ALL OF ME
BY
PATRICE WILTON
DREAMSCAPE PRESS
Dedication
I would like to thank my agent, Pamela Ahearn, for representing this book, and my fabulous critique group for their continued support and guidance. A special thank you to Katherine Ashe (Avon Historicals) for her valued information, and to Melissa Alvarez for creating this beautiful cover.
As always, I wish to give my love to my daughter, Kristina, my son, Rhys, and my darling Ralph. Hugs and kisses to my beautiful grandbabies, Caelan, Blake, and Bryn.
Other books by PATRICE WILTON
REPLACING BARNIE – Romantic Comedy
WHERE WISHES COME TRUE – Romantic Comedy
A CATERED AFFAIR – Contemporary Romance
A HERO LIES WITHIN – Contemporary Romance
HANDLE WITH CARE – Contemporary Romance
COPYRIGHT © 2011 by Patrice Wilton
Published by Dreamscape Press: June 2011
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or any other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone, living or dead, bearing the same name or names. All names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
CHAPTER ONE
The moment Leila Warner stepped off the plane, the heat and humidity assaulted her, and a sheen of perspiration coated her skin. By the time she made her way through the terminal to the taxi stand, she felt like a damp rag that someone had mopped the floor with.
She longed for a refreshing shower, crisp cotton sheets, and a decent night’s sleep, but knew they were luxuries she could not afford. The cruise would be coming in at four, and she only had time to make it to the marina if she went straight away.
She hopped into the first available cab, and was pleased to discover it was air conditioned. “The Marlin Marina,” she told the driver quickly, as if her sense of urgency might spur him on. She had no time for the airport traffic, or idle chit-chat, or anything at all that would delay her meeting the man she’d come here to see.
She was stressed to the breaking point, but who wouldn’t be in her circumstances? She’d flown thirty hours to get to Cairns, Queensland, and urgency may have driven her, but fear had been the fuel. Until she found her brother-in-law, she wouldn’t rest.
The cab driver’s Aussie accent, as charming as it was, was hard work for her foggy brain to comprehend. “You here for a few days, luv? You want me to show you around?”
“Thanks, but no.” Despite the sleep deprivation, she noticed how lush and green everything looked. Purple flowering vines coiled around the thick branches of trees like giant snakes, and moisture dripped from the leaves.
“That’s the rainforest, luv.” He glanced back at her in his rearview mirror. “I recommend you take the scenic railway to Kuranda, or go by skyrail. It’s well worth the trip.”
“I’m sure it is, but I won’t be here long enough.” She looked away from the rainforest and watched the shoreline instead. The white sand was enough to dazzle her tired eyes, and the turquoise waves sparkled as bright as any jewel. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered, her voice raw from lack of sleep.
“That it is. Don’t think an artist could paint it better.”
She didn’t reply, and he tried again. “You’ll have to visit the zoo and see the cuddly koalas up close,” he said with a friendly smile. “And, of course, you’ll want to see our crocodiles.”
“Oh, yes, that’s big on my list,” Leila replied, and shut her eyes, feigning sleep.
“No worries.” The driver took the hint and stopped talking, allowing her time to think.
What was she going to say to this brother-in-law she’d never met? The black sheep of the family, whose own parents didn’t have a good thing to say about him? The only solid fact she knew about him was that her husband’s brother, Ryan, had been charged with murder at the age of twenty-one.
Jail changed men, and he’d been in a maximum security prison cell with a bunch of hardened criminals for three and a half years before his release. New DNA evidence had given him a get-out-of-jail card, but what had those years done to him? What if he was so soured by the kick-in-the-pants life had dealt him that he’d refuse to help? What would she do?
Leila released a long sigh. She’d learned the hard way that there was no sense in worrying about something that might or might not happen. There was plenty enough to worry about without inventing new reasons.
Once she told Ryan, surely he would be eager to comply. What man wouldn’t want to do the right thing and save his deceased brother’s child?
She gnawed on her fingernail, then looked at them with disgust. In the past few days she’d destroyed nail after nail, a clear indication of the stress she was under.
The cab pulled up to a wharf. “Here you are, luv. The Marlin Marina.” The driver flashed a grin. “You like fishing? I swear, the reef has the most beautiful fish in the world. Almost too pretty too eat.”
Leila shook her head. “No, I’m not here to fish.” She paid the man and stepped out into the tropical heat. It was late August, the end of summer in Princeton, New Jersey, but since everything was upside down here, that meant it was going on spring in Australia. It was also so damned hot, it stole her breath away.
Trickles of sweat slid down her throat and chest, into her bra. Her jeans clung to her legs like two dead weights. She thought of her shorts or her skirt in her bag, and could almost feel the soft breeze floating around her legs. Did she have time to change? No. What if she missed him? She’d have to wait an entire day.
She looked around the large marina, unsure where to go. She didn’t want to drag her bag all over the place. Fortunately she spotted a fisherman nearby, and asked him where the Barrier Reef Scuba Cruise came in.
