by T. Cobbin
“Is this island really yours?”
Leo found it hard to not smile. Something told him that wasn’t the question he was supposed to answer, but answer it he did. “It is. My great-great-grandfather bought this island for his ma…wife. They lived here for years before handing it down to their son, and so forth, until I received this place when my father retired. My great-great-grandfather was the one who named the island.”
“Why did he name it the Vanish Isle?” Danielle asked. She sat beside her son, her hands wrapped around a mug.
“Well, sometimes when my great-great-grandfather would be rowing home from the mainland after picking up goods...” He chuckled, briefly thinking of the small motorboat now tied to the dock and how much easier it would have been to have it in his grandfather’s time. “As he rowed home, quite often he’d find himself immersed in drifting fog, or sometimes even a storm. The trouble was when the fog came in he’d get lost, and more often than not find himself turned around and back on the mainland. So that’s how the island received its name.”
“I don’t have a granddad,” Ollie said. “Mummy has told me what one is, but she says her daddy died and is in heaven.”
“Well, if you and I become friends, then your granddaddy will be friends with mine in the afterlife. Is that okay?”
“You wanna be my friend?” Ollie asked, his voice raising at the end in surprise. His little, chubby face, as well as his voice, were filled with hope.
“Sure. And today you will hopefully get to meet Gracie too. She’s a few years older than you are, and she talks so much you might have to put your fingers in your ears.”
Leo picked up his coffee mug and sat at the breakfast counter beside the boy. If Danielle accepted being his mate, Leo hoped that one day he might be a father figure to the small lad as well as Gracie.
“Coolness,” the boy said excitedly. “Mummy, Leo and Gracie want to be my friend.”
Leo looked up from the boy toward his mother, but instead of seeing happiness in her eyes and on her face, he saw guilt.
“That’s great. Now scoot. Go get your letter book out, and Mummy will follow you in a minute.”
“Oh, Mum,” Ollie whined, jumping off the stool he was perched on and dramatically dragging his feet across the floor and up toward the back stairs.
Leo hid his smile behind his coffee mug. Oh, the memories he had of his childhood. He remembered fighting with his own mother about schoolwork in this kitchen. His mother had homeschooled him too.
His attention returned to Danielle, who silently picked up her son’s breakfast bowl and washed it in the sink. Once the task was completed she wiped her hands on the apron around her waist before taking it off and folding it.
“Are you sure I can’t get you some breakfast before I help Ollie?” she asked.
Leo watched her lower her eyes to the floor before lifting them back up again to peek at him. He could see her inner conflict if to look at him or not. Ignoring it for now, he shook his head.
“No, thank you. As I said last night, you aren’t here as a maid, Danielle. I’m big enough and ugly enough to look after myself, and of course Gracie too, when she gets here.”
Danielle nodded. Her lips lifted in the tiniest of smiles before she spun around and followed her son up the stairs. As she disappeared Leo blew out a breath in frustration. Befriending Danielle was going to be harder than he thought.
* * * *
Leo was not only handsome, he smelled delicious. Danielle had only been in his presence for a short time and she was dreaming of long walks in a wooded area. She wanted to lay next to him in a sun-filled, flowery meadow and curl up in his arms.
When he’d spoken about his family and the island, she wanted to ask questions and learn more. But the year she’d spent with Master in relative silence held her back.
She didn’t know Leo. He seemed nice. A man who probably never raised his voice in anger. But when she’d first spoken to Master in the dim nightclub, she’d thought the same about him. Although the wounds on her back had long healed and scarred, her memories probably never would.
Danielle’s son sat at his tiny school table with a pencil in his hand, his tongue sticking out as he copied his letters in one of the schoolbooks she’d ordered. He was going to be five in only three months. The time had gone past so fast. She did more worrying over the fact he had no friends than she did with his work. She knew she’d have to leave the island soon so he could go to a proper school, or she would have to hire a teacher of some kind. But before she hired someone, she would have to talk to Leo first to make sure it would be okay because they would need somewhere to stay. Putting her worries and thoughts to the back of her mind, she settled beside her son and helped him continue with his letters.
