He gave a rusty laugh, then turned away to clean his face. “I’ll wash it somehow. I promise.”
“Oh, let’s not even get started on the soap issue.” She grinned, then sobered and shook her head. “I’m so sorry y’all had to go through all of that, Ian. How long ago did this happen?”
“The accident was four months ago. The blow up about it happened about ten minutes before I got the call about this show.”
She blinked. “Wow. That is recent.”
“I think I was kind of in shock for a while. Once it wore off, I didn’t want to be around anyone or form any new connections.”
“I think it’s a little late for that, Ian.”
“Yeah, I guess it is.” He took a chance and held out his free hand. She stared down at it for a moment before sliding her fingers into his grasp. Her gaze returned to his. This was not the time to bring up the attraction he’d been trying to ignore. Yet, he couldn’t deny himself the comfort of her touch. He needed the connection, especially when he might have severed the ones back home.
Her words echoed his thoughts. “Do you think they’ll stop treating you like a part of their family because of this?”
“I don’t know. Things were already strained because of the accident. The idea of not having them in my life made me realize how much of it revolves around them. Without them, I don’t know who I am.”
A troubled look crossed her features. He watched her brow furrow and her lips press together in hesitation. He gave her a prodding nod. She offered a soft, brief smile. “Fine. You asked for it.”
“Now I’m scared.”
She laughed. “Don’t be. Ok. Here goes.”
She pulled in a deep breath. Peering thoughtfully into his eyes, she set her chin in her free hand and propped her elbow on her knee. “Something you said earlier struck me as odd. You said Emily was your salvation. You know that isn’t true.” She tapped his chest. “Deep in here. You know it was God.”
“Well, yeah, but she had a lot to do with it.”
Ava nodded. “She was an instrument God used to provide a way of escape out of a bad circumstance. I think it’s important to make the distinction. Her family may have helped shape you, but they didn’t create you. God did. That is where your true identity lies. Not in their approval, but in God’s. And, wow. I am totally preaching to myself right now.”
He grinned. “You mean with your parents?”
“Yes, I’m guilty of placing too much significance on other people’s approval, too. It’s so easy to do, isn’t it?” She shook her head in frustration. “You know, I was reading Isaiah today. I didn’t get the significance of it at the time, but God was asking, ‘To whom will you compare me or count me equal to?’ He went on to talk about fashioning an idol from gold. I think we can do the same thing with people when we let their words or opinions supersede God’s. We live to please them rather than Him.”
“I was definitely living to please Emily,” he muttered with a grimace.
“Because you felt like you owed her something?”
“Maybe.”
“And because you wanted to earn her forgiveness for the part you feel you played in the wreck?”
He gave a shallow nod. “Penance. That’s the word she used. I didn’t want to admit it, but she was right.”
“For the record…” Ava tilted her head, then sent a pointed glance upward. “Who’s the Person in charge of the whole absolution of sin and guilt thing?”
“God.”
“Good answer. Of course, the challenge is living like we believe it. As for not knowing who you are without Emily’s family—that’s the exciting part about all of this. You finally have a chance to find out. It could be a good thing, Ian, an adventure.”
“For you, too.”
“Yeah, for me, too.” She glanced at the door. “We’ve been talking for a while now. I should probably open the door again.”
“I’ll do it.” He opened the door, then turned to find her pulling something out of the trunk. It was a Bible.
Ava didn’t bother to speak in low tones as she handed it to him. “I want to share it with you.”
He looked up in surprise. “Share it?”
“Brian told me you didn’t have one with you.”
He rolled his eyes. “Brian talks too much. He offered to share his, but he reads it almost constantly. I’ve never felt comfortable asking for it.”
“Well, now you don’t have to. How about we pass it back and forth at breakfast and dinner? We’ll each have it for half a day. I read it earlier today so you can take it now.”
He needed it too much to turn it down. “Thank you. I know this will help a lot.”
