Just The Way You Are Part 21

"Forget it. I can't even figure myself out." Alli set the calculator aside. There was no point in trying to add up profits while Jimmy was within firing range.

Jimmy set his over-the-shoulder bag down on the counter and pulled something out of the front pocket. "I want you to take a look at this."

She hesitated, then took the photograph from his hand. It was of Tessa, of course, taken in her grandmother's house. Tessa was looking at something with a yearning in her eyes that surprised Alli.

"What do you see?" Jimmy asked.

"I don't know."

"Try harder. Come on, it won't kill you."

"A little girl lost." She stopped abruptly. "That was a stupid thing to say. I don't know why I said it."

He smiled encouragingly. "What else do you see?"

"She appears to be wanting something. But I can't see what she is looking at. When did you take this?"

"Last night."

"Did Tessa know?"

"She was concentrating on something else."

Alli knew he wanted her to ask what that something was, but she was afraid to ask. He was right. She didn't want to look at Tessa.

"What do you think she was looking at?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I have no idea. It could be a million things."

"It was a necklace-actually, it was half of a necklace."

"Oh, G.o.d," she breathed, staring once again at the photograph.

"The half she had said BEST."

"And the other half said FRIENDS," Alli finished, lost in the memory.

"This is for you," eleven-year-old Tessa said. "Because we're not just sisters, we're best friends. I'll wear one and you'll wear the other and no matter what else happens to us, we know we'll always have each other."

Alli let out a breath, feeling the pain right down to the tips of her toes. "She gave me the necklace for my birthday. It was my first birthday after our parents died. I can't believe she still has her half."

"Do you still have yours?" Jimmy asked.

She straightened, suddenly realizing she wasn't just talking to herself. "I don't know," she lied. "I haven't seen it in years." She looked past him to the two women, who were ready to make their purchases. "Can I help you?"

While Alli rang up their postcards, Jimmy wandered over to the window, taking a few shots through the gla.s.s at some activity on the pier. When the women left, Alli picked up the photograph once more, wondering why Tessa would be looking at a silly little necklace with so much heart in her eyes. Tessa hadn't cared about their friendship in years. Long before the incident with Sam, they'd been more enemies than friends.

"It doesn't make sense," she murmured.

Jimmy returned to the counter. "Do you want to keep that?"

"No," she said hastily.

"I'll take it, then."

Despite her words, Alli felt a momentary loss when he put the photograph back into his bag, as if she were losing Tessa again, which was ridiculous, because she'd lost Tessa a long time ago.

"Do you want to get some lunch?" Jimmy asked "My a.s.sistant won't be back for another fifteen minutes."

"I can wait."

"You must have something better to do with your day."

"Not really."

"Oh, that's right, Tessa is sailing with Sam." And the thought drove any lingering affection for Tessa right out of her heart.

Jimmy smiled. "Bugs the h.e.l.l out of you, doesn't it?"

"No. Sam and I are getting a divorce."

"So I hear. I can't quite figure that one out, though. You got him. Why don't you just hang on to him?"

"Because hanging on isn't enough anymore, not that it's any of your business." She took a deep breath. "I need to stay here, finish up some work, especially since we need to look for oysters again this afternoon. Although I heard there might be a storm coming in."

"Tessa says we have to hike down to this oyster farm. I tell you, I didn't know your sister was such a country girl."

"She isn't."

"But she was."

"I guess. Tessa liked exploring. She was convinced that smugglers had once used Tucker's Landing to sneak in their treasures. She'd lead scavenging expeditions during the summer. They never found anything, though."

"Sounds like a fun sister."

"Not really. I wasn't included in the adventures."

"Then how do you know about them?"

"Because I followed, of course," she said, hating the knowing smirk on his face. "Like you never followed your brother."

"Oh, I did all the time, but he wasn't nearly as interesting, too concerned with toeing the line."

"Well, Tessa didn't break any laws, but everyone followed her anyway. She was the pied piper around here."

"Because she was beautiful?"

"Yes, but..." Alli paused, suddenly realizing that wasn't the complete truth. "She could make the other kids believe they were about to discover a pirate's stash of treasure. She had a gift for telling stories."

"I wonder why she doesn't tell them anymore?" he mused.

The phone rang, and Alli picked it up. "Alley Cat," she said. "Hi, Josie. How are you today?"

"Terrible," Josie replied. "Your husband was supposed to be back twenty minutes ago."

Alli's heart jumped into her throat. "You don't think something has happened to Sam?"

"Don't be silly. But he's turned his radio off, and, well, I wouldn't care, except that I've got a tank full of fish waiting to be unloaded and Petrie's restaurant needs it by two or they don't need it at all. Everyone is out, Alli. Gary is on another tour, Mike is sick, and Billy has disappeared again. I don't know what to do. I can't unload the fish myself.

