“Then I’m thankful to your momma. And to you,” she said, looking into his deep-blue eyes, which were lined with thick, long lashes. Lashes too pretty to belong to a man.
He gave a tight nod. “No problem.”
If the universe demanded that someone be her hero today, why did it have to be him? Anyone but him would’ve sufficed. She groaned inwardly.
In high school, she’d had a love-hate thing when it came to him. He was handsome and popular. All the girls made eyes at him. And what did she do? She’d whacked him over the head with a book! Granted, he deserved it for embarrassing her in front of the entire class, but still.
But she wasn’t the same person now, she reminded herself. She’d put that episode—and that time of her life—behind her.
“So what have you been up to?” he asked, then downed a long swig of his water.
Her gaze took in the play of his jaw and the way his throat worked as he swallowed. She shifted in her seat a little. “Well, I live in Baja California, Mexico.”
“Really? That sounds exotic.”
“I’m a medical-research scientist.”
“Oh.”
She didn’t miss the lift of his brow, but he followed up quickly with, “I’m not surprised. In what specialty?”
“Genetic, genomics, and bioinformatics.”
“Where’d you study?”
“Harvard. In the end I’m not sure it was the best choice, but at the time it was ranked the highest in my specialty.”
He nodded. “How do you like living in Baja?”
“I love it. I live near the Rosarito area. It’s beautiful there. On the weekends some friends and I like to go parasailing along the Pacific cliffs. Then we lunch at a local restaurant, Carne Asada Restaurante. Absolutely yummy food! On calm days, we go boating. There’s always something to do.”
He angled his head back and glanced at her through narrowed eyes. “Parasailing? Really?”
She laughed. “You didn’t know I had an adventurous streak, did you?”
“No. Sounds like a great place to live, though. I’ve never thought of living outside the States. Why Mexico?”
“Baja isn’t far from the border. I chose that company due to the research they do and their regulations are more appealing than in the United States. My team and I recently developed a procedure that shows definite promise in curing MS.”
“That’s fantastic. I always thought you’d make some kind of contribution to the world.”
“Hmm, I never—” The sound of a motorboat approaching had them both turning to look. She was about to say she’d never figured he’d given her a second thought.
Probably for the best.
They both stood as the towing service pulled up alongside the Sundancer.
A strong breeze had developed and the waves kicked up into rolling swells. Harper lost her balance, stumbling, and Sully caught her against his chest. She quickly pulled back, forcing her feet to stand still. She cleared her throat and tilted her head toward the motorboat.
Sully looked over at the driver. “Hey,” he called over the sound of the engine. “Harper, this is Robert from Mimosa Marina. I’ve gotten to know him over the four or so years I’ve been renting sailboats there.”
“Pleased to meet you,” she shouted. “Thanks for coming to my rescue.”
Sully grabbed the rope Robert tossed him and loosely tied the boats together while Robert came aboard. They quickly showed Robert the problem with the Sundancer.
“Yeah,” Robert said, “It seems to be something electrical. There’s a mechanic back at the marina who can take a look at it.”
Harper nodded.
“How about riding back with me?” Sully asked her. “Robert, you can check her boat into the shop without her, right?”
The man shrugged. “Sure.”
Harper worried her lip as she thought. She wouldn’t mind taking the sailboat, and even though Sully sometimes made her uncomfortable, he was familiar compared to total strangers.
“Okay,” she said. “I guess we can follow up with the mechanic when we arrive.” She snatched her tote bag with her wallet and personal things from where she’d stowed it next to the seat and dropped her cell phone inside.
Sully smiled, offering his hand to guide her onto his sailboat while Robert and his assistant readied the Sundancer to be towed. She grabbed a seat on a bench on the port side and watched Sully put up the sails. He took the wheel and guided the boat to catch the wind. She had to admit he looked quite handsome at the helm.
