Key West Wild (The Florida Keys Series) (8 page)

“Can I steer the wheel?” he heard her say to the Captain. Josh stood back as she enjoyed being at the wheel, steering the ship. He stuck his hands deep in his pockets, because he wanted to grab a hold of the man whose arms draped around Sara’s shoulder, teaching her how to navigate. He hated the jealousy that rose up and tried hard not to show it because she looked like she enjoyed every bit of the lesson.

“Want some conch chowder?” he asked. What a stupid thing to say. At the bar, the crew served it to the guests, along with complimentary drinks.

She looked up. He stared at the arm positioned across her shoulder. His hands were deep in his pockets, clenched. He followed the arm up to the captain, whose sun-kissed face knew Josh seethed with jealousy. He wanted to wipe the smirk off the man’s face but he shoved his hands deeper in his pockets. As an expert in self control, Josh knew when to adjust a wrong train of thought. It seemed harder to do with Sara.

“Chowder?” she questioned. Sara looked at the captain and then back at Josh and nodded. “Oh yes, we should have some.” She ducked out from under the other man’s arm and reached out her hand to Josh. He let out a deep breath and took her hand as they made their way to the galley. Josh couldn’t help a look back at the captain who was staring after them. His brow shot up in victory right before the other man looked away.

Josh grinned. He was going to enjoy that bowl of conch chowder.

Just as promised, the vessel crept through the water as the soothing ocean waves slapped against its wooden exterior. The two stood at the rail once again as the fiery sun disappeared from view. “It takes my breath away,” she said, reaching out to touch Josh’s hand. He draped an arm around her, enjoying the tranquil waters of the Atlantic ocean. Everyone on the ship became solemn as they watched the sun make its dramatic departure. Then a loud cheer went up. It echoed from the depths of the waters as passengers on other sail boats cheered to the mighty sun.

“We have to kiss again,” Sara told him and then lifted her face up to his. He wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her against him, his mouth over hers in a gentle kiss. She clung on to his neck and when he pulled back, she smiled up at him. “A perfect kiss.”

“The perfect end to a romantic sail,” he told her.

“You know how to drop me to my knees.”

Josh smiled. “My pleasure. One more item off that list.”

She laughed out loud and he realized he waited once again in anticipation for the giggle and sigh at the end.

The mood began to change as music filled the air and wine and champagne flowed. The soul music had most people dancing away as the ship headed back to the dock. Sara’s hips began to sway to the music and then joined in with a few other women who were dancing together. She turned to smile his way several times, her face glowing and he patted himself on the back for a successful night out.

What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt a bit. The reason he got so angry when he saw Art Shepherd couldn’t be helped. He knew the moment he laid eyes on Shepherd the agency had become involved. After talking with Shepherd he learned that the man who sat in the garden with a book reader worked for Darian Lane.

Josh’s sister was smack in the middle of Darian Lane’s operations, along with Sara’s brother. How did Lane manage to plant a man at the Inn With No Name? Which just happened to be smack dab in the middle of Duval street. Close to the docks and a major festival going on in town. He’d been in this business too long and could smell a major operation taking place.

He took Sara away from the Inn tonight for a reason. When he found out the agency planted Shepherd to keep an eye on Darian Lane’s man, Josh insisted they bring more surveillance equipment in. The installation took place while they were out. He wanted to know what the man was doing there and wanted to protect the guests as well, but most of all Sara.

Josh had a gut wrenching feeling he was being pulled back in to undercover work once again. The agency knew he’d do anything for Sophie. They didn’t know about Sara and he wanted to keep it that way.

He wasn’t quite sure how to play this. He liked Sara a lot. Watching her dance on the wooden deck, upturned face in the wind, his chest tightened a bit. He had every intention of being honest. Earlier today when they shared that kiss in the kitchen, he pulled away because he couldn’t keep deceiving her. After a long walk, he decided to share the connection to Morgan.

It seemed like a great plan, until Art Shepherd showed up in the gardens.

Sara lifted her hands in the air and flung her head back. He pushed himself away from the rail and sauntered closer, unable to resist her any longer. His arms went around her from behind and swung her around. She kicked her heel up and shrieked, playful eyes daring him to dance. So he did.

