Their clothes were off by the time they reached the bedroom. They’d dropped article after article as they moved through the living room and hallway, kissing while trying to avoid hitting the furniture and knocking over the lamps. Bo had been looking forward to this moment since they’d been at the beach, but nearly losing the opportunity to touch Ismay so intimately again added a huge amount of relief to the pleasure. He couldn’t have enjoyed himself, though, not if he hadn’t been up front with her.
“You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met,” he murmured.
They fell onto his bed, and he began kissing the elegant line of her neck, moving down toward her breasts. She wasn’t particularly curvy, but he thought everything about her was perfect.
“I felt something for you the moment we met,” she admitted.
He lifted his head to look down at her. “When I was being pummeled by the wind and rain trying to get that damn generator started?”
She laughed. “You stood way out on the porch whenever you had to talk to me, wouldn’t even come close to the door.”
“I didn’t want you to think I was some kind of threat, especially with all you were dealing with.”
“I think it was that you’re a little shy,” she said, giving him an endearing smile.
She was probably right. He was a little shy when it came to women. He’d never had a steady girlfriend. Didn’t socialize much. “I’ll show you how shy I am now,” he teased and went back to kissing and tasting her wherever he wanted.
He felt her hands in his hair as he moved lower. He’d never gone down on a woman before, but he was enjoying himself so much he didn’t want their lovemaking to end. The more he could do to draw it out, the better. The memories might have to last him for a long time. And he loved making her feel good.
He lifted her legs over his shoulders and heard her gasp as his mouth closed over her.
“I’m glad I stayed,” she joked breathlessly, and he would’ve laughed, except he wasn’t about to pull away.
As her breathing grew labored, he became more and more excited—until her body gave an involuntary jerk, and she moaned. He knew then that she’d reached climax and couldn’t help lifting his body over hers so he could drive inside her.
They’d fallen asleep almost immediately after making love. Far too soon it seemed, the alarm went off. Ismay yawned as Bo reached over to silence his phone, then smiled groggily as he scooped her up, hauled her back a foot or so in the bed, and spooned her.
“I wish we had more time,” he mumbled as he kissed her shoulder.
“Do you need to shower?”
“I do. It’ll be a long day of travel. I think that would be a welcome courtesy for the people I’ll encounter,” he joked.
“Then that will buy us some time. Turn on the water and let me know when it’s hot.”
“You’re getting in with me?” he asked, leaning over to see her face.
“You need someone to scrub your back, don’t you?” she teased.
“This is going to be fun,” he said. “I’ve never showered with a woman before.”
She almost couldn’t believe that statement. “You’ve got to be...what? Thirty-two?”
“Thirty-three.”
“Then how is it you’ve never showered with a woman?”
His teeth flashed in a sexy grin. “I guess I’ve led a sheltered life.”
She could tell by the way he said that sentence there was a deeper meaning to it, a joke of some kind, but he was already en route to the bathroom, so she didn’t stop him to ask about it.
“It’s hot,” he called a second later, and she kicked off the covers before joining him.
Steam rolled out when he opened the shower door, but he turned the temperature down so it wouldn’t be too hot for her. Then he soaped her up, and she did the same to him before bringing their slick bodies together.
“I’ve waited entirely too long to try this,” he said.
He was so different from Remy, had such an unusual innocence about him. And yet, he seemed wise, almost world-weary.
They’d used all the hot water before he was willing to get out. Then they had to dress in a hurry so they could make it to the airport on time.
“Stay away from Bastian while I’m gone,” he told her. “Give him a wide berth—leave if you have to.”
“Should I go to the police?”
“Not unless you’re in danger.” He put on a jacket and grabbed his bag. “That would antagonize him. We can figure it out when I return.”
Ismay nodded and he responded with a grin. But when he opened the door, he tensed and dropped his luggage so he could shove Ismay behind him. There was a man in the yard, just standing there with his hands in his pockets. It took her a second to register that it was Bastian.
“What’s up?” Bo asked Remy’s brother. “What can I do for you?”
“I’ve gotten something stuck in the garbage disposal,” Bastian said. “I was wondering if you could get it out for me.”
Bo picked up his suitcase again. “I hate to tell you this, but I have an emergency at home. I’m flying out today and won’t be back for a few days, at least.”
“Where’s home?”
“Louisiana.”
“So... I’m supposed to live without a garbage disposal?” Bastian said.
Bo checked his watch. “I’ll text you the name of a good plumber.”
“Does my mother know you’re leaving?”
As Bo carried his suitcase to the truck, Bastian wandered a bit closer and watched as he put it in the back. “I let her know, yes.”
Bastian studied Ismay, who’d followed Bo out and was circling around to get in the driver’s side. “I see you’ve taken over where Remy left off with Ismay.”
“Ismay’s giving me a ride to the airport,” Bo said. “That’s all.”
Bastian started to chuckle, which quickly crescendoed into the maniacal laughter Ismay had heard from him before. “You’re not fucking her?”
Bo pivoted to face his employer’s son. “I’m saying you’d better stay away from her.”
