Some Kind of Wonderful

“I know what it is.” She spoke through her teeth. “Get rid of it. Please.”

If he hadn’t been trying to will his libido into sudden death, he would have laughed. He’d never met a woman more capable of looking after herself than Brittany. If a man had broken into her house, she probably would have knocked him unconscious with the nearest heavy object, but a large insect left her quivering and helpless.

Forgetting his intention not to look at her again, he shifted his gaze back to her. “So it’s still spiders.” He noticed that her hair was longer. Or maybe it just seemed that way because it was wet. It lay over one shoulder in a dark heavy mass, leaving the other bare. “You always were scared of them. Nothing else. Just spiders.”

“If you don’t stop talking and catch the damn thing it will run away and then I’ll have to move out because there isn’t room in this house for both of us.”

It wouldn’t make any difference if he looked away because the image of Brittany’s naked body was imprinted on his mind.

He wasn’t quite sure how he’d managed to end up in a small, steamy bathroom with his naked ex-wife but he was sure he deserved every moment of the punishment.

That brief glance had been enough to show him that she’d lost the angular lines of girlhood, the awkwardness of inhabiting a body that developed at its own time and pace. It had been right here in this house that he’d taught her what her body could do, used his skill and experience to extend her education into areas not covered by school.

As in everything, she’d proved a quick study.

She’d been an eager pupil, lying on the bed with her hair spilling over her naked body, doing everything he’d demanded of her and more.

If he’d been filling out her report card, he would have given her top grades.

Her reward had been a broken heart.

He dragged his eyes from sun-kissed skin and lean muscle and focused on the spider. To be fair it was too big to fit comfortably under a teacup, which he knew to be the favored way of dealing with anything born with more than four legs. “Probably thinks it’s a good place to raise a family.”

“You’re not funny. Please get rid of it.”

The fact that she hadn’t even reached for a towel told him how freaked out she was.

For his own sake, he grabbed the nearest towel, threw it to her and dealt with the spider.

When he returned to the bathroom, she was still in the same place, the towel clutched to her chest with her good hand.

Turned out it was a hand towel, and she didn’t seem to realize that clutching it across her breasts left most of the lower half of her bare. Or maybe her priorities were elsewhere.

Her teeth were chattering. “Is it dead?”

“No.” There were plenty of humans he would happily have flattened under his boot, but when it came to animals and insects he preferred a more sympathetic approach. “Didn’t see the point in killing it. I relocated it somewhere it might be more welcome and comfortable.”

“That means it’s going to find its way back into the house.” She took a step back, and he turned his head, desperately searching for a bigger towel.

“Last time I looked, spiders didn’t come equipped with GPS. They don’t have spiders in Greece?”

“Not ones that size. Or maybe I managed to avoid them.” Distracted, she pushed damp hair back from her face. “What are you doing here anyway?”

Finally, now the crisis was averted, she was registering exactly who had come to her rescue. He had a feeling that up until that point he could have been anyone. “You left your backpack. Thought you might need it.”

“But how did you get in? I locked the doors—” Her voice faded and her eyes widened. “You broke in? Why would you break in?”

“You screamed.”

And he was trying not to examine the reason he’d felt the fierce need to protect something that wasn’t even his to protect.

She stared at him, lips parted, breathing shallow. “Right.” Her mouth closed and she swallowed hard. “I guess I should be grateful breaking and entering is still one of your party tricks.”

It had been years since he’d used anything other than a key to open a door, but he knew there were many who would have shared her assumption. Usually it didn’t bother him. People could believe what they wanted to believe; the only difference was that in the past she’d been the first one to defend him.

He could hardly blame her for recalibrating her expectations.

And if part of him was unsettled by how quickly he’d been driven to gain access to a locked property once she’d screamed, he ignored it. He’d believed her to be in trouble. Any man would have done the same.

Silence, tense and awkward, spread between them.

Her body was lightly tanned, the bronze glow of her shoulders intersected by paler strap marks. The uneven marks told him she’d gained that color while doing the job she loved, not by lying on a beach, soaking up the sun.