“See that pier over there?” The fisherman pointed, and Leila looked beyond his unclean nails. “Its finger 'E.' They run in alphabetical order.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” She headed down the wooden gangplank, the wheels of her overnight bag clip-clopping along behind her.
When she found “finger E” she saw a sailboat heading toward her. Excitement quickened her pulse. She would meet Ryan in a few minutes. Would she recognize him? Did he look like Nick? Oh, God, just the thought made her breath catch and she swallowed hard to rid the lump in her throat.
She would be disarmed completely if he had Nick’s eyes, his mouth, his charm. She hoped for her sake that he was nothing like his brother because she needed all of her wits about her.
She watched the boat dock and a man jumped off to tie the boat to the side moorings. He was too old to be Ryan, she knew instantly. He looked to be in his fifties, with salt and pepper hair pulled back in a ponytail, and had the weathered skin of a man that spend too much time in the sun. Ryan must be the captain and still on board.
The older man had the boat secured and was helping the happy revelers disembark. Some of them looked a little tipsy as they laughed and shook his hand, sliding a tip into his fingers as they did so.
Her stomach was jumping around like she’d swallowed a goldfish, and her heart slammed against her rib cage. What was she going to say to him? “Hey, are you Ryan? Good, ‘cause I need your kidney.”
No. Not a great opening line.
/> Her doubts and fears were due to the fact she was overtired, she reasoned with herself. She would find the right words when she saw him.
When the last of the passengers had disembarked she walked over to the man who was part of the crew.
“I’m looking for Ryan Warner,” she told him. “Is he still on board?”
“Not on this rig. He took out the Moonraker this morning. Won’t be back until late tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Her nerves stretched so taut, she feared they would snap like a rubber band. “But I have to see him now.”
The man shrugged. “You missed him. He does the overnight adventure tours.”
“But I flew from New York just to see him.” She clenched her hands together and blinked rapidly. She was hanging on by a thread, and she knew it. “It’s very important.”
She hadn’t called Ryan to let him know she was coming. She’d been afraid that he’d refuse to see her and had opted for a surprise. Giving him advance notice, would be handing him an excuse.
“I don’t think I know you.” The man said slowly. “You a friend of Ryan's?” He gave a short laugh. “You’re not knocked up or anything, are you?”
CHAPTER TWO
“Knocked up? No!” Leila exclaimed. “I’ve never met the man.” My God, what a reputation her brother-in-law had.
“Well, good. So what’s it about then?”
“It’s a personal matter. I’m his sister-in-law.” Her shoulders slumped and she felt tired and defeated. To come all this way, only to find out he wasn’t here... It was unbearable. What was she going to do? She couldn’t waste an entire day sitting around waiting for his return. Her daughter didn’t have that sort of time.
“Didn’t know he had a brother.”
She ignored his comment. “I must see Ryan. How can I get out to wherever he is?”
“If it’s that important, I could take you, I suppose.”
“Yes, please.” She smiled with relief and gratitude, but refrained from hugging him. “I would appreciate it, thank you.” She took a step toward the sailboat’s ramp, but he stopped her.
“Not on that. I have a small powerboat I can take you out in. Just give me a moment. I’ve gotta make a few calls and do some paperwork. You want to come with me? Have a cold drink while you wait?”
“Sounds good.” She offered him her hand. “I’m Leila Warner, by the way.”
“Jim Brady. Glad to be of service.”
They went into a small wooden building that appeared to be a reception area for checking in passengers. He grabbed her a soda from a vending machine, and she sat down to wait while he went into the back office and did his paperwork. Spotting a ladies restroom, she dragged her bag inside and changed from her jeans into her shorts.
A half hour later they were underway. She sat in the back of the twenty foot speedboat, her head tilted toward the sun. The cool ocean breeze felt wonderful, and it had been a great many years since she’d been out on a boat.
Nick had loved to sail, and he had taken her either to the Cape or the Hamptons every summer when they were first married. But that was a long time ago, a much happier time, when she had thought her life would always be perfect.
The water was the most gorgeous color of blue she’d ever seen, and so clear that in places she could see to the bottom. She shaded her eyes, watching the water, glimpsing small islands in the distance as they sped past.
Jim wasn’t much for talking, which suited her just fine. Her thoughts were focused on the man she was about to meet, and the more she thought about him, the more agitated she became. Her stomach was practically doing cartwheels, and she felt physically ill with worry and fatigue. Even knowing that her curiosity about him would be satisfied soon didn’t soothe her mind. Who was this man whose parents wouldn’t even talk about? What kind of a man was he? And why had Nick turned his back on his only brother? What didn’t she know?
She rubbed a finger between her eyebrows, massaging away the beginning of a headache.
She didn’t know Ryan but she knew Nick, and she had to trust her husband’s good judgment. And yet, it was easy for her to feel sorry for the man she hadn’t met, wrongly charged with murder when he wasn’t much more than a boy.