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Sara felt strong arms around her. It turned out to be the perfect end to a night of bliss. She began to pout when the ship returned dockside.

Arm in arm they left the sail boat. “I’m sorry it’s over,” she told Josh.

He twirled her around on the pier. “It doesn’t have to be over. Let’s get a drink.”

She laughed. “That’s what got us in trouble last night.” She tilted her head, considering his suggestion. “Sure, one drink won’t hurt.”

Sara followed behind to the open air bar on the wharf. “This is one of the last pieces of old Key West,” Josh mentioned. He tugged on her hand and led her over to the magician’s special corner adjacent to the main bar. By luck they got a bar stool in time for the next show. Sara found out a magician put on a hilarious show for the patrons every night.

So when the magician bartender insisted they needed a drink before the show, Sara ordered a margarita. She didn’t want anything heavy, not after the night before. Josh must not have been as bad off as because he ordered a whiskey drink. She grinned and raised the glass in the air. “Cheers.”

The toast must have drawn the magician’s attention, because for the whole show he stood right in front of Sara, pulling cards from behind her ear, making her laugh out loud so much the whole bar roared. All of a sudden, she raised up two hands. “Enough! I can’t take any more.”

Josh stood up to leave and led her away much to the bartender’s dismay. Sara giggled when the magician made a remark about the fair lady leaving right before the finale.

Josh turned. “She’s my fair lady,” he growled. Sara gasped at the intensity in his voice. Did she hear a bit of jealousy? No, it couldn’t be, he didn’t seem like that kind of guy. In fact, he wanted her to have a good time when she didn’t want the night to end.

She stopped in her tracks. “Josh, you okay?”

He ran his hand through disheveled hair. “Yeah, I’m fine. I didn’t mean to say what I did.”

“You didn’t mean it?”

“Well, I did mean it, but I, ah Sara!” He plunged hands deep in his pockets. Then turned and walked towards the docks.

Josh was always in control of himself, Sara took a step back when he began to walk away. His shoulders were back, but yet hunched in a way that made him seem uncertain. His casual stride had her walking fast to keep up as he headed to the end of the pier. He rocked back and forth, eyes staring out in to the darkness.

She stopped right behind him and when he didn’t turn to her, she slipped away and sat with legs dangling off the wooden pier.

She felt him sit down beside her. He didn’t say a word, just picked up her hand on her lap and entwined his fingers with hers. “I’m afraid in just this short time, my feelings for you are out of control.”

She smiled. “I know Josh. I feel the same way and I’m not too sure what to do.”

She heard his inhale. “I’m sorry about my reaction back there. I wanted to nail the magician for flirting with you.”

Sara laughed. “It’s okay. Makes a girl feel good, you know.”

He shook his head. “No, it’s not good. I know someone hurt you before. I’m sure you don’t need more chaos in your life and I won’t be the source.”

She placed her hand on his face. “Josh, you are nothing like my ex. I think it’s time we talked about him.”

The sea air whipped about her face, the wind gathering strength as the night wore on. Sara pushed her hair back and shivered. Josh pulled her to him.

“Tell me about your life before Key West.”

She sighed in his arms and drew in a deep breath. “I fell in love at twenty one, thinking he’s the one. He worked for the company where I was an administrative assistant. Cory seemed romantic and you know, I love to be romanced. We went dancing and drinking and little did I know it would become the worst nightmare ever.” She shivered thinking about their wedding. He got so drunk, he ruined the night for her when he took in a drunken state what he should have cherished.

“I should have known. Looking back, the signs were all there, except I was too young to realize what a mistake I made. For eight years I tried to make it work because I made a vow for better or worse.”

She put unsteady hands in front of her face. “He wanted kids, but I knew better than to get pregnant. He drank our money away and lied to people, including me. Then I began to lie too. Every month telling him I didn’t conceive, when in reality I took birth control pills instead. There was no way I would put a child in our horrible world.”

“Did you ever try to leave?”

