“I watched you walk to the bar. You have very graceful movements. I’ll bet you would make a fine dancer if you gave yourself the chance.”
Little did he know. Following five years of dance lessons and several embarrassing recitals, her mother had decreed that no more money would be wasted on that effort.
“It ain’t gonna happen,” she said.
He jumped to his feet and began dancing by himself—turning and swaying his hips to the tropical rhythm. He wasn’t the best dancer in the world, but she couldn’t help smiling at his attempt to impress her.
“Come on,” he said. “You know you want to join me.”
She giggled. What was that? Marry Markham was not a giggler. Either the heat of the late afternoon sun was getting to her, or she was getting a little buzz from her drink.
“It’s more fun watching you,” she said.
“Really?” He did quick turn on one foot, lost his balance and if she hadn’t moved out the way, he would have fallen on top of her.
“So graceful,” she said.
“I guess I didn’t mention that I’m a little out-of-practice,” he said.
Marry helped him back into his chair. “Why don’t you sit out the rest of dance? I think it’s safer for all concerned,” she said. “I’m going back to the buffet. Would you like something?”
“A couple of those mini-seafood kabobs would be nice.”
While she moved through the buffet line, Marry pretended not to notice the two men on either side of her. Both of them were giving her the once-over in way that left her uncomfortable. Neither of them interested her. The blonde guy on her left was too skinny and too tan. The guy on her right must have taken a bath in his cologne, and his hair was slicked back like a hood in an old gangster movie. How was she going to survive a whole week in this place?
The blonde guy squeezed in close to her, and darned if she didn’t feel his hand pressed against her lower back. At least, she hoped it was his hand. She jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.
“What the…?”
“Oh, excuse me,” she said. “You’re standing so close that I couldn’t help hitting you when I reached for the kabobs.”
The guy in front turned around.
“Need some help with those plates?” he asked.
“No. Thank you,” she said and made a hasty retreat back to Allen.
“In your seminars, perhaps you could give a few pointers in etiquette,” she said while handing him is plate.
He shook his head. “Probably wouldn’t do any good.” He sipped his drink and tasted the mango salsa she’d put on his plate. “So where do you live, Marry?”
“In an apartment complex.”
The silly and incredibly attractive little boy grin appeared on his face again. “Very funny, and where is the apartment complex?”
“Florida.”
“That’s interesting,” he said.
“How so?” she asked.
He leaned toward her, and she wanted to back away, but she didn’t. “My Let’s Talk Relationships spot airs on the morning news in three major Florida markets. I can’t believe you haven’t seen it.”
She ignored the urge to reprimand him for being narcissistic.
“I work fourteen hours a day. I don’t have much time to watch T.V,” she said.
He put his feet up and reclined on the chair. “What a shame.”
“Please. Let’s not cover that territory again,” she said.
He held up his hands in surrender. “I promise.” He popped a scallop into his mouth. “These hors d’oeuvres are really good. So what are your plans for dinner?”
Marry let out an audible sigh. He’s as subtle as a heat-seeking missile. She’d always been attracted to men who were a little more reserved. Then again, she didn’t exactly have a passing grade when it came to romance—a broken engagement attested to it. She had no intention of adding Dr. Love to her list of failures. Her mother would never let her live it down.
“Since I haven’t even unpacked my suitcase,” she said. “I’ll probably order room service and eat-in. I’d venture down to the hotel restaurant, but the cologne tester and surfer dude over there might be waiting to pounce on me again.”
“I have a better idea,” he said. “Let me take you to Aquaviva—one of the best restaurants in San Juan—or at least it was the last time I ate there.” He paused and took his cell phone out of his shirt pocket. “Just say yes, and I’ll make the reservations.”
For a moment, she considered it, but she had a feeling that a dinner date with Dr. Love would be much more than just a date.
“I don’t think so,” she said. “I think I’ll order room service and spend the evening catching up on my reading. You don’t know how long it’s been since I had time to relax and read a book.”
Allen nodded and put his cell phone back in his pocket. “Suit yourself, but please give me a rain check. You can’t leave Puerto Rico without going to Aquaviva.”
A busboy came by with a tray to collect their empties. “I think it’s time to head back to my room,” she said while standing and gathering her things.
“Before you go, let me recommend that you order room service from El Club de las Estrellas’ menu. That’s the casual dining lounge on the third floor. The food is better and cheaper than the La Luna Restaurante on the first floor.”
“Thanks for the advice,” she said. “How many times have you heard that in your line of work?”
Marry walked away, but she had a feeling that he was still watching her. She turned back to him. “It was nice talking with you,” she said. “And I didn’t mean to come off so harsh about psychologists. I’m sure you’re a good one.”
Allen’s smile spread across his face. “No doubt, we’ll see each other again,” he said.
* * *
Brightness pierced Marry’s eyelids. She rolled over and groaned. The sun had risen over the horizon and flooded her room with morning light.
