by Traci Hall
Heavy, dark brown brows over compassionate eyes. Clean shaven hours ago when she’d first noticed him coming aboard with the other wedding guests, now there was stubble along his jaw. Her fingers ached to touch the rough skin. To know the texture of the dip of his throat.
She looked away, caught in her own fantasy. “You must have been reading my mind.” Jolie curled her toes against the damp deck, anchoring her emotions. Something about Heath reminded her of how far she’d come. “I was just thinking about how much he’d hate what I’ve done to her.” Jolie shook her head and stared at the melting ice in her glass. But she had to make a living, too—and she wasn’t in to sports fishing.
“Want me to get you another drink?” he asked, sliding his legs over to the side of the lounge chair.
“No! Stay there, Heath, you’re a guest.” And injured. “It’s just ginger ale. Doesn’t normally make me sad.” She lifted the glass.
“I’m fine,” he said, his brow raised in disbelief. “You run a party boat and you don’t party?”
“I like to party,” Jolie said, remembering huge fish bakes with all the trimmings. The sense of togetherness that came from laughing and having a good time with family and friends. “Love it. It’s what made me switch the Masquerade from fish to fun. I just like to save the drinking for when I’m not Captain.”
“That’s smart.” Heath tilted his head, his eyes turning a lighter shade of amber as the moon came out from behind a cloud. Dry skies, thank God. Heath asked, his lips curved upward, “Did you have to go to Captain school?”
“There are tests, yes.” She touched the patch above the brim of her white hat, returning his smile. “The Coast Guard has regulations to become a commercial licensed yacht operator.” Shrugging one shoulder she added, “But I’ve been running this boat since I was five. Gramps would stand me up on the old wooden captain seat and put my hands on the wheel. Told me I could go wherever I wanted, and don’t let anybody tell me different.”
“He seems like a great guy.”
“I’ve been blessed with a wonderful family.” They’d given her space when she needed it, and loved her as she found her way to the other side. “What about you?”
“Just me and Cody left. And now he’s moving here.”
A wave lifted the prow and Jolie braced herself, leaning back with her elbows. She hated the idea of Heath returning to an empty place with nothing to fill the time but sad memories. “Please tell me you aren’t going to sit in a ski lodge somewhere and re-live your glory days,” she said, mostly joking.
He scowled. “That’s not the plan.”
“Good.”
“I bartended through college. Made a promise to myself that I’d never be that sad old dude with his own bar stool lost in a whiskey.”
Jolie gripped her empty ginger ale glass, setting it at her bare feet. He’d bartended? She held onto her captain’s hat and tipped back to stare up at the stars. Are you kidding me? She believed in things happening for a reason. Universal signs.
But how could he handle being at the bar for hours at a time? A stool might help. And the longest shift would be about four hours, tops. She had to replace the mat behind the bar anyway—she’d get a thicker one for better support.
No. Heath would be a liability. But...
“I hated it,” he said. She slumped, then he added, “Loved it too.” Heath rolled the bottle between his hands as if starting a fire. “I like finding out what makes people tick. There’s a lot going on inside the inebriated mind that only comes out when the inhibitions are down. When the mask comes off.”
She laughed softly, understanding what he meant. “Just mellow enough for true colors to show.”
“Exactly.” Heath sat back, crossing his legs at the ankles. He’d kept his shiny black shoes on. “I doubt we’d ever have had this conversation if I’d been completely sober.”
“You don’t look drunk,” Jolie said. No slurred speech or drowsy eyes.
“I’m not. Can’t afford to break my other leg.” He winked and lifted his beer bottle.
Another joke? He intrigued her, plain and simple. She took a deep breath and pushed away from the railing, the soles of her feet absorbing the coolness of the polymer deck. “I can’t believe I’m going to suggest this,” she said. It was crazy, crazy, but it might suit each of them.
He cocked his head. “What?”
“It sounds like you need a job.”
His warm amber eyes hardened. “You heard wrong. I’ve got money.”
