Chapter 3

Chapter

Three

Darcy sankonto the bed in the gorgeous suite that was to be her private space for the next four days. The yacht cruised through the open ocean. It was both thrilling and terrifying to be surrounded by water. Maybe if she was a better swimmer, she wouldn't be so scared. Falling off the dock and nearly drowning during the safest moments of this adventure didn't help. Thankfully, Nick had been there for her.

Her head hurt from all the stress, anticipation, and longing.

Stress from associating with these superhero type people, anticipation of how she'd get through extreme sports events she had no clue how to do, especially the first one in the ocean, and longing to grow closer to Nick.

Argh! She buried her head into the pillow. Even her thoughts were messed up. She should be longing for her babies, not for some guy she hardly knew. Nick had saved her and been both a thrilling distraction and a steady rock since their dramatic meeting, but he showed all indicators of being a charming schmoozer just like her ex.

She lay there for a while. When had she ever languished on a bed in the middle of the afternoon? Never in the four years since her divorce. She needed to shower and get ready. Ready for what? She didn't like the unknown. Dinner wouldn't be for a few hours. Would anything else be expected of her before then? Her clothes and hair were stiff from the saltwater dunking she'd taken. She could at least get presentable in case someone came for her. Someone like Nick.

A rap on her door pulled her head off the pillow. Her stomach pitched. Was it Nick? Hays? One of the nearly invisible staff on the large yacht? She doubted it was Captain Jagger Lemuel. That guy was intimidating. He would probably get a bonus if he kept her from winning the million dollars. She could tell he didn't want to be friendly to the competition—her and Nick. The lieutenant, on the other hand, was very nice. Hays. She was glad he was her co-conspirator and not Jagger.

Straightening off the bed, she ran her hand through her hair. It was a snarly mess. She probably had black makeup rings under her eyes as well. She never had time to worry about what she looked like, but she liked to at least have her hair combed. Everything was out of whack today, and knowing cameras were everywhere except the bedrooms and bathrooms made her stomach squirm. As soon as she opened that door, she'd be on camera.

Opening the door, she swayed slightly. It was easy to get lost in the deep-brown gaze of Will Turner, aka Nick Jacobs. He was freshly showered and his dark hair was still damp. He kept his beard nicely trimmed, and that short hair highlighted his appealing lips and white, even teeth. In a fitted T-shirt and gray shorts, the smooth bulges of muscle in his arms and calves were on fine display. He was the epitome of ‘dangerously' handsome and she had the unnerving feeling he was hiding something from her. She'd had that feeling most of her marriage and obviously had reason for it. Yet somehow Nick's eyes made her want to trust him.

"Hey." He grinned and looked her over. "Do you want to explore the yacht with me before dinner?"

Darcy's heart raced from a simple look. She put a hand to her matted hair. "I look a mess. I should shower first."

"You look beautiful," he said softly.

Darcy's eyes widened. Did he mean that, or was he one of those men who had a silver tongue like she'd already feared? She definitely wasn't a model-gorgeous type of woman like she assumed a man like Nick dated every weekend. Johnny had told her she had a ‘wholesome' beauty. She wasn't the type of woman her husband had dated before her or cheated on her with. Beauty didn't matter a whole lot in her busy, baby-caring world.

"I can wait." He walked to the other side of the hallway, leaned against the wall, folded his arms across his chest, and crossed one ankle over the other. He looked like a cross between a male model and a general from the Roman empire.

"What are you doing?" She shook her head. "You can't just … wait. I can meet you somewhere."

He smiled, his gaze warm on her. "As a top security op, I've learned very well the art of patience. No need to rush. I'll be here for you all week."

Darcy couldn't help but laugh at that. She studied him. Had Johnny ever looked at her like that, or told her not to hurry and he'd wait? What kind of man did that? She wanted to gush about how appealing and sweet Nick was, but she couldn't. Then she realized he'd said he'd be here for her all week. Their time together had an end date. Four and a half days, truly. Nick would tease and flirt with her, maybe even kiss and hold her. She was the only available woman on the ship, after all. But he'd be gone by week's end. Gone just like every other man in her life.

She slammed the door in his face and leaned against it, hoping to regain her strength. She'd dated Johnny their last semester at Oklahoma City University where she'd been on scholarship and working afternoons at the university's preschool and nights as a janitor to make ends meet. He'd been the top dog of the school—wealthy, charismatic, smart, handsome, everybody's friend, the object of every sorority girl's attention. She should've been more cautious as he had a reputation as a player, but coming from no connections, no means, and no family, it had been easy for him to charm her. She'd fallen in love with his large Italian family and they had gotten married that summer.

