“Senator Stryker?” The man had been on the front page of every paper the last couple of days. Some scandal or other. Jeb hadn’t bothered to read the stories.
“Maybe. I don’t care if it’s the President of Mars, she shouldn’t be risking the baby.”
“What do you want me to do?” Jeb knew Melissa well enough to know she was intelligent, independent, and not at all reckless.
“She’s headed to Santa Lucia Island. That’s where the senator’s hiding out, though if you tell any other member of the press she might divorce me.”
Jeb also knew both Brody and Melissa well enough to know that wasn’t going to happen. They were madly in love—real love, the kind he and Belinda had never quite managed.
Brody continued. “Santa Lucia is right off the coast. The ferries go twice a day. I’d go but I’m shorthanded here and can’t leave. Besides, Melissa would kill me. All I want you to do is go out there and keep an eye on her. You can say it’s a coincidence. You’re on vacation. Lots of people go to San-L for vacation. She won’t suspect a thing.”
Jeb had a sinking feeling that wasn’t likely. Melissa was no dummy. But no matter what, he couldn’t turn down his fellow captain. Especially when the man sounded desperate enough to call out the Coast Guard. What the hell, he wasn’t going anywhere in particular. Why not an island somewhere in that sparkly blue carpet of ocean to his left?
“Sure, Brody. I’ll stalk your wife and unborn baby for you. What are friends for?”
Brody let out an unwilling laugh. “Nothing surreptitious that’ll set off her alarm bells. You’re just enjoying a coincidental vacation in the same place she is.”
“Coincidental vacation. Got it.”
“Call me as often as you can. I owe you, Stone.”
“It’s not a problem, Brody. Now try to relax. Have you been practicing your breathing?”
Jeb savored the long moment of silence that followed. Brody might intimidate the other guys, but not him. Besides, he’d been through that particular rodeo before. Nothing, not even breathing practice, could really prepare you.
“Yes,” Brody finally said in a strangled sort of voice. “Vader’s been working with me on it.”
Jeb let out a belly laugh at the thought of the big muscleman Vader Brown training Brody on breathing techniques. “Good man. Hang in there, tough guy. Everything’s going to be fine.”
Finding the PCH momentarily empty in both directions, he swung the Maserati around in the sort of tight turn the thing was probably designed for. Of course, most drivers weren’t heading after another man’s very pregnant wife in pursuit of a scandal-ridden senator in hiding. But what else were vacations for?
So far, nothing on this trip had chased away the hollow feeling he’d been experiencing ever since both Belinda and Alison had left San Gabriel. No matter how many dates he went on, how many extra duties he assumed at the station, life felt off-kilter. He’d been a family man for so long, even if that family had some unusual quirks. Alone, nothing felt quite right. Even this “vacation” felt strange.
Truthfully, it was a relief to have something useful to do.
ON SANTA LUCIA Island’s ferry landing, Nita shaded her eyes against the myriad crystal reflections shimmering off the turquoise waves of the Pacific Ocean. How she’d managed to leave her sunglasses behind was a mystery, though perhaps explained by the fact that Senator Stryker had woken her at three in the morning and given her ten minutes to pack. And that was on top of three sleepless nights working to contain the world’s most ridiculous scandal. And that was on top of nearly a year of numb misery during which she’d virtually sleepwalked through her days.
She nibbled at the inside of her cheek, a habit that had gotten worse over the past horrible year. Press secretaries dealt with all sorts of unwelcome media attention, but not many had to explain that their boss had a secret drag queen identity who liked to post selfies of himself in body-shaping underwear and lots of makeup. “Senator Spanx” was now the hottest trending topic on every social media outlet.
When all hell had broken loose, everyone else had abandoned the senator. His wife and family were furious. Only Nita had been too numb to object when Stryker had dragged her to Santa Lucia. After a week holed up at the Enchanted Garden Inn, assessing the public’s reaction to his embarrassing but ultimately harmless secret, she’d convinced him to give an exclusive interview to the only reporter he trusted, Melissa McGuire.