Oh, crap, she thought. I forgot to close the drapes last night. No wonder they call this room La Sala del Sol. She sat up and stretched. Even as she’d been rudely awakened, she felt more refreshed than she had in months. Her eyes locked on the clock. Eight a.m. She’d gone through her brochures the night before and decided to visit the Caguas Botanical Garden. She had plenty of time for coffee and breakfast before catching the bus in front of the hotel at ten.
Marry willed herself to leave the big, comfy bed and start a pot of coffee brewing. She picked up the phone and ordered a breakfast of sausage and eggs from the restaurant. At home, her breakfast was usually a microwave pastry or cereal, but what the heck? She was on vacation. She went to the closet and picked out her outfit for the day—a light blue cotton shirt and khaki capri pants. After taking a quick shower, she dressed before her breakfast arrived.
A young man in crisp uniform handed her the covered tray. She signed the check and handed him some bills from her purse. Rather than eat in the room, she decided to eat on the balcony. The aroma of the hotel’s gourmet coffee smelled wonderful, and she poured a cup before taking her breakfast outside. While she ate, she watched the boats coming and going from the marina. A beautiful sleek, modern yacht was anchored just off shore, and a smaller boat had ferried someone out to it.
She picked up the ceramic mug emblazoned with the hotel logo and stood up, leaning against the balcony railing. Hotel workers were cleaning the pools and straightening the lounge chairs. After leaving the party the night before she had sat on her balcony, listening to the band and watching the party-goers. She had seen Dr. Love mingling briefly with each guest but never spending too much time with any one in particular. It shouldn’t have mattered to her, but for some reason, it did.
Glancing at her watch, she regretted that she only had a few minutes more to enjoy the coffee and the scenery, but she didn’t want to miss her bus. She bent down to pick up her breakfast tray and nearly dropped it when she heard his voice.
“Beautiful morning to have breakfa
st outside, isn’t it?” he asked.
Marry turned to see Allen leaning over the railing of the room next door to hers. The feet she’d seen propped on the railing the day before belonged to the radio shrink? What were the odds?
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said. “This hotel has hundreds of rooms, and yours is next to mine.”
He grinned. With sleep-tousled hair and wearing only a t-shirt and pajama bottoms, he looked even more handsome than he had the day before.
“Just lucky I guess,” he said.
“Well, this is all very nice,” she said. “But I have a bus to catch.”
“Where to?”
“The botanical garden at Caguas,” she said. “I thought it would be a nice place to spend the day where I wouldn’t have to worry about horny single men hitting on me.”
Allen laughed. “Don’t forget your camera and good pair of walking shoes.”
She looked down at her silver thong sandals with the two-inch heels. “Oh, I guess I’d better change shoes,” she said.
She stepped back inside, and changed to the comfy Bass sandals she’d worn for the flight down. He was next door to her. On the other side of the wall. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and swiped on some dark mauve lipstick. She went to close the sliding door to the balcony and couldn’t help taking a peek to see if he was still there. He was gone. It was just as well. She only had enough time to stop by the bistro in the lobby and pick up a sandwich for her lunch before the bus came.
When she boarded the bus, she found it only half-full, so she had her choice of window seats. The driver closed the door, and she relaxed against the seat for what she hoped would be a leisurely ride. Instead, the bus went a few feet and stopped again. She heard the doors open but couldn’t see over the top of the seat in front of her, so she turned to look out the window again.
“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”
Her head whipped around. “What are you doing here?”
Allen grinned while taking the empty seat next to hers. He’d only had time to dress in a pair jeans and a polo shirt and hadn’t shaved, but he looked…sexy.
“I couldn’t let you go off to Jardin Botánico by yourself. You might get lost.”
“Getting lost might have been my intention,” she said. “Don’t you have seminars to conduct today?”
He shook his head. “That’s tomorrow and Thursday. Then, on Friday, I broadcast my weekly radio show from the hotel ballroom, but I’m free until tonight when I M.C. the bachelor auction.”
“Lucky me,” she said while trying to muster some irritation in her voice.
Deep down, she was glad for the company—not that this crazy, impulsive man was wearing her down. Visiting a place like Jardin Botánico was more enjoyable with another person rather than wandering around alone.
“If you like nature and learning about the culture of the island, you’ll love this place,” he said. “Lots of photo ops.”
“So you’ve been there before,” she said.
“This is my fourth year doing the La Luna gig. I’ve seen a lot of Puerto Rico,” he said.
“Any other recommendations for what I can do this week?” she asked.
Allen looked at her for a moment and a smile worked its way across his mouth. “I can think of a one or two things,” he said.
There eyes locked and for a split-second she was drawn into the depth of his. She turned away and reached into her tote to get her water bottle.
“Other than spending time with you,” she said.
“Oh, well, you should go to Arecibo. You would probably enjoy the lighthouse and historical park. There are replicas of Spanish galleons that you can board and a recreated village showing how the natives lived in the pre-Columbian era. Oh, and the park also has replicas of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.”
“I like history,” she said. “And I think I have a brochure for it.”