Now that the spider had gone, there was nothing between them but the past and the electricity that shimmered and crackled in the air. The way she stayed flattened to the bathroom wall made him wonder if she saw him as a threat worse than the spider.

She lifted a shaky hand to her damp hair. “I’m grateful for the whole knight-in-shining-armor routine. You said you came to return my bag. Where is it?”

“Kitchen.” And he knew she wasn’t grateful. She was livid that she’d needed help and that he’d been the one to give it.

“Thanks. Do I need to count the money?”

It was a question she never would have asked before, and he stared at her for a long moment, watching the flush build in her cheeks.

Although that was one crime he wasn’t guilty of, he knew he was guilty of plenty of others so he didn’t bother defending himself.

Instead, he looked at the clothes strewn haphazardly on the floor of the bathroom where she’d obviously struggled to strip them off. He was no detective, but it seemed to him that she’d slept in the clothes she’d traveled in.

Dragging his eyes from the thong, he eyed her plaster cast. “You having trouble managing with that thing on your arm?”

“No. No trouble.”

It was her right hand. She was right-handed. It had to be a problem, but he guessed she would rather have faced another spider than admit to him that she was struggling.

He glanced from the mess on the floor to the cast on her wrist and told himself it wasn’t his business.

“You’ve got people you can call if you need help?”

“I don’t need help. Goodbye, Zach.”

His legs refused to move. “You need to think about getting a new bolt on your back door.” The cottage was isolated. Her nearest neighbor was a mile away. The thought sent his tension levels rocketing.

“My lock is fine. This is Puffin Island.”

“Last time I looked there was nothing stopping the criminal element stepping aboard the ferry.”

“I guess you’re proof of that.”

Zach’s eyes met hers. He’d always assumed that his less-than-clean-cut past had been part of the attraction for her, at least initially. At the time it had amused him that a few nasty secrets had the upside of making him more interesting to the opposite sex. He’d milked it for all it was worth. Why wouldn’t he? If the gutter had a silver lining, then he figured he might as well wrap himself in it.

Those days were long behind him, but clearly not forgotten. Not by him and not by the residents of Puffin Island. And, it seemed, not by his ex-wife.

With a brief nod, he turned and walked out of the house, this time leaving by the front door.

If she chose not to buy a better lock for the back door, that was her business. At any rate, he was willing to lay bets that there wasn’t a decent lock to be had in any of the stores since he’d landed back on the island.

“HOLY CRAP, he saw me naked. Could it be any more humiliating?” Brittany lay on her back on the bed, talking to Skylar on the phone.

“He heard you scream and broke in to save you. That’s so romantic.”

“It’s not romantic, it’s the sign of a misspent youth. Would you know how to break through a door without damaging the lock?”

“No, but we all have different skills and you’re missing the most important point. All these years you thought he didn’t care, but he obviously does.”

“I don’t know how you draw that conclusion.”

“He thought you were in trouble, Brit! You screamed and he came. A knight in shining armor.”

“He was wearing black jeans.” An old pair of Levi’s and a black T-shirt that had fitted him perfectly, molding to every contour of his muscular frame. “He looked like a ninja not a knight.”

“Yum.”

“Not yum! I don’t want him.”

Sky chuckled. “You mean you don’t want to want him.”

Remembering the sizzle of awareness when their eyes had met, Brittany bit her lip. “Why did this have to happen? Why did he have to pick this moment to come back here?”

“It’s fate.”

“I hate it when you say that.”

“Finish the story. You saw the spider, screamed and then he appeared. And you weren’t wearing anything at all. Not even a teeny tiny thong?”

“I was wearing a teeny tiny thong fifteen minutes before he arrived. It was on the floor.” She heard a sound and frowned. “Are you laughing?”

“I might be. Look, maybe he didn’t notice.”

“He noticed. He smacked his head into the door frame.”

“Oh, poor him. That must have hurt. I always said that door was too low. I can’t walk into that bathroom in heels.”

Brittany gave a murmur of exasperation. “Whose side are you on?”

“Yours, of course, but I do sympathize that he banged his head and I’m not going to be angry with him for looking out for you. So he saw you naked—then what?”

