Falling For A Stranger

by Barbara Freethy

  "After one night of sex?"

  "I know it sounds crazy, but we had a connection that was more than physical. And I need to know what happened on the island. I haven't slept in a year and a half because of her. She's not out of my life until she answers my questions," he said with determination.

  "All right. I hope you like the answers."

  "So do I."

  "Look what I got," Aiden said, appearing back at the table with a heaping plate of chips, cheese and peppers. "Dig in."

  As they ate nachos and ordered another round of beers, the conversation drifted into other channels: the boat, the upcoming sailboat races, and finally to Aiden's wedding plans.

  "Do you have a date yet?" Drew asked as he washed down the last chip with a swig of beer.

  Aiden nodded. "August second, some church in the Presidio, and I forget where the reception is."

  "Don't let Sara hear you say that," Burke said dryly.

  "I won't," Aiden said with a grin. "Sara and Emma are having a fantastic time planning stuff, and the good thing about a double wedding is that I don't have to be involved. Sara goes to Em for advice on flowers and cakes. And vice versa. Max and I just sit back and say yes."

  "Not bad," Drew said with a nod.

  "Is Sara's dad happy about calling you his son-in-law?" Burke asked. "As I recall, he wasn't one of your bigger fans when you were growing up."

  Drew was curious to hear Aiden's answer. It was no secret that Aiden's father-in-law- to-be, Steven Davidson, had never been friendly to any of the Callaways. The families had lived next door for two decades, but Steven had always kept to himself, even more so after Sara's mother died.

  "He's surprisingly happy about it," Aiden said. "Although, I think that's partly due to the fact that I'm taking Sara off his hands."

  "I thought they were getting along better," Drew said.

  "They are. Steven is trying to be a father, which means a lot to Sara. She's always wanted more of a family."

  "Well, she's going to get more family than she wants when she marries into the Callaways," Drew said dryly.

  "Damn," Aiden said, his gaze now on the television screen. The Giants had just blown their chance in the bottom of the ninth. They were going into extra innings. "Miller can't hit for shit this season."

  "He'll be back," Burke said, shifting his chair so he could get a better view of the game. "He hit .360 last year."

  "What has he done for me lately?" Aiden asked.

  "You always give up on people too fast," Burke said.

  "And you'll ride a losing horse all the way back to the stable."

  Drew smiled to himself as Burke and Aiden jumped into an argument over the Giants' starting lineup. He'd mediated a lot of their battles, but today he was going to let them fight it out on their own. His mind was on Ria.

  If she worked for the yacht club, maybe he could get some information about her from the office.

  "I'll be right back," he muttered, although neither Aiden nor Burke were paying attention to him.

  He left the restaurant and walked down the hall to the office. The receptionist gave him a friendly smile.

  "Can I help you?" she asked.

  "I was wondering about your sailing lessons."

  "We have lessons to fit every ability level. Are you a beginner?"

  "Intermediate. I think I saw a female instructor out on the docks…"

  "That was probably Tory Harper. She's excellent and a seasoned sailor. She's sailed all over the world."

  "Sounds perfect. Does she have any openings?"

  The woman moved to her computer. "Let's see. When would you want to take the lesson?"

  "What is the first available?"

  "Tomorrow afternoon at four o'clock. It's an hour slot."

  "I'll take it."

  "Name?"

  He paused, wondering if Ria would check the schedule. He decided to play it safe. Since she'd used a fake name, he would, too. "Tim Roberts," he said, adding his own cell number to the reservation.

  "Great. Tory will meet you at the dock," the woman said with a smile. "Have fun."

  "I intend to." He couldn't wait to see Ria's face when he showed up for his lesson.

  Chapter Six

  She'd handled Drew all wrong, Ria thought, as she got off the bus and walked down the street to her apartment building. She'd been so shocked to see him, she'd veered from the script she'd so carefully composed and instead lied like an amateur. He'd immediately seen through her, and she wasn't surprised. His intelligence and quick brain had been one of the things that had drawn him to her, not to mention his sexy smile and strong, masculine body.

