“Isn’t my taking the time off today what we were just discussing?” Luke asked, a cutting edge to his voice.
“Yes, but people don’t always shoot straight from the hip when they’re upset. Her pride could be involved.”
“Her pride? Hell there isn’t anything the girl could tell me that would make me think less of her. She’s had a tough start in life and come out of it an awfully sweet kid.
“If you haven’t noticed, she isn’t a child, Luke.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, his tone of voice nearly a growl.
“It means, she may see you as more than her employer,” Sandra countered, leaning back against the small gray table pushed up against the wall.
“Let me get this straight. You’re telling me that Elizabeth has a crush on me?”
“I’m not telling you anything. I’m simply suggesting it might be a possibility.” Sometimes men could truly be obtuse, she thought with a sigh. Sandra could still remember her first crush. During her entire junior year of high school, she had been infatuated with her earth science teacher. Looking back, he wasn’t all that great looking and she doubted he had ever even suspected her romantic thoughts. Once during class, she had written Mr. Coleman a love letter. She knew she would never give it to him, but it had been fun pretending. Lucy Scroggins, a freckled faced bookworm of a girl, had stolen the note from her. In exchange for the one page sonnet, her classmate extracted a week’s worth of milk money.
It had all been so innocent, one of the many rites of youth. Sandra smiled to herself as she remembered the pungent odors of must, dust and mildew which pervaded the rundown red brick schoolhouse. The institution had been long in tradition and short on repairs.
During the last week of classes her senior year, she’d gone back to see Mr. Coleman. With her heart swallowed into her throat, she had told him she was leaving Tulsa to pursue a degree in Business Management at Oklahoma University. She supposed even then she’d wanted him to tell her, she couldn’t leave him. Instead, he patted her on the back, smiled under his thick mustache and sent her on her way with his reassurances. He knew she would be a success at anything she pursued.
Many of her friends had returned to Reagan High to visit with their favorite instructors, letting them know they were graduating from college or that they had landed their perfect job. Sandra could never bring herself to go back.
It had taken her four months after her college graduation to find her job at Clareyman’s and it wasn’t the type of employment one bragged about. She had started as a sales clerk, the only clerk in the entire store with a degree. She had been utterly humiliated.
“What are you thinking about?” Luke asked, having watched a thoughtful expression steal over her. Through the subtle shadows, her cheeks blushed at his question. She laughed, emerald sparks danced from her eyes.
“I was thinking about my first childhood crush on an older man.” She accented the end of her sentence. He suspected she was trying to tell him she had once been in Elizabeth’s shoes as a young woman.
“Sandra, I’m not that much older than you,” he teased, pretending not to know what she was alluding to.
An impish smile formed a dimple in her chin. “Let me think about this. You were my father’s best friend and best friends are usually the same age. My father died when he was 59.” She furrowed her brow as though in strict concentration and then smiled at him. “You do look a bit younger than fifty, I’d say.”
She wanted to know how old he was, did she. Perhaps he hadn’t completely blown all his chances with her on the boat after all. He knew he’d hurt her feelings by focusing on get them back to land. He hadn’t meant to, but when he thought of her being hurt, knowing he would be responsible, it brought back memories that stung like a thorn under the flesh that never really healed.
“I’m thirty-two years old, if you need to know. Hardly old enough to put me into retirement yet,” he told her and slid onto the corner of his desk to have a seat. Could he take responsibility for another person in his life ever again? Yet, did he dare let her go?
“No, I suppose you shouldn’t retire quiet yet. You don’t strike me as part of the community center set playing dominos.” Luke liked the smile which formed on Sandra’s lips. Normally he hated to be teased, but if it meant watching her smile and her eyes spark, he could pay the price.
“Retirement isn’t something I do a lot of thinking about,” he stated simply.
