Stranded with the Quarterback

by Elana Johnson

  He answered questions, and eventually Shane came and got him, saying, “Dude, I need you for a minute. I need him, guys.”

  Maine walked away with his best friend amidst murmurs of, “That’s Shane Sanders,” and “How many of them are on this cruise?”

  “What’s going on?” Maine asked.

  “Nothing,” Shane said. “You looked like you could use some help.”

  “Thanks.” Maine glanced over his shoulder to the crowd. Only a couple of people were still watching him and Shane, and Maine figured the hype about their presence would die down soon enough. He hoped so. He didn’t want to be famous for the next two weeks.

  “Drink up,” Shane said when they reached the smoothie station. “Training starts in two weeks, and then we’ll be off sugar.”

  Maine groaned just thinking about it. He sure had enjoyed the absence of his physical trainer the past couple of months. He worked out on his own, but he relaxed a bit with his diet. Not so during the training season, preseason, and then regular season, when he had to be in top mental and physical condition.

  “Mango pineapple strawberry,” he said to the bartender. “Virgin, please.” He didn’t drink, even during off-season, and Shane didn’t either. Maine needed all of his brain cells, and he’d seen some guys do really stupid things while intoxicated. He didn’t want to jeopardize his career in that way, and he’d found he could enjoy the cocktails without alcohol as well as with.

  A minute later, he stepped away from the bar with his tall glass rimmed with sugar, scanning for a group to belong to. He couldn’t identify one immediately, so he detoured over to a lounger and sat down. He didn’t need to talk or be part of a group all the time.

  He enjoyed the breeze, the scent of suntan lotion and fruit hanging in the air, the laughter and vibrancy surrounding him. A while later, just as he finished his drink, an announcement blared through the speakers on the ship.

  “Make your way to the game room, where a rousing game of Battle of the Sexes Trivia will begin in five minutes.”

  Maine stood up, ready to have some fun on this cruise. He and Shane followed the signs to the game room, which was down one level and on the back of the ship, with another pool on the other side of the wall of windows.

  Only about a dozen people had shown up for Battle of the Sexes Trivia, and Maine noticed the blonde that had walked away from him earlier. She wore a one-piece swimming suit now, her regular clothes gone. The suit only had one strap, and Maine stared at her bare shoulder for a moment too long.

  Realizing what he was doing, he cleared his throat and edged away from her and toward the rest of the men in the room.

  “Seven men, five women,” the coordinator said as if the rest of the adults in the room couldn’t count. “Two women will have to go twice. Okay? Here we go!” She smiled as if they’d win money in this trivia game, and Maine decided now was the time to have some fun.

  He stepped up to the table first amidst cheers from the other men there. To his great astonishment, the blonde he’d ogled joined him, a fierce look of determination on her face.

  “In golf,” the coordinator read in a very game-show host type of voice. “A bogey means… one: one under par. Two: par. Three: one over par. Four: two over par.”

  Lightning fast, the woman’s hand smacked the buzzer in front of her. “Three: one over par.”

  “Correct!” the coordinator bellowed, and all the women cheered. Maine cocked his eyebrows at her, because she did not look like the type to be on the golf course on a regular basis.

  He stepped back, bowing his head as a smile crossed her face. “What’s your name?” he asked.

  “I already told you once today,” she said, giving him a so-there look before turning back to her team, who were now all her best friends as they hugged and high-fived. He waited his turn, his eyes never straying far from the woman who said she’d told him her name.

  She hadn’t. Had she? Maybe that was why she’d scowled at him and stomped off. She’d introduced herself and he hadn’t heard her.

  He had to know her name before they left this tournament.

  The score volleyed back and forth, until finally, he faced her again on the final point. The coordinator, a woman who wore a nametag that read Jessie, looked back and forth between them.

  “How many weeks is the typical pregnancy?”

