Riptide Love (
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520
Macon GA 31201
Riptide Love
Copyright © 2008 by Melissa Lopez
ISBN: 978-1-60504-203-9
Edited by Lindsey McGurk
Cover by Anne Cain
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
electronic publication: September 2008
Riptide Love
Melissa Lopez
Dedication
To Cindy “Doctor Dee” Hamilton. Here’s the hero I promised you. I only wish you were here to enjoy the tale. God bless you, fair lady.
Chapter One
Cairns, Australia
“Ten seconds to drop zone.” The pilot gave Ethan the thumbs-up sign.
Already in position, he readied himself for the dive. He ignored the knots in his stomach that never ceased to develop right before a jump.
Wind blew the helicopter he sat in, while below the aircraft, waves crashed violently. They’d been damn lucky they’d already been en route when the storm got ugly. The night was expected to get worse.
“Three, two, one.” The pilot cued him.
Oh yeah… Bring it on.
On mark, Ethan hit the water and headed toward the smoldering cruiser. Swimming as if his life hung in the balance, he cut his way through the volatile ocean. Even with fourteen years of experience in search and rescue, reaching the boat was no easy task.
A lift dropped down to the water once he was clear.
Once there, he located a couple clinging for their lives to the hull of the boat. “Just the two of you?” Though a distress signal had been sent out, it was unclear how many people were onboard. A fire and a storm. What a shitty night for them.
“Oh Christ. We didn’t th—ink anyone heard our call…” A wave swept over them, cutting the man off.
Ethan had to fight his way back to the clinging pair. “Anyone else here?” he called over the roar of the wind.
The woman’s teeth chattered. “No.” Dark hair shielded her face.
The adrenaline pumping through him sent him into action. From the look of the couple, hypothermia was a real danger. And his job wasn’t done until his arse was back in his seat.
Ethan focused. One thing at a time. “I’ll get you both into the chopper.” He struggled to pull the lift he’d been dragging over.
The man crowded him. “Oh Christ, let me in.”
“Sheilas first.” Ethan did his best to urge the man back to the sinking cruiser. In scenes like this, women and children always took first priority unless there was an injured party. Though wet, the pair didn’t appear wounded. In more dire scenes, he took the first person he came to.
Panicked, the bloke clawed at his arm.
“Back off, mate!” Ethan jerked away. “I’ll knock your arse out if need be!” Too damn easy for a bloke to drown a rescuer out here. The possibility of death could send the biggest of men into a frenzy of fear. Later, the bloke more than likely wouldn’t remember his actions.
With the storm blowing over, they were on a time clock. And you could never trust the sharks not to get hungry and come up and take a bite out of someone’s arse.
He reached out his hand to the drenched woman. Once she let go of the boat’s railing, he had trouble keeping a grasp on her. The water fought against them.
Going under the water, the sheila cried out as she surfaced. She was of little help, yet he managed to reel her in. The churning water stole some valuable minutes as he worked to get her settled and strapped in. “Hang on. The team will do the rest,” he reassured her, though he couldn’t tell if she heard him over the gusting noise of the hovering aircraft.
Away she went. The lift swayed as it drifted upward.
While she was being hoisted into the chopper, he stayed close to the bloke. Twice, Mother Nature sent them hurtling into the hull of the boat.
When the basket hit the water, he collected it before returning to the clinging man. “You’re up.” Within minutes, the guy was on his way to safety.
The storm turned vicious as Ethan took his turn in the lift. His teeth clenched until he climbed inside, out of the wind and downpour.
Warm air circulated in the cabin as a dim light illuminated the space.
He’d no sooner climbed into his spot when the man got his attention. “Thanks, mate.” The bloke huddled under blankets.
Ethan nodded.
The woman’s quaking caused him to turn his head to where she lay stretched out. The medic of their team had given her blankets, which covered her from neck to foot. They’d warm her up.
Her face was framed by sopping dark hair as she turned his way.
He sucked in a breath as their gazes caught. Huge, green, cat-like eyes stared, refusing to blink.
Oh, bugger me
.
Ethan was first to glance away.
Oh, bugger me
.
