Gage, Ronna - Paradise Mine (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Ronna Gage

“Is there such a place?” Pamela laughed.

  Rae Anne envisioned a voyage to search its existence. “If I could board my yacht and sail the open seas. I could swim with the dolphins, inspect other marine wildlife—oh, and the plants…” An idea formed and budded. “I will take my yacht and go…”

  Thrilled, happy, and free of obligations, she hurried into her bedroom and rummaged through her closet until she found the two bags she’d need to pack her belongings.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes.” Rae Anne chuckled. “I’ll call my friend Jamie. He can make this come together better than I can.” On her way to the bathroom, she snatched up her cell phone, scrolled down the contact list until she found the name Jamie Tompkins and hit Send.

  Pamela waited in the office while she made the call.

  “Hello, Bass-Tom Services. How can I help you?”

  “Hello, Jamie. This is Rae Anne Jamison-Carmichael.”

  “Good afternoon, Mrs. Carmichael. How are you today?”

  “Better, now that I’ve contacted you.”

  “Oh?”

  “I want to thank you for the flowers you sent at the time of my late husband’s funeral.”

  “My pleasure.”

  “I need your help.” She pulled down bottles: one of shampoo, the other conditioner. She grabbed some toothpaste, an extra toothbrush, makeup, deodorant and tossed them into her bag.

  “That’s no problem.”

  “Jamie, I’m feeling a little restless. I hate this town and everything it stands for.”

  “How can I help, Rae Anne?”

  “I want to take a leave of absence. I want to go for a long boat ride, and you are just the man to put the itinerary together for me.”

  A long silence came over the line. “I see.”

  “You are a freelanced yacht captain, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. I still take care of the pampered princesses of the rich, socialite daddy’s girls. When did you want to start?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “Well, come on in. I’ll have Santee meet you at the airport, stock and clean the yacht.”

  “No, I want to clean and stock her myself.”

  “Rae Anne, I don’t mind.”

  “It will give me something to do. I would like to leave out right away. Is that good with you?”

  “Unfortunately, I won’t be the one to man your ship.”

  “Why?” Panic overcame her.

  “I have an assignment.”

  “Then who will be assigned to me?”

  “My partner will assign him.”

  “Who will he send? Do you know him?”

  “Whoever Roger chooses, you can bet he knows what he’s doing. I’ll vouch for his choice.”

  Rae Anne stopped her whirlwind packing. “Jamie, you’re the best. I appreciate all you’ve done for me over the years. You have been a great friend.”

  “I hated like hell to be the one to bring the news of Landy’s disappearance that day. But when I found out about your efforts to make his whereabouts public and stop the torture of Americans, I had to help.”

  “I know. And you were my rock in those days and the ones immediately after.”

  “I am always here if you need me.”

  “Thanks. But I can’t wait for you. I’m a little anxious to get on my adventure,” she teased.

  “Okay, pampered princess. I will see you sometime tomorrow. Take care.”

  “Bye, Jamie.”

  Rae Anne hung up the phone. “Pam?” She walked back into the office. “I am going on a six-month sabbatical at sea.” Pam’s eyes widened at her announcement. “I hate to impose, but could you take care of my apartment?”

  “Y–yes”—she cleared her throat—“I can do that.”

  A curt nod, she picked up the phone. “I’m calling my lawyer to set up the trust. Stay here until I finalize the details we just made.”

  Pamela’s eyes welled up with tears. She nodded in answer and then turned away wiping at her cheeks. Rae Anne’s phone call went to hold immediately. She rested her hand on Pam’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

  Pamela raised her head but didn’t face her. “It amazed me that you would stop your plans for your trip to take care of the business you and I have discussed.”

  “It galls me that Marcus didn’t do it while he was alive. I think it’s the very least he could have done.”

  The receptionist came back on the line. “May I help you?”

  “Yes, tell Gary that Rae Anne Jamison-Carmichael needs to speak with him at the most earliest convenience, today!” She hung up the phone. “One down, twelve to go.”

