Hunter's Bride and A Mother's Wish (13 page)

He followed the direction of her gaze. “Beautiful, isn't it. Almost looks like a path.”

She smiled. “Gran used to tell us bedtime stories about fishermen who sailed up that path and spent the night throwing their cast nets and pulling in stars. Then we'd go to sleep and dream about it.”

“You had a magical childhood, Chloe Elizabeth.” His voice had roughened. “Plenty of people would envy you that.”

She held her breath as she turned to meet his eyes. “Including you?”

Shush, shush, shush.
Three waves caressed the dock before he answered.

“You want to hear my story, Chloe? You wouldn't like it.”

The bitterness in his voice startled her, but she wouldn't let it scare her off. They'd come too far for that.

“I want to know whatever you're willing to tell me about yourself.” She kept her gaze steady on him, knowing her heart was in her eyes.

He shrugged. “I gave myself away tonight. I knew it. I always knew the street kid was still there. I just didn't realize how close to the surface he was, until I saw those creeps chasing Theo. I wanted to smash someone.”

His fists clenched as if he felt the urge again. She put her hand on his, feeling the tension that pounded through him. “You didn't.”

“I could have.” He grasped her wrists suddenly. “Do you really want to know who Luke Hunter is? You want to hear what happens to a kid who never knew a father, whose mother forgot he existed, who was on the streets by the time he was eight? It's not pretty.”

His pain wrapped around her heart, hurting her, too. “Who took care of you?”

“Nobody.” He spit out the word. “Foster homes for a while, each one worse than the last. I finally figured out that I could get lost on the streets and take care of myself. Live hard, die young—that was my motto.”

She wanted to put her arms around him. She wanted to hold him the way she'd have held Theo when he was little and hurting. But his grip on her wrists held her off, and that had to be deliberate. Couldn't he let her in?

Oh, Lord, please. Help me to help him.

“What changed?”

Her soft question seemed to pull him back from whatever blackness he looked into. His grasp eased, as if he became aware that he might be hurting her.

“I met someone.” He paused, then continued. “I walked into the Fresh Start Mission in search of a free meal.”

Things fell into place in her mind. “It was like the Sonshine Center.”

He nodded. “Figured I'd find some patsy I could milk for a few bucks. But the Rev was no patsy.”

“The Rev?”

“That's what we called him. The Reverend Dr. Thomas Phillips. A Harvard degree, a stint as a military chaplain in Vietnam, and twenty years' worth of scraping kids off the street and pounding some sense into them. He took one look at me and decided he saw something worth saving.” A muscle twitched in his jaw. “Can't imagine what.”

She stroked his fingers, longing to soothe him and not sure how. “Intelligence. Tenacity. Integrity.”

“Is that what you think you see?”

His voice was angry, but she heard the longing underneath the pain. She touched his cheek, her fingertips smoothing the tension away. “That's what I know I see. Whatever you came from, whatever wrong was done to you, that's who you are.”

“Chloe, honey, I'm not sure you know what you're saying.” His tone was half laughing, half despairing.

She paused for a heartbeat, hearing the soft splash of some night bird after a fish. “This place—since we came, I've begun to see who I am. Maybe that's the magic here. It makes you see who you are. It makes me know I'm not wrong about the man Luke Hunter is, no matter what he came from.”

His hand covered hers, pressing her palm flat against his cheek. His skin warmed to her touch, connecting them at some level she couldn't comprehend.

“I hope you're right. Chloe, I only hope you're right.”

He drew her hand against his lips, and she felt them move in a gentle kiss. Then he pulled her into his arms, and his lips found hers.

Her arms slid around him. They fit together perfectly, as if they were meant to be that way.

Home. She really had come home.

W
hy was God confronting him with his past now, when he was on the verge of achieving everything he'd always dreamed he wanted? Luke leaned against the porch railing Monday morning, unable to get the question out of his mind. First the Sonlight Center, then Theo's trouble, reminding him, refusing to let him hide who he was.

He hadn't hidden anything Saturday night when he'd told Chloe things he'd never told anyone, when he'd kissed her and tried to believe they had a future together. The feeling had gained momentum during the service in the tiny chapel on Sunday, continuing to build throughout the family gathering that apparently was a given for the Caldwell clan on Sunday afternoon.

He still didn't have an answer. He'd tried bargaining with God. Hadn't he played fair? Hadn't he sent a monthly check to the Rev to support his mission, even when he couldn't afford it? What more did God want from him?

A white gull swooped down to perch on the dock where he'd sat with Chloe on Saturday night. He'd expected a reaction from her when he told her his past. He hadn't expected warmth, affection, acceptance.
Love.

His native caution shied away from that word. What did love mean to somebody like him? He'd never known the kind of love Chloe had experienced every moment of her life. How could he possibly hope to give her that?