  Orchid grinned wickedly at him, and Maine felt something shift inside him. He had no idea, but it was clear he could’ve at least guessed. He didn’t. Orchid hit the buzzer and said, “Two: forty,” with supreme confidence.

  “And the women win!” Jessie said, throwing her cards up in the air as if the women in the room had just won an all-expenses-paid trip to Paris. Or somewhere women liked to go.

  Most of the other men started shuffling out of the room while the women celebrated, but Maine hung back. He had to know who this woman was, as her soul seemed to be calling to his in a way no one’s had before.

  “Congrats,” he said once she’d finished celebrating. He extended his hand for her to shake. “Would you mind telling me your name again? Things were loud on the boat earlier, and I….” He glanced around and the few women still loitering nearby. “I have some hearing damage, and I refuse to wear hearing aids.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Is that so? Or did you just make that up, because you’re embarrassed I spoke to you and you ignored me?”

  “I didn’t hear you,” he said, feeling a twist of guilt move through him. “Honestly, I didn’t.”

  She cocked one delicious hip, and if she didn’t tell him her name, Maine would do whatever it took to learn it for himself. “I’m Maine Fitzgerald,” he said, waiting for the light of recognition to flood her eyes.

  It didn’t.

  And dang if that didn’t make her more attractive to him.

  “Fine,” she said, a flirty smile finally touching her mouth. “I’m Orchid Stone.” She shook his hand, and a zing shot all the way up to Maine’s shoulder.

  “Nice to meet you,” he said, hoping he could spend a lot of the next two weeks with this woman.

  She started for the exit, and he fell into step beside her. He wasn’t sure what the next activity was, but wherever Orchid went, Maine would just go there too.

  “I’m surprised you didn’t know the golf question,” she said. “What with you being a big sports star and all.”

  He paused, his pulse thundering through him. So she did know who he was—and she just didn’t care.

  She giggled as she flipped that long, blonde hair over her shoulder and walked away. He’d seen her do that once before, and her hips seriously hadn’t had that sway last time.

  “I knew the golf question,” he called after her, but she just lifted her hand in a wave as if it didn’t matter. “I did,” he muttered to himself.

  He didn’t care that she’d walked away from him, or that she’d beaten him at the trivia game. No, all he cared about was finding her again and learning more about her.

  “Orchid Stone,” he said, a smile crossing his face with the name.

  “Are you doing the mile walk?” Jessie asked. “The first ten get a free T-shirt.”

  “Where’s that?” he asked, his eyes still on Orchid’s back.

  “The track,” Jessie said. “The upper deck. There’s a pizza party afterward.”

  “Thanks,” Maine said, noticing that Orchid had started up the steps. He didn’t want to stalk her, but he could definitely use a long walk and a piece of pizza.

  And Orchid Stone in his life.

  Chapter Three

  Orchid didn’t particularly want to participate in the mile walk. But Ivy had told her to “get out there and do everything.” It wouldn’t be a vacation if she did what she always did. Sit around. Wish for something more in her life.

  So Orchid had put on the flirty swimming suit her sister had insisted she take. She’d gone to Battle of the Sexes Trivia, and she wasn’t disappointed to see the tall, tan football player there. Surprised, yes
. But not disappointed.

  And beating him? Even better.

  A smile curved her lips, and she went up another flight of stairs to the top deck. She moved out of the way so those behind her could get to the track too, but she kept a tight hold on the railing there, a sense of vertigo overcoming her.

  “Are you okay?” That delicious voice purred in her ear, and she blinked as she turned her head to see who it was.

  Maine Fitzgerald.

  Her fingers ached, but Orchid didn’t dare let go. “I have a bit of a phobia of heights,” she whispered before she could tell him to get lost.

  “I’m sorry?” he asked, leaning down. Oh, so he was going to perpetuate the utter lie that he couldn’t hear.

  “Dude,” another man said, slapping Maine on the back. “Get hearing aids already. The only person you’re hurting is yourself.” The dark-haired man grinned like a fool, his gaze finally sliding to Orchid. “Oh, hello. Who do we have here?”

