He’s leaving? Her breath hitched. Just when she was getting comfortable having him close. “How long will you be gone?”
“A week to ten days.”
The rat-tat of a knife on a glass sounded.
Aleen turned her attention away from Braden.
At the end of the table stood Colbert and Stefani. “We’re combining our kudos this time because we are so happy…” Stefani looked up into her husband’s eyes, blinked rapidly, and then dipped her head.
Colbert pulled her close. “To announce our family will expand next spring with the arrival of a new baby.”
Everyone crowded around the beaming couple to congratulate them. All of a sudden, Aleen felt like she didn’t belong. She started clearing dirty dishes and glasses, carrying a tall stack into the kitchen. When she turned back to get another handful, she was met with a tide of people coming indoors, led by a grinning Kaia.
“Presents time.”
Aleen couldn’t help but grin back at the happy little girl. “Yeah, presents.” She accepted the small hand held out in her direction and walked into the front room.
Kaia ran to the piano and bounced on her toes, reaching for a wrapped package.
“Maybe you should wait for everyone, Kaia.” Aleen settled into a spot next to a battered leather hassock.
Braden eased through the crowd and plopped down on the hassock, then urged her to lean between his knees.
Kaia, the human paper shredder, plowed through the presents with squeals and giggles, hopping up after each one to give the appropriate person a hug or kiss. Watching her delight was contagious, and phone cameras came out to capture the fun. When Kaia opened the dress-up animals, she clapped both hands on her cheeks and her little mouth formed a perfect circle.
Braden snapped a picture with his phone. “That was awesome.”
Several people shouted out, “Send me a copy.”
Kaia jumped into Aleen’s lap and wrapped chubby arms around her neck. “Oh thanks, Miss Aleen. This is my bestest present.”
Her throat grabbed tight and Aleen could only whisper, “You’re welcome, sweetie.” She didn’t dare look at Braden because she knew her gaze would give away too much. This time spent with his family was the best thing that had happened in a very long time.
Two hours later when Braden turned off the engine in front of her house, exhaustion hit, and she didn’t want to move from the cab. “Wow, that niece of yours is a bundle of energy.”
“You sure were great to play with her for so long.”
She rolled her head on the headrest to look at him. “I feel a bit guilty for not doing a speck of kitchen work.”
“First-time guests aren’t allowed to.”
“You said just family, but there must have been two dozen people.”
“That was nothing. Wait until Thanksgiving when the out-of-town relatives arrive.”
I hoped I’m invited. “Must get loud.”
He opened his door and jogged around to her side. “Let me escort you home.”
She clasped his hand and let him help her down. Her skin heated as he held tight all the way to the front porch. After she opened the door, she turned, suddenly unsure of what to say to the man who’d helped make her feel so…included. “Braden, I—”
He stepped close, his eyes narrowed, and he looked to both sides of the doorway. “What did I just hear?”
“I didn’t hear anything.”
“There it is again.” He brushed past her and headed toward the kitchen.
“An intruder?” She scurried after him, wondering if she should grab a candlestick or some type of weapon. As soon as she set foot in the kitchen, she heard “pretty boy” and “gimme kiss” from Tennille.
Braden spun and pointed an accusing finger. “Those birds do talk.”
“I’ve been training them.”
He took two long strides and caught her up in a tight hug. “I like the bird’s advice.” He lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers.
Gentle, then with more pressure, he moved his mouth over hers as if he tasted the last thing she’d eaten. Savored the malleable textures of warm skin and hotter tongue. Little nibbling bites ran along her lower lip. Blood pounded in her ears and excitement bubbled in her chest. Then she swayed as he set her away from his body.
“I’ve got to stop while I can. I’m leaving early tomorrow, but will text you soon as I get a free minute or two.” He winked, leaned close so their foreheads touched, and whispered, “Did I tell you daisies are my new favorite flower?”
The closing of the front door marked his exit, and she sagged against the wall.
How can I possibly miss him already?
Chapter Six
The next day, Aleen bounced between household chores and searching on genealogy websites, always wondering what Braden was doing. Mid-afternoon her phone chimed and she opened a picture that showed him pulling a rope on a big boat. The text read, tell me what I’m doing. P.S. use this number to answer. She turned to her laptop and found a video on sailing. After watching it several times, she texted back that he was hauling the sheet while tacking. And she was right.
Later that night, he texted and asked her how well she knew the constellations. He told her he’d be looking at Cassiopeia and thinking of her. She dashed to her computer to pull up a website showing constellations. After studying the computer screen, she went out into the yard and scanned the skies until she saw the distinctive W shape and texted him back. Weird, but he didn’t feel so far away because they were seeing the same night sky.
The next day while she pulled several maps at a professor’s request, she heard her phone chime and dashed across the room. The text contained only longitude and latitude coordinates. Knowing she couldn’t spare the time to investigate further, she just texted, Will answer tonight. Right after work that night, she drove to an electronics big box store and bought a tablet. This way she could access the information on a bigger screen on her lunch hour.
