Love on the High Seas Read online

  “Please tell me how I can reach her.”

  “You know, it’s been a couple of weeks. Why the wait?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know.” And he didn’t. She had his cell phone number, but she hadn’t used it. Maybe he’d just expected that she would call eventually, but now he couldn’t wait. “I guess I expected her to call, seeing that she has my name and number. I didn’t know what an impact that bio really had. And then I didn’t know how to reach her—or you.”

  “You seem genuine. And you’re gorgeous as hell.” She laughed, weighing the issue in her mind. Then she turned to him. “You’re looking for my sister, Angelina—Angelina Lewis.”

  Jeremy smiled at Safire. “Angelina Lewis. Thank you.”

  “I’ll give you her number, but that’s it. The rest is on you.”

  “I don’t want to do this on the phone. I need to see her.”

  “Look, for all I know, you might be a stalker. You’re lucky you’re getting this much.”

  He held up his hands.

  “Okay. Okay, I’ll make do.”

  Safire wrote her sister’s name and number on a legal pad and handed Jeremy the page. “But if it doesn’t work out, the real Safire is right here.” She gave him a wink.

  “You are a vixen, aren’t you? We might have to do something about that. We can’t let baby sister fall in with the wrong crowd.”

  “Ah. Now you sound like you’ve spent time with my sister.”

  She laughed, and he crossed the room to give her a brief, thankful hug.

  “I’ll be seeing you again,” he said.

  “We’ll see. No promises.”

  Jeremy left the office elated, but he was also a bit perturbed. Why hadn’t she ever told him the truth, at least about her real name? After what they had shared, that was the minimum they should know about one another. He remembered her starting to say something about her name. Clearly, she had changed her mind.

  He got on his BlackBerry as soon as he closed his car door. His reverse search turned up nothing, so she probably only had a cell phone number, but his online search brought her right up. Angelina Lewis was an assistant professor in the Department of History at Florida International University. And there she was—his Safire.

  It was almost three, but he wasn’t far from FIU and decided to take a chance that she might still be there. He found the building without too much trouble, parked illegally and went in.

  He found her in her office alone, checking her email. She had on a long skirt and a loose blouse with a bow hanging down from her neck. She shut down the computer and began loading her books, getting ready to leave.

  It startled her when she saw him standing at her door. Something in her face opened momentarily and then snapped shut in anger.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I needed to see you again.”

  She started packing up her books again. “Haven’t you had enough of a laugh at my expense?”

  “That’s still not fair. I wasn’t laughing. I wasn’t pleased, either.” He sat down in the chair next to her desk. “Safire—I mean Angelina. I apologize for my friends’ stupidity. You’re not like the bio. You haven’t been from the start. That’s not why I liked you.”

  “How did you find me?”

  “First I found your sister—the real Safire Lewis.”

  She rolled her eyes and let her head fall back. “Now she knows about all this.”

  “She knows some things. She interrogated me before she would even give me your name or tell me that you were her sister. You do look a lot alike, but you’re not alike. You know, you could have told me your real name. I’d have kept your secret.”

  “Whenever I thought about it, there were other people around or...”

  He caught what was on her mind; it was when they were making love. He lowered his voice. “Or there wasn’t anyone else around.”

  He saw a shiver run through her and knew that they had understood each other. He also knew that she was still attracted to him.

  “I couldn’t risk being caught using my sister’s passport. I figured I would find the right time to tell you, or I’d tell you when we got back. I didn’t know I was a...an amusement. I have to go.”

  “Please don’t go yet.”

  “I have a pickup to make by four.”

  “Let me walk with you.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about. We’re in the real world now, not the world of fantasy romances. And whoever you thought I was, I’m clearly not. And now I have to explain this to my younger sister.”

  She grabbed her purse and snatched up her case.

  “Have dinner with me. Let’s talk about this. There is something to talk about—us.”

  Before she could leave her office and enter the well-travelled hall, he blocked her path. He touched her face, running his finger down her jaw to her chin. He saw her shiver again, and he knew he was breaking through her defenses—some of them.

  But not all. She pushed his hand away and headed into the hall.

  “Whatever you say, I won’t believe you. I know what I heard and saw.”

  “You won’t believe me? At least you knew my real name. I never lied to you or kept anything from you.”

  Wait. This was not how he wanted things to go.

  “No, you and your friends just found a plaything. I can’t be that anymore. This is real life, and I have obligations.”

  “I’m not asking you to be a plaything, and you know it.”

  “I know no such thing. I heard them joking with you over getting some. I read that ad.”

  “Your sister is the one who wrote that profile. And it’s just like her, by the way. But it’s not what drew me to you or what made me spend all of my time with you. That was you.”

  “You don’t know me,” she said, spitting out the words.

  “I know enough to know that you liked me, too. You wanted me, too. That’s—”

  “Let’s just say that I don’t want you anymore and leave it at that.”

  They were at her car now, and she had put her things in the backseat. She was getting behind the wheel, and he had no way to stop her.

