Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

***ARCHIE***

A rchie watched the dock getting smaller and smaller, feeling the last of his stress and anxiety slowly fading. He took a deep breath of the salty ocean air, then turned with a smile on his face to watch as the boat made its way out in open water. He knew it was only an hour to Heart of the Ocean, but to him it felt like he was leaving the world and all his problems behind. Max had promised him a chance to get away from it all, and he was more than ready to take advantage of his friend's generosity.

A two week stay on a tropical island resort was the kind of vacation he could have never afforded, not with his alimony payments and the money he had to spend to look like a rich successful doctor. Car payments, rent on the apartment, the endless clothing bills all added up, and he'd been sure it would be years before he could even afford a small vacation. Max's invitation couldn't have come at a better time, and he was determined to enjoy every second of his two weeks on the island, to forget all about the mess he'd left back at home.

Realizing the path his thoughts were taking and feeling some of the stress returning, he took a deep breath, and closed his eyes for a second, hoping to redirect his thoughts. When he opened them, Montgomery, the captain of the boat, was watching him, a look of amusement on his face that quickly turned to a smile.

"I felt that same way when I took my first boat ride," Montgomery said. "I was addicted after that, couldn't get enough of being on the water."

"I can understand why," he said. "How old were you?"

"Seven," Montgomery said, then laughed at the look on his face. "I've been sailing ever since, been all over the world, but I always end up back here in Bermuda."

"Well, it's home, isn't it?" he asked. "Home is where the heart is, as they say."

Montgomery laughed, "I guess so," he said. "I wasn't planning on staying this time, but Max offered me this job, and I couldn't turn it down. He's paying me a bunch of money to ferry guests back and forth, give a few sailing lessons, and keep the rest of the captains in line."

"That sounds like Max, he's always been generous with his money," he said. "There were times during college that I would have starved if it hadn't been for Max. He never held it over my head and would have done more if I'd asked."

"For a rich guy, he's pretty laid back," Montgomery said. "But I thought all his friends from college were loaded like he is."

"Not all of us," he said, shaking his head. "I was a scholarship student, barely had enough money to pay for tuition and a place to live. There were times that food was a luxury."

Mongomery studied him for a second, "Seems like an unlikely friendship," he finally said. "I mean, the rich don't usually mix with poor people like us."

He hesitated, wondering how much Montgomery knew about his boss. Then, afraid of exposing their secret, he gave the only answer he could. "Well, we had different things in common," he said. "It was enough to bridge the gap, and we've been friends ever since."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you're the first one of Max's friends who seems normal," Montgomery said. "Don't get me wrong, Theo was a nice enough guy, but Simon……don't even get me started. He did leave a better man, but money messes people up. You should be glad you're not one of them."

He wasn't about to tell Montgomery that he knew firsthand how money could corrupt, but he'd promised himself not to think about his ex-wife or her father. "You've got that right," he said instead and let the subject go.

A few minutes later, the island came into view, "There she is, Heart of the Ocean," Montgomery said. "Our own little piece of paradise."

He laughed, "You sound like a commercial," he said. "But I can see why you'd say that. It's beautiful, and it looks so unspoiled."

"That was part of the deal Max made with the government," Montgomery said. "It was the only way he could get the lease on the island. Everything you see can be dismantled and taken back to the mainland, leaving the island almost exactly as it was before."

"Wow, I had no idea, Max never said anything," he said, looking at the island with new eyes. "He told me not to expect to be pampered, that the resort was more about learning the island way of life. I guess he wasn't kidding."

"Max takes his agreement with the government very seriously," Montgomery said. "And it doesn't hurt that he's been assigned a watchdog. Mateo is a native, and he's worked for the Historical Ministry for a long time. I get the feeling he drives Max crazy, but he's a good guy. "

"Max doesn't like to be told what to do," he said, shaking his head. "Mateo must have his hands full."

Montgomery got a funny look on his face but didn't say anything as he navigated into the small harbor. "This island has a mind of its own," he finally said, shrugging his shoulders. "You should ask Max about it."

They'd arrived at the dock. Montgomery turned away to shout instructions to the young men waiting for them, and he left the questions swirling around in his brain unasked. Turning his attention to the island, he smiled at the pretty picture it made, with the sandy beaches, the tiny marina, and what he could only describe as a village nestled up in the trees. Beyond the village he could see the roofs of the huts suspended on long stilts spread out in the jungle, with the cloud covered peak of a mountain in the background.

He was still mesmerized by the sight in front of him when he stumbled off the boat, the one bag he'd brought with him thrown over his shoulder, but managed to turn back to Montgomery. "Thanks for the ride, it was a blast," he said. "You mentioned sailing lessons, I've always wanted to learn."

"Every morning down on the beach," Montgomery said. "We start at nine. Anyone who's late doesn't get into the water."

"Sounds great," he said, starting to back away. "I'll be there."

Realizing that the view of the ocean was just as breathtaking as the view of the island, he walked backward up the dock, taking it all in. He was so glad to be there that he almost wanted to cry. Feeling like an idiot, he started to turn around, but his path was suddenly blocked by something warm and soft, and the little gasp of surprise told him that it was a woman. He reached out to steady her, but was met by a cry of alarm, and the woman started backing away from him, her eyes full of fear .

To his horror, he realized that in only a few more steps she was going to fall into the water, and he froze, but the woman kept backing up. "You're going to……" he tried to warn her, but it was too late; one of her feet was dangling in the air, and he could see her body beginning to tip backward.

