The Mysterious Stranger (Triple Trouble)

by Susan Mallery

  “They asked her to come back,” Anna Jane said, then hiccuped. Small hands clung to Ariel, holding tight as if the child would never let go. “I heard them. But her sister had fallen and broken her hip, so Nana B. couldn’t get away. But I wanted her to come back.”

  “I know.” Ariel had to blink several times to hold in her own tears. She continued to rock the grieving child, smoothing her hair and rubbing her back. “You love her and miss her. Sometimes you’re afraid because you think loving her so much is wrong. But it’s never wrong to love someone.”

  “But I love her more than Mommy. That’s wrong.”

  At last. The heart of the problem. She inhaled the scent of little girl and felt the heat of her small body. There was something familiar about the moment. The whisper of a memory teased at her, but she couldn’t bring it close enough to grab it.

  “There is no less or more in love. There’s also no wrong in giving with a full heart. You loved them differently because they had different places in your life. Nana B. shared the little moments of your life. We live in little moments, so we tend to remember them better and miss them more because there are more of them to miss.” She frowned. “Did that make sense?”

  Anna Jane sniffed. “Uh-huh.”

  “Good. So some days you really miss Nana B. and I bet there are some days you really miss your mom. Never think it’s wrong to miss someone or love someone who cares about you. Love is the best part of who we are.”

  Ariel had no idea where her advice was coming from, but Anna Jane seemed comforted by it, so who was she to question herself?

  “I’m scared,” Anna Jane said.

  “Why?”

  “What if they send me away? I heard the lawyer talking about that. About boarding school.” She raised her chin and met Ariel’s gaze. “But if Uncle Jarrett dies and I’m all alone, I’ll be poor and have to live in the attic, just like Sara Crewe. In The Little Princess,” she added, obviously reading Ariel’s confusion.

  Ariel remembered the story. “That’s not going to happen.” She hugged the girl close. “Your uncle is very rich and he’s not going to lose his money, so don’t you worry about living in an attic.”

  “But what about boarding school?”

  “I’ll talk to him,” Ariel promised, then wondered what on earth she was saying. Jarrett wasn’t a real fan of hers and wouldn’t take kindly to any parenting advice she had to offer. Still, this was about his niece, not him. He would just have to get over it.

  She wondered if she would feel so brave when she actually faced the lion in his den.

  At Anna Jane’s hopeful expression she added, “I’ll make sure he understands. It’s going to be fine. You’ll see.”

  “Thank you.” Anna Jane rested her head on her shoulder. “I’m glad you were the one who found my bottle.”

  “Me, too,” Ariel responded, sincere despite all that had happened and the potential for disaster in the future. “So how about a tour of the house?”

  “Okay.” The nine-year-old bounced off the bed and wiped away the last traces of her tears. “It’s really big. There are six bedrooms and even a telescope up in a little room in the attic.”

  “Sounds great. Think we’ll need to bring a compass?”

  Anna Jane laughed. “I can find our way back.”

  “You sure? We could ask Leona for bread crumbs. Of course, she’d probably want us to vacuum them up on our way back and I don’t want to lug a big vacuum cleaner with us on our travels, do you?”

  “You’re weird.”

  “I know. Isn’t it great?”

  Still laughing, Anna Jane led the way out of Ariel’s room. As she followed the child, she tried to figure out why making friends with the girl was so easy. Had she been a nanny to some wealthy family? Was she a teacher? Maybe she worked in a pediatrician’s office as a nurse or physician’s assistant.

  Anything was possible.

  She decided to dwell on the questions later. For now she would enjoy the tour of Jarrett’s beautiful home.

  They started at the top and worked their way down. As promised, a small widow’s walk led to a protected room containing large windows and an expensive-looking telescope. On the next floor were smaller bedrooms and a large game room complete with a pool table and big-screen television.

