Nantucket Romance 3-in-1 Bundle (47 page)

She remembered the soda Lucas had mentioned and walked carefully across the galley, grabbing a Sprite from the fridge before falling onto the bench as the boat heeled once again.

How long would Lucas want to be on the water? Was this an all-day thing, or would a couple of hours suffice? She checked her watch and wondered if she’d have time to finish her list once they got home. She didn’t want to spoil his fun, but there was nothing to do down here, and she hadn’t brought a book to read or writing materials to work. What did people do on boats? She didn’t see anything in the small cabin to occupy herself, but the thought of going up on deck was enough to weaken her legs.

Suddenly, the boat slowed, its change in momentum bottoming out her stomach. Had something gone wrong? She wanted to go see but couldn’t make herself leave the booth’s security. Instead she sipped her Sprite, then realized her stomach felt worse.
Please don’t let me puke!

Footsteps sounded, and Lucas entered the cabin, ducking under the header.

“Is something wrong?” Kate asked.

He grabbed a soda from the fridge, then a brown bag, which he dangled in front of her. “Thought you might be getting hungry.”

“You packed food?” He intended to be out here awhile. Her spirits sank.

“Just sandwiches. You hungry?”

Kate’s stomach protested, but the sooner they ate, the sooner they could return. “Sure.”

He put the food on paper plates with sides of potato salad and chips and headed up the steps. “Coming?”

She wanted to eat there in the enclosed cabin where she could almost pretend she was on dry land. But Lucas was already on deck. The last thing she needed was to give him one more reason to tease her. She stood and followed. The next time he suggested sailing, the answer would be a flat no.

Outside the sun was too bright. Kate pulled down her sunglasses and followed Lucas to the bench she’d vacated earlier. The wind drove the boat, and it rocked gently in the waves.

Lucas handed her a plate. “Beautiful day,” he said around a bite of sandwich.

The heat of the sun made her skin prickle, and its glare on the water hurt her eyes. “That it is.”

She started on the turkey and bacon sandwich. Would they head back after they ate? She could only hope. She scanned the horizon. Land was nowhere to be seen. With that knowledge, a sudden dizziness overtook her, and she focused on her plate. Did Lucas know where they were, how to get back?

“Love the sounds out here, don’t you?”

The water splashed against the boat’s side, and the wind billowed the sails. A seagull, on its way somewhere, called out. Maybe she was just a city girl, but she liked the sound of people, vehicles splashing through puddles, and the scrape of sandals on the sidewalk.

Ugh.
Her stomach stirred uncomfortably. Maybe she shouldn’t eat. The boat dipped.
Be still!
she thought, as if she could stop it. She set her sandwich on her plate and sipped her Sprite.

“You okay?” Lucas cocked his head, but she couldn’t see his eyes past the sunglasses.

“I’m fine.” She smiled to prove it and bit into a salty chip.

When the wind gusted and the boat dipped again, she steadied herself with the first thing she could reach: Lucas’s leg. “Sorry.” She removed her hand as quickly as she’d placed it.

The second chip went down. On the third, she stopped. There was no getting around it: her stomach was definitely threatening to expel her lunch. Kate couldn’t take another bite. Her head spun, exacerbated by the boat’s movement, and she grasped her plate with both hands.

“Kate.” Lucas took her plate, tugging it from her tightened grasp. He set it on his other side. “What’s wrong?”

She closed her eyes, but that made her head and stomach feel worse. “I’m not—feeling so well.” She swallowed, reminding her stomach that things were supposed to go down, not up.

“Oh, honey, why didn’t you say something?” He helped her up. “Come over here.”

She pulled toward the cabin. “I just want to lie down. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
If I don’t die first.
She hadn’t felt this bad since she had the stomach flu in the seventh grade and vomited all over Miss Heinschneider’s white leather Reeboks in gym.

“Lying down is the worst thing you can do.” He guided her to the center of the boat and turned her toward the ocean. She didn’t want to look at the water. And there was no place to sit. She was willing to sink to the floor, but there wasn’t room. Instead she grabbed the railing and leaned over it. She was beyond pretending she was fine. Pride had fled, leaving desperation it its wake.

Lucas put an arm around her middle and pulled her against him. “Look at the horizon. It’ll help.”

Kate had read something about that, but given the condition of her stomach, she was skeptical. She followed his directions anyway.

“I don’t think we have any medications aboard,” Lucas said.

Her head fell against his chest, and she smothered a moan. How had she lived this long and not known the body could feel so bad? At this point, she wished she could just get it over with, Lucas’s presence notwithstanding.

“Are you watching the horizon?”

His stubbly chin rubbed against her temple, a welcome distraction. She nodded. The horizon was a fuzzy line against the blue sky. She focused on that line like her life depended on it.

“I’m sorry, Katie.” His hand moved up and down against her side. His stomach was like a solid wall against her back. “I should point us toward shore. The sooner you’re on dry land, the better you’ll feel.” His arms loosened, but she clutched them, fearing dizziness would overtake her.

“Wait,” she said. If only she could sit down.

He tightened his arms, supporting her, and she stared at the horizon. Was the dizziness improving?

“I shouldn’t have let you go down to the cabin earlier. You probably would’ve been fine.”

She hadn’t been feeling right before she’d gone down, but she didn’t have the strength to say so.

“There are saltines and Coke in the cabin. Will you be all right for a minute if I get them?”

