A Woman To Blame (22 page)

"Once in a lifetime was enough for me, Liza," he said, looking at Bryn.

Even within the broken light of the ambulance she could see his sober, ungiving expression. Nothing had changed. At the risk of appearing rude, Bryn refrained from pulling the doors closed in his face. Instead, she let his cryptic message sink like acid into her bones. The last of her hope dissolved within her, leaving her with the brutal facts.

He didn't love her.

He would never love her.

He had never loved her.

Once he'd loved Angie, and he was now telling her that one love had been enough for a lifetime. He didn't want to get seriously involved with another woman. Well, she was finally getting the message. They'd had an affair and now it was over. Over. Done with. Behind him. And from this moment on, Rick Parrish was a part of her past too. She'd never bother dragging her pride up to his door again.

* * *

"You've been avoiding me all week."

Reaching for her suitcase on the shelf in her closet, Bryn froze. "How did you get in here?"

"Pappy gave me a spare set of his house keys too. What are you doing?"

Jerking the heavy suitcase from the shelf, she let it fall to the floor. "I'm packing my things, Rick. Right after the dedication ceremony I'm leaving." Stepping off the chair, she bent down toward the suitcase, but he kicked it behind him.

"Were you going to leave without seeing me?"

"Of course not," she said, stepping around him and picking up her suitcase. "I would have seen you at the ceremony this afternoon. Unless, of course, you weren't planning to show up for that either."

"Bryn—" he began, but stopped when she pulled away from his outstretched hand.

"To be honest, Rick, I wanted to leave last week after I drove the ambulance down from Miami, but the committee wouldn't hear of it. They insisted I had to be here for the dedication. If you'll excuse me, I have a lot to do before then," she said, flinging the suitcase onto the bed.

He stood by the closet door, watching her unzip her suitcase. When she ignored his further presence and started her packing in earnest, he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, I'll leave you alone now, but be prepared to talk to me this afternoon."

Straightening up, she looked him squarely in the eye. "Is that an order, Captain Parrish?"

"Right now it's a request, but I'll make it an order if you insist," he said without a trace of humor.

When she heard the front door close, tears stung her eyes. Rubbing them away, she turned back toward the bureau. Gathering up her hairbrush and makeup bag, she pitched them into the suitcase, then slammed the lid shut and froze. After a few seconds a strangled sound escaped her throat and she hurried for the door. Grabbing the door frame, she stopped and pressed her forehead against the backs of her hands. "No, you're not going to make a fool of yourself anymore," she told herself. In another few hours this insane need to rush after him would be behind her.

* * *

The applause swelled when Bryn walked up the stairs onto the stage behind Liza and the rest of the committee at four o'clock that afternoon. With a shiver of sadness, she realized she was going to miss the group she'd worked with during the summer. For all their wacky traits, they were some of the most decent people she'd ever known. As she began to carefully reminisce, Rita broke into her thoughts with the name of the one person she was trying valiantly not to think about.

"Where's the Captain? He's supposed to be here."

Bryn shrugged, praying wildly that no one would mention his name again.

"Oh, I'm sure Captain Parrish will be along," Liza said, turning from the microphone toward the others. Sliding her reading glasses to the end of her nose, she looked over them at Bryn. "Are you all right, dear?"

All right? Of course she was all right. Hadn't those cucumber slices she'd slapped on her eyelids a few hours ago taken away the puffiness? Had she forgotten how to apply camouflage makeup in barely two short months? Was Liza ever going to stop looking at her as if she were a wounded key deer floundering at her door?

Using the last of her shredded patience, Bryn pasted on the perkiest smile she could manage. "I'm fine," she said. Looking to her left and then to her right, she smoothed the lap of her sundress and added, "We're all fine, Liza. So let's get on with it."

Settling back against the metal folding chair, Bryn made herself listen to Liza's speech. Several times during the long and often humorous address, Liza slowly scanned the audience.

Fidgeting in her seat, Bryn's mind began wandering again. In a few more minutes this would be over. Before the cake, punch and cold beer were served, she would be heading for her car. She'd already said her good-byes to her grandfather and the others. And since Rick hadn't bothered showing up, that was one less emotional predicament she had to deal with. At least in front of everyone. What would happen when she was alone in her car was anyone's guess.

"Pssst."

Lost in her thoughts, she barely heard the sound, but there was no way she could miss Rita's nudge to the side of her knee. "What is it?"

"Wake up, sugar. Liza just introduced you."

"What? Why?"

"Damned if I know. Something about your last two months spent in the bosom of this loving community." Standing, Rita joined the rest of the group in a round of applause. "I can't wait to hear what you have to say."

With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Bryn didn't bother hiding her wince. As cochair of the committee she should have known she'd be called on to speak. Unfortunately, she'd allowed her relationship with Rick to overshadow just about everything in her life lately, even her common sense. And now she was going to pay for it.

When the applause died down and Liza had taken her seat, Bryn fiddled with the microphone until she couldn't put off speaking any longer. Looking out over the audience, at her grandfather and then the committee members sitting behind her, she finally spoke. Straight from her heart.

"No one comes away from working on a project like this without learning something new about him or herself."

"I couldn't agree more."

People murmured Rick's name, but the shiver of recognition zipping up her spine would have been enough to confirm his presence if his familiar voice hadn't. From the corner of her eye she could see him several feet to her right, mounting the steps. If he would take a seat behind her, she could get through this.

"So tell us, Bryn, what did you learn about yourself?"