She held up her hand, retreating to start again. “Not a job, then, but something new to shake you out of your winter-time mountain rut.”
“I don’t understand.” Heath sat forward, his gaze curious and cautious.
“I need a bartender. Just until September. You’d have plenty of time to get back to Utah for your other job.” Jolie nodded even as he looked at her like she was nuts. Maybe I am. “Benedict leaves tonight, after this cruise. Just for a couple months and he’ll be back. You’d be doing me a huge favor.” She gave him her most imploring smile.
“Forget it.” He sat back, his expression closed.
“You don’t even want to talk about it?” She patted his right shoe and walked toward the door leading down to the party. The music. The fun. She’d prefer to stay up here and talk with him. “The pay isn’t great, but it’s free room and board.” Jolie sent him a conspiratorial look. “All the cake you can eat after the parties we book.”
“No, thanks.” He didn’t budge. “People don’t up and move without any notice.”
Jolie had an ever-expanding list of things to fix, but this just might solve a few. She needed a bartender, Heath had some free time. If he could cook, it’d be perfect. “Think about it, Heath. What do you have to lose?”
Chapter Two
Heath watched the most gorgeous woman he’d ever met in real life walk away after casually offering him a job. He must look desperate, he thought, yanking off his tie. There was no way he’d even think about bartending again. He hadn’t mixed a drink since college, and he wasn’t crazy about the ocean. Too damn big and blue. And with his leg? It’d be like trying to walk across a waterbed.
But he couldn’t stop the process of thinking it through. He’d had just enough beer that the idea of spending the next few months with Captain Jolie sounded tempting.
He didn’t know jack about yachting, having preferred the mountains he’d grown up in around Salt Lake City his whole life. He’d worked at Brighton Resort since high school, with over 1000 acres of snow on two Alpine mountains and state of the art high-speed lifts.
That he couldn’t ride anymore. The dismount would be a bitch.
Damn it. Was he just supposed to forget about his amazing career on the slopes and be content to run the ski lodge?
Hell, no. Heath closed his eyes, lulled by the slight rocking of the boat. It was soothing, now that it had slowed down. Maybe he was just getting used to it.
What would it be like working on the Masquerade? He hadn’t lied. He’d both hated and loved bartending. Lots of hot women flirting and wanting a man for the night, no strings attached.
By the end of college, he’d had his fill and was looking for something more. Thought he’d found it in Mona Duvet, but she wasn’t interested in giving up her modeling for mothering. Ever. And while he wasn’t in any hurry for kids, he’d always imagined them in his life.
After two years, she’d gone to New York for a show, and hadn’t come back. He wished her well, but they didn’t exchange birthday cards.
The sound of his brother’s drunken laughter preceded him up the stairs and out on the ship’s upper deck.
“Heath!”
Cody stumbled over one of the loungers, collapsing onto the same one that Jolie had sat on, showing off her kick-ass legs. “You okay, Cody?” Heath knew his brother was better than okay. Over-the-top happy to have found a woman that loved him as much as he loved her.
Which made Heath happy, because it was now offici
ally Kendra’s job to deal with Cody and his hangover.
“Capt’n Jolie said I should come and check on you.”
“Did she?” Heath wished he was in a different place inside his head. Where a one-night stand made sense. Hell, it wouldn’t take much for her to change his mind. She was just the kind of woman he liked best. Tall, trim and brunette.
“Yup.” Cody sat up and stared at his brother. “Got any more beer?”
Heath grinned and reached down for the last bottle, twisted off the cap and handed it to him. “Are you sure? This could be the one that tips you over the edge. You have a wedding night ahead—the honeymoon suite before your flight tomorrow morning.”
Cody thought about it, staring at the beer and at the platinum band on his finger. “Maybe just a small drink.” He took it from Heath, chugged a quarter and handed the bottle back.
“Already whipped,” Heath joked.
“She’d kill me if I passed out on her tonight.”
“Rightfully so.”
