“Surprisingly, even after that massive breakfast, yes, I am,” Peyton answered.
“Galen! Look out there. Can we do that after lunch?” Ellie was pointing to a wharf jutting out from the sand.
“What is it?” Galen asked.
“The boat takes you out to a submarine and you get to go a hundred feet under the water. Can we do it, please?”
“I don’t think—” Peyton started.
“Sure,” Galen said at the same time.
“You’re not serious, are you?” Peyton said.
“Oh, please, Peyton. It’ll be such fun,” Ellie pleaded, pointing to the giant sandwich board showing pictures of the underwater experience. “Please?”
“You guys can do it without me,” Peyton said firmly.
Silence fell between them and Peyton could feel Ellie’s disappointment. When the restaurant’s maître d’ showed them to their beachfront table, Galen snagged Peyton’s arm and held her back a little. Ellie looked at them.
“Let me talk to Peyton a minute. You go on to the table. We’ll be right there, okay?” Galen suggested to the girl. “It’s okay. I’ve got my eye on you.”
Peyton felt her entire body stiffen. What did he plan to do? Persuade her that she had to do this thing that Ellie so keenly wanted to do. Hell, no.
“Look, you two can go together. I’m quite happy waiting on the beach.”
“No, if we do it, we’ll all do it. Can you tell me why you’re so afraid?”
“I’m not.”
“Don’t lie to me, Peyton. I saw the way you reacted the moment Ellie suggested it. It’s quite safe, you know. They run operations like this in a few locations.”
“And I’m sure they can manage to continue without my patronage.”
“You don’t want to disappoint Ellie, do you?”
Peyton glared at him. “She won’t be disappointed if you take her, will she?”
Galen’s voice took on a cajoling tone. “Seems to me that yesterday you were all about us spending time together. The three of us, right?”
“You spending all day at work does not compare to me staying on the beach while you and Ellie do the tourist thing.”
“Tell me, Peyton. What is it that freaks you out so much? You strike me as an incredibly brave woman. One who wouldn’t let the little things get in your way. After all, you agreed to marry me, sight unseen.”
“This isn’t the same.”
She watched as he waved to Ellie, who’d been settled at an umbrella-shaded table and was staring at the two of them.
“We should go and join her,” Peyton said, keen to end the discussion.
“Why won’t you tell me?” Galen said softly. “Is it really that bad?”
She shivered in the balmy temperature and tried not to think about the incident soon after her mother’s diagnosis that had made her so afraid of enclosed spaces.
“Fine, I’ll do it.”
“You don’t need to make it sound like I’m leading you to imminent doom.”
“I said I’ll do it, okay?”
“I’ll be there with you. You won’t regret it.”
She doubted that very much. At the very least, she hoped she didn’t do something to shame herself. Being shut in an old refrigerator by the neighborhood kids growing up had been one thing, but that sense of being closed in, in the dark, and feeling like every last breath of air was being squeezed out of her lungs had been quite another. All she could think about was what her dad had told her the night before. That her mom was slowly dying and one day they’d have to say goodbye to her, so they had to make the most of every minute she had above ground. Thinking about her mom being in a coffin—with no light, no air—had freaked her out and she’d panicked and begun frantically hammering on the door. And then the unthinkable had happened. As she’d begun to believe she was really going to die, she’d peed herself—a fact that didn’t go unnoticed when the other kids finally let her out.
The shame of that moment had been bad enough, but her father’s disapproval when she’d run home to tell him what had happened had been what had struck deepest. She could still see the disgust on his face when he realized she’d wet herself. He wasn’t interested in why. Wasn’t interested in drying her tears. He’d curtly told her to clean herself up and to make sure nothing like that ever happened again. So she had. And she’d avoided enclosed spaces ever since.
“Come on,” Galen said, taking her by the hand. “Let’s eat.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea before going in the water, is it?” she said half-jokingly, but in actual fact, wondering how the heck she was going to choke anything down at all.
“Hey, sailors do it all the time. It’ll be fine, trust me.”
“Trust you? I barely know you.”
“But we’re working on it, right? Building memories together. Getting to know one another. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?”
Was it? Maybe for normal people in a normal relationship. But she wasn’t there under a normal pretext, and she’d do well to remember that.
Six
He had understood her reluctance to enter the submarine. After all, everyone had their thing that they hated. But he’d underestimated the level of sheer terror that Peyton would experience. The entire journey, her body had been rigid beside him, her hands clenched on her knees—to stop the trembling, no doubt. While Ellie had been wide-eyed with amazement at the world beneath the sea, his gaze had been fixed on Peyton. Eventually, he’d reached across and taken one of her hands in his and begun to gently stroke his fingers across her white knuckles. In tiny increments, he felt the tension in her begin to ease, but even so, she was not relaxed by any standard.