She spoke in a whisper. “I’ll be praying for you, Ian, along with Emily and her family—your family. I believe God can bring healing and understanding to this situation. Rest in Him. Don’t be afraid to connect with the folks around you. You need the support more than ever right now.”
“I’ll try.”
She surprised him by going up on her tiptoes and wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. He couldn’t stop his gaze from shooting to the camera outside the door. His arms stole around her waist in return. An instant later, they stepped apart. “Goodnight, Ian.”
“See you in the morning.” He gave her a grateful nod and headed for the deck where a cameraman caught up with him. There were a few minutes of waning sunlight left. He intended to make the most of them.
Tuning out the sound of Noah practicing his scales was easy. It was harder to ignore the sight of weatherman Scott Haines struggling to hold various yoga positions on the swaying forecastle. Ian turned away from both of them and leaned back against the foremast.
He opened the Bible to the page Ava had bookmarked. It was the passage in Isaiah she’d mentioned to him. He greedily read the chapter and a couple of the ones surrounding it. She was right. God wasn’t keen on sharing His sovereignty in the lives of His people.
“Hey, man.”
Ian glanced up as Brian leaned back against the railing. “Hey.”
“Are you angry at me for asking Ava to talk with you?”
“No.” He closed the Bible, since it was getting too dark to read, anyway. He’d have to find a light below deck. “I’m not angry. Ava said you were concerned. You were right to be, but I’m ok now.”
Brian’s shoulder relaxed in relief. “Good. I didn’t want to overstep, but we’ve got to look out for each other. So, I take it Ava was helpful?”
Ian nodded. “Yeah, she was.”
“She’s something special. You have a girl waiting for you back home?”
The last thing he wanted to do was talk about his love life on camera. “I don’t. Why do you ask?”
Brian shrugged. “You could do a lot worse than Ava. She’s good for you.”
Ian sent him a disbelieving look. “Dude, it’s been three days since I met her and four since I met you. How could you possibly know that?”
“Because it’s obvious. Don’t be an idiot. If you’re interested, you’d better make a move before someone else does.”
He frowned. “You know of someone else planning on it?”
“Open your eyes, man. They’ve all been giving her second looks. She’s the only woman on board, and it’s going to be a long voyage. She says she isn’t looking for romance, but that doesn’t mean these other guys aren’t. Not all of them are going to be looking for a serious relationship either if you know what I mean.” Brian slapped him on the shoulder. “Think about it. I’m going to bed. Morning comes early for a pirate.”
“Especially when he’s playing cupid.”
“Calling it like I see it.”
“Or seeing things,” Ian mumbled. He knew better than to take Brian’s matchmaking seriously. Still, he couldn’t get the other part of Brian’s warning out of his head. Ava was a beautiful woman—the only woman on board. Ian wouldn’t be the only guy to notice. He knew how easy it c
ould be for a guy to get caught up in the pursuit of physical desire. He didn’t want to see Ava hurt because of it. Yet, there wasn’t much he could do to prevent it, was there?
He had to trust she’d be able to handle it herself. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be much different from her parents, telling her how to behave and what was or wasn’t suitable. Staying friends and only friends was the still the best route to take. Not that he had another option—even if he might have been tempted to at least consider it.
R
Ava sloshed through the last few yards of the foamy green surf, then sank to her knees as soon as she made it to the beach. She slid her finger beneath the soft white sand and grabbed two handfuls of it. It was hot against her skin, but she didn’t care. It was a part of what made up this island. Island as in a solid land mass in the middle of the ocean.
Amusement filled Logan Kittredge’s voice. “How good is it to be back on land, Ava?”
“So good.” She glanced up to grin at him and was a little awed by how amazing he looked in his captain’s uniform. A breeze ruffled his rich brown hair. He shot her his A-list Hollywood-heartthrob grin. She lowered her gaze to the sand in her hands and let it slip through her fingers.
