Chapter Fourteen

“If you look at that phone one more time, I swear I’m going to toss it in the ocean.” Maile Everrett stood with hands on her hips in front of her daughter.

Ava set down the phone and took a sip of her morning tea. Even though she didn’t really expect the design committee to reach out to her in less than three days since sending in the project, she’d still spent all day the last couple of days double-checking her phone to ensure she hadn’t missed a call.

“I’m tempted to make you leave the phone here. Heaven knows you won’t be using it much on the boat.”

Maggie and her siblings were doing a dive this morning, and Billy had asked Ava to tag along. Both boats would be running full, and, on principle, Nick and Billy preferred having smaller groups with a dive leader. The insurance company seemed to agree with that philosophy. Ava would be in charge of the Maplewoods.

Despite her nerves over the design submission, she’d found herself almost as excited at the idea of spending the morning diving with Maggie and her clan. Well, actually it was Forrest she was most interested in spending time with. She’d spent as much of the last few days hoping to run into him again as she had waiting for the submission results. There was so much more to Forrest Maplewood than what showed on the surface. She was sure of it. If Kenny hadn’t shown up with the drinks when he did at the birthday party, there was no telling what would have happened, but she certainly wanted to find out.

“You’d better get moving.” Maile handed her daughter a banana and practically shoved her out the front door. Ava had to stop and wonder if her mom would have been so eager if she’d known Ava would be the dive leader for Forrest Maplewood.

“I may stay after the dive and help at the shop, if Billy needs me.”

“I’ll be at Nick and Kara’s. That judge, who gave her so much work when she first moved to the island, asked her to do him a favor, so I volunteered to babysit.”

“Such a noble sacrifice,” Ava teased.

“Yeah, but someone has to do it.” Maile smiled sweetly and then grinned like a loon. She loved babies, and everyone knew it.

“Okay. I’m out of here. See ya later.”

“Make sure you take time for lunch,” Maile called from the front door, as Ava climbed into her car.

With a full crew she wasn’t needed at the boat early, so, by the time she’d pulled into the lot, a handful of divers were already gathering. The Maplewoods were pulling into the parking spot behind her.

“Hi!” Maggie waved, stepping out of the car. “I have to tell you I am trying very hard not to be nervous.”

Ava left her bag on the front seat and walked over to where Magnolia had parked her SUV. “What are you nervous about?”

“It has been ages—and I mean ages—since I’ve been underwater.”

“I thought you went out on the boat with the Deluca kids?”

“Oh, I did. But I only snorkled with the younger son. The last time I went diving was with Forrest, when we were kids.”

“Does Billy know that?”

“Yes. He said to come by early, and he’d do a little refresher course with me. Get in the water and make sure I was comfortable, and, if not, I could just snorkel with some of the others.”

Ava bobbed her head, unsure of the wisdom in that, but she trusted her brother. If he thought it would be okay, then she wasn’t going to say differently. “What about the other sisters?”

“Strictly snorkeling. And, if I know Heather, she’ll just sit on the boat and soak up the sun.” Maggie laughed quietly. “And probably watch the captain. Who’s driving our boat today?”

“If Billy said he’d be here early, my guess is he will.”

“Well, while he may not be available to date Heather, he’ll certainly provide some eye candy for her, if she does stay on board.”

Now it was Ava’s turn to laugh. She loved her brother and was aware of the fact that most people considered him a good-looking hunk, but there was no way she’d ever think of him as anyone’s eye candy.

“Morning.” Forrest walked up beside her.

For a second his hip brushed up against hers, as he moved next to his sister, and the brief flash of heat almost had her jumping back. Ignoring the electricity, she slapped on a casual grin. “All set to try out the new equipment?”

Forrest beamed. “You bet.”

“All your things should be on the boat. Go ahead and check in with Jonathan.” Ava waved a finger at the youngest dive shop employee. “He’s the one with the clipboard over there. And then, Maggie, you should probably go straight to Billy.”

Maggie nodded, turned to her brother. “You’ll make sure the girls get checked in?”

