Diving into Love (The Armstrongs Book 11)

by Jessica Gray

  River slowed his gait until Pippa could catch up to his long stride. “He’s the worst of them all. A single type and he’ll have you redo the entire form. Could…maybe…could you speak to him?”

  “Of course,” Pippa said, almost laughing out loud. Apparently, she wasn’t the only person afraid of something. She took the manila folder from River’s hands and approached the uniformed man with a friendly smile. “Bon tardi.”

  The official seemed surprised at her use of the local Papiamentu language, but then broke out into a toothy grin and waved her and River inside his office. After a few minutes of chit-chat the officer glanced over the customs forms and sealed them with his official stamp, handing them back to her and wishing them a pleasant stay.

  “Masha danki,” she thanked him and turned to River with a proud smile on her face. “We’re all set. He said to tell you the water is full of life right now and to enjoy your dive tomorrow.”

  “We’re finished here?” River asked with disbelief in his eyes.

  “Yep.” Pippa passed through the door he held open for her, and walked into the direction of the boat, but River stopped her after a few feet and spun her around. He held his hand up for a high five and she returned it with a chuckle. “What’s that all about?”

  “I have never gotten through customs so easily or so quickly.” He looked like a boy who’d ditched school and gotten away with it.

  Pippa pulled her arm back, little electric tingles running up and lodging in her spine. “It helps to speak the language.”

  “I guess. Let’s go get a drink before we return to the boat,” he suggested, pointing at the colorful town.

  Pippa eyed him and asked, “Aren’t you diving tomorrow?”

  “Non-alcoholic for me,” he assured her, giving her a thoughtful glance. Probably surprised that she would know to ask.

  She could see the questions building in his eyes and deflected instead. “That sounds good. Where should we go?”

  “I know just the place. Come with me.” River stopped in front of a local tavern in the town center and held the door open for her. Then he ordered a non-alcoholic cocktail for himself and she asked for the same.

  Given her intense attraction to him, she decided that drinking while around him would be asking for trouble.

  “So, how did you come to speak Papiamentu? It’s not exactly a language most people learn to speak.”

  “That’s true. I was raised by a nanny from Aruba and she spoke her native language a lot.” Pippa smiled at the memory of the kind, warm-hearted woman who’d practically raised her. “I picked it up easily and we talked in her language. It gave her a sense of being home. Of course, away from my mother’s very perceptive eyes.”

  “Your mother had a problem with you learning a foreign language?” River asked.

  “No, my mother had an aversion to me learning what she considered the language of the servants. French. Dutch. Portuguese. Spanish. German. Those were fine, but Papiamentu was beneath me, according to her.”

  “So, you were a rebel and learned it anyway,” he surmised with a wink.

  Pippa nodded, a bit of sadness filling her soul as she thought about her mother. River must have picked up on it because a moment later he touched her shoulder. “You okay?”

  She looked up into his caring eyes and the attraction that had been simmering between them burst to life. Her breathing stalled and her heart raced, and suddenly, there didn’t seem to be enough oxygen in the room.

  “Excuse me.” Pippa slipped from the barstool and escaped into the ladies’ room. She bent over the washbasin and splashed cold water over her face. Ohmygod, I’m so in over my head. There’s no way I can resist him.

  But it would be the most stupid thing in the world to fall for the desirable man who was her boss, when she’d just freed herself from the clutches of a miserable marriage.

  Chapter 11

  River sighed in frustration. He’d been so close to kissing her before she dashed for the ladies’ room. He wasn’t sure whether he was relieved or frustrated. Or both.

  All day long his brain and his body had been fighting whether to make a move on her or stay away. He was clearly smitten. Despite the fact that he now knew more about her background, that woman was still a mystery, which only served to send his libido flying higher.

  Why did she insist on working for him, if she seemed to be afraid – of what exactly? He had no idea. River had enough headaches running his business; he didn’t need more trouble. He liked his women plain and simple, since solving mysteries wasn’t his forte.

  When Pippa returned, looking even more appetizing with her rosy cheeks shimmering, it didn’t escape him that she purposefully sat farther away from him. So far away, he could no longer smell her unique scent, or run his fingers down her cheek – not that he wanted to.

  She finished her drink in record time and then declined his offer of another. River took her unspoken cues and finished his own in two swallows.

  “Ready to get to work?” he said after paying for the drinks.

  Pippa gave him a confused look. “Tonight?”

  “Yes. We need to stock up before the guests arrive in the morning.” River looked at her tired face and added, “But since it’s your first day…if you’re too tired you can return to the boat.”

  She seemed to weigh her options, but then nodded. “Then I’m game for a little grocery shopping.”

  “It’ll be anything but little.” He chuckled. “We’ll have to buy groceries for twelve people to last for a week.”

  “Twelve people? I only saw bookings for eight guests.” Pippa did the calculations in her head and gave him a confused look.

  “Yep. But I have two more crew coming onboard tomorrow. Maria and Willem have been lifesavers for me. Maria does all of the cooking and cleaning, while her husband is basically my ‘man for everything’. If something breaks, he fixes it. If the guests need help with their gear or just want to fish for an afternoon, he’s the man to make it all happen.”