Bastian sobered instantly. “Or what? My caretaker’s going to beat me up?”
“Don’t cause a problem, Bastian,” Bo said.
“You’re sleeping with my brother’s fiancée on our property, and you think I’m the one causing a problem?” Bastian asked, then turned to Ismay. “Is Bo better in bed? Or is it just that you like to go slumming every once in a while?”
“Bastian, this is between me and Remy,” Ismay said.
“He’s definitely going to be interested.” Bastian pulled out his phone and began taking a video. “Look what I have here, Rem. Your girl’s just spent the night with our caretaker. That’s thanks for sending her to an island paradise for a few months, isn’t it?”
Ismay could tell Bo wanted to knock the phone from Bastian’s hand.
“I’m going to miss my flight if we don’t go,” Bo said, making an effort to remain calm. “I’ll text you that plumber’s number. Now, if you’ll excuse us...”
“Look at the two of them,” Bastian said. “Just like a little couple—already!”
Bo gestured for Ismay to get in, and she climbed behind the wheel as he slid into the passenger side. She had to pull out very slowly because Bastian wouldn’t stay far enough away from the vehicle.
Bo lowered his window. “You’re going to get yourself hurt if you don’t step back,” he said. But Bastian, who was still filming, just continued to laugh.
“I can’t wait for Remy to get here!” he yelled as they finally reached the road.
Ignoring this latest outburst, Ismay punched the gas.
Bastian watched Bo and Ismay disappear around the bend. Then he went to the cottage and got the key to the bungalow, which had always hung on the inside door of the pantry. Bo thought he could disrespect his employers? He was living in a house they provided, driving a vehicle they provided, eating food they provided via his paycheck. Who the hell did he think he was?
Bastian sent Remy the video he’d taken of Ismay coming out of Bo’s house at the crack of dawn looking as though she’d just rolled out of bed. He didn’t caption it, didn’t explain. Remy would be able to see for himself what was going on.
Letting the screen door slam behind him, he gripped the handrail tightly as he descended the stairs. He was feeling a bit lightheaded from all he’d had to drink the night before and stumbled on the uneven ground as he took the path that led to the bungalow.
Birds were singing and flitting through the trees overhead, and the sun felt warm and mellow as it climbed higher in the sky. This was Mariners at its best. But he couldn’t enjoy it. He was dealing with one of the longest stretches of insomnia he’d ever experienced—since Lyssa’s death, anyway.
Anger helped override the disorientation he felt and kept him focused as he entered Bo’s house. He had no idea what he was looking for. Anything interesting, he supposed. Or he just wanted to satisfy his curiosity about someone whose quiet strength he longed to destroy—because he envied it so damn much. When Bo had come to get Ismay from the cottage, he’d felt no compunction about invading his privacy, and Bastian was eager to return the favor.
He thumbed through the stack of books he found piled near the recliner and grimaced. Most were from the library, but there were plenty of others—books on carpentry, building, history, philosophy, even poetry. Apparently, their caretaker liked to read.
“I guess you have to do something during the long winter months,” Bastian mumbled.
His phone dinged. Pulling it out of his pocket, he squinted to be able to read words that suddenly looked blurry to him.
What the hell is this?
Remy. What was he doing up? It would be three thirty in the morning in California. Isn’t it clear? Bastian wrote back, which, fortunately, prompted Remy to call him, because texting was too cumbersome for Bastian at the moment.
“Ismay spent the night with Bo?” Remy demanded. “Is that what you’re saying?”
Remy sank into the recliner. “What does it look like?”
There was a long pause. “It’s bullshit. When did you take it?”
“Not very long ago. Maybe twenty minutes?”
“She’s leaving me for our maintenance man—who doesn’t have a fucking dime to his name?”
“She doesn’t seem overly concerned about that. Maybe she just wants him for his body.” Bastian couldn’t help laughing but Remy’s silence warned him that he was pushing his brother too far.
“She’s just trying to punish me,” Remy said, obviously looking to minimize the problem.
Bastian didn’t get that impression. Whatever was going on between Ismay and Bo seemed real enough. But he knew his words were too slurred and his brain too muddled for long explanations. “Whatever you say.”
There was another pause, then he heard an audible sigh. “Should I come there?”
“Hell, no. What about your exams? Besides, Bo’s leaving for a few days. They were going to the airport. Something about a family emergency in Louisiana. Don’t worry, bro. I’m looking out for you.”
“Like you’ve looked out for me in the past?”
“Have you looked out for me any better? Anyway, this isn’t my fault. If I hadn’t come here, you wouldn’t even know what was going on.”
Remy didn’t argue. He seemed too caught up in his own thoughts. “This might be the perfect moment to show up—when he’s not around. Better yet, Mom needs to fire his ass. Then maybe he won’t come back at all.”
“Already tried to get him fired. She called me back and said she wasn’t going to let me cost her a good caretaker.”
“You’re kidding...”
“Nope. He has this sort of strong, silent resilience. It’s hard to describe. Women go wild for it.”