  She and Pamela laughed at the remark. “I can stay and help if you’d like.”

  Rae Anne nodded. “I would like that very much.”

  The two women spent the rest of the afternoon making phone calls and a list of items to do before the trip. They packed and paved the way for Pamela and Christopher to receive benefits from the trust fund and legal rights to Marcus’s benefits. She looked at her list. Her eyes rested on the last item on the list. “The only thing left is to call Daddy.”

  “Good luck with that one.”

  Dreading the confrontation, she decided to delay the inevitable. “I’ll call in the morning.”

  “Well, I think everything is about done here,” Pamela said, looking around.

  Butterflies fluttered in Rae Anne’s stomach. “I–I want to say thank you for all your help today.” She handed Pamela an envelope.

  “What’s this?”

  “The key to the apartment.”

  Pamela took it with a smile. “I will make sure everything is all right. I can come by twice a week if you want.”

  “Whatever is more convenient for you and Chris.”

  “I hope you have a good trip. See you in about six months.”

  The two women lingered by the front door. At the same time, each stepped forward to give and receive a hug.

  “Please call me when you get back,” Pamela said.

  “I will.”

  In a quick turnaround, Pamela rushed down the five steps and raced to her car. Rae Anne watched her car leave, then closed the door and smiled. Looking down at her list, she carried it into the bedroom and set it on the nightstand. After her shower and last-minute packing, she turned down the bed and climbed in. The large, king-size bed didn’t feel lonely this evening. In fact, the excitement hummed in her nerves too loud for her to sleep. Her thoughts contemplated to the arguments her father would likely stir up. Instead of feeling dread, she giggled. “Maybe I can bum a ride from him in the morning.” With that idea, she rested for her trip but tossed and turned for hours until the time to get up and be on her way finally arrived.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “You’re going to what?” Her father’s loud voice boomed in the receiver.

  “Going on a sabbatical…at sea.”

  “You can’t go around the seaboard in a yacht. What if someone tries to overtake you?”

  “I hope you will pay my ransom.”

  “That isn’t funny, Rae Anne.”

  “Daddy, Jamie Tompkins will take care of me. Look, I called to let you know what I planned to do, not ask your permission. I do have one thing to ask of you.”

  He hesitated. “What?”

  “Can you take me to the airport?”

  “I’ll be right over.”

  In twenty minutes, Robert arrived by limo. Too eager to stay inside, Rae Anne met him on the steps. He gave a valiant effort to talk her out of leaving, but easily gave in.

  “Come on, you can’t be late for the flight.”

  At the airport, Robert held her hand a little longer than necessary. “Call me with the itinerary this week.”

  “I will, Daddy.”

  “Be careful.” He pulled her close. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” Rae Anne kissed his cheek and got out of the car. She stepped inside the airport in time to hear the intercom call for pre-boarding on he
r flight. Bags and ticket in hand, she gave one last look around the Washington terminal. “I’ll be in California in eight hours.” The thrill and excitement ran through her, warming her to the adventure. She boarded the plane and settled back. “I’m moving forward, finally.”

  * * * *

  Standing in the terminal of the California airport, Rae Anne couldn’t wait to get her six-month sabbatical under way. She walked down the long corridor, a woman held a sign just past the opened passageway. Black cursive letters spelled out her married name. She smiled and approached the lady.

  “Hello. I’m Rae Anne Jamison-Carmichael.”

  The casually dressed, dark-haired woman greeted her. “Hello, welcome to San Francisco. I’m Santee.”

  “Thank you!”

  The woman’s polo-style blouse bore the Bass-Tom Services logo on the right breast pocket. Exotic beauty came to Rae Anne’s mind about Santee’s description. Her blemish-free, dark olive skin looked radiant. Straight white teeth added to her friendly smile.

  “Jamie and Roger said you would need a car and someone to drive you around to run errands.”

  “Yes, that is correct.” Rae Anne followed her to the baggage claim carousel.

  “I’m here to help.”

  “That’s great. I’m glad to have a woman assist me today. I think a man would stress me out too much.”

