Saving Joe. Laura Altom Marie
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Название: Saving Joe
Автор: Laura Altom Marie
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
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He looked her way, but found only inky shadows and the warmth of soft feminine curves. Since he couldn’t see her, he imagined her, curled on her side in a comfortable position. Cheek resting on her forearm. All that whiskey-blond hair spilling onto the sand. She’d look inviting. Approachable. Like someone he’d be able to talk to. Not at all like the all-business marshal he knew her to be.
Not even in his single days had he met a woman quite like her. In whatever relationship he’d ever been part of, he’d held the indisputable position of power. It wasn’t that he’d had to have it that way, it was just how it’d been. Willow had sometimes teased him about being king of his castle, and he was, or at least used to be. Yet with just a few carefully worded sentences, this Gillian had knocked him on his ass—figuratively speaking, seeing how he’d already been there.
This morning, if someone had told him he’d actually be sorry a woman no longer wanted to hear his sad story, he’d have laughed them off the island. But then his relationship with Gillian had been odd from the start—if what they shared could even be called a relationship.
Bud groaned. He lifted his head from Joe’s knee, and Joe took the opportunity to stretch.
The dog stood, then circled, landing his butt on Joe and his head on Gillian. For a second, jealousy pricked Joe’s gut. The dog was his, so why was he lounging all over this woman? Worse yet, why did Joe care? Come first light, he’d see about getting her off his island and out of his life.
Sure about that?
For the first time since her arrival, no, Joe wasn’t sure. In the darkness, his sense of smell was heightened. Rising above the scents of the sea was her fruity shampoo. He used whatever generic brand the guy he’d hired to stock the place upon his arrival had provided. It smelled like lye. It was a bad smell. One he didn’t mind because now that Willow was dead, he wasn’t supposed to enjoy any part of his life. Yet even recognizing all of that, he couldn’t stop himself from taking another whiff.
Without knowing it, he’d craved human companionship. Maybe if he could explain to someone about his guilt, it’d somehow make it easier to bear. Unfortunately, judging by her slow, metered breaths, he was too late for any more talk tonight. Little Miss Chit-Chat had drifted off to sleep.
“MORNIN’, SKIPPER.” The kid looked up from the gloppy mess he was making of the last jar of peanut butter.
Kavorski grunted.
“Have a good night’s sleep?”
“I’ve had better rest on a horse than on this boat.” Kavorski eased himself into the dinette’s too narrow booth. Damn sharp table edge made him feel like a gutted fish.
“Want a sandwich?”
“Thanks. Make it a double.”
While the kid took two pieces of white bread from a plastic sack, he asked, “Was Team Two scheduled to be out of range anytime today?”
“Not that I know of. Why?”
He slathered peanut butter on the bread. “Just tried reaching them twenty minutes ago. Got zilch. No radio or cell. Thought I’d wait another twenty, then try again.”
Kavorski laughed. “Knowing Wesson and Finch, one’s in the head and the other still sleepin’.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. With all that fog finally out of the way, I was hoping for some decent views of our guy.” The kid handed him his sandwich.
Kavorski snorted. “Yeah, and I know just what view you were hoping for.”
“Ha ha. I already told you, Logue’s off-limits for the next two weeks, but after that…” He whistled.
“Quit your daydreaming and give Team Two another call. Then wake up the princess. She’s past due for calling in.”
“Aye, aye, Skipper.”
GILLIAN OPENED HER EYES to a sight so fantastic she almost believed it a dream.
The tide was out and the cave flooded by brilliant light. Iridescent green anemones clung to the cavern walls. In luminous tidal pools of blue-green water so glassy clear it didn’t look real, lived stars. Purple and green. Striped and mottled. There were tiny darting fish and crabs. Barnacles and clams.
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