A Diamond for Del Rio's Housekeeper

by Susan Stephens

  He had to put the past to good purpose now, as she had, and use those lessons to move forward. She was right in saying that wealth meant nothing unless it could do some good, and life was certainly diminished without someone to share it with.

  He hadn’t intended to make her unhappy. He hadn’t even realised how unhappy she was, but now he felt her pain as keenly as his own. All that mattered to him, he had discovered, was Rosie’s happiness. His ring was on her finger, and Rosie was in his bed, but what would it take to win her heart?

  * * *

  Doubt was still hammering down on her the next morning. She’d slept alone. Xavier hadn’t been near their stateroom, which left her with the growing suspicion that she had damaged something precious, like a green shoot she’d carelessly trodden down beneath the heel of her shoe. As she stood beneath the shower, she felt the loss of him keenly. She wanted the comfort of his arms, the thrill of his body, and the caring individual she’d increasingly seen emerge in him. The one thing she had never once considered was giving up—not on her relationship with Xavier, and not on her commitment to the island. So it was time to swallow her pride, get dressed, and go to find him.

  Don Xavier was in his study, one of the stewards told her.

  ‘Rosie.’ Xavier stood as she opened the door. ‘Please. Come in...’

  She felt his warmth reaching out to her. He was standing behind the desk at the far end of the room. Even in shadow, he was the most compelling man she’d ever met, Rosie concluded wistfully.

  ‘Is something wrong?’ he asked.

  ‘Just that I wish I knew you better,’ she admitted. ‘I wish I knew what made you tick.’

  ‘That’s easy,’ he said.

  ‘Is it?’ She stood by the door, knowing that if she came any closer her feelings would overwhelm her.

  ‘We’re the same, you and I,’ he said.

  She shook her head ruefully. ‘I don’t think so. You’re frightened of feeling.’

  ‘Whereas you have no difficulty in expressing yourself,’ he countered with a wry look.

  She knew one thing for certain. She would rather spend the rest of her life getting over Xavier than another night on the ship without him. She wanted to be close to him, to be one with him in every way there was.

  ‘You came here to say something?’ he prompted.

  Yes, and the air was so still, it seemed as if the whole world were listening in. She didn’t know where to begin. Xavier was impossible to know, and impossible to live without.

  ‘Rosie?’ he prompted.

  ‘I want to understand you,’ she said.

  ‘Then take a look in the mirror,’ he suggested.

  She frowned. ‘We couldn’t be more different, you and I. Parental love and family solidarity might seem like Shangri-La to me, but I’m not ready to give up on my dreams yet.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ His voice was soft, his stare intent. ‘Are you saying I’m not capable of loving a child?’

  ‘Are you?’

  Coming around the desk, he stood in front of her. ‘We should give it a chance—give us a chance. You’re as bad as me. You shut out feelings too, and if they creep up on you you tell yourself it’s another of your fantasies, and that makes them easier to deal with.’

  ‘Maybe,’ she accepted. ‘But how can we give this a chance? How can it work between us? You and your six-star hotels, and your lavish marinas, and me with my vegetable plots?’

  Xavier’s face warmed. ‘You don’t know my plans.’

  ‘Then why don’t you tell me? We should work together.’

  ‘Do you think that’s what my aunt intended all along?’

  Hope was a fragile thing, and she wasn’t ready to commit fully yet. ‘Maybe Doña Anna expected more of me than I can give.’

  ‘No.’ Xavier shook his head decisively. ‘I don’t believe that for a moment. Everyone has doubts. It’s what drives us forward. You’re stronger than you know, Rosie.’

  ‘So you believe in me?’

  ‘Isn’t that obvious?’ Cupping her chin, Xavier made her look at him. His eyes were warm and full of everything she needed to see. ‘You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met. Don’t let the past bring you down, Rosie. Isn’t that what you’d like to tell me? I know you love the island—everyone knows it—but what about something for you? You don’t have to give all the time. Sometimes people want to do things for you, and sometimes you have to let them.’

  ‘Forgive me,’ she whispered, closing her eyes. ‘I know you had a lousy childhood, just as I know what we both owe Doña Anna.’

