I Saw Him Standing There (Oceanic Dreams #1)

by Holly Kerr

  Xander ruefully shook his head. “Of course she’s going to tell the captain because that’s what Greer does. Sometimes I can’t believe she’s my sister.”

  “So you think she will talk to him?” I asked miserably. “I couldn’t tell if she was bluffing just as a way to get me to leave Miles alone.”

  “Oh, Greer’s perfectly capable of creating a hornet’s nest out of nothing. But don’t worry. I won’t let her.”

  “How can you stop her?”

  “I won’t be able to. But Miles will.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  I felt a bit more optimistic after I talked to Xander, but not entirely out of the water since he gave no indication how Miles would be able to work his magic on Greer to keep her away from the captain.

  Xander left me after he finished his beer, assuring me he would find Miles and make sure everything was okay. I had to believe him, even though it was difficult. It had been a while since anyone had looked out for me. And a long time since I had trusted anyone.

  It was a scary feeling.

  After Xander left, I wandered the deck looking for Will, the butterflies in my stomach becoming more active the more time it took to find him.

  I would tell him the truth and everything would be fine.

  I would tell him the truth and Will would hate me forever.

  I would tell him the truth and Will would not only hate me forever, but he would go straight to the captain, who would throw me off the ship. I would be transported back to Miami, where Eduardo would be waiting for me.

  My imagined scenarios got worse and worse.

  I rounded the corner on the pool deck, head down against the wind that was doing everything it could be blow me backward.

  “Petra—hi!”

  Pushing the hair out of my eyes, I saw him. “Will!”

  His smile was warm, his brown eyes welcoming. Happiness bloomed in my chest—he looked truly glad to see me.

  “I was hoping you’d find me,” he said.

  “Really?” It would have been so much better if he’d called me by my real name, but I’d take Petra’s name one more time. The ship rolled slightly and I took a step sideways to catch my balance.

  Will lifted the camera hanging around his neck and I noticed the harried expression on his face. “I have a huge favour. Look, one of our staff photographers is sick and they’ve asked me to take over.”

  “Are you a photographer?”

  “No! And neither is Max, the other cruise director. Both of us assumed it was a smile and click thing, but it’s really hard.” Will looked faintly embarrassed by the confession. “That’s what I was doing all day and I’m ready to chuck this thing overboard. Will you help me? Only for a couple of hours? Walk around and take pictures of people and save the life of this probably very expensive equipment?” He actually put his hands together under his chin and gave me the perfect hangdog expression.

  “How can I say no to that?”

  “I really hope you can’t.”

  So for the next few hours, I played photographer.

  It was a lot of fun, especially since Will never left my side and did most of the talking to the passengers. I soon found out that while he was nice, he was also personable, funny, and had a boatload of charm.

  Was that Cupid’s arrow digging in deeper?

  Why now? Why would I meet a really great guy now when I was literally hiding from the world? They said you find your perfect match when you stop looking. I hadn’t been looking for years. When I boarded the ship, romance was the last thing on my mind, but now I couldn’t seem to get enough of it.

  I liked to make him laugh. I liked the way he smiled at me. My skin tingled when he touched me, and I couldn’t stand more than two feet away from him without feeling chilled by the warm breeze blowing across the deck.

  Will’s eyes crinkle in the corners when he smiled. It was a good smile, not as blindingly white as Miles, but sincere. I would guess Will only smiled when he really meant it, unlike Miles who, like me, would have perfected the art of the social smile by the time he was six.

  “Have you always been interested in photography?” Will asked as we took a break for water. Taking pictures might have been fun for me, but it was also exhausting, especially after a day outside.

  “Since my grandfather gave me one of the first FUJIFILM Instax cameras. My mother was so angry with how much film I used, and how much it cost that she bought me a cheap digital camera.” I stared at a family nearby laughing together, one that we had taken pictures of with the blue-and-white life preserver Will lugged around. “My family got so tired of me taking pictures, but never my grandfather. He would sit for hours. I guess he was used to sitting. He’s a supreme court judge.”

  I didn’t know why I told him that.

  “Really?” Will looked at me with interest. “And what do you do?”

  “I’m the stereotypical black sheep,” I said breezily, lifting the camera to hide my face. “But I did pretend to work as a fashion photographer to help my brother get a date one time.”

  “That seems kind of devious.”

  “Not if you knew my brother. He needed all the help he could get. Simon is great, but a real dork. The girl talked about herself the whole time. We tried something else the next time.”

  “Like what?”

  “Look at that family,” I said abruptly. “Let’s see if they want their picture taken.” I got up, nervous about where the conversation was headed.

  I had to tell him the truth, but what would he say?

  And then Will smiled at me again, and my good intentions went to pot.

  “What are your plans tonight?” Will asked as the pool area began to clear.

  “I’m on the late seating for dinner,” I said. “And then I think there’s talk of the disco later.”

  “Sounds fun.”

  “How much of the fun stuff do you get to do?” I asked.

  “I get one day and two nights off. Sometimes the day and night are together like this week. I get the day after tomorrow off, and then there’s a staff party that night.”