Rarely did he remember a face of someone he rescued. Never kept a tally of those he pulled from the water, of those lives he saved. No, he only remembered those few he’d lost. Those were the ones who haunted his nights.
Only those he lost.
But he’d remember this night. He’d remember her forever. She’d come into his life like a riptide. One he hadn’t wanted to escape.
The woman who’d been playing a role in his fantasies for some time now lay within his reach.
He’d just pulled
Denae Button from the bloody pond.
A groan rumbled through his dry lips. Denae had been the reason behind the ruin of his perfect life—at least, as he’d once known it to be.
Live hard, play harder and die fast.
That’d once been his motto.
His days of partying were long gone. He’d no one to blame but his own bloody dumb arse.
With his hand, he scrubbed the water away from his face.
A heavy weight of tension worked its way into his neck and shoulders. Soon the muscles ached from far more than the seeping cold.
Eyes closed to shut out the past, he curled his hands into fists. Heat knotted in his chest.
Oh, bugger me
.
I owe De an apology.
Had owed her one for a long time now. He owed a lot of people apologies.
He supposed Denae would be a good place to start. He didn’t believe he had the balls or the stomach to approach the others he’d hurt. His mum. His brother.
Oh, fuck. No way could he approach his brother. Not once in his life had he measured up to his big brother. Upon learning who De had belonged to…
A struggle inside the cabin drew his attention.
Denae fought to rip the oxygen mask from her face. Sobs racked her frame.
He scrambled over to her side.
“She’s fighting me.” The medic attempted to still her hands.
“I know her.” He urged his teammate aside. “Easy, De. We’ll have you to a hospital in no time.” He stroked her hair back from her forehead. He put the mask back into place.
For only a heartbeat, accusing eyes met his. Only a heartbeat, then she turned her head away to cry.
The knots twisting his stomach could no longer be ignored. So many apologies to give to others.
Christ, I need my arse kicked.
Denae couldn’t catch her breath as she struggled to get out of the hospital bed. How long had she slept? Her heart pounded harder than the falling rain she heard outside. She needed to get out of there.
A whimper worked its way through her clenched lips.
Escape. Flee. Hide.
How did someone escape the past? Especially when, in a moment, the past had come full circle.
Most importantly, she needed to get home to Nate. He’d probably badgered Paige to death at bedtime. Denae had never missed a story time before.
She eased the separating curtain back to peek into Jack’s side of the room. “You awake?”
“I am now.” Her cousin turned his head her way. “We’re supposed to
rest
overnight for observation.”
“Not me.” She needed clothes. She discovered her damp ones and, out of Jack’s sight, slid them on. “I’ve got to get home.” With a wave of her fingers, she stepped toward the door.
“Now wait a damn minute, Denae.” Jack tossed the cover off and climbed out of the bed.
She ignored him. It didn’t matter how badly her body ached or how tired she felt. There was nothing left for her to do but walk out of there. The sooner the better. Besides, she was no longer hyperventilating. She was fine, and she had to get home.
“For Christ’s sake, what’s gotten into you?” Jack threw out his arms in frustration. “We nearly died. Get your arse back in that bed.”
She shook her head. “No can do, mate.” She patted his chest as she passed by. She’d never forget the look that Ethan had given her. The man meant business. Had wanted to say something. But did she want to hear what he had to say? Her knees knocked together. If it wasn’t for the fear, she might. More importantly, would he want to hear what she’d have to tell him?
God, if she could only turn back time. There were so many things she was sorry for. So many things she’d have done differently, handled differently…
She just didn’t want to have to deal with it all now. Nothing faced today would change the choices of her past. It would only influence her future. A future she’d been cultivating for three years now.
Denae swallowed over the dread. “Stay as long as you like. Me? I’m out of here. I need to get home.” Her whole world waited at home.
On shaky legs, she moved to the curtained doorway, only to stop when she noticed the large, booted feet on the other side of the barrier. Those weren’t the boots of a city doctor. Nor were uniformed pants anything close to a doctor’s scrubs.
“I’ve already called Paige. She’ll take care…”
“Shh!” Wildly, she waved a hand. “Please keep your voice down.”
