River bound seacret swep.., p.34
River Bound Seacret Swept, page 34
“Uma, hi. Good morning.” Suzy paused at the door. “Uh…say, have you seen Lily at all?”
“Good morning, Princess.” Uma smiled. “Lily left hours ago. She says she will call you.”
“Ok, thanks, Uma.”
Suzy pursed her lips. What to do?
Head back to Adrian?
No. It was time she took a bath, unpack.
She felt fresh and full of energy an hour later as she blew out the dampness from her hair.
She applied lip-gloss, secured a towel around her frame and sat down to dial Raju.
She snapped the phone shut after three attempts.
She blinked as it suddenly vibrated in her palm.
“Are you naked, nauti girl?”
It was the sex god, who else?
“I’m fully dressed.”
“Little liar. You just had a shower.”
How did he know? “Ok. I lied,” She huffed. “But I do have a towel and undies on, so there.”
He whistled. “What color?”
“My towel?”
“What color are your nauti panties? Also, do the words on them say they’re dying to come off for me?”
“Drian.” Her face was probably the color of her panties.
“What, baby?” He feigned innocence.
“It’s pink. Happy now?”
“Very.” He sighed thickly. “Did you have lunch yet?”
“I’m about to go get some.”
“Ok. Go eat. And then come see me.”
“Of course, my lord and master.” She ended the call.
She pulled on a sundress and skipped down the stairs. She had never been hungrier than this moment.
Vince and a bunch of guys were playing cards under the awning, a normal occurrence before and after a funeral.
“Good Day.” Suzy smiled and waved.
They waved back with huge smiles.
She stooped to pet Isis who was arching up against her legs and purring like a queen.
“Come join us,” Vince said.
“Okay. Let me go grab some food.”
Uma smiled at Suzy. “And how’s our princess?”
“I’m great, thanks.” Suzy’s smile encompassed the other kitchen helper who fished a fresh plate out for her.
Loaded with steaming rice, stew and a glass of fruit juice, Suzy ran smack into Dr. Allan.
Sondra must be good for him because he not only looked younger, his salt-and peppered ponytail spoke of his determination to preserve his newly acquired hippie attitude.
“Dr. Allan,” Suzy greeted him with a warm smile. “Welcome to Susannah’s Rust. When did you arrive?”
He helped her steady her tray, unmindful her juice had sloshed his forest-green t-shirt. “…late last night.”
“Did you have a bite yet?”
He nodded. “I ate with Lily.” He patted his belly. “She was looking for you.”
“I missed her by a mile.” Suzy moved to a table next to Vince and his buddies, Dr. Allan following her.
With everyone focused on the game, Suzy was able to polish off her lunch quickly.
Ok, Ravana was a bit of a distraction and great company.
Between bites Suzy fed him, he was like, “Greetings Obi-Wan, have you seen Dart Vader, lately?”
“Shut up,” Suzy said affectionately for the hundredth time. “I’m not Obi-any-Wan. My name is Suzy, K?’
Suzy scratched his head before kissing him.
“Stay here with Vince and the boys, ok?” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I’m off to see a sexy bad boy.”
“Nauti girl,” said Ravana, finally changing his tune.
“Evil king,” Suzy huffed.
“Suzy, why are you still here?”
God, the blatant eavesdropper was an adept at mimicking Adrian’s stern voice.
“See you guys, later,” Suzy waved to everyone.
“Okay.” Vince glanced up and back down at his watch. “Who’s picking Lexy up from the airport?”
“Nivad’s off to get her,” Grandpa’s foreman answered.
“Sondra’s flight got delayed or she’d have been here already.” Dr. Allan shuffled the cards.
And Suzy’s mouth fell wide opened. “Son—Sondra...” She stuttered, her heart racing. “As in Sondra Persaud?”
Dr. Allan peered at Suzy beneath his spectacles. “She didn’t tell you?”
Suzy’s stomach flipped. “Um…not really.”