  ‘Do you trust me, Rosie? On our wedding night you said you did.’

  ‘I did. I do,’ she said, staring that trust into Xavier’s eyes.

  ‘Tell me what you want—what you really want.’

  I want you, she thought. I want you to love me. I want you to put your arms around me. I want to believe you, if you tell me that you want me to stay. I want to have a child we both love and care for, not a child that’s been manufactured just to continue a family line.

  ‘Say it, Rosie. Don’t just think it. Say it out loud.’

  He was asking her to risk her heart, and the words she so desperately wanted to say stalled on her lips. She just couldn’t get them out. And then she had a light-bulb moment, and she realised what Xavier was trying to get her to do. They were both locked up on their individual islands, and it was up to each of them to break free.

  She began haltingly. Tiny steps towards sharing her feelings, something she’d never done before. ‘I want this to be real between us,’ she admitted. ‘I want to say what I think, instead of hiding my feelings from you all the time—’ It was almost a relief, she discovered, this letting go, and as she gained in confidence her words gathered pace. ‘I want to tell you how you make me feel, and not have you laugh at me—’

  ‘Laugh at you?’ Xavier interrupted, frowning.

  ‘Yes,’ Rosie admitted. She was quiet for quite some time, and then she added softly, ‘I want to tell you that I love you.’

  ‘Say that again,’ Xavier insisted.

  ‘I want to tell you that I love you,’ she repeated in a louder, clearer voice.

  ‘And?’ he prompted.

  ‘And why am I the only one doing this?’ she protested, only half teasing him.

  ‘My turn will come?’ he suggested with a smile.

  ‘I want to tell you that I know what you’re trying to do, and that I agree that until each of us can free ourselves from the past, neither of us is going anywhere, as individuals, or as a couple, however temporary our marriage might be, or even as joint owners of Isla Del Rey. The past will always hold us back, hold us down—we both have to change, and maybe we’ve got a long way to go before we can do that. I want us both to speak openly, for good and for bad, and without editing every comment first. I want to share everything with you, but I can’t, because I get frightened—’

  ‘You? Frightened?’ Xavier’s look was disbelieving.

  ‘Frightened you’ll think I’m stupid,’ Rosie admitted.

  ‘Never.’ Slanting his sexy smile, Xavier shook his head. ‘You’re like a light shining so bright you almost blinded me. And it was definitely a light I didn’t want to see. You blinded me with your honesty, and left me questioning what I’ve been doing with my life. ‘So, why don’t you ask me about my plans for the island?’

  She hardly dared to ask. ‘What have you done?’

  ‘We’re sailing there now,’ he said, ‘so you’ll see for yourself. The islanders are planning a fiesta in our honour to celebrate our marriage. They want us to have a proper celebration, amongst friends.’

  ‘Tell me about your plans first,’ Rosie insisted.

  ‘Okay. I’m going to create a kids’ centre on the island in honour of my aunt. She always wanted me to do something useful with my money. At the time I was too busy amassing a fortune to work out what she meant. I was so desperate not to end up like my parents—always with their hands in someone els
e’s pocket—so money meant everything to me then. But this is going to be a non-profit-making scheme. It will be the perfect tribute to a woman I neglected in life, and am determined to honour in death. How do you feel about going in with me on that?’

  ‘Are you serious?’ Rosie was stunned. ‘I’d love to. What changed your mind?’

  ‘You did,’ Xavier admitted. ‘When I went back to the island yesterday, I saw everything through your eyes, and then I understood what the island really needed, and what I could bring to it.’

  Reaching out, he drew her close. Her face and her body tingled. Staring into her eyes, he dipped his head and kissed her long and slow. When he pulled back, he said, ‘I love you, Rosie. I’d do anything to make you happy. I’ve loved you from the moment I first saw you on that beach—I just didn’t know what those feelings were.’

  ‘You only knew I annoyed the hell out of you?’ she suggested, starting to smile.

