by Joanna Neil
‘Um, no, I haven’t.’ Lacey frowned, trying to work out an alternative getaway strategy. Would she do better to wind her way through the crowded living room, or would that attract even more attention?
‘We can soon remedy that.’ Ben’s hand slid beneath her elbow and he began to gently turn her in the direction of the bar.
‘Well, actually, I was thinking of leaving…’ Lacey started to turn away. ‘I only planned on dropping by for an hour or so.’
Ben lightly sucked in his breath. ‘I doubt Jake would forgive me if I let you slip away without him being able to see you to your door. You’re his neighbour, aren’t you? I overheard him introducing you to people when I was over by the bar. Besides, you can’t think of leaving until you’ve let me get you a drink.’ He laid a hand lightly in the small of her back.
‘What’s going on here, Ben?’ Jake asked, his tone dry as he walked through the open glass doors and came towards them. ‘Are you making a play for my girl? I might have known you wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation. I can’t leave you alone for five minutes.’
Lacey caught her breath. My girl? It was difficult enough for her to get herself back on an even keel without him saying things like that. And she certainly hadn’t expected to see him again this evening. Her retreat had been in motion and now all her plans were shot to pieces, thanks to Ben’s intervention.
As for Jake, he seemed to be back to his normal self and he wasn’t giving a hint as to what had gone on between them either by look or gesture.
The two men eyed each other like friendly adversaries, and she guessed each of them was well aware of the other’s thoughts and likely moves.
‘Make a play for her? As if I would do that,’ Ben retorted with a crooked smile. ‘I was just persuading her to try one of the smugglers’ specials. After all, we can’t have a celebration of our activities without drinking to the felons who used to live on the Keys and ply their illegal trade, can we?’
Lacey’s eyes widened a little, and Jake commented lightly, ‘See what you’ve done now, Ben? Her mind’s ticking over and she’s beginning to think we’re involved in all sorts of nefarious activities.’
‘Ah, well, there’s the thing…’ Ben gave a wicked grin. ‘I always felt there was a dangerous excitement in diving for treasure. It kind of gets the blood racing, don’t you think?’
‘It’s certainly dangerous.’ Jake’s comment was softly spoken, his blue-grey gaze overcast as a shadow flitted over his usually cheerful expression. Lacey looked from one to the other in bewilderment.
‘I’m lost,’ she said, all thoughts of escape driven from her mind. ‘What are you both talking about?’
‘Come and try a Rum Runner and I’ll explain,’ Jake murmured, shaking off his introspection and ushering her towards the bar.
The bartender mixed the drink, adding ice to a glass, then pouring over it equal measures of pineapple and orange juice, blackberry liqueur, banana liqueur and topping that with a generous measure of rum. Finally, he added a splash of grenadine and a slice of orange.
Jake handed Lacey the long glass, inviting her to taste the mixture. ‘This goes way back to the days of prohibition,’ he murmured, ‘when smugglers used to bring in beer and rum from Cuba to the Keys and stash it away in basement hiding places. Of course, your people, the British, weren’t entirely innocent in all this… They helped us out by sending along their own contributions—whisky, rye and Scotch.’
‘I’m not having this slurring of my good name,’ she said, raising a brow. ‘That was way before my time, and I’m sure we’d never do such a thing now.’ She sent him a mischievous look from under her lashes. ‘Mind you, seeing all this wealth and opulence around me, I expect you’d have a hard time denying that your ancestors were involved in some way.’
He let that ride, his mouth making a rueful twist, while Lacey sipped her drink. It was deliciously fruity, and it packed quite a punch. Heat pooled in her abdomen and spread slowly throughout her body. ‘Whoo-hoo…’ she said. ‘I can see why these are popular.’
Jake laughed. ‘They’re especially good if you don’t have to drive home.’
‘Or dive in the morning,’ Ben put in. ‘I’m thinking I shall have to put it off until the weekend.’
Lacey frowned. ‘So you weren’t kidding when you mentioned diving for treasure? What’s that all about?’