The ferry, which the locals called the Danny B., churned toward the island. She had to admit, there were worse places the senator could have picked. Most of Santa Lucia was a nature preserve, with only a few hiking trails and bird-watching spots. The little town of Santa Lucia consisted of a tidy collection of pastel-painted homes, cute as eggs in an Easter basket, and a few municipal buildings such as the Town Hall and the volunteer fire department. The place had more charm than Candyland. But Nita knew it also had a serious side, hardy fishermen who braved all kinds of weather. Angie, the elderly owner of the Enchanted Garden, had told her that winter storms could leave the island cut off for weeks.
The usual chaotic crowd milled around on the weathered planks of the landing. Year-round residents waited to pick up groceries or visitors. Tourists snapped pictures or held up their iPads to record the adorableness, as if Santa Lucia were a new puppy.
The Danny B. drew closer, rocking from side to side on the ocean swells. Nita felt her anticipation mount. Even in the midst of a crisis, she couldn’t wait to see Melissa. She hadn’t seen her friend since the wedding. It had been a while since they’d even talked on the phone, maybe as long as a year. All the ups and downs with Bradford had consumed her, and she’d let their friendship slide. During the past nightmare of a year, she’d barely talked to any of her friends.
She scanned the passengers crowding the railing of the Danny B., searching for Melissa’s chocolate-brown hair and green eyes, but the only woman with brown hair was hugely pregnant, about to pop, it seemed, and that couldn’t possibly be—
“Melissa?”
“Nita!” Melissa waved madly from the boat. “I made it!”
Nita couldn’t answer through the sudden onrush of stupid pain. She fought it back. This is Melissa. You love Melissa. Melissa will be a great mom.
After the ferry tied off at the dock and the deckhands lowered the ramp, the passengers traipsed off, one by one. As soon as Melissa set foot on the dock, she dropped her overnight bag and waddled toward Nita.
“You’re pregnant,” said Nita, hugging her as hard as she dared.
“That’s so rude. What if I’d just gained a little weight?” Melissa’s beaming grin took the sting out of her words.
“I’m so excited for you!” If it sounded a little forced, who could blame her? The sentiment truly was sincere. “But why didn’t you tell me? When’s the baby due?”
“I didn’t tell you because . . . well, you hadn’t been returning my calls lately. And when you finally called me, I was afraid you’d talk me out of coming. And I’m already getting enough heat about this trip.” With that, Melissa turned and aimed a deadly glare toward the boat ramp.
Nita followed her glance and got the shock of a lifetime. Six feet of stunning man stood with his feet braced apart, his arms folded over his broad chest, watching her with an impassive expression. Dark hair, eyes hidden behind sunglasses, the most beautiful mouth she’d ever seen on a man. A light layer of stubble set it off, as did the black leather jacket he was wearing. She knew that mouth. In three years, she’d never quite forgotten it.
Jeb Stone.
“What’s . . . I’m confused. What’s he doing here?”
“Brody took it upon himself to set a guard dog on me. I mean, seriously, doesn’t he know that women used to work in the fields until they gave birth? Then slip that baby in a sling and keep on working? I have a brain, Nita.” Melissa tapped her temple. “It still works even though my belly is as big as that ferryboat.” Nita felt a tingle of anxiety. Melissa had always been ca
lm and collected. She couldn’t remember her ever sounding on the edge of hysteria like this.
“So he followed you here?”
“Yes. It’s outrageous. I don’t need a babysitter and Brody ought to know that. How am I supposed to work with that . . . guard dog breathing down my neck?”
Jeb was looking rather Rottweiler-like, as if he were ready to pounce.
“It’s sweet that Brody’s so worried,” Nita ventured.
“Sweet? It’s bossy. If he had his way, I’d spend the next month in bed while he massaged my feet.”
“That’s . . . terrible?” Nita wasn’t sure of the right response, since Bradford had never once offered her a foot massage.
“These firemen are impossible.” Melissa raised her voice so Jeb couldn’t avoid hearing her. “They’re overprotective, macho, bossy, and they don’t know when to back off.”
