Carried Home (10 page)

 

“Well now that ya mention it, I do remember a lad answering by the name visiting here nigh on a month ago. But I don't recall his last name bein' Trenton. No, it was somethin' else…blast it, me old mind don't remember things like that anymore!” The man who owned the tavern—Blakeley, Caspian had called him—leaned heavily to the right, looking over Caspian's shoulder. Eden followed his gaze to find two men brawling. “Ay, you stop it! I'll have no fighting in me tavern! Outside to the back wit' ya!” The two men paused for only a second then scurried out the door. A wave of other customers followed to view the fight. Eden leaned against her husband's shoulder, eagerness for news of her brother overwhelming her. This was their fourth stop at a port in an effort to find him, and she prayed this one would be successful. Caspian's arm wound around her waist, and his hand tangled with hers.

The tavern owner turned back to them, his face apologetic. “Now, what was I sayin', Archer? Oh yes, I remember the man. Have no way of knowin' if he's yours or not, but I did hear him talkin' about looking for a crew to sail with. He was in search of a new captain—from what I understand, the last one was a beast.”

Caspian ran a hand through his hair. “That's the only clue I've found so far in the search for my man, Blakely. I don't think it could hurt us to take it. Do you know, by chance, if he ended up signing on with anyone?”

Blakely scratched his chin, which was scruffy with a gray beard. “I don't believe he did. I think he said somethin' about headin' back to…Port Royal. But I don't know if this is your man. I don't want to send ya searchin' all over the Caribbean for someone who just shares the first name of this sailor you're searchin' fer.”

When a pirate ambled too near, Reed backed up, closer to Eden. She placed her hand on his shoulder. It seemed as though she had no hope for finding her brother. Well, maybe everything was better off this way. She had a new family here, one she was very happy about. But she would be much happier knowing if her brother was alive. Eden craned her neck to peer up at her husband. Her voice a low whisper, she said, “What should we do?”

Caspian pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We are going to Port Royal.”

****

Gage awoke before the rays of dawn had fully shed their light on the beach. Something soft moved under his arm. He blinked sleep-blurred eyes against the glint of the sun. The ocean was beautiful in the morning. Colors—lavender, turquoise, and even a pale yellow—danced across the water as the waves lapped gently against the beach.

Memories flooded back to him as he gazed at the most beautiful part of the beach—the woman who slept with her head on his arm, and the baby who nestled against him. He could not stifle a grin. This made him feel like a family man. Ivy shifted closer to him. Her copper curls wound over her shoulder and tumbled onto the sand. When so close to her, with her face peacefully drawn in sleep, Gage noticed a smattering of light freckles on her cheeks. They were as charming as her and practically begged for his lips to touch them.

After his slumber almost two feet apart from Ivy and separated from her by Emma, he had ended up awfully close to the woman by morning. The feelings running through his heart concerned him. When had he grown so attached to this lady? It was not his place. He was…her ferry home. That was all. He was meant to carry her home to London, and nothing more. Misery tightened in his gut. If he was wise, he would push these feelings away. But apparently he was not wise, because he could not brush away the longing jabbing at him to press a kiss to her forehead.

A blow to his stomach knocked the thought right from his head. Gage glanced down at Emma, whose leg had kicked him in her sleep. He chuckled quietly and drew her closer to him with the arm that was not around Ivy's waist. The thought was pleasant, and led his mind down some dangerous avenues.

Just as Gage was about to rise and move away from the woman, a gasp met his ears. Ivy had woken, her stormy gray eyes wide. “Captain Thompson.”

“Aye, that is my name. Although I still would much prefer it if you would call me Gage.”

She frowned. Finally, her gaze found Emma and realization crossed her face. “Well. We'd best get up, before…before someone sees us like this.”

Gage could not resist the opportunity. He leaned forward to hug her, with Emma cradled between them. Her sweet scent of citrus teased his nose as her soft curls tickled his cheek. She was so soft…so lovely. After a second, her arms wrapped around his waist and Gage let out a sigh of contentment. It would be easy to get used to having someone as sweet as her to embrace every day.

“Blast it all, look what we have here! The captain actually
does
know how to touch a lady.”

Gage jerked away from Ivy and squinted up at the crew member who had invaded their privacy. Jennings.

Peterson—a man who could typically be found shadowing Rogers—chimed in, “I don't think he does. I know I'd be doin' a whole lot more than simply
touchin'
that lady.”

Gage stiffened his jaw. The audacity of these men. A soft hand wrapped around his fist. When had he clenched his fists? He relaxed his hand and allowed his fingers to entwine with Ivy's. He cast her a sidelong glance. She stared at him with a look of inner strength, strength he hadn't always been aware she possessed.

Gage faced his men. “I will not have you talking to me like this. I don't want to hear another word from my crew about Lady Shaw. Our affairs are not yours.”

