Wade cracked open one of the shells and popped a pistachio in his mouth. Then he turned to Reece. “You’re welcome to come with us.”
It would have been rude to exclude Reece, but that didn’t stop Robin from hoping he’d refuse.
After a short pause during which she didn’t dare look in his direction, Reece said, “Thanks, man, I think I will.”
She hadn’t thought the situation could get any worse. Having a second witness to what was undoubtedly going to be an epic fail definitely qualified. With a sinking heart, she trailed Wade to the door leading to the veranda. There was no way this was going to end well.
The threesome descended a wide set of stairs and followed a sidewalk cutting through the well-manicured lawn. The beauty of the morning was lost on Robin. With each step, the churning in her stomach increased in intensity. She wasn’t sure why she didn’t obey the voice in her head urging her to turn and run.
By the time they reached the dock, she was finding it hard to breathe. The gleaming white boat rocking on the water seemed to mock her, as if it could sense her terror and hear the frantic beating of her heart. Any second now she’d be expected to climb aboard. Barring a miracle, she was poised to make a fool of herself or worse. A situation that could have been avoided with a single conversation had morphed into what would go down as her worst moment ever.
Wade turned toward her. His mouth was moving, but she couldn’t hear anything over the thunderous roaring in her ears. He straddled the space between the boat and the dock, and then held out his hand. Waves of nausea welled up inside her followed by the taste of metal in her mouth. She stared at him in frozen silence, unable to speak or move.
The next thing she was aware of was being carried. Her nose told her it wasn’t Wade. He didn’t smell like a pine forest. There were other signs as well. The arms holding her felt like bands of steel. Just to be sure, she opened one eye, and then the other. The corded neck and square jaw in her line of vision belonged to Reece.
She couldn’t have said which was worse: the previous feeling of impending doom or the acute embarrassment she was experiencing now. It didn’t really matter. The damage was done. The only thing left to discover was what form it had taken.
Clearing her throat, she forced herself to speak. “What happened?”
* * * * *
Reece glanced down at Robin, relieved to see some color returning to her face. There were several reasons why an otherwise healthy young woman would suddenly pass out. Dehydration and hunger were the usual culprits. In this case, it was fear. Fear so intense it caused her blood pressure to drop, reducing circulation to her brain. He’d seen it many times with people who were afraid of flying.
He’d suspected something was wrong earlier in the kitchen. That’s why he tagged along like a third wheel when it was obvious he’d only been included out of politeness. Robin’s shocking reaction to his father’s yacht proved his instincts had been spot on.
“You fainted,” he told her.
Dismay and something else clouded her lovely eyes. “I’m sorry for causing so much trouble.”
“Don’t apologize for something you couldn’t control.”
His attempt to comfort her seemed to do the opposite.
Her glance shifted down to his chin. “Where’s Wade?”
“He went to get the first aid kit. You collected a few scrapes on the way down.”
“Did anyone else see my…performance?”
Sympathy hadn’t worked. Maybe humor would. “At least twenty or thirty people. It’ll be more once I upload the video to YouTube.”
To his relief, one corner of her adorable mouth lifted. A mouth he had no business noticing, and should have stopped looking at by now. The fact that it was so close was no excuse.
“I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be an internet sensation. It’s nothing new to you, is it?” As if she realized what she said, a pretty blush stained her cheeks. “I didn’t mean…”
“Don’t worry about it,” he assured her. “I don’t offend easily. How do you feel?”
“Much better. In fact, I’m sure it’s not necessary for you to carry me. I can walk.”
“You probably can, but Wade’s heart can’t take it.” It wasn’t the most tactful thing to say, but it was accurate. Wade had looked in need of CPR after watching his girlfriend crumple to the deck like a limp doll. It had been left to Reece to attend to Robin. “Why didn’t you tell him you don’t like boats?”
A shuttered expression entered her face. “Because I’m a coward. I didn’t want him to think badly of me. That plan didn’t work out too well, did it?”
“You chose to face your fear instead of running away. In my book, that’s the opposite of being a coward.”
She plucked at the material of her shirt. “I don’t even have a bad experience to blame it on. This is a completely irrational fear arising from nothing but my imagination.”
“That doesn’t make it any less real. I happen to be scared of bats. The fact that I’ve never been in close contact with them doesn’t matter. Just thinking about them makes my skin crawl. Unlike a famous comic book superhero, I haven’t found a way to turn that fear to my advantage.”
Wade strode out the back door and headed in their direction. “How is she?” he asked anxiously.
Robin answered before Reece could. “Mortified.”
Some of the strain faded from Wade’s face. “Then you must be feeling better.”
“I’m perfectly fine. Now that you’re here, please help me convince Reece to put me down. I feel ridiculous being carried around like a damsel in distress.”
“I think it would be best if you stayed where you are. As for Reece, playing a chivalrous knight is what he does best. Do you have any idea why you fainted?”
Reece felt Robin stiffen just before her eyes briefly met his. There was no mistaking the pleading expression in them. She didn’t want him to tell Wade. He had no intention of doing so. This was between the two of them.
“I think it was lack of food. I didn’t eat much yesterday.”
Wade nodded. “That could have been it.”
Reece ascended the steps of the veranda and lowered Robin down on one of the chaise lounges. His part in the scene was over. Wade could take it from here. “I’ll go see if I can hurry breakfast along.”
As he turned to go, Robin put her hand on his arm. “Thanks for the lift, Reece.”
Liquid fire raced underneath the surface of his skin. This was getting beyond annoying and was now bordering on absurd. Summoning a smile, he said, “No problem.”
Inside the house, he checked in with Jeanette. She told him breakfast would be on the table in ten minutes. Instead of returning to the veranda, Reece went in search of his father. He found him on the treadmill in the exercise room.
“Nice boat, Dad. Planning a trip around the world?”
“Maybe,” his father admitted with a grin. “Maxine loves being on the water. I have to admit it’s growing on me as well. Feel like a round of golf later? One of the men in my foursome can’t make it today.”
Reece considered golf to be a nice walk wasted, but spending a few hours away from the house was probably a good idea. Every time he looked at Robin, he’d remember how it felt to hold her in his arms. Her silky hair had tickled his chin in much the same way her perfume had teased his senses. While he had no regrets about the incident, there was no doubt that putting the last twelve hours behind him just went from problematic to extremely challenging.