  The second floor held the remaining bedrooms, including Anna Jane’s and Ariel’s, and Jarrett’s. Ariel didn’t go into that room, not wanting to intrude. Somehow the thought of seeing where Jarrett slept unnerved her. If possible, she wanted to keep the image of tangled sheets and the man himself very separate in her mind.

  At the end of the hall, double French doors led to what looked like an exercise studio. “There’s weights and stuff,” Anna Jane said knowledgeably. “Uncle Jarrett is very strong.”

  “So I’ve noticed.” She pushed open the door. As she did, she heard the low rumble of a motor, along with a rhythmic thudding of feet. She turned in that direction and saw Jarrett on the treadmill.

  A television mounted on the wall was turned to CNN. He faced away from the door and so far hadn’t noticed their interruption. Ariel told herself to back out before they were spotted, but her feet didn’t obey the command.

  So she watched him, watched the steady movements of his body. Powerful arms pumped back and forth. Long legs strode easily. He wore shorts and a cropped T-shirt that exposed his midsection. His back was broad and tanned. Sweat formed a V down the faded gray shirt.

  Unable to help herself, she allowed her gaze to drift to the mirror in front of him…the mirror that reflected his image perfectly. Those long legs and taut thighs were just as alluring from the front. His belly was a hard, ridged plane of muscle, his shoulders impossibly wide. Even his face held strength and power.

  He moved with the grace of a wild animal, and something unknown and primitive inside her responded. She tried to ignore the heat—the desire swelling and rising like a wave headed for shore. She couldn’t be attracted to him. Anyone but him. For one thing, he didn’t trust her. For another, she didn’t know if she was worth trusting. She wanted to think so; she believed so with all her heart, but she wasn’t sure. She couldn’t be sure until her memory returned. Regardless of her past, Jarrett was the kind of man who was trouble. Safe enough to admire from afar. Better yet, to not notice at all.

  Neither she nor Anna Jane made a sound, yet he stiffened suddenly and shifted his gaze from the television to the mirror. Their gazes locked.

  Something sparked between them. Fire, maybe. Or need. The sensation was unfamiliar but powerful. She felt herself drawn to him. Images of them together, wrapped in an intimate embrace, filled her mind. Her hands ached to touch his skin; her body heated at the thought of being caressed by him, of being claimed by his strength.

  And then it was gone. She wasn’t sure who blinked first, or if there’d been a distinct shift in the cosmos, but suddenly the connection was broken. She struggled to catch her breath, wondering if she’d imagined the moment, if his hard breathing was only the result of his time on the treadmill.

  Anna Jane noticed he’d caught sight of them. “Uncle Jarrett, I’m taking Ariel on a tour of the house,” she said importantly.

  “Have a good time,” he said.

  “We are. When’s the Christmas tree coming?”

  A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Soon.”

  “But it’s almost Christmas.”

  “Not for just over a week. Don’t worry. It will be here in time.”

  Anna Jane looked doubtful, but she trusted her uncle enough not to question him further. She wrinkled her nose. “You’re all sweaty, Uncle Jarrett. Why do you run like that?”

  “It’s good for my heart.”

  It was also excellent for the rest of him, Ariel thought, still impressed by his physique. Her strange circumstances were keeping her up nights. It looked as if she would lie awake tonight for a completely different and potentially more dangerous reason.

  * * *

  He wa
s getting better at shutting out the distractions, Jarrett told himself, hoping if he said it enough it might just come true.

  Even with his office door closed, he heard muffled conversation and laughter. Whatever the reason Ariel had first shown up in his life, he couldn’t regret what she was doing with Anna Jane. The past three days had transformed the child. Instead of being quiet and keeping to the background, she’d started living life again, speaking up and having fun. It was what he wanted for her. What he didn’t like was that someone else had been the one to make it happen.

  They still hadn’t solved the mystery that was Ariel. No one had come forward to report her missing. Not on St. Alicia or any of the nearby islands. She’d stopped looking up hopefully every time he walked into the room. As if she’d decided there wasn’t going to be a rescue from this particular situation.