She itched to ask who else were with Sondra but their topic veered to the warp speed of superyachts.
She scooted off to gather her riding gears. She had to tell Adrian about his kids before the day was over.
The cool river breeze offset the heat of the midday sun but it did nothing for her, she was sweating profusely.
Armed with horse tack and apples, she stood on the wooden path and whistled for Pegasus who was nowhere in sight.
She sighed. Where was he? She sauntered over to the edge of the forest, singing for his ears only.
O Magnificent Horse...of the Sea.
Take me where I wish to be…
Into the universal psyche
A field of old, in you and me…
A place of neither right nor wrong
The place where we all belong…
And if it harms none, mote it be! Done!
It did the trick.
There was a loud rumble deep in the bushes and then a rustle as Pegasus burst into the clearing.
Suzy petted him thoroughly before feeding him his apple. He was utterly adorable. If he could talk, he’d say ‘Suzy’ first and ‘apple’ second.
She tacked him up after she checked his hooves.
They were soon on their way.
The sounds of a motor boat had her squinting at the river but all she could see was the tide had turned.
As they neared the Jaldev’s marina, she brought Pegasus to a stop. Hastily, she clambered off him and broke into a bare feet run up the wooden path and almost collided into Adrian.
“Oh! I’m coming to see you.”
“Oh!” He mimicked her.
“We need to talk,” Suzy blurted out.
“Too bad! They are staying locked up to care for their puppies instead of running after you—”
“Huh?”
“I’m heading to your wharf.” He began walking up the path to the stables. “Come with me.”
Suzy fell into step beside him. “Why?”
“In a minute,” he said as he tacked up Orion.
Suzy mounted Pegasus and waited for Adrian to catch up.
After he joined her, they trotted over to Grandpa’s wharf.
“Where’s your boat?” Suzy demanded.
“Dad went to pick up Lexy.”
“So why are we going to Grandpa’s wharf?”
A gust of river breeze ruffled his hair. He smiled wryly. “More company’s coming.”
“Who and who?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see.” Adrian mocked.
The sounds of a bayliner blazing a path up the river had Suzy freezing on Pegasus’s back.
She watched wordlessly as SeaLestial Dreamer came into full view, Sudesh, the stable boy at the helm.
Her mouth fell opened in relief.
Sondra and Josh were in it.
Suzy had panicked for no reason.
And as if on cue, Adrian’s seaplane emerged from behind the thick screen of floating branches to glide neatly alongside the floating pier.
Pegasus’s reins fell out of Suzy’s nerveless fingers.
The door tumbled opened and Carl jumped out to secure the plane. And in the next instant, Suzy’s mouth went dry as he reached inside to unbuckle a kid.
Suzy wiped her forehead with the back of her hand as he lifted Savarna out.
“They’re here...” She managed weakly.
Chapter 33
As he dismounted Orion, Adrian observed the pilot helping a little girl of about three or four off the plane.
“The nerves of my mother,” Suzy muttered as Carl set the little girl on the platform and reached in for the boy.
Adrian cast a puzzled glance at Suzy.
She had gone beyond pale.
Suspicion gnawed at Adrian as his gaze settled on the two most adorable kids in the world.
The prior feeling Suzy was hiding something from him returned with a force.
He couldn’t take his eyes off the kids.
They were standing together, same height, same dark hair and skin the exact shade of dusky brown as Adrian.
And then it clicked.
Twins!
What the fuck?
He turned towards Suzy for an explanation but she had already broken into a run towards the kids.
And from their happy squeals, they had spotted her too, the exact same time the realization plunged through his mind.
They were his twins!
Adrian’s twins!
And not only that, they were mirror images of him, younger versions in tiny masculine and feminine forms.
Adrian stood rooted to the spot, his hands on his hips.
Nothing could have prepared him for this.
Not a bloody fucking thing!
Hell!
In an instant, his calm roared into a tempest with purpose!
She was going to pay for pulling the wool over his eyes by her outright lies and her evasive tactics!