Look where that had ended. At first she thought she'd won the lottery, but soon realized Johnny had bored quickly of her and he was far too busy for a wife. Work, golf, dinners with clients, the list went on. Very few included invites for her. Johnny didn't want her to work, so she'd volunteered at a nearby church's preschool. She'd thought things would change when they had their baby girl. Then Avalyn had died, and things had changed. Just not the way she'd expected. Johnny's very public affair happened a week after Avalyn's death, and they had been divorced within the month, leaving her alone once again.

She'd stayed away from relationships, men, and dating the past four years, too focused on her little ones. She couldn't let Nick into her heart. He'd sweep in faster than a tornado, then sweep out just as fast, and she'd be left devastated and more alone than ever. Just like the devastation she'd seen sweep through Oklahoma City far too often.

There was a soft rap on the door. "Darcy?"

"Yes?" she squeaked out.

"Does gently closing the door in my face mean yes you'll get ready and I should wait, or no please give you some space?"

‘Gently?' Darcy smiled. She should say no. She really, really should. Space was definitely what she needed right now.

"Yes," she yelled much too loudly.

His chuckle was a reward all its own.

Darcy ran for the bathroom and attached closet. She lifted her locket over her head and set it on the counter, opening it and looking at the beloved bundle in her arms, the delicate features of baby Avalyn barely visible.

The locket looked fine from her dip in the ocean, but she rinsed the salt water off and then dried it carefully and left it open. She'd have to remember not to wear it tomorrow when they did their free dive.

Stripping out of her clothes, she threw them in the shower so she could wash them out by hand, hang them to dry, and wear them later. They had a washing machine but not a dryer at her Tecate House. She constantly had clothes in various states of drying hung in closets or over railings. Johnny would've been appalled at how she lived now, but it was no big deal to her. She hadn't grown up poor, but her step-grandmother hadn't given her more than a roof over her head and food. She had to work for everything extra.

Showering was delightful with coconut smelling shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. She found herself hurrying rather than savoring the smells and the warm water. She wanted to spend time with Nick. Maybe it was short-sighted, but this entire week was off the spectrum for her. She wouldn't enjoy the extreme sports, but she could at least enjoy the time with him.

She slipped out of the shower, wrapped in a comfy robe, and brushed out her hair. There were all kinds of makeup, beauty, and hair products on the counter. She used some serum to make her hair smooth, tinted moisturizer for her face, a bit of mascara, eyeliner, lip gloss, and the delicious coconut lotion.

It was odd not having her phone or her own clothes and toiletries. She had her own bedroom in her Tecate, Mexico children's home. She visited her other locations as often as their budget would allow. She lived like a pauper compared to how she had when she was married, but she didn't miss the opulent home, her Porsche, or her unlimited budget.

She opened the closet and gasped. Were they planning for her to do extreme sports or go to the prom? Goodness. Why did they have four formal dresses in here and other casual dresses? The brands were the same ones she'd worn to events when she was married. Each dress was gorgeous—shimmering, high-quality fabric, and she could tell by the design that they would make even her lack of womanly curves look appealing.

Backing away from those dresses, she saw stacks of comfortable T-shirts, shorts, bras, and panties. There were also some lovely sundresses hanging behind the formals. She should choose the T-shirt and shorts, but the white sleeveless Carolina Herrera sundress with pale blue flowers was calling to her. She slid into perfect-fitting underwear—Julie had asked her size and measurements—then slipped the sundress over her head. It clung to her in just the right way. Not too tight, but flattering. Her stomach did a happy jump as she realized her eyes sparkled and she felt very, very attractive. She closed her locket and did up the clasp on the necklace.

What would Nick think?

Time to find out.

Boldly strutting out of the bathroom and across the suite, she flung the door open. Nick straightened away from the wall, his eyes instantly alert and full … Of her.

"Darcy." Her name was a caress. A man had never said her name like that, and she'd been wooed by and married to a charmer. Maybe Johnny had said her name like that when they were dating, looked at her like that. Somehow she doubted it. Nick was in a league all his own.

Nick strode across the hall and was in her space, his hands reaching out to her before she could back away or form any kind of protest or barrier. Not that she wanted to, but she should.

He gently cupped her hands in his larger palms. It was a simple touch, not demanding or asking anything. Nick's touch made her long for more time with him—time to hold hands, talk, grow close. Simple things that wouldn't happen for her.

"I thought an hour ago you were the most beautiful woman ever created," Nick said in his smooth, deep tenor.