  To make things worse, Jarrett still hadn’t come to terms with his feelings about the woman. Was she genuine or was she toying with him? There didn’t seem to be an easy answer to that question. Nor was he going to find one today, he reminded himself. But he did have a report to finish.

  He returned his attention to the spreadsheet in front of him. The numbers were momentarily meaningless as he strained to listen to the sudden and surprising silence in the foyer. Perhaps Ariel and Anna Jane had gone out to the beach. His window had a hundred-and-eighty-degree view of the ocean. He could glance up and see if they were there. If she was wearing a bathing suit. Something that left her long legs bare and her—

  Stop it! he commanded himself silently. No more interruptions. He would concentrate on work.

  Slowly he lost himself in his report, compiling numbers, determining trends at the seven newest Wilkenson hotels. His corporate accounts were increasing. The weekend specials to bring in local business had been more successful than projected. He made a note to review the cost-benefit ratios and—

  Something brushed against his arm. He swatted away the offending creature and tapped a couple of keys. The computer program scrolled to the end of the spreadsheet. He studied the summary figures.

  The tickling came again. As he absently pulled his arm closer to his body, he inhaled the scent of pine. At the same moment he registered that he wasn’t alone in his office.

  Ariel giggled as he turned to glance at her. She stood next to his chair, a small pine branch in her hands. She brushed it against his arm again. “You have amazing concentration,” she said.

  “Thank you,” he answered, wondering what she would think if he told her exactly how often he lost his concentration because he was thinking about her. She wasn’t wearing the bathing suit he’d fantasized about a few moments before. Instead, a red T-shirt had been tucked into white shorts, but he wasn’t about to complain. He still had a perfect view of long legs and bare arms. The soft T-shirt material hugged her breasts, making his palms ache to cup her sweet curves. Today her hair was loose, a riot of gold-blond curls tumbling over her shoulders and down her back. So far she hadn’t worn her hair the same way twice. He’d overheard Anna Jane asking about that. Ariel had replied that she couldn’t figure out how she usually wore her hair, so she was experimenting until something felt right.

  “Your presence is requested,” she said, waving the branch in front of him. “As you may have guessed, the Christmas tree has been delivered.” She grinned. “This is the tropics, Jarrett. Did you have to have it flown in especially?”

  “There wasn’t much choice.”

  “Well, they sent you a fabulous tree. It’s huge. Frank had to cut it to make it fit in the living room. We talked about putting it in the foyer, but that’s not very cozy and familylike. The living room is better. At least, that was my opinion. Hope you don’t mind.”

  “I hadn’t thought about it one way or the other.”

  “Typical,” she said, heading for the door. “But we forgive you. Come on. You need to help decorate.”

  “I have to work.”

  She stopped and faced him. Wide green eyes filled with amusement. “Didn’t we already talk about those ghosts, Ebenezer? Aren’t you the least bit worried about facing them?”

  He couldn’t resist her smile. “Are you always like this?”

  She sniffed the pine branch in her arms. “Like what?”

  “Impulsive. Interrupting people’s work days to do things like decorate for the holidays.”

  Her smile faded. “I don’t know, but I hope so. I’d hate to be any other way. Besides, impulsive beats stuffy.”

  “Are you calling me stuffy?”

  “Are you going to help decorate?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then you’re not stuffy. At least, not for now.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  She dimpled. “You’re welcome.”

  He followed her into the foyer. A trail of pine needles led them to the living room. “Remind me not to negotiate with you about anything. You’re too fond of conditional clauses.”

  “Everything in life is conditional,” Ariel said, tossing her head. Afternoon sunlight caught her curls and turned them to the color of spun gold. “Well, not love, of course, but everything else.” She stepped into the living room. “He’s here. I told you I could persuade him.”

  Anna Jane raced toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist as she hugged him. “Uncle Jarrett, we’re decorating the tree and I’m giving instructions. Isn’t it beautiful? It’s so big. We had to cut off some to make it fit.” She pointed to a pile of branches stacked by the doorway. “Frank trimmed those off and Ariel’s gonna decorate with them and doesn’t it smell just like Christmas?”

