“It is. Maybe we can arrange for a tour.”
Sophie beamed. “That would be wonderful.”
From her seat in the boat, Cathy sighed.
“You doing all right, hun?” Roger asked.
“Yes, just tired already. Are you hitting every wave on purpose, or is it just me?”
Roger slowed the boat. “Sorry. Maybe staying closer to shore will help.”
The island stretched out into a long oval, with the house on one end. Sophie scanned the thick trees for wild animals, pathways, maybe even drifters who might be living on the island while the billionaire owner was away. A thought suddenly occurred to her that perhaps Jamie lived in some kind of vagrant situation like that, stowing away in someone’s island woods while no one was home.
A movement beneath the trees caught her eye. Despite her wild imaginings, she still expected to see that it was only a bird, and gasped out loud when a darkly clothed man stepped into view. “There’s someone there!” she cried.
“Where?” Roger looked to where Sophie pointed, and then he waved at the man. “That’s just Pete, the caretaker.”
“There’s a caretaker on the island? Does he live here by himself?”
“Yes, except when … my boss is home. We won’t be seeing much of Pete. He’s got his own place, a cabin on the far edge of the island. He knows we’re coming today, but he’s shy around people.”
“He must be, to stay here alone.”
“He’s happy here. Vietnam vet; never got over his time there. Before he came here, he was on the streets in Seattle. Wouldn’t sleep indoors until he came to Sitka, on the island.”
“Wow. Is he …” She thought of the many homeless men and women around San Francisco, some of whom her mother had befriended. “Is he dangerous? I know homeless and dangerous aren’t always the same thing …”
Roger harrumphed. “Maybe it’s your city upbringing, but you sure jump quickly to thinking people are dangerous. No, Pete’s not dangerous. He’s been through a lot, and he’s shy, but not dangerous.”
Sophie blushed. “Sorry.”
Pete was still watching them from beneath the trees, so Sophie raised her hand as Roger had, in a tentative greeting. The man simply slipped out of sight, like a shadow.
It wasn’t a long ride to the other end of the island. A second dock jutting out into the sound was the first she saw of their destination. It was a sturdy dock and appeared to be fairly new.
For not being here often, this billionaire certainly puts a lot into this place.
It didn’t take long to disembark. Five other boats of varying sizes were moored up to the dock already, and Sophie recognized one of them as another of the charter fishing company’s boats.
“Do we have other relatives who work for the charter?” Sophie asked. Roger was busy tending the boat, so she and Tracy accompanied Cathy’s slow walk.
“That’s probably Jamie, isn’t it?” Tracy said.
Cathy turned her direction, and pointedly said, “I think it is. Sophie, Jamie’s here because Roger always invites him to our reunions, even though he’s just a member of the crew.”
“Oh … that’s nice,” Sophie said casually, but her heart rate had suddenly picked up. Roger and Jamie had been cryptic about something happening on Saturday, but she was still surprised to hear he was to attend their family reunion. She was waiting for the other shoe to drop, for someone to announce that Jamie was her cousin. Wouldn’t they have just told her that right away, though? She couldn’t think of a reason not to.
The beach crawled with Platskys, young and old. Sophie felt a little lost. It’d been so long since she’d seen most of her large extended family. Children of varying sizes scrambled over large rocks, tossed footballs, and darted in and out of the trees surrounding a large cleared area. Smoke rose from what looked to be an outdoor stone oven, and a group of men stood as focused on it as they might have been on an open car engine.
Set back on one side of the clearing was a two-story stone building surrounded by a stone patio. “What in the world is that?” she asked. “It looks ancient.”
“It is,” came a voice from her left, making her whirl around to see the speaker. Butterflies flew up in her stomach before she even caught sight of Jamie. He smiled at her. “Nineteenth-century, a gift from Sitka’s Russian founders.”
“What was it used for?” she asked.
“Not sure. A lookout? Hideaway? It’s not very big inside. Locals call it the Gazebo.”
“Is it safe?”