"With makeup running down my face and my clothes plastered to me?" She raised an eyebrow.

He had a silken tongue. She should've known.

"Far be it from me to complain about clothes being plastered to you." He winked. "And you didn't have makeup running down your face."

His gaze was sincere, but Darcy could not believe his words. A smooth-tongued player, for certain. It was too easy to get caught up in his dark gaze, his warm touch, and his silky words.

"How is it possible you grow more beautiful by the moment?" he asked, easing an inch closer.

"You don't mean that," she managed.

"I shouldn't." He smelled clean, spicy, and musky all at once. Delicious, creamy raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake. That was what his smell and his looks and his touch were. And to a woman who'd been fasting from such indulgence for years, Nick Jacobs was almost impossible to resist.

"Darcy." His voice grew husky as his eyes searched hers. What was he searching for? Could he see how drawn she was to him already? Was he hiding something in those luscious deep-brown eyes of his? A fear of commitment or something worse?

Footsteps and voices approached, then Jagger and Hays rounded the corner. They both lifted their brows at the intimate position they found her and Nick in. Nick straightened, released her hands, and turned to face them.

"There you two are," Hays greeted them, a smile on his face, but his gaze flickered between the two of them with an obvious question. Were she and Nick involved? Hays was a very kind and handsome man, impressive and accomplished as well, but he didn't make her sizzle with one look like Nick did.

Sizzle and deep-brown eyes were overrated. She should be driven to find a nice guy who could commit to her for life and push the Nicks and Johnnys in her life into the ocean. Or she could stay her path and be so busy taking care of little ones the days would just blur into years and before she knew it, her life would be over.

That sounded depressing. Her life wasn't depressing. It was busy, but happy. The babies and toddlers made her very happy. Samuel was the first baby left on her doorstep in Tecate four years ago. He was also one who'd never been adopted. She loved him like her own and ached to hold him and the others right now.

"Would you like to explore the yacht with us?" Hays asked.

Nick shrugged and looked at Darcy to answer. He'd asked her to explore the yacht with him, and she could only guess he'd rather be alone. Alone with the likes of Nick Jacobs was not smart for her heart or peace of mind.

"Sure," she answered. "Might as well get to know our competition."

Hays smiled and Jagger even seemed to soften a fraction.

"No competition for me," Nick said confidently.

The men both chuckled at that. Not nice chuckles, either.

"Everybody knows the Marines are not on level with the SEALs," Jagger poked at Nick.

"Ah, but were the SEALs trained by Captain Aiden Porter?"

"I might have to concede to your point there." Jagger rubbed at his jaw. "That guy ticked me off, and he was singularly impressive."

"Best man on the planet," Nick said.

Darcy appreciated Nick's respect for his boss, but she'd seen many videos of Aiden Porter. He was a schmoozer and wealthy playboy to the millionth degree, even more of a philanderer than Johnny. If that was Nick's hero, she definitely couldn't trust this man with her heart.

Nick gently turned her, and they all started walking down the hall together. Jagger and Hays asked questions about Nick's boss, Aiden. Nick didn't give them any personal info, but he did talk about Aiden's training regimen for himself and his specialists, and some of the more visible and publicized ‘ops' Nick had been with Aiden on. He obviously revered the man.

She and Nick's hands or arms brushed against each other several times. She couldn't ignore the tingly warmth she felt every time that happened. As they walked onto the upper sun deck and stopped to talk and savor the view of the beautiful Caribbean ocean, Nick slid their hands together and wrapped her hand up in his.

Darcy should've pulled away on principle alone. Holding hands denoted a relationship to her. Did it mean anything to him? Her dad had deserted her, her beloved grandpa had died, and her own husband had cheated on and divorced her when she needed him most.

She could easily believe that Nick was interested in a fling, but she couldn't trust him to stick around. His idol was a player, and his life was dedicated to security and traveling to protect and serve.

Yet as his thumb trailed across the back of her hand, she got caught up in the fairytale of her very own Will Turner coming for her. What if she told Nick she wanted to get to know him this week? What if she let down her guard?

Just to get her heart ripped to shreds again? No thank you. The orphaned little ones were her purpose. Not falling in love.

Pulling her hand free, she didn't let herself glance at Nick to see how he reacted. He'd had no right to take her hand like that or toy with her emotions.

They continued their tour through the gorgeous yacht and Darcy catalogued the layout. The lower level was suites for the guests and rooms for the staff. The main level was a mostly open space, loads of windows with dining, kitchen, living areas, a deck out front, and the lower deck out back. The upper level had the captain's spot—the brig?—a shaded lounging area, a large sun deck, a helicopter, and a hot tub.