Well, that was nearly fifteen years ago. He was close to her own age, she knew. Thirty-nine or forty. Nick would have been forty-two this summer. If he had lived, would he have looked like his brother did now? Another minute or two and she’d see for herself.
The boat was slowing down, and she could make out a large schooner in the distance. Jim pointed to it. “There it is. I’ll pull up alongside of it, and you can climb aboard. I let him know you were coming.”
“Thanks, Jim. You’ll never know how much this means to me.” She had come all this way and she wasn’t going to break down now. She could be strong, just for a little longer. “Can I please pay you for your time?”
“No. You’re Ryan's family and that’s all I need to know.” He rubbed his scruffy jaw. “Kid’s like a son to me.”
“What’s he like?” she found herself asking. She licked her dry lips and ran a shaky hand through her hair as she waited for his answer.
He cut the motor, maneuvering the boat toward the back of the schooner and its boarding platform. It was a wooden boat, she noticed, like the tall ships from a bygone era. She didn’t know if it was a replica or the real thing, but it was gorgeous, with all the lovely teak and ample space.
Jim took her bag and hoisted it up onto the platform. “Sorry. Couldn’t hear you back there.”
“That’s okay. I’ll know soon enough.” She leaned over to kiss his cheek. “I owe you one.”
Although his face was a dark, leathery brown, she detected a blush. “My pleasure.” His eyes held hers for a moment. “You didn’t come all the way here to bring happy tidings. I know he hasn’t seen his family in a great many years, but family’s family and you can’t stop caring.”
Leila nodded. She was glad that Jim had called Ryan, and given him the heads-up. “I hope you’re right about that.”
Jim assisted her onto the platform of the larger boat, then revved his motor and was gone.
She didn’t look up, although she could sense someone was standing above her. For the first time since she remembered his name, her certainty faltered. What if he was a deplorable man and his family’s warning to stay clear of him had been right? No one knew her precise whereabouts at this moment. Maybe he’d hack her to pieces and feed her to the fishes.
***
Ryan pretended disinterest as he watched his brother’s wife climb on board. She was every bit as pretty as he’d expected. Nick always got the good-looking chicks, and so it followed that his wife would be a beauty.
She was tall and slim, and had her long brown hair tied up in a ponytail, which made her look like a kid, instead of a woman who must be forty. He’d had a spectacular view of her rump and her shapely legs when she’d bent over to kiss Jim on the cheek. She was a looker, no doubt about it.
So where was Nick? Why wasn’t he here with her? If Nick had sent her to say his mother or father had passed away, he had wasted her time. They were already dead to him, just as he was to them.
At last she looked up and stared right into his eyes. Jesus. She had the bluest eyes he’d ever seen on a woman. So blue they had to be contacts, they couldn’t be real.
“Hey,” he said. “You need some help?” He grabbed her bag and hauled it up, allowing her to fend for herself. For some reason he was reluctant to touch her.
“Hi. I’m Leila,” she said, scrambling aboard.
“Yeah, I know.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts. “Look, I don’t know what you’re doing here, but I’m sure it’s just a waste of your time.” He scowled down at her, wanting to make it perfectly clear that while she might be family, he wasn’t about to be friendly.
Her eyes dimmed, like the sun passing through a cloud. He was almost sorry to have made that happen. He liked her bright blue eyes.
She put a hand on her hip, tilting her head to see him better. “You don’t even know why I’m here. Can’t you give me the benefit of a doubt?”
Yeah, he could do that. Hell, she probably wasn’t expecting a queen’s welcome, just for him to be civil. “Sure.” He took his hand out of his pocket and offered it. “Sorry, I was rude. I’m Ryan. Hope you had a good trip. Where’s Nick, by the way?”
“He’s dead.” She didn’t take his hand.
“Nick?” He stepped back, his legs meeting the rail. He grabbed onto it as his sea legs damn near gave out. “No. I would have known if something happened to him.”
“How? You haven’t been in touch with your family for the past fifteen years.” Her eyes shifted away and she said softly, “Did no one from the family call you?”
“No. Not that I would expect them to.” He expelled his breath loudly. “How? When?” He shook his head, still reeling from shock. He hadn’t seen his brother in many years, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have feelings.
“Five years ago. It was a car accident.”
“My God. Hard to believe. I’m sorry. Real sorry.” He looked at the woman in front of him. She’d spoken about her husband’s death without a flicker of emotion, but then, she’d had five years to get used to the idea. He’d only had a minute.
“I’m sorry, Ryan. I shouldn’t have blurted that out the way I did. I just don’t understand what happened between you and Nick. He never spoke of you, and knowing Nick it must have broken his heart.”
Ryan felt a punch in his stomach as surely as if she’d used a fist. “You know nothing.” He turned away from her, carrying her bag toward the main cabin. Two of his guests, a young couple from New Zealand, were watching them with curiosity, and he was eager to get out of public view.
She grabbed his arm. “You’re right. I don’t know anything, but I want to understand.”
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE TRILOGY Page 1