Cathy and Tracy had moved on toward some chairs, but Jamie stopped Sophie, and stepped close. They hadn’t seen each other since the kitchen kiss, but the memory flooded Sophie’s veins.
“You want to know if the Gazebo’s safe? Tell me, Sophie,” his voice low. “Why are you always so worried about being safe?”
She swallowed. “I’d love to see it.”
“Then you will. First, there’re some people I’d like you to meet.”
Oh no. Is he going to introduce me to my own family? Awkward. Please don’t let him be a cousin. Third cousins are legal, right?
He led them over to two couples talking, one of which Sophie happily recognized as another aunt and uncle.
“Uncle Wade! And Aunt Shirley! How are you?” She greeted them both with hugs. “You look wonderful. I hear Jerry joined the Coast Guard?”
Jamie waited for them to greet and briefly catch up.
“I suppose you already know each other?” she asked Jamie.
“I do. But you don’t know these people.” He stepped between the other middle-aged couple, putting an arm around each of them. They smiled tentatively, but Jamie’s eyes twinkled above the beard. “Sophie, this is Jim and Kay. My parents.”
15
Sophie realized too late that her mouth was hanging open and a noticeably awkward pause had passed. Jamie’s parents—Jamie’s parents!—watched her as they might watch someone who may need medical attention.
She forced a smile on her face and shook their hands. “So good to meet you both. Sorry, it’s Jim and Kay, right?”
“That’s right,” Kay said. “We’re so glad to meet you, Sophie. Jamie’s told us so much about you.”
Jamie’s eyes twinkled mischievously.
“I wish I could say the same,” she said through a tight smile of her own. “Do you live nearby?” They look so normal. Definitely don’t live in the backwoods or eat possum.
“No, we’re just here for a few days,” Jim said. Sophie could see where Jamie’s hazel eyes came from. “We’re on a cruise, stopped into Sitka for a few days.”
“Oh, do the cruise ships stay in Sitka that long? I had the impression they only stopped here for a day.”
Jamie’s parents smiled blankly at Sophie for another awkward moment before Kay said, “Oh, we’ll catch up with the boat eventually.” Her smile was still in place. “So nice to meet you, Sophie. I’m going to see if there’s any diet soda in those ice boxes over there.”
Turning to go, Kay inexplicably punched Jamie in the arm before walking away. Jamie winced and rubbed his wound.
“Why are the women in my life always punching me?” he complained.
Jim finally turned his gaze from Sophie to Jamie. “Maybe that’s something you should find the answer to, son. Sophie, I’ll look forward to talking to you soon. You’re just as lovely as Jamie said. Wade, I wonder if I could take you up on that game of horseshoes you mentioned?”
“Absolutely.” Jim and Sophie’s aunt and uncle left them, Aunt Shirley looking back nervously.
When they were alone again, Sophie asked, “What was that all about? Your parents? I’m happy to have met them, but … That was weird.”
Jamie took her hand and led her on a pathway toward the trees, away from the rest of the Platskys. “When I found out they’d be in town, I wanted you to meet them. Roger said no one would mind, so I invited them.”
“Why did no one tell me? I feel like everyone knows things that I don’t
.”
“That’s probably just because you’re still new to Sitka. Come on. I want to show you the Gazebo.”
Whatever discomfort Sophie felt disappeared as soon as Jamie introduced her to the looming island relic. Despite being called a gazebo, which Sophie took to mean a covered pavilion without walls, this Gazebo was more like an ancient townhouse: small footprint, but two stories tall.
“And you don’t know what it was used for?” Sophie asked.
“No. Probably a retreat of some kind. Or a lookout.”
“Strange and beautiful. Does the caretaker, Pete, live there?”
“You’ve heard of Pete, then?”
“We saw him watching from the trees on the way here.”
“North side?” Jamie pointed the direction he meant.
“Yes, about halfway down the length of the island. Why? Do you know him?”
“I do.”
He knows everybody …
“No one lives in the Gazebo,” Jamie said, “except maybe a few mice. Pete has a place back in the woods, a cabin. He’s … shy.”
Sophie nodded. “So I heard.”