Afterward, on the top deck of the vessel taking them back to shore, he kept their conversation light, alternating between quizzing Ellie about what she’d seen and making sure that Peyton was taking part in the conversation. To give her credit, she was, but he could see her heart wasn’t in it and she looked exhausted.
Once they were back at the house, they went down to the beach for their usual afternoon swim, except this time Peyton stayed on the sand watching from behind large sunglasses as he and Ellie cavorted in the gentle waves. When Ellie had had enough, he sent her up to the house to help Leilani bring some drinks and snacks down to them. Once she was merrily on her mission, he flopped down in the sand beside the recliner where Peyton was sitting.
“You okay?” he asked, looking up at her and noting she was no more relaxed now than she had been on the way back from the submarine trip.
“Fine,” she answered succinctly.
“Would that be fine-fine, or just fine?” he pressed.
“I’m okay. All right?”
“You did a brave thing today,” he said, deciding to take a different tack.
“I wasn’t brave. I was terrified.”
“And you did it anyway.”
“Well, you weren’t going to take Ellie unless I went, too. I had to go.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put you through that.”
“No, you shouldn’t have.”
“Peyton?”
“Hmm?”
“Why were you so scared?”
“I told you. I don’t like enclosed spaces.”
“The jet that got us here was an enclosed space. The chopper we took to Waikiki was an enclosed space. Why the sub?”
She shivered and reached for her sarong, wrapping it around her shoulders as if she was genuinely cold. Kind of hard to believe, given the perpetually warm air that surrounded them.
“I’ll go and see if I can help Ellie.”
She swung her legs over the side of the lounger, but before she could stand, he caught her hand and held her in place.
“No, stay, please. Leilani will help her. Why won’t you open up to me,
Peyton? We’re husband and wife. We’re supposed to learn to understand one another. If you won’t let me understand you, how can we make this work?”
He stared at her, watching the emotions that flickered in her troubled blue-gray eyes—noting the taut lines of her body and how she tightened her hands into fists again, the same way she had on the submarine.
“We only met four days ago, Galen. You can’t expect to know all my secrets immediately. A woman needs some mystery about her,” she said, deflecting the seriousness of his question.
“Mystery is one thing. What you do is probably spy level ten.”
She laughed, and he felt his whole body react to the sound. Joy, yes, that he’d brought a smile to her beautiful face, but more than that. A deeper, more intense reaction that made him want to reach out and touch her. To trace the fine line of her collarbone with his fingertips, then his mouth.
“Spy level ten? What are you, twelve years old?”
“Okay, level ten is probably a bit too high. Six, maybe. But seriously, Peyton. I want to get to know you, to understand what makes you tick. To make you happy.”
A tinge of color flushed her cheeks. She blinked hard and swallowed before turning her face away from him.
“Look at me, Peyton. Don’t keep hiding from me.”
She slowly turned back to face him and he reached out to touch her cheek with his forefinger.
“I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said softly, catching one tear as it spilled from her lashes.
“It’s not you—it’s me. I’m just tired, that’s all. Look, I had a bad experience as a kid. As part of a dare I was shut in an old refrigerator. I panicked. It left me feeling more than a little fragile when it comes to being shut in small spaces.”
“How old were you?”
“A little older than Ellie.”
“And your parents didn’t help you through it?”
“We had just learned my mom had an incurable disease. My dad was all about working hard and trying to keep a roof over our heads.”
She hadn’t said much but he could read between the lines. They hadn’t been there for her. She’d had to deal with the traumatic experience all on her own. It made his heart ache for the little girl she’d been.
“Again, I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s not anyone’s fault, to be honest. You just get on with things. Do what you need to do.”
“Is that how you deal with everything in life? Do what you need to do?”
“Mostly.”
“Is that why you married me?”
“No!” she protested. “That’s different.”
“Tell me, Peyton. What do you expect from our marriage?”
“What everyone expects,” she hedged without going into any details. “Oh, look, there’s Ellie and Leilani.”
He wasn’t mistaken—there was a distinct note of relief in her voice as they watched the two approach from the path leading to the house. Okay, he’d let her have her retreat, but he wasn’t going to stop delving beneath the surface of what made her tick. Because at some point today, he’d realized that he really wanted to understand his new wife properly. Understand her and, hopefully, make this a proper marriage.
* * *
The next morning Peyton gave herself a stern pep talk in the mirror. No more weakness, no more frailty. Certainly no more exposing any softness to Galen. He’d been so persistent down on the beach yesterday. She couldn’t afford to allow any further cracks to show. She was here for vengeance, nothing else.
She settled her features into what she hoped was a serene expression and squared her shoulders, ready to face the day. Ellie was just outside her door as she left her room.
“Good morning. Did you sleep well after yesterday? No bad dreams about sharks and shipwrecks?”
Ellie laughed. “No, I loved it. I don’t remember dreams most times I wake up. Sometimes I dream about Mom and Dad, though. That they’re still alive. When I wake up from those dreams I always feel sad. Sometimes I wish I could stay asleep just to be with them again.”
