Full Circle (18 page)

“I’m not even
sure how to locate him, but I know the villa is called Bella Vista and it’s a
few miles south of Governor’s Harbour.”

Melissa
shrugged, and put the BlackBerry away. “Then you call me.” She pretended to be
stern. “Running away is one thing, but being out of touch is not an option.”

“Okay, okay.”
Bella’s hands fluttered nervously. “Do you need help clearing up here, or can I
go home and pack?”

Melissa
steered her to the door. “Go home. I’ll probably be late tonight. Todd and I
are going out. So if I don’t see you in the morning, have a good flight and
call me.”

Bella paused
at the top of the steps and looked back at her daughter. “When did this happen?”

Melissa
frowned. “When did what happen?”

“This role
reversal. I’m acting like a giddy teenager, and you’re the calm one.”

Melissa gave
a frustrated shake of her head. “We’ll talk about that some other time. Go,”
she said with a smile in her voice. She watched her mother hurry across the
parking lot, then turned and joined Todd on the Bistro patio.

* * *

“Ms.
Thompson? Thank you for waiting.” Bella was on the telephone with the jet
charter company. “Yes, I see here that Mr. Vargas flew to Governor’s Harbour
today, and the aircraft is now back here. We have several pilots on standby and
you can leave whenever you like.”

Bella’s heart
started to beat a little faster. “How about eight o-clock tomorrow morning?”

“Perfect.
We’ll see you then.”

* * *

“So...how’s
the weather down there?”

Rafael smiled
at the sound of Melissa’s voice. She was becoming more like her mother every
day. He sat down in one of the comfortable chairs on the front verandah and looked
through the curved arches to the turquoise waters just beyond the shoreline.
“It’s perfect,” he said. “Absolutely perfect.”

“So what made
you disappear the day before our opening?” There was something in her tone that
led him to believe she knew exactly why he was here.

“I’m not sure
that’s something I can discuss with you, Melissa.”

He could
almost hear her deciding what to say next. “Mom told me, Rafa. She told me
about Jeffrey. Right after she told Jeffrey about me. Oh, and guess what?
Todd’s not my half brother. He’s adopted.”

Rafael closed
his eyes for a moment and the tension of the past several days faded away. “Are
you okay with that?” he asked gently. “It’s going to mean a big change in your
life.”

“Not
necessarily.” Melissa sounded surprisingly upbeat. “Jeffrey is a nice man and I’m
quite sure I’ll like him when I get to know him, but he’s not my father.” She
paused. “That role was filled by someone else a long time ago.”

Rafael heard
the catch in her voice. “Really?” He felt the pressure of tears building behind
his eyes. He couldn’t remember the last time that had happened.

“Yes, really.
I can’t remember a time in my life when you weren’t around. You were always
there for me. I think I learned more from you than I did from my Mom, and
that’s a lot.”

Rafael
swallowed hard. “Why are you telling me this now?”

“Because it’s
true and I’ve never told you how much you mean to me, but also because Mom was
so upset when you took off.” He could almost see her eyes flashing. “What kind
of a note was that, anyway?”

“It was all I
could think of at the time.” He glanced at his watch. “Speaking of your Mom,
shouldn’t you be with her? People should be arriving for the opening about now.”

“True, but
I’m at the old mill already and everything has been organized for days.”

“Good. Well,
I’ll let you go. Tell your mother I’m fine, okay?”

There was a
slight hesitation before she replied. “Will do. ‘Bye, Rafa.”

“Goodbye.” He
disconnected and stood gazing out at the ocean. It wasn’t until several moments
later that he realized she hadn’t asked him when he was coming back. Did that
mean Bella was on her way? His entire body tensed at the thought.

He’d wanted
Bella for so long now that there were times he couldn’t think straight. They’d
both achieved everything they’d set out to accomplish, and yet there was
something missing. He’d tried over the years to form relationships with women
and yet when it came right down to it, they lacked one thing…they weren’t
Bella. He knew he’d hurt her a few times when he’d let on that things were
getting serious with various women. He’d only done it hoping to shock her into
revealing her feelings for him. It hadn’t worked, and left him feeling more
frustrated than ever, like right now. He rose from the chair, walked to the
edge of the verandah and stared off into the distance. If she came down today,
he wouldn’t hold back. He’d put the business before his personal life for too
long; it was time to grab some happiness.