“He threw me a towel and got rid of the spider.” With those big, calloused hands that could break down a door or the defenses of a woman with equal ease.

“Well, there you go. The actions of a perfect gentleman.”

“It was a hand towel. And I can think of lots of different ways of describing Zachary Flynn, but ‘perfect gentleman’ isn’t one of them.”

“Did he, or did he not, get rid of the spider?”

“He did, but—”

“And he came back to check you were okay?”

“Yes, but—”

“It wasn’t his fault the closest thing was a hand towel. So then what? You stood there looking at each other and all you were wearing was a plaster cast. That must have been awkward.”

“It was a little more than awkward.” And hadn’t been made less so by the fact the incident had played out on the same stage as their intense affair. They’d had sex in that bathroom. They’d had sex in almost every room of the house.

“Just awkward? Not sexy? He didn’t push you up against the wall and press his heated body against yours?”

“No! And you need to rein in your imagination.” And she needed to rein in hers.

“Can’t do that, I need it for my job.”

“So keep it for your art and don’t get creative with my sex life, especially not where Zach is concerned.”

“I always thought he’d be the kind of guy to take what he wanted without asking permission.”

“I think we’ve already established he didn’t want me.” And it shouldn’t bother her. It really shouldn’t bother her.

“It must have been hard for him to commit to someone, given he’d been alone all his life.”

“You sound as if you’d like to adopt him.”

“Now you mention it, he’s like one of those stray dogs who have been badly treated and no one ever wants to give a home to because they’re afraid of being bitten.”

“Not every stray dog can be tamed.”

“Agreed. So what happened after he’d performed epic spider removal? He left?”

“Right after I virtually accused him of stealing from my purse.”

“You didn’t! Brit? Why would you do that?”

“Because—because—I don’t know.” She was upset with herself. “I was feeling vulnerable. And he had just broken into my house.”

“To save you! Do you want to know what I think?”

“No.”

“I think seeing him really messed with your head and you wanted to see the worst in him.”

“Of course it messed with my head. I was naked! And I have no idea what I’m going to say next time I see him.”

“You say ‘thank you for removing my spider.’ What are you doing this morning?”

“I’m supposed to be meeting Em for breakfast. She’s in love.”

“I know. Can you believe it? And Ryan is gorgeous. How come we never met him when we came to stay?”

“Bad timing, I guess. Up until four years ago, he was always traveling. How do I handle the fact that Zach is here?”

“How do you think you should handle it?”

She went through the options. “Anger would imply I still care, happy would be too hard to play, so I was going with indifference.”

“Indifference sounds perfect to me.”

“But he saw me naked.”

Sky laughed. “Honey, it’s not the first time.”

CHAPTER FOUR

BRITTANY TOOK THE PRETTIEST route to the harbor and the Ocean Club, walking up the coast path and then cutting across the fields that skirted the wooded interior of the island.

With the sun shining and the air filled with the scent of grass and wildflowers, it was impossible to feel anything other than pleased to be home.

The spectacular coastline of Maine matched anything she’d seen in the Mediterranean. From the lush, emerald perfection of Acadia National Park to the granite islands inhabited only by puffins and cormorants, Penobscot Bay was a wild, unspoiled paradise.

From high up on the bluff she could see fishing boats bobbing in the sheltered harbor and yachts and windjammers dotted across the bay.

It took her a little over an hour to walk to the Ocean Club. She arrived to find Ryan and Emily already sitting on the deck along with Lizzy, Emily’s six-year-old niece who was now living with her. The little girl was clutching a wooden boat to her chest and the moment she saw Brittany she moved closer to Emily.

Brittany watched as her friend scooped the child onto her lap and murmured words of reassurance.

She knew how hard the past few months must have been for Lizzy, but she also knew how hard it had been for her friend who had always vowed never to have children.

“That boat,” she said slowly, “looks exactly like the Captain Hook. Can I take a look? Where did you get it?”

Lizzy hesitated and then handed it across the table. “John made it for me.”