Jeb grabbed Melissa’s overnight bag, which she’d dropped near the foot of the ramp, and strode forward. “I’d like to book a room in the same place Melissa’s staying.”
Nita looked at Melissa, who shook her head violently. “You absolutely cannot give him a room.”
“I don’t own the place,” Nita said carefully. “It’s not really up to me.”
“But the senator booked the whole inn, right?” Melissa said. “I told Jeb there wouldn’t be room for him.”
Jeb whipped off his sunglasses, the movement screaming of irritation. Those eyes. Tiger stripes, burning bright. “Can I speak to you in private for a moment?” he asked Nita.
Melissa’s lips tightened, but just then her phone rang. Rolling her eyes, she answered it. Before Nita could quite realize what was happening, a strong hand gripped her upper arm and led her away from Melissa’s vicinity. At his touch, Nita’s heart started up a game of hopscotch in her chest.
Facing each other, she noticed he looked older, as if the last three years had taken a toll. She probably looked much the same.
“I think it’s pretty clear that Melissa isn’t entirely herself,” he said in a low voice. “She needs me, whether she admits it or not. Can I count on you to help me out here?”
“I don’t know. She seems pretty opposed to having you around.”
“No kidding. What tipped you off?”
Her temper flared. “Hey, don’t get sarcastic with me. I’m an innocent bystander here.”
“Yeah? The way she tells it, you called her and begged her to come. Do you really think eight months pregnant is the right time to be traveling this far out to sea?”
Never mind that she hadn’t known Melissa was pregnant. Did the man have to be so condescending? She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m starting to see why she’s annoyed. And I still don’t see why she’d need you around. Your manners are horrible. You didn’t even say hello to me.”
His head jerked back a bit. He frowned at her. She noticed lines fanning from the corners of his gold-striped eyes. “I wasn’t sure you remembered me.”
Was he kidding? He wasn’t the sort of man you forgot. Not if you were a woman.
“Hello,” he added, almost as an afterthought. Then smiled. And oh God, that smile seemed to work its way from the core of his being, outward to his beautiful mouth, with its full lower lip and sensual upper lip. Killer smile. Killer everything. “It’s nice to see you again.”
The rote words reminded her that he was married and had the perfect family. “Likewise.” Which wasn’t exactly true, but oddly, wasn’t exactly untrue, either.
“How’ve you been? How’s Mr. Million Dollar Deal?”
A slow wave of heat traveled through her. He really did remember. “Gone. How are your marriage vows?”
“Voided by mutual agreement.”
Well. Well.
Suddenly she felt so lightheaded she couldn’t think of a thing to say. She cleared her throat. He leaned toward her ever so slightly. She felt as if she was standing on a ship that was rocking back and forth.
Just then Melissa marched toward them. “I promised Brody I wouldn’t use my big belly to push Jeb off the dock. But that doesn’t mean I’m cool with this whole thing. Anyway, how about we figure this situation out somewhere with a bathroom?”
Chapter Three
* * *
OF ALL THE luck. Jeb couldn’t believe Nita Moreno, the same woman he’d nearly made an ass of himself over at Brody’s wedding, had turned up again. He remembered being unable to stop staring at her, drawn by the dark satin of her hair piled in glossy, tumbling curls. The wild rose color of her bridesmaid’s dress had made her skin glow like sunlit honey. She looked thinner now, in a way that suggested she’d been sick. But she still wore that confident poise that both drew him and made him want to get under her skin.
Just before Brody’s wedding, Belinda had told him that she wanted an open relationship, and that he was free to pursue someone else. When he laid eyes on Nita Moreno, he’d been tempted. Extremely tempted. Until she’d shot him down with her billionaire boyfriend and snide comment about marriage vows. After that he decided he wasn’t cut out for “open relationships” and decided to wait until he and Belinda officially ended their marriage.
The sight of Nita brought back a faint feeling of embarrassment. Along with the same fierce tug of attraction. Maybe fiercer.
He stole a look at her behind the wheel. She wore simple white jeans and a cobalt-blue top that set off her tight, graceful body. An air of drive and tension clung to her, but he didn’t mind that. An adrenaline junkie himself, he liked women who were passionate about what they did. He’d admired various female paramedics and doctors—from a distance, of course. Despite Belinda’s permission, he’d never strayed. Too damn complicated. Not fair to Alison.