  She drew in a deep breath in an attempt to calm her racing heart. But the adrenaline rushing through her veins was overwhelming and her instinct to flee was taking over. Leaving San Francisco today was her best option, but there was no way Megan would leave before the prom. It was one week away, and it would break her heart to miss it. Megan had already had too much heartbreak, and the last thing Ria wanted to do was make her niece unhappy again.

  So she would wait, at least until after the prom. Then she would reevaluate and have a long heart-to-heart talk with Megan, because she was coming to realize that the shy, terrified fifteen-year-old who'd come to live with her a year and a half ago was not the increasingly more confident sixteen-year-old who seemed to have locked her past away along with her old name. Megan wanted to be normal. And she was doing everything she could to forget that her life was anything but routine.

  Ria knew it was probably a coping mechanism and a part of her wished she could compartmentalize so well, but she couldn't. Megan might be able to put away the fear, but she couldn't, because it was her job to protect Megan. She had to stay vigilant and get rid of any threats to their safety, which meant she had to get rid of Drew.

  A little sigh escaped her lips at that thought. In any other time, any other place, she would have loved to see him again. She'd never forgotten their night together, and today she'd been reminded in glorious detail just how attractive he really was. His brown hair was longer now, and he'd lost the painful shadows in his eyes that had been so prevalent the night they'd met. He'd been getting out of the Navy then, leaving friends and memories behind to move forward. Apparently, that step forward had been a good one for him. Standing on the docks, he'd looked vibrant, alive, sexy as hell.

  It had physically hurt to look at him, to lie to him, and then tell him to go. But she'd done what she had to do, and apparently she would have to do it again tomorrow. She could skip the meeting, but she wanted her necklace back, and he already knew where she worked. Her jacket had been a dead giveaway.

  So her new plan was to meet him, get her necklace, try not to act so wary or scared, and hope that he would just accept that there was nothing wrong. She knew her story had triggered his protective instincts, and as much as she would like a protector, she couldn't do that to Drew. She would protect him by keeping him as far away as possible.

  With that resolve, she walked up the steps to her apartment building and inserted her key in the lock. As usual, she glanced over her shoulder before making her way inside the building. There was no one else out on the quiet street, no one sitting in a car, no one who appeared to be watching her.

  She paused in the lobby to open her mailbox. There were only a few pieces of junk mail, all addressed to previous tenants. She tossed them into a recycle bin. As she turned toward the elevator, the front door opened, and Amelia Barrows walked in. An attractive brunette in her mid thirties, Amelia was her next-door neighbor and was a widow with a twelve-year-old daughter named Beth. Beth suffered from chronic asthma and respiratory infections, and Amelia worked two jobs to pay for all the medical bills.

  While Ria had tried hard not to make friends, Amelia had been insistent on getting to know her and Megan. They'd bonded over the pressure of having to raise girls on their own. Ria had told Amelia that Megan was her younger sister, and that their parents were dead. It wasn't as big a
lie as the others, but it was necessary. She didn't want anyone coming around asking about an aunt and a niece.

  "You okay?" Amelia asked, her sharp gaze raking Tory's face. "You're pale. I hope you're not getting that stomach bug that's going around."

  "No, I'm fine," she said, but as she closed the mailbox, her hand shook.

  "You don't look fine." Amelia paused. "You can talk to me, Tory. I know that you like to lead a very private life, and I respect that, but if you ever need a friend, you have one. I hope you know that."

  "Thanks," she said, seeing the kindness in Amelia's eyes. "I just ran into someone I wasn't expecting to see, but it's going to be fine."

  "Is he the person you're running from?" Amelia asked.

  Surprise shot through Tory. "What do you mean?"

  "Okay, I know I just said I'd respect your privacy, but I've been thinking for a while that you're hiding out from someone. Maybe someone who hurt you or Megan."

  Apparently, she wasn't as good a liar as she thought. "Why would you think that?"