What did it matter if he’d been her celebrity crush for a few years now? She wasn’t silly enough to let it become anything more substantial. If she ever did finally manage to have a real relationship that went beyond state dinners, she wanted it to be exactly that… real. Celebrities were all about image. She should know. After all, some might call her a celebrity.
She bit her lip, tasting the cherry flavor of the rudimentarily concocted lip gloss she’d applied to give her pale lips a bit of color. Truth be told, she was as much about image as all of them. She was trying to be different though. She was trying to be real.
Logan offered the pirates a friendly greeting as they staggered through the breaking waves to stand beside her. She tried to rise, but her legs felt like they were made of jelly. Two hands reached down to help her. One was deeply tanned and the other still pale, but sunburned. She grabbed Philip’s hand first, then Finn’s. “Thanks, guys.”
“It may take a few minutes to get your land legs back,” Logan announced while he watched Ian, Noah, Brian and Dash secure the boat on the beach.
Scott transferred his weight from one foot to the other. “I guess that’s why the ground feels like it’s moving.”
“Sure is.” Once Logan was certain he had everyone’s attention, he indicated the island behind him with a surprisingly graceful wave. “Welcome to St. Augustine. The first port city on our way to the Caribbean.”
Ava eyed the long, empty stretch of beach and the vibrant green forest rising behind him. Obviously, this wasn’t the real St. Augustine. Disappointment filled her, but she should have expected this. As meticulous as the production team had been thus far, she doubted they’d let anything as unpredictable as the modern world infringe on the fantasy they’d created. They probably wouldn’t let the pirate crew anywhere near civilization until this experience was over.
“Down this path, you will find an inn where you can spend the night in a real bed.”
A murmur of pleasure swept down the line of pirates, reminding her that they slept in hammocks. As fortunate as she was to have a private cabin with a bunk, she wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to sleep in a room that didn’t sway with every wave.
“The island also has a bathhouse.”
Ava let out a breath of relief.
“The tavern and governor’s mansion should be of particular interest to you all. This town runs on money so, men, I suggest you head to the market to trade in the goods you stole off the merchant ship. Ava, here’s an advance to get you started.”
She stepped forward to receive the three gold coins he offered her. “Thank you.”
He nodded, then waited for her to rejoin the pirates before continuing. “There will be several opportunities for you to increase your fame and fortune while we’re in port, so make the most of your time. Meet me here at sunup. Crew dismissed.”
Ava followed the pirates as they took off down a path leading into the woods. It brought them to a meadow large enough to contain a small village. Small not only described the number of buildings, which topped out at four, but the size of them as well. She couldn’t help remarking, “How cute is this? They’re tiny houses.”
She turned to find that Ian was the only pirate who lingered. The rest had rushed off to the marketplace to exchange their goods. His chin dipped toward his chest as he surveyed the meadow. “It’s a glorified trailer park.”
Her mouth fell open. “It is not. The buildings look like a real tavern and a real governor’s mansion. Only smaller.”
Something indiscernible flickered in his gaze before he smiled and gave a small shrug. “I’ll take your word on it. See you around, Ava.”
Her fingers rubbed the back of her neck as she watched him walk away. She was pretty sure Brian was wrong about Ian’s interest in her. Despite their closeness when he’d confided in her yesterday, he hadn’t given her the impression that he saw her as a potential love interest. That was probably for the best.
He was still fresh off a hard breakup. Brotherly or not, the connection he’d had with Emily was pretty intimidating. Ava wasn’t sure she could compete with that if she wanted to and she shouldn’t want to. Not with the never-ending supply of cameras around to film her every move.
Conscious of the lens trained on her now, she dragged her gaze from Ian’s retreating form to the governor’s mansion on the left side of the village. Pink sandstone and beige plaster portrayed the unadorned lines of pre-colonial architecture. It looked nothing like Texas’s Greek Revival governor’s mansion. Yet, something about it called to her.