He was publicly challenging her with that teasing intimacy she knew too well. If that weren't confusing enough, he winked at her. Somewhere in this maddening situation, she grasped at her scattering sanity and held on for dear life. Looking out at the audience, she said, "I learned to loosen up."

Stepping halfway behind her, he closed his hands over her shoulders and squeezed them gently. The crowd roared with delight and a few wolf whistles, and he leaned around her to make a disbelieving face and shake his head. Okay, so she was a little tense. What did he expect her to feel like at a time like this? Overcooked pasta?

"Give it back to him, Brynnie!" her grandfather shouted.

The one thing, she quickly decided, that Rick wasn't expecting was a taste of his own medicine. Leaning toward the microphone, she pitched a full bottle at him. "Perhaps you'd like to tell us what you learned, Captain Parrish?" When she started away from the microphone, he held her in front of him.

"Among other things, I learned that backing down occasionally can be a smart move."

When she started to step away for the second time, he held her firmly against the front of him. "I also learned that compromise is not a dirty word, except when you make the other person do most of it." Leaning close to her ear, he whispered, "Hold on, this gets better." Straightening, he maneuvered her to one side and spoke into the microphone.

"I have to apologize to Bryn for giving her such a hard time. I put off starting this project, dragged my feet through most of it, and then I couldn't seem to let go of it. I hope she forgives me." Pausing for a perfectly timed punch line, he smiled and said, "Because I'd hate to be on Pappy's bad side now that the Crab Shack's reopened."

When the laughter died down, Rick continued. "I'd also like to let Liza know that she can take a break from committee organizing, at least where ambulance equipment is concerned. I'm donating the necessary funds to pay for the equipment."

Thunderous applause drowned out Bryn's response, but he didn't mind. She could tell him later. When they were alone and he had told her everything else. Raising his hand for silence, he asked, "Did I see a key lime pie with my name on it around here somewhere?"

Liza stepped up to the microphone. "You did, Captain. Let's all adjourn to the Crab Shack."

After a half dozen thank-yous, Liza and the rest of the committee streamed off the platform, leaving Rick and Bryn alone. He watched her strain for something to say, wishing she wasn't still so uncomfortable with him. After a few seconds she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and looked up at him.

"That was very kind of you to donate your money for the equipment. I'm sure people here are extremely grateful for your generosity. I really need to get going. Good-bye, Rick."

"Hold on, there," he said, pulling her back from the steps. "Since I'm in such a kind and generous mood, I have something for you too."

"What?" she asked, studying him with suspicion.

"A boat ride on the
Coral Kiss."

He saw her eyes light with surprise, then dim with doubt.

"You told me you never use that boat for—well, that you only use it for business."

"I'm backing down on that rule, too."

She gave him an indecisive look, then shook her head. "I'd better not. I have a long drive ahead of me."

His arm shot out, blocking her way down the steps. "Uh-uh."

"What are you doing?" she asked incredulously.

Cocking his chin, he ran his tongue over the edges of his teeth. "Sorry, but I'm pulling rank on you. You have a boat to catch."

"Rick, no. If I go with you, we'll—"

"What will we do?" he asked, his heart hammering against his rib cage. Moving toward her, he cupped her face in both hands. "Make love? Say it, Bryn."

"No," she said, avoiding his smile as she attempted to push him out of the way. "I'd rather be forced to watch the weather channel with my eyes glued open."

"Once we're back, you can do what you want," he said, taking her hands and holding them against his chest. "Right now we have a few more things to talk about."

"You cannot make me get on that boat if I don't want to."

"Of course I can," he said, leading her down the stairs and into the palm grove. "Captain's orders."

She stopped struggling when she spotted Liza and Pappy leaning over the upstairs rail, waving at them. "I'm only going with you because I don't want to make a scene in front of these people. I don't think this is funny. You ought to be ashamed of yourself—"

"I am," he said pleasantly. "Very ashamed. I thought I'd developed sufficient charm to get you on the boat with a simple request, but I was wrong. I've had to order you on."

She didn't say another word until they were well out of the marina and nearing what had to be Alligator Reef.

"Where are you taking me?" she demanded, her arms crossed tightly against her chest. Her rigid posture had her swaying unsteadily with the boat's movement.

"Right here looks good." He cut the engines and stepped to the anchor which he began cranking into the ocean.

Bryn stared across the blue-green water to where it lapped in lacy wavelets against a short stretch of sandy beach. Her arms dropped open at the sight. All summer long she'd looked out from upstairs at Pappy's at the dozen or so small islands off shore and wondered what they were like up close. Now she knew, and the beauty of the place filled her with awe. "What are they called?"

"Chanco Key back there," he said, finishing with the anchor. "Over there," he added, pointing over her shoulder, "August Moon Key. And to the left, Pink Dolphin Key." He smiled. "You want to write this down? I have pen and paper in the cabin, but you'll learn them soon enough."

She turned toward him. "Why will I learn –?"

Before she knew how it happened, he had pulled her into his arms and was kissing her in an all-out attempt at seduction. And he was doing one heck of a job.

"I missed you," he murmured, pressing his hands against the small of her back. With the warmth of his breath on her cheek and his scent mixing with the essence of the sea breezes, she almost forgot that her problem with him couldn't be wiped away with his touch.

"No, I can't do this. I'm leaving today," she said, pushing away from him. "Stay right there. I don't want you to kiss me."

"Liar."

"Okay, so maybe I do, but I'm not going to let you make love to me."

"We'll see about that."

"Would you stop being so cocky about this sexual chemistry between us," she said, slapping the bulkhead with her hand. "You always have to have things your way in the end, don't you? Well, this time you're not going to get what you want."