‘You don’t know?’ Ben looked surprised. ‘I imagined Jake must have told you all about it. That’s partly why he holds these get-togethers, to raise money for the diving expeditions…or at least, that’s the reason for some of the parties. People sign up for shares in the company.’
‘Company?’ She shook her head. ‘I’m still confused. Are you saying that you dive for treasure and get to keep the proceeds? What treasure?’
‘The Keys are renowned for the number of ships that foundered in the waters around here,’ Jake explained. ‘Especially Spanish galleons from the sixteenth century onwards. They sank because they were caught up in hurricanes, or were dashed against the coral reefs, or maybe simply because their captains were unaware how treacherous the waters could be around here.’
‘And many of the ships carried hoards of silver and gold—and sank to the bottom of the sea,’ Ben tacked on. ‘Which is where Jake’s grandfather found his fortune. He spent years searching for wrecks, and eventually his hard work paid off.’
‘Of course, the treasure is all classed as belonging to the state these days,’ Jake said, ‘so you need permits for everything, and the state decides what you can keep.’
‘Except that Jake’s grandfather established his claim before it became law,’ Ben explained, ‘and he secured all the rights to his find. So he established a company, and now the company’s divers search the wreck site and take shares in any finds they make. Of course, there will always be those people who don’t like to take the legal route. They’ll dive without permits and try to smuggle out anything they find. Some of the hoards are worth a small fortune.’
Lacey stared at Jake. ‘I’m lost for words,’ she said. No wonder he had that wicked, devilish streak about him. It went back to the days of rumrunners and treasure hunters and ran through his blood like a rich, red wine.
‘So, do you dive at the sites of the wrecks?’ she asked him. ‘Is that why I see you going out in the boats most days?’
He shook his head. ‘I used to.’ His features tightened momentarily, but then he recovered himself and added, ‘Nowadays I prefer to go out and do a bit of fishing, or sometimes I’ll scubadive simply for pleasure. Have you ever tried it?’
She nodded. ‘I have…when I’ve been on holiday sometimes, but never actually around here.’
‘Then you must let me take you. The underwater coral reefs here are beautiful and not to be missed.’
Lacey frowned. The casual invitation had caught her completely unawares. Was he trying to change the subject and divert attention from the treasure seeking?
His gaze skimmed over her as she sipped her drink. ‘How about we make a trip out there on Saturday? I’ll pick you up and we’ll try out my new boat.’
‘It’s finished?’ Her eyes widened. ‘You must have put some hours in to manage that.’
‘Yes, I have.’ He smiled. ‘So, do we have a date?’
She shook her head. After the way she had fallen for temptation earlier, it would be sheer folly to ask for more of the same, wouldn’t it? It would just prove that she had no common sense, and that she’d learned nothing from her break-up with Nick. Wasn’t Nick the same sort of pleasure-loving individual as Jake? They were two of a kind, and she wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice. ‘Sorry, but it’s no deal.’ She sent him a penetrating glance. ‘Anyway, unlike some, I have a job to go to, and I’ll be working on Saturday. That’s my shift for the week, Tuesday to Saturday.’
It was Jake’s turn to raise his brows. ‘Did I hear a criticism somewhere in there? Perhaps you don’t think I earn my keep?’
‘It
wasn’t a criticism, just an observation.’
His gaze narrowed on her. ‘I have a notion it was a little more than that. Do you think there’s something wrong in treasure hunting?’
‘Not at all. I think you’re very lucky to have the opportunity to do it and succeed at the same time.’
‘But you’re sceptical. I can see it in your eyes.’
She wriggled her shoulders uncomfortably. ‘I’m sure it’s very exciting, and nice work for some, but it’s not what you might call a regular job, is it?’ She paused. ‘I know that exploring wrecks can be difficult and hazardous, and the rewards are probably tremendous, but I’m not convinced it’s what you call real work.’
She glanced at Ben. ‘Sorry, Ben. I’m not having a go at you…but I can’t imagine that exploring a wreck in the hope of finding treasure is going to provide anyone with a bread-and-butter income.’