What if the Pirate’s Plunder folks had gotten Florida’s real governor to play the part? He was good friends with her father. She might be able to get some news from home. It wasn’t likely, but it was worth a try.
She walked up the stone steps to knock on the door. A man bid enter, so she stepped inside onto the gleaming parquet floor. The walls were painted a stately blue-gray and covered with several gilt-framed paintings. Crown molding framed the ceiling and windows. A gleaming chandelier hung over a rich mahogany desk where a man sat, bent over some papers.
He glanced up from beneath a large black hat. Not the real governor of Florida, but an actor who met her gaze in what seemed to be relief. He stood, which gave her a better view of the white powdered wig that sent thick curls spiraling over his dove gray lapels. His suit coat stretched past his thighs and stood open to reveal a vest with gold embellishments that matched those on his jacket. A frilly white cravat completed the gentlemanly picture.
He spoke with a cultured Spanish accent. “My son has gone missing. I fear he may have been kidnapped. I must find him before the villains demand a ransom. Will you help me? I promise I will pay you for your trouble.”
“Oh. Um. Sure. What does he look like?”
“He’s nine years old with brown hair and brown eyes. He answers to Miguel.” A worry line carved its way between the man’s gray eyebrows. “You must be quick about this, and you must not tell any of your pirate friends.”
She nodded. “Mum’s the word. Thank you, sir. I won’t let you down.”
“See that you don’t.” He sat down and waved a dismissive hand.
She started her search for the governor’s son by asking a pair of children playing in the square if they’d seen Miguel. They were no help. She was heading for the marketplace when an older lady with a raggedy black mantilla sidled up beside her. “Let Senora Esperanza read your fortune. She sees all and knows all. Only one doubloon.”
Ava looked at the heavily made-up lady more closely. “She knows all, does she?”
“Yes.” She rubbed her hands together rather creepily. “The coin?”
Ava pulled one from her pocket. “I’m looking for the governor’s son. Do you kn
ow where I can find him?”
“Yes.” Senora Esperanza wiggled the fingers of her open palm and waited for Ava to deposit the gold before continuing. “Miguel can be found in the last place a child should be.”
Ava glanced around the village. “The tavern?”
“Another question. Another coin.”
“Thanks, but I’ll take my chances at the tavern.”
The fortune teller shrugged, then rushed off to intercept Caleb at the edge of the marketplace. The sight of another contestant likely flush with cash was a pointed reminder that Ava had just spent borrowed money. If she wanted to stay out of the bottom two, she needed to make the rest of her time on this island a profitable one.
She hurried into the tavern, ignoring the intense rumble of hunger she felt at the smell of frying fish. She found Miguel hiding behind a barrel labeled “rum” and playing with a modern handheld device that was definitely not from the 1680s. He stuffed it into his pocket while shooting a guilty look at the camera. Ducking his head, he dutifully followed her back to the governor’s mansion where he hopped into a comfortable looking chair near the back of the room, thwarting his “father’s” attempt at an emotional reunion.
Only a twitch of his jaw betrayed the governor’s annoyance. That would have been enough to make Ava seriously reconsider her behavior when she was a kid. Miguel didn’t even notice. Ava’s reward for finding him turned out to be a fat purse of coins.
Finally! She had done something to improve her ranking. She’d be able to pay back “Captain Kitt” as some of the guys had taken to calling him. Even better, she could afford a meal of something other than mystery stew made of whatever meats and vegetables the Intrepid’s cook felt like throwing into the pot that day. She sidled onto a stool at the tavern’s bar. “Fish and chips, please, with a side of hush puppies.”
She could focus on nothing else as she waited for the bartender to place the plate in front of her. The food was delicious—golden, crispy, flaky, and definitely fish. There was enough grease on it to coat her lips, but she didn’t care. The bartender set a foamy glass of beer beside her. She shook her head. “I don’t drink.”
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