Her heart did a silly double-thumping thing in her chest. No. Surely, it wasn’t high school all over again…
Chapter Two
With the sails up and drawing, a good ten to fifteen knots southerly wind had them up and moving quickly as the boat gently leaned in and found her stride. Tacking back and forth, he headed upwind back toward the marina. The boat essentially steered herself requiring mild tension on the steering wheel and needed only the slightest touch to keep her on course.
Sully wished the same easy touch applied to him—and his flipping heart. Holy shit, he was tense and nervous, his palms sweaty in a way that had nothing to do with the Florida heat. For some reason, Harper was making him anxious and excited and uncertain. All characteristics that were foreign to him.
Perhaps he was intimidated by her obvious career success. She had continued in her brainiac endeavors after high school and had actually contributed something to society. Whereas he… Well, he was just a singer. Frivolous entertainment. They weren’t in the same league at all.
Not that he regretted the choices he’d made. He didn’t. Singing was what he was meant to do. He made people feel good. He allowed them to let go of their everyday troubles and just enjoy music.
It’s just that, well, oil and water didn’t mix. He rolled off people in passing; she was the necessary element needed to survive. He laughed to himself that he’d thought of them as a science-related analogy, even if it was cliché.
Did she even know he made his living singing? He’d enjoyed listening to her so much earlier that they hadn’t talked about what he did.
“Ok, I’ve become a sailing fan,” she said, jerking him back to reality. “It’s so quiet and peaceful.”
“Exactly. Plus, I like that the sailor actually controls the process. How well someone handles the sails changes the experience dramatically.”
“Hmm. I’d say you’re pretty good, then.” She pressed her lips together as if she would say more, but didn’t.
“Thanks. I like to get on the water as often as possible.”
When they reached past the breakwater and approached the marina, he tried to eke out every last drop of enjoyment of their ride before getting back to reality.
As soon as the boat was tucked into her slip, Harper called her friend—evidently the owner of the boat she was using—and filled him in, letting him know she was safe but the boat would need maintenance.
“I’ll call you as soon as I know what the problem is,” she said into the phone before disconnecting.
“The marina office is this way,” Sully told her, pointing as they walked in the proper direction. Then he nodded toward where her boat was tied up. “Looks like they made it back before we did.”
Harper adjusted her satchel over her shoulder. “I hope it’s an easy fix.”
They strolled along the wooden walk, the sound of their steps echoing off the weathered boards. The harbor office, a bait and tackle shop with snack concession space were in the white building straight ahead. When they reached the door sporting the sign Mimosa Marina Office above it, he motioned for Harper to enter before him. Robert’s assistant sat behind the counter, sipping a root beer from a glass bottle.
Barefoot Bay always did have a way of suspending time, Sully reminisced.
He wrapped his knuckles on the counter. “Hey, Josh. Any update on the Sundancer?”
“No,” Robert said, answering for Josh as he came up behind the front desk. “The mechanic had already
left for the day by the time we returned. I’ll have him look at it first thing in the morning,” Robert said. “It looks like you’re going to have to spend the night here on the island, miss. And we unfortunately don’t have shore power—all those slips are taken.”
“Oh great. So staying on my boat isn’t an option? Nothing will have vacancies at the last minute.”
Robert frowned. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Sully jumped in. “I’m sure we’ll find something. I’m staying at Casa Blanca Resort & Spa. We’ll start there.”
“Right. Okay.” She looked at Robert. “You have my cell number and information. Please let me know when you hear anything.”
He nodded.
“Thanks, Robert.” Sully waved and escorted Harper to his car. He checked his watch: 6:00 p.m. He had two hours before he had to be onstage. The owners were good friends of his and this was a special gig he did for them. Something he’d started years ago before he’d “made it.” “Let’s go see what Lacey can do for us.”
“Lacey?”
“Oh, sorry. Lacey Walker. She owns Casa Blanca.”
Harper raised a brow. “You’re on a first-name basis with the resort owner?”
They both slid into the car and buckled up. “Yes. She and her husband Clay are awesome. Very friendly people.”