“Will do.” Forrest bobbed his head.

The other Maplewood sisters sidled up beside their brother. With huge floppy hats and sunglasses as wide as their faces, the two women looked like they belonged on the French Riviera, not a Hawaii dive boat. “Nice to see you again.” Ava stuck out her hand.

“Same here,” each answered, shaking Ava’s hand.

The taller brunette scanned the boat, glanced at her brother and gave a curt nod of approval. “Nice.”

“Come on, Rose.” Heather tugged at her sister. “Let’s sign in. I want to see if there are any single men on board.”

Forrest rolled his eyes skyward, and Ava watched the two women, elbows linked, prance off.

“I would have sworn Heather would have outgrown being boy crazy by the time she graduated high school.”

Ava figured it was best to keep her mouth shut, especially since she suspected Heather had something more substantial on her radar. “We’d better catch up.”

“Take me to your leader.” Forrest bowed at the waist and then straightened, waving her forward. “After you.”

Was this really the same guy who, less than a week ago, couldn’t get his nose out of his phone?

“You’re buzzing.”

“Excuse me?” she asked.

“Your phone.” He pointed at her purse. “It’s buzzing. You must have turned off the ringer.”

Oh, crap. Had she? Sure enough, as she shifted her handbag, she felt the humming of her cell. Scrambling to get the damn thing open and retrieve the call, she slid her finger across the screen and answered, “Hello?”

“Ava?”

“Yes.” This was it. At the sound of her name, her heart had already taken off like a racehorse at the starting gate.

“This is Howard Dempsey.”

“Yes, Mr. Dempsey.”

“If we’re going to be working together, you’d best call me Howard.”

Ava’s tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. Did he say if, as in she had a chance or as in she was in? Oh, God, now her racing heart was stuck in her throat.

“Ava?”

“Yes.” She swallowed hard and pressed her free hand flat across her ribs. Not that it was helping slow her heart rate any. “You were saying?”

“The decision has been made. Your design was unanimously approved for the new aquarium. I’ve sent you the official acceptance. You’ll be receiving a packet with all the details and appropriate contracts for your signature. You may want to have your attorney look them over, but they’re pretty standard boilerplate.”

“Yes, sir. Uh, Howard. Thank you.”

“I had nothing to do with this, but, on behalf of the committee, you’re welcome. Once you’ve received and signed the papers, we’ll be expecting you to come to San Francisco for an initial meeting. There will be some preliminaries to go over.”

“Understood.”

“You’ll meet the chief engineer on the project.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“And, of course, John, the head of FJM Global Development and Construction, should be back in the office by then.” Ava nodded, even though he couldn’t see her.

“He recommended you. I don’t think there was another person on the planet who could have made the committee delay their decision to view a last-minute design.”

“I see.” How the hell did the head of one of the largest development companies in the world know about her, and why had he pushed the committee to ask her to submit?

“I think that’s it for now. We’ll be speaking again soon. And, once again, congratulations.”

“Thank you, Howard. Looking forward to our next meeting.”

With the appropriate good-byes, she hit the red Disconnect button, gulped in a huge breath of air. Slowly letting it out, she spun around as fast as she could and, squealing like a four-year-old, threw her arms around the nearest person and squeezed with every ounce of energy bursting inside her.

“I got it!”

Two strong arms wound around her waist. “Sounds like congratulations are in order.”

She squeezed again, burying her face in his broad chest. “I’m playing with the big boys!”

A soft rumble moved beneath her cheek. The broad chest was chuckling. Not any broad chest. Forrest Maplewood’s chest. And Forrest’s arms were still wrapped tightly around her.

“Oh.” She lifted her head. Manacled in his embrace, she was unable to step back and was left with no choice but to look up. “Sorry about that.”

His easy grin slipped, and the humorous twinkle in his gaze instantly doused darker. There was no missing the strength in those steel gray eyes. Suddenly she was very aware of everything. The intensity with which his gaze bore into her, every nerve ending brushing against his, and the thin press of his lips as his head lowered to meet hers.