“He did? I’ve never known him to make anything like this for anyone before.” She turned it in her hands and read the words on the side. “The Captain Lizzy. This is beautiful. You’re lucky. John must think you’re very special to have made you this.”

“It floats.”

“You’ll have to show me.” She handed the boat back. “John taught me to sail when I was your age.”

“I’m learning. Ryan is teaching me.”

Brittany had known Ryan Cooper her whole life. She’d spent her summers with his sister Helen at Camp Puffin and babysat his younger sister, Rachel, to earn money.

She greeted him with a quick kiss on the cheek and then settled down in the vacant seat.

“Good to have you home.” Ryan tilted his chair back and reached for Emily’s hand. “I hear you’ve already seen Zach and the two of you managed to keep it civilized. You didn’t kill him.”

Civilized?

There was nothing civilized about the chemistry between them. Never had been. Being with Zach had been the most dizzying and exciting time of her life.

Until he’d dumped her.

“Why would I kill him? It doesn’t bother me whether he’s here or not.” Ignoring Emily’s raised eyebrows, she sat back while Kirsti delivered food and drinks to the table.

“A special welcome home, Brittany! Fresh blueberries, our homemade cinnamon-and-honey granola, Greek yogurt in case you’re missing Crete, coffee and pancakes. I’m pretty sure they don’t make those in Greece. And I added a side of bacon to your order because I know it’s your favorite. Enjoy.”

Brittany’s stomach purred. Apart from a mouthful of the muffin Emily had produced, she hadn’t eaten since the flight. “If I eat this I’ll be the size of a small yacht.”

“You’re tired. Fuel will help that. And diet soda isn’t fuel.” Kirsti gave her a knowing look and Brittany returned it with a sheepish grin.

“It was my breakfast of choice in Greece.”

Kirsti shuddered. “I know nothing about Greek history but I’m fairly sure that isn’t part of the traditional Mediterranean diet. Eat your granola.”

As she walked away, Brittany glanced around the crowded terrace. “Business is good? I don’t see many empty seats.”

“Business is good.” Ryan reached across and rescued the soft toy Lizzy had dropped.

Looking at the plush puffin, Brittany knew instantly where it had come from. “Rachel had a million of those when she was little.”

“Because she kept losing them and couldn’t sleep without one.”

Knowing that Ryan’s experience of raising his younger siblings had left him with a thirst for a child-free existence, Brittany was surprised by the change in him. “How is Alec? Is he in London at the moment?”

“No, he’s back. Had a drink with him last night. Zach joined us.” Ryan picked up his coffee. “He has your backpack. He’s going to return it.”

“He already did.” Not wanting to dwell on the fact she’d screamed like a baby and then stood in front of him naked, Brittany picked up her spoon and dug it into the granola and yogurt. “There’s no need to look so worried. Our relationship was over a long time ago. I can barely remember it.”

Ryan gave her a steady look but said nothing and she felt a rush of gratitude.

He’d been a good friend to her.

In those few initial weeks after Zach had deserted her, he’d been the one to pick up the pieces.

With his help and the help of her friends and grandmother, she’d healed.

And gradually she’d forced herself to accept the truth.

Zach had never loved her.

He wasn’t capable of it. He wasn’t capable of intimacy or sharing or any of the things that went hand in hand with love.

Brittany looked down at her plate and realized she’d eaten the food without noticing it. “Maybe I was hungrier than I thought.” She looked up just as Ryan reached out and stroked Emily’s cheek with his fingers.

They shared a look that reminded Brittany of Nik and Lily.

Everyone was in love, she thought numbly. Everyone was holding hands and exchanging long looks.

Unsettled, she finished her coffee and stood up. “Thanks for breakfast. I need to pick up a few things at the harbor. See you later.”

She walked out of the Ocean Club, enjoying the view of the bay. After the sweltering heat of Greece in August she was grateful for the sea breeze. High above, the gulls circled, hopeful of an impromptu meal delivered by careless tourists.

The Captain Hook was leaving on its late-morning trip to the mainland, its squat bulk and red paint making it instantly recognizable. Knowing that this was the busiest time of the year for John, the harbormaster, she didn’t pause to talk to him and was surprised when he came striding across to her.

