Love Overboard

Chapter 39

“HE DID?” JON CRADLED THE phone between his ear and shoulder as he typed on his office computer. “Great. Won’t be long before this is wrapped up. Collins? He’s been … keeping an eye on things. Listen, I need to get going. We have a huge masquerade ball in six hours. I appreciate you calling.”

A knock sounded at the door as he put the receiver on its cradle.

“Come in.” He shoved the masquerade paperwork to the side and began to fill out an accident report for a passenger. What kind of genius decided it was a good idea to take a selfie on a gym elliptical? And what kind of genius was Jon for allowing corporate to add a giant, swanky event on top of his other duties?

“Can I help you?” he asked without looking away from his computer screen.

“Hello, Mr. McMillan.”

Jon’s fingers stilled on the keyboard. He raised his head to find a battle line of Shippers facing him. They wore four matching expressions. Unhappy. His mind raced through the possibilities.

Denial.

Avoidance.

Retreat.

“No sense running.” Emily advanced. “We’d track you down again.”

The woman was a mind reader.

He stood and motioned to the two chairs in front of his desk. “I’m sorry I don’t have enough seats for everyone.”

“We’ll stand, thank you,” Gerry said.

It was the first time he’d seen her without a book.

Jon’s hands twitched, and he folded them in front of him like a chastened schoolboy. Maybe he should bow his head. He surveyed the others. Emily stood slightly in front, grasping a black three-ring binder. Althea and Daisy chose identical positions—arms crossed in front of them with their eyebrows dipping in the middle.

He gulped. “What can I do for you ladies?”

“You can tell us who you really are”—Althea jiggled her head back and forth as she said his name—“Mr. Jonathan King McMillan.”

“It seems you already know.” He ruffled his hair. “Would you mind telling me how much you know?”

Emily marched forward. “We know you belong to the family who owns this cruise line.” She took out the binder and opened it. “You went to Harvard. Graduated summa cum laude with a master’s degree in business administration. And your father has announced his retirement as CEO for the end of the year. We assume he’s been grooming you to take his place.”

“Have you considered a career in espionage? The government could use people with your talents.”

“Jonathan.” The disdain in Daisy’s tone lent her an air of offended majesty. “This isn’t the time for joking.”

“I apologize.” He bent his head. “My intention wasn’t to deceive you. My father and I thought I could run the business better if I learned it from the ground up. I’ve spent the last few years absorbing every aspect of cruising from stem to stern. When the drug problems broke out, I determined to investigate them myself, and corporate assigned me as the new cruise director.”

“Is Lacey aware of this?” Emily asked.

“She knows about the smugglers. But not my true identity. I plan to tell her soon.”

“Soon is too late.” Gerry stepped beside Emily. “If she hears it from someone else, it will break her. Confess everything now.”

“I’m working on it.” Jon rose to walk around the desk and held out his hands. “Please, give me one more day. I wanted to tell her in a special way when I propose.”

“Propose!” Althea clapped her hands together and squealed.

“Are you crazy?” Gerry’s mouth hung open. “It’s too soon. There are countless examples of unexpected marriage proposals that went haywire: Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, Rochester and Jane Eyre—”

“None of those people actually existed.” Althea swatted at her. “Besides, I’m sure Jonny is going to tell her all about himself first.” She turned to him. “Right?”

“Would I ask her to marry me without explaining who her new in-laws will be?” Jon grinned. “Let me get the ball out of the way tonight. Then we dock in Cozumel tomorrow. Since you introduced us to its romantic lighthouse on our last visit, I arranged for a special surprise.”

Daisy uncrossed her arms. “What kind of surprise?”

“The beach covered in candles and orchids. A special chef flown in to prepare the meal. Orchestra playing in the background. The works.”

Althea and Daisy made eye contact and cooed in delight.

Gerry shrugged. “Sounds like a decent setting. It might soften her up before you tell her.”

But Emily shook her head. “It’s too risky. What if she finds out before then? It would crush her.”

“No one will tell her. Only the captain is informed of my true identity, and he won’t say a word.” Jon took her small hands in his. “Trust me, Emily. I never want to hurt Lacey. It’s just one more day.”

“Did you pray about this?”

“Why do I need to pray about it? Isn’t God the one who brought Lacey and me back together? I don’t want to miss the chance he’s given me.”

Emily stared at him. A cross between a groan and a growl left her lips as she withdrew her hands and moved away. “I hope you don’t end up regretting this. Let’s go, girls.”

The other three parted to the sides, and she walked through the middle and out the door. Gerry and Daisy followed without comment. Althea stopped at the threshold. She gave him a wink before closing the door.

Jon let out the breath he was holding. He walked around his desk, hooked his foot under the bottom drawer, and slid it open. A small black box sat inside. He retrieved it and flipped the lid to reveal a delicate engagement ring. After kissing Lacey during their time in Nevis, thoughts of spending the rest of their lives together had flooded his brain. He’d barely waited a day before calling to place an order with a well-known jeweler in Galveston, and then picked up the ring on their last turnaround in home port.

The design reminded him of Lacey in every way. Unpretentious but rare. Jon held it closer to the window behind his desk. The afternoon sunlight hit the diamond and cast tiny rainbows across his office floor.

He sank onto his chair.

Was Gerry correct? Would Lacey also think it was too soon? It took almost three years to get her to officially admit she was dating him. Perhaps this was rushing it. But Jon couldn’t help it. He needed to be sure Lacey wouldn’t run again. More than that, he wanted to stop wasting time. And a life without Lacey was the biggest waste of time he could imagine.