"Okay, calm down. Try Sam on the radio again. I'll be down there as soon as Mary Ann gets back. I'm sure he just lost track of the time."

Alli hung up the phone and frowned at Jimmy. "Sam and Tessa were supposed to be back twenty minutes ago."

"I'm sure they're fine."

"Of course they are. It's just that Sam doesn't usually turn off the radio." Unless he didn't want to be interrupted. Oh, G.o.d. Were he and Tessa making love?

"Don't think about it," Jimmy advised.

"You don't know what I'm thinking." She wandered over to the window and looked out at the harbor.

"Oh, yes I do," he said dryly. "But Tessa wouldn't sleep with a married man."

"Unless that man was Sam." Alli turned her head. "For him, I think Tessa would do just about anything."

Chapter 15.

*Sam looked into a pair of beautiful blue eyes set in the prettiest face he had ever seen-a face that was offered up to him with a mouth begging to be kissed. He'd never refused Tessa anything. And he didn't know how to start now.

He lowered his head and allowed his mouth to touch hers, a brief, chaste kiss, much like the very first one they'd shared when they were thirteen years old. Her lips were cool. Or maybe his were.

It felt strange to be this close to her after years of separation. He started to slide his arms around her waist, then hesitated. She was taller than he remembered. Her body felt too thin, too angled. She was perfect, he reminded himself. The whole world thought so. But it didn't feel right. Not at all.

Tessa pulled away from him. "You kissed me like you were afraid I was going to break."

Her eyes were worried. She looked as unsure as he felt.

"Maybe I am afraid you'll break, or that you'll disappear. Maybe this is all a dream."

"I'm here, Sam. I'm not going anywhere."

Her words became a lie as the boat pitched suddenly, sending her into Sam's arms. He caught her as a gust of wind rocked the boat back and forth on the water.

Tessa rested her hands on his shoulders. "Fate," she said with a small smile. She took the initiative away from him and kissed him firmly on the mouth. He wanted to kiss her back, but there was something unbelievably awkward about their embrace.

"I'm a fool," he muttered. He sat down on the bench seat across from her. "You know where I've been the last nine years in terms of women. What about you and other men? Have you..." What the h.e.l.l was he trying to say? Of course she'd made love to other men. She was twenty-nine years old and gorgeous.

"Have I what?" she prodded.

"Forget it."

"I don't want to forget it. We're trying to get to know each other again. How can we do that if you don't talk to me?"

"Not another MacGuire sister telling me I don't talk to her," he said with a groan.

"If you're this quiet with Alli, I can see why she'd have a problem."

"You're on Alli's side now?"

"I'm on your side, you know that. So what were you going to ask me? About other men? Yes, I've been with a few. Some I liked a lot, others-maybe I just thought I should have a relationship. So I had one. But have I been in love? Really, truly in love? Once."

He met her stark gaze and knew what she was saying, but he didn't want her to say it.

"You're not going to ask, are you?" she said. He shook his head.

"Taking the easy way out, Sam? That isn't like you."

"I'm married, Tessa."

"Not for long. Even Alli says she's letting you go. Unless you don't want to go. Is that it, Sam? Have you fallen in love with Alli? My G.o.d, is that possible?"

Her voice was filled with disbelief, sarcastic wonder. And it bothered him, more than he would have thought. "Alli isn't the monster you make her out to be. She's changed. She's a good mother, a great friend, a smart businesswoman. She's grown up, Tessa."

"All right, okay, more defense of Alli. I guess she is your wife and you feel you have to do that. But I'm her sister, and I know her."

"You knew her back when. You don't know her now."

"And I don't know you and you don't me. I want to move forward, Sam, but dammit, you keep pulling me back to the past." She turned away from him and looked out over the ocean. "Can you tell me that you still love me and you want another chance with me?"

She said the words so softly he was afraid he hadn't heard them correctly. But they were there, hanging on the wind, awaiting his response.

"Is that what you want me to say?" he asked. "Is that how you feel?"

She turned her head to face him. "I asked you first."

Before he could reply another wave hit the boat hard. He suddenly realized that he'd been so caught up in their conversation that he hadn't paid attention to the changing weather, a stupid mistake for any sailor. Dark thick clouds were blowing in from the west, stirring the waves into white menacing tops.

"We should head back," he said. He glanced down at his watch and saw the time. "s.h.i.t! I was supposed to be back forty minutes ago."

She followed him to the wheel, her eyes widening as she looked at the turbulent ocean. "Are we going to be all right?"

"We're fine. I just want to get back to the harbor before the storm blows in."