food for herself, but never any for Courtney.
“I didn’t know what you’d like.”
Why didn’t you ask? Her aunt’s lack of interest in any open communication between them baffled Courtney. Devanna never reminisced about the past, nor shared any childhood memories of growing up with Courtney’s mother. Any attempt to engage her in casual conversation fell flat.
Even though they were docked, Courtney felt isolated from everything and everyone by water, so she spent uninterrupted hours on the narrow deck encircling the houseboat. The weather had turned clear and warm, and the view of the surrounding mountains and the ever-changing water of the lake was a balm to her growing discomfort.
She loved watching the activity on the lake. Private boats, large and small, dotted the dark blue waters. Water-skiers created white wakes like rooster tails as they skimmed by, and two commercial tourist vessels made many runs a day. Sandy beaches were filled with swimmers of all ages, but Courtney never had the urge to get into the water herself.
She spent time reading some of her aunt’s books, but when she spied a small ladder leading to the flat roof of the houseboat, she welcomed a new way to spend her idle time. A perfect place for sunbathing!
Her spirits rose as she quickly changed into her swimsuit and grabbed her suntan lotion. Since her aunt had disappeared on one of her mysterious drives, and Jamie was taking a morning nap, she was free to have a pleasant time in the sun.
She climbed up the ladder, and was getting ready to stretch out on the roof when the noise of an approaching boat caught her attention. A sleek cruiser skimmed the water with a foamy wake, and she watched as it docked at another houseboat a short distance away.
Her sigh was filled with envy. The old rowboat that her aunt had said came with the rental of their houseboat didn’t appeal to her, and she doubted that she would ever try to take it out on the lake.
Keeping a motherly ear for any sound of Jamie, Courtney let herself relax for the first time since her arrival. The warm sun felt lovely. After a few minutes, she sat up, preparing to turn over on her back, but as she glanced across the water, she was startled to see the sleek cruiser heading in her direction.
As it came closer, she could see a man wearing a nautical cap and white sports clothes at the wheel. She couldn’t believe it when he eased the boat into their dock, next to the rowboat.
Who in the world?
Hurriedly, she descended the ladder and made her way around the deck to the dock side. She was absolutely stunned when she came face-to-face with the man she’d encountered at the restaurant the night of her arrival. She couldn’t find her voice to even say hello.
Neil pretended to be as totally surprised to see her. “Well, I’ll be! Can you believe it? Remember me? The rescuer of baby bottles and maps?”
More than once the helpful stranger had been in Courtney’s thoughts as she’d wondered what would have happened if she’d only seized the opportunity to get to know him.
He laughed deeply at her astonishment and held out his hand. “Neil Ellsworth. It’s nice to see you again. I guess it’s a small world, after all.”
“Yes it is,” she echoed. “Courtney Collins.”
Her hand felt soft, yet firm in his. “Nice to meet you, Courtney.”
“Why—?” she stammered. “I mean I don’t understand. What brought you here?”
“Business,” he answered with a solemnity that contrasted with the twinkle in his eye and the curve of his lips.
She smiled back. “What kind of business?”
“I’m your landlord.”
“What?” she gasped in total surprise. “You own this houseboat?”
Chuckling, he shook his head. “No, but my company handles the rental on most of the houseboats in Hidden Cove.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“It’s true.” He launched into the explanation he’d mentally prepared. “Since all the arrangements for Nevermore were made by mail, I thought I’d introduce myself to Devanna Davenport and see if the accommodations were satisfactory. She must be the aunt you told me you were joining for the summer. What a coincidence.”
“I’m afraid she isn’t here right now.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. I didn’t see a phone listing or I would have called ahead.”
“If you’d like to wait…?” She felt heat rising in her cheeks as she suddenly realized she was standing there in a very brief, hot-pink swimming suit that had never touched water. She’d bought it at a secondhand store, just for sunbathing.
“Thanks, I think I will. If it’s no trouble?”
“I was enjoying the sun, but I’ve really had enough for the first time out,” she lied. “Would you like to come inside? I think there’s some lemonade in the fridge.”
“Sounds great.”
As Neil followed her inside, he mentally patted himself on the back for orchestrating a way to see her again. Her slender figure was perfection in the revealing two-piece bathing suit, and the way she moved was sexy enough to stimulate his masculine desires. The pleasure of cupping her enticing backside with his caressing hands crossed his mind as she walked in front of him. She was every bit as physically attractive as he had remembered, but there was something more that had captured his interest from the beginning.
Ever since their casual meeting, he’d been asking himself what it was about her that intrigued him. Maybe it was a kind of melancholy vulnerability, or a challenging independence that reminded him of a frightened child bowing her neck to fight the world. Whatever the attraction, he only knew she touched some responsive chord deep within him, and he was drawn to her in some undefined way.
“Excuse me for a minute,” she said apologetically. “I need to check on Jamie. I’ll just be a minute.”
“No problem.” He sat down on one of the counter barstools to wait.
As Neil glanced around the clean and tidy room, he was satisfied he could reassure the owner that Devanna Davenport was a satisfactory renter. He was anxious to meet the aunt. Was she anything like her niece? he wondered.
When Courtney returned a few minutes later, he saw she’d draped a saronglike garment over her swimming suit. As far as Neil was concerned, the soft, clinging material only heightened the tantalizing lines and curves of her figure. He indulged in a fleeting masculine fantasy of drawing her close and feeling her loveliness pressed against him. Regretfully, he forced his thoughts back to reality and inquired politely about the baby.
“He’s still asleep,” she said, smiling. “He’s settled into the change nicely.”
“And what about you? Is living on the water to your liking?” Something in her bright tone seemed slightly false.
“I’m not sure.” Faint worry lines marred the smoothness of her brow.
“It may take some getting used to,” he offered.
“I guess so.”
Something in the situation was weighing heavily on her, Neil was sure of it. Even though he knew he should distance himself from any concerns about her private life, he couldn’t. The fact that he’d gone to such lengths to see her again mocked any indifference to her welfare.
“I hope this is sweet enough for you,” she said as she set down a pitcher and two glasses, and then took a stool beside him.
He took a sip. “Perfect.”
“You’re easy to please,” she said, smiling at him.
“Nope, to the contrary. My family accuses me of being the worst perfectionist in the world.”
“Tell