They had walked around to the back side of the Gazebo. Empty stone garden beds surrounded the building, and on their way around they passed the outdoor stone kitchen, where family members were heating coals to cook a variety of meats. On this side of the building, however, no Platskys were in sight.
Sophie was just fingering a faint design carved onto one of the stone garden beds when Jamie pulled her into his arms, taking her breath away. “What’s this?” she asked.
“Why do you think I wanted you to see the Gazebo? Nobody’s back here.”
Sophie looked around to be sure, but when Jamie’s finger brushed her cheek, she wasn’t sure she’d notice if the whole Platsky clan rounded the corner.
“I’m sorry about the other day in the kitchen,” he said. “Roger … The things he said. It wasn’t like that at all.”
“No,” she said in a hushed tone. “It was nice. Thank you for the flowers, by the way.”
“Did you like them? I had them add California poppies.”
“I saw. They were beautiful, thank you.”
Jamie pulled her closer.
“Your beard’s especially wild today.” She smiled, touching where the soft fuzz rose up to meet his cheek bone.
“Kyle? Yeah, he needs to go to the groomers. I was in a rush this morning and didn’t spend much time on him.”
“Or … any?”
He chuckled. “Or that. I missed you, Sophie.”
He didn’t waste any more of their privacy on talking, and Sophie suddenly found herself lost in Jamie’s kisses. A little voice in her head warned, Whoa there, Nellie! You don’t even know Jamie’s last name.
And she told the little voice, Yes, I know. As long as it’s not Platsky, I’ll think about that later.
Just as suddenly as the sweet kisses had started, Jamie brought them to an abrupt end so suddenly that Sophie stumbled forward into the space he’d put between them.
“Come on.” He grinned. “I have something else I want to show you.”
16
The something that Jamie wanted to show her was inside a large metal storage shed on the other side of the clearing. To Sophie’s surprise, when the children saw where Jamie was headed, they cheered and followed as if he was the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
Inside the shed were four-wheel ATVs, all in different colors.
“Wow.” Sophie was unenthusiastic. “I’ve never ridden one. Are they safe?”
Jamie grinned, his hazel eyes twinkling as bright as ever. “Definitely not.”
Most of the afternoon was spent with family members taking turns on the ATVs. The island’s owner, it turned out, had cleared wide tracks zigzagging through the forest and up and down hills that gave riders a bouncy, thrilling ride. There were races, and Sophie’s uncle Wade created a tournament chart, while Aunt Suzy photographed the event. Sophie, as the cousin who had traveled the farthest, had one of the first turns, riding double with Jamie. They won, but when the littlest Platskys begged rides, Sophie—rubbing where her body had felt the bounces the most—insisted Jamie give them rides in her place.
Watching Jamie with her many young cousins was a joy. In the short time she’d known him, she’d never seen him around children. Now she watched as his natural teasing and boyishness came to the surface. Although he was competitive and tried to win each race, he was attentive to the individual children, tying the shoe of cousin Sarah’s little daughter Alice, and helping cousin Nathan’s son Ben cheer up when someone teased him.
Sophie, meanwhile, visited with relatives, sharing memories and hearing stories of her mom and uncles growing up; but always her eyes and ears drifted back to Jamie.
Roger and some of the male cousins went back and forth between the four-wheelers and their manly duty of keeping the old stone ovens hot. By the time they announced the meats were ready, all the Platskys and their guests rushed to the loaded tables to eat salads, rolls, and barbecue. Everyone commended Sophie for her contribution, dozens of chocolate chip, peanut butter, and snickerdoodle cookies. Cathy caught her eye and gave her a thumbs-up.
Sophie chose to sit at a picnic table that still had lots of empty spaces. She hoped Jamie would join her. With the rush of people, she realized she’d lost track of where he was and casually looked around to locate him.
She wasn’t prepared for what she saw when she finally did. Jamie stood at the edge of the woods near the shed talking to a woman Sophie didn’t recognize. The newcomer stood out, as she, like Sophie, had much darker coloring than the blond Platskys. Sophie’s stomach dropped at the sight, because even from a distance, she could see that the woman was very attractive, and that she and Jamie stood closer than Sophie was comfortable with.