A yacht. With a helicopter. Darcy could hardly believe the twists and turns of life that had her walking on a multi-million-dollar yacht owned by Mercedes Belle. Johnny had bought a yacht when she was expecting. She'd been too sick to go out on it with him more than a few times, and her inability to swim had always annoyed him. He hadn't seemed to mind that she didn't join him on his many trips on the yacht. Now she assumed he'd had his girlfriend Lacey out there instead.

She pushed that away. These men were gracious to her, and though she was leery of the playboy Nick, she enjoyed being in the company of three tough military heroes. They treated her as if she normally occupied the same stratosphere as them. She had no clue how their heroic, protecting and serving life went, but it was intriguing to chat with them about it. The friends and even security guys of Johnny's had always seemed shifty and borderline criminal. It was great to be around true heroes, upright men like Nick, Jagger, and Hays.

Nick and Hays were both very friendly with her, or flirtatious might be a better term. Nick was an expert at flirtations and meaningful gazes with his deep-brown eyes. Hays was less experienced, a little awkward, and very cute. Jagger was more gruff but still kind and welcoming, a dangerously handsome kind of guy that you'd never want to meet in a dark alley.

As they sat down to dinner together, Nick asked about her children's homes.

"I have homes for infants and toddlers in Tecate Mexico, Belize City, Santiago, and Lima, mostly staffed by volunteers. When I win the money"—she paused to give Jagger a look, and he laughed—"I'll hire full-time people and expand my homes to make space for more children and for children as they age who aren't adopted. I'd also like to include school rooms and hire qualified teachers." She was very proud of how far she'd come and all the local volunteers and volunteers from church groups who helped her.

"Sheesh. Make me feel like a jerk for stopping you from winning the million," Jagger chirped.

"You are a jerk," Nick said, grinning. "But it's your job and I'll beat you soundly, so it doesn't matter much."

Jagger laughed again and cracked his knuckles. "I always win."

"Like you did last week against Aiden?" Nick placed a bite of potato in his mouth as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Jagger bristled, glaring at Nick, but softened as he turned to her. "You'll have to forgive me, Darcy, but my pride and loyalty to Shawn and Mercedes is on the line here. You understand?" He actually studied her as if it was important to him that she understood.

"Loyalty I can understand. Male pride?" She lifted her hands and shook her head. "I have no way to relate to that."

They all chuckled and ate a few bites of the delicious steak and shrimp dinner.

"How did you get started with your children's homes?" Hays asked.

Darcy tore off a bite of sourdough bread and buttered it, looking at Nick from underneath her eyelashes. The man confused her; she was drawn to him and also terrified of letting down her guard around him. Should she share about her divorce?

She didn't want to tell them she'd gotten her start because her husband Johnny had been a trust fund baby and grown his wealth with Trattori International, a huge real estate company. He'd offered her a very generous settlement if she'd agree to a quick divorce and not ‘drag his good name through the mud.'

Johnny had isolated her from her high school, college, church friends, and even his own family, moving her across the country and controlling who she talked to and spent time with. At least when she was married, Johnny had been around sometimes and ladies at the gym or the country club would include her in activities or lunch because of who she was married to. During her pregnancy, he'd made her stop volunteering at the preschool, leaving her more isolated than ever.

A month after the divorce, she had been lost and lonelier than ever. She'd had no idea what to do with the money, her time, or herself. All she wanted was her baby back, and that wouldn't happen until she died and went to heaven. She'd gotten so low she didn't have anything to live for and knew she had to find a purpose. She'd found a great church and the pastor's wife had befriended her. Emily had suggested she start a home for infants or some kind of charity. She had no idea how deeply invested Darcy would become and how it would change her life. The idea of helping babies and children who were alone like her had taken root and took off.

"I had a beautiful home in Torrey Pines," she admitted to the men, not certain how to explain while leaving out key details.

"Near the golf course?" Jagger asked, slicing off a piece of steak. "I love that course."

"Yes." Her house had been on the bluff overlooking the ocean. She could've driven a golf cart to the course—if she'd been a golfer. Her home had sold for over six million dollars, a great boost to the four-million-dollar cash portion of the divorce settlement. At the advice of a financial planner, she'd put most of the money in investments. Which was fine, until she needed more for her children, and realized that many of the investments' capital was ‘untouchable' for years to come. Purchasing, renovating, and maintaining her four children's homes and food, clothing, medicine, and more for the babies had taken up all her ‘liquid cash' and depleted the monthly payments she received for her investments as fast as the money came into her account.

