Ever Fallen in Love

by Katie MacAlister

  Kiera fussed over Peter, who was looking like he wanted to cry, and held the chew toy for him to gnaw on, but Theo could feel the frightened little glances she shot at him. He reached across Peter, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.

  “You can stop looking like a warthog just fouled the water hole, little gazelle,” he said softly. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “You don’t know him,” she said almost inaudibly.

  “No, but I have the resources and the desire to keep you and Peter safe, and that’s just what I’m going to do. There’s no way he can get to the sheep farm, and we’ll head there as soon as we apply for a marriage license.”

  “Via the airport?” she asked, wrinkling her forehead.

  “Yes. We’ll take a helicopter.” He smiled, trying to instill in her a sense of comfort. “Trust me, Kiera. I know it’s hard, but try. I swear to you I won’t let him near you.”

  She nodded, but her gaze dropped. She obviously didn’t believe him, but he figured that trust in him was simply something she’d have to learn over time.

  The process of filing for a marriage license went surprisingly easily. Theo had an idea that Kiera might balk when it came down to the legalities, but she filled out the form without a word other than to point out that they would have to wait three days before they could be married.

  “We’ll be safe on the farm,” he reassured her. “And it will give me time to get my bank to issue you new cards. We won’t be able to do anything about the license being recorded, but I doubt if even your ex’s friends would think to look at marriage records for you.”

  “I’m sure he wouldn’t,” she said with a twist of her lips. “He always told me that I’d never find anyone else.”

  Theo didn’t say anything to that, knowing her nerves had suffered a shock. Instead he escorted her out of the office. “Do you have a preference for marriage venues? I will get my assistant working on it immediately.”

  “There was a sign. ...” She cleared her throat and slid a glance at him out of the corners of her eyes. “The registry office does marriages. Would you mind—”

  “Not at all. So long as you’re certain that you don’t want a proper wedding.”

  She shuddered, and he didn’t know if it was the idea of marrying him or of a public ceremony that caused it. He prayed it was the latter.

  “You’re not afraid of flying, are you?” he asked, more to change the subject than anything else.

  “Me? No.” She looked surprised for a moment before her brows lowered, and she reached across Peter to pinch his thigh. “Just because I have a few issues doesn’t mean I’m afraid of everything, Theo.”

  He grinned, wishing he could have finished what they had started that morning. “Tonight,” he said softly, “we are going to practice the wedding night acts.”

  “Do we need practice?” she asked, but he saw her pupils dilate at the idea.

  “No, but it’s always good to be prepared.” His gaze swiveled to where Peter, still looking out of sorts, banged his chew toy on the car seat, two fingers in his mouth. “So long as a certain young man allows us to get the required time in.”

  “Poor little guy,” she said, fussing with the straps holding in Peter. “I know how awful a toothache can be. I’ll put more of that teething gel on him once we stop.”

  Theo brushed a hand over Peter’s hair, but said nothing while Kiera talked to the baby, telling him that he just needed to make up his mind to not let the pain ruin his day. There were many things he needed to plan, one of which was to engage the firm of detectives Annemarie had recommended to dig deeper into Mikhail’s past.

  “Your farm must be really remote if we have to take a helicopter to it,” Kiera said a short time later when she snapped Peter’s car seat into the back row of seats. “I have to say that I’m excited to see it. I love sheep. Do you shear them, as well? Before I met ... before, I used to spin yarn, so I have a love of all things fleece.”

  “Yes, they are sheared, although I haven’t been here during the time of the year when that happens. They’re heirloom sheep, actually, some rare breeds that are kept alive by aficionados. I’ve only had the farm for a few years, but the former owner does an excellent job taking care of it for me. Buckle up.”

  He signed the flight plan, consulted briefly with the helicopter pilot, and got in, the pilot beside him.

  Kiera looked up from the back, her eyebrows raised as she watched him put a headset on. “You’re not ... you have a pilot’s license?”

