Beneath a Billion Stars

by Julie Carobini

  She tilted her chin up and caught his gaze. “Hi, back.”

  Meg had gone back to the kitchen where a helper had been filling chip bowls and restocking ice. She came through the doorway, hands full, mouth open as if she were about to say something when she froze. Her gaze drifted down to Wade and Priscilla’s hands entwined and a small smile curled on her face.

  Priscilla released Wade’s hand and handed her drink to him. “Can I help you carry some things out?”

  Meg shook her head, a quick smile on her face. “No, please. You’re my guests. You two go on out to the pool and relax. I’ve got it all under control.”

  Thankfully, she kept her real thoughts to herself, although she did send Priscilla a goofy little wink when she and Wade passed by her.

  At the pool, several new faces sat at the barbecue island talking to Jackson, who wore an apron and tended to a smorgasbord of grilling meats. June gloom had passed this day by and the sun had shown up, wearing its summer best.

  Wade found two lounge chairs near the edge of the pool. He handed Priscilla back her wine glass and dropped two towels onto one of the chairs. She took a seat in the one next to his and slipped her sunglasses on.

  “Uncle Wade!” Sadie held onto the edge of the pool, her round brown eyes peering at him beneath soaking wet chocolate-colored hair. Liddy hovered nearby, with Beau Jr. on her hip. He was covered from neck to knees in a rash guard and tiny board shorts.

  “Come in the pool, Uncle Wade!” Sadie called out.

  Priscilla lowered her glasses and looked at him over the top of them. He had surprised her again. Instead of perfectly pleated white tennis shorts, he was in blue-with-white-trim board shorts and a T-shirt that bragged about his attention to his workouts. His feet were shod with leather flip-flops—the one and only telltale sign of his net worth.

  “Pleeeeease ...” Sadie giggled fiercely, her dimpled cheeks pronounced as she cajoled Wade to join her in the water.

  Wade’s hands were on his slim hips, his grin wide. “How can I resist you?” In one languid move, he whipped off his T-shirt and plopped it onto his lounge chair. She looked away, but not before noticing his tight abs and catching the outline of a tattoo of an anchor on his upper back when he turned.

  He was, in a word ... beautiful. So maybe that was embellishment, but truly, Wade’s sudden display had awoken some dormant part of Priscilla. Warmth oozed through her, but not from the sun overhead.

  He landed in the pool with a splash, setting off a ripple of giggles from his young niece. When he emerged next to her, his nearly black hair tousled from water, Priscilla tried not to stare.

  Meg plunked down on Wade’s lounge, startling Priscilla. “He’s a great guy. Here”—she offered her a plate of veggies and hummus—“I brought you something to keep your strength up.”

  “Do I look like I’m wilting?”

  Meg cracked up and swung her legs up to the lounger. She set a baby monitor on a glass side table and relaxed back, with a sigh.

  “Never mind.” Priscilla tried to keep herself from smiling like a teen at a rock concert. “Don’t answer that.”

  “I’m glad you’re dating him,” Meg said, quietly.

  “Well, darling, that is not entirely accurate.”

  “Oh no? Looked pretty cozy to me. I don’t suppose you hold hands with just any old stud you run across.”

  “Oh, but I do,” Priscilla said with a poker face.

  Meg squealed and leaned over toward Priscilla. “Liar.”

  Priscilla took it all in—the pool teeming with adults and children, including Wade, the savory smoke from the BBQ, the laughter punctuating the blissful summer day.

  “I’m glad to see all you workaholics enjoying yourselves,” she said, changing the subject. “Even though you and Jackson aren’t getting that much rest.”

  “Don’t worry about us. All this"—she swept a hand in front of her, indicating the people and pool area—“gives us energy. Even Jax seems to love the commotion of people, though he’s sound asleep right now.”

  “I’m with Jax,” Priscilla said with a laugh. “Seriously, though, work is part of living, but so is play.”

  The bleating of a calf, shrill and insistent, interrupted their reverie. Or maybe it was a baby’s cry.

  Meg swung her feet back to the ground. “Welp, that’s my cue.”

  “Bring him to me,” Priscilla said. “I’d love to hold him.”