  Maine inched toward her, partially blocking her from the wide receiver Shane Sanders. “She’s with me,” Maine said, almost possessively.

  Orchid wasn’t sure if she liked it or not. “I’m Orchid Stone,” she said, very loudly and very clearly.

  Shane blinked at her, that playboy smile hitched in place. “I’m not the deaf one, sweetheart.” He clapped Maine on the shoulder. “Good to meet you. Seems like you and Maine have stuff to talk about.” He walked away, joining another group of singles and starting around the track.

  Orchid watched them go, aware that Maine was looking at her and not his friend. She finally allowed herself to look at him, pure humiliation pulling through her. “So I guess you really are hard of hearing.”

  Flames touched his cheeks, and he looked away. “A little. It’s nothing really.”

  “I’m afraid of heights,” she said, forcing herself not to look down. “That’s what I said a minute ago.” At least things had stopped spinning now. “I think….” She uncurled her fingers from the railing and took a step toward the track. Then another one. A third, and she thought she might actually be able to walk up there while the boat moved below her.

  The thought sent her reeling again, and Maine grabbed onto her hand with his, grounding her.

  A shower of sparks moved through her, and she couldn’t help leaning into that tall, strong body for extra support. Wow, he smelled amazing, like cologne, and male skin, and suntan lotion.

  “Maybe we should just go sit by the pool,” he said.

  “Maybe,” she agreed, and she let him lead her back to the steps and down them to the main deck. Things didn’t seem to move quite so violently here, and she glanced up to the top deck where the track sat. “I guess exercising on this cruise is out.”

  “Hey, it’s vacation,” Maine said. “No exercise needed.”

  “You can go back up,” she said. “I don’t want to keep you from your activities.”

  “I’m fine here,” he said, his fingers tightening along hers for a moment before releasing.

  She stared at her hand, as if just now realizing it was attached to her body and that Maine had been touching it. “I don’t actually exercise at home either,” she said stupidly. She tried to suck the words back in, but they were already out. Ivy would be so disappointed in Orchid.

  Maine just chuckled and pointed toward the end of the pool. “There’s a pizza party later, but maybe you’d like to get a drink and just talk?”

  Orchid would like that, but she couldn’t believe Maine wanted to do anything of the sort, at least with her. But then he had his hand in hers again, and he was moving toward the snack bar. So she went with him. Ordered what she wanted. Followed him to a couple of open loungers beneath an umbrella.

  He sighed as he sat down, and she noticed the way he favored his right leg. “Is that from the injury at the end of last season?” she asked.

  His eyes flew to hers. “I’m fine.”

  “I know,” she said. “I just thought—never mind.” She sipped her drink, cursing herself for asking such a bold question. “How do you like Getaway Bay?”

  “It’s nice,” he said. So much for the talking part. He just sucked on his straw and stared out at the people in the pool.

  “Do you have a boyfriend?” Maine asked, and Orchid slowly moved her eyes back to his.

  “What? It’s a singles cruise. Did you not get that memo?” She grinned at him, glad when he chuckled.

  “So no boyfriend,” he said.

  “No,” she confirmed. “Do you have a girlfriend?” She glanced around. “Maybe someone already here. Are you here with someone, Maine?” She put plenty of theatrics into her voice so he’d know she was teasing him.

  But Orchid couldn’t believe she was teasing him. She didn’t tease, or flirt, or even know how to talk to a man. Not only that, but this was a man among men, being the starting quarterback for the Orcas. He was a legend around town, and everyone loved him. Absolutely everyone.

  If her sister knew who she was talking to…or her father. Orchid smiled to herself, almost desperate to get back to her phone in her room.

  “I’m not here with anyone,” he said with a smile. “Except that guy who tried to steal you away from me. Shane.”

  “Right,” she said. “Wide receiver.”

  “How do you know so much about football?” he asked.

