the back of his fingers to Ariana's velvety, honey-hued cheek. "Ariana," he rolled the name softly off his tongue with Spanish inflection. "I'm glad to see you."
She broke into a smile, blue eyes crinkling.
After meeting Christian, Zac knew the origin of the crystal blue eyes. He swiveled, still on his knees and held his hand out to Alex. "I'll watch him," he said quietly to the black girl. "Alex. Come say hi."
With exaggerated care, the girl delivered Alex into Zac's waiting hands, then stepped back. He concluded there was always one child in any crowd who bore watching.
"Do you like boats, Alex?"
His pale head bobbed.
Zac glanced up at Victoria. "Is it all right if they go on board?" >
"I'd rather—" She checked herself, smiling.
"Josh," Zac called to the busy figure at the back of the craft. Josh started toward them. Zac addressed the girl. "I'm Zac. Let me help you on, and I'll hand them to you."
She, too, got her cue from Victoria. Evidently, Victoria ran her own tight ship.
Zac lifted the girl over the side to capable waiting hands. "This is Josh," he said to the little gathering.
"This is Lizbett," Victoria supplied.
Lizbett's smile flashed a row of perfect teeth. A head full of intricate cornrows bounced jauntily.
"Watch them closely," Victoria cautioned Lizbett as Zac lifted Marcus first and then the twins.
"Show them the boat. Don't let them get dirty or jump in," Zac instructed Josh, who had broken out in a sudden rash of grins. Zac faced Victoria as the group moved out of hearing. "Your turn. How'd you find us?"
"I remembered the name of your boat. We were out for a ferry ride last night, so we drove by the dock and spotted it."
Memory of Carron wafted tenderly through his mind, of her standing in almost this same spot that first time. Of all the hell that came after.
"The children do love boats. They miss the Andrea Elena , I'm afraid." Her jade eyes kept straying to the deck activity, making Zac think of a mother bear and cubs. "We hoped you might be free for an early dinner," she said.
Mental unrest persisted. "What did you have in mind?"
"The Oyster House?" The exclusive restaurant on the water's edge, just across the parking lot.
Looking down at his faded shirt, frayed cut-offs and bare feet, he smiled apologetically.
Her smile was soft. "Taco Bell, maybe—or the twins love Long John Silver's."
"Where's Christian?" His need to know asserted itself above subtlety.
Her smile died, making him wish he had been more tactful. "On his way to Baku. Maybe he's there now."
Zac struggled to quiet a reaction he couldn't label.
"We're divorced. He was only here to see the children... and to sign the divorce agreement."
"I'm sorry." He wanted to be. The decent part of him was. The selfish part, that portion
of his intellect that wanted access to Marcus, sprang into shameful, but pure, exhilaration.
She looked away, seeking the children who had gone below, leaving her nowhere to look but back to him. "Can you come to dinner with us?" She sounded resolved.
"You have to come home with me."
She looked surprised.
He pictured the normally lonely house, hope soaring. "We'll swim in the bay. Josh can take the kids sailing on the Sunfish ."
She definitely appeared dubious.
"We'll hook the slip to the pier with a twenty foot rope. How's that?" When she looked relieved, he said, "After all that, I'll grill the redfish we caught." He waited, then coerced, "I have a cat named Samson, with Ari's eyes."
The corners of Victoria's mouth twitched.
"And a Doberman named Delilah for Alex to maul."
Her smile broke loose. "I think we're dressed for dinner at the Oyster House."
They looked like a Ralph Lauren ad. All navy and white, leather and pearls. Even Lizbett was dressed to the teeth. Zac stalled his agreement, however.
"We'd need life preservers for sailing," she hedged and when he nodded, urged, "Do you have any that small? And they'll need suits."
"They're only babies," he offered, kindly
She broke into a smile, blue eyes crinkling.
After meeting Christian, Zac knew the origin of the crystal blue eyes. He swiveled, still on his knees and held his hand out to Alex. "I'll watch him," he said quietly to the black girl. "Alex. Come say hi."
With exaggerated care, the girl delivered Alex into Zac's waiting hands, then stepped back. He concluded there was always one child in any crowd who bore watching.
"Do you like boats, Alex?"
His pale head bobbed.
Zac glanced up at Victoria. "Is it all right if they go on board?" >
"I'd rather—" She checked herself, smiling.
"Josh," Zac called to the busy figure at the back of the craft. Josh started toward them. Zac addressed the girl. "I'm Zac. Let me help you on, and I'll hand them to you."
She, too, got her cue from Victoria. Evidently, Victoria ran her own tight ship.
Zac lifted the girl over the side to capable waiting hands. "This is Josh," he said to the little gathering.
"This is Lizbett," Victoria supplied.
Lizbett's smile flashed a row of perfect teeth. A head full of intricate cornrows bounced jauntily.
"Watch them closely," Victoria cautioned Lizbett as Zac lifted Marcus first and then the twins.
"Show them the boat. Don't let them get dirty or jump in," Zac instructed Josh, who had broken out in a sudden rash of grins. Zac faced Victoria as the group moved out of hearing. "Your turn. How'd you find us?"
"I remembered the name of your boat. We were out for a ferry ride last night, so we drove by the dock and spotted it."
Memory of Carron wafted tenderly through his mind, of her standing in almost this same spot that first time. Of all the hell that came after.
"The children do love boats. They miss the Andrea Elena , I'm afraid." Her jade eyes kept straying to the deck activity, making Zac think of a mother bear and cubs. "We hoped you might be free for an early dinner," she said.
Mental unrest persisted. "What did you have in mind?"
"The Oyster House?" The exclusive restaurant on the water's edge, just across the parking lot.
Looking down at his faded shirt, frayed cut-offs and bare feet, he smiled apologetically.
Her smile was soft. "Taco Bell, maybe—or the twins love Long John Silver's."
"Where's Christian?" His need to know asserted itself above subtlety.
Her smile died, making him wish he had been more tactful. "On his way to Baku. Maybe he's there now."
Zac struggled to quiet a reaction he couldn't label.
"We're divorced. He was only here to see the children... and to sign the divorce agreement."
"I'm sorry." He wanted to be. The decent part of him was. The selfish part, that portion
of his intellect that wanted access to Marcus, sprang into shameful, but pure, exhilaration.
She looked away, seeking the children who had gone below, leaving her nowhere to look but back to him. "Can you come to dinner with us?" She sounded resolved.
"You have to come home with me."
She looked surprised.
He pictured the normally lonely house, hope soaring. "We'll swim in the bay. Josh can take the kids sailing on the Sunfish ."
She definitely appeared dubious.
"We'll hook the slip to the pier with a twenty foot rope. How's that?" When she looked relieved, he said, "After all that, I'll grill the redfish we caught." He waited, then coerced, "I have a cat named Samson, with Ari's eyes."
The corners of Victoria's mouth twitched.
"And a Doberman named Delilah for Alex to maul."
Her smile broke loose. "I think we're dressed for dinner at the Oyster House."
They looked like a Ralph Lauren ad. All navy and white, leather and pearls. Even Lizbett was dressed to the teeth. Zac stalled his agreement, however.
"We'd need life preservers for sailing," she hedged and when he nodded, urged, "Do you have any that small? And they'll need suits."
"They're only babies," he offered, kindly
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