The men jeered, but walked away. Gage extracted his hand from Ivy's, before she could feel it tremble. What was wrong with him? He was not cut out to be a leader, a captain. So why did he go on pretending like he was born for this position?
It's what you've always aspired to be.
But what did that matter, anyway? He was useless, doomed to forever be under someone else's command.

Ivy's hand rested on his elbow and she tugged him to face her. Her gray eyes searched his in concern. “Are you all right, Gage? Don't listen to those…monsters. I think…I think you're a wonderful, strong man. A much better man than any of them could ever hope to be.”

Gage's heart soared at her complement, but his pride cried out. She could tell he wasn't confident in his abilities as captain? Could the rest of his crew tell as well?

“Did I say something to upset you?” Ivy shifted Emma in her arms. The child still slept.

“No, milady, you said nothing. I just…forgive me. I must go.” Gage spun on his heel and exited the woman's area of the camp. He needed to distance himself from the lady, and he might as well begin sooner rather than later.

****

Ivy crossed her arms across her chest and watched as Gage's men cleaned the ship and repaired the broken wood. They worked quickly, but this was their third day spent on the beach. Ivy had begun to wonder if they would ever finish the job. How badly had the hurricane damaged the ship?

She was also beginning to wonder what she had done wrong. Hurt spread through her like ice despite their tropical setting as she gazed at Gage—well, she really ought to call him Captain Thompson. The man had seemed to keep himself quite busy since the first morning they had spent on this island. Even during the nights, when Emma had cried herself to sleep, he avoided them and spent the majority of the time pacing across the beach. Well, it was better this way. It was better to discover what a cruel person he was before she grew even further attached to him.

And yet Ivy found it hard to tear her eyes from the sight of him. With one hand pressed against his brow, squinting against the dark clouds that dotted the sky, he stood waist-deep in water. Ivy's face heated as she caught a glimpse of his bare chest. He had begun to shed his shirt while they worked on this island. His chestnut-brown hair damply curled around his ears due to the humidity in the air.

He shouted orders to his men, who scurried down the side of the ship, scraping off all the excess crust that had accumulated on the
Siren's Call
. His gaze caught hers and held it for a moment as he turned. She frowned and glanced away, bouncing Emma in her arms.

Captain Thompson had all but ignored Emma because of all of his work, as well, and Ivy could tell the child had been affected by it. What a monster.

A hand briefly tapped on Ivy's elbow, garnering her attention. She whipped around, prepared to fend off one of Captain Thompson's men. Mr. Douglas smiled down at her and nodded to Emma. She backed away a step. Douglas had been nothing but a gentleman to her, but how could she rightly trust him? He was employed on this pirate ship. Now they were in the expansive setting of this wild island, would he take that as an opportunity to harm her or Emma? “You might want to hold the babe a little less tightly—it would do her good to breathe.”

Ivy glanced down at Emma. She practically had the poor girl in a stranglehold. Quickly, she loosened her grip on the child and laughed nervously. Surely Mr. Douglas would never hurt either of them.

“Are you all right, milady? Something seems to have upset you.”

“Oh, don't worry about me, Mr. Douglas. I just…I just thought you were someone else.” Ivy smoothed a copper curl out of Emma's face.

“May I…hold her?” Mr. Douglas indicated to the child.

“Oh.” The man had watched Emma for her and Gage before, so surely she would be safe if he held her for a moment. She handed the little one over.

Adam looked quite awkward trying to balance the moving child, but after a few moments she seemed to grow accustomed to him.

“How have you been doing? I know a lady like you has not slept on the sand much in her life.” Mr. Douglas tickled Emma, eliciting a giggle. He seemed relieved to have made the child happy.

“I actually much prefer it to the constant rocking of the ship,” Ivy replied with a rueful chuckle.

Lightning cracked across the sky. Emma sobbed, and Ivy restrained a whimper of her own as dark clouds rolled across the sky. Mr. Douglas's brow furrowed kindly. It was a pity the side of the man's face was scarred so badly.
He really would have been handsome otherwise, and he had such a generous heart.

“Don't you worry about the storm, milady. It should just be a little rain—it won't harm us a bit.”

“Oh, good, sir. I did not enjoy the storm in any way, and I'm afraid Emma did not either.”

Adam bounced the baby in his arms. She grabbed his chin in her hands and shoved it side to side. “I must get to work, milady, but it was nice to speak with you.” He handed Emma back to her and jogged to stand next to the captain.

Ivy sank down onto the sand. She couldn't help but watch Gage as he bantered back and forth with his crew, as if he had all the confidence in the world. His men might not realize that, but she knew it was not true. She had seen the hurt, the fear in his eyes when his men accused him of not being a true man. Ivy found it endearing, really, and she wanted to help him build up his confidence. But he had refrained from speaking to her the past few days, and despite her attempts to speak with him, he had barely responded. Well, no matter how he acted to her, it was still hard to tear her eyes from him. She rocked Emma against her chest, hoping the little one would distract her from the strange feelings she was developing toward Gage.

