It looked increasingly like he was going to have to make a trip to Tanzania to meet with the board of directors for the women’s education charity. He’d missed having lunch with the children, and he didn’t really have time to stay long this afternoon, either. She’d gone three steps when his hand clamped around her arm.ĭiego stopped by the nursery around one thirty.
She didn’t want to wait twenty minutes for Marco to arrive. She turned to walk away, back up from the beach, hoping against hope that she could somehow flag a taxi, knowing full well that she might not be able to since she was now outside city limits. “No, thank you,” she said, in her most priggish English tone. The strange vibe strengthened, and once again she was aware of the mistake she’d made staying at the beach when she really was ready to be home. Or sitting alone with him in a car, for that matter. She could just imagine telling him to drop her off at the palace gates. Then I can take you where you need to go.” “You can sit on my patio, have a cold drink. “I insist,” he continued, his smile widening as he moved closer. “I do appreciate you bringing me my hat.” And she certainly didn’t feel comfortable going to his house, shade or not. He was somewhat attractive, though not quite her type. “Si!” He smiled, showing her a perfect row of white teeth. until she followed the path of his finger as he pointed east. All she could make out was something like “casa” and “five minutes” and “walking”. He rattled something off in Spanish and her lips dropped open. You should perhaps”-he frowned, as if searching for the right words-“sit in the shade.” “My hat!” She stepped back, her feet sinking a bit into the wet sand, and held out her hand.
She turned and saw a man, about thirty-five or so, holding out her hat.
She’d just stepped to the edge of the breakers when a deep voice sounded behind her shoulder. The water would ease her hot and sore feet and then she’d head back to the palace to enjoy the rest of her day off. “I’ll dip my toes in the damn ocean and call for Marco.” At this point, all she wanted wassome shade, a cool drink, and some peace and quiet. “Forget it,” she muttered as she hooked her fingers into her shoes and headed for the water. The plan for a picnic had been a good one, except there were no umbrellas free and no tables or places to sit unless she sat right on the sand, in full sunlight. She could call Marco right now and just go home. The walk had been long, the heat sapping, and the earlier peace she’d felt sitting at the café, calmly drinking coffee, was gone.
As she retrieved her sunglasses from her bag, she admitted that she was tired. She told herself it was from the wind and the sand blowing into her eyes, but it wasn’t. “Oh!” she cried, spinning around, but it tumbled like a wheel, turning over and over.
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