With no choice but to grab her or let her fall in, he reached for her and pulled her back. She let out another scream, but didn't push him away until both of her feet were planted firmly on the dock. "I'm sorry if I scared you," he said, gently letting go of her. "I was so distracted by the view; I didn't see you."

The woman looked up at him and the fear slowly drained from her eyes, "It was my fault," she said. "I wasn't looking where I was going. Thank you for not letting me fall in, that would have been embarrassing."

He opened his mouth to respond, but a rush of desire robbed him of breath, and he could only stare down at her for several seconds. "It was my fault," he finally managed to say. "Are you sure that you're okay?"

***Felicity***

Felicity couldn't look away from the warm brown eyes staring down at her, filled only with concern instead of the usual emotions she saw. It had been so long since someone had looked at her without disgust; she was frozen in place, unable to look away. Then warmth spread through her quickly, followed by a wave of desire so powerful it took her breath away, and she found herself backing away from the man again, this time not in fear but in confusion.

"I'm okay, no harm done," she finally managed to say, her voice wavering a bit. "I really should have been paying closer attention."

The man smiled, then opened his mouth to say something, but just then her sister came rushing up to them, "Leave her alone," Brittany said, stepping in front of her. "We don't need any strange men hassling us. Just go away."

Before she could explain what happened, Brittany grabbed her arm and pulled her down the dock toward the little village. A strange feeling of loss settled over her as they left the man behind, and she turned to look over her shoulder at him, surprised to find him still watching them, a confused look on his face. She tried to smile at him to let him know there were no hard feelings, but Brittany hissed at her and increased her pace.

"Will you slow down?" she finally asked. "That man wasn't hassling me. We just ran into each other, and I almost fell in the water. He grabbed me at the last second."

Brittany stopped and looked over at her, "You looked scared and a little freaked out, I just assumed……" her sister said, her words trailing off. "I'm sorry, Felicity, I guess I overreacted; I just can't help it; I worry so much about you."

"And I love you for it," she said. "But not every man is like Joe, and I'm not as fragile as you think I am."

"I'll do my best to remember that; it's just that people can be cruel, and I don't want to see you hurt again, physically or mentally," Brittany said, giving her a hug. "I'm your big sister and it's my job to protect you, I failed once, and I won't fail again."

They started for the little village in silence, not wanting to dwell on what had brought them there or the pain and suffering they'd both been through over the last year. "That must be Max waiting for us up ahead," Brittany said, breaking the silence. "He's just as good-looking as Mary Beth said he is. No wonder she got involved with him back when they were in college. Too bad the spark wasn't still there when she came to the island last month. They would have made a cute couple. "

She was still thinking about the man on the dock and didn't hear what her sister said, "He didn't even notice my scar," she said. "I don't think that's ever happened before."

"We haven't even met him yet," Brittany said. "How could he notice your scar?"

She looked over at her sister, then at the man waiting for them and shook her head, "I didn't mean Max, I meant that guy down on the dock," she said. "He didn't notice my scar, or if he did, he didn't react. That never happens, people always make faces or gasp. I've even had a few people turn away from me in disgust."

"I know," Brittany said. "But not everyone is like that, I've been telling you that for months. Now stop worrying about it. We're finally here, and I'm ready to hit the beach."

"I'm not worrying about it," she said, then paused. "I'm just curious about him, I guess."

Brittany looked over at her, then a little smile appeared on her face, "Curious is an interesting way to put it," she said. "But he was kind of good-looking."

"Brittany, that's not what I meant," she said. "I just……"

"Ladies, how wonderful to have you on the island," Max said, interrupting her. "I hope your trip out was uneventful. The seas have been a little rough the last few days."

"It was wonderful, not the least bit bumpy," Brittany said, returning his smile. "Not that I'd know much about boats. That's the first time I've ever been on one."

"Well, I hope you have lots of firsts on this trip," he said, then looked a little embarrassed. "I completely forgot to introduce myself. I'm Max St. Clair. Welcome to Heart of the Ocean."

"Thank you, I'm Brittany, and this is my sister, Felicity," her sister said. "We can't thank you enough for having us. Mary Beth said the island was beautiful, but she didn't do it justice. "

"It hasn't been easy, but I think I've created a bit of paradise here," Max said, beaming at her. "Now, let's get you two settled so you can start having some fun."

After a stroll through the village, a wonderful little collection of huts that housed places to eat, a coffee shop featuring beans grown on the island, and a few shops, Max led them toward a path that led into the trees. If he noticed her silence or the way she held back, he didn't comment on it, and for that she was grateful. It had been a long trip full of too many stares.

It was only a short walk to their cabin, a pretty little two-bedroom with a porch suspended in the trees. "We built all of the cabins on stilts, hoping it would help if there's a hurricane," Max explained. "You have to climb a ladder to get inside, but it makes it feel like you're living in the trees."

"It's adorable," she said, a smile spreading across her face. "I might never want to leave."

Max laughed, "You haven't seen the beach yet," he said, clearly doing his best to look anywhere but at her scar. "That might change your mind."

"Are there a lot of other people on the island?" she asked, hating herself for her insecurities. "Not that I'm not happy to be here……I just……"

"I understand," Max said, compassion in his eyes. "There are about fifty guests and the staff, but if you want solitude, that shouldn't be a problem. There are miles of beach on the island, and you don't have to see people if you don't want to."

"Thank you," she said, instantly relaxing. "I'm still getting used to the way people look at me. It can be……hard."

"You're a very brave woman, Felicity," Max said. "You've been through a lot, but I can tell that you're a survivor."

"You got that right," Brittany said, putting her arm around Felicity. "Let's go get unpacked and check out the beach."