Ben smiled crookedly. ‘You’re right. It wouldn’t do to rely on it, but when we do occasionally locate another piece of a hoard on the seabed, we find it’s a very lucrative business. The rest of the time, I work from nine to five as the director of a distributing company. So, you see, I do have my feet firmly on the ground.’
‘Stop trying to impress the girl,’ Jake intervened dryly, his eyes narrowing on his friend. ‘I saw her first.’
‘That doesn’t mean she’s falling head over heels for you,’ Ben retorted. ‘She turned you down for the scubadive, remember.’
‘Okay, okay…the pair of you can stop squabbling,’ Lacey put in. ‘I’m going home…to sleep and get ready for another day in Emergency. You can both stay and party your hearts out.’ Her mouth curved. ‘It has been lovely seeing around your house, Jake, and meeting your friends. Thanks for bringing me along, but I really do have to go now.’
‘I’ll walk you home,’ he said, and as Ben made a move to go with them he threw him a hard look that said, Back off.
Ben took it in good part, inclining his head towards Lacey. ‘Bye, Lacey,’ he said. ‘I hope I see you again soon.’
‘Me, too,’ she said.
‘Not if I have anything to do with it,’ Jake muttered under his breath. He wrapped a possessive arm around Lacey and went with her to the door.
‘You really don’t have to see me home,’ she murmured. ‘I’ll be fine.’
‘Even so…I’ll walk with you.’ He sent her a sideways glance as they walked out on to the terrace and headed for the path. ‘You seem to be quite concerned about my laid-back lifestyle. I do have to work on company business from time to time, you know?’
‘Yes, so Rob told me.’
‘Hmm. I guessed you might have been talking to him. I think it bothers him that I don’t have a nine-to-five job. It’s unfortunate, but Rob and I never quite got along, for some reason, and I suspect that’s at the root of it. I used to invite him over to the house, but he wouldn’t take me up on any of my offers. I had the feeling he’d written me off as some kind of rich party boy.’
‘It’s possible you may be right there.’ She glanced at him. She would have liked to ask him how he came to spend his days doing little of any importance, but the answer might disturb her too much. He might tell her he preferred things that way…and if he wanted her to know more, he would tell her, wouldn’t he?
‘Seriously, though,’ she added, ‘Rob is a very private person, and it can be difficult to get to know him. I think that’s why he preferred to live out here in relative isolation. It’s only now that I’ve decided to come and live here that he’s had to think through his options, and he decided to move nearer to his family. I think the move will do him good.’ She frowned. ‘Of course, he’ll have to wait awhile to do that, now that he’s to be fitted with an implant. He’ll probably stay in the area until his medical problems have been sorted out. In fact, he’ll probably come back to stay at my place for a short time. He left quite a few of his belongings with me.’
‘I expect he’ll be glad to do that.’
By now they had reached her house and she halted by the door, hesitating a moment as she thought over the night’s events. She was drawn to Jake in more ways than she cared to imagine, but he was a definite threat to her peace of mind. He wasn’t like other men. There was something about him that set off warning bells in her head every time he was near. And tonight had been no exception. He had plied her with food and drink until the world had taken on a rosy glow, and maybe that was why he had managed to slip through the cracks in her defences.
‘I’ll say goodnight, then,’ she murmured. ‘Thanks for showing me around your house, and for walking me home.’
‘You’re very welcome…any time.’ He moved closer to her, his voice a husky drawl. ‘If there’s anything you want…help of some sort, a friendly chat…me…you only have to call and I’ll be there in a second.’ Flame darted in his eyes as his glance trailed over her, and an imp of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
A pulse started to beat heavily in her throat, and her whole body filled with heat. ‘I’ll bear it in mind,’ she said in a rough-edged voice, evading him as he sought to move closer. She turned her key in the lock. ‘Bye, Jake.’
‘Bye.’ He left her, turning to walk back along the wharf, and only then did she begin to relax. She would try to put him out of her mind. A good night’s sleep was what she needed, and then maybe she could concentrate on what she knew to be safe—the tried-and-tested route of focussing on her work, or the diversion of getting in touch with friends and family.