No need to see who was on the other side of the room’s only exit. Ethan Thorn had not only saved her, but had come to check on her welfare.
I knew it!
What’d I ever do to deserve this?
Thunder rolled overhead, causing her to jerk. Outside the window, lightening flashed.
Okay, I take that back.
God knew what she’d done.
What they’d done… But time and again she’d asked for forgiveness. She had begged God to understand and forgive. And up until now, she’d thought she’d had it.
Denae rushed back to Jack’s side. “I beg you…not one word.” She squeezed his arm. “Okay?”
Lines of unease crossed Jack’s broad face as he looked over at the drawn curtain. “The bloke in the chopper?” Though he wore a pained expression, his voice had lowered. “What’s he to you?”
“He’s just some man I once knew.” Denae moaned and let her head drop. What was she going to do?
“Christ, Denae, you’re a bloody bad liar.” He shook his head. “You’re…” He trailed off as the screen opened up.
Her world was crashing in on her again. All because of a habit Jack and she had. They loved being out on his cruiser. Loved spending a few hours every week on the high waves. She moaned.
Why today?
Why Ethan’s rescue team?
Another crack of thunder rattled her chilled bones.
Panic quickened her breathing.
No. No. No.
Not here. Not like this.
“G’day.” Ethan pulled the curtain closed behind him. “Shouldn’t you two be in bed?”
After shooting her a glare, Jack climbed up onto his bed, leaving her to stand alone. Goosebumps prickled her arms.
The man was as good looking as she remembered him. Probably even better looking with his surfer-boy sexiness. Tall. Blond. Blue-eyed. His build lined with cut muscle.
Ethan walked over to Jack to offer him his hand. “Ethan Thorn.”
“Thanks a heap, mate.” Jack clasped it. “Jack Loveridge.”
“All in a day’s work, mate.” After a shrug of a shoulder, Ethan turned his blue gaze her way.
Dizziness made her lightheaded. She wasn’t supposed to ever see him again. Memories surfaced.
Lingering kisses. Walks on the beach. Hot sex…
She forced them back where they belonged. There was no changing the past. No amount of tears had helped. Nothing could be done about regrets. The remorse.
A few steps brought Ethan to her side. “You holding up, luv?”
Her back stiffened. The man would never change. Always so damn quick with the endearments.
“My shift’s over, so I thought I’d check on you.” Ethan placed his hands behind his back.
She could barely swallow from the dryness in her mouth.
Shared meals.
A concert. Dirty dancing. Even dirtier sex…
She willed away every memory they’d created. She willed him gone from the room, her life. But in the end, Ethan still stood as tall and breathtaking as he’d ever been.
“De, I’m dead set on a few minutes of your time.” Ethan folded his brawny arms.
Inside Denae’s skull, a pain pulsed to life, only to intensify on another roar of thunder. Things couldn’t get any worse than they were right now. How was she going to get out of this talk?
“Jack?” The curtain Ethan had stepped through only moments before was thrown back out of the way. “Oh, Jack. I couldn’t wait at home another minute.” Paige rushed to Jack’s bedside.
Denae moaned as things got worse. Only she could have such rotten luck.
Nate, whom Paige carried, lifted his tussled blond head from his cousin’s shoulder. “Mummy?” Little arms stretched out in Denae’s direction.
Tears burned the back of her eyes as she sidestepped around where Ethan stood.
“Wife, I told you we we’re fine,” Jack scolded his very pregnant missus.
“De?” Ethan’s voice came out raw. “Is he… De, how old is your son?”
With Nate in her arms, she glanced over her shoulder. She’d never seen a man so pale. It was on the tip of her tongue to deny everything. After all, Ethan was assuming because of Nathan’s blond hair and blue eyes he was a Thorn.
“Christ, is that my brother’s son?” his throat worked.
Denae closed her eyes. If only Nathan had been Miller’s son… That’d have made their lives all so much easier.
“You rotten good-for-nothing pig’s arse!” Paige stormed across the room to poke at Ethan’s chest. “Nate’s yours!”
Denae gasped at the outburst and quickly headed for the door.
“Paige!” Jack tried to calm his wife. “Enough, woman.”