He picked up
his snorkeling gear and wandered down the path to the ocean. The Atlantic
sparkled invitingly and he donned his gear and plunged in.

Bella looked
down at the long, thin island with its gently rolling hills. She could see what
Rafael had meant; there wasn’t a lot of commercial development. She’d been
trying to remember everything he’d said about his friend’s villa. It hadn’t
been much, but one thing came back to her now. ‘With the right person it would
be paradise’.

Cold fear
gripped her insides. What if he was there with that person now? The pilot
banked, and lined up with the runway. She couldn’t believe how nervous she was.
What had happened to the woman who had traveled across the country, made a life
for herself and her daughter, and built up a multi-million dollar company? She
caught a faint glimpse of her reflection in the Perspex window. She was about
to undertake what might turn out to be the biggest gamble of her life. If she
was wrong, her relationship with Rafa would be irreversibly changed. But she
had to know...

* * *

Rafael
surfaced and spit out his snorkel, disoriented for a moment. What was that
sound? The ever-present roar of the surf almost drowned out the high pitched
whine of jet engines, but he’d been listening for them ever since he got here,
praying that Bella would come to her senses. He looked up, recognized the tail
markings on the charter jet as it approached the runway. He smiled. His life
was about to change…one way or another.

* * *

The aircraft
touched down with a slight bump. Vegetation and not much else raced by as the
aircraft taxied to the end of the runway, and then turned to approach the small
terminal building.

“Welcome to
Eleuthera.” The cabin steward lowered the stairs. “Your car should be waiting.
The pilot called ahead and a representative will be looking out for you at the
rental desk.”

“Thank you
André.” Bella smiled and stepped into the sun.

She signed
what was probably the most informal rental contract in the world. But then,
where was she going to go with a car on this island? “Can you direct me to a
villa called Bella Vista?”

The clerk
gave her a quick, curious look before answering politely. “Of course.” He
pointed to the south. “Just follow this road for about three miles. It’s on the
left, and there’s a sign at the driveway.”

Bella almost
missed the sign. Small and discreet, it was set into a cement pillar on the
right hand side of the driveway. She turned in and drove slowly. The land
between the highway and the villa had been left in its natural state. Closer to
the villa, a long, low garage flanked the drive. She parked beside the only
other car in sight and sat for a moment, still gripping the steering wheel.
What was she going to say to him? She realized that she had no idea.

A wide
veranda circled the villa. Broad steps led to the front door and she mounted
them slowly, hoping to catch a sign of life through the wide windows. A lit
doorbell caught her attention and she pressed it, hearing soft chimes inside
the house.

Where was he?
Bolder now, she walked to a window and looked inside. It was open but screened,
and the ocean breeze smelled of seaweed as it wafted through the house. She dug
into her bag, pulled out the antique comb Rafa had given her two Christmases
ago, and swept her hair back with it. The breeze cooled the perspiration on her
neck.

She stepped
back, looked right, and then left. Perhaps he was on the ocean side of the
house and couldn’t hear the doorbell. Heart in her mouth, she followed the
veranda around to the front. Here, the veranda was much deeper, and comfortable
furniture groupings spoke of lazy days with little to do. Rafael wasn’t there
but wine in a cooler sat on a side table, accompanied by two wine glasses.

Bella felt
physically ill. He
was
here, and he had someone with him! She backed up,
and her hand flew to her mouth, as if to stifle a scream of protest.

“Hello,
Bella.” Her heart fluttered at the sound of his voice. She turned slowly, to
find him walking up the narrow path from the ocean. He was in a bathing suit,
and carried swim fins and snorkel gear in one hand. His hair was damp and slicked
back. He stopped a few feet from the porch and looked up at her, his expression
unreadable. “What are you doing here?”