  “Have had since I was twenty-one,” he said, turning to wink at her. “Don’t look so horrified. I’ve flown this particular helicopter before, so I’m more than a little familiar with it.”

  “But ...” She glanced at Peter, and he could hear her saying softly, “Helicopter wheels. Dials.”

  He started the engine, checking to make sure there was oil pressure before turning on the alternator, and engaging the clutch. The whole cab vibrated as the belts tightened, and the rotors started spinning, but Peter didn’t seem to mind either the noise or the movement. Theo was pleased by that and made a mental note to point out to Jake that his son had taken to flying like he was a bird.

  “The shape the blade thingies make when they are spinning,” Kiera said loudly. “Parachutes when they are deployed.”

  Theo raised his voice so he could be heard over the sound of the engine, saying, “Actually, the parachutes on board are rectangular. Everyone ready? We’re off, then!”

  It wasn’t a long flight, but a pleasant one, and although Theo had been to the farm only a couple of times, he very much enjoyed swinging out from Auckland over the coastline, and then heading in a northeast direction to a small cluster of islands.

  Kiera busied herself with Peter at first, keeping a watchful eye on Theo, as well, a fact that had him smiling to himself, but after a while she relaxed, and even pointed out the window at things for Peter to notice.

  He knew the moment she realized just where the sheep farm was located, because she suddenly plastered herself to the window, staring down on the oblong island that was part of a cluster of over a hundred islands. Theo admired the island, feeling a sense of pride in it. He’d always thought of Matuarikawaiti Island as being stingray shaped, with a wide, curved south end—where the buildings sat on the shallow bay—the land rising and narrowing to a rocky tail that swung to the west.

  “The sheep farm is on an island?” Kiera yelled over the noise.

  “The sheep farm is the island,” he answered, pointing. All along the spine and the gently sloping south end, tiny white dots were visible against the greenery of the island.

  Kiera said nothing more until they had landed, Theo and the pilot pulling out the most important of the luggage that traveled with them. The pilot promised to bring the rest, and Theo got Peter and Kiera off the helipad, and down the path leading to the beach and the house that waited for them.

  “OK, this is amazing,” Kiera said, looking around with astonishment. “Peter, look! Baby sheep!”

  Peter, in Theo’s arms, looked less than impressed, and rubbed his face with a slobbery fist.

  “I think he wants a nap,” Theo told her.

  “Probably. He’s no doubt tuckered out with all the mouth ouchies.” Kiera tossed her purse and one of the small suitcases into the replacement stroller they’d picked up before going to the airport, and wheeled it after Theo. “I can’t believe your sheep farm is an island. Wait, you said you bought the farm from someone else? Do you own the island, too?”

  “Yes.” He waited for her to stop gawking at the scenery before saying, “My brother owns an island in Greece.”

  “And?”

  He grinned. “I kind of felt I had to have one, too.”

  She stared at him like he had dancing lambs on his head. “You’re crazy. You know that, right?”

  “Yes, but you love that about me,” he told her, and gestured toward the nearest building. “This is our house. It used to be some s
ort of a lodge, but Richard—he’s the manager and former owner—had it redone for a holiday let. I think you’ll like it. It’s not huge, but has three big bedrooms, a loggia that lets you see the most spectacular sunsets, a nice-sized kitchen, and there’s even a pool. Peter will like the pool.”

  She eyed first him, then the baby. “Hmm.”

  “What?”

  “He can’t take a bath by himself, Theo. How do you expect him to do in a swimming pool?”

  “We’ll get him one of those floating things. And one of us will be with him at all times.” He gave her his best smile, the one Harry said could charm the socks off a nun. “You’ll see. It’ll all work out perfectly.”

  Just as they reached the house, three people emerged from it.

  “Richard,” Theo said, freeing a hand to shake the one offered by the older man. “The place looks wonderful. This is Kiera and Peter. Kiera and I will be married in three days. Sweetheart, this is Richard Dart, his wife, Anne, and their daughter, Melanie.”

