derisive.
"They swim in suits," she said flatly. "And then there's Lizbett... considering... She considered. "Considering... Josh?"
And there was Victoria, considering Zac.
"Visit the marine store down by the yachts," he suggested. "I'll lend you T-shirts if the store doesn't have what you want."
She looked unconvinced.
"If Town and Country Magazine shows up for a feature interview, we'll ignore them. Lighten up, Victoria."
That made her smile. "I'll try."
Zac and Josh watched her lead her crew in the direction of the marine store. Something about the vulnerability in her stride, the curve of her shoulders, seemed to underline the subtle significance of her being here.
"Who is that, Mr. Z?"
"Your new mistress, boy." Zac raised his brows, his smile teasing. "If she likes the plantation."
Josh laughed. "She sure is pretty. And look at those cute kids. All colors. Some for you and some for her."
Zac's gaze traced Josh's real target. "And one for you."
They both laughed.
* * *
Zac hoisted himself out of the water onto the swim dock, offered Victoria his hand and drew her from the bay to a sitting position beside him. They dangled their feet and watched Lizbett, Ari and Alex bob about in their life preservers. Further out, Josh and Marcus made wide, lazy circles in the diminutive sailboat.
Only Lizbett had found an acceptable swimsuit at the marine store. Victoria had bought pull-up shorts for the twins and Marcus and added an oversized RAMONA YACHT CLUB T-shirt to complete Ari's ensemble. At the house, Zac gave Victoria the heaviest cotton T-shirt he could find, frayed cut-offs that matched his, and a big safety pin to secure the waist. She accepted them in good humor, but now that she sat beside him, soaking wet, he could see she had opted not to remove her bra.
Very proper. And refreshing.
Silk and cream and honey kept coming to mind. Even her voice, when she issued soft instructions to the children—he noted they were always called children, never kids—was satin smooth, perfectly pitched to soothe and cajole. Her laugh proved capable of carrying him to a surreal plane somewhere. He wondered how today's impact of her delicate beauty, her fine, carefully chiseled features had escaped him in Portofino. No coarseness touched her. The silkiness of her ashy-beige hair and flaxen lashes, the narrow bridge of her perfectly tilted nose, her long, slender neck, all served to play out her fragile image and feed his nagging attraction to Anglo women.
In Portofino, the hope of reuniting with Maggie had consumed him; he'd longed to be with her and Angel bodily, as he was joined to them in spirit. In the same heartbeat, still wounded by death, he had been trapped in the memory of Carron's vibrant, flame-haired beauty, her statuesque frame. He reasoned now that not being acutely aware of Victoria's appeal then probably had something to do with feeling a little used, feeling she couldn't see past her obsession with his resemblance to Marcus's father.
Was the difference he sensed today imaginary? In which of them had the change occurred?
"I thought you would call us." Her words were partially obscured by the twins' shrill laughter bounding up from where they played near Victoria and Zac's dangling feet.
He watched her make a thick rope of her wet, wheat-colored hair, twist it slightly and bring it over one shoulder. "I thought you would call."
She didn't speak or look at him.
"I wasn't sure you were back from Europe. Then, after I saw you last week, I decided not to."
"Did you get my note?"
The note had come in the mail, after Cinco de Mayo , two polite lines. She was glad they'd seen one another and she looked forward to their friendship . "I got it."
She frowned.
"I didn't want to tamper with your marriage, considering what you'd been through before—especially considering what Christian went through." He relived the days of indecision after that Sunday. "I thought it over and decided not to call."
She looked at
"They swim in suits," she said flatly. "And then there's Lizbett... considering... She considered. "Considering... Josh?"
And there was Victoria, considering Zac.
"Visit the marine store down by the yachts," he suggested. "I'll lend you T-shirts if the store doesn't have what you want."
She looked unconvinced.
"If Town and Country Magazine shows up for a feature interview, we'll ignore them. Lighten up, Victoria."
That made her smile. "I'll try."
Zac and Josh watched her lead her crew in the direction of the marine store. Something about the vulnerability in her stride, the curve of her shoulders, seemed to underline the subtle significance of her being here.
"Who is that, Mr. Z?"
"Your new mistress, boy." Zac raised his brows, his smile teasing. "If she likes the plantation."
Josh laughed. "She sure is pretty. And look at those cute kids. All colors. Some for you and some for her."
Zac's gaze traced Josh's real target. "And one for you."
They both laughed.
* * *
Zac hoisted himself out of the water onto the swim dock, offered Victoria his hand and drew her from the bay to a sitting position beside him. They dangled their feet and watched Lizbett, Ari and Alex bob about in their life preservers. Further out, Josh and Marcus made wide, lazy circles in the diminutive sailboat.
Only Lizbett had found an acceptable swimsuit at the marine store. Victoria had bought pull-up shorts for the twins and Marcus and added an oversized RAMONA YACHT CLUB T-shirt to complete Ari's ensemble. At the house, Zac gave Victoria the heaviest cotton T-shirt he could find, frayed cut-offs that matched his, and a big safety pin to secure the waist. She accepted them in good humor, but now that she sat beside him, soaking wet, he could see she had opted not to remove her bra.
Very proper. And refreshing.
Silk and cream and honey kept coming to mind. Even her voice, when she issued soft instructions to the children—he noted they were always called children, never kids—was satin smooth, perfectly pitched to soothe and cajole. Her laugh proved capable of carrying him to a surreal plane somewhere. He wondered how today's impact of her delicate beauty, her fine, carefully chiseled features had escaped him in Portofino. No coarseness touched her. The silkiness of her ashy-beige hair and flaxen lashes, the narrow bridge of her perfectly tilted nose, her long, slender neck, all served to play out her fragile image and feed his nagging attraction to Anglo women.
In Portofino, the hope of reuniting with Maggie had consumed him; he'd longed to be with her and Angel bodily, as he was joined to them in spirit. In the same heartbeat, still wounded by death, he had been trapped in the memory of Carron's vibrant, flame-haired beauty, her statuesque frame. He reasoned now that not being acutely aware of Victoria's appeal then probably had something to do with feeling a little used, feeling she couldn't see past her obsession with his resemblance to Marcus's father.
Was the difference he sensed today imaginary? In which of them had the change occurred?
"I thought you would call us." Her words were partially obscured by the twins' shrill laughter bounding up from where they played near Victoria and Zac's dangling feet.
He watched her make a thick rope of her wet, wheat-colored hair, twist it slightly and bring it over one shoulder. "I thought you would call."
She didn't speak or look at him.
"I wasn't sure you were back from Europe. Then, after I saw you last week, I decided not to."
"Did you get my note?"
The note had come in the mail, after Cinco de Mayo , two polite lines. She was glad they'd seen one another and she looked forward to their friendship . "I got it."
She frowned.
"I didn't want to tamper with your marriage, considering what you'd been through before—especially considering what Christian went through." He relived the days of indecision after that Sunday. "I thought it over and decided not to call."
She looked at
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