Peyton reached out and stroked Ellie’s hair. “I can understand that. I still dream about my mom, too, and she died a long time ago. You can always talk to me about it, if you want to.”
What the heck was she doing? She didn’t want to establish too strong a rapport with Ellie because she wasn’t planning on sticking around. The poor girl had already had her world ripped out from under her—she didn’t need to begin relying on someone who didn’t plan on being around for longer than the requisite three-month trial period of the marriage.
“Or Galen, you can always talk to him,” she added hastily.
“Who’s talking about me?” Galen asked as he came down the hallway. “Ah, my two best girls. That’s okay, then.”
Ellie giggled and skipped toward him to give him a hug. “What are we doing today?”
“Well, as luck would have it, I think I’ve found the perfect escape for you.”
“Escape?” Ellie looked confused. “I’m not a prisoner. Why do I need to escape?”
“I know you’re not,” Galen said. “You can totally leave at any time.”
“No, I can’t!” Ellie laughed.
“True, but today you can, if you want to, have some company from someone your age.”
“You won’t leave me there, will you?”
“Of course not. I don’t plan on leaving you anywhere you don’t want to be. The resort manager here has a daughter your age and she’s really looking forward to meeting you. She has a pony.”
Peyton watched as the caution on Ellie’s face was replaced with rapt attention.
“A pony? When can we go?”
“After breakfast. We’ll take you there, and if you’re happy with it, we’ll leave you to your girlie stuff and come back and pick you up after lunch. Deal?”
“Deal!”
Ellie flew down the hall toward the kitchen, where she would no doubt scoff her breakfast and be ready in record time.
“Well played,” Peyton said.
“What do you mean?”
“Mentioning a pony. I don’t think there are many girls Ellie’s age who aren’t enamored of ponies.”
He shrugged. “I didn’t want her getting bored, is all. She could do with a bit of fun with someone her own age.”
“What about you? What do you plan to do?” Peyton asked.
“I thought I’d take my wife sailing.”
She loved to sail. The freedom of being on the water, as opposed to yesterday’s expedition under it, held huge appeal for her. Skimming the waves, the wind in her hair, the crack of the sails as they caught the wind—she loved every aspect of it. It was a freedom she’d been introduced to as an adult but didn’t get to experience often.
“Okay. I’ll come, but only if you let me take the helm.”
“Control freak,” he goaded gently.
“Maybe,” she replied with a grin.
“You drive a hard bargain but never let it be said I’m a man who won’t let a woman take charge.”
Was that a hint of innuendo in his voice? Peyton looked sharply at him, trying to ascertain whether or not to take his words at face value. “Are you patronizing me?” she asked slowly.
“I would never be so rude. No, I merely meant what I said. You forget, it was my grandmother who ran Horvath Corporation after my grandfather passed away. I’m not afraid of strong women. I revere them.”
He was right about his grandmother being a strong woman. Knowing how much he respected the old lady, maybe she could get him to open up a bit more about her while they were sailing?
“Good to know,” she said with a semi-smile.
Ellie had finished her breakfast by the time they joined her.
“Whoa! Hold on a minute. Are you sure you’ve actually eaten?
” Galen teased her before she raced off to brush her teeth.
“I did! Should I get changed in case we do ride? I don’t have any gear with me.” All of a sudden Ellie looked unsure of herself.
“You look gorgeous as you are but maybe take a day pack with your swimsuit as well as jeans suitable for riding. I know there are spare helmets and boots at the stables, so you’ll be fine.”
Confidence restored, Ellie took off back to her room.
“You’re really very good with her,” Peyton observed.
“We’re a work in progress. I’m constantly worried that I’m going to mess up but at least now I have company in this parenting thing.”
Peyton felt a sudden pressure on her chest. “If our marriage works out.”
“Why wouldn’t we work out?”
“Well, you know. We might find we can’t stand the sight of each other after three months. Earlier, even.”
She knew she sounded like she was grasping at straws, but it had to be said.
“Cold feet already, Peyton?”
His face had grown serious and his blue eyes bored into hers as if he could see past the facade and deep into the secrets she was keeping.
“Not exactly. Just being practical.”
Galen took a step closer to her. “For the record, I really enjoy the sight of you every morning and every evening, too, not to mention the hours in between.”
His voice caressed her like a physical touch and Peyton set her nerve endings on edge. How did he do that? The sound of his voice had a power over her she’d never experienced with anyone before. She caught the subtle scent of his cologne and, despite herself, inhaled deeply.
“In fact,” he continued, “I like a lot about you, and I really want to know you better. You just need to let go a little.”
“Let go?”
“Yeah, you hold everything about yourself so tightly inside. You don’t let people in, not even Ellie.”
“I don’t want her hurt if this doesn’t work out.”
“Why focus on the negative? Why not think about the benefits to all of us if it does work out?”
Vengeful Vows (Marriage At First Sight Book 3) Page 5