He felt another surge of pure, black rage.
And even if she came up a damn good explanation, she was still going to pay.
“Mom!”
Mommy!”
The kids’ joyful sounds hit the air and four little feet came running up the gangway at precarious speed.
“Mommy, I missed you the most!” Savarna squealed. She raced into Suzy’s arms clutching a rusty looking teddy bear.
“Oh, baby,” Suzy said as she hugged Savarna.
“I missed you too, Mom.” Kavin neatly maneuvered himself into Suzy’s arms.
A pulse hammered murderously in Adrian’s jaw as he watched Suzy hugging the kids as if they were her lifeline.
“I missed you guys too much.” Her voice wavered as her gaze encountered Adrian’s furious one.
Yes, she knew he would instantly make the connection.
“Why?” He threw at her as he neared them.
She stood up to face him but she was spared from answering as Sondra in all shades of pink appeared, closely followed by a young man in braces whom Adrian assumed to be Josh.
Sondra began belting out an unheard tune. “And the blue sea turns to brown all around and the blue sea turns to brown!”
“Stop, Sondra,” Josh muttered. “You’ll wake the Dutch zombies of this land.”
Sondra laughed. “Hello, brown people!”
“Hello, Sondra,” Adrian said.
Sondra shrugged off her jumbo backpack, which probably contained her estate and stepped forward to hug Adrian. “So good to see you, Adrian.”
She stepped back. “This is Suzy’s brother, Josh.”
Adrian offered a handshake. “Hi, Josh.”
“Hello.” Josh with eyes as big as Suzy’s, smiled somewhat shyly at Adrian. “Please to meet you.”
An excited squeal had Adrian’s attention.
The kids had stepped away from Suzy to point at a fish darting about in the water below.
“You guys! Don’t fall over,” Suzy cautioned them.
“Ok, Mommy!”
“Sure, Mom!”
“Suze, I didn’t snitch on you.” Sondra wheeled her backpack over to Suzy. “Rona confronted Raj and he squealed.”
Adrian grimaced.
How could he not have guessed Raju was lying?
“…I told the kids all about their father just so they’d feel they know him all their life…”
“Thank you, Sondra,” Adrian said.
“It’s the least I could do.” She smiled. “Hey, I know you guys have a lot to talk about so I’ll scram.”
Suzy gave Sondra a half-hearted smile. “Thanks, Sond.”
“You owe me big time,” Josh said as he hugged Suzy.
“Thanks, baby bro,” Suzy said. “I do, I do, I do.”
“Come on, Josh,” Sondra bellowed.
“I’m coming,” Josh took off with Sondra and came to a halt as Allan intercepted them at the foot of the wharf.
Adrian focused on Suzy.
Every emotion since time began seemed to have awakened as they stood facing each other.
“When were you going to tell me?” He demanded with barely concealed fury.
She gazed up at him in mute appeal. Her brown eyes had widened to its limits. She massaged her temples but it failed to arouse his sympathy.
What he ached to do was grabbed her by the shoulders and shake all the lies out of her.
At the corner of his eye, he saw Rona waiting for Carl and Sudesh to unload her luggage from SeaLestial Dreamer.
And then something remarkable happened.
Kavin walked over to Adrian and smiled up at him.
“Hello, Dad.” He stretched out his little hand.
For a moment Adrian couldn’t react.
The discovery that he was the father of three-year-old twins had him spellbound.
He would kill Suzy later!
He took Kavin’s hand and lowered himself to meet the little fella eye to eye.
Darn if he didn’t see himself in those remarkable eyes.
“How did you figure it out?” Adrian felt really dumb. Too many clues were thrown his way but he had not grasped a single one to the best treasure in all the land.
“Mom showed me your picture on the Internet but we never told Saavy.” Kavin grimaced. “She can’t keep secrets.”
Adrian chuckled.
He hugged Kavin feeling a huge wave of happiness soar through him.
It was phenomenal, this feeling.
