Return to Pearl Island, Bonus Chapters (5 page)

“O-kay...” The sense of foreboding returned as she went to join him. Taking a seat, she tucked her skirt about her legs. “Is something wrong?”

“Actually, no.” A smile turned up one corner of his mouth. “It’s just that...well, everything that just happened is the reason I don’t want to go to New Orleans for a week.”

“Because the twins and AJ are causing God-knows-what sort of disaster in the kitchen? Scott, I told you—”

“I know.” He pressed a finger to her lips. “You can handle it. I know you can. But maybe I can’t.”

“What?” She pulled his hand away.

“If I were gone, I’d be missing this. Maybe it’s selfish, but I don’t want to miss a thing this time around. I did that too much when the boys were babies. And now that they’re about to start school, this is my last year to have them home all day. I don’t want to spend it locked up in an office over the garage.”

“What are you saying?”

His chest expanded with a deep breath. “I want to step back from writing.”

“You mean quit?” Alarm shot through her. As his wife, she wouldn’t mind having him more to herself, but as a reader, she hated the idea.

“No, not quit. Just ask for a longer deadline with the next book so it doesn’t consume my life. The deal is, when I first started writing, it was a way to escape the real world, because basically, my real life sucked. For the past seven years, though, all I want to do is get the writing out of the way so that I can get back to reality. Allison—” he cupped her face with one hand “—I love you so much. I love my life with you. I love our boys. And I love, absolutely love, this little thing right here.” He smiled down at Nicole.

A lump rose in Allison’s throat.

“Which is why—” he looked at her “—I want to trade spaces with you?”

“Trade spaces?”

“I know you were looking forward to having your own time at home with the boys and the baby while Chloe is here to help out, but when you’re ready to get back to work, I want you to take the new office over the garage. With the way your online gift shop is taking off, you need a command center for packing and shipping.”

“What will you do?”

“Write at the kitchen table.” He shrugged.

“Are you serious?”

“I am.”

“Oh, Scott!” She throw her arms around his neck. “I love that idea. I love working here at the inn, but you’re right, the online gift shop is taking off. Mostly thanks to Rory and her gift for Web design. Working over the garage would be wonderful. I can even set up a playpen in the corner for Nicole.”

“Well, we’ll have to talk about that.”

She looked at him, seeing past his tough guy veneer, which had grown decidedly thin over the years. “How did I get so lucky?”

“Marguerite’s charm?” he suggested.

“I really do love you.”

“Same goes.” His mouth met hers in a kiss that started tender and sweet but quickly deepened. Just as the heat rose between them, a blast of cool air blew down the stairway, as if someone had thrown open a window in the middle of a windstorm.

“Whoa!” Scott jerked back.

Gasping, Alli whipped her head from side to side, glancing about. Small rays of light danced through the stained glass, like sunlight through a wind-tossed tree.

Then, everything settled back to normal.

“Wow.” Scott exhaled in a rush. “That was...dramatic.”

“Marguerite,” she whispered in awe.

“Did I do something to piss her off?”

“No, she’s happy.”

“How can you tell?”

“I can feel it.” She glanced down at Nicole, and found the baby practically giggling. “So can she.”

“Okay, so, she’s happy with Nicole,” he said. “That’s a given.”

“And you.”

“Why me? I’m a LeRoche. I’ve always thought she merely tolerated me.”

Alli cupped his jaw, enjoying the feel of his trimmed beard against her palm. “You are everything she hoped for when she married Henri LeRoche, but didn’t find until Captain Jack Kingsley walked through that door and into her life.” She pressed her lips to his. “You’re my Captain Jack.”

“Hmm.” Delight flashed in his eyes an instant before he took her mouth in a hungry kiss. A quick sizzle of pleasure shot through her. Looping her arms about his neck, she tipped her head for better access. Her moan of desire turned to protest as he pulled away.

“Oh, man.” Breathing hard, he rested his forehead against hers. “Unless we want to find an empty room upstairs, I think it’s time we see what havoc our sons have caused in the kitchen.”

“In other words, we’ll finish this later?” She gave him a suggestive grin.

“Oh yeah.” Standing, he cradled Nicole on his shoulder. “We will definitely finish this later.”

His arm went warm and familiar about her waist as they headed for the door to the private area of the inn. As they reached it, Allison glanced back over her shoulder.

Thank you, Marguerite
, she silently offer.
For bringing us so much luck. And love
.

“Why are all the lights off?” Jackie stopped in the stairwell that led down to the family apartment in the basement of the Pearl Island Inn.

“I have no idea,” Adrian said from behind her. A shaft of light came through the door to the back hall, spilling down the stairs. She heard him flip the switch a few times, but nothing happened. “Maybe the bulb is burned out.”

“But
all
the lights are off downstairs.”

“Then let’s go down and turn some on.”

Running a hand along one wall, she made her way halfway down before the door closed, shutting out the light. She stopped as blackness engulfed them.

“Daddy, it’s
dark
,” their five-year-old son, Taylor, whispered, clearly thrilled by the prospect.

“Yes, it is,” Adrian whispered back in the same tone. “You better hold my hand.”

“Naw, I’m okay.” Taylor’s shoes scraped on the treads. “Do you think the ghosts made it dark?”

“Maybe.” Amusement tinged Adrian’s voice at his son’s excitement. “Watch your step.”

