A Woman To Blame (23 page)

"What's that?"

"Me," she said, stabbing at her breastbone with her finger. Narrowing her eyes at his smile, she continued. "There's supposed to be more to a relationship than multiple orgasms."

"Go on," he said, urging her with a dip of his chin.

"There's supposed to be honesty. Openness. Trust."

"I agree."

"Well, why haven't you been honest and open with me? Why haven't you trusted me to handle the truth?"

"About what?"

"About your wife." She didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't the warm and understanding smile he gave her.

"Because I'm a jerk."

"Well, that may be true, but it doesn't explain why you never told me about her. Or why you got so upset when I refused your money for the ambulance. The two are connected, aren't they?"

He nodded solemnly. "Oh, yes. They're connected."

Slipping his corded sunglasses from around his neck, he placed them on the shelf next to the wheel. "Bryn, my wife was pregnant when she died. The doctors had told her she needed to be in a hospital for the last few months. She loved our life on Malabar Key and put off leaving until the last possible day the doctors would allow. Even then she wanted to prolong it. She asked me to take her out on this boat one more time. I didn't have to take her, but she looked fine. She said she felt good."

Shrugging, he shoved his fingers through his sun-streaked hair. "There wasn't a cloud in the sky that morning, so we changed our plans and decided to drive up to the hospital in Miami later." He paused to look out a few hundred yards across the water. Lifting his chin, he said, "We had a picnic over there on August Moon Key... and then around two o'clock all hell broke loose. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong."

"What happened?" Bryn asked, staring at him.

"She started bleeding. The radio wouldn't work. And the nastiest storm blew up here from Cuba. When I finally got her to the marina, I couldn't get the ambulance to come for her because it was being used to tend to the victims of a six-car pile-up on one of the bridges, along with all the other ambulances in the area." He raised his hands, then wrapped his arms around his waist as he shifted his weight against the bulkhead. Staring out at August Moon Key, he said, "She and the baby died. It was a little boy. I held him."

"Oh, Rick," she said, holding her hands to her mouth. His silent stare told her he wasn't finished, and that she must let him before she could reach out to him. "I'm so sorry," she managed to whisper.

Running his hand along the smooth white fiberglass, he paused for a long while before looking at her again. "After the hurricane the following year, I used Angie's life insurance to help Pappy and the others fix up the mess. What was left sat in the bank until last week, when Liza told us we needed more money for the ambulance. I got it in my head that using Angie's insurance money to pay for the ambulance was the only chance I was ever going to have to put things right. As right as possible anyway. But you produced that check from Conch Castle first."

She'd never imagined torment such as his, and that she had added to it in even a small way pained her. What hot tears weren't choking Bryn, slipped down her cheeks. "If only you would have talked to me."

"My mind was still jumbled with guilt over Angie and the baby, with my responsibility to the committee, and with every emotion imaginable where you're concerned. It was easy to walk out of Liza's all angered up like I was. Easy and stupid. If I didn't made it clear up on the platform before, let me do it now. I was wrong with the way I've been treating you."

She smiled, knowing she wouldn't disagree with that and knowing he wouldn't want her to.

"Can you understand where I was coming from though? When I saw what you first had in mind for the Crab Shack all I could see was another part of my life disappearing. I was desperate to hold onto it. The more you insisted, the more I held my ground."

Bryn smiled. "And the more you held your ground, the more stubborn I became. I'll admit it. I was guilty of hanging on to that plan far too long. You had every right to see me as –"

"A woman to blame?"

She winced. "Forgive me?"

"If you'll forgive me?"

"I already have."

"Me, too."

He took a deep breath and held her close for a long time. "Are we going to be all right?"

"Rick," she whispered, kissing him softly, "Everything's going to be all right now. Absolutely everything. I love you."

With her still in the circle of his embrace, he returned her kiss then leaned his back against the cabin bulkhead and smiled. "I love you, too.

"And, Bryn, never be afraid to ask me a question. Any question, just ask."

She tilted her head.

"Go, ahead," he said, anxious to show her he'd meant what he'd said.

"Just one," she said, easing from his embrace and stepping up onto the molded side bench.

He moved toward her, steadying her against the slight movement of the boat. "Yes?" he asked, studying the back of her neck where a few stray curls tumbled in the breeze.

"Well, I know the names of the islands over there, but what about this one?" she asked, pointing to a small island about fifty yards away. "What's the name of this one?"

"It doesn't have a name."

She stared at the little island, so lush and inviting in the late afternoon sun. A few coconuts rolled in the gentle wavelets on the sandy shore. After a few seconds, two white wading bird landed nearby then stepped delicately through the wavelets. A smile began to form on her lips as she pulled off her sundress and tossed it over her head and onto the deck. She turned toward him, wearing only red bikini panties now.

"Rick...?"

"I know what you're thinking," he said laughingly, as he pulled off his t-shirt and dropping it on her sundress.

"You do?"she asked with teasing innocence, as she lifted one foot over the railing.

"First one there gets to name it," he said, right before they hit the water together.

The End

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from Susan Connell's other titles

Trouble in Paradise

Pagan's Paradise

Glory Girl

Some Kind of Wonderful

Rings On Her Fingers

all available in eBook format

Trouble In Paradise

by

Susan Connell

When a beautiful, buttoned-down blonde turns up in a Central American rain forest looking for her brother-in-law (Tony), Reilly Anderson must stop her. He wants Tony to complete secret research for his pharmaceutical company. If Allison tells Tony he's about to be a daddy, Reilly fears his researcher might bolt before the research is complete. Forget that Reilly and Allison are like nitro and glycerin, Reilly will do anything to keep her from her goal—including playing to her childhood (and, soon, adult) Tarzan fantasies! With the aid of a breast obsessed monkey, a recalcitrant ten year old boy and a jungle tree house Reilly soon captures Allison's heart. Body and soul, she is his as she lets down her hair—and her guard. But what about Reilly, the pharmaceutical executive who is just trying to save a bit of the rain forest and maybe the world? Hey, it's a jungle out there where anything can happen—and it does. (Stand alone sequel: Pagan's Paradise)

Now available at your favorite eBook retailer

Pagan's Paradise

by

Susan Connell

Hard working photographer Joanna McCall is in need of a major life makeover since her unreliable, high society boyfriend publicly dumped her. When an international children's charity asks her to photograph underprivileged Central American kids, she eagerly signs on. While expecting a walk on the wild side, she gets her nose bloodied and her camera stolen within hours of her arrival. The surprising event makes her more determined than ever to see the project through. She can do this—but her rescuer, undercover agent Jack Stratford is not so sure. He secretly knows a revolution's about to explode onto the streets of San Rafael and he wants the gutsy redhead safely out of the country ASAP. He has work to do and she's a distraction he can't afford. Joanna insists she can handle herself, but when an earthquake, a loony Elvis impersonator and a stint in jail become part of her adventures in paradise, Jack manages to help every time. She's falling hard and fast for this hero-to-the-rescue. And when did Joanna stop being a problem and start being the woman of Jack's dreams? As Jack and Joanna grow closer so does the revolution. (This is a stand-alone follow up book to TROUBLE IN PARADISE)