  "Because you're always looking over your shoulder. When we get coffee, you sit so you're facing the door. When your phone rings, you tense."

  "This man didn't hurt me," she said, not addressing the rest of Amelia's statement.

  "So what's the problem?"

  She shrugged. "It wasn't the right time when we were together, and it's not the right time now. I was startled to see him, that's all."

  "Did you love him?"

  The question hit her hard. She'd been reluctant to analyze her feelings about the man who showed up in so many of her dreams. "I wouldn't go that far," she said slowly. "I liked him. I liked him a lot. But we really didn't know each other."

  "Maybe it was love at first sight."

  "I don't know if I believe in that."

  "I do. When there's magic, you know it, right from the start." Amelia gave her a long look. "So why isn't it the right time now? You don't have anyone in your life that I've seen. And you deserve to be happy. Just because you're raising your little sister doesn't mean you can't have a man, too."

  "A man would complicate things."

  "Maybe in a good way. You haven't gone on a date since you moved in here."

  "I'm off men for the moment." She pushed the button for the elevator.

  "Well, I'm not. I had a great first date last night."

  "Megan said you came home in a good mood." Megan had babysat for Beth the previous evening, which had been fun for both of the girls. Beth got to hang out with an older teenager, and Megan got to make a little of her own money and just be a normal teen for a few hours. Of course, Ria had kept a very close eye on both of them.

  Amelia smiled. "It was easier than I expected. We didn’t have any of those awkward silences. I probably talked way too much, but you know me. I can't shut up, especially when I'm nervous."

  "I'm glad it went well," she said as they stepped on to the elevator.

  "So well it scared me a little. It's been three years since Carl died, and I've only slept with one other guy in all that time, and that was a disaster. But when I was with Steve last night, I was—interested."

  Ria smiled. "Interested is good, isn't it?"

  "If he calls me again," Amelia said as they got off the elevator and walked down the hall.

  "I'm confident that he will call." She stopped in front of her door. "I'll see you later."

  "Sure. Can I just say one thing, Tory?"

  "What's that?"

  "There's never a right time to fall in love. Sometimes you just have to let it happen. Risk your heart."

  Unfortunately, there was a lot more than her heart at risk.

  * * *

  Ria spent Sunday trying to concentrate on her sailing lessons and not think about her upcoming meeting with Drew. For the most part, it worked. She loved sailing, and it was a beautiful day on a bay that was crowded with boats, so she had to pay attention. But as she prepared for her last lesson of the day, she couldn't seem to quiet the uneasy, nervous feeling of anticipation that ran through her every time she thought about Drew.

  She grabbed her schedule and checked the name of her next student in an attempt to distract herself. It was a new student, which meant more time at the dock going over instructions and less time on the water. But new students turned into repeat customers, so she would make sure he had a great experience.

  She glanced down the docks, seeing a man approaching. As he drew closer, her nerves tightened both in warning and in anticipation. It was Drew dressed in faded jeans, a gray t-shirt and a black jacket. He had on aviator glasses and damn if he wasn't the sexiest man she'd ever seen—a real heart breaker.

  He had the cocky, confident walk of a man who knew what he wanted and knew how to get it. Which was exactly what he'd said about her at their first meeting. He hadn't been wrong, but what she wanted to do with him and what she needed to do were two different things.

  "You're early," she said, as he hopped aboard. "We're not meeting until five. I have a lesson now."

  "I'm your next lesson."

  "You're not Tim Roberts."

  "I thought you might find a way to push me off on another teacher if you knew it was me, so I gave my friend's name."

  She frowned. "What's this about, Drew? I said I would meet you at five."

  "I wanted more time, so I bought an hour. I want to talk to you."

  "I can't use this boat to talk. It belongs to the yacht club."

  "Then I'll take a sailing lesson. It will probably come in handy anyway. My brothers and I are buying a sailboat, and it's been a long time since I sailed."

  She frowned, considering her options. "Find another teacher."

