Nantucket Romance 3-in-1 Bundle (46 page)

Lucas felt Kate move in the darkness. The smell of her hair, a blend of sunshine and citrus, wafted over on a breeze. Did she know how maddening it was to be so close, so
married
, and yet have none of the normal privileges?

No, of course she didn’t. From her perspective this was a business deal. Lucas’s presence was a means to a goal. She had no idea how much he craved her. How he loved her slightly pointed chin and her almond-shaped eyes, loved the way she brushed her hair behind her ears when she was intent on something.

His advice to Jamie replayed in his mind: “
Don’t be afraid to let him know you like him.
” What a hypocrite he was.

Bo rubbed against his leg, and Lucas set a hand on his furry head. His situation was different from Jamie’s. Kate didn’t have feelings for him. She was still in love with Bryan. Was probably thinking about him right now. Maybe that’s why she wasn’t sleeping.

He remembered the nights after Emily had died. Lying awake until his eyes ached. Turning a dozen different ways on the bed. Feeling for her empty pillow and pulling it to his chest. If Kate was going through anything close to that, he needed to give her space. And time to get to know him.

“Go for a walk?” he asked. Bo perked up at the word, but Kate only looked his way.

“I’m in my robe.”

He scooted to the edge of his seat. “Come on. We’ll be back before light.”

“But what about—”

“Who cares?” he said. “It’ll clear your head.” He extended his hand, wondering if she could see it in the moonlight.

She was going to say no anyway. What was he thinking? Kate wouldn’t go for a walk unless she’d penciled it in a week ago.

“I guess I can go. I’ll have to change first, though.” She was inside before he could reply.

When she returned, they stepped off the deck and into the grass. Somewhere in the distance a dog barked, and Bo stopped to listen, his bulk a shadow in the dim light. Then, satisfied the other was of no importance, he led the way down the path toward the water.

When they reached the beach, they turned away from town. The wet, packed sand was cool and spongy under his feet. Lucas wondered what Kate was thinking. He remembered his advice to Jamie and started there.

“How’s your column going?”

A wave washed up under their feet. Kate sucked in her breath at the coldness of the foamy water and scampered a few feet up the beach. “I’ve decided on the letter for my column. The woman wrote a four-page saga, so tomorrow I’ll boil it all down to a one-hundred-word question.”

He had no idea what went into an advice column, and he started to ask how she’d become syndicated, then thought again. Maybe she didn’t want to talk about work at four thirty in the morning.

Bo ran ahead of them, trotting through the intermittent waves that washed ashore, then turned toward them, a still, shaggy silhouette. The moonlight offered enough light to see by. It washed gently over Kate’s features, highlighting the bridge of her nose, the bow of her lip. Lucas looked away.

A wind blew across the water, and Kate shivered. “I didn’t expect it to be so cool.”

Lucas shrugged out of his shirt and placed it over her shoulders.

“Thanks.” She put her arms through the sleeves, and he thought her eyes lingered on his bare chest for a moment.

Kate pulled Lucas’s shirt tight, overlapping it like a robe. The material was still warm from his skin and smelled like him. The gesture had surprised her, but he’d done many small things that surprised her. Pulling out her chair at dinner, pouring her coffee every morning . . . And she had to admit he was trying to mend his messy ways. He’d even been hanging up his wet towels.

She wondered how Emily had coped with his disorganization. But maybe Emily had been like Lucas. Or maybe she’d considered Lucas’s homemade meals and good manners a fair trade-off. Kate wanted to ask, but he never mentioned Emily. Bringing up his late wife would feel as if she was trespassing on sacred ground.

She wondered how Lucas felt about their pretend marriage after having had the real thing. It must feel hollow. Kate could hardly believe even now that he’d done it. That he’d stepped in at the last moment and rescued her.

Then again, he was getting something in return.

“Tell me about your dad,” Kate said. Susan was guarded, but maybe Kate could get a fuller picture by learning about Roy.

They caught up with Bo, and he ran ahead of them down the shore, a giant lumbering fur ball.

“He’s a man’s man. Always liked to work with his hands. His dad was a criminal lawyer, and from what I understand, was disappointed when Dad didn’t follow in his footsteps.”

“Your dad held his ground?”

“Yep. Dad got a job working for a builder on the island. He framed houses and eventually started his own company.”

“Is that how you got involved with wood?” Another wave washed over Kate’s feet, tickling her with foam.

“Dad had me using tools by the time I was four.”

“But you didn’t want to build houses?”

He shook his head. “I like the detailed work. Knew it the first time I made a mantel for a house we built.”

“When did your dad retire? And what happened to his business?”

Lucas picked up a shell, examined it, then tossed it into the water before answering. “A few years ago he started having some trembling in his hands. A while later he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.”

Kate’s stomach knotted. How come she hadn’t known this before? Neither Lucas nor Susan had mentioned it, and she hadn’t noticed any trembling. “I didn’t know.”

“He decided to sell the business. He was set for retirement anyway, and the work wasn’t good for him in the long run.

“What’s his prognosis?” She knew a little about Parkinson’s, but how quickly did it progress?

“It’s a degenerative disease, but its rate of progression varies. Eventually he’ll be completely incapacitated, but he’s only stage one. There are five stages, and he’s progressing slowly.”

“Do you think the diagnosis played a role in their marriage problems? It must cause a lot of stress.” Why would Lucas worry about them divorcing when his father was ill? Surely Susan wouldn’t leave him now. But then, how well did she know Susan?

“They were devastated when they found out. We all were.”

No wonder she hadn’t known about the disease. Maybe the family was in denial. How would they cope as his condition worsened? “It’s lucky you live so close. Your mom will need help.” Eventually Roy would be bedridden, and Susan wouldn’t be able to handle his weight.

