Starfish Island (12 page)

“You have guests,” Nicole said, and pointed.

Jake turned, and his face got suddenly tense and tight. “I would like to know how Greg Templeton managed to meet Victoria Peters.”

Nicole pulled her bike around and watched the tall man and a much younger woman, both in shorts, walking up the driveway, their hands locked together, swinging with each step. “Do I detect a note of jealousy?” she asked.

“No, you don’t,” Jake snapped.

“Quick, before they get here, who is she?”

“Someone I care about a lot. She can do better than the likes of him.”

“Such as you,” Nicole said softly.

Jake said in a low tone, “Break that up every chance you get. Victoria’s sweet and innocent, with no experience with bastards like him. I don’t want her to get her heart stomped on.”

“Pull yourself together, Jake. Don’t let Greg see you reacting like this. It might give him ideas,” Nicole whispered just before the others arrived.

Jake was introducing Nicole and Victoria when Cecilia came running up, phone and helmet in hand.

Victoria wound a strand of her blond hair around her finger and tugged on it. Her pale pink lips formed into a slight pout. “I hope we’re not late.”

“We’re just leaving,” Cecilia said.

Victoria blushed. “I met Greg as I drove up,” she said, and looked at Jake. “When I told him we were riding, he suggested that we challenge you to a race.” The explanation was slightly breathless. “Believe me, I’m quite competitive.” Her large eyes shone like clear blue diamonds as they met Nicole’s.

“That sounds like fun to me. Shall we take on the challengers, Jake?” Cecilia asked.

“I’ll root for whoever is ahead,” Nicole said, laughing. She had no intention of racing.

As Victoria and Greg helped themselves to bikes from a rack in the garage that held at least a dozen, Nicole heard Jake tell Cecilia, “Let’s blow them off the pavement.”

She couldn’t contain the laughter that escaped her lips because the remark was so out of character for the dignified Jake. She glanced at Greg and bit back her laughter. Dark color had risen up his face all the way to his hairline, and she knew he was remembering the last time he’d heard her laugh, just before he sailed over the wall into the bushes.

The foursome agreed to one lap around the island. Nicole took up the rear, deciding not to ride the entire distance with them. She felt stupid for riding around in circles, but with her luck, and at the speed they were going, she might end up as a gravel sandwich if she included herself in the race. The others took off as if they had demons chasing them.

It took them a while to show back up, all of them out of breath. Jake had beaten Greg by half a tire, and Cecilia beat Victoria soundly.

“Nicole, I have to leave.” Jake hugged her. “I have a few last-minute things to take care of. Victoria?”

“I came with Greg,” she said stubbornly. She swung her long hair back and stuck out her jaw defiantly.

“We need to talk. I’ll call you when I get back,” Jake said.

Nicole intervened. “Aren’t you going to say good-bye to him before he leaves on his trip?”

“You didn’t tell me anything about going out of town. For how long?” Victoria asked, suddenly upset. “Greg, you don’t mind if I go with him, do you?”

“Go ahead. I’ll stay and chat with Nicole.” He patted her head.

“Nice to meet you,” Victoria said to Nicole, and left with Jake to park their bikes in the garage.

“We’ll do this again,” Nicole called, acknowledging Victoria’s farewell wave. She hoped everything worked out for Jake and Victoria.

Jake’s lips formed the words “thank you” as he and Victoria turned down the path to the beach. And Cecilia had excused herself a few minutes ago when her phone rang, which left Nicole alone with Greg.

She turned to find Greg watching her. “How is it,” he said, “that you and I seem to always end up with the wrong partners?”

“What are you talking about?”

“When I think of being with someone, I think of you...you and me.” He stared into her eyes. “But here you are with the Edwards boys––by the way, which brother are you interested in?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “I guess that leaves me with Victoria. At least
she
enjoys my company.”

“Don’t you think she’s a bit young for you?”

“And Jake isn’t a bit young for you? Besides, Victoria doesn’t seem to mind.”

Nicole quickly thought up a way to get rid of Greg. She lifted her head and smiled at him. “I’m off to do some shopping.”

“Let me take you,” he offered.