Kate wasn’t sure she’d ever feel all right again. She wanted to say no, hesitant to stand without the strength of his support, but she nodded anyway and realized she must have a shred of pride left. She leaned forward on the railing, wishing she’d vomit while he was gone and get it over with.

No such luck. He returned a quick minute later and handed her a cracker. “This’ll help.”

Kate bit into it and followed the cracker with a sip of the Coke he’d brought while he rubbed her shoulders. It seemed her infirmity had granted him touching rights, but it was a welcome distraction. So welcome, she leaned against him moments later and his arms came around her again.

The saltines were working a little magic, and for the first time since she’d eaten, Kate began to believe lunch might stay put. Relief flowed through her and she relaxed against Lucas’s chest. She became aware of his breath at her temple, the heat of his arms against hers. Gradually, relief morphed into self-consciousness. She felt silly and vulnerable. She wanted her strength, her dignity back. Yet, the security of his embrace comforted her.

“Feeling better?” The closeness of his voice startled her.

“I am, actually.” Her stomach still rebelled; her head still swam.
But at least I’m not wishing I was dead.
It was an improvement.

“Good.” He squeezed her and let go. “I’ll get us back to shore as quick as I can.”

He left, and the wind brushed the heat of her back where he’d been, chilling her skin. She watched him walk away, his long, steady legs navigating the deck. The wind tousled his hair as he adjusted one of the sails.

For some reason it was harder than she expected to look away. She rested her forearms on the railing and turned toward the horizon.

Later that night, Kate lay in bed alone, grateful to feel human again. Dry land was a wonderful thing. She didn’t plan on leaving it anytime soon. After they’d docked, Lucas had brought her straight home, even though she felt better. He’d left with her grocery list and returned with a half dozen bags of food, then scolded her for cleaning while he’d been gone.

She smiled against the feather pillow. She hadn’t figured on him being a mother hen. Then she remembered the feel of his solid arms around her and the roughness of his jaw at her temple, and something inside her stirred. Had he called her “honey” earlier?

What is wrong with me? I love Bryan. This isn’t a real marriage, but a business arrangement.

And good thing. You couldn’t find a more polar-opposite husband.Lucas is everything you need to avoid in a permanent relationship.

If she were to receive a Dear Dr. Kate letter spelling out her own circumstances, her advice would be to run.
“Don’t get involved with someone ill suited to you; it’s an invitation for disaster,”
she’d write.

But moments later, when the bed sank behind her with Lucas’s weight, she couldn’t stop her heart from speeding or her breath from catching. The covers shifted, and she felt the mattress dip down, felt his body almost touching hers.

Then she felt something else. A kiss pressed to the crown of her head.

Everything stilled for a moment as she waited . . . hopeful? Fearful? She wasn’t sure what emotion made her heart stutter.

The bed quivered again as Lucas settled on his side, and her heart’s pace slowly returned to normal as her eyes searched the darkness.

Love is a precarious creature, sometimes
appearing when we least expect it.

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

Chapter Fourteen

Kate’s feet pounded the pavement beside Susan’s as they turned the corner and headed toward their homes. She’d decided she would bring up Susan and Roy’s marriage today, but if she didn’t hurry, Susan would be giving her a curt good-bye and striding up the grassy hill to her house.

Kate checked her watch. She had a scheduled meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Hornsby in an hour. Mr. Hornsby had broken it off with the other woman and they were trying to put their marriage back together. Even though Kate wasn’t officially counseling them, she knew they were counting on her help.

She would need a shower before the meeting, so there was no extending the walk.

Their breaths slowed as their strides shortened. Kate tried to find the words. She had to be subtle so she didn’t come across like a know-it-all counselor interfering in her in-laws’ relationship.

Silence had settled between them; now would be the perfect opportunity to say something.

“Susan, can I ask you something?”

Her mother-in-law stepped over a crack in the pavement. “All right.”

“Well,” Kate took a few breaths. “I’ve been thinking lately about conflict in marriage. Well, really, conflict resolution. When you and Roy have a disagreement, how do you handle it? How do you resolve it?”

She stopped, afraid she’d put her foot in her mouth if she continued. Truthfully she wondered if the couple even employed conflict resolution the way they picked at one another.

Susan quirked a brow. “I’m surprised you’re asking.”

Kate stiffened. “Why do you say that?”

Susan flipped her hair from her face. “Well. You’re the expert.”

Why did the woman have to rub her the wrong way? “I know. It’s just—”
Just what? Tell her I’m taking a poll or something?

“I suppose studying relationships and actually being in one are two different things,” Susan said.

Kate wasn’t sure where Susan was going, but she nodded.

“Marriage isn’t easy. Conflict is a normal part of it, though. You’re lucky Lucas is so easygoing.”

Susan must think
—
Oh, great.
She thought Kate and Lucas were having problems. She’d probably made the woman’s day.

A yappy little dog scurried down a gravel driveway but stopped short of reaching them.

“Roy used to give me the silent treatment for days when he was upset. Sometimes I didn’t even know why he was mad and by the time we talked about it, he’d blown it all out of proportion.” Susan shook her head. “I used to get so mad when we argued that I’d storm out of the room or even take off in the car.”

“Really?”

Susan launched into a story, and Kate realized she’d hit pay dirt: Susan thought Kate needed advice, and she certainly had no trouble offering it. Finally, Kate had a way to get Susan to open up. Of course, Susan was coming at it from the wrong angle, but still . . . Maybe now Kate could finally get some real insights into Susan and Roy’s marriage. And finally begin fulfilling her promise to help Lucas.