“He’s going to be sorry he ever tried to steal from me,” Remy said and disconnected.
Bastian let his phone drop into his lap and rested his head on the recliner to stop it from swimming. He didn’t know if Ismay would return to the bungalow after dropping Bo off at the airport. But he sort of hoped she would. He’d love to have her walk in and find him in the living room, sitting in what was obviously Bo’s favorite chair.
With any Windsor, paybacks were a bitch.
Ashleigh was trying to reach him. Jack squeezed his eyes closed as his finger hovered over the talk button. He’d been accepting her calls for so long it was almost automatic. But everything that’d happened in the past couple of weeks rushed through his mind, and he didn’t think he could bear to hear her voice, knowing it would drag him back into the pit of despair he’d been trying so hard to climb out of.
As soon as the call transferred to voice mail, another call came in. This one was from Ismay, so he answered.
“Good morning!” she said cheerfully.
He ran a hand through his hair. He was no longer sure it was a good morning.
“Uh, yeah, good morning,” he said.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“No. I’m just waking up, so I’m a little groggy. I got your text last night when I got up to go to the bathroom. Did you take Bo to the airport?”
“I did. I was wondering if I should grab some breakfast buns and coffee on the way back, or if you’d rather go out to breakfast.”
Clementine had spent the night curled up next to him and the gentle attention she gave him helped him feel better. He stroked her fur as he tried to decide how to return to the place of strength and healing he’d found yesterday. “I say we go out,” he said. That would give him less time to think and he’d be with Ismay, who helped buoy him simply by being who she was.
“Okay. I’ll come grab you,” she said. “I’ve got Bo’s truck while he’s away.”
“That’ll be convenient. After breakfast, should we go to the police about that duffel bag?”
“Not yet. Bo made me promise I wouldn’t do anything to antagonize Bastian while he’s gone.”
“I guess there’s no rush. I mean...hopefully there’s not.”
“Bastian was right outside Bo’s door this morning when we were leaving for the airport, looking pale and drawn. He claimed he wanted Bo to fix the garbage disposal.”
“At that time of morning?”
“Yeah.”
“Was he drunk?”
“Something was wrong with him. He’s unraveling.”
“Great,” he said sarcastically. “Just what I want to hear after learning about a stash of women’s underwear hidden in a freaking wall.”
“Hopefully, Bastian will lay off the booze and get some sleep.”
He thought about telling her that Ashleigh had tried calling, but there was a notification that she’d left a message, and he decided to listen to that first. “I hope so,” he said. “I’d better get in the shower.”
As soon as she said goodbye, he navigated to his messages and braced for the sound of Ashleigh’s voice. Part of him didn’t want to hear from her ever again; he especially didn’t want to let anything set him back right now. But curiosity prevailed.
“Hi, Jack. I just... I haven’t heard from you in a while and wanted to see how you’re doing. I heard you’d left town, but no one will say where you are or how long you’ll be gone. About the car, my dad said he’d give me some money to help while Jess and I get on our feet, which is so nice of him. My mother and siblings won’t even talk to me. Neither will some of your family, by the way. I ran into a few of your brothers at the gas station. When I tapped on the window to say hi to William and Oliver while Hank was paying the cashier, they—” Her voice broke. “Never mind,” she said quickly and hung up.
Jack didn’t realize he had tears streaming down his cheeks until one dripped off his chin. I shouldn’t have listened to that, he thought.
He sat there, staring at the wall, his heart aching with the loss of someone who’d been everything to him. But a new emotion had stepped out of the shadows—pity for what she was feeling. She wouldn’t have left him if she were happy, he realized. She had the right to love and be loved as deeply as almost everyone craved.
He lifted his phone to type his father a text.
Please tell everyone that the best way to help me is to be kind to Ashleigh. I can’t add any other emotion to what I’m feeling right now, if that makes sense.
He wiped the tears from his cheeks as he waited for a response. It was still early in Utah, but Buzz got up early, and after checking his watch, Jack knew his father, who lived a life of routine, would be having his usual breakfast of hot oatmeal and raisins with toast, prepared and served by his mother. That meant he’d have his phone with him and would be reading the news.
It does make sense. Forgiving her is the best thing you could do—for both of you. And we need to forgive her, too.
Jack sent a thumbs-up emoji. His dad didn’t like a lot of emotion. Jack had often lamented that he was more like his mother and unable to control or mute what he felt.
Clementine snuck under his arm and batted a paw at his phone. She didn’t like the loss of his attention. He set it aside to lift her in his arms and rub his chin on her soft fur. But when she wiggled to get loose and jumped down again, he sent a text to Ashleigh.
Thanks for making the car payment. The transition is going to be rough on both of us, but I hope you’ll be happy. Honestly. I’m sorry about William and Oliver. My family won’t mistreat you again.
Somehow just writing that brought back the lump in his throat, but he managed a nostalgic smile as he set his phone aside so he could get ready to go out for breakfast. He would get through this, and no matter how hard it turned out to be, he’d do it without destroying the person he’d cared about so deeply since they were both in their teens.
After all, what was love if not that?