“I...” Bella
couldn’t remember how to form a sentence.

He walked up
the steps and tossed his gear on the porch. Tall, lean and classic in his work
clothes, he was even more appealing like this. Her mouth went dry as she watched
the few remaining droplets of water trail down his torso. He was everything
she’d ever imagined and she looked at him openly, admiring broad shoulders that
tapered down to a narrow waist. As if that wasn’t enough, well-toned muscles
moved beneath tanned skin; she had to tear her eyes away before she did
something embarrassing.

She finally
found her voice and gestured toward the wine bucket. “I’m sorry to barge in
like this. I see you have company.”

Amusement lit
his eyes from within. He glanced at the wine and then back at her. “You are
mistaken,” he said, with a small shake of his head. “I am alone here.” A smile
played with the corners of his mouth. “At least I was before you arrived.”

“Oh.” She
looked at the wine again, then back at Rafael. He looked more relaxed than
she’d seen him in a long time. “You look good,” she blurted out. “Relaxed, I
mean.”

“
Si
.
Thanks to Melissa.”

“Oh.” She
looked up at him, met his gaze. “I should have known she’d call. Did she tell
you everything?”

“I believe
so. She said that you told Jeffrey about her, and then told her about Jeffrey.”
He pulled back, searched her face. “That
is
everything, isn’t it?”

“Oh yeah.” She’d
missed the gentle teasing in his tone. “No more secrets.”

“Really?” He
moved a step closer. “Then tell me. Why are you here?” She didn’t know how his
body could radiate so much heat when he’d just come from the ocean, but it did.

She looked
around; everywhere but at his face. “I remembered what you said about this
place. You said you’d come here if you needed to get away from it all.” She
spoke quietly, almost to herself. “I always remembered that.”

She forced
herself to look into his eyes.  “And then the other day, when I told you about
Jeffrey, you seemed to pull away from me. I thought I was losing you, Rafael,
and I don’t think I could bear that.”

The breeze toyed
with her hair, swirling some loose ends around her head. A strand got caught in
her lipstick. Rafael took another step closer and gently pulled the hair away
from her lips. “You mean losing me as a partner?” His voice was low and
seductive.

“Not really.”
Her heart was pounding so hard she wondered if he could hear it. “As a friend.”

He stroked
the side of her face with those long, elegant fingers. “As a lover?” he
whispered. He slid his fingers into her hair and removed the comb she’d put
there moments earlier. His thumb caressed her cheek and desire raced through her
body.

“Yes,” she
said breathlessly. “As a lover.”

“Bella.” He
looked into her eyes for a long moment. “I’ve loved you for such a long time. I
can’t remember a time when I didn’t love you.”

She moved
into his arms as naturally as if they’d been lovers for years. His mouth
captured hers; hot, hard and demanding. There was nothing tentative or coy
about the kiss; it was the result of years of wanting. When they finally broke
apart, she smiled up at him. “When I saw the wine glasses I thought I was too
late. I thought maybe you were here with that someone special you talked
about.”

“I
am
here with someone special.”

She smiled
into his eyes. “Me?”

“
Si, Cara
.
You. It’s always been you. I put the glasses out because I hoped you would come
today.”

Someone was
laughing. It was a low, sexy laugh and it took Bella a moment to realize that
the sound was coming from her. “I love you, Rafa. I always have, but right now
I have something besides wine on my mind.”

He led her
into the house, and then stopped to kiss her again. “Remember what I said about
this place?” he asked, eyes heavy with desire. “About being here with the right
person?”

“I think you
said that with the right person, it would be paradise.”

“Right.” He
lifted her in his arms, carried her into a dark, cool bedroom and kicked the
door shut behind them. “Bella my love, Welcome to Paradise.”

Two Months
Later

“You look
beautiful,
Cara
.” Rafael squeezed her hand and led her into the
sunshine, where their guests were waiting on the grassy lawn overlooking the
Pacific. Partners in life as well as business, they had decided to do away with
the normal practice of the groom waiting for the bride. Together, they walked
between the rows of chairs and approached the flower-covered arbor.