“According to the financial experts, the sooner you start planning for that day the better off you’ll be.” Luke noticed a change in the tone of her voice. Studying her face for a possible explanation, he noticed her cheeks tinge pin. Was she trying to figure out his financial assets? Was that it? Another gold digger? No, not Sandra. He’d never imagine such a thing from Ben’s daughter. Benjamin Harris had been the most principled man he’d ever met in his life. Of course, children weren’t necessarily like their parents. He was a direct testimony to that. Besides, Ben hadn’t had the opportunity to raise Sandra.
“I’m sorry,” Sandra stammered as she stared at the toes of her sandals. “I didn’t mean to lecture or pry. It’s just finance and marketing were always my favorite areas in school.”
She shrugged her delicate shoulders, leaving Luke to daydream about what they would look like bare. Lean, straight and smooth to the touch, he surmised. His face must have had given away his thoughts because she lifted her gaze and leveled him a questioning stare tempered with a beguiling grin.
“And, what are you thinking about?” she asked, sounding as though she already suspected his thoughts included her.
“Retirement, of course,” he improvised.
“From the look on your face, I may not want to know what your plans are.”
“It’s simple, really. I don’t plan to retire. Why should I? There isn’t anything more I want out of my life than what I have now.” He left out one thing, of course. More and more, he wanted Sandra. He wanted her to share his bed with him, to wake in the morning with the feel of her body next to his, to taste her sweet essence. She was Ben’s daughter. He never wanted to be involved with anyone on a permanent basis, too much responsibility, too many limitations. Luke knew the truth of his heart, though. No amount of reasoning was going to quench the desire Sandra had kindled in him the first time he held her in his arms and carried her into Ben’s home. Half unconscious and as wet as a drowned rat she’d been. If he were honest, however, he’d known even then.
Realizing she was staring at him, waiting for him to speak, he continued. “I’ll keep on sailing and running the shop until I get arthritis gets so bad I can’t get back one day and I’ll die at sea as any sailor would wish.”
“You have arthritis?” she asked in obvious shock.
“Hell no, but I might by the time I’m fifty-nine.”
“A lot of young people have arthritis. It’s nothing to make fun of.” A serious expression stole over her face. What had he said to offend her now? he wondered.
“I wasn’t making fun of anything, Sandra.”
She nodded; what he acknowledged as an apology. “Did my father have arthritis?” she asked, biting down on her lower lip. “Is that why you said, you might have it when you’re fifty-nine?”
“No, Ben got around as good as anyone. If he had arthritis, he certainly never let on,” Luke told her, tearing his attention away from the richness of her mouth. “Your father could’ve run laps around me before he died. In fact, none of us suspected he had any heart problems. Don’t think he did either. We’d just sailed in a regatta the week before he died. We had even made plans to race the Hogsbreath Fest 1000 again this year.”
“Hogsbreath Fest 1000?” Sandra scrunched up her nose and creased her forehead, accenting the dimple in her chin. “Who thinks up the names for these races?
“The Hogsbreath in Fort Walton sponsors it once a year. It is one of the longest, most grueling races held on a catamaran in these parts. You sail from Fort Walton to Mi
ami. To complete the course, takes a minimum of three days out at sea. If the wind comes up, it’s not unusual for the winners to be the only boat left in one piece. Your dad and I finished first last year and second the year before.”
“I’m assuming then that you still had a boat after three days.”
“You know it. There wasn’t a wind that could take your dad and I. Granted, I had several moments of doubt over the years, but we made a fine team.”
“You and my father raced the Hogsbreath 1000?” she mumbled in what seemed to be spoken contemplation rather than a question she expected an answer to. A scowl formed across her mouth and she rolled her lips together enticingly.
“I wish you could have known him, Sandra. I have no idea what kind of father Ben was to you, but he was a great friend.”
“I never saw him after . . . he left my mom.” She seemed to bit back her own words. Try as he might, Luke couldn’t imagine Benjamin Harris as having done anything irresponsible or hurtful to anyone. Of course, he didn’t know the circumstance involved and it had been a long time ago. He supposed everyone had a skeleton or two hung up in his closet.