At least work would keep her busy and her mind occupied, and, sure enough, next day, at the hospital, it was as though the party had taken place a lifetime ago. There was no time here for reflection.
She spent a couple of hours in the emergency room, treating people with breathing difficulties and various fractures, and then when there was a bit of a lull she went to find out how Rob was doing.
‘I’m feeling much better now that the medication has kicked in,’ he told her. ‘The consultant said he’ll do the implant later this morning.’
‘I’m sure you’ll be fine,’ Lacey reassured him. ‘Once it’s in place, we can monitor what’s going on with your heart, and think about different ways to treat you. From the look of the ECG recordings, the electrical system that regulates your heartbeat has gone awry, and we need to find out which particular part is causing the problem.’
Rob smiled wearily. ‘It all sounds very complicated to me, but I trust you. I know you’re doing your best for me, and I’ll go along with whatever the consultant suggests.’
‘That’s good.’ She smiled at him. ‘I’ll come and see you when it’s over. In the meantime, I think your parents and your brother are on their way to see you. Emma said she saw them coming from the restaurant.’
‘Yeah, it was good of them to come check up on me.’ He studied her thoughtfully. ‘How about you? Have you heard from your sister Grace lately?’
Lacey nodded. ‘She said she’ll come over with the children some time next week…she’s bringing the dog, too, rather than put him into kennels. Matt has to go away on business for a few days, but I’m sure he’ll find time to visit. She even said they were thinking of relocating down here. Matt is setting up a new office in Key Largo, so they’ll be much nearer to me…a straight drive along the highway and we can be together. I’m really looking forward to seeing them all again. It’s not the same, talking on the phone.’
‘No, it isn’t. It can be frustrating when there are hundreds or thousands of miles between you, and the only link you have is email or a phone call.’ He looked at her oddly, and she wondered what going through his mind. Was he thinking about their friendship?
Lacey frowned, not knowing what to say. She laid her hand on his and squeezed his fingers gently, an unspoken communication passing between them.
‘I always had a soft spot for you,’ he said quietly. ‘Only you were hung up on Nick, and I knew I didn’t stand a chance. And it’s no better now that you and he are through, because he’
s made you cautious of any man who crosses your path.’
‘Yes, that’s true,’ she admitted, ‘but it goes deeper than that. I’m sorry, Rob…but you know, you and I will always have something special, a great friendship. I can’t offer you anything more than that, because it’s how I’ve always felt about you—that you’re like my best friend, or a brother to me.’
He made a rueful face. ‘I’d guessed as much. Besides, I knew I wouldn’t get a look in when you moved into the house, not with Jake living next door. Women always seem to fall for him, and I get the feeling that I’m definitely outclassed. Knowing Jake, I’m pretty sure he’s pulling out all the stops to get your attention. He is, isn’t he?’
‘What makes you think that?’
He made a grimace. ‘It was easy enough to work it out. He sent me a fruit basket with a card saying he was sorry to hear that I was ill, and that he wished me well. I knew it must have been you who told him. It just confirmed what I thought… I knew from the outset that he would try to keep in fairly regular, close contact with you. He isn’t one to let the grass grow under his feet, is he?’
‘Well, no, you’re right about that.’ She looked briefly around the room until her glance came to rest on a wicker basket brimming with ripe, gloriously coloured fruits. ‘It was thoughtful of him to send the fruit, though, wasn’t it? You’ve all sorts there—oranges, mangoes, passion fruit, grapes. They look luscious.’
‘Yes, it was a great gesture. Help yourself to anything you fancy.’ He frowned, his mouth turning down at the corners. ‘I suppose this means I’ll have to be nice to him now…at least for a while.’
She laughed and ruffled his hair. ‘You’re such a grump, Rob. Think positive…when you’re feeling better you can hightail it out of here, without looking back. Then he won’t be a problem to you.’
‘Maybe.’
She left him to rest before his family arrived to visit, and went back to work. Emma prepared a suture trolley so that Lacey could treat a man who had gashed his arm in a surfing accident.