“We’re not friends,” she told him, then took off on her bike toward her house. As she went, she thought about Michael and Jake and how they both disliked and distrusted Greg. Now he kept showing up and making a nuisance of himself, wanting to get back together, refusing to take no for an answer.

Looking back, she realized she hadn’t met him until after she received word that she’d inherited the Alexander estate. Had he somehow known that when he first approached her at a gallery showing? Had he been on the hunt for the money all along? Were his finances not as good as he’d made out? And if he couldn’t get his hooks into her money, what woman would be next? Victoria perhaps. If she was financially well-off, she needed to be very careful.

~ ~ ~

Nicole pulled into a parking space at the wharf, shut off the engine, and was startled half to death when Greg suddenly appeared at her door. He must have followed her. In addition to making her mad, it scared her that she hadn’t noticed him in her rearview mirror. He extended his hand, offering to help her out of the car. At the same moment, another car pulled into the metered space next to hers. Michael waved, surprised and not happy, as he looked from her to Greg.

Greg leaned in as though to kiss her, and she slipped around him, walking over to where Michael leaned against the driver’s door of his car. “I’ll see you soon, darling,” Greg called after her.

Nicole ignored Greg, focusing her full attention on Michael. “I’m glad I bumped into you here. I wanted to tell you to have a safe trip.”

He cupped her face and whispered, “I don’t like seeing you with him.”

“I don’t care for him much either, and I didn’t actually invite—”

Michael cut her off by lowering his mouth to hers. The moment their lips touched, her body ached, sending a wild pulse down to her toes. She wanted to crawl into his lap, and drown in his kisses, and never come up for air. Good heavens, the man could kiss. Finally, he drew back.

“When you get back, yes to dinner.” She smiled.
 

Chapter Eleven

MICHAEL OBSERVED THE club, filled wall-to-wall with noisy people. He found a table at the end of the dance floor and sat down. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The small tables were filled with couples, who were drinking, talking, and laughing. His expression, which had been rather grim, relaxed into a smile as his best friend since college, Sebastian Brant, entered the club and sat down opposite him. He was over six feet tall, blond, and proof that the quarterback of the football team did indeed get the pretty girls.

“You look surprised,” Michael said.

“When you said you had an important date in New York, I didn’t expect it to be at one of the city’s trendiest clubs,” Sebastian said.

“What are you complaining about? What could be more exciting than a night out with your old friend?”

“You don’t actually want me to tell you, do you?” Sebastian laughed.

Michael dropped a bill on the cocktail tray presented by a sultry-eyed woman with long legs. She winked as he selected two shots of Kentucky’s finest whisky and pushed one across the table.

“We might as well look as if we’re enjoying ourselves.” Sebastian lifted his glass in a toast.

“Now if they only sold cigars,” Michael said, relaxing in his chair.

“When are you going to tell me who we’re meeting here?” Sebastian asked. “Does it have something to do with that mysterious phone call you started to tell me about before we got interrupted?”

“Something very strange is going on.” Seeing Sebastian’s confusion, Michael smiled in spite of his increasing concern. “The woman on the phone asked me to meet her here. Her name is Lucy.” Michael paused for a moment. “In fact, the woman claims that she is Kirkland Alexander’s widow. Now you know as much as I do.”

“But what does she want with you?”

“That’s why I want you here as a witness to the conversation. I have a feeling that whoever the lady is, she’s trouble.”

“Trouble for you?”

“For Nicole,” Michael said. “We’ve just got to wait and see what the mysterious Lucy has up her sleeve.”

“When do I get to meet the woman who has you smiling so much these days?”

“She doesn’t know we’re in a relationship yet.” Michael laughed.

“A few tips on romancing a woman are in order, and I can help with that,” Sebastian said, a look of amusement in his eyes.

A beautiful, dark-haired woman in a very short, black, sequined dress made her way to the microphone and began to sing, her voice sweet. The singer was clearly a favorite, as demonstrated by the applause that greeted her appearance.

Michael stared at her hard and then looked at Sebastian and whispered, “I know that woman. She’s changed a lot. Well, well, Lucia Grey. She’s certainly changed from the mousey teenager she once was. She’s built her wisp of a voice into a property. Surprised someone hasn’t signed her to a contract.”

The woman finished her songs and left the stage. Weaving her way between the tables, smiling at the applause that followed her, she came straight to Michael.