  “A baby!” Anne beamed as she tweaked Peter’s toes. “He’s so adorable. And you’re engaged! That is very good news. Peter is the spitting image of you both.”

  “He’s not my baby, actually,” Kiera said, shaking hands with both Richard and Anne. “But I agree he’s adorable. He’s a bit cranky right now, though. We think he’s teething.”

  “May I?” Anne said, holding out her arms.

  Theo duly deposited Peter with her, and turned to nod toward a house that sat a little way down the beach. “That’s Richard and Anne’s house. Beyond it is the bank of solar arrays and batteries that we use for power. You’ll notice the roofs are flat—we collect and store water there. The island is completely self-sustaining with regards to amenities.”

  “That’s amazing,” Kiera said, her eyes dazzled. “Everything here is just ... so wonderful. I don’t blame you for wanting to own the whole island. It’s a paradise.”

  Theo took pride in her reaction. Although he liked the island well enough, he hadn’t ever thought about living on it. Now, seeing it through Kiera’s eyes, he began to think it might just be the haven he was looking for.

  “The wharf needs a bit of work,” Richard said, nodding toward a long wooden dock that stretched out toward the mainland. “Pontoons on the end are cracked. I had it in my notes to tell you at the next call, but since you’ve come out instead, I’ll show you the damage.”

  “Can I hold Peter?” Melanie asked her mom. “He’s so round and cute, and omigod, he can say words! Babies are just the end!”

  Peter no-no-ed her a couple of times, making her giggle when her mother handed him over.

  “Our Melanie is taking early childhood education at uni,” Anne told Kiera. “She loves babies. I’m sure she’d be happy to watch Peter sometime if you two wanted a night on the mainland.”

  Kiera looked mildly terrified at that thought, but Theo thanked Melanie, watching for a moment to make sure the girl was dealing well with the baby in his unhappy state. To Theo’s surprise, she soon had Peter gurgling a wet little chuckle, and she even suffered him to put his slobbery fingers on her cheek.

  Theo showed Kiera around the beach, gardens, and pool before climbing to the loggia. He noticed that although Kiera appeared relaxed and was chatting pleasantly, she stuck closely to Melanie. It warmed his heart that the woman he had decided upon had taken to his son so quickly.

  Kiera might not think they had any future together, but he fervently hoped that between Peter and himself, they would bind her to them so that she never wanted to leave.

  TEN

  The next few days flew past with a speed I found worrisome. For a woman who had spent many a night huddled in a cot in some shelter or other, fear making me feel each passing second of long, sleepless nights, the fact that time could slide past without effort made me wonder if I wasn’t allowing the peace of Theo’s island paradise to blind me to the very real threats that Misha posed.

  He was out there hunting for me. I knew it in my bones. It wasn’t a coincidence that he was in Auckland. I could feel that black presence that hung over the entire city like a storm cloud. Thankfully, Theo never pressured me to go to the mainland with him. Bless him, he knew just how close we’d come to having Misha see Peter, and each morning he put on one of the gorgeous GQ-cover-worthy suits, kissed the baby on his head before kissing me in a way that made my blood steam and my legs go boneless, then took either one of the boats or a helicopter over to Auckland.

  “What are you wearing for your wedding?” Anne had asked after we’d been there three days. “Theo said you were marrying at the registry office, but you’ll still want to wear something nice. Perhaps you’d like Mel and me to help you shop for something a little ...” She eyed my leggings and shapeless, faded tee. “Something a little more dressy?”

  “Oh. Er ...” I considered my clothing situation. All I had in the dresser in the master bedroom was four pairs of leggings, one pair of jeans, a handful of T-shirts, and assorted underwear. I told Theo to return the things he’d bought for me, but since he had only just the night before solemnly presented me with a bank card in the name that was not yet mine—and which he had couriered out at what I assumed was great expense—at least I had money that I could spend without Misha tracking me.

  “I suppose I should have something a little more formal,” I said slowly, my eyes on where Melanie was out on the grass, playing with Peter. The girl had turned out to be remarkably good with him, and I was getting to the point where I didn’t feel the need to hover over her.