  Meg’s smile was warm, yet tender. “Of course. I’ll feed and change him first so you will get him at his best.”

  “Come in the pool, Cilla!”

  Priscilla turned to the little girl calling her name. Sadie was seated on Wade’s shoulder, her feet kicking against him. Water dripped from the tips of her pretty little toes down Wade’s firm chest. Mercy ...

  A teasing smile played on Wade’s face. “Wanna play chicken?”

  She kicked off her flip-flops. “How about I sit here on the edge and watch you two play?”

  Sadie’s eyes lit up. “I know! You can watch Uncle Wade and me play Marco Polo!”

  “Sounds perfect.” Priscilla sat down on the concrete, her legs hanging over the edge. She swirled her freshly pedicured feet in the refreshing water.

  “Watch us, Cilla!”

  “Yeah, watch us, Cilla,” Wade said, with a wink. He watched Sadie hopping around in the shallow end, then quickly ducked down beneath the surface of the water.

  “I still see you, Uncle Wade,” she said, scolding him.

  Jackson appeared beside Priscilla. “Yeah, no cheating Uncle Prince!”

  Sadie giggled at Jackson. “It’s Uncle Wade, not prinz.”

  “My mistake,” Jackson said good-naturedly. He plopped down next to Priscilla as Wade and Sadie continued their game of Marco Polo. “Enjoying yourself?”

  “Very much so.” She assessed him. “And, if you don’t mind my saying, boss, I think having some time away from the inn is good for you.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Well, look at you—you’re tan, smiling, have fewer wrinkles—”

  “Wrinkles?”

  “The kind brought about from stress.”

  “And I look calmer now, do I? You know we have a baby in the house now, right?”

  She laughed lightly. “He’s keeping you young. And so is Meg, I suspect.”

  He whooped out a laugh. “I’m sure she would love to hear you say that.” He whipped another look at her, this one feigning seriousness. “Don’t.”

  “Don’t what?” Meg said, Jax in her arms. “And I’d love to hear Priscilla say what?”

  Jackson leaned his head back, laughter bellowing.

  Priscilla hopped up from the edge of the pool and stood next to Meg. She reached out her arms. “May I?”

  Meg carefully placed Jax into Priscilla’s arms and took a seat on the edge of the pool next to her husband.

  Priscilla drew in the baby’s scent, the action bittersweet. He smelled of everything she loved and longed for.

  Beau wandered over. “Is this the kids’ section?”

  Liddy called out, “No. This is!”

  Seconds later a preteen boy proved her point by landing a cannonball next to her, one that Priscilla might have rated a ten, if this was a competition and she a judge. Likely on instinct, Liddy pulled Beau Jr. into a protective embrace.

  Beau’s stance shifted and he looked as if he were about to dive into the pool fully clothed. He put a hand on his hip. “Want me to switch with you?” He shaded his eyes with his other hand.

  A smile lit up Liddy’s face. “No, but you could join me.”

  The man nearly melted right there on the spot—Priscilla could see it in the softening of his expression. He turned to remove his shirt and put it on a nearby chair when he noticed her there, holding Meg and Jackson’s son. “Let me get you a chair, Priscilla.”

  Beau pulled a high-back chair away from a table and put it down close to the edge of the pool. “There,” he said. “You’ll be more comfo
rtable, I think.”

  “And be closer to the action, too. Thank you very much.” She settled into the chair and adjusted Jax’s blanket so that it kept him out of the sun.

  Wade continued to play with Sadie, tossing her gently in the shallow end, eliciting squeals. Liddy and Beau cooed over their son, introducing him to the water, and Meg and Jackson flirted with each other at the edge of the pool. She tilted her face up toward the sun, resting in the warmth that emanated from Jax, and embracing gratitude. This life was a far improvement from the one she’d left. And she was grateful.

  Her thoughts began to drift even more, like kelp floating away on the tide. This could be their real life, hers and Wade’s. They could be with their child, around the pool, with friends around them. She drew in a refreshing breath and let it out slowly. Wade Prince had shown her another side of himself today. If only ...