Easing off his perch on the desk top, Luke moved to lean against the credenza next to Sandra. He could feel her every muscle bristle though she didn’t move an inch. “Do you really think Elizabeth . . . has a crush on me?” he stammered, trying to change the topic of conversation for Sandra’s benefit. He didn’t actually want to talk about his current difficulty with Elizabeth, but for the life of him, he couldn’t think of anything else to say. Under normal circumstances, he never had any trouble managing a conversation which ever direction he wished it to flow. Around Sandra, however, he found himself distracted.
“It could be a plausible explanation,” Sandra replied in a flat tone. It seemed evident to Luke that she’d guessed his ploy and didn’t mind seeing the topic of discussion change in the least. From the confused look on her face, though, he suspected that he’d caught her by surprise.
Luke thought back to earlier in the day and Elizabeth. He realized, he had spent the entire morning looking forward to seeing Sandra again. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt such exuberance over a date. After his misfortune with Alexandra, he’d come to view all women as the same. Some were fatter, some were thinner, some were taller, some were shorter, but the same nevertheless. They hated the sea and his life. It was something to be put up with until they could win their trophy of a wedding ring. Then, they would try to drive him from it.
Sandra was different. Like Ben, Sandra appeared to accept him for who he was. Best yet, she didn’t strike him as being in hot pursuit of the altar. Yes, if Elizabeth were indeed infatuated with him, he would have given her ample reason to be jealous.
Sandra watched as worry clouded Luke’s eyes like a shadow across the moon. On impulse, she reached across and grasped his hand in hers to comfort him. A sensuous smile slid across his lips as he glanced over at her.
“Beth is like a sister to me. I’d never hurt her on purpose. I had no idea.”
Sandra squeezed his hand in reassurance. “She knows that. Growing up isn’t easy. Every young girl falls in love with some unsuspecting older man. You know your dreams will never come true, but you need to dream.” Sandra giggled. “I imagine every young boy has the same fantasies about an older woman, too.”
Luke smirked and shot her a narrow eyed stare that read I don’t want to talk about it. Sandra giggled, again. “There was an older woman. I knew it.”
Luke’s gaze caught Sandra’s and held it captive. She felt as though he were looking through her, searching for some hidden truth buried deep in her soul. Her stomach tightened in anticipation. Did he mind her teasing? she wondered. Surely, he recognized that she was simply trying to coax him out of his bad mood.
“Hey, what about dinner?” she asked, trying another stab at levity as a clap of thunder rang overhead. “Does a lady have to fade away to mere bones before being fed, Mr. Boat Owner?” She regretted her choice of words as they flew from her lips. They brought back the harsh reality that Luke Caldwell was not a casual date, but her competition. The ordeal with Elizabeth had distracted her. Now, looking around the room at the stacks of order catalogues and invoices, the situation stared her bluntly in the face.
Giving Luke her back, Sandra couldn’t help wondering if he asked her to dinner simply to gain information about the Sea Breeze. How could she be so gullible? She had actually believed that Luke had been attracted to her and all along it must have been her business. He had probably been spying on her the day he rescued her. Why else would someone be spending their Sunday afternoon watching the bay like a hungry sea gull?
A hand grazed her shoulder. Sandra turned to stare into Luke’s well defined face. A roguish grin graced his wide generous mouth. Through the deep coal blue depths of his eyes, Sandra saw concern. He probably realizes that he’s been caught, she though as she heard the boat creak from the wind’s wrath.
“I have some shrimp shish-kebabs ready to cook in the refrigerator. Let’s go on up to the top deck and put them on to cook.” He glanced over his shoulder out into the dark sky. “If we don’t hurry, we’ll get wet. That storm is approaching fast.”
Not waiting for her reply, Luke turned on the cabin lights. Taking her hand, he led her through the aisles of The Emerald Boat past a huge display area where an entire catamaran was set up, sail and all. The brightly colored boat skimmed through imaginary water at a ninety degree angle showing off its heeling ability, as well as allowing its tall mast to clear the ceiling. Sandra’s stomach instantly felt wretched. Hunger was the last thing on her mind. How had her father ever competed with the lavish showroom and the extremely well stocked parts department?