  They walked a few blocks and then stopped in front of a tiny house. River rapped his knuckles on a wooden door, announcing his arrival. A woman in her fifties with short black curls and dangling earrings hugged him against her huge bosom. Despite having known the couple for several years, River still hadn’t gotten fully used to the exuberant way they showed affection.

  Maria gave Pippa a short glance and then broke out into a huge smile, showing her white teeth. “So who are you, my dear?”

  “This is Pippa Kensington, my new assistant.” River hurried to make the introduction and then gave Willem a strong handshake, while Maria engulfed Pippa into one of her bear hugs.

  The four of them headed for the big supermarket located a few blocks away and loaded cart after cart with pasta, rice, canned food, fresh vegetables and fruits, several types of bread, eggs, milk, cheese and an equal assortment of meats.

  River secretly observed how Pippa’s eyes became bigger by the minute, as they loaded more and more food into the carts.

  “I think we’re done here,” Maria announced, meticulously scratching items from her shopping list.

  “Will we really use this much food?” Pippa pointed at the two shopping carts overflowing with groceries.

  “Definitely. And we’re not finished either,” River chuckled and pointed Pippa toward the shelves with drinks, where Willem already loaded another cart to the brim with water, juices, and soft drinks. When he finished he cheekily glanced at River and put two six-packs of beer on top.

  “Only two six-packs?” Pippa asked.

  “They are for Willem. The guests aren’t allowed alcohol or there’s no diving for them.”

  “Oh yes, I forgot,” Pippa answered and once again River had to think about the mystery she presented. She seemed to know an awful lot about boats and diving when she’d been so afraid to even board the Moana this morning.

  After they’d loaded yet another shopping cart with everything else that was needed for their trip,
including paper towels, toilet paper, soap, and dish soap, it was finally to time head for the cashier.

  River smiled at the way Pippa stared in wonder at the piles and piles of plastic bags accumulating in the shopping carts.

  “How on earth will we get everything to the boat?” she asked him.

  “Wait and see…” he said, grinning.

  Outside the supermarket several tiny three-wheeled trucks were already waiting for customers.

  “The people here have adapted well to the needs of boat crews.” River waved at one of the young local men, leaning against his truck a cigarette in the corner of his mouth.

  The young man came forward and Willem negotiated his fee in their local language. Then they loaded the vehicle and gave him direction to the berth were the Moana was moored.

  Pippa had been watching the scene with big eyes and now turned her head to give River a smile. His heart melted and he felt the sudden need to wrap her into his arms. But, of course, he didn’t. He wouldn’t go there.

  Chapter 12

  When they arrived at the pier, the young man in his truck was already waiting for them. Between the five of them they quickly unloaded the shopping bags and River paid the driver.

  River disappeared with Willem to buy whatever things they needed at the hardware store leaving Pippa alone with Maria to store the groceries.

  Maria’s warm-hearted nature reminded Pippa of her nanny and a nostalgic longing entered her heart. Back then, before her mother’s death, she’d been a happy girl.

  “How long have you worked for River?” Pippa asked the older woman.

  “Oh, three or four years. Whenever he’s in this part of the Caribbean. My Willem and I, we like working for Mr. River. He’s such a good man.” Maria started listing all of River’s qualities and Pippa couldn’t help but laugh when Maria ended with, “He just needs to find himself a good woman. Being alone is not good for a young man like him.”

  I’m sure he’s rarely alone.

  Maria seemed to have read her mind, because she tsked and continued her monologue, “Mr. River needs to settle down and find himself a woman he loves.”

  “So, you cook for everyone?” Pippa asked to change the topic. Thinking about River settling down with some random woman made her stomach flip.

  “Yes, I love cooking and the work on the boat is not hard. My Willem, he had to retire from his work because of his beat-up knees and we’re very thankful to have this extra income.”

  “I’m sorry,” Pippa said. She could only speculate about the pension system on Curacao, but it probably wasn’t very well-developed.

  “Have you worked for Mr. River in America?” Maria turned around to ask.

  “No, today’s my first day.”

  “So you must love the ocean and diving, like he does,” Maria suggested and all Pippa could do was give a faint nod and stop herself from rushing off.

  “Mr. River is the best diving instructor around,” Maria said, beaming with pride as if the man were her own flesh and blood instead of just her employer.

  “I heard that.”

  Neither of them had noticed River’s return. Pippa glanced at his always-messy hair and her heart started thumping too fast while her fingers itched to push the strands from his forehead. She quickly busied herself organizing the cans of tuna fish.

  Maria prepared a quick dinner for them and River presented the plans for the week.

  “Tomorrow morning eight guests will arrive and we’ll leave the Marina around noon. I thought we’d do our first dive at the Mushroom Forest to get a feeling for each diver’s experience. Except for tomorrow, I’m planning two dives a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Depending on the weather forecast we’ll rotate between Curacao and Bonaire. When we’re here, you and Maria,” River nodded at Willem, “can sleep at home.”