  A spray of water landed on her face. She sat up, blinking away her haze of longing.

  “Hey, beautiful.” Wade peered up at her from the edge of the pool where he leaned on folded arms. Jackson kicked water at him, but he didn’t flinch.

  “Hi, yourself.” She adjusted Jax in her arms, vaguely aware of the approach of fatigue in her muscles.

  “Want me to take him?” Meg asked.

  Priscilla smiled, cinching the baby closer. “I’m so happy to hold him, Meg. May I continue?”

  “Oh girl,” Meg said, laughing. “Help yourself.”

  “You’re a natural,” Beau said.

  Liddy shushed him and Beau gave her a look that said, What did I say?

  “You’re so sweet,” Priscilla said to Beau. “I love children. In fact, that’s why I’ve loved getting involved with Wade’s ....” She caught herself before finishing the sentence.

  Wade darted a look at her as her voice faded away. Her heart clenched. How could she have forgotten her promise to him to keep quiet about the center?

  They exchanged a glance, powerful on its own, and instead of admonishment, she saw release. He pushed himself up on chiseled, warm brown arms and landed on his feet, water cascading down his form. He reached for a towel, tousled it over his hair, and draped it over his broad shoulders.

  “Priscilla’s already made a great impression at an education center for teens that I’ve been championing.”

  Jackson’s forehead bunched, his eyes drawn together. “Is this some type of charity? Because I don’t recall you mentioning it.”

  Wade’s hands wrapped around the edges of the towel that he’d slung around his neck. “It is and that’s because I haven’t said anything”—he shrugged—“but it would be good for you to know.”

  Meg looked upward, shading her eyes. “Wow. This is the first I’ve heard of you doing something that isn’t business related. I’m impressed.”

  Wade visibly scowled at this.

  In response, Meg shook her head. “I didn’t mean anything negative by that, Wade. You know we think the world of you! It’s just that you’re always so busy working that I’m surprised you have the time for something extracurricular.”

  “When you two take a break from running the inn, then we’ll talk,” Wade said, a bit of a smile back on his face.

  From her spot in the pool, Liddy let out a snarky laugh. “He’s got you there!”

  Jackson cut in. “Whatever we can do to help, I hope you’ll let us know.”

  Wade and Priscilla exchanged a glance. “I appreciate that.”

  Meg sprang up from her spot at the pool’s edge. “Here, Priscilla, let me take him so you can cool off a bit.”

  Priscilla handed Jax back to his mother, then stretched out her arm and laughed. “I think it’s creaking.”

  Wade unwrapped the towel from his neck and pretended to snap it at her. She gasped and shot him a look of horror. “What in the world?”

  “Get in the water.”

  She laughed. “Or what?”

  His grin was devilish.

  Still smiling, she pulled a hair tie from her bag over on the lounge chair and rolled her hair into a messy bun. Then she unsnapped her cover-up, slipped it off, and draped it over the lounger. She turned back toward the pool and Wade stood there frozen.

  “Ready?”

  A slow smile, like a challenge, spread across his face. “Definitely.”

  She’s getting under my skin.

  They weren’t safe in this pool together. Wade knew it in the core of his being, but did he suggest they climb out? That they retreat to separate corners of the pool?

  Not a chance.

  She swam toward him, that jolt of auburn hair perched precariously on top of her head. He imagined reaching up and undoing that hair tie ...

  “You were right.” She glided toward him, her voice husky. “The water feels amazing.”

  He nodded. She was cooling off. And he should too.

  As luck would have it, though, they were unpredictably alone. Liddy had decided to take Beau Jr. in for a diaper change and a nap, and Sadie had insisted on joining her. “I can change poopy diapers,” she’d proclaimed, although Liddy had assured her that there would be no need for that.

  As she looked back, Sadie’s tiny hand in hers, Liddy had assessed him with one long stroke of a knowing female glance. “I’m sure your Uncle Wade wouldn’t mind that one bit.”

  He had almost laughed aloud. Either way, he’d made a mental note to pay her later.

  Around the same time, young Jax had begun to squawk, sending Meg inside to care for him, and one of Meg’s assistants cried out that the chicken could very well be burning and could Jackson come help?