  “Sounds fun.”

  “It is. I like what I do. I get to spend time in the sun, meeting interesting people.” He poked the camera. “Learning new things.”

  “You’re getting better at taking pictures.”

  “I’ve had a good teacher. Feel like helping out again tomorrow if Marty is still under the weather?”

  “Sure, but…”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I want to,” I said honestly, looking forward to spending more time together. But Greer if goes to the captain—I push the thoughts of Greer out of my mind. “If you want me to.”

  “I kind of need you,” Will admitted with a sheepish grin. “But it’s a good way to get to hang out together. I want to do that.”

  “Me too.” We stared at each other, the air charged with electricity like before a storm. It would be the perfect time for a kiss.

  “I’m really glad I met you, Petra.”

  Cold water splashed against the backs of my legs as a kid cannonballed into the pool. I moved away, the moment broken by Petra’s name rather than the splash.

  I needed to tell him the truth. I opened my mouth. “So what do you do on your day off?”

  I was such a coward. I always have been. I had run away from my problems, I hid when things got difficult. Why should today with Will be any different?

  I stopped the self-abasement in time to focus on what Will was saying.

  “It’ll be in Cozumel, so I’m going ashore. There’s this great place in the jungle that I like to go to.” He paused and looked at me closely. “Do you have plans for Cozumel?”

  I honestly had no idea if I did or not. Or whether I would still be on the boat.

  “I think I’m playing it by ear.”

  “Did you want to go with me?”

  I paused, full of excuses. But something about Will—his smile or the blue of his eyes—stopped me from gi
ving him a fast and firm no.

  “I’d love to.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Day Four: Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

  When we reached Grand Cayman the next day, I was one of the last passengers off the boat. I heard the excited talk about turtles and Stingray City last night at dinner, but hadn’t taken part.

  Dinner was much better last night because Greer wasn’t there. But even with her absence, I said good night to the group after we finished eating, and headed back to my room.

  I had a lot to think about.

  Georgetown, Grand Cayman was like a second home to me. My parents owned a condo on Seven Mile Beach and I had spent countless school holidays there. I knew practically every inch of the island. I’d fed the turtles at Cayman Turtle Farm, and I’d swum with the stingrays. I’d explored the wrecks. I’d been to Hell.

  I didn’t need an excursion. I could lead a tour for one.

  As I disembarked, I bumped into a chattering group of passengers. The short woman in the middle had her camera up to film to the view of Georgetown.

  “Holly, finish up,” ordered a tall, dark-haired man. “I don’t want to be late.”

  “If you go into the middle of town, you can get a great picture of the cruise ships docked,” I suggested as I walked by, my own camera out and ready.

  Tall and Dark caught my gaze. “Coming from the Aphrodite?”

  When I nodded, the woman stopped filming and turned to me. “Would you mind taking our picture?” she asked with a smile, holding out her camera.

  “Sure.” I waited until they posed, touching, but not enough to suggest they were a couple. “Do you want your friend in it too?” A man hovered behind me, not much older than Tall and Dark with the misfortune to wear sandals with a pair of black socks pulled up to mid-calf.

  He reminded me of my father, who hated bare feet.

  “We’re off to Stingray City,” the woman said after I handed the camera back.

  “It’s pretty amazing,” I assured her. “I’m off to the beach. Have a great time!” With a quick wave, I sidestepped them, leaving the woman chattering to the man about the stingrays.

  The walk from the pier to Seven Mile Beach was easy but filled with memories of my family. My brothers were everywhere. My mother was right beside me, holding my hand as we skipped through the waves. And my father—

  The disappointment in his face still haunted me. The unasked questions—how could I have let such a man into our family? How could I be so stupid? It was the image of my father’s expression that held me back when the homesickness got too much, the memory of his anger that stopped me from calling home.

  Those memories had faded into a dull black and white by the time I got to the row of condos on the beach.

  I watched for a few minutes to make sure the condo was empty. Residents and renters filled the balconies overlooking the water and lounge chairs dotted the sand. It was April; no school breaks so there were no children in the water.

  This was a good thing since kids were much more observant when it came to noticing something out of the ordinary.

  My parents’ condo was on the second level. It was a double unit, with lots of room for family or my mother to gift it to potential campaign donators for a weekend. I never took much notice of the security system whenever I was there, but a quick glance through the window suggested it would be easy to bypass if for some reason the password had changed.

  My little lock-picking kit made quick work of the door, and the password was the same as it had always been. Once inside I took a deep breath. The air in the condo was stale from being shut up for a few weeks, but if I concentrated I could smell the hint of garlic. My father loved garlic, especially when he grilled steaks, cooking them to a tender rare, with a tinge of blood left on the plate.

  The phone was on the desk. I dialled the number from memory, without giving myself a moment to change my mind.

  “Congresswoman Park’s office.”

  “Stella…hi. It’s Siggy. Seraphina. How are you?”

  My mother’s assistant gave a sharp intake of breath. “Siggy! Siggy? How are you—where are you? Your mother—”

  “Is she there?”

