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“So, have you flown your plane to lots of places, like, um, Mexico? Or Los Angeles?” Henry asked.
Those were the two places her son had been studying in school. Julia smiled and finished rolling up her stockings.
“The plane I flew today isn’t mine. But I used to fly fighter jets in the Air Force,” he said.
“Really? That’s so cool. Ever been to ’Ganistan?” Henry asked.
“Afghanistan?”
“Yeah, that’s it. My daddy died there.”
Julia gasped and then covered her mouth. Who told Henry that? She hadn’t given him many details about his dad’s death because...well, she couldn’t. To this day, she found it brutally difficult to talk to him about the way his father passed. She quickly pulled up the stockings.
“I’m sorry.” The man sounded sincere. “I was there. I can tell you that every single man and woman fighting in Afghanistan is a hero in my book.”
“Mama says he was a great man. The only guy she loved.”
She pressed her hand to her heart. She was happy Henry listened to her, occasionally, but this conversation had to be a tad awkward for her date.
“Give him the costume, Henry!” she called out.
“Okay. Here. Let’s try this hat thingy on first. Cool! Now the eye patch.”
“How do I look?”
“Perfect! Like a real pirate.” Henry sounded proud.
“Jack Sparrow? Dread Pirate Roberts?”
“Those are fake. We need a real pirate name. What’d they call you in the Air Force?”
Julia’s ears perked up. What was his real name?
“Captain.”
“That’s it! Aye, aye, Captain.” Henry giggled.
Not helpful.
She stepped into the flowing red skirt with the impossibly long slit up the side—hence the reason for stockings. The shirt was white and off the shoulder. She bent over, adjusted her breasts and looked in the mirror. She looked like a harlot. No, that wasn’t it, she looked like Julia Espinoza pretending to be a harlot. Too much like herself to be truly incognito. Shaking her head, she applied the dark red lipstick. Nope. Still Julia. Well, there was nothing else to do but to add Tía Nona’s long, blond wig.
Did blondes have more fun? She’d find out. She was desperate for a little fun for one night.
She came out to find a yummy pirate on her front porch, bending over the lizard cage. She had a great shot of his backside, which looked pretty darned good in those black slacks. He wore a cream-colored shirt and had Henry’s bright yellow pirate bandana on his head. Holy mama.
“What do you think?” She held her breath.
He rose. His eyes—or rather eye, since one was under the patch—was blue and held her gaze with intensity. Slowly, he took her all in, starting at the lacy off-the-shoulder, bosom-lifting blouse, down her red skirt to the fishnets and red stilettos. Then all the way back up again.
The look he gave was pure heat. Goose bumps ran up her arms, shoulders, and danced in her scalp.
“I like your real hair better.”
Not a blond man, huh?
“Okay. But would you recognize me in this?” she pressed.
He wasn’t looking at her wig. He was gazing at her lips and she had the feeling he wanted to kiss her.
“Always.”
She swallowed. She’d just met the guy and yet something inside her that had been dead for years woke up, uncoiled and pleaded for his lips.
Geesh, the harlot costume was getting to her.
He turned back to the lizard’s cage and spoke to Henry. “Old Man Harper only sees what he wants to see. We’ll trick him.”
She stepped closer. “So...we’re calling you Captain.”
“Apparently.”
“What does that make me? Wench? Swabbie?”
He touched her arm. All her senses focused on that warm hand on her skin. “You are my first mate.”
Oh, my.
“Ready?”
No.
A hundred times yes.
Maybe.
Oh, God. Am I doing this?
She bit her lip and nodded.
She kissed Henry on the cheek and he quickly wiped the kiss away. “Mama! Not in front of people.”
Just then Tía Nona hobbled her way onto the porch. “What’s going on here? Another party? Oh, Julia, my skirt fits you well, but careful on the blouse. Your treasures might pop out.”
“Tía Nona! We have company.” Julia raised her voice for the old woman.
“I am not blind, mija.” She stepped closer to get a better look at the man but stumbled on her last step as if her leg gave out. Captain rushed forward and caught Tía Nona before she fell.
“I’ve got you,” he said.
“Are you okay?” Julia asked. Even in the dim porch light, her aunt was pale, shaky.
Tía Nona studied his handsome face. “You...you are...?”
He still held her. “They’re calling me Captain tonight, ma’am.”
Tía Nona blinked slowly and reached up to touch his bearded cheek with her arthritic fingers. Julia was mortified. What had gotten into her old aunt? The man didn’t move, didn’t flinch. Julia was mesmerized by the display. She had no idea what was happening. But his face was full of compassion as he held very still.