He was a father.
He was aware of Suzy’s gaze on him but he would deal with her later.
Savarna joined them, a jealous pout on her face.
“Hello, Saavy.” Adrian smiled and reached for his daughter and her teddy which smelled faintly of Suzy.
“I’m good at secrets too!” she insisted. “Mommy told me I would meet my secret dad when I’m a grown up girl but Aunty Sond said that would be far too late. Right, Mommy?”
Suzy nodded.
“Raj told Grandma how it can never be but Grandma said it’s now or never,” Saavy carried on, oblivious of the tension between her parents.
“Hey Dad...Daad...” Kavin touched his arm. “Mom showed me your ships on the Internet too.”
“Oh really—”
“Daddy, may I ask you an important question?” Saverna asked.
“Sure, Saavy.”
“Do you have a Rico?”
“Rico?” he echoed, glancing up at Suzy who shrugged, looking helpless.
She might as well!
“Grandma said there would be chicks and ducklings and Pegasus but do you have any penguins?” Saavy lisped.
“We don’t have any penguins.” Adrian smiled. “But we do have puppies, a cat, a parrot and swans.”
“Oh!” Savarna squealed happily. “Mommy has the best country in the whole wide world!”
“Are there loads of frogs?” Kavin asked. “Saavy thinks if she kisses a frog, it will turn into a prince.” He rolled his eyes. “She’ll get salmonella.”
“Saavy pulled her thumb out of her mouth. “It’s not about a real frog. Mommy said Uncle Josh would forever act like a frog until a girl kisses him.”
Adrian’s eyes of their own volition met Suzy’s.
It was magical the way her eyes told him there was no hope for him; he would always remain a frog.
“May I have a ride on your boat someday?” Kavin asked.
Savarna scowled at her brother. “Grandma said I would be the first to have a ride because you ran up and down the aisle.”
“You’ll both get lots of boat rides.” Adrian assured them.
“Thank you, Dad!” They chorused in exalted tones.
He straightened up only to lose his smile as his gaze collided with Suzy’s anxious ones.
“Why did you have to keep them a secret?” He demanded but he didn’t get too far. His daughter interrupted him.
“I know where Mommy hides all her secrets.”
Adrian went down to his daughter’s level. “Where?”
Savarna cupped her palms and whispered into his ears. “In a secret drawer in my room!”
Adrian chuckled.
Kavin was right. The little pixie couldn’t keep secrets.
“Saavy!” Kavin exclaimed “Over here!” He pointed at a patch of fluttering butterflies in the weed below.
Adrian stood up to his full height and looked at Suzy but she looked away.
“You’ve some explaining to do.” He said through his teeth right beside her right ear.
She jumped. “I had reasons and they still exist.”
God, he wanted to kiss that sulky mouth until it burned with the fury he felt.
He sighed ruefully.
She had made him the happiest man in the world.
He ought to trash this out with her in private but he knew what would happen, they would end up in bed like all the other times they had attempted to straighten anything.
“I didn’t want you to think you fell for the oldest trick in the book—”
“I swear!” he gritted. “Is that all that matters to you, your own damn selfish pride?”
She hung her head. “You hid things from me too.”
“I hid nothing!” he grounded out.
She lifted her chin. “Do you have a child with Valini?”
“No! She was pregnant before I met her!” He glowered at her. “I’ve no children with any other women! I was never married nor have mistresses in every port I own!”
“Vince!” exclaimed Sondra in the distance.
Vince grinned at Sondra. “Hey Sond...what you got in that backpack? Half of Canada…?”
Adrian swung his gaze back on Suzy. “Have you realized you robbed me of precious time with my kids?”
“I mailed you a letter,” she declared. “I’m sorry I lied to you about—”
“And you have been lying ever since.” He felt more rage building. “You lied about your sterilization and for all I know you could be pregnant with Raju’s child.”
“Have you gone mad?” she gasped.
“You arrived with morning sickness.”