Cody burst out laughing. “I can’t believe I’m freaking married, bro. To Kendra. She’s so beautiful!”
“You got lucky.” It wasn’t luck, it was love. And his brother was a genius to recognize it rather than fight. Well, he’d fought at first. Then it was too late, poor bastard.
“I know. I’ll tell you a secret.” Cody put his finger to his lips. “She thinks she’s the lucky one.” He said this very solemnly and reached for the beer again.
Heath passed it over. “She is. You’re a good man, Cody. Almost as good as me.”
“I’ll take being better looking,” Cody joked back.
“You’re a runt. Took after Mom’s side of the family.”
“You’re Paul freaking Bunyan.”
“I look like all the other Hamiltons.”
The familiar banter was bittersweet. Now that Cody was married, things would change. Like him moving to Florida, of all places. Heath cleared his throat, blaming his emotions on the beer.
“I’m gonna miss you.” Cody drank some more, then decided to just keep it. “We’ve never lived outside of Utah. We like snow.”
“Come and visit,” Heath said. “Anyplace I am, I’ll make room.” They’d recently sold their family home. Their parents had died in a car accident two years ago and the brothers had lived together at the homestead. With Cody getting married and needing some start-up money, and Heath in debt with medical bills, they’d decided to sell the place and split the proceeds.
Jolie was wrong, he thought, finishing his own beer. He didn’t need a job at the moment. Not for the regular reasons anyway. He had a little cash left over, but no real friends, like he’d made while working at the resort. During his intense physical therapy, his social life centered around the hospital. His other friends had moved on, just like his brother was doing.
“You come and visit, too,” Cody said. “Better yet, move here.”
“Nope.” Two offers to move in ten minutes? “You have a palace on the ocean, and I’ll take the cabin in the woods. We’ll both be happy.”
“How can you be happy without me?” Cody asked.
“You’re married now. Things are different.”
“I don’t know why you hate change, bro. It happens.”
Heath took offense. “I don’t!”
“You would rather drive around that beat up old truck you’ve had since high school than get something decent.”
“It’s a Chevy. Good until the bottom rusts out. Even that can be fixed with duct tape.”
Cody pointed upward, clonking himself in the head with the mostly empty beer bottle. He rubbed the spot and frowned. “Change is good. Sometimes it’s nice to have a little ham and pineapple on the pizza instead of pepperoni all the time.”
“I won’t ever forgive Kendra for convincing you that was tasty,” Heath said with disgust. “And because I’m your brother, and I love you, and blood is thicker than water, I won’t tell her that you stick the pineapple under your plate.”
Cody’s expression went from defensive to busted, making him look like a kid again. He laughed and held out his hand for a high five. “Thanks, bro.”
“No prob.” His brother was his best friend. Damn it.
“I’m just saying, Heath, that you never shake things up just to see where they land, you know?”
“Are you saying I’m boring?” Heath wasn’t sure if he should actually be pissed at that one. True, he’d spent the last nine months pretty focused on getting better. Proving to the doctors that he could walk, and then even run. Proving to himself that his life wasn’t over. Tended to make a guy single-minded.
“No. Predictable? Yes.” He sighed and struggled from the lounger. “Let’s go get some more beer. And I want to dance with my wife.” Cody laughed as he reached for Heath’s hand. “Wife. It’s crazy. But she makes me really happy, Heath.”
Heath had no choice but to gracefully accept that he and Cody were moving on to a different level in their relationship. “She’s a great woman. I love her, too. It’s just kind of shitty that you’re taking my physical therapist away. Losing a brother, losing a P.T., all in one move.”
“You’re not losing anybody.” Cody’s eyes were green like their mother’s and Heath heard her in his voice just then.
“Whatever.” He was tired of thinking. If only he had a switch to turn his brain off.
“Can I help it if Kendra was blown away by my looks?” Cody shrugged.
Heath and Cody joked about their handsomeness all the time, and neither one of them cared they were sort of average. One of the cool things about having a brother was that they got you—and you knew just where to hit them too. “You know, I think Captain Jolie might be taller than you?”