“That’s why I built next door.”

Kate met Lucas’s gaze in the darkness. A glimmer of moonlight shone in his shadowed eyes. “Oh. I thought—” Kate looked away, embarrassed. She’d thought he was a momma’s boy. There was no kind way to say it. It hadn’t been kind to think it. Especially when his real reason was so unselfish.

“After Emily died, I couldn’t live in that house anymore.” He seemed about to say more, but stopped.

Kate wanted to know more, but what right did she have to pry? After finding Emily dead in the house, Lucas probably couldn’t put the image from his mind. Who could blame him for moving on, starting over? But instead of choosing his own place to live, he’d built beside his parents, to be available for them, and instead of starting over with a new love, he’d stepped in and rescued her. The more she learned about Lucas, the more she realized she hadn’t known him at all.

Once you know what you’re looking for in a
man, don’t settle for less. And most important,
make sure the man you’re dating meets your
qualifications before you become emotionally
invested.

—Excerpt from
Finding Mr. Right-for-You
by Dr. Kate

Chapter Thirteen

“Let’s go sailing,” Lucas said as Kate stepped off the treadmill the following Saturday, toweling the sweat from her forehead.

He’d just returned from walking Bo, and the dog trotted over to Kate and nudged her toward the bathroom as if to escort her to the shower. Like she needed help deciding where she was going. She stopped at the doorway and pushed Bo with her knee, glaring at the dog.

“I can’t,” she said. “I need to clean and catch up on laundry and prepare for a phone interview. Plus we need groceries, and I need to run to the bank.”

“I saw your list.” Lucas filled a glass with tap water. “We can do those things tomorrow. I’ll help.” He gulped down the water.

“The bank is closed tomorrow.”

“We can run by the bank on our way to the harbor.”

“My phone interview—”

“Can wait until tomorrow.” He set the glass on the countertop. At her look, he opened the dishwasher and set it inside. “Any more excuses?”

They weren’t excuses. Well, not exactly. She just wanted to get her list done. But she’d never seen Lucas’s eyes lit like they were now, and he’d done so much for her lately in return for so little.

“Come on. It’s seventy-five degrees, the sky is clear blue, and there’s a good steady breeze.”

“I’ve never been sailing,” she said lamely, hoping he’d rescind the offer.

“Doesn’t matter.” His Colgate smile illuminated his face. “Get your shower, and I’ll gather supplies.”

Two hours later, Kate watched Lucas from a bench seat on the boat. He hadn’t stopped since they’d left the harbor, pulling on this line and that, tying them off on their cleats.

“Can I do anything?” She tightened the strap on her bulky orange life vest.

He pulled up a sail, his muscles straining under his red tank. “Nope,” he called over the wind. As he turned the boat with the tiller, the sails fluttered like gulls’ wings, and he adjusted them with one hand. He continued doing what seemed like three things at a time, handling the jobs with the ease and dexterity of a man who’d done it a thousand times.

Soon, he turned the boat slightly into the wind and pulled the white sails tight. Kate dug in her satchel for sunglasses and joined Lucas where he steered the vessel. The deck felt unsteady under her feet, and she grappled for a hold.

“Having fun yet?” he asked. His eyes hid behind his own sun-glasses, and she saw herself reflected in them.

“I had no idea there was so much involved in sailing.”

He smiled, clearly in his element. “It’s a blast. I sail a couple times a month at least. More, if I have time.”

“Who taught you?” Kate thought it’d take her years to learn everything he’d just done, but then she wasn’t a mechanical person. And she could tell already sailing wasn’t going to become her favorite pastime. Being at the mercy of the wind was unsettling. What happened when it changed directions? How did you go back where you came from if the wind was blowing the other way?

“Mom. Dad knows how, too, but Mom’s the expert. Want to take a stab at it?” He moved to the side, offering her steering privileges.

Her legs shook at the thought. “No, you go ahead.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself. There’s soda in the cabin if you get thirsty. Otherwise, just relax and enjoy.”

Kate took the bench nearby and grabbed the railing. The hot sun beat down on her face, and she was glad she’d applied sunscreen before they left. Lucas hadn’t applied any and she wondered if he’d burn. His sandal-clad feet were braced a shoulder width apart, and his dark hair and T-shirt fluttered behind. He seemed unconcerned about the lack of sunscreen and life vest.

In the distance, other sailboats dotted the ocean. She looked down at the water rushing by and wondered how deep it was. Just then the boat tilted. She gasped and gripped the metal rail. A glance at Lucas hinted nothing was awry, but her nerves jangled just the same. What if they tipped over? The idea of floating in the middle of the ocean made her palms clammy. Maybe she’d feel better below deck, where she didn’t have to see the wide expanse of water.

She stood, steadying herself with whatever she could grab. “I think I’ll get a soda,” she said.

Lucas nodded, lost in apparent nirvana, oblivious to her discomfort.

“Okay, then.”

Rolling her eyes, she took the steps down to the galley. Below, the room was dark and cool after the brightness of the sun. Sliding her glasses up, she noted the tiny galley and a booth; beyond that a bed consumed an entire room. The cabin was pleasantly tidy, but she supposed it had to be; otherwise things would bump around.

As if reading her thoughts, the boat turned, and Kate sank onto the soft blue cushions of the booth. A fake plant was anchored to ivory Formica, and Kate smoothed her hands over the surface, appreciating the solid coolness against her palms.

She hadn’t known sailing would disconcert her. She hoped she didn’t get motion sickness.
Just my luck I’ll be hurling over the side of this thing while Lucas laughs at me. Gee, how fun.

Was her stomach feeling unsettled now, or was she imagining it? She swallowed compulsively as the boat turned again. Was he zig-zagging?
For heaven’s sake, can’t he just point the thing in one direction?