One thing was certain, through all the doubts that clouded his mind. He had to tell Chloe what he'd decided about Angel Isle. He'd kept that quiet far too long, making excuses for why they were staying when he was actually researching siting the hotel on Angel Isle.

He heard the creak of the screen door and knew it was Chloe even before he turned. She wore her usual shorts and T-shirt, but she exuded a confidence that was new to her. It almost seemed she'd gained all the confidence he'd lost.

“Hey.” Her eyes were lit with pleasure. “I have a surprise for you.” She crossed the porch to link her arm with his.

“What surprise?” Maybe the surprise was that her most casual touch made him want to kiss her.

“The twins have to go to Savannah today, so I volunteered us to lead their kayak tour.” She smiled up at him. “Since you're turning into such a pro with the kayak, I thought you wouldn't mind.”

“I've only been out twice, remember? That hardly makes me a pro.” Once he'd have thought the suggestion insane. The fact that now it sounded great only proved how far he'd fallen.

“All you have to do is paddle along with me. We're taking them into the salt marshes, anyway. The worst that can happen if someone topples out is that they'll get their feet muddy. Okay?”

“Okay.” At some point during this excursion, they'd have the opportunity for a private talk. He'd tell her about his plans and draw her in. He'd make her understand that Angel Isle was the perfect spot for the new hotel, make her see how her family would benefit.

He tried to suppress his misgivings. She'd go along with him. They were a team, weren't they?

Somehow the opportunity for a private talk didn't come as easily as he'd expected. During the ride to the public dock where they were to meet their group, Chloe briefed him about the trip. And once they arrived, the small group of tourists totally occupied her.

He helped unload the kayaks from the truck and watched Chloe slip into her tour guide persona. She gave a quick orientation, handed out life jackets, assigned people to kayaks. He assessed the group. Two older couples, one father and teenage son, one single man with a paunch and a Hawaiian shirt.

Mr. Hawaiian Shirt was the only troublemaker. He didn't want to put on a life jacket.

“I'm sorry, Mr. Carey.” Chloe's tone was perfectly polite and perfectly inflexible. “Life jackets are required. If you don't care to wear one, I'll happily refund your money.”

Grumbling under his breath, the man yanked on the life jacket. Luke hid a grin when he had to pull it back off to let the straps out. This was going to be an interesting trip.

Chloe finally had them all into the boats and headed down the creek into the marshes.

“Nice guy,” Luke commented softly, nodding toward the troublemaker as he matched his stroke to Chloe's.

She flashed him an understanding look over her shoulder. “There's always at least one in every trip—the hotshot businessman who thinks the rules don't apply to him.”

“Ouch. That wouldn't include present company, would it?”

Her grin was mischievous. “What do you think?”

Before he could come up with a snappy response, she'd raised her voice so the whole group could hear.

“That's an osprey off to your left, fishing for his dinner. And coming up on the right, you can see several egrets. The salt marsh teems with food for all kinds of shorebirds.”

“What about dolphins?” the teenager called out. “Your brochure said we'd see dolphins.”

“There's a good chance of that.” Chloe rested her paddle across the boat and pulled her ball cap down over her eyes. “They come into the marshes to feed, too.”

They paddled past the watching egrets, elegant on their long legs. “You're going to have a disappointed kid if you don't produce dolphins,” he said under his breath.

Chloe shrugged. “We can only show them what's here. Trouble is, people don't realize these are wild creatures, not house pets.”

A turtle glided past, surprisingly agile in the water, and then a pair of herons made an appearance. The kayaks rounded a curve in the sea of marsh grass, and Chloe raised her hand to stop the procession.

“There,” she said, and Luke heard the love in her voice. “Dolphins.”

“Wow.” The boy let his kayak drift closer to theirs. “What are they doing? Is something wrong with them?”

“It's called strand feeding. Don't get too close, and we'll be able to watch them. They actually throw themselves up on the bank to feed, then slide back into the water.”

“Awesome.”

Luke knew how the kid felt. Three dolphins threw their bodies in shining arcs out of the water, then slid back in perfect rhythm. It was like watching a ballet.

“No closer, please,” Chloe snapped, and Luke tore his gaze from the dolphins.

Predictably it was Carey, paddling toward the dolphins, then juggling his paddle to raise a camera.

“Gotta get a picture of this.” Ignoring Chloe, he pushed closer, then lost his paddle with a splash.

Two of the dolphins slid back into the water and disappeared. The third dolphin, apparently startled into losing his rhythm, stranded, floundering helplessly in the mud.

“Get back.” Chloe grabbed the paddle as it floated by and tossed it to the man.

“Hey, I paid my money. I've got a right to take a picture.”

Luke planted his paddle against the offending kayak and gave it a fierce shove. “Back. Now.”

The man swallowed, then let his kayak drift out into the center of the stream. Luke turned to Chloe. “What do we do?”

