, sit!” Ricky commanded. The dog flopped down at his feet at once, tail wagging. Unfortunately, the effect of the command did not extend to the children. He frowned at them and pointed toward the door. “Outside.”
Maria’s husband, Ben, winked at him. “I’ll go with them. I know you want to stay right here in the center of things.”
“Not especially,” Ricky said, watching enviously as his brother-in-law made a hasty escape.
He turned his attention back to Allie. She looked a little dazed by the barrage of questions being flung at her.
“You must have been terrified during the storm,” Elena said sympathetically. “Had you been here before during a hurricane?”
At the same time, Margarita was saying, “I understand you’re a teacher. So am I. We’ll have to have lunch one day and compare notes.” She patted her huge belly. “I’ll have plenty of time off once these babies get here.”
“That’s what you think,” Daniela said. “You might not be at school, but you’ll wish you were.” She shuddered visibly. “Two babies at once. I can’t imagine it.”
“She will have me to help,” his mother said.
His sisters exchanged a pained look.
“What?” his mother demanded indignantly. “An abuela will be in the way?”
Margarita lumbered to her feet and planted a kiss on her mother’s cheek. “No, Mama, you will be a godsend. I couldn’t manage without you.”
“Then why do I get these looks from your siste
rs?” she demanded.
“Because they are ungrateful beasts,” Margarita said. “They know I am your favorite.”
His mother clucked her disapproval. “You know I do not have a favorite.”
“Except Enrique!” they all chimed in a well-rehearsed chorus.
He frowned at the whole lot of them, his reaction as familiar as the ribbing.
The chatter continued fast and furiously. It was peppered with Spanish. Allie sat amid the hubbub, blinking rapidly and trying to keep up, but Ricky could see from the way her head bobbed from person to person that it was a lost cause. Too many people were talking at once, much of it in a language she didn’t understand.
Oddly, though, she didn’t seem to be as frustrated as he would have expected. In fact, her lips had curved into a half smile and her eyes sparkled with delight. When she caught sight of him, the smile faded.
“Uh-oh,” Maria murmured behind him. “You really are in trouble, aren’t you?”
“I told you I was.”
“Why don’t I rescue Allie and take her into the kitchen? She looks as if she could use a breather from all the commotion. She and I can put out the food, while you fend off the inquiring minds. Mama’s got that look in her eye, the one she reserves for unsuspecting potential mates. My Ben still shudders when he sees it. Says he’d never been so terrified in his life. Allie is definitely no match for that look and the questions that come with it.”
“Fantastic idea,” Ricky said gratefully. “In fact, why don’t you take her right on out the back door and go to some nice quiet restaurant for dinner? You can bring her back after everyone’s gone home.”
“And have Mama on my case for a month? I don’t think so.”
Maria crossed the room and bent down to speak to Allie. She nodded at once and stood up to follow the older woman. When their mother started to rise, Maria shot her a warning look that kept her in place.
After Allie and Maria had gone, the attention that had been riveted on Allie turned to Ricky.
“I’ve got nothing to say on the subject,” he announced before they could start in. He looked straight at his father. “How about those Dolphins? Think they’ve got any shot at the Super Bowl this year?”
“Football,” his mother said derisively. “If you think we came over here to discuss football, you are loco.”
He planted a smacking kiss on her cheek. “I know it’s not what you came to discuss, but Allie is off-limits. You’ll scare her out of her wits.”
“She was not frightened by us,” his mother said.
“Overwhelmed, then. Do you realize that with all of you talking at once, she couldn’t possibly know what you were saying? She can only read one set of lips at a time. Didn’t you wonder why she never answered a single question?”
His mother’s expression faltered. “Oh, I am so sorry. I never even considered.” She leaped to her feet. “I must apologize.”
“Leave it alone for now,” Ricky advised. “Give her some time with Maria.”
His mother looked torn. She clearly hated the thought that she might have inadvertently offended Allie, when her intentions had been only to welcome her into the family.
“Do as he says,” his father advised, tugging on his wife’s hand until she relented and sat back down.
“Thanks,” Ricky said, a little surprised to have his father’s backing. Usually his father went along with whatever his beloved wife wanted.
“So,” his mother said, her expression determined in light of their objections. “How about those Dolphins?”
Her daughters erupted into laughter. “Mama, do you even know who the Dolphins are?” Elena asked.
“Of course I do,” his mother said indignantly. “But why anyone would choose to watch American football, rather than soccer is beyond me.”
It was an old argument and one his family settled into readily. Satisfied that they were temporarily distracted, Ricky wandered into the kitchen just in time to hear Allie ask plaintively, “Do you think there’s something wrong with me, besides my hearing, I mean?”