"I loaded up my … car." Should she admit her car had been a limited-edition Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT, valued at over two-hundred grand? The vehicle had been stolen the second night she'd been in Tecate. "With baby clothes, formula, and other supplies." She said nothing about all the supplies being things she'd bought for Avalyn or things that neighbors, Johnny's friends, and Johnny's family had gifted them at the many baby showers they'd thrown for her during her pregnancy. "And I drove across the border to Tijuana, but I didn't feel right about stopping there."

All three of the men stopped eating and stared at her as if she'd grown a third eye. Nick's fork was loaded with broccoli and halfway to his mouth. Their reaction should've been comical, but she could only imagine they thought she was crazy to go across the border to the dangerous town of Tijuana by herself. Johnny had been livid with her when he found out, not that he'd had any right to provide input on her life at that time. In her defense, it had been mid-morning, a quiet month for beheadings, and she didn't have anything left to live for.

Suicide wasn't a viable option, but being murdered hadn't sounded too awful at that time of her life. Not something she was willing to share either. She was in a very good spot now. Her many babies filled her love tank, needed her, and loved her.

"So I kept driving the hour to Tecate," she continued. "I prayed for direction and pulled into the nicest hotel I could find. I walked around the town for hours, trying to find the right space for my first children's home. My car did survive that first night. Thankfully, since all my supplies were in there." She smiled at the memory. She'd had a lot of cash in different pockets and in her purse and even some in the car. Her credit cards and most of her cash had survived.

None of the men moved an inch or returned her smile.

She toyed with her fork, studied her half-eaten steak, and continued, "I found an older couple at an outdoor café near the hotel the next morning. Gary and May were missionaries for their church—they went by Brother and Sister Parros at that time. I told them my vision, and they helped me." Gary and May still lived at her Tecate home with her, and their church had been instrumental in every city she had homes in. Incredible people.

"By the end of the day, we'd found a large home just south of the U.S. border to rent, scrubbed it clean with the help of some locals, unloaded all my supplies, and bought more supplies. My car did not survive the second night, but we had my first baby dropped off in the middle of the night. Samuel." She smiled. "He's four now and the light and joy of everybody who gets to interact with him. Definitely worth losing my Porsche."

The silence was so thick, she had no idea what to say. Nick dropped his broccoli-laden fork to the plate, and that seemed to break the spell over Jagger and Hays. They exchanged a loaded look while Nick rubbed at his beard and studied her.

"Have you lost your mind?" Jagger muttered darkly.

"Pardon me?"

Hays shot his friend a warning look. Nick said nothing. He stared at her, and she couldn't read his expression. Well, maybe she could, and she feared he agreed with Jagger.

"Don't warn me off," Jagger threw at his friend. "A beautiful, unarmed, untrained, American woman just drives across the southern border, in a Porsche, breezes through Tijuana, and settles in Tecate by herself. I mean, great town, Tecate—drug lords, rival gangs fighting, beheadings of foreigners, and a flourishing market for human trafficking. All activities a gorgeous, classy lady from the wealthiest area in California can understand and stay safe from."

Darcy's spine straightened. She'd heard all of this before, but she had stayed safe. She had cameras and locks on the doors. When Johnny found out where she was, he had started sending his security guys to watch out for her and stay in the unfinished basement. It had been uncomfortable at first, but the security guys left her and the children alone and their presence had kept them from ever having an issue with local gangs, drug runners, or traffickers. Most importantly, the Lord watched out for her and her missionary friends and little ones.

"Do you not have a father, uncle, grandpa, boyfriend—" Jagger threw his hands in the air. "Somebody who cares about you and watches out for you?"

Darcy's eyes stung. "If you'll pardon me," she said, standing and setting her napkin on her half-filled plate. "Tomorrow will be a big day. I'm going to get some rest."

She hurried through the main area and toward the stairs. If she could make it to her room before she broke down, that would be ideal.

How could she explain to those three men who she'd enjoyed conversing with and been impressed with, and especially Nick who she was so drawn to, that she had no one … no father, no uncle, no grandfather, no husband, no boyfriend.

The one man she'd let into her heart had grown bored of her, cheated on her, and deserted her when she lost her baby. She couldn't trust anyone but her missionary friends and her children.

Footsteps sounded behind her, and she broke into a run. She had to escape before Nick realized the truth—that she was made to love on little ones, but she wasn't made for any adult man to love her.

She couldn't trust a handsome and flirtatious man like Nick. That would be a mistake as big as marrying Johnny.