“I am—
Oops
!” Taylor’s solid little body collided into Jackie. “Thorry!”

“Okay, brave guy...” Laughing, she scooped him up and set him on her hip. “How about I carry you.”

“Why? I’m not scared.”

“Maybe I am.” She tickled his belly.

“Naw-ah.” He giggled. “You never scared.”

“Why don’t you hold me anyway. Just to be sure. Okay?”

“‘Kay.” He flung his arms around her neck.

The feel of him snuggled against her flooded her heart with joy. She’d thought her dreams had come true the day she’d married Adrian, but that had only been the beginning. Contentment and adventure had filled the last ten years as they’d operated the
Pirate’s Pleasure
as a windjammer cruise ship, sailing from Galveston to the Caribbean. The honeymoon episode of
Cooking Lessons
had gone so well, the network had spun it into a new show,
Caribbean Spice
, with Adrian showing how to cook and where to eat in the islands. The show’s popularity had boosted the cruise business nicely.

All that was about to change, though. With the new plans they’d made during the last few days, their lives were going to take a different, but equally exciting turn. Rubbing her cheek against her son’s hair, she wondered how she’d managed to get so lucky.

“You got him?” Adrian’s hand came to rest on her back.

“Yep.” She took a deep breath before joy got the better of her and she arrived downstairs with watery eyes. Assuming anyone would be there to see her. “I thought they knew we were arriving today.”

“So did I,” he said as they resumed their way down the stairs. When they reached the bottom, she felt him brush past her to flip a switch.

“Surprise!” voices shouted as light exploded.

“What?” Jackie blinked against the sudden brightness.

When her vision cleared, she found Adrian’s sisters beaming in welcome along with Chance and Scott, and the children. Scott’s niece, Chloe was there, as well as Bobby and Paige. Over their heads stretched a welcome-home banner while hundreds of balloons danced along the ceiling, filling the room with color.

“What’s all this?” Adrian asked as Rory bounded toward him, a blur of blonde hair and long limbs. He caught her in a hug that lifted her off the floor. “We’ve come home lots of times.”

“But this time’s special.” When Rory’s feet touched down, she engulfed Jackie and Taylor in her arms. “Welcome home.”

“It’s good to be here.” Jackie laughed as she squeezed Rory back. “But why the party? Not that we don’t love any excuse to celebrate—”

“Because this time, you’re home to stay.” Rory’s blue eyes shown with happiness.

Uh-oh
. Jackie’s gaze collided with Adrian’s.
We should have told them
.

It’ll be okay
, he silently assured her.

“Glad you made it.” Chance stepped forward to give Adrian a handshake and backslap. The contrast between the two men had increased over the years, as Adrian grew more tanned and muscular from his life aboard ship and Chance remained lean and scholarly as ever. “Aurora’s been beside herself with excitement for three days.”

“Of course I’ve been excited.” Rory gave Jackie another hug.

Jackie bit her lip with worry. They’d wanted to wait and tell the family about their new plans until they could do it in person, since they knew the sisters, especially Rory, wouldn’t be happy. Had waiting made things worse?

“Rory, you’re hogging.” Allison nudged her sister aside to give Jackie a squeeze. “Welcome home, Jackie.”

“And me!” Still riding her hip, Taylor pointed to his chest.

“And you.” Allison rubbed her nose against his, making him giggle. Motherhood had added a glow of happiness that made Alli prettier than ever. She eyes widened playful as she looked at Taylor. “My goodness, look at how big you’ve grown.”

“I’m six.” He held up the right number of fingers.

“You certainly are.” His aunt clasped her hands together. “Which is why you’re moving back to Pearl Island, so you can go to school with your cousins.”

“I hate school!” AJ, Rory’s and Chance’s six-year-old son, announced with a scowl. His blond curls and blue eyes gave him a deceptively angelic look. While he was sweet as could be, he had a lack of fear and thirst for danger that rivaled Taylor’s. “They make you sit still all day!”

“Oh, the torture that must be.” Scott’s niece, Chloe, laughed as she ruffled AJ’s hair. Jackie hadn’t met Chloe until after she and Adrian married, but she’d bonded quickly with the troubled tomboy—who’d grown into a striking young woman. “You’re lucky the teacher doesn’t tie you to your chair.”

“They tie you up?” Taylor’s eyes went so wide, Jackie had to laugh. He looked like his father in everything but the hazel eyes he’d gotten from her. He shook his head gravely. “I don’t have to go to school, do I?”

Jackie shot another glance at Adrian. The question provided a perfect opening to announce their news, but they’d barely walked in the door. They couldn’t just blurt it out.

“Tell you what.” She lowered Taylor to the floor. “Why don’t you ask Derrick and Raff if they have any new toys.”

Allison’s twins, who’d turned out to be boys despite the doctor’s prediction, had just turned nine. With just enough of their mother’s prettiness to soften the sharp features they inherited from their father, they promised to be heart stealers by the time they hit their teen years.

“We’d rather see the ship,” one of the twins—Derrick she thought—told her. Yes, it was definitely Derrick, she decided when he flashed her a beguiling smile. He was the charmer of the two, while Raff usually stood in the background, silently plotting their next mischief. “Can we, Aunt Jackie?”

“Fine with me.” She looked at Scott. “Ti is onboard and can watch them.”