Anne Marie Duquette - Castillo's Bride

“How is my old Navy buddy, anyway? Is the good captain still playing big brother?”

“My family and friends are forever trying to run my life. I wish you’d marry him and get him out of my hair. You two have been dating forever.”

Donna drummed her nails on her desk. “I can’t see myself barefoot, pregnant and making cookies for school bake sales.”

“Don’t forget giving up your job. Neil says it’s too dangerous. Says mine is too dangerous. Everything is too dangerous for women, according to him.”

“Old traditions die hard, especially when it comes to women. That’s why I got out of the Navy. You know, Rory, maybe you should make a play for him.”

“Just what a good marriage needs—two captains. On different ships, yet. And I can’t see myself housebound and making cookies, either. No, thanks. I’m been on my own too long to be good wife material.”

“Shame. All that cruise-ship ambience wasted. He’s a nice guy, too.”

“No argument there. I’m grateful he helped save Jordan. Thank God for cell phones.” She’d borrowed one from emergency personnel and used it to call Neil.

“So Captain Harris stopped a whole cruise ship on your say-so?”

“No, he stopped it because I’m a personal friend of yours. The man’s insane about you.”

Donna sighed. “Why can’t I find a modern man insane about me? Instead of a traditional, overprotective—”

“I’ve got a better question,” Aurora interrupted. “Why can’t the police find Jordan’s attackers?”

Donna tapped her chopsticks on the edge of her white carton. “I’m working on it. I’ve got some people keeping an eye on Castillo, too…a few of my Navy buddies and a cop who owes me a favor. They’re taking turns.”

“Appreciate it, Donna. You make sure you run a tab on this. I can’t pay you now, but you know I’m good for it.”

Donna waved her hand in the air. “Hey, I already told you—forget it. You gave me free diving and boating privileges. I’m happy to return the favor. And from a purely selfish point of view, a treasure ship is an exciting change of pace.”

“The Mexican jail isn’t.” For a moment Aurora’s spirits dropped. Despite her sister’s old resentments and her niece’s arrogance, Aurora loved them both. And Gerald had shown her more kindness than her blood relations ever had. “How did things get so screwed up?”

Donna took her hand for the briefest squeeze. “We’ll get them out, Rory. You’ll see.”

“God, I hope so.”

“We will.” Donna dug into her carton, the black and jade of the chopsticks gracefully moving. “Pass the sweet-and-sour, would you?”

San Diego

July 29, 8:00 a.m.

IN THE SAN DIEGO hotel room he’d occupied since his release from the hospital, Jordan stood before the mirror, carefully studying his naked body.

He wasn’t vain about his rugged good looks or the hard muscles most men would kill to have. Too many generations of hardworking Castillo fishermen, too many years as a risk-taking seafarer, ran in his blood for vanity, but Jordan did value his strength. The ages-old cliché was no cliché to him: he truly believed the sea was a harsh mistress who discarded weak lovers with cruel disregard for life and limb. Jordan Castillo loved life as much as he loved the ocean-faring lifestyle. He planned to hold on to both, which was why he stood naked in the hotel bathroom, carefully appraising himself.

Most, if not all, of his vigor had returned, although he was still a little underweight. He could see the slight loss of mass in the broad shoulders and rock-hard pectorals that had spent a lifetime hauling nets, fish, anchors and treasure from the ocean.

He frowned. Furrows appeared above the dark brown eyes and beneath the mahogany hair. He made a mental note to keep on top of his weight, intending to regain the missing bulk soon. You never knew when that last ounce of strength could mean the difference between life and death.

The San Diego sun had quickly replaced the white pallor of an invalid with his usual tan. His skin glowed with health. The arm that had been broken wasn’t his dominant one. Thankfully both it and his skull had healed well. The doctor promised there’d be no permanent aftereffects, though his arm remained a little stiff, and his memory of the attack and afterward was still hazy. Once he left his hotel and got back to work, he’d be himself again. Unfortunately, his ship, the Lucky Lady, and his crew, had berthed in Atlantic waters for a much needed engine overhaul. Jordan never stinted on safety; however, the timing left much to be desired.

Jordan gave himself one last look in the mirror before pulling on a shirt. The scar from his recent surgery was red and puckered, but it would eventually smooth and fade like the scar from the knife fight on a dark Portuguese dock, or the raking lines on his shoulder from a broken beer bottle at a rowdy Cuban bar. There were other scars, too, like those from his close call at the San Diego pier. All were now a permanent part of his body and soul.

Jordan’s lips curved slightly upward as he stepped into his Speedo bottoms, then jeans. The scars would effectively keep him off the cover of any male swimsuit issue. Not that he cared one iota or ever had. Jordan was his own man, with his own set of rules, his own code of honor. Scars came with the territory.

During the passing years, the sea had held his undivided attention—until that night at the pier. Until Aurora Collins had saved his life with her beautiful lips against his mouth. He’d tried to contact her, but was told she was south of the border. Where in Mexico, and what was she doing there? And what had she done with the Castillo gold medallion? The woman had vanished, and with her, the location of his ship.

In the hospital, Jordan had cooperated with the police. They’d assured him Aurora had done the same, but Jordan wanted to speak to her himself. Once discharged, he’d made inquiries about Aurora Collins and the cruise ship on which he’d initially been treated. Even though San Diego was to ships what New York City was to taxis, he’d found her own ship, Neptune’s Bride, and the cruise ship easily enough, with the help of police reports. However, the cruise ship was on a San Diego-to-Mexico run, and was then sailing south to Venezuela. Aurora herself was down in Mexico, traveling by land, not sea.

The police, who hadn’t found any trace of his attackers or any witness, told him he was lucky to be alive, and suggested chalking up his experiences to yet another unsolved big-city crime. That left him with scars, a hospital bill and a lot of unanswered questions.

Jordan knew one thing. He needed to find Aurora Collins before he could get back to business—back to finding the San Rafael.

I will find the San Rafael.

His vow had been made ten years ago, when he left the family fishing business forever—or what was left of it after a hurricane moved up the coast to New England and sank the Castillo fishing fleet, and killed the Castillo family crew. All the men were gone. Except him.

Jordan had managed to cling to the wreckage for two days in hurricane-force winds and waves. His father, his grandfather and two older brothers, along with uncles and cousins, were buried in the Atlantic waters they’d loved so well. Their resting place was fitting, even honorable, although not all the widows and younger children had seen it as such.

After Jordan’s recovery, he and his fiancée, Maureen, had attended the memorial service. Maureen had wept; Jordan had remained dry-eyed. He loved his family passionately and grieved for the dead, but they, like him, knew the risks.

When Jordan later told Maureen the family’s plans, his fiancée was shocked. The majority of the Castillos wanted to use part of the life-insurance payments to buy another ship so Jordan could go back to sea. They would start out with a single salvage ship and move their base of operations to Florida. Salvaging paid good money. Those profits would be used to fund a new Boston fishing fleet sometime in the distant future. Right now, there was neither the cash nor the manpower for more than that. The Castillos were a long-time fishing family; it was their enterprise, their way of life, and eventually they would rebuild. But not yet…