  Santee laughed. “Oh, this is for you.” She handed her a key ring with a single key.

  The brass tag had three words engraved on it. Rae Anne laughed at the name of her yacht. “The Pouty Princess. That is so like Marcus and Daddy to name the ship after their idea of my inner personality.” She looked at Santee. “The name is so unlike me in reality.”

  Santee chuckled. “What would you like to do first?”

  Looking down at the two bags at her feet, she replied, “First thing on the agenda—shopping.”

  * * * *

  The morning turned out to be nonstop errands of fun. Most of it she and Santee spent shopping for the wardrobe that would see her through the next six months. “Let’s got here.” Rae Anne ordered when Santee almost passed a large supermarket.

  “What do you need here?”

  “I few things to tie me over tonight and set up a quick grocery delivery for tomorrow afternoon.”

  She and Santee arrived at the yacht in the early afternoon, Rae Anne bubbling with anxious energy to get started. She inhaled the smell of sea into her lungs. “I love that smell.” With shaking hands, she opened the great room door. “Whew, this needs some fresh air.” She opened the windows to air out the smell of mold and must. “I’m going to set up my quarters.” She headed to the master state room.

  “Okay, I’ll start on the dusting,” Santee offered.

  The first and last time she had stood in this room was on her one-year anniversary. Marcus had surprised her with the yacht, promising to bring her back every year, but he never did. Now, seven years later, she came alone. To see the bed and furniture draped with a canvas drop cloth saddened her. “I should have done this a long time ago.” She uncovered the desk and found the wedding picture of her and Marcus.

  “I miss you, friend,” she said, touching the outline of Marcus and of a youthful her. Shaking off the melancholy, she wrapped the portrait in tissue paper and boxed it up. She looked at the queen-size bed, stripped it of the white drop cloth, and tossed it in the hallway. Dust clouds wafted in the air, and Rae Anne choked back the offending particles. Inside one of the bags, she dug out the bed-in-a-bag set. “How convenient! To have a bed comforter, pillow shams, dust ruffle, sheets, and pillow cases in one bag.”

  She decorated the old pillows with the new shams, dropped the pillow cases and sheets at the foot of the bed for a quick wash, and unfolded the comforter to breathe. Satisfied with the room’s progress, she gathered the sheets and headed for the crew quarters. Upon her return, she found Santee’s handy work in her room. She dusted, vacuumed, and polished the furniture. “Beautiful.”

  In the living quarters, everything shone with a glossy finish, the air smelled of sea and cleansers, and the generator purred with life. Rae Anne turned to Santee. “Thank you for the quick and beautiful job.”

  Santee smiled.

  Stocking the galley with the necessities—coffee, coffee filters, eggs, bread, cheese, ham, condiments, and the other grocery items—proved to be a chore of mostly wiping shelves and rinsing off dishes. On a new list of tasks, she noted the time the rest of the groceries would arrive, the crew’s arrival first thing in the morning, and hopefully the captain’s. With everything cleaned and set, Rae Anne fixed a quick snack for Santee and her.

  “You hungry?” she asked lifting the plate of meats, cheese, and crackers.

  “Starved.” Santee stowed the vacuum cleaner in the closet and sat with Rae Anne at the bar.

  “Knock, knock, permission to come aboard?” Jamie asked from the doorway.

  “Permission granted.” Rae Anne rushed to him and threw her arms around his massive neck. Without a single grunt from exertion, he picked her up off her feet. “How are you? Gosh, it’s been a long time.”

  Jamie set her on the floor. “I’m doing well.” He looked down at her. “You look great.”

  “Thank you. You don’t look bad yourself.” She jabbed him with her elbow. “Come on in and sit down.”

  Jamie followed her to the counter where Santee waited. “Santee, is the ship ready for the voyage?”

  She mocked his seafaring lingo. “Aye, Captain. Just swabbed the deck before grub, sir.”

  “Carry on.”