  He ruffled her bangs, then touched her cheek with the back of his fingers. Smiling at him like that, she reminded him of his sister. Tracy had always loved the holidays, or anytime when she might get presents.

  Anna Jane didn’t wait for him to respond to her comments. Instead she ran back to the tree and watched anxiously as Frank strung lights.

  The two white sofas and green print wing chairs had already been pushed back to make room. The tree stood in the center of the large bay window overlooking the ocean. Its top was less than six inches from the twelve-foot ceiling. Leona had already opened several boxes of decorations.

  The unfamiliar scene made him think about the empty places in his life. Ariel had spoken about unconditional love, but Jarrett had never experienced that particular emotion. Tracy had. His sister had loved her husband to the exclusion of the rest of the world. Unfortunately, that had left her only child on the outside looking in. He cared about his sister, but he hadn’t been blind to her faults. Even her husband’s death hadn’t been enough to remind her of Anna Jane’s needs.

  He never understood Tracy’s obsession with Donald. He still didn’t. How had she known he was the one? Why had she been willing to risk so much? He’d always thought of her as weak, yet loving like that took a strength he couldn’t begin to muster.

  His niece laughed. He smiled at the sound.

  “Are we amusing you?” Ariel asked as she paused by him on her way to get more pine branches. She’d already placed several above the fireplace. The dark green contrasted with the white walls and marble floor and mantel.

  “I like the sound of Anna Jane’s laugher. I was thinking that I don’t hear it enough.”

  “I’m not surprised. She’s been through a lot. You’re lucky that she’s as well-adjusted as she is.”

  He wanted to question how she could know if Anna Jane was well-adjusted, but this wasn’t the time to pursue Ariel’s supposed lack of memory. “I don’t know what to do with her.”

  “It’s easy.” Ariel handed him several branches. “Just love her and be there for her. The rest of it sort of takes care of itself.”

  “You’re oversimplifying. Parenting is a difficult responsibility.”

  “Some people would say the same thing about running a business.”

  He grimaced. “Not bringing in a profit and destroying a child’s life aren’t the same thing.”


  “You’re going to be fine, Jarrett. If you’re this concerned, there’s no way you’ll mess up badly enough to destroy Anna Jane’s life.” She bent over and grabbed another armful of branches. “I can’t get over this. It’s December, we’re decorating for Christmas and I’m in shorts. Too weird.”

  “There’s not even a hint of snow.”

  She frowned. “I don’t think I expect snow. I’m not sure.” She shook her head. “A word of advice. Don’t lose your memory. It’ll make you crazy.”

  She was already making him crazy. Did she know? Was it part of her plan? “If you don’t expect snow, what do you want?”

  “Something wonderful.”

  Their gazes locked. He remembered her watching him run on the treadmill and the emotions he’d seen in her eyes. Had he read desire, or had he simply projected what he wanted to see? The hell of it was, he almost didn’t care. After all, the situation was already impossible. He was attracted to a woman he didn’t trust. That was pretty typical of the disasters that had passed for relationships in his life.

  Ariel leaned close. “Have you bought Anna Jane any presents?”

  “I’ve sent away for a few things.”

  “Like what?”

  He tried to remember, but all he could see was Ariel standing in front of him. It didn’t take a whole lot of imagination to picture her naked, beneath him, sighing with pleasure as he—

  “Uh, I don’t recall,” he said, then cleared his throat. “What would you suggest?”

  “Books, a computer, some learning software, maybe a few games. Dolls, but maybe not, because she’s pretty mature. A stuffed animal or two. Oh, and a puppy or kitten. You know, something for her to love.” She tilted her head. “That’s a good starting place. But don’t get too wild. You don’t want to spoil her.”

  He stared at her. “You want me to buy her all that, then tell me not to spoil her? Make up your mind.”

  Ariel laughed. “Okay, maybe I got carried away. But you get the idea.”