  Pippa listened, trying to distance herself from the talk of diving. That worked amazingly well, until River mentioned the night dive he planned to undertake with the more experienced divers. A drop of bile crept up her throat, and she suddenly felt drained.

  “Excuse me,” she murmured to the group, making her way down the hallway and into her private bathroom. She fought the nausea, but cold sweat broke out on her forehead and she had to lean against the sink as she splashed cold water on her face.

  This job has got to be the biggest mistake of my life, second only to marrying Daniel Larue. If I can’t handle them even talking about a night dive, how am I going to handle when they actually do it?

  She took another moment to get her emotions under control and rejoined the group just as Maria and Willem were saying goodbye.

  “We’ll be back early tomorrow, before the first guests arrive,” Willem said, shaking River’s hand and then escorting his wife to the main deck.

  The moment Pippa was alone with River in the salon, the sexual tension swirling around them thickened and became almost unbearable. Almost. Determined to keep him at arm’s length, she put on a false smile. “What needs to be done before your guests arrive tomorrow?”

  “Not much. Checking the cabins and making sure they all have clean linens, towels and such. Want to help?”

  “Sure,” Pippa answered, relieved to have something to do. It was still way too early to go to bed and she dreaded being alone in her cabin even more than she dreaded succumbing to the crackling electricity running between the two of them.

  Every time he passed by her in the narrow hallway, her pulse ratcheted up another notch or two, until she wasn’t sure she could resist falling into his arms for one more second. It was best to cut this short. She made a show of yawning.

  “Sorry. I must be more tired than I thought. Would you mind if I went to bed?” she asked, one foot already headed toward the door.

  “No, go ahead.”

  Pippa retired to her cabin and took a deep breath. The urge to jump straight into River’s arms was so strong, so overwhelming, she had no idea how she’d resist doing it over the next week.

  She readied herself for bed and lay down with the lights off, fully expecting to fall asleep, but nothing. Her brain ran in circles. Not even reading a boring ebook called How to Organize Tiny Spaces helped. After a few hours, she gave up and wandered upstairs to the sundeck. She lay back against a lounge chair, staring up at a blanket of twinkling stars.

  Being on the boat and hearing talk about diving had left a sadness in her soul that didn’t want to leave. Before her mother’s death, life had been so good and she’d been so happy.

  Her father had never been at home much, but after her mother’s death he’d completely thrown himself into work and Pippa had realized just how lonely that huge house could get, despite the many servants working there.

  When she’d met Daniel, he’d been the missing piece she’d been searching for. He’d pretended to give her everything she wanted. Love. Friendship. Family. A sense of belonging.

  But it had all been a ruse to gain access to her father’s fortune and her social position. Her heart hurt because she now knew she’d been nothing more than a toy for him to conquer. The moment she’d accepted his proposal, he’d lost interest and had been on to someone else even during their honeymoon.

  “He used me,” she whispered into the darkness. And she’d allowed herself to be used for way too long, choosing to shut her eyes to his indiscretions, rather than stand up for herself. That had all ended though. It had taken her some time, but she’d finally found the courage to tell him she wanted a divorce. It had been a longtime coming.

  She gazed up at the stars, giving way to her emotions for a fraction of a second. That part of her life was over and she was moving on. She had found the courage to get rid of Daniel. Next, she would find the courage to conquer her biggest fear and then get on with her life.

  Chapter 13

  River checked the weather forecast one last time, made sure the oxygen tanks were full and stowed correctly, and then did a quick perusal of the dive equipment. It never paid to be careless
and since opening his own company and being responsible for strangers, he had become extremely safety conscious.

  He prided himself that he’d never had an emergency dive with a guest, and he intend it to stay that way. In River’s opinion most diving emergencies were a long time coming, usually due to reckless or careless behavior.

  His last task before retiring to bed was to plot the route for tomorrow and mark the place of several great diving locations where he wanted to drop anchor during the coming days. He’d done similar trips hundreds of times and knew this part of the Caribbean like his back of his hand.

  But despite his experience every cruise was unique. Wind, weather, ocean currents, even a huge cruise ship, all of this could alter the circumstances and force him to change his plans.

  River was still tired and wide-awake at once when he finally flopped onto the king-sized bed in the master suite. As soon as his mind was freed from the mundane tasks that had occupied it, thoughts of a certain blue-eyed brunette attacked him and sent heat rushing to his groin.

  It didn’t help to know that she was sleeping in the cabin next door. He tried to imagine how her face looked when she was asleep. The air conditioner hummed in his cabin, but the warmth of the Caribbean night lingered on his skin and he wondered what Pippa wore to bed.

  Would she sleep naked like he did? The image of her naked atop the white linens made him painfully erect. Why on earth did he have such a crush on the one woman he couldn’t have? Shouldn’t have.

  Restless, River sat up on the side of his bed and gazed out the window for a while. The master suite was at least triple the size of the other cabins and included a small sitting area, a desk, dresser, and wardrobe closet.