A little later Danielle started to do her morning cleaning while Ollie played in his bedroom with his toys. It was a normal routine for her now. Every day they did an hour of schoolwork and then she cleaned while Ollie played.
The house had five bedrooms besides the large master suite that had the largest bed she’d ever seen. She often wondered how the larger pieces of furniture were brought to the island, because they sure weren’t brought over on the tiny speedboat she had traveled on.
There were three floors in the house. The attic had been converted into a small suite with two bedrooms, along with a small kitchenette, living area, and a bathroom. On the second floor of the house there were five medium-sized bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, and then there was the large master suite. The bathroom suite matched the bedroom. It was massive. The shower alone she was sure was big enough to hold four adults bathing together.
She and Ollie had been using one of the showers in a spare room for a few months as the one in her suite had stopped heating the water. She knew she’d have to inform Leo at some point, but she feared someone would then have to come to the island. Now that Leo was there, she couldn’t hide it anymore; she’d have to tell him. For now though, she pottered around on the second floor, cleaning the rooms as she usually did.
As she cleaned the last room near the back of the stairs she thought to mention to Leo that this room might be a good one for Prue. It was the best room with a view of two large willows, rather than just the sea. Danielle wondered if the tutor would share some advice with her before they left about schooling for Ollie.
“Hey, Danielle, I’m heading down to make a cuppa, fancy one?”
Danielle had been so deep in her thoughts, so preoccupied, that she screamed when Leo spoke after walking up behind her. She was used to the quiet of the house and listening out for her son while she cleaned, so she was surprised she hadn’t heard Leo come up the stairs.
“Whoa, honey. Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Leo wrinkled his nose, and it looked like his eyes were watering.
Danielle peeked at the carrier of cleaning products she was using. Had one of these affected him? She wondered if she’d used too much bleach or something.
“Are you okay?” she asked nervously.
“Yeah.” He chuckled. “I think maybe I should ask you the same.”
Danielle looked at him in surprise until she realized he had asked about her scream. Her heart still thrummed in both shock and fear.
“I’m okay. You just frightened me, that’s all. I was wondering about you, your eyes are watering, did I use too much cleaning stuff?”
“No, no. I’m fine, probably just inhaled some dust or something.”
“I’m so sorry, I umm…” What could she say? I’ll stop cleaning? But then wasn’t she hired to do the job?
“Don’t apologize. Honestly, it’s okay. I’ve been so used to my tower in the sky with its filtered air, I have missed out on the real thing.”
A few moments of uncomfortable silence flittered between them before she realized Leo had asked her a question. What was it? She couldn’t think with him staring so intently at her.
“You asked me a question?” she finally asked.
“Tea? Want
a cuppa?”
For the first time in over five years, she felt like a stiff drink instead. For some strange reason, just the sight of Leo had her hot and bothered, and not in a bad way. But since that night at the club she hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol, and probably never would again.
Glancing at her watch, she noticed it was eleven-thirty. The morning had flown past. “Yes, please. It’s about the time Ollie and I normally have one anyway with a little lunch.”
Leo was still wearing the same pair of jean shorts and t-shirt he’d come down to the kitchen this morning in. Danielle wondered what he’d been doing all morning.
“Good. I’ll put the kettle on.”
He turned, and Danielle found herself staring at his jean-clad butt. Again, she wondered what drew her toward this man. Perhaps she’d just been on her own too long. Danielle put her cleaning equipment away, then she gathered her son, and they made their way to the kitchen. The scent of both food and coffee made her stomach rumble. Leo had cooked already?
“Wow! Cakes for dinner!” Ollie’s eyes were as big as saucers as he sat on his stool.
Leo placed a small plate with a fluffy pancake that had a smiley face on it in fruit in front of her boy.