“Hi, John! I saw the boat you made Lizzy. It’s beautiful! It’s good to see you after— Oh.” She staggered as he pulled her into a giant bear hug. She’d known him since before she could walk, but this was the first time she could ever remember him hugging her. “That’s nice.” The words were muffled against his shoulder and then he released her, his eyes fierce.

“You’ve been away too long. I hope this time you’ll stay awhile. No more of those flying visits.”

“I was working, John. I was on a dig in Greece, and before that I was studying.”

“I know. Oxford and Cambridge. Doctor Forrest. The night Ryan and Alec told us, we all raised a glass up at the Ocean Club.”

“You did?” Surprised and touched, Brittany felt a rush of affection for the islanders.

“We always knew you’d do great things. Kathleen would have been proud of you.” His voice was gruff. “And all I can say is I’m sorry. A good girl like you deserves better.”

Confused, Brittany looked at him blankly. “Er—better than what?”

“Better than coming home with so many achievements to celebrate and finding that cheating ex-husband of yours living on your island.”

Her stomach lurched.

“He didn’t cheat, John, and it’s not my island. He has a perfect right to be here.”

“You were here first. And you’re local. You belong here.”

As a child it had both fascinated and offended her principles that people had to “earn” the right to be accepted on Puffin Island. As far as she was concerned, people had a right to come and go as they pleased and the place would be all the better for the variety.

“There’s room for both of us.”

“I hear he was the one who flew you from the mainland.”

It was inevitable that the manner of her arrival would have been the subject of local gossip, but still the thought of it grated over her skin like sandpaper. “He did.”

“That must have shaken you up some.”

She chose to deliberately misunderstand. “Not at all. The weather was smooth and Zach is an excellent pilot.” He’d been a lousy excuse for a friend and an even worse husband but she didn’t intend to discuss that with anyone, no matter how much they probed and how much she loved them. She tried to turn the conversation. “How are you, John?”

“I’m good, considering. Must have been awkward for you, seeing him again. By my calculation you haven’t laid eyes on the man since he left you all those years ago.”

“That’s why it wasn’t awkward. It was so long ago I barely remember it. I appreciate how much you all care, but no one needs to worry about me. Good to see you, John. I have to pick up a few things from Harbor Stores before I go back to the cottage.” She extracted herself from the inquisition, crossed the road and bumped into Hilda, who had been a close friend of her grandmother’s.

“Hilda!” Genuinely pleased to see her, she gave the old lady a warm hug. “How are you doing? I hear Agnes has moved near you. I bet the two of you never stop talking.”

“Talking with friends is one of life’s pleasures, especially now that my hips won’t let me rush anywhere. Can’t even run away from a handsome man, not that there are too many chasing me these days.” Hilda patted her arm. “And on that topic, I just want you to know we’re all watching him so you don’t need to worry.”

“Watching him?”

“After the way he treated you last time—” Hilda gave her a fierce look that would have repelled the most determined invader. “If he puts a foot out of line, we’re going to deal with him. There are some who have forgiven him everything because he flew that child to the hospital when no one else would, but as far as I’m concerned, he still has to prove himself. And if you ask me, Ryan should be a bit more careful in picking his friends.”

There was no need to ask who she was talking about and Brittany sighed. “Hilda—”

“Don’t you worry yourself. You live your life and leave it to us. We’ve got your back, honey.”

“I’m trying to live my life, Hilda, but people keep—”

“Caring.” Hilda patted her hand. “It’s the least we can do. Protecting our own is one of the perks of island life. Welcome home, pumpkin. Your grandmother would be proud.”

Feeling eight years old, Brittany gave a weak smile. “Thanks, Hilda. You take care now. And please don’t worry about me. It was a long time ago and I have no feelings for him.” She fled and took refuge inside Harbor Stores.

Holy crap.

No wonder so many people left and moved to the mainland. If it carried on like this, she’d be joining them.

If there was one thing she hated it was pity. She’d all but drowned in it after Zach had left her. And what did Hilda mean when she said they were watching him?