Another hour had passed, or Maddie guessed it was an hour. Her watch face was obliterated with steam. She had gone below once to find something warm to put on. She climbed back down into the cabin, not sure what to expect. Allister was sprawled unconscious amid a pile of books and other clutter. She jerked some of the wires out of the radio and tied his hands behind him.
She’d found some old shirts below one of the berths and gratefully changed into three of them before putting on the life jacket again. It was still dark outside, and a rugged wind reminded her that she hadn’t completely escaped the storm’s reaches. Bands of rain swept through every so often.
When she saw the light in the distance, she was sure it was her imagination. It was coming from the north, bouncing up and down on the seas. Her eyes felt as big as the compass as she watched it come closer. That’s all she could do. There was no light to flash, no voice loud enough to penetrate the wind and distance. As it neared, she could make out the red and green lights on the right and left sides.
Please let it be the Coast Guard, she thought as a large yacht came into view. No, too fancy for the Coast Guard. Then she saw a man racing along the front bow yelling something she couldn’t hear. But it didn’t matter, because her heart had already responded.
“Chase!”
It was too rough yet to tie the boats together. He threw her a line once the two boats were lined up and told her to secure it on her end. Then he climbed along the rope hand over hand. When he scrambled aboard, she threw herself against him so hard that she nearly pushed him back over the side.
“Whoa!” He pulled her hard against him and didn’t let go for a long time. He said her name over and over, as though he didn’t think he’d ever get a chance to say it to her again.
After the rush of feeling him lessened, she managed to ask, “How’d you know I was out here?”
“First tell me where Allister is.”
“Down below,” she answered, but she never let go of Chase. “He was pretty out of it last time I went down.”
“You’re cold.” Chase cradled her face and smiled. “But you’re okay, you’re really okay.”
“And you’re here. Guess you’re my guardian angel after all.”
He shook his head. “You are your own guardian angel, Maddie.”
“That’s silly.”
“Think about it. All those changes you attributed to me…you made them. You changed. Nothing I could have said or done would have changed you. Wayne did send me here, but all I did was open your eyes a little. You did the rest.”
She suddenly felt light and free inside. “You sound so certain that Wayne sent you.”
He smiled. “I wasn’t sure the guy who sent me to Sugar Bay was Wayne. But when he woke me up tonight and told me you were in trouble, I knew.”
A chill washed over her. “Wayne woke you up?”
“In a dream. It was definitely the guy in the picture you showed me.”
“You’re serious?”
“How do you think I found you? I realized that if Wayne had sent me to you to begin with, and if he’d woken me up, then surely he’d lead me to you. And he did.”
“There’s something else you haven’t told me.”
“I’ll tell you later.” He didn’t conceal his secret smile. He touched a tender spot on her cheek. “Did my father do this?”
She touched it too, realizing it must be a bruise. “No, the boat did it. I’ve probably got an impressive collection all over my body.”
“Well, we’ll just have to see about those,” he murmured, kissing her gently.
A horn shattered the moment, bringing her attention back to the fancy yacht circling them. She was surprised to see Patrick leaning out of the doorway. “Coast Guard’s on their way,” he yelled. “Probably be another two hours.”
“What did Patrick say about all this? How did he get involved?” she asked.
Chase squeezed her tighter against him. “I’ll tell you all that later. Right now, I just want to hold you and enjoy the silence.”
She guessed that meant she couldn’t ask him about him loving her, and if he could love her more than sailing. He squeezed her tighter and made a soft, satisfied sound. That would have to do for now.
An hour later, the seas had calmed enough to lash the sailboat to the yacht. Chase helped Patrick get aboard.
Patrick looked at the hatch door. “I want to see him.”
It was the first time Maddie had seen his handsome face without animosity. Now it was creased with pain. “I’m sorry,” was all she could think of to say.
Chase hadn’t gone down to see Allister. He told Maddie he didn’t want to leave her alone, even for a minute. But she suspected he just didn’t know what to say to the man who had tried to steal his life.
Patrick climbed down into the cabin. He returned a few minutes later, his face white with stress and grief.
“He’s still pretty out of it. He keeps mumbling about the nobility of dying at sea.”
“Do you know…everything?” Maddie asked.
Patrick nodded. “I heard the confession. Chase explained the rest during the ride here. I can’t believe it.” He looked at Maddie, then at Chase, running his hand repeatedly through his hair. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. I…jumped to conclusions because I wanted to believe the worst of you.”
“I get it. We haven’t had the greatest relationship.”
Patrick laughed. “Understatement. Maybe we can get a fresh start. Since it looks like I’m going to be making most of the financial decisions for a while, maybe I could finance one of your sailing campaigns.”
Maddie couldn’t help but stiffen. If Chase went through anything like what she’d gone through out there, she never wanted him on a sailboat again…at least not racing around the world, and not alone. But she had no place to say, so she bit her lip.
Chase shook Patrick’s hand. “I appreciate that.” Maddie had started to drift away, and he pulled her back. “But since I can’t remember much about campaigning, or racing, I’d better not go that route.”
“Are you sure?” Patrick asked, taking the words out of Maddie’s mouth.
“Positive.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Patrick apparently couldn’t believe his landmark gesture was being turned down.
“Do you want to come back to the company? I guess I’m wondering what you’re going to do with your life.”
“Take it one step at a time. I’ll be in touch. He’s my father, too, and I’ll stand by you during the trial.”
Patrick’s expression softened. “I appreciate that.”
Chase gave Maddie a gentle squeeze against him. “Would you mind keeping an eye on things on this boat? I want to get Maddie aboard Xanadu so she can lie down until the Coast Guard arrives.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Chase helped her get aboard the luxury yacht. Through the tinted glass she could see what looked like a living room. Heaven was a black couch.
She didn’t like all these vague references to the future, but she was too much of a coward to ask what his plans were.
“Patrick couldn’t believe you didn’t want to take his offers,” she said as he guided her to that full-sized couch.
He chuckled. “Yeah, he was always one for repeating a question over and over again. ‘Really? Are you sure?’ Comes from years of Dad questioning our decisions.”
Maddie halted, pulling him to a stop since their arms were linked around each other. “Wait a minute. What do you mean he was always like that? You don’t remember—you do remember!” She could tell by the glint in his eyes.
He rocked his hand. “Some of it came back while I was talking to you on the radio, scared to death I’d lost you out there when you didn’t answer. More came during the ride here.”
“Is that why you were so quiet this past hour?”
“I was thinking about a lot of things, mostly how good it felt to have you back in my arms. That you were the only one who believed in me, even when I didn’t. But yeah, that, too.”
She turned to face him, her chest feeling like a helium balloon was being filled inside. “You told Patrick you still didn’t remember.”
He lifted his shoulder in the same way she did. “I still need time to think about his and my relationship before I tell him. Maybe we can put the rivalry in the background first.”
“That’s a good idea. And what about you?”
He brushed damp strands of her hair back behind her ears. “I still need to figure out who I am. I’m not used to having an identity yet.”
“I actually know what you mean. Since I met you, I’ve changed so much. But…what are you going to do now? And don’t you dare say you’ll tell me later.”
His laugh was soft and low. He moved closer and cradled her face in his hands. “We’re going to find each other. Find out who we are together. All I know is I want you in my life, my miudas gira. And if I’m lucky enough that you feel the same, we’ll take it from there.”
She grinned. “I guess you’re lucky enough.”
“Maybe we can start a charter business out of Sugar Bay, day trips out to the Gulf. Bring in some tourists.”
She took his hand and led him toward the couch. “Let’s just start with tonight, okay?”