She watched the dolphin intently, then shook her head. “He's never going to get off there by himself. I'll have to help him.” Before he could guess what she was about, she'd slid out of the kayak and was standing waist-deep in the water. “Stay there.”

“Not likely.” He slid out of the kayak, too, feeling his feet sink ankle-deep into the soft bottom. He shoved their kayak over to the boy. “Hold on to this for me. And don't let anyone get any closer.”

The boy nodded, eyes wide.

Chloe moved gently toward the dolphin. Mimicking her movements, Luke closed in on the other side. “Tell me what to do,” he whispered.

“We'll have to try and slide him back. He's not going to like being touched.” Her eyes never left the dolphin as she eased in next to it.

She reached out slowly, obviously trying to avoid frightening the creature. The instant she touched it, the dolphin went into a frenzy of movement, struggling to get away from her.

Luke closed in on the other side, grabbing for a handhold on the slippery body. The only thing he got for his trouble was a face full of water. He wiped his eyes and looked at Chloe. “Now what?”

“Let me try.” She leaned closer, crooning softly. The dolphin's dark, liquid eye seemed to watch her. “There, now, beautiful. We're not going to hurt you. We're just going to get you back into the water, back where you belong. It's all right.”

Maybe the creature was too exhausted to fight any longer. Or maybe it heard the love in Chloe's voice. This time when she touched it, there was no struggle.

She slid the dolphin back an inch, then another. Luke had the sense that everyone watching held his breath. She paused, then nodded to Luke. He took hold gingerly, feeling smooth skin throbbing with life.

“Now,” Chloe whispered.

They pulled together. The dolphin slid, caught, then slid again into the water. For an instant it simply bobbed on the gentle current. Luke felt it tremble under his hands. Then, with a surge and a ripple that nearly knocked him off his feet, it was gone.

Chloe wiped water from her face. “We did it.” Her voice choked a little on the words, and her eyes filled with tears. “We did it.”

“You did it.”

You're amazing.
That was what he wanted to say, but he contented himself with brushing a strand of wet hair off her cheek. They stood waist-deep in the warm water, sharing their triumph, and he felt so close to Chloe that it terrified him.

 

In a haze of happiness, Chloe loaded the last of the kayaks and said goodbye to the tour group. All she could see was Luke's face as they had watched the dolphin swim free. Surely that had been love in his eyes when he looked at her.

Sunlight glinted on the water, and in the distance she saw the silver crescents of the dolphins working their way toward the sea. They were back where they belonged.

Did she and Luke belong here, together? Her heart seemed to swell at the thought. A few days ago she wouldn't have dared dream of that. Now, anything seemed possible. If a new Dalton Resort did become a reality somewhere in the area, Luke might decide he'd had enough of the pressure cooker that was corporate headquarters. They might—

Luke rounded the truck, a dark shadow with the sun behind him.

She lifted her hand to shield her eyes. “So, what did you think of your first dolphin tour?”

“I hope they're not all that exciting.” He nodded toward the departing cars. “Carey's still complaining that I ruined his picture. He's lucky I didn't ruin more than that.”

“The customer is always right, remember? You should hear some of the stories the twins tell about the groups they've taken out. It would turn your hair gray.”

He smiled, but it was almost mechanical, as if his mind worried away at something else. A chill seemed to settle on her, in spite of the heat of the day.

She tried to tell herself she was imagining things, but it didn't quite work. Something was wrong—she knew Luke too well to be mistaken about that. “Is something wrong?”

“I need to talk with you.”

It was his office voice, the voice that gave orders and expected them to be obeyed. She felt herself tighten.

“You want to sign up to lead another tour?” She adjusted the cord on the kayaks, keeping her voice light, trying to hold off whatever was coming.

He moved impatiently, then planted his hand against the truck, leaning close to her. “This is business.”

She nodded, trying to assume her office self. But she seemed to have lost that person during the days they'd spent on the island.

“What is it?” Her voice didn't sound natural, even to herself.

“I've made a decision about the site I'm recommending.”

He frowned, not looking at her, and that fact sent her tension level soaring. Whatever he'd decided, she wasn't going to like it.

Then his gaze fixed on her, as if to compel her agreement. “I've decided on Angel Isle.”

Shock leached the sunlight from the day. “You can't be serious.” This was a joke—it had to be.

Luke's frown deepened. “I'm always serious about business, Chloe. If I get the go-ahead from the office, I plan to make your father an offer for the tract of land from the cottage down to the end of the island. Angel Isle is the perfect site. I'm sure you've thought that yourself.”

She could only shake her head, as if to shake off his words.

“No, I haven't. You can't.” Maybe she should have seen it coming, but it had completely blindsided her.

“Can't?” He lifted his eyebrows in disbelief, probably because subordinates didn't say “can't” to Luke Hunter. “That's why I'm here, remember?”

“I know, I know.” Her words tumbled over each other in her rush to make him understand. “But not Angel Isle. You've seen how much it means to us. To me.”