Cody punched Heath in the arm, but it lacked heat. Heath shook his head and gathered the empties. He stretched his leg and grimaced. Damn. When would he be better? Healed?
“Sucker,” Cody said, ready to punch him again.
“In your dreams.” He winced as a dart of fire bolted down his left calf.
“Heath?”
“I’m fine.”
“Bullshit.”
“Just a cramp. Hurts like a bitch. It’ll pass.” They always did but never fast enough to suit Heath.
Straightening, and looking relatively sober, Cody hooked his arm under Heath’s shoulder. “Got you. Let’s go downstairs out of the wind. If you’re really going to wuss out I won’t make you dance.”
Heath gritted his teeth and rode out the muscle spasm. Everything seemed to be twisted wrong around the bone, but the docs, and most importantly, Kendra, had explained that it was natural. He had to give it time. “I’m not dancing.”
“Ah, way to break my heart. I was set on a slow one.”
Heath chuckled around a groan and went down the first step. The months ahead, without his brother, hovered ominously. Am I really boring?
Jolie found herself watching the stairs leading down from the upper deck. She’d sent Cody up there to visit with his brother. Maybe because Heath had seemed so bummed out.
She, in turn, kept Kendra talking and dancing with her family and friends. The brothers were friends, best friends, from what Kendra said. Jolie really liked the new bride and appreciated the young woman’s concern for Heath, too.
Kendra danced toward her and leaned against the high oak bar. Her cheeks were flushed and she emanated happiness. Blonde to Cody’s dark, they made an attractive couple. “How long have you known Cody?” Jolie asked. “And Heath?”
“Not even a year,” Kendra whispered as if it were a confession. “I was Heath’s physical therapist. He hated me at first. Cody didn’t like that I caused his brother pain, so I wasn’t a favorite of either brother.”
Jolie couldn’t imagine the five foot three and thin Kendra manipulating a wounded bear like Heath. If he was this gruff after months of therapy, what had he been like right after the accident? “You must be tough!”
Kendra curled her arm to show off her biceps. �
�I’m more mean and wiry. You don’t want to piss me off.”
“I’ll vouch for that,” Cody said, coming up behind his wife, sliding his arms around her to bring her close to his chest. Jolie turned, automatically looking for Heath, who was putting his empty bottles in the recycling bin. He walked with a slight list, not inebriated but injured.
Jolie pretended she hadn’t been watching and smiled at the kissing couple. Kendra pulled Cody back out to dance. They were truly in love, and it was a beautiful thing. “Beautiful,” she whispered aloud.
“It’s disgusting,” Heath said, his voice next to her ear. “Kissing and laughing all the time.”
She’d felt him, his essence, as he’d walked behind her and she shivered, realizing that he was tall enough to make her feel petite. Not an everyday occurrence, especially when she wore her heels. They watched the dancers, him close enough to touch her though he didn’t.
“That they’re in love?” Jolie kept her tone light. Bordering on flirtatious. There was something about being around people in love that made her wish for a steady man in her life. Something that she hadn’t wanted for years, since her engagement ended before the wedding.
Heath drawled, “Nobody stays that happy.”
“You’re a cynic,” she laughed. “It may start out as a giddy kind of love, but with commitment, strengthens into the forever kind.”
“You’re a dreamer.” His breath ruffled her hair.
“My parents were, are, a love match.” Richard and Anjelica Gordon had overcome huge prejudice to be together and had taught their children the power of love and family. “Despite the odds.”
“Odds?” Heath leaned his elbow on the counter, putting one foot on the bottom rung of a bar stool. His features were schooled. Too neutral. Was he in pain?
“White Jamaican, black Jamaican. Rich white family, infiltrated by a pretty black girl from the wrong side of the river. Nobody thought it would last. It was a scandal on the island.” She nodded with a sassy smile. What did she have in her medicine bag? Ibuprofen, acetaminophen.