“I’m an old woman with many faults. She’s my hija, Captain. She’s all I’ve got,” Tía Nona said. “Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Madre, mia, I hope you do. One day, perhaps. For now, be careful.” She released him. To Julia she said, “Never forget, nene.” And then she hobbled into the house without another word.
Never forget, little one? What was her old aunt babbling about?
“That was weird,” Henry said.
“She seems tired.” Strange and old. Maybe the onset of dementia? What would Julia do without her aunt? Tía Nona had always taken care of Julia even through the loss of Matt. Tía Nona had helped put all the shattered pieces back together again. Tía Nona was the mother Julia never had.
“Be good for Tía Nona, Henry. Go to bed on time. If you need anything, call Tina next door. She’s staying home with the new baby.” She kissed her son one more time before he could wiggle away.
“Aye, aye, Captain.” Henry saluted them both.
“Goofball.”
Her date escorted her down the stairs and around the front of the house. A silver motorcycle sat in her driveway.
“Wait. That’s a Harley.”
“Surprise.”
The emotions hit hard. She had a death grip on his arm and her teeth were clenched tightly. The last time she’d been on a motorcycle, she’d had her arms wrapped around Matt. She’d pressed into him as if he were her body armor. He’d protected her while driving them both toward freedom. When she was on the back of his bike, nothing could catch them or hurt them. Bad stuff was left in the dust. It was like flying. She’d trusted him with her life. With her love.
She’d never trust like that again.
Letting go of Captain’s arm she stepped backward. “I can’t go on that.”
“Why? I thought you liked motorcycles.”
Who told him? Linda and Maria must have given him an earful behind her back. She was lucky he’d showed up at all.
She did like motorcycles, had loved them once, but this was no ordinary bike. Oh, God. It looked just like Matt’s. Pain ripped through her chest.
She turned away from the two-wheeled dagger in her heart. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this. I thought I could, but obviously I’m not ready.”
* * *
“Tell me what the problem is and I’ll fix it.”
What in the hell was going on with Julia?
First, she acted like she didn’t remember him and now she was having a meltdown next to his bike? It was almost as if she had PTSD. But why?
He decided to play her game for a while, until he figured things out.
“It’s personal.” She sighed. “Which tells you absolutely nothing, right? Wow, what a great first mate you’ve chosen, Captain. Feels like this ship is sinking already. I’d understand if you want to take someone else to RW’s party. You’ll have more fun without me.”
“I want to have fun with you.” Like old times, only better.
“But I don’t know how to...to do...this...” She motioned between them.
He liked where her mind was going. Hated the terror on her face.
“Listen, Julia. We’ll dance, drink champagne, eat, laugh. It’s just a party. Come with me.”
She shook her head. “It’s not fair to you.” Her brow creased. “If you knew what was good for you, you’d hop on that Harley and go. You don’t want a broken girl tonight.”
He rubbed his thumb over her chin. “Broken?”
Her eyes welled.
That got him. Julia had always been fierce and brave. Had that husband of hers hurt her? If so, the dude was lucky he hadn’t made it out of Afghanistan or he and Matt would be going a few rounds right now.
Hell, he was still recovering from the fact that Julia had a child with that jackass. It ripped him up. He’d never wanted kids. Why ruin a child’s life like his parents did his? It never crossed his mind that Julia would marry someone else to have a child. Is that why she did? To have the baby Matt wouldn’t give her?
“I can’t ride that bike with you,” she said.
Dammit, what happened? Julia had always loved riding on the back of his bike. His plan had been to get her to wrap her sweet arms around him and press her full breasts into his back. Then they’d cruise and he’d kiss her senseless and remind her how much she’d missed him. Afterward they’d go to the party and dance the rest of the night. With any luck, he’d wake up with her in his arms.
That was how it was supposed to go. But somehow his plan had gone south.
“Julia. Talk to me.”
“The Harley reminds me of—” she blew out a long breath “—things I’m trying to forget.”
That was a gut-punch he didn’t see coming. At the café, she’d called him her mistake and now their adventures on the bike were things she tried to forget? Clearly, she was trying to kill their past.
“Fine,” Matt growled. “You don’t want to go with me. I get it.”
Putting his helmet on over the pirate bandana, he swung his leg across the bike. He needed to put some distance between him and the woman who was driving him crazy. Hell, maybe he’d skip the party and leave Plunder Cove tonight. He’d done his father’s bidding. He’d get the plane he needed without hearing whatever announcement his father had planned to make.
He could go back to forgetting Julia. Somehow.
“Wait!” She put her hand on his back. He felt that touch all the way to his groin. “Can you be patient with me? I haven’t been on a date in a long time. I’m saying all the wrong things, but I want to be with you tonight.”
“You do?”
Her gaze was on his lips. “I really, really do.”