  “There are a number of nice shops in Auckland,” Anne continued. “We could pop over for lunch, get you a dress, and be back before Theo gets home. What do you think of that?”

  I thought it sounded like the sheerest folly, but Theo was being so nice about everything, I didn’t want to shame him in front of his friends by marrying him in leggings. Maybe if we drove straight from the dock and went directly to a shop, and back, it would minimize the risk of seeing Misha. “Do you know of a shop in particular?”

  “I know of an excellent one. There’s a restaurant nearby—”

  “I think, if you don’t mind, we’ll just do the dress shopping and leave lunch for another day,” I interrupted, moving past her to go out through one of the bank of French doors to the lawn where Peter and Melanie played. I had a sudden urge to hold him, to let him suck on my hair, and to hear him no-no me happily.

  “If you like,” Anne said, giving me an odd look, but after a moment she shrugged and called to her daughter.

  Two hours later we arrived at the marina in Auckland.

  “Is the car there?” Theo asked, his voice warm in my ear. He’d given me a cell phone the day before, as well, assuring me it was registered in his name. “Are the windows tinted? I told them I didn’t want a car without tinted windows.”

  “It’s here,” I said, pushing Peter’s stroller down the dock toward where there sat one of the ubiquitous black sedans that drove rich people around. I ignored the fact that by marrying Theo on the following day, I would technically be one of them. “I can’t see through the windows, so we’re good on the tinting. Thank you, Theo.”

  “My sweet little gazelle, I would move heaven and earth in order for you to marry me tomorrow, and arranging for a car is but a drop in the vast ocean of my devotion.”

  I giggled at his dramatic delivery.

  “Are you gracing me with your presence for lunch?” he asked. “I have a meeting, but I can move it.”

  “No.” I hated feeling so cowardly, but my skin felt prickly just knowing Misha was in the area. “I think the shopping will be enough of an outing for Peter and me.”

  “As you wish, although I would like you to see my office. It has a glorious view, and a couch that is large enough for you to strip me down and do all the things to me that I know you want to do.”

  “Ooh,” I said, unable to keep from shivering a little at the promise in his voice. “I love it when you let me seduce you. Ma
ybe we could see it tomorrow, after the wedding.”

  “An excellent idea. Happy shopping.”

  “Happy meeting ... er ... ing.”

  He laughed and hung up, and after making sure no one was lurking near the car, I wheeled Peter to it, allowing Melanie to help me stow the stroller.

  Peter was in a bit of a subdued mood, which meant his teeth were hurting again. I rubbed a little of the teething gel on his gums, offering him his chew toy, which I’d tucked in my purse.

  “What ... what are you giving him?” Anne asked, looking over her shoulder to make some comment or other.

  “It’s his chew toy. Sometimes he likes to gnaw on it. I think it makes his gums feel better,” I said, tucking it into the diaper bag when Peter pushed it away in favor of a couple of linked plastic rings.

  “A chew toy? But that’s a ...” She looked startled for a moment, then gave a little shake of her head, and continued to narrate which businesses in town were worthy of patronage.

  I was relieved to see that the shop she’d picked out was on the other side of the city from where I’d seen Misha. The driver found a spot about half a block down, and I made everyone wait in the car for a minute while I scanned the street.

  “Sorry,” I said once I’d made sure there was no Misha-shaped man lurking on the sidewalks. Since the street contained clothing boutiques, small cafés and bakeries, and an art gallery, I was fairly confident that this area didn’t have any of the sorts of businesses that would attract him.

  I got Peter out and into his stroller, tucking my phone into my purse before slinging it across my body.

  “Now, you just have a good look around,” Anne told me as Melanie claimed the stroller and started pushing it down the sidewalk toward the shop. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll keep Master Peter occupied while you try on whatever takes your fancy.”

  “Thanks,” I said, worried that I sounded ungrateful. I kept scanning the street while I headed for the shop, Melanie and Anne behind me.