  Ah. They were blessedly, amazingly, incredibly ... alone.

  “I hope you weren’t too mad at me for blurting out something about the center.” Priscilla pouted, the effect only heightening her charm. “I feel terrible about outing you without your permission.”

  He brushed his fingers across her lips and shook his head slowly, unable to help himself. “Ssh. I could never be angry with you.”

  Priscilla blinked rapidly, something he hadn’t seen from her before. It took his breath away. Then she smiled. “I bet you could be.”

  He grinned and moved toward her, intimately aware of the closeness of their bodies, the occasional graze of his knees against hers, the gentle touch of her hands as she floated in the water. Though a warning sign flashed in his mind, he found himself barreling through the lights.

  “Cilla,” he whispered.

  Her smile faded and he wondered if he had gone too far, had broken through the caution tape that was in place for a reason, and instead sent her dialing 911. But as he took in her eyes, noting the way her pupils widened the longer he gazed at them, taking in her beauty, his misgivings drifted away.

  “Wade,” she said, the curve of her lips lovely, his sense of her heightened.

  He moved closer, folding his hands into hers. In a flash, he was thankful they were out here in public, as he didn’t dare do anything to cause mothers to shield their children’s eyes. Not that he wasn’t thinking about it ...

  “You are a good man,” she said.

  He smiled, confused. “Why would you say that?”

  She shrugged, smiling back at him, their hands still unashamedly entwined. “Because it’s true. And I always say what is true.”

  He swallowed. Could he live up to her perception of him?

  A sharp whistle interrupted the debate in his mind, pulling him dramatically to the present. He jerked a look toward the barbecue area. “Dinner’s served,” Jackson shouted, waving them over.

  He let go of Priscilla’s hands, and once she was free, she splashed him, and began swimming toward the shallow end. Wade pursued her until they reached the wall, dragged themselves out, and toweled off.

  Later, after they’d eaten and laughed and talked until all the children were limp from exhaustion, Priscilla joined him on a walk to his car. Sadie was molded to his shoulder, occasionally letting out a snuffling snore. They reached his vehicle faster than he would have li
ked and his mind wound around a track, searching for something more to add to their quiet conversation.

  “I bet her mama will be so happy to have Sadie back—and ready for bed, too.” Priscilla stroked the young girl’s hair as they stood there beneath a burgeoning sky.

  He glanced upward. “So clear tonight.”

  She followed his gaze. “Yes. It is. No fog at all.”

  “If we stayed here long enough, I bet that big old sky up there would be full of stars.”

  She tipped her chin up toward him. “You do, do you?”

  His gaze swept across her eyes, her mouth, that button nose of hers. “Maybe one of these clear nights we can go for a walk.” He flicked his gaze westward. “Out there, on the beach.”

  She licked her lips, her eyes trained on him. “I would like that.”

  A sense of falling pressed itself up against his back and he tightened his grip on Sadie. He hadn’t felt this way in ... well, had he ever? Had it been this way with Sophia? Suddenly, he couldn’t remember a thing about that time.

  “Will I see you at the inn this week?” she ventured.

  He closed his eyes, reality a poor friend.

  Priscilla flashed a smile, but he could tell by her body language, by the way she took an ever-so-slight step backward, that she had misinterpreted his response.

  He reached for her arm with his free hand, pulling her back toward him. Her eyes, though downcast, flickered upward, apprehensive.

  “I’m flying to New York in the morning.”

  She flashed a wider smile, though he noted the tension in her eyes. “Well, of course, darling. I’m sure you have much on your plate with your many businesses—”

  He tipped his head until his forehead leaned against hers, still holding Sadie tightly against him with one arm. “Priscilla,” he whispered. “I was going to say that I’m leaving for the City for a week, but I hope you won’t mind a call from me when I return.”

  Those clear eyes of hers were on him again. She nodded and opened her mouth to answer him, but he stopped her, his lips finding hers with a kiss, soft yet tentative.

  He pulled away, and as he did, Sadie stirred. She turned her face away from where it had been buried in Wade’s neck, released a heavenly sigh, and collapsed back onto his shoulder.