His knee brushed hers when he turned in his seat. She swallowed hard. The sensation rekindled feelings in her that had been dormant for too long. She shook it off and moved as far as away from him as she could in the confined space.
“What exactly do you talk about in your seminars?” she asked. “How to chase and trap a mate?”
“Far from it, Marry,” he said. “It goes much deeper than that. My hope is that the people who attend my seminars will leave with the tools to create lasting relationships.”
She turned her head to look at the passing scenery and cars zipping by on the busy, four-lane highway.
“For someone who’s in the marriage business,” he said. “You certainly are cynical about it.”
Her head snapped around toward him. “I’m not cynical about marriage. I believe there are people who’ve found true love and made it last.”
“But you don’t believe you can,” he said.
Marry could picture the wheels turning in his brain, itching to psychoanalyze her. She wagged her finger at him.
“Oh, no, Dr. Love, you’re not sucking me into that conversation.”
He leaned back against the seat and yawned.
“I hope that very large lizards don’t scare you,” he said.
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“They’re all over Jardin Botánico. Iguanas mostly. Last time I was here I took a great picture of one about two-feet long.” He spread his hands to show the length. “Just sitting on the handrail of one of the bridges.”
“Thanks for the warning,” she said while unease gripped her. She’d never been fond of reptiles.
“Oh, don’t worry,” he said. “They won’t bother you unless you poke them with a stick or something.”
“That wouldn’t be my first instinct,” she said.
The bus slowed and turned into the entrance. They disembarked in front of a waterfall fountain cascading from the roof of a modern architectural structure topped with a stained-glass bird and butterfly. They followed the line of tourists through the entrance to the garden where Allen insisted on paying for her. Not wanting to make a scene, she allowed him the privilege. They took the path that led through the ruins of the old sugar plantation.
“Since you’re a wedding planner, you might be interested to know that they have a lot of weddings here,” he said.
“Oh? Well, it’s a beautiful setting,” she said. “I can imagine any number of scenarios.”
“What made you decide to go into that line of work?” he asked.
She strolled out ahead of him to photograph the sugar mill. He came and stood next to her.
“I helped my best friend plan her wedding a few years ago,” she said. “And I enjoyed all of it—the details that went into arranging everything. I decided that if I was ever going to get out of my boring job and do something for myself that would be it.”
“Stand in front of the chimney and let me take your picture,” he said.
She handed him her camera and moved into the best photographic vantage point. She smiled at his urging.
“Perfect,” he said. “You have a beautiful smile, Marry. Of course, there’s not much about you that isn’t beautiful. Auburn hair and eyes the color of chocolate. Even the freckles on your nose are beautiful.”
Heat filled her cheeks. She’d spent most of her life focusing on her flaws, and if she ever forgot about them, her mother would remind her.
“You’re very kind,” she said.
He came close to her and placed the camera strap around her neck. He was close enough to kiss. Did she want to kiss him?
“It’s not kindness,” he said. “It’s the truth.”
His eyes softened, and he bent his head as if to kiss her. At once, panic settled into her core. She backed away.
“You’ve asked me a lot of questions about myself,” she said. “But I know very little about you.”
Allen inhaled a deep breath through parted lips and pushed his hands into the pockets of his nice-fitting jeans. She averted his eyes to the bright orange bird of paradise blooming along th
e walkway.
“You said that you’re a widower. Do you have children?” she asked.
“No, we had only been married a little over two years when she was killed, so we hadn’t made the decision yet to start a family.”
“Have you had many relationships since your wife died?”
He nodded and shrugged. “I’ve dated a few women but haven’t had a serious relationship. I’m very picky.”
A chuckle escaped from her mouth before she could stop it.
“Why do you find that funny?” he asked.
Marry looked off into the distance and debated with herself as to whether to answer him truthfully.
“Okay, here’s the thing,” she said. “You’ve known me less than twenty-four hours. Yet, here you are tagging along after me.”
“You really don’t know how incredibly attractive you are, do you?”
His question stung like the opening of old wounds.
“Have I ever looked at myself in the mirror and said, ‘Hey there, beautiful’? No. I haven’t.” She paused and swallowed back the lump in her throat. “And if I’m so beautiful why are men always dumping me for other women?”
“Maybe the problem is that you’ve been choosing the wrong men,” he said.
She turned and marched off toward the footbridge. “Oh, here we go,” she said.
He jogged up behind her. “Marry, wait. I’m not talking to you as a psychologist.” He grasped her shoulders and spun her around to face him. “I’m speaking as a man who thinks you’re pretty, smart and funny—not to mention brave enough to start your own business and make it a success.”
His face was only inches away from hers, and she stared into those gorgeous eyes.
“And one other thing, I think,” she said. “I’m a challenge. You like a challenge, don’t you?”
He grinned and nodded before claiming her mouth with his own. She melted into the warmth of his kiss, feeling as if she belonged in his embrace. It had been too long since she’d allowed herself to feel anything, much less passion. Before she could go too far, her cautious side took over. She pulled back, placing her hands against his chest.
“And add good kisser to the list, too,” Allen said.
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