She shuddered. “Many times. Each time he would beg me to stay. I can’t believe I trusted the false promises. At twenty-something you want to believe in fairy tales.”

Josh tilted her chin and she saw the question in his eyes. She shivered. “He hit me one time. I would run and hide when ever he became angry. He got so drunk some nights, I could get away until he passed out. Of course, in the meantime there were bruises all over from running in to doors and walls during my escapes.”

“What happened the night he hit you, Sara?”

“I think you already know.”

“He found your birth control pills.”

She nodded. “It’s hard to re-live that night.”

“You don’t have to talk about it if you can’t.” She could feel the tension in his body.

“I need to. After eight years of marriage I realized there was nothing more I could do to save us. I tried it all, counselling and rehab but nothing worked. I started to hate him but I hated myself for putting up with him, so I decided to fix myself. He wouldn’t get help. I tried, Josh, perhaps one too many times.”

“What happened that night?”

She sucked in the salty night ocean air. It was time to tell someone. She held it in for so long that she almost believed it never happened. “I started working on-line and my brother helped me to start a blog. My ex wiped out our savings and we lived week to week, unable to get by. I knew I needed more if I were ever going to get away from him.” She hesitated, staring out at the water, at the way the moon’s reflection bounced off the water.

“I was so busy working on making myself independent so I could get away from him I messed up. One night I forgot to put my pills back in my hidden compartment in my purse. I left them on the kitchen counter in plain view. Working on my laptop, I never heard him come home. What I did hear was a raging maniac and when he came after me, I couldn’t get away in time.”

Josh swore and his breathing became heavy. Sara knew he restrained himself from commenting. For some reason, the thought of a man putting his hands on a woman made him furious. She wondered what happened in his life to make him feel that way?

“I’m going to tell you what he did to me and I hope you don’t look at me any different. I never told anyone because I wanted to bury it so deep in my soul no one would ever find out. But it haunts me where ever I go. I thought coming here would erase all the bad stuff that happened. Maybe talking about it will enable me to let go.”

“Ah baby,” Josh groaned in her ear. He stroked her face, the soft caresses making her shudder.

“He grabbed my hair and dragged me across the room like a caveman. I fought him, but the more I kicked and screamed, the worse it got for me. He put tape over my mouth, stinking silver duct tape so I couldn’t scream for help. He took me in to the garage and tied me fast to a support post. I couldn’t get away, believe me, I tried.”

She could feel Josh’s arms tightening around her.

“He hit you, left you there naked for hours and took you at his will.”

She turned, shocked. “H-how did you know?”

He groaned. “It happened to my Mom. Same thing, same way, except my Dad paraded my sister and I out to the garage to watch when he hit her. He said we should remember it so we don’t wind up the same way.”

She began to cry. Someone else knew what she lived through. “I’m so sorry, Josh. I can’t speak right now.”

“Shh, you don’t have to. Just let me hold you.” Her body shook as tears spilled down her face. From somewhere deep within, a flood of emotion rolled out and wouldn’t stop as a healing process began.

Some time later when Sara looked up, the bar was dark, except for the dim lights from the docks. The moon rested over the water, its half crescent shell so clear in the night sky. “I didn’t realize it was so late. I thought Key West boomed until wee hours of the morning?”

“It is wee hours of the morning, Sara. You fell asleep in my arms.”

“You stayed with me this whole time?” She began to stand up, to find her foot asleep. He let her lean on him while she shook out her leg.

“Josh?” He gazed down at her, his tired eyes haunting yet beautiful to her. “Thank you for listening and not judging. I’m sorry what you had to go through too. We both have broken souls.”

“We can heal our broken souls, Sara. I think it may be time for both of us.”

Chapter 5

Josh spoke quietly in to the phone. “We need to meet. I need to talk to you right away.” He looked around to make sure no one overheard his conversation.

“What’s going on,” Jake asked.

“Trouble in paradise. I’m taking Sara to swim with the dolphins today. Can we meet up, it’s about your Inn?”

“That Inn is a bad omen, I knew it when I bought the building,” Jake complained. “I have some time this afternoon. Let me rearrange my schedule and meet you.”