  “I know enough,” Orchid said, not wanting to tell him her husband’s favorite sport was football, and she’d picked up a few things from the dozens and dozens of games they’d watched together. “How long have you played?”

  “My whole life,” he said, the wind picking up and tossing his hair around.

  Behind her, the loudspeaker crackled, and the normally jovial voice that had been announcing the activities said, “Ladies and gentlemen, we need everyone to gather in the Level Two conference room immediately. I repeat, please leave your rooms and activities and go straight to the Level Two conference room. Faculty and staff, this is a code white.”

  “Code white?” Orchid asked, glancing around.

  Maine stood up and extended his hand to her. “Let’s go.”

  “You’re just going to go?”

  A woman went running by them, wearing the official uniform of a StarMatch employee. “Everyone inside now!” she yelled, and Orchid didn’t miss the urgency in her voice.

  “Yep,” Maine said. “We’re going to go.”

  She kept her hand tucked in his as he led her toward the steps and down two levels to a conference room. Everyone wearing a blue polo with the StarMatch logo on it looked like they were about to throw up, and Orchid asked three of them what a code white was before she realized they weren’t going to tell her.

  “We deserve to know,” she said as Maine entered the conference room. They were in the first half of people to arrive, and Orchid folded her arms and watched the muscular men in black polos do the same.

  Something was definitely going down. At first, she’d thought the ship was sinking.

  Don’t be ridiculous, she told herself, wishing she’d run to her room really quick to get her backpack of supplies. Eden had given her so much more than she’d sent with Iris, and it was only because of her sister’s time on a deserted island that Orchid was even thinking abandoning ship was an option.

  Of course, Henry’s boat had sunk too.

  She shivered, and Maine glanced down at her. “You okay?”

  She shook her head, tears springing to her eyes instantly. She hated this weakness inside her, but she hadn’t found a way to root it out and get rid of it yet. She simply lived with the anxiety, the tremors shaking her stomach, her lungs, the back of her tongue.

  “Is everyone here?” someone asked, and several radios chirped and the same message came through all of them.

  “Final sweep,” the man making the announcements said. “We have two minutes. Get to a secure position.”

  One of the black-shirted men climbed on a table and bellowed, “I need everyone to be quiet so I can count.” He sta
rted tapping his finger in mid-air as he moved in a slow circle as he counted. “All twenty-six are here,” he said into the radio on his hip.

  Orchid’s second idea that perhaps someone on the ship had been hurt vanished. If they were all in the room, that obviously wasn’t true. Maybe someone had had something stolen.

  “Copy that. Inform,” came through the radio.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, as the other man dressed like him moved to the door and latched it. “We need to stay calm. You are in the safest room on the ship.”

  “Why do we need to be in here?” a man called out.

  A very good question, in Orchid’s opinion.

  “There was an earthquake out in the ocean,” the man said, his delivery smooth and flawless. “There’s a tsunami headed for our ship.”

  Chapter Four

  Like the dozens of people around Maine, his first thought was to pull out his phone and call for help. He did, his phone always just a reach away in his back pocket, except when he was out on the field.

  “No service,” he said at the same time Orchid sucked in a tight breath and held it.

  “I need my backpack,” she said, every syllable full of panic.

  Maine looked at her, actually watching the color drain from her face. “Is there medicine in there you need?” he asked, looking at the beefy guy on the table. He could probably take him in an open area, but not in here. Not when he was up there.

  “Calm down,” he shouted. “The ship won’t capsize.”

  “He doesn’t know that,” Orchid said, bracing her hands on her knees and sucking at the air. “My husband’s yacht wasn’t supposed to be able to capsize either. Had the…technology…still…went…under….”

  By the end of her sentence, Maine couldn’t really make out the words. Her voice went in and out like she was losing reception.

  He put his hand on her back and said, “It’s okay, Orchid. Just breathe.”

  She did, the swell of her back against his palm comforting.