  “I’m sorry things turned out this way, but I have to go.”

  She turned on the engine, pulled out and drove off.

  He’d never been so infuriated by a woman in his life. He’d tracked her down, had come to find her and had apologized for something that wasn’t even his fault. And she’d just driven off. He wasn’t used to getting turned down and certainly not when he was actually trying.

  He got to his car in time to find a police officer giving him a ticket. He took it, got behind his own wheel and headed back across town to go home.

  She wasn’t even apologetic about not telling him who she was. She didn’t believe him. Well, that was her choice.

  By the time he flicked the remote for his garage, he was simmering. If she didn’t want to believe him, fine. If she didn’t want to talk things through, so be it. It she didn’t want to be with him, good riddance.

  Chapter 11

  Angelina finished her eggs and sat with half a bagel on her plate. She was waiting for Aunt Rose to finish her oatmeal; then Angelina could help her into the living room. She was also waiting for Philly to finish his eggs so that she could get him to school. Alex came back from the fridge and poured more orange juice for himself and Philly.

  “No more for me. Thank you.” She turned to Philly. “Eat up, honey. We’ll have to go soon.”

  “I’m almost done.”

  Angelina sighed. It had been several days since Jeremy’s surprise visit, and she couldn’t stop second-guessing herself. There was a moment during which her heart had leapt at the sight of him; then she remembered how it ended, and her joy came cra
shing down. He had sought her out, but he couldn’t change what had happened. She wanted to believe him, but it would only mean degrading herself further.

  Angelina got her great-aunt’s pill organizer and emptied out the morning pills and supplements.

  “All these pills,” Aunt Rose said. “They do you more harm than good.” But she took them.

  When her great-aunt was finished, Angelina got up and took their plates and then wrapped up the rest of her bagel for lunch. Alex was already done and got Aunt Rose’s walker, placing it next to her and holding it while she got up from the table.

  Alex was such a godsend. He usually wore low-hanging jeans and scruffy T-shirts, looking like something the dog brought home. He generally went about with a cocky look, but he was a sweet kid—quiet to a fault but willing to pitch in and reluctant to ask for anything in return.

  Philly was her little pumpkin. At six, he still had baby fat around the edges and the sweet, open face only a child can have. Soon it would start to elongate and get angular, but now his big brown eyes held the awe and wonder of youth and matched the high-pitched giggle he made when she tickled him.

  She was about to quiz Philly on his homework when he announced that he was done.

  “The bathroom’s next,” Angelina said. “And wash your hands.”

  She cleared the rest of the plates and glasses from the table, emptied them, and loaded them into the dishwasher. Then she got Philly’s backpack, and when he returned, she helped him get it over his shoulders.

  “This thing is almost bigger than you are. Is it too heavy, little one?”

  “Nope.”

  “Okay. Well, let’s see if Aunt Rose is settled, and then let’s go.”

  Angelina went into the living room to check on her great-aunt, who was in front of the television. Alex was flipping the channels for her.

  “Aunt Rose, are you okay?”

  “Just fine, honey, just fine.”

  Philly had come in from the kitchen. Suddenly, though, he was on the floor.

  Angelina ran to him. He was on top of his backpack. His eyes were closed, and his body was stiff.

  “Philly? Philly, can you hear me?”

  He didn’t respond. Right under her hands, he began twitching and jerking violently. His arm hit hard against the foot of the couch, and Angelina put her hand between him and the couch to stop it from happening again. She pulled him out from against the couch, trying to figure out what to do.

  “Alex. Alex. Call 911. No. It’ll be quicker if I just take him. Run upstairs and get my purse.”

  Alex took the stairs two at a time.

  “Aunt Rose, I need to take Philly to the hospital. Alex will stay with you.”

  Alex had returned, and they both stooped over Philly. When the convulsions stopped, he just lay there.

  Alex picked him up. “I’m coming with you.”

  Angelina looked from her great-aunt to Alex. “Okay. Take him to the car and get in the backseat with him. Aunt Rose, we’re taking Alex to the hospital. I’ll call to let you know what’s happening and when we’ll be back. Will you be okay on your own for a little while?”

  Her great-aunt was already waving her hands, ushering her out the door.

  “Yes, dear, yes. Get the boy to the doctor.”

  “If we need to, I’ll call Ms. Armstrong to see if she can come by.”

  “Go on, now, go on.”

  Angelina grabbed her purse and ran out the door.

  Philly was still largely unresponsive when they brought him to the emergency room, so he was treated rather quickly.

  “Has he had any other seizures that you know of?” the doctor asked.

  “No. None.”

  “Has he had any fevers recently?”

  “No, he’s been fine.”

  “Describe what happened.”

  Angelina started describing the event, but she couldn’t stop herself from growing emotional as she spoke. At the end, her voice was quavering, and there were tears in her eyes. “Then he just lay there.”

  “Has he had any infections recently?”

  “No.”