Maria caught a glimpse of him hesitating in the doorway and scowled before reassuring Allie, “There is nothing wrong with you. My brother is a dolt.”
Ricky concluded that he was out of favor in the kitchen. He had two choices, he could go in there and defend himself for the second time that day, or he could go back to the living room and risk having the conversation shift from football back to his marital intentions. He opted for the kitchen, dangerous though it was.
“Need any help?” he inquired as he joined his sister and Allie.
“Everything’s under control,” Maria said. “I’ll just start putting things on the table in the dining room. We’ll do this buffet-style, since your table’s not big enough for all of us to sit around it. The kids can eat outside.”
She deliberately turned her back on Allie before adding, “Use this time alone with Allie to bail yourself out of trouble, baby brother. I don’t know what you did, but it’s obvious you hurt her.”
“I don’t think it’s something that can be fixed in a few minutes,” he said.
“Try,” she ordered, letting the kitchen door swing shut behind her. “She’s the best thing that ever happened to you. Don’t blow it.”
When they were alone, Allie regarded him nervously. “I like your family,” she said.
“I’m sorry if they bombarded you with too many personal questions. It’s a nosy crowd.”
“I didn’t mind.” She grinned. “They didn’t wait for answers, anyway. To tell you the truth, I had trouble keeping up with what they were saying.”
“They didn’t realize—” he began, but she cut him off.
“I’m used to that. You don’t have to apologize. It’s better sometimes when people forget I’m deaf. For a few minutes, even though I’m left out of the conversation, I feel almost normal.”
“Allie, you are normal,” he said fiercely, recalling the plaintive question she’d just asked Maria. “Just because you can’t hear doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you.”
She stared at him, clearly surprised by his vehemence. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
“Well, of course I do,” he said emphatically. “You’re an amazing woman. Most of the time I completely forget that you can’t hear. I have to remind myself that in certain circumstances you are at a disadvantage.”
To his dismay, tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks. He knelt in front of her and brushed them from her cheeks. “What is it? What did I say?”
She clasped his hand and pressed a kiss to his palm. “You said everything just right,” she whispered. “Most people, men especially, are too solicitous. They never forget that I have a disability and, because of that, they never let me forget it, either. There’s no ignoring the fact that I can’t hear, but once in a while it is so amazing to be able to pretend that it doesn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t matter, not to me,” he said. “My only regret is that you are missing some of the things you used to love, like your music. I can’t even imagine how difficult that must have been for you to accept. It’s no wonder you were so angry that I just walked away from my art.”
“Yes, because you could do it and you don’t.”
“It’s not in my soul, the way music was in yours. It’s something I enjoy, something I’m good at, but it’s not my passion.”
“Sometimes I can still hear the music in my head,” she told him, her expression filled with sorrow. She reached out and touched a finger to his lips. “Do you know what I really regret?”
He shook his head.
“That I’ve never heard the sound of your voice.”
Ricky felt the sting of his own tears burning at the back of his eyes. “Oh, querida, you hear everything that’s important.”
Maybe one day he would even risk letting her hear what was in his heart.
Chapter Eleven
Allie declined an invitation from Ricky’s mother to join
the family for Sunday dinner. Her emotions were still ragged from the afternoon on the boat, the surprise visit of his family and from the things he’d said to her in the kitchen. She had the uneasy feeling that she was tumbling head over heels in love with a man she barely knew. Until she understood their relationship more fully, she didn’t dare risk falling for his family, too.
“I don’t understand,” Jane said, when Allie tried to explain it to her. “You’re crazy about him. He’s crazy about you. Where’s the problem?”
“It’s too soon,” she said stubbornly. “How can I trust what I’m feeling? Ricky certainly doesn’t. He flat-out told me that I can’t possibly know my own mind.”
Jane chuckled. “How did you react when he suggested that?”
“I was furious.”
“I can imagine.”
Allie regarded her plaintively. “But what if he’s right? What if the circumstances are just so volatile that I would have fallen for any man who plucked me out of that rubble? It’s possible.”
“Did you fall for Tom?”
She frowned at the absurdity of the question. “No, of course not.”
“He was there, too,” Jane said.
“But he wasn’t the one who was talking me through it. He wasn’t the one who actually brought me out.”
“But if he had been, you would have fallen for him instead?” Jane asked, her skepticism plain.
Allie tried to envision herself falling for the sweet, gentle giant who was Ricky’s partner. She’d spent a little time with him since the storm and hadn’t felt so much as a tingle of attraction, though he was more classically handsome than Ricky.
“No,” she admitted slowly. “He’s a very nice man, but he doesn’t do anything at all for me.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere.” Jane regarded her with a sly expression. “Are you the first woman Ricky has ever saved?”
“No,” Allie conceded.
“As far as you know, has he ever invited any of the others to live with him?”
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