  Xavier laughed. A bolt of sheer happiness lit up his face. ‘No one had ever held me at bay before,’ he admitted. ‘I hadn’t felt that angry for years. I hadn’t felt anything for years. I was furious at being dragged back to an island that made me remember my childhood and my parents, and all my mixed-up feelings. And then there was the indignity of having to share the island with my aunt’s housekeeper. How ridiculous,’ he said, embracing her warmly. ‘How arrogant I was. My only thought was to drive you away as fast as I could.’

  ‘And now?’ she whispered.

  ‘And now I have to keep you by any means possible. What would it take to do that, Rosie? What would it take to make ours a real marriage?’

  She looked at him. ‘Just love me.’

  * * *

  As they arrived at Isla Del Rey a crowd was waiting for them on the dock. It was entirely different from the formal gathering of dignitaries who had attended their wedding in the cathedral. These were people Rosie knew and loved. Everyone had dressed up for the occasion. It was party night on Isla Del Rey. There was nothing the islanders loved more than a celebration, and they must have pooled their limited resources to give them a welcome like this. She was touched by the effort they’d gone to, and so very happy to be back on the island she loved. This was special, she thought as she walked down the gangplank hand in hand with Xavier.

  An even bigger surprise awaited her as Xavier had organised a blessing of their vows. Taking hold of both her hands in his, he searched her eyes. A yearning grew inside him as they stared at each other, and he knew in that moment that his life and everything in it depended on the answer Rosie would give him.

  ‘Are you happy to renew your vows?’ Xavier asked.

  ‘Oh, yes,’ she said, smiling deep into his eyes.

  A happy grin spread across his face.

  ‘Are you sure about this?’ she asked him discreetly. ‘Are you sure you want me to renew our vows with me barefoot in a sundress with a rose in my hair?’

  ‘I’ve never seen you looking more beautiful, or more Rosie-like.’ He squeezed her hand to reassure her as a notary halted in front of them.

  ‘Do you have the ring you spoke of?’ the notary asked him.

  ‘I have it,’ Xavier confirmed, pulling the piece of string out of his pocket. ‘Will this do?’

  ‘Very nicely,’ the man agreed with a warm smile for Rosie.

  * * *

  The simple renewal of their wedding vows meant so much to Rosie, it was her dream come true: standing next to the man she loved, the man who had just told her how much he loved her, in front of people who genuinely cared for both of them. If she had ever needed proof that her optimistic take on life was justified, this was it. She only had to look around to see that their happiness was infectious. Even with all the money in the world to spend on a celebration, nothing could be better than this. It was the happiest night of her life.

  The party afterwards was the best fun ever. And as they came together for the last dance of the night the islanders formed a circle around them. They weren’t looking for sensation or gossip, they just wanted to join in and wish them well. No one on Isla Del Rey was ever afraid to show their feelings and Rosie would never be frightened to do so again.

  They spent the night at the hacienda with the windows open so they could hear the night sounds: owls hooting, cicadas chirruping, as they made love in time to the surf.

  ‘I’ve got another surprise for you,’ Xavier murmured.

  ‘What is it?’ she demanded, a smile spreading across her face.

  ‘A proper Christmas, just for you and me—a second honeymoon with no distractions.’

  ‘Christmas?’ Rosie’s eyes fired with wonder as the child inside her got its dream come true at last.

  ‘Big and brazen,’ he insisted, ‘with too many gifts, and a turkey that’s far too big for us. Mince pies, and Yule logs. Crackers and tinsel. Would you like that?’

  ‘I’d love that,’ she said and her eyes filled with tears. ‘I love you.’

  Much, much later, they talked about the children’s centre Xavier had planned, and he told her the hacienda would be the perfect headquarters. He explained what he’d like her to do at the children’s centre. ‘So, I’m to be an assistant to the superintendent of the facility? That sounds very grand.’ Rosie frowned. ‘Can I still be barefoot, or do I have to wear a suit?’

  ‘You can wear whatever you like.’

  ‘There’s just one thing.’

  ‘Yes?’

  She braced herself to tell him. ‘I might need maternity leave.’

  ‘Might?’ Xavier shot her a wry look. ‘I’m counting on it.’

  ‘That’s not what I...’

  ‘Are you telling me you’re pregnant?’ He held her at arm’s length to stare into her eyes, as if they would tell him the truth. ‘How can you be sure? So soon?’ he demanded, taut with hope.

