“Give me a few minutes to explain and then I will leave you alone forever.” I stepped back. She slammed the door in my face but didn’t move away.
She stared at me through the glass door, her expression blank like she didn’t recognize me.
We stared for a full minute.
I placed my hand on the glass. “My Lulu, all grown up.”
She blinked and pushed a frizzy curl behind her ear.
“Open the door. I promise not to move from this spot.” I pointed down.
She looked down at our feet and opened the door without looking up. I resisted the urge to touch her. My fingers tingled with a need to lift her chin to see those beautiful brown eyes.
“Tell me what you’re feeling?”
This got her to raise her head. The scowl spoke for itself. “How I feel?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel.” She gripped the door frame. “Betrayed, violated, angry, sad, scared.”
“Of me.” I stepped forward but stopped myself. “You’re scared of me?”
“Yes, of you. Of what you’re capable of doing to me.” She turned and walked into the kitchen. I took the open door as an invitation to follow her.
“I spoke with my dad this morning and I understand why you left.” She hugged herself. Her chin dropped to her chest. “But I don’t understand what the boat trip was about. That scares me the most.”
She lowered herself into the nearest chair.
I leaned against the counter that separated the kitchen from the dining room. Lucinda looked so small sitting alone at the table meant for six. She pulled her knees up into the chair and hugged them to her chest.
“How did you get me there?” She still hadn’t looked me in the eye. “What was your plan?”
“I didn’t.” I sat down in the chair next to her. “You showing up on my boat was a shock to me too.” She glared. “I swear, Lucinda. I planned to stay away from you forever. Seems fate had other plans.”
“Fate.” She rolled her eyes.
My hand itched to adjust her sassy attitude.
“What you did to me took some planning.” She fidgeted. “The vanilla candles, the food. The scenes. All of it took research and planning.”
“Some. I found your name on my guest manifest two weeks before we set sail. I spent most of those two weeks going back and forth about letting you come or cancelling the trip for everyone. Hell, up until I saw you at the marina, I still contemplated denying you permission to board.”
“Why didn’t you?” Her lips trembled.
“Oh, Lucinda. You know exactly why I didn’t send you away.”
“No, I don’t.”
“I wasn’t about to break your heart twice.”
Chapter Twelve
Lucinda
* * *
Break my heart. We were beyond heartbreak. I was enraged.