A man somewhere behind her chuckled. She glanced back and dread clenched around her heart. The sailor leisurely leaned his back against a nearby palm tree. She knew the man, but could not quite place his name. Either way, she was not too fond of him from the way he had treated Gage. He was speaking in murmurs—loud murmurs to another man…Rogers?

She leaned backwards to hear more of their conversation. “What a fool he is…leaving a…thing like her like that. He needs to learn how to be a man…someone else will take her.” The man glanced at her and made eye contact. A shiver crept through her body. Rogers replied to him, but she could not make out his words. Gooseflesh popped up on her skin and she hugged Emma close.

These men would drive her mad with distraction. Ivy had to admit, she also felt some fear in their presence. Heaven knew what they were capable of. She needed to get away from them at once to get some peace and quiet.

The lush green of the jungle behind her beckoned her to join it, offering her a reprieve from the nonstop stares and leers from the ship's men. Biting her lip, Ivy flashed a glance at Gage, who did not seem to be paying any attention to her actions. Well, that was all the better. She did not need him following her. Not that he would, though. He didn't seem to care if she was well or not as of late, so why should he bother to keep her safe in the jungle?

Ivy tore into the greenery, and a blast of warm humidity hit her face. She stepped farther inside the jungle, whipping branches out of her way. Somewhere in the distance, an exotic bird called. Emma clung to Ivy's waist with all her might.

Ivy continued her trek through the jungle at a rapid pace—she needed to get far away from the men of that horrid ship, and she needed distance right now. After a few minutes she finally slowed and spun in a leisurely circle, pushing loose strands of hair off of her neck. Sweat dripped down her neckline, but at least her surroundings were quiet. Peaceful. Everywhere she moved, green met her eyes. Off in the distance, a growl rumbled through the trees and shrubbery. Ivy gasped and spun around. Panic filled her. Maybe it would be best to turn back to the camp. Which…which direction had she come from?

“Oh, Emma, what have I done?” Ivy nudged the tyke closer and buried her face in the short curls, inhaling their sweet scent. What had she been thinking, charging aimlessly into a wild jungle with a baby?

Something rustled in the trees behind her and it was all she could do not to scream. Thunder crashed, and in a second, rain was pouring through the jungle's canopy. Emma giggled and pointed at the water pouring down on them. Ivy spun around. From which direction had she come? They needed to get back before something dreadful happened.

The branches in one direction were disturbed, like she had come from that area. A shiver iced down her spine. It seemed better to go somewhere than to stay here waiting for some monster to pounce and eat both of them, so hopefully it wouldn't hurt to go that way. After one glance over her shoulder, she hurried down the somewhat visible path. Emma's weight seemed to grow heavier by the second. Ivy's shoulders ached. Water toppled down on them from the branches above, and before Ivy knew it, the soaked fabric of her dress chafed her skin with each step she took.

It seemed like she had been walking for hours. Surely she had not wandered this far from the beach. Dread flooded her body, paralyzing her for a moment. Surely she was going in the wrong direction. She had just journeyed even farther away from the beach. “I'm sorry, Emma.”

Thunder shook the entire island and Emma wailed. Ivy stopped in her tracks and cuddled the girl close to her body. “It's okay, sweetie, we are all right. Shush.”

Something howled in the distance. She launched herself forward and let out a cry of her own.

Her breath left her body.

Something tugged at her skirt. A branch. Ivy tore free and continued on at a rapid pace. Emma began to slip from her arms, but Ivy held onto her steadfastly.

Ivy ran faster than she ever had before. Whatever was in this jungle with her, she would protect Emma with everything she had. Tears streamed down her cheeks. If something happened to her—out of her own stupidity, nonetheless—William would be entirely on his own.

Oh God, please help me find my way back to the camp. Please. For Emma's and William's safety.

Smash. Her body collided with something tall and hard. A tree. She collapsed to the muddy ground.

Ivy gulped in air and tried to calm herself. Her limbs were too weak to rise. Rain continued to pour down on her, unforgiving. Strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her up to a sitting position. Strong arms? She blinked at the image before her. Gage. What?

“I—I didn't see you…I didn't know you were there. I—”

“Be silent, woman. Take a moment to catch your breath.” Captain Thompson's arms moved her so her head rested in his lap. He pried Emma from her arms and set her at his side, with her back resting against him. Sweat mingled with the rainwater. Ivy drank in air. How long had she been running?

Captain Thompson brushed the hair out of her face as she tried to regain her composure. His hand rested on her shoulder, gripping it in a gentle, reassuring way. After a few silent moments where only the sounds of her panting and the rain bouncing off of the leaves filled the air, the man spoke. “What on earth were you doing?”