“I helped Mummy make these on pancake day, yesterday.” Ollie lifted the pancake to look underneath it and then stared back at Leo with a smile. “We didn’t make them big like this. We had flatter ones.”
“Pancake day was a few months ago, mate,” she said to her son. He was still struggling to understand the concept of time, and yesterday could have been anything from a few months to literally yesterday. “If I remember correctly, they were rather burnt too.” Danielle chuckled and ruffled Ollie’s hair. “Eat up, baby.”
She watched him shove a piece into his mouth and hum. To her dismay, he started to shove more pieces in until he looked like a hamster with cheeks full of food. Before she could reprimand him, Leo spoke.
“Slow down there, mate, you might choke. I know my pancakes are good, but not that much surely.”
Danielle didn’t know how to feel with Leo telling her son to slow down. It wasn’t like he’d told Ollie in a bad way. In fact, it almost sounded fatherly. Then she remembered Gracie. Leo was her father of sorts, so he was just treating Ollie the same way. Danielle relaxed.
Ollie swallowed several times and muttered “sorry” before continuing to eat slower.
Danielle made her way to the coffee machine and popped in a cappuccino capsule. Once the machine had finished, she turned around to find another plate with a smiley pancake on it.
“I didn’t realize you were going to cook. I could have done it,” she said softly. She felt guilty that Leo had cooked for both her and her son.
“What, you don’t like my happy face pancakes?” Suddenly he full-out pouted and sang out, “Sad face.”
Danielle covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile.
“I think I watched too much Noddy with Gracie.” Leo grimaced.
Ollie burst out laughing beside her. “Happy face,” he shouted back at Leo, showing half-eaten food in his mouth.
Danielle shook her head at the pair of them and sat down to eat her very fluffy lunch. She held back a hum of delight, but just barely. Leo’s pancakes were far better than hers.
“So, do you know when Gracie will arrive?” she asked. “The upstairs rooms are ready for both her and her tutor.”
Leo walked toward another kitchen counter and picked up a brick-like mobile. “Prue rang not long ago.”
Danielle was surprised. She had a mobile and more often than not she only got a bar or two on it if she were to stand by the docks.
Again, like last night, Leo seemed to read her thoughts. “This is a satellite phone.” He paused and looked upset about something. “I know it’s hard to get a signal here unless you’re near the docks. I should have made sure you had one. Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay. It’s not as if I have anyone who would call me.”
Leo twiddled with the aerial on the satellite phone, seemingly lost in his thoughts before suddenly carrying on talking. “Anyway, Prue said she and Gracie are about halfway here. They should hit the mainland docks at about four or five this evening. You will know when Gracie gets here. Believe me.” He smirked and placed the phone back on the countertop.
“I think all children make their presence known,” Danielle said, remembering the times Ollie had made sure his mother heard him.
She went back to eating her happy-faced pancake. Leo was full of surprises.
* * * *
True to Leo’s word, Gracie made herself known just before teatime. Danielle was cooking while Ollie was playing on the dining room floor with his cars when the sound of a little girl’s constant chatter could be heard outside. Before Danielle had the chance to think fully about how much the house was going to be a lot noisier, Ollie perked up.
“Mummy, I can hear voices.”
“I can too, babe.”
Leo stepped into the kitchen doorway, looking toward the back door, his face filled with a beaming smile. The door handle jiggled before the door was blown open with the wind. In the blink of an eye, Leo was across the kitchen and caught Gracie in his arms before the little girl went sprawling along the tiled floor.
“Whoa, Pops, that door nearly took me for a ride.” Gracie giggled, wrapping her arms around the man’s neck in a hug.
Leo pulled the young girl further against his chest. His face shone with the love he had for her. “Lucky I was here to catch you then.”
“You always are.” Gracie chuckled more when Leo tickled her.
“This is Danielle,” he told Gracie, tilting his head in Danielle’s direction.
The little girl smiled at her. “Hi, Danielle. Pops told me you would be here. He also said you have a little boy,” she said hopefully.
Before Danielle could reply, Leo spoke up. “Want to meet Ollie?”