  Amused, Rae Anne laughed. She looked at Jamie and watched his mannerisms around Santee. Every bit the gentleman, he didn’t let the banter get out of control. His big frame and massive muscles filled out his company uniform. Chestnut brown hair covered the former high-and-tight of years past, but his stoic expression was every bit the Marine Corps poster boy.

  “So, tell me about my captain,” she insisted.

  “He is scheduled to arrive at ten o’clock in the morning, and knowing most captains, he will want to go out with the afternoon tide.”

  “When is that?”

  “Usually around four, five, maybe six in the evening. So, be ready.”

  “All set. I have a meat and produce delivery set up for one o’clock. I will be introduced to the kitchen staff that Santee and Roger are sending over first thing tomorrow morning, and I should have everything in place.”

  “Good.” Rae Anne worried her lip.

  “What is it?” Jamie asked.

  “What’s his name?”

  Jamie opened his mouth, but stumbled for the name. “I don’t know. Come to think of it, I’m not sure Roger told me.”

  “What?” The announcement shocked her. “Maybe this is a bad idea.”

  “Why?” Jamie wondered aloud.

  “What do you know about this man?”

  “I know Roger trusts him, and that is all I need to know.”

  Chapter Twenty

  “I have a job for you if you want it,” Roger Bassham said into the cell phone. “The job is for one of the pampered princesses in Washington, a friend of Jamie’s…I can’t take it. I’m busy right now with a last minute assignment…If you want it you can have it…A six-month assignment…I don’t know why she is going on a six-month cruise. Furthermore, I don’t care…Jeez, all these questions…Look, do you want it or not?…Good. You can come by the marina office this evening before nine o’clock to get the key for slip ten. The owner is supposed to arrive first thing in the morning. If you need anything just let me know… Fine with me. See you soon… Bye.”

  Roger looked at the yacht docked in slip ten. “Rae Anne Jamison-Carmichael has come in early. This is going to be one hell of a surprise.” Roger chuckled and set the cell phone back into his pocket.

  * * * *

  The cool wind blowing off the San FranciscoBay soothed the extra tension from Rae Anne’s shoulders. Leaning on the rail of the Pouty Princess, she took a de
ep breath of the sea air, pulled her sweatshirt close, and sipped her mug of Kahlua-laced coffee.

  This is the perfect place for an after-dinner drink. She looked out over the water in awe of the day’s events. In a matter of hours, her whole environment changed. This morning, she had woken up in her penthouse suite in DC this evening she would sleep on her yacht in San Francisco. Chills of exhilaration ran up her spine. She itched to get started on her adventure. She envisioned the old mariners of yore—the young men who sailed the seven seas free of the world’s customs and rules. Oh, how I envy them. She stepped up to the railing. I will be on my own adventure soon enough. She hoped to observe sea creatures on her trip.

  “I hope the captain is a lover of the sea and its creatures and not a superstitious ninny.” Rae Anne sighed; the tension floated away and rode the tides rhythm out to sea. A smile eased onto her face.

  The sounds of laughter broke through her serenity. Down the shore, a group of teens started a bonfire. Rae Anne coveted the kids’ youth in a way. To be young, without a care in the world, and be in love and happy. Oh, what would it have been like if he hadn’t left? Rae Anne felt the tears building and let them fall one last time.

  “I wish you were here, Landy. To have lived these last few years with you would have been my happiest moments.” Infuriated by the temptation of depression, she gripped for control. “Rae Anne, get over it! He’s gone and you have to go on,” she admonished herself as she stomped back into the great room. She jerked the papers off the fax machine and looked them over. The trip itinerary. “Jamie said he would send it as soon as possible.”

  She double-checked all the scheduled appointments and the projected ports of call. No changes needed her attention, and she set the three-page agenda inside the inbox for the captain’s authorization.

  Looking around the yacht, Rae Anne grew giddy with satisfaction at the job she’d done. The smell of potpourri, lemon polish, and the cinnamon candle burning on the wet bar filled her nostrils. She became aware of the grime and dust all over her. “This is as good a time as any to take a shower.”