  “She’s in a briefing but—hang on. Wait one minute and I’ll tell her it’s you. Oh, Siggy, it’s so good to hear from you!”

  Stella was gone before I had a chance to respond. The next minute was the longest of my life but then my mother was on the line.

  “Seraphina? Are you okay?”

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Oh, Siggy.”

  My knees gave out and I crumpled to the floor. My mother—the tough-as-nails congresswoman famous for her stance on drugs and abortion and funding for Planned Parenthood—was crying. That was all I needed for my own waterworks to start.

  “I’m okay,” I said quickly, wiping my nose as a tear leaked out of my eyes. “I’m fine. I miss you.”

  As I walked along the beach, I had rehearsed what I was going to say but it flew out of my head as soon as I heard my mother’s voice.

  “Siggy…I miss you too.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry about Charles.”

  “Oh, sweetheart, there’s nothing for you to be sorry about. He fooled all of us. You couldn’t have known what he was like.”

  “But it’s my fault—”

  “Siggy, please stop. Now tell me where you are and I’ll send the car.”

  “Well, that might be a little difficult.” When I told her I was in Grand Cayman, she didn’t bat an eyelash even when I told her I’d broken into the condo. I explained about the cruise, skirting the details of Petra’s passport. I left out everything about my life in Miami, just telling her it was where I’d been hiding out.

  “I want you to come home,” she said, her voice firm and unyielding. “I can get a plane to you by tomorrow. You can stay at the condo until then.”

  “No, I’ll get back on the boat.” This surprised me as much as it did her. “I’ll fly home from Miami on Saturday.”

  “I want you here now.” Her voice changed to wistful and sad, which was more effective than the tough voice, but I held firm.

  I wasn’t ready to leave Will, but it wasn’t just him. I didn’t want to run away again. Even if Greer and the captain met me on deck, I was returning to the boat.

  “It’s only a few days,” I reassured her, laughing through my tears. “I’ll be home soon.”

  “About Charles,” she said. “There are things you need to know.”

  “I don’t want to know anything about him.”

  “He was arrested six months ago. He’s in jail, Siggy. He can’t do anything to hurt you ever again.”

  “Jail! What happened?”

  She chuckled. “He got greedy, tried the same scam again, only this time it didn’t go as planned. You were the fourth wife he had, Siggy. But not for long, because I have the divorce papers at home, waiting for your signature. You can put all this behind you.”

  But I couldn’t. And I wouldn’t ever forget.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I stayed at the condo for the afternoon, eating stale crackers and watching the waves roll into the shore until it was time to head back to the boat.

  I was excited to see Will. It was time to tell him everything.

  Back on board, after a quick trip to my cabin to drop off my bag, I took my camera and rushed to meet Will by the pool as planned.

  “Petra!”

  I vowed that would be the last time Will would call me by another woman’s name.

  “How was Cayman?”

  “It was…enlightening,” I said with a smile, recalling the conversation with my mother.

  Will frowned. “I don’t normally hear Cayman called enlightening. Turtles or stingrays?”

  I shook my head. “Neither. A walk along the beach.”

  “You had a nice day for it. Not too hot, not too busy.”

  “It was perfect.”

  We stood, the noise of the pool fading arou
nd us. It was time, the perfect time. “Will, I—”

  “Ready to take some pictures?” Will asked at the same time. “As long as you don’t have other plans, of course. I talked to Marty and she’s still not feeling great. She was able to work for most of the day, but I told her I’d do a couple of hours for her. If you’d help.”

  I melted at the sight of his smile. “Sure.” Then, “Marty is a girl. Woman?”

  Will nodded, his head bobbing like a bobblehead. “I told her all about you. Well, the little I know, anyway. She’s really grateful for you helping out. She can’t wait to see your pictures.”

  Marty was a girl. A girl friend or a sharing-the-bunk girlfriend?

  Suddenly it didn’t seem that important to tell Will my real name.

  “Hey, I know you!” A hand tugged on mine. I pulled my attention away from Will to see a blond boy with a wide smile staring expectantly at me. “You’re the girl when we got on the boat.”

  I recognized him as Sam, the ferret-loving little boy I’d met as I boarded the ship. “I am. And you’re Sam.”

  “You remember my name?”

  “I remember everyone who has a ferret. How’s Mr. Feeney?” I asked Sam and gave him a wink before raising my camera. “Say cheese!”

  We spent a while taking pictures of the family. When even Sam seemed tired of the poses, I finished up with a great action shot of Sam’s little sister jumping into the water and thanked the family for their time. As Will handed the father the card detailing when and where to view the pictures, Sam tugged on my arm again. “I’ve got something else you can take a picture of.”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s in my cabin. C’mon.”

  “Wait, you’ve got to tell your parents.”

  But Sam didn’t want his parents to come with him, so after a few minutes of heated conversation, they allowed Will and I to follow Sam to his cabin, which was only a deck down.

  “They let their kid walk around with strangers?” Will whispered as we hurried to catch up with Sam. For a kid with short legs, he was pretty quick.