And yet, that growing sense of destiny, weird as it sounded, seemed to have taken hold of him. He shook his head.
No, as much as Jack was growing to care for Marina—there, he’d admitted it—he couldn’t allow her to complicate the decision he would have to make when his sabbatical was over. He closed his eyes. Yet he couldn’t forget the touch of her fingers twined in his in the pool, the warmth of her kiss—or his promise to call her.
How many times had he said that to a woman and failed to follow through?
Becoming a father overnight was one thing, but embarking on a relationship that could turn serious was quite another. Jack imagined that Marina wasn’t the type of woman that men dated casually—she was too smart for that. Plus, she’d just come out of a bad relationship. He hoped that hurtful meme of her would die out soon.
Complicating the matter was Leo, who liked Marina a lot. Yet considering the tragedy ahead for his son, Jack couldn’t stand to break Leo’s heart twice. If a relationship with Marina didn’t work out—and Jack’s track record wasn’t stellar—Leo would feel the loss, too.
Jack might have run from romantic commitment most of his life—important stories had always taken precedence—but after looking into a young face that mirrored his own, this was one commitment he decided he could not break.
After changing into swim trunks and packing their gear, Jack drove Leo and Samantha to the rental shop. Suitably armed with snorkeling equipment, they continued to a sheltered cove a few miles away that Mitch at Java Beach had told him about. The kids had fun snorkeling in the cool, shallow water and watching fish dart beneath the surface. Scout scampered in the waves, and Jack enjoyed himself, too.
Scout ran to Jack and dropped a piece of driftwood on his feet. “Ow, in front of me, you silly goon.” Scout panted, his tongue hanging from his mouth, which curved into a perpetual grin.
Leo and Samantha laughed and waved, and Jack hurled the wood toward them.
Scout took off after it. He ran so fast that instead of stopping, he skidded and tumbled over his prize.
“Silly old pup.” Jack laughed.
When he picked up his phone to take photos of Leo to send to Vanessa, he noticed that Denise had called. He rang her back, and she picked up right away.
“Thank heavens, Vanessa will be okay,” Denise said. “But the doctor wants more tests, so we have to stay longer. Can you take care of the kids for supper? Traffic will be heavy out of Los Angeles by then.”
“Stay and have dinner there. No need to fight the traffic.” Jack would have to cancel the dinner party he’d been invited to. On such short notice, he felt terrible, but what could he do?
“Good idea,” Denise said. “I should have left you the keys to the house.”
“No worries. We can have a slumber party if the kids get tired.”
Denise laughed. “They can stay up late. It’s summer break. Vanessa would probably like going to one of her favorite restaurants, even though she won’t eat much.”
“Do that,” Jack said, and the thought made him feel good. He was fond of Vanessa, and he’d always admired her talent and courage—now more than ever.
While Leo and Samantha played, Jack called his dinner hosts. He’d met the couple one morning at Java Beach, and Mitch had introduced them. Summer Beach was the sort of town where people easily socialized. They’d immediately invited him to a dinner party they’d planned. Jack knew that when a man of his age was single and could regale guests with stories from around the world, he was often welcome. He enjoyed meeting people, but he could only handle a few of these parties a year.
And yeah, he’d been a jerk to think he could invite Marina at the last minute.
Jack tapped the phone to call his host.
When Charles answered, Jack said, “Sorry to call so late, but I’ve had a development.” In the background, Leo and Samantha yelled as they threw sticks for Scout.
“Hope it’s nothing serious,” Charles said. “Is that a woman screaming?”
Jack chuckled. “It’s my young son and his friend. I hadn’t expected to have them tonight, but his mother had an emergency.”
“Bring them along,” Charles said with a hearty laugh. “It’s a casual evening, and another friend is bringing her nanny and daughter. We have a playroom on board and plenty of food. They’ll like the lifeboat drill.”
“Are you sure it wouldn’t be any trouble?” Jack glanced at the children. They were a happy mess of sand and saltwater. They would all have to clean up, but they’d have to do that anyway. Besides, they had to eat, and he’d been looking forward to the evening.
“Anne loves children. We’ll be disappointed if you don’t bring them.”
Jack finally agreed and hung up. It wasn’t often he had a chance to go on a yacht that size. He waved to Leo and Samantha. “Your parents are going to be a little later tonight. But I have a surprise. Who wants to explore a great big yacht tonight?”
“Cool,” Leo said. He whirled around.
Samantha’s eyes widened. “The one at the marina? My mom and dad said it’s one of the biggest they’ve ever seen.”
“We’ll have supper on board with some new friends, but we’ll have to cycle through my shower. Samantha, you’ll be first. Now, you two help me with all this gear. And someone’s going to have to spray off that filthy pup.”
As if recognizing his cue, Scout trotted to them and shook. The kids screamed and scampered away.
Jack laughed. “Show off,” he said to Scout.
While they loaded the van, Jack thought about how much his life had changed in a couple of months. As exciting as it had been to get Hank’s call and think about a new assignment, he had to admit that he was glad he’d stayed. As for a long-term lifestyle change, Jack still wasn’t sure. A lot could happen in one summer.
4
“Welcome to Princess Anne,” Charles said, guiding Marina and Kai onto the yacht docked at a slip at the far end of the marina. “We call this our getaway vehicle.”
“Oh, Charles, you make it sound so dramatic,” Anne replied. She slipped off her shoes and deposited them in a basket at the end of the gangplank, and her husband followed suit.
“Shall we remove our shoes?” Kai asked.
“I respect the conventions, but it might not be wise in the galley.” Marina was concerned about cooking barefoot. “We cleaned the soles before we came.” Many accidents could happen in a kitchen, from dropped knives to scalding pots that slipped out of hand.
“You’ll be fine with your deck shoes in the kitchen,” Charles said. “But first, a safety briefing.” He pointed out lifeboats and life vests. “Don’t be surprised if we have a safety drill. Captain’s orders. He’s a stickler for maritime law and insurance requirements,” he added with a wink.
Marina couldn’t imagine how many millions this yacht might be worth or the operating budget required to maintain it. A captain, a chef—she wondered how many others were aboard. She adjusted her heavy supply bag over her shoulder.
As Charles led them on board, they skirted an outdoor seating area and a hot tub. Once inside, they passed a bar and screening room decorated with exotic woods and creamy white shades. Highly impractical for a vessel, she thought. But practicality didn’t seem to matter here. Everywhere she looked were displays of wealth, from high-tech gadgetry to mood lighting and artwork.