Within the first day of using the tablet, she didn’t know how she’d lived without one. He sent her cryptic nautical lines and she’d research to discover the entire sea poem. After the third or fourth one, she developed favorite poets and read more of their works throughout the day, on breaks and in line—whenever she could grab five minutes alone.
One morning, his text mentioned strong winds and high seas, and not to worry if he was silent. Of course, that day at every possible opportunity, she haunted the National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration and weather channel sites to determine the storm’s severity. How had she never known how horrible the weather over the ocean could be? She spent the day with a burning knot in her stomach.
After work, she drove to Providence and had dinner at the fish taco place where they’d been together. She even sat at the same table, which only made her miss Braden more. As she was leaving, a great sunset spread over the harbor with sun rays filtering through the masts and sails of the moored boats. She snapped a picture and sent it to Braden with the question, where am I right now? In the morning, she saw he’d responded at 1:47 AM. Storm passed, exhausted. Headed to Savannah for repairs. Return delayed. Fish tacos sound great but need sleep more. XO
He sent her a picture of a pod of dolphins escorting the boat, and she sent back a picture of Captain and Tennille. Not quite the same but he enjoyed it. To keep her mind occupied, she invited Mitzi on a Saturday cruise that ran along the shoreline of Narragansett Bay. Aleen made sure the picture Mitzi took had the gorgeous fall foliage behind her. Her text accompanying the pic was, Missing anything? His smart-aleck response was he couldn’t wait to get back to see the beautiful colors.
Her work days dragged like never before, and her evenings were spent on the computer, checking his location or the status of weather conditions or estimating how long before he’d be back.
The Wednesday before Halloween she grew nervous about his return. Ten days had passed and still no Braden. In one of her texts, she suggested attending t
he Midnight Organ Concert at Brown University on Halloween night. As she typed into the museum’s computer, she paid only partial attention to entering the document requests into the spreadsheet. When her phone vibrated against the desk, she snatched it up. But the number was a local one and she let the call go to voice mail. Ten minutes later, the phone vibrated again. Same number. “Hello?”
“Oh good, you picked up. This is Peggy from Master Gardeners.”
“What’s going on, Peggy?”
“The irrigation system has sprung a leak. Puddles are everywhere on the west side of the garden. Thankfully, the wood violets and roses aren’t affected yet. But they are vulnerable.”
Aleen gripped the phone. Overseeing the grounds was part of her responsibility as the renter. “I’ll contact a landscape company right away. How long will you be there?”
“Only another thirty minutes. I’ve got a dentist appointment.”
“Wonder if I can get someone out today.”
“Please try, Aleen. We don’t want to lose the heritage plants.”
Aleen touched base with her supervisor about the emergency, relaying her need to leave at a moment’s notice. He had a nephew in the landscape business and, within a couple calls, made the arrangements for a three o’clock appointment. As soon as she arrived home, she changed into jeans and a sweatshirt, then walked the perimeter of the garden and saw how the puddles had spread toward the middle area.
Knowing she needed to document the problem for the Manor Board of Directors, she used her tablet to take pictures and make notes. Because of the incline on the property, some of the water had drained down a slope. Using a fallen branch, she scraped the trench where the water trickled deeper and was rewarded with a stronger flow. After dashing to the other side of the garden, she scraped another trench to divert the water from the Manor.
Just outside the bounds of the formal gardens, the stick scraped something hard. At first, she figured she’d encountered a rock, but with repeated tapping she discovered the shape to be rectangular. Braden must have been right about a stable being here and she’d found the foundation stones. She dug deeper with the branch and a wide grin formed. Or maybe not.
The landscape contractor arrived and she had to stop her search. Most of the standing water had been diverted, and she displayed the pictures on her tablet so he could assess where the leak might be.
When Thursday came and went with only a brief text of homeward bound from Braden, Aleen worried her Halloween plans wouldn’t gel. But she was determined to attend the midnight concert, so she set out the pieces to the costume she’d created during the last two nights, laying them on the living room sofa. Over the past two weeks, she’d become intrigued by this passion Braden held for the ocean.
The sea-themed poems had seduced her into wanting to discover the solitude they promised. Viewing the constellations from her backyard had proved unsatisfying because of the city’s light pollution. The action shots of Braden on deck were always of him smiling and looking like he was having so much fun. She wanted to share that, and she’d created her costume to make clear that very statement. The tingles brought on by Fate’s Touch no longer scared her. Now, she anticipated the next time she’d be with Braden. Aleen could no longer deny that Zsofika’s prediction of her future being tied to the sea had come true.
****
Braden rushed across the Brown University campus. Eleven twenty was cutting the timing too close. He’d had to use every sailing trick he knew to bring the Wide Horizon into Providence Harbor a couple of hours after sunset. Repairs had taken longer than estimated, and they’d hit rough seas off the Outer Banks. A month ago, he would have argued with someone who said he’d change any aspect of his life for a woman. But these past two weeks had shown him how much he wanted the connection with Aleen to go deeper.