“Sure, Pops.”
While Leo introduced Gracie to Ollie, Danielle went to help the young woman tugging both a large, black, wheeled suitcase as well as a small pink one behind her.
“Hi, I’m Prue,” she said.
“I’m Danielle.”
Prue allowed Danielle to take the pink suitcase off her. Wheeling the case to the middle of the kitchen, Danielle was surprised at how heavy the small bag was. Did the child have her entire wardrobe in the thing?
Leo suddenly appeared before them both without Gracie. Seeking the little girl out, Danielle saw she was now playing with her son.
“You should have called me and told me you were here. I could have helped you with the bags,” Leo quietly admonished the tutor.
“It’s okay. It wasn’t too bad. Gracie and I are stronger than we look. I did, however, leave your baggage in the hut. You can bring them up yourself.”
“Danielle, this is Prue. Prue, this is Danielle,” Leo said, pointing to each woman.
Both Danielle and Prue chuckled.
“Yeah, we kinda did the whole who-is-who bit,” Prue told Leo.
“The trip over was calm?” Leo asked. “I checked the weather a few times to make sure. It can turn so weird at times. I was telling Ollie and Danielle how my grandfather got lost a few times.”
“Yeah, I heard the stories when you told Gracie. Anyway, being I can smell food and I’m starving, shall I take my bag up to my room?” Prue’s smile toward Leo was warm, as if she had quite a fondness for the man. Danielle wondered how long the pair had known each other.
“Can I show you where it is?” Danielle asked, unsure if that was what she should do or not. She’d spent so much time on her own with her son, having people around felt strange. Plus, with the way she felt drawn toward Leo, seeing Prue get on well with him had Danielle feeling a little emotionally twisty inside.
“I’ll do it,” Leo offered. “I can take Gracie’s up too. As for food, it does smell pretty good. Alas, I have yet to try out Danielle’s cooking.”
He looked toward
Danielle before lifting both suitcases as if they didn’t weigh anything. She couldn’t help but watch his muscles bunch under his t-shirt. Knowing how heavy the little girl’s was, Danielle was surprised to see him carry both up the stairs with ease.
Watching Prue’s figure following him, Danielle felt a little dumpy. She’d put some weight on in the last few years since having Ollie, but food seemed to be a constant comfort. Prue’s build was one men would normally drool over. She had a slim waist, a pert butt, and long, blonde hair. And when she smiled she showed off straight, white, gleaming teeth. Danielle ran her tongue over her own slightly crooked ones and grimaced.
“Mummy, I’m hungry.”
Danielle blinked down at her son. She been too busy ogling Prue to notice her son move. Normally she was aware of everything in the house. Lost in your thoughts again. You really have spent too much time on your own.
“Come on then. Bring Gracie and you both can set the table.” Ruffling her son’s hair, she walked toward the kitchen and started grabbing plates and cutlery.
“Ollie’s mum,” a smiling Gracie said, appearing beside Danielle. “Whatever you’re cooking smells great. What is it?”
“Well, since I knew you were coming, I asked Leo what your favorite was and he told me something that you share with Ollie.”
“’Getti and meatballs.” Ollie jumped up and down beside them.
Danielle chuckled. “Yep. Now, how about you guys set the table and I’ll dish dinner up.”
With two nodding heads as her reply, Danielle gave the children the cutlery and watched them run to the table, chatting away as if they’d been friends forever.
A little while later three adults and two children sat around the dining room table eating their meal. Danielle was glad for the children, because it was them who kept the conversation going with all their questions.
* * * *
Watching Danielle relax a little during tea made Leo want to see her more comfortable having him, Gracie, and Prue around. When he’d inadvertently scared her earlier, the scent of her fear had made his eyes water and his nose sting. His immediate thought was her distress was much more excessive than normal. Her reaction was one of intense terror, and he didn’t like it one bit. When he’d seen her CV his initial feeling was that she was running from something or someone. It would seem he might have been right.