Her head fell back against the head rest, appearing a little relieved.
“What?” he asked. “You thought I had a thing going on with the owner?”
“Yes. No.” She grimaced. “I guess I was just thrown back to high school for a minute there.”
“Point taken. I suppose I was a real jerk back then.”
She gave him a silent stare, as if she wasn’t willing to add a comment.
He got it, though. As a teen, he had thought he was God’s gift to girls. They liked him; he liked them. His years in college and then in LA had softened him in that regard. In California everyone was talented and good-looking. Besides, he’d mellowed with age. Now he saw the superficial crap for what it was—crap. Other things were more important. It was much better to hang with friends and family than be worshiped for fame and fortune.
“I think you’ll like the resort. It’s very low-key, everyone keeps to themselves, and there’s a lot of privacy. There are events available for guests who want the activities, but for the most part you’re on your own. Just peace and quiet.”
“Yes, peace and quiet is what I was going for.” A dreamy expression of longing swept across her face.
Sully tensed, an ache forming in his chest. Would she be upset if he kept her from her solitude? He didn’t want to go yet. He wanted to get to know her a lot better.
* * *
Harper got in the metallic-blue Camaro convertible, and Sully trundled the top down. Now that was an awesome touch, she had to admit.
She tried to relax as they drove, the wind blowing through her hair. But the ride wasn’t nearly as serene as the sailboat, and she couldn’t help the tinge of resentment that her vacation hadn’t gone as planned.
Her boat ride hadn’t resumed as expected. She was not docked at a secluded island free of automobiles and noise. And she was not alone. Over half her allotted vacation time would be gone already by the time she got to her intended destination—if she got there. And most disconcerting of all, she’d been rescued by an old heartthrob. She flinched at the sound of that word in her head.
He’d barely known she’d existed in high school, so the romantic imagery was completely one-sided, of course. She’d made a fool of herself back then, and she had no intention of repeating the mistake.
“Barefoot Bay has almost everything you could want,” he said as they drove.
“Solitude?”
“I’m sure it does. I’ve just never searched it out. I get that out on the boat.” He flicked a glance at her and smiled.
“Yes, I know what you mean. That was my plan, too.”
They drove past a baseball complex. “Gee, they even have a training facility?” she asked, surprised.
“Nice, huh?” He navigated a few curves in the road before turning down a long, elegant drive with a sign pointing to Casa Blanca Resort & Spa. “A little bit of everything, like I said.”
“If this place is as terrific as you say it is, then there won’t be a vacant room.”
“We’ll worry about that bridge when we come to it,” he said with a hint of the southern drawl that used to make her knees weak.
He pulled the car up to the main entrance, put it in park, and swiftly came around and opened her door. A small bubble of warmth floated through her at his thoughtfulness. She swept her hair behind her ear and eased a step away from him, feeling a little nervous. He didn’t seem to notice as he reached in the trunk to get her carry-on-sized bag. The valet attendant offered to take it, but Sully declined. He tossed the guy the car keys instead.
As they walked into the lobby, Sully slid his hand over the small of Harper’s back, his fingers brushing along her spine. She tried not to notice. It was no doubt a commonplace touch for him, but certainly not for her. As a matter of fact, it made her painfully aware of how deprived she was in the intimacy department. That sort of closeness simply hadn’t ever been important to her.
Or maybe she just hadn’t met the right person.
As soon as the thought flew into her mind, she squashed it. She knew it could be true, but that’s because she didn’t date often. And group dating didn’t count. She had a bunch of friends and colleagues who got together regularly on weekends. They enjoyed hiking and boating, parasailing and drone flying, restaurant hopping. But the When Harry met Sally kind of dating? No.
And right now, she wanted to stop dead in her tracks and concentrate on the luscious feeling of his hand on her back. Instead, she kept placing one foot in front of the other until they reached the check-in counter.
She swallowed a sudden spurt of anxiety.