If his adventurous side worried her, then he’d emphasis his life’s other aspects. He’d share about the yachts he’d worked on, and the courses he taught at the International Yacht Restoration School. While focusing on the parts of his life that didn’t cause her pain, he could slowly woo her into being comfortable with his more adventurous side. As he hurried toward Sayles Hall, he ran a hand over his still-wet hair, smoothing down the waves, and re-positioned the stadium seat under his arm.
The line of those waiting for the doors to open at eleven-thirty wound around the building, and he scanned for a sight of Aleen. People wore all sorts of costumes and masks, which made finding her even tougher. He looked for her strawberry-blonde hair and was just about ready to start yelling her name.
“Braden?”
Turning, he spotted a pirate wench leaning out from the line. Her hair was covered by a black scarf, and huge gold rings decorated her ears. The white blouse exposed the tops of her shoulders and was cinched at her waist by a wide belt. Balloony pants tucked into the tops of shiny black knee boots, and she had a fake sword hanging at her side. He drew in a deep breath against the sudden lump in his throat. “Wow.” He dropped the cushion and grabbed her into an embrace, rocking her back and forth. “You look great.”
“I know why I chose my outfit, but what’s the message behind yours?”
He leaned back and connected with her gaze. “I’m demonstrating my responsible side. The Braden Williams who is more than a treasure hunter. I hold a certificate from IYRS and teach a couple of classes there.”
The line inched forward and Braden turned to the people behind them. “If the winds had been more cooperative, I’ve would have been right beside this wicked wench when she first entered the line.”
Nodding, Aleen jerked a thumb in his direction. “This man has just returned from a test run on the first yacht built under his direction.”
Open mouthed, Braden stared. “How did you know that?”
“I know how to research. Plus, Stefani is becoming quite a friend.”
They reached the entrance and slipped into the darkened Sayles Hall. Using the flashlight app on his cellphone, Braden guided them to a clear spot near the back and set down his cushion. “Glad I made it in time. I’ve meant to attend this concert before.”
Aleen snuggled against his side. “I came with a co-worker last year, but this is definitely better.”
At eleven fifty-five, a spotlight sparked on and highlighted the costumed organist seated in the balcony. At the stroke of midnight, melodic and haunting music came from the 3000+ pipe, twenty-five-ton organ. Creepy notes hung in the air followed by crashing chords. Braden leaned close to Aleen’s ear. “Each day I was gone, I missed you more, Daisy Girl.”
She linked her arm through his and squeezed. “Me, too, Sailor Man.”
“I need you closer.” He wrapped an arm around her back and helped her scoot in front of him. A whiff of grapefruit teased his nose. When she was settled against his chest with her head on his shoulder, he let out a sigh. Thinking back to his conversation with his father, he realized he’d found his treasure. This feels right. They stayed in this position through the concert, whispering inconsequential comments about the music. After the last note faded and the spotlight extinguished, they hung back, letting some of the crowd clear before they stood.
Aleen wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’m so glad we shared that beautiful music. Thanks for pushing the crew to get here.” Light from the exit door beckoned, and they emerged into the chilly night air.
“I’m not ready to leave you.”
“Good.” She leaned back her head and grinned. “I have something to show you.”
“Something more than this great costume? I have got to get a picture.”
After flashing a sly smile, she dug her fingers into a pouch dangling at her hip and drew out something shiny.
Her opened hand displayed a coin. He couldn’t believe the sight of a silver rupee with Undu, or possibly Persian, characters.
His hand shook as he reached for it, hefting the prize. Feels like real silver. Blood pounded in his ears. “Where did you get this?”
�
�A leak in the garden’s irrigation system uncovered what must have been a part of a treasure stash. You were right, Braden. The Manor was the correct property.”
He scooped her into his arms and turned a couple of circles. “Wahoo! You found Tew’s buried treasure.”
“What’s even better is, now I want to look for more.” Grinning, she grabbed hold of his biceps and squeezed. “You’ve made me see the ocean in a different way, and you unlocked my curiosity. Ask me that important question again.”
His thoughts raced for a moment, and then he grinned. “Will you go sailing with me?”
“Absolutely.”
Braden tossed back his head and laughed, so glad to know they had a chance at a relationship. “Oh Daisy Girl, I knew you were a pirate at heart.”
A word about the author...
After years spent in the administrative support field, Linda decided to exercise another part of her brain and write a novel. She loved reading romance and figured that's what she'd write. Easier said than done. After years of workshops and RWA chapter meetings, she finally saw her manuscripts place in contests. Twelve years after her first writing class, she sold a confession story. From that point on, she couldn't be stopped and is always pleased when her sweet contemporary and historical stories find homes.
With interests as widespread as baking, crocheting, watching dog agility matches, and reading thrillers by Swedish authors, Linda is the mother to four adult children and Grammie to two granddaughters. She currently lives in the southern California mountains with her husband of almost thirty-six years and their two spoiled, but much loved, dogs.
Visit her at:
www.lindacarroll-bradd.com
~*~
Other Available Titles:
A Legend Of Ireland
Dipping In A Toe
Dreams Of Gold
Lone Star Angel
On With The Show
Only For One Night
Stepping Out of Line
Ten Fantasy Wishes
Love Her Like
the Devil
Hauntings in the Garden, Volume Two Page 5