  Forget his half of the island—forget everything! His head was reeling at the possibility that Rosie was pregnant. Everything exploded into vivid colour. His fears of parenting evaporated. If he was useless, he could learn. He had Doña Anna’s example to draw on and Rosie at his side. No one got a manual with their first child, so he was level pegging with everyone else, learning as he went along.

  ‘It’s too soon to be sure,’ Rosie warned him, seeing the joy on his face. ‘I’ve just got this feeling...’

  ‘I think we’d better get you checked out.’

  ‘Are you pleased?’

  Was he pleased? Whatever he had expected to feel when they had first entered into this so-called arrangement was nothing approaching this. He was speechless and drowning in emotion.

  ‘Xavier? Say something—are you all right?’

  ‘I am beyond all right—beyond happy—beyond anything I’ve ever felt before. Please, let this be true.’ He grasped hold of Rosie’s hands when no words seem adequate. ‘Do you need to sit down?’

  ‘I’m lying down, in case you hadn’t noticed.’ They laughed with sheer happiness, and hugged each other. ‘And I’m pregnant, not sick,’ she said when he eventually let her go. ‘If I’m right, you’ll get the heir you need.’

  ‘Don’t!’ he exclaimed, frowning. ‘Please don’t say that. Don’t remind me of what an idiot I’ve been—it’s bad for my ego.’ She laughed and kissed him again. ‘I’ve got you, Rosie, and that’s all I care about. I’ve got the woman I want, and the only mother I could ever want for my children. You’ve made me the happiest man in the world. You’ll have the best care available.’

  ‘You don’t need to tell me that,’ Rosie assured him, catching hold of his hand. ‘I’ve got you.’

  EPILOGUE

  ROSIE RECEIVED CONFIRMATION from the island’s doctor that she was pregnant a short time before Christmas. The doctor also confirmed Rosie’s suspicion that sometimes a woman just knew these things. There was no medical reason that could account for that feeling of hers. It was in the bones, he said.

  Her baby would be born in the late spring, and, with the whole world at his disposal, Xavier had
declared that if they were going to celebrate Christmas properly there must be snow, and so he piloted the jet to the land of cuckoo clocks and chocolate. Even the flight over the snow-clad mountains was spectacular, but Xavier’s chalet, with its long winding drive, lined by Christmas trees, each one lit with tiny shimmering lights, was magical. The burnished wood construction, with its steeply sloping roof and quaint painted shutters at every window, was the perfect setting for the perfect Christmas, Rosie thought as they drew up outside. Lanterns glowed on either side of the front door, and a Christmas wreath of pine cones and cinnamon sticks, secured with blousy bows of vivid red ribbon, welcomed them as Xavier helped her out of the rugged four-wheeler.

  ‘What’s this?’ she asked as he pressed a small box into her hands.

  ‘Your first Christmas present.’

  She laughed. ‘My first?’

  ‘Get used to it, Señora Del Rio. There are twelve days of Christmas, but you’ll have to forgive me in this instance for getting ahead of the game, but I had no alternative if we’re to get inside the chalet. Don’t worry,’ he added, ‘some of the gifts might be in kind. I don’t want to overburden you with luggage,’ he explained with a wicked grin.

  ‘So long as it’s not that wretched ring,’ she warned, shooting a wary glance at the box.

  ‘Why don’t you open it and find out?’ Xavier suggested.

  She did just that, and pulled out a key.

  ‘Welcome home, Señora Del Rio.’

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘This is your house. Any time you want to get away from me you can come here—’

  ‘You’re giving me a house?’ Rosie exclaimed. She couldn’t take it in.

  ‘A Swiss chalet,’ he said. ‘Just the first of many gifts for my beautiful wife.’

  He silenced her protests with a kiss, and made her sigh with pleasure as he caressed her cheek. ‘You don’t play fair,’ she complained softly as he nuzzled the very sensitive skin just below her ear, making her shiver with arousal.

  ‘And I don’t take no for an answer, either,’ he reminded her.

  ‘But you can’t give me a house. It’s too much.’