He got to his feet and drew out a chair for her. “This is a surprise, Lucia—or should I call you Lucy?”

“It’s been a long time. Thank you for coming,” she said, then looked at Sebastian. “Michael, I asked you here for a private conversation.”

Sebastian started to get up, but Michael said, “Sit down. This is one of my closest friends, and we have no secrets from one another.” As Lucia Grey—or, apparently, Mrs. Kirkland Alexander—hesitated, Michael added firmly, “Sebastian sits in on this conversation or I leave. Agreed?”

She flung her hands up in despair. “What choice do I have?” she said through pouty lips.

Michael studied her in open curiosity. The years since high school had treated her kindly; she’d outgrown her awkwardness and blossomed into an extremely attractive, confidant young woman. Her long, black hair was shiny and hung in curls down her back.

Watching her, Michael thought of Nicole, with her uncalculated manners and eyes that met his squarely and honestly. Nicole was genuine and real. Contrary to Lucia’s sophisticated manner, everything appeared planned out to the last gesture for maximum effect. Behind her nervousness, her dark eyes couldn’t conceal a cold intelligence at work.

“On the telephone, you told me that you were Kirkland Alexander’s widow,” Michael started.

She nodded, lifting her hand to dab at her dry eyes. “Poor Kirkland,” she sighed.

“Why have you have waited so long to come forward and say that you are—were—his wife?”

“How could I say anything earlier?” she demanded. “Caroline Alexander never liked me. She would’ve written him out of the will if she’d known. That wouldn’t have been fair to Kirkland. I loved him too much to hurt him.” Her crisp tone changed and became pathetic.

“Even before Kirkland’s death, Caroline made it clear that she wouldn’t be leaving anything to him,” Michael reminded her. “You must have known; she certainly made no secret of her intentions.”

“Caroline might have changed her mind,” Lucia insisted, her tone hardening with each word. “Kirkland never wanted to hurt her. She disapproved of me, didn’t think I was good enough for her grandson.”

“Do your parents know about this?”

“No,” she said quickly, averting her eyes. “I never told them. Until now, I’ve never told a soul.”

“Why do it now?” Michael asked. “Why come to me with this story?”

“I haven’t got any money, and I need it desperately. Kirkland would’ve hated that. Before we got married, Kirkland took out a half-million-dollar life insurance policy. That was all he had to leave. Kirkland’s grandmother was paying for the policy, so he didn’t dare put my name on it as the beneficiary, but I know he wanted me to have it, and if he hadn’t died so suddenly, he would have done something to make sure the money went to me and not to his grandmother. It seems to me I have a right to the money. I know he would’ve wanted me to have it, and it’s not as if Caroline needed it.” Her face became shrouded in pure hatred. “It’s only fair, just Kirkland’s insurance money.”

Michael stopped listening. Five hundred thousand dollars would have been the payout of the policy, and there was a withdrawal slip for that exact amount, signed by Caroline, found the morning of the day she died. A withdrawal slip that had subsequently disappeared. Coincidence? Michael didn’t believe in them.

He leaned forward, his head drawn back so he could look down into her eyes, his face rigid, forcing her to look at him. “Lucia, before Caroline’s death, you told her about your marriage.”

“How did you know?” Her surprise was a confession.

Many of the missing pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. “You called on her a few days before she died, didn’t you?”

She nodded.

“Then your parents had to know.” His eyes bored into hers.

“They had a day off together, and I chose that day to pay a visit.”

Michael knew when he was listening to half-truths; her face was giving her away. “That must’ve been a shock for Caroline. What did you say?”

She looked down at her hands. “I told her that Kirkland and I had been secretly married. Then after his accident—” Again, she dabbed at her eyes. “—I had to get a singing job to support myself, and I found it hard to make a living. So I asked Caroline for the insurance money.”

“What was her response?”

Lucia looked lost in thought. “I suspected she’d be furious. Instead, she seemed to be terribly hurt. She kept saying, ‘I’d have thought Kirkland would’ve told me himself. I loved my grandson and thought the feeling was mutual.’ Then she got all high and mighty, which was typical of her, and wanted to know if my parents knew. I was afraid for them, afraid they’d lose their jobs. So I lied.”