A receptionist approached them with a bright smile. “Good evening, Mr. McGlamery. How may I help you?”
“My friend has found herself unexpectedly having to stay the night on the island. Do you happen to have a room available?”
The woman twisted her lips to one side. “Hmm.”
Harper watched as the clerk went through the motions of checking, but her expression said she already knew they were full. Most likely she’d been asked the same thing by numerous people over the course of the day.
“I’m sorry, sir. We don’t have a single room.”
Sully tensed, and Harper placed a palm on his arm. “It’s okay. I can find another place, or even look on the mainland.”
Sully glanced over his shoulder at the clerk, thanked her, and guided Harper off to the side of the lobby. She was thankful he didn’t make a scene. Which was exactly what the younger Sully would have done.
“Look,” he said in a low tone, “I have a three-bedroom villa. You’re welcome to room there.”
“Three bedrooms for one person?” Harper inquired, not really expecting a response, but at the same time wondering why he would need so much space. She shook her head. “No, I don’t want to impose.”
“I didn’t suggest it earlier because I didn’t want it to seem like a come on,” he explained. “But under the circumstances, I think it’s the practical thing to do.”
She skipped right over the “practical” comment and circled back to his “come on” remark. A flush crept up into her cheeks. She couldn’t recall anyone ever using that term in connection with her. She angled her head back and stared at the gorgeous three-story-high lobby ceiling. An image of him tossing her on the bed and making passionate love to her flickered through her mind. Harper gasped audibly. She couldn’t believe the outlandish detour her thoughts had just taken. She brought her chin down, looking off to the right and avoiding eye contact with Sully. She could tell he was looking at her funny, though. She did, after all, just gasp for no apparent purpose.
“You’re right, of course,” she said. “Reason dic
tates you have a perfectly good room I can make use of.”
“Exactly.”
She finally looked at him. Their eyes met. “Thank you,” she said, her voice sounding husky even to her own ears.
He made a soft throat-clearing sound. “Good. Now that that’s settled, shall we go?”
His beachfront villa was tucked in the back of the resort, a ways from the main building. Once inside, Sully gave her a quick once around the stunning space, including the private screened pool.
“Oh my gosh, this place is unbelievable. A perfect getaway.”
He showed her to her bedroom, then disappeared out the door saying, “I have to do some work. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable, order room service, whatever you’d like. I’ll catch up with you later.”
A little dumbfounded, she nodded. Much to her embarrassment, she realized they hadn’t spoken much about him at all today. He kept turning the conversation back to her. She didn’t even know what his occupation was or if and where he went to college. She promised herself she’d find out.
In the meantime, food sounded good. But a shower seemed even better. She stood beneath the forceful spray for what felt like hours. Afterward, she dressed in a loose shift. It went to the ankles but was more like something she’d wear over a swimsuit than anything else. But she hadn’t planned on being in public—or anyone’s company, for that matter.
She walked over to the bed and let herself fall back against the plush mattress. She was exhausted. Maybe she’d close her eyes just for a few minutes…
* * *
Harper awoke and glanced at the bedside clock. She’d been asleep for an hour. Good heavens. Slowly, she rose and padded through the suite, realizing Sully wasn’t there. With a shrug, she put on a dab of lipstick and mascara, grabbed her purse and headed out the door. Ordering room service would take a while, so she decided to forgo that and check out the dining room.
She had a spring in her step as she made her way to the main building. The nap had revived her, even if it was accidental. She entered the dining room, and music immediately found her ears. Someone was singing, and he had an absolutely fabulous voice. It sounded like it was coming from the bar. Unable to resist, she headed toward it and found a table near the small stage. As she sat, the performer seemed to be between numbers. Good, she didn’t interrupt his performance. With a flick of her hand, she snagged a waiter to quickly order some chicken fingers and fries, and a martini. A meal she rarely got at home in Baja.
Barefoot Bay: Come Sail Away (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 2