  "Why?" he challenged. "Aren't you good enough to teach me?"

  "I'm a great teacher, but it will be awkward."

  "You know what's awkward?" he asked, taking a step closer to her.

  She had to fight the urge to back up. "What?"

  "This conversation." He took off his sunglasses, and gave her a hard look. "Let's not pretend we're strangers, Ria."

  "I agreed to meet you so you could give me my necklace. That's it."

  "You get your necklace back after we talk. What's the big deal? You're here to give a lesson. I'm here to take one." He paused, cocking his head to the right as he gazed into her eyes. "Why are you afraid of me? We had a good time together. It was actually better than good; it was amazing."

  "I'm not afraid of you. I've just moved on," she said, trying to force a casual note in her voice. She'd told herself she would play things differently today but cool and casual had gone out the window when Drew surprised her by showing up early. That was the problem with the man; he was always knocking her off balance.

  "Okay, you've moved on," he said evenly. "Do we need to be enemies?"

  "Do we need to be friends?" she countered. "We spent one night together. We barely know each other."

  "I thought we got to know each other pretty well."

  She swallowed hard as his gaze swept across her face and fell to her breasts. She couldn't help moving the clipboard in front of her chest. She needed some sort of barrier.

  His eyes met hers. "Too late. I've seen every inch of your beautiful body."

  Her cheeks warmed with remembered intimacy. "Don't make this so hard."

  "You're the one who's doing that. So let's get this boat out on the water. I'm sure you don't want to tell your boss why you don't want to take me out."

  She was cornered and they both knew it. "Fine. I'll give you the lesson, but for the next hour, I'm only answering questions about sailing. Take it or leave it."

  "I'll take it."

  * * *

  Drew smiled with satisfaction as Ria gave in to his request. He'd just bought himself an hour of her time—literally, and he intended to make the most of every minute. Despite his agreement not to ask questions about the past, he wasn't leaving today without a better understanding of what had happened to her on the island, and why she'd needed to m
ake a new start.

  "So how much do you already know about sailing?" Ria asked.

  "The basics. My grandfather used to take me out on his boat when I was a kid, the same boat my brothers and I are buying. He's decided his days on the bay are over."

  "Why is that?"

  "My grandmother has Alzheimer's. and my grandfather spends most of his time taking care of her."

  "Oh, I'm sorry. That's too bad."

  He heard the distracted note in her voice and knew she wasn't paying him any attention; she was still trying to come up with a way to get him off of her boat. "Are you?" he asked.

  "What?" She gave him a confused look.

  "Are you sorry? Are you even listening to me or are you planning your escape?"

  Her gaze met his. "You mentioned something about your grandmother."

  "Yeah, she's losing her mind. It's hard to watch."

  This time he could see compassion in her eyes when she said, "That must be difficult."

  "It's unimaginable. My grandparents have been devoted to each other for more than fifty years. They can finish each other's sentences. They're each a half of a whole. One without the other doesn't work." As he finished speaking, he realized how true his words were, and he was assailed by a feeling of overwhelming sadness. His grandfather was already sinking. What would happen when his grandmother was all the way gone?

  "That's an amazing relationship," Ria said. "I've never known anyone who was married fifty years. That's quite an accomplishment."

  "Neither one of them would ever walk away from their vows. It's not who they are."

  "It doesn't sound like they were even tempted."

  "Well, I don't know if I can go that far; my grandfather isn't the easiest man to be around, but she seems to handle his short-temper and demanding personality without a qualm. Anyway, I'm buying his boat with a couple of my brothers."

  "What kind of boat is it?"

  "It's a thirty-foot J boat. It has a sleeping berth, galley, and according to my brother made for cruising and racing."

  "You're planning to race?"

  "Possibly. Have you ever raced?"

  "Lots of times," she said. "So your boat is much bigger than this one, but the basics are still the same. Let's start with the safety instructions. And don't try to tell me they're not necessary," she added, putting up a cautioning hand. "New students always get safety instructions. It's club policy."