But even though he wasn’t married now, chances were Nita still thought he was a dick.
Settling into the back seat, he watched her slender hands manipulate the gear shift to back them out of the parking spot. He sincerely hoped he didn’t spend his whole time on Santa Lucia staring at her. At least Melissa was ignoring him now, which was a huge improvement over the way she’d stormed at him on the ferryboat.
In the front seat, Nita was telling Melissa about Senator Stryker. “He’s mortified. He didn’t know where to turn. I mean, who knew he had an inner drag queen just dying to get out?”
“You didn’t suspect?”
“No! He’s always been so strait-laced and dull. His nickname in Sacramento was Senator Sleeping Pill. Now it’s Senator Spanx. It makes you wonder if you ever really know anyone. A lot of things make you wonder that,” she added, somewhat bitterly.
Melissa shook her head. “I bet you’re mad as hell at the man, after the years you’ve put in with him.”
“At first I just felt bad for him, because he seemed so humbled. He was completely embarrassed. I found him this out-of-the-way, oddball inn where no one will ever think to look for him. The owner, Angie, seems to be a little senile. Either senile or very whimsical. She sings to the flowers in her garden. Also, she thinks Stryker is Clint Eastwood. Or Jeff Bridges, depending on the time of day.”
“He must be eating that up. He never had a small ego problem. Has he been driving you crazy?”
“It’s definitely made me think. He’s like a teenager who got grounded. He keeps making excuses . . .” Nita hesitated, sucked in her cheek, then glanced in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were so beautiful. Bright and dark and swimming with expression. Oops, he was staring. “I’ll tell you everything later,” she said warily.
“Oh, you mean him?” Melissa tossed a look of annoyance over her shoulder. “If he’s anything like Brody—and he probably is, because he’s a fire captain too, and Brody raves about him—he’ll be stuck to me like toilet paper on my shoe. Brody sent him. Everyone does what Brody says.”
“He asked me for a favor,” said Jeb, getting annoyed. “Which I interrupted my vacation to do, by the way.” Brody owed him, big-time.
“You know, Melissa,” Nita said, “I just thought of something. An
gie can really use some help around the Enchanted Garden. She does pretty well considering she’s over eighty. I’ve been doing everything I can, but my fix-it skills are minimal. A man would come in very handy.”
Was that a wink? Yes, sexy Nita had winked at him in the rear-view mirror. A completely inappropriate body part responded.
A slow smile spread across his face. He dipped his head in silent thanks. She was trying to help him out, as he’d asked her to.
It worked, too. Melissa changed her tune instantly. “Really, he can be useful as something other than a watchdog? That’s different, then. Jeb, do you mind giving Nita a hand?”
He raised his eyebrow at Nita, infusing the gesture with as much teasing intention as he could. “My hands are all hers.”
She made a face at him in the rear-view mirror. Even with a scrunched forehead, she appealed to him. He was enjoying their conversation-by-mirror. It was as if an entire silent discussion was taking place out of Melissa’s view.
Melissa shifted back and forth on her seat. “How far is it? The bathroom situation is getting dire.”
Nita pointed vaguely ahead. “Oh, not far. And the drive is very scenic. It’s one of my favorite parts of the island, and—”
Jeb leaned forward. “You don’t understand. She needs a bathroom now.” He’d never forget Belinda’s champion peeing. “Anything closer?”
For the first time, Melissa gave him a look that wasn’t angry, her green eyes glowing with something suspiciously like gratitude. Nita swung the wheel to the side and pulled into the nearest parking lot, which happened to belong to the Santa Lucia Volunteer Fire Department.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Melissa groaned. “More firemen? Is anywhere safe?”
“Come on.” Jeb jumped out and opened the door for her. He helped her out, then hurried her into the building, which was painted a light pink. Inside, a young, sandy-haired sprout in uniform jumped to his feet.
Desperately Seeking Fireman Page 2