Absently, she let Luke lead her to a staircase on the far side of the room. An electric lantern hung above the stairwell, emitting just enough light to allow a safe foothold on the shiny lacquered planks.
“Watch your step. The stairs are steep,” he told her, moving to the side for Sandra to go ahead of him. As she moved past him, she could feel the warmth of his body, smell the masculine scent of him. She tried to fuel her anger, remind herself how he’d deceived her by not telling her that he owned The Emerald Boat, but she still couldn’t douse the ember of desire she felt building inside her.
Sandra placed one hand on the rail and waited for her sight to adjust to the dim light. She felt Luke close the distance between them. His hand stroked the side of her hair. Electric charges of warmth ran straight through her, radiating down to her toes. She had to put some distance between them, she thought frantically. If she didn’t her resolve would vanish soon.
Desperate to escape and unable to move, Sandra looked up at him over her shoulder. He held her gaze for several long seconds then released her. She couldn’t tell what she’d seen in his eyes, but it chilled her to the bone. Was it anger, hurt, even sadness or all three? A stab of guilt hit her. On the Show Time, she’d responded to him willingly. That had been before she knew the truth. Now, all she wanted to do was run, as fast as possible, from the all too sensuous man.
“Ladies first,” he said, breaking the silence and backing away from her. Glancing up the stairs and cocking his head to the side, he motioned for her to go on up the steps ahead of him.
Sandra ascended the stairs and walked out onto an open deck. Looking back, she watched Luke march up the small stairwell. He looked like a giant in a doll house. His broad shoulders barely cleared the narrow confines of the passageway and he had to duck his head to miss the overhead beams. There was definitely a lot to Luke Caldwell to catch a girl’s eye, she thought as he reached the top. Sandra quickly turned away, afraid of what her expression might give away.
How had she gotten herself into such a situation? It wouldn’t be nearly so bad if he hadn’t kissed her on the way over or if she hadn’t responded to his kiss. Now she would have to somehow convince Luke, as well as herself that she didn’t find him attractive.
Taking in a
deep breath of rain moistened air, Sandra moved towards the railing. The cedar deck was huge. It appeared to be an expansion of the boat’s natural walkway. He probably held parties here on a regular basis, she speculated, taking in the assortment of tables, chairs and a large outdoor cooking grill. Feeling Luke’s warm presence behind her, she didn’t dare turn around.
“Why didn’t you tell me you owned The Emerald Boat?” she finally asked, trying to make her question sound nonchalant as she continued to stare down the length of the deck.
Sandra heard the boat’s planks creak rhythmically as Luke shifted his weight back and forth in obvious indecision. The creaking stopped and she felt his hand grasp her arm. He turned her towards him.
“You didn’t know that I owned The Emerald Boat?” The tone of his voice sounded incredulous.
“No, I didn’t know. If you’ll recall, we weren’t exactly formally introduced,” she bit out.
“I’m sorry, Sandra. I didn’t know it made any difference. Besides, everyone in Fort Walton knows that I own the shop. I assumed you did, too. Is there a problem?” His voice sounded cold and aloof. Sandra’s mind went back to the angry sailor who had rescued her several nights earlier. He’d frightened her then and his voice unsettled her now. Pulling herself up to her full height, Sandra clenched her teeth.
From the smug look plastered across his face, you’d thought she’d just insulted everyone in the boating industry, she thought to herself, feeling a twinge of guilt. Didn’t he understand that business wasn’t a game to be taken lightly; it was war and war never left room for lovers caught between enemy lines.
“Just because your father left you to start a business on the coast,” he began, “it doesn’t mean people in the boating business are bad. Do you resent his leaving you so much that you hate everyone else involved?” Luke stuffed his hands in his pockets and scowled. “Ben Harris was the most decent man I’ve ever known.” Sandra could hear the emotion crackle in his voice as he spoke her father’s name.
Sea Star Legacy Page 8