  “Any blow to the head?”

  “No, but I’m worried that he hit his arm when he was thrashing.”

  “Is he on any medications?”

  “No. None.”

  “Do you have any family history of seizures?”

  “No, not that I know of.”

  The doctor turned to Philly. “How old are you, Phillip?”

  “Six.”

  “How is your arm?”

  “It’s okay.”

  “Does anything hurt?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  She pointed a light at each of his eyes.

  “Can you follow my fingers with your eyes?”

  Philly followed her directions.

  The doctor had been writing in her chart. She looked at it and then turned to Angelina. “Well, Ms. Lewis, what you described is a seizure, and he’s recovering from it fairly quickly. There are lots of reasons that children have seizures—infections, medications, poisons, even unknown causes.

  “What we’re going to do now is draw some blood to check his sugar, his sodium and so on. I’ll also look at his arm. If all the blood work comes back okay, we’re going to send you to your regular doctor for a referral to a neurologist.”

  “Could it be epilepsy?” Angelina asked.

  “One incident is too soon to tell. The neurologist will run a series of tests to find out. All of that will happen before any diagnosis is made or any medication is recommended for seizures. In the meantime, I’m going to give you some information on what to do if a seizure recurs, and I’ll give you an extra copy for his teacher. If he has another one before he’s seen by his regular doctor and a neurologist, bring him back to the E.R.”

  It was all a lot to take in. The blood tests came back normal, and Angelina was given a copy to take to their doctor. She called Philly’s doctor, who was able to see him that afternoon.

  Her classes met on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Luckily, today was Tuesday. She had spent the morning in the hospital; she got Philly to his pediatrician that afternoon. They were set to see a pediatric neurosurgeon the following Tuesday and told to watch for additional seizures.

  Alex was a sweetheart throughout the whole thing—holding Philly after he got out of the E.R., keeping Aunt Rose company while Philly saw Dr. Wilson. She hugged him tightly at the end of the night. She had been worried that he wasn’t getting his life together, but now she also saw that when he felt needed, he stepped up to the task. If he could get it together, he would be a valuable young man.

  Dr. James Carter was a pediatric neurologist at Miami Children’s Hospital in South Miami. They lived in North Miami, so it wasn’t one of the facilities near her home, but Dr. Wilson said he was one of the best, and Philly needed the best.

  She’d never been to Miami Children’s Hospital, but she was there the following Tuesday with Philly in tow. Alex had come to keep them company. She was sensing that he cared for Philly. He’d been keeping a closer eye on Philly since the first seizure, and he wanted to come to the doctor with them. Ms. Armstrong would look in on Aunt Rose that afternoon, which she usually only did when Angelina was in school.

  There had been another episode, and she’d taken him back to the E.R., but it was the same as the first time: he recovered after a little while, and all the blood tests came back normal. That was Saturday. Since he already had an appointment to see a neurologist, they sent him home.

  Dr. Carter seemed competent and ordered a series of immediate tests for Philly. It was a good thing she’d planned on spending the day because they’d be there for most of it. The first stop was for an MRI scan of the brain. They expected a wait, so Alex to
ok Philly onto his lap, saving a seat for her, while she went to the registration table to sign in.

  Angelina was stunned to see Jeremy come out in a lab coat and call Philly’s name. Apparently, he was just as surprised to see her and to see Philly climb down from Alex’s lap, go to her and take her hand.

  She hadn’t planned to see Jeremy again and not here. She felt exposed and hoped that Philly and Alex didn’t notice anything. There was a flutter in the pit of her stomach—nerves. But why? It was over.

  At first she didn’t know how to react. Then, knowing that it was for Philly and that there was no way to avoid the contact, she simply stepped toward Jeremy.

  “He’s right here. And you’re a radiologist.”

  “A neuroradiologist, yes. Follow me.”

  After some brief questions, Jeremy, Dr. Bell, called in his assistant and handed her Philly’s referral sheet and chart.

  “Evelyn, please prep young Mr. Lewis for his MRI. I’ll be in shortly. See you in a minute, kiddo.”

  Jeremy smiled at Philly but glared at her. Well, such was life. Fairy tales happened in romance novels and on cruise ships. In real life, you had to suck in your gut and keep going. And Philly needed this so that they could know what was wrong.

  She followed the technician, who handed her some paperwork. Then they had Philly take off everything and get into a small hospital gown. He was placed on the table leading to the large machine, and they put supports on either side of his head to keep it from moving. She was allowed to stay with him there until the doctor, Jeremy, came back. Then she was called to the adjoining room.

  “It’ll be okay, Philly. You just hold still for as long as they tell you to hold still. Okay?”

  “Do you have to leave?” Philly asked.

  “I’ll be right in the next room where I can see you and hear you the whole time. Okay, sweetie?”

  “Okay.”

  She kissed his forehead and patted his hair before leaving his side. The test took some time, but Jeremy and his staff were soothing. It was clear that they were used to dealing with children.