Sophie’s plate sat untouched as she stared in their direction. Jamie was talking, and the woman seemed irritated with him. At one point he put his arm around her shoulders, but the woman shook it off and stormed toward the food table.
Just then, Jamie looked up. He smiled and waved at Sophie, freezing when he saw the look on her face.
Sophie quickly looked away and pretended to concentrate on her food. Heat rushed through her—anger, embarrassment. What was Jamie playing at? Putting his arm around a woman just hours after he’d kissed Sophie?
What’s wrong with me? I need to stop thinking that I know Jamie well enough to trust him!
Cousin Nathan had joined her across the table and was saying something about the grocery store he managed. Sophie wasn’t listening, but nodded.
“That must be interesting,” she said, hoping it made sense with what he said.
A shadow fell across Sophie, but she didn’t look up.
“Sophie,” Jamie said from behind her, “there’s someone else here I’d like you to meet.”
This is my wife. This is my girlfriend. This is someone you’re going to wish you never saw, because I’m about to break your heart.
She winced, realizing that whoever this was she was about to meet, when it came to Jamie, Sophie’s heart was already affected. Scraggly beard, grubby clothes, and all.
She turned slowly around, waiting for the emotional blow.
The woman was indeed very pretty, with short dark hair, dangling earrings, and designer jeans and blouse. She had a beautiful smile, and … Sophie suddenly realized she looked familiar.
“Sophie, this is Marisa,” Jamie said.
“Hi, Sophie.” Marisa waved an empty paper plate at her, which she must have picked up before Jamie pulled her from the food line.
“Marisa?” Sophie asked. “From the airplane, right?”
“Yes, we met … what was it, a month or more ago?”
“Of course! I’m glad to see you again. That’s right, you work for Roger’s boss, right?”
“I do!” Marisa answered enthusiastically. “I work for Roger’s boss, and I’m working from the island this week.”
“Is yo
ur boss here now or coming soon?”
“I’m told he’s expected soon, yes.”
“I see.”
Sophie’s pleasure at seeing the friendly Marisa again was interrupted when she glanced at Jamie and remembered the intimacy the two seemed to have by the shed. They made an odd pair, she thought, if they were a pair. Marisa shone with beauty and style even in what looked like her downtime clothes, while Jamie still sported his homeless look. But then, Sophie was attracted to him, so why wouldn’t someone else be? Pangs of jealousy shot through her stomach, and she pressed a hand there to still it, waiting for Jamie to say something.
He was busy watching her face, a frown creasing above his dark-blond eyebrows. He jumped at the way she looked at him. “Marisa’s my cousin,” he said quickly, as if he’d forgotten to mention it.
Sophie’s eyes went wide. “Your cousin.”
“Yes. She works for Roger’s boss, and she’s my cousin.”
Sophie hadn’t spent much time around her own cousins, but the interaction she’d witnessed between them seemed like acceptable cousin behavior. But …
“You certainly don’t look much alike,” she said before she could stop herself. Even she heard the doubt in her voice.
“Right,” Marisa said, glancing at Jamie. “Jamie’s mom and my dad are brother and sister. My mom’s Mexican-American.”
“Really!” Sophie’s heart softened. She knew she liked Marisa the first time they met on the plane. “I have the same mix. My dad’s family’s from Mexico, and my mom was … well, a Platsky.”
Jamie looked relieved. “Marisa, let’s go get some food, and Sophie, if you could save us some spots?”
Sophie smiled at him. He was forgiven. “I’ll try, if you hurry.”
The afternoon went by quickly, with games and stories and more talking. By the end of it, Sophie could name all her relatives, give a summary of their lives, and knew more stories of her mom as a girl than she’d ever heard before. Uncle Bob’s widow, Aunt Suzy, had brought her a small photo of Sophie’s mother when she was a little girl. Sophie teared up a little over that.
The Angler, the Baker, and the Billionaire (Destination Billionaire Romance) Page 11