Chapter 10
TEN
The plush leather seat beneath her was supple and soft, and the whole interior screamed luxury.
She would never have splurged for something like this out of her own pocket, which was why it was extra special that Blaine had insisted on having his pilot fly her here instead of taking the ferry like a normal person.
Not that she was complaining. The Pacific Northwest was more spectacular than she’d imagined.
The pictures and movies she’d seen hadn’t done it justice.
It was like Mother Nature had taken out her paintbrush and swept it across the landscape.
Deep blues and greens in the water that faded into the rocky shore, the island crowned in valleys and thick evergreen rainforest.
She couldn’t wait to explore it all. This was a chance to decompress and reset her nervous system in a secure place.
She planned to soak up as much of the natural ambiance as possible, unplug from the rest of the world and immerse herself in all that Skeleton Island had to offer.
And she looked forward to spending time with the man who had brought her here.
Below them, the helo’s shadow grew darker and more distinct as the aircraft approached the ground.
The pilot eased the skids down, settled on the ground for a few moments, then began the engine shutdown process.
She waited until the rotors started to slow down before removing her headset. “Thanks for the lift.”
“Anytime.”
She opened the door and climbed down into the golden autumn sunshine. Grinned at the tall, good-looking guy leaning casually against the side of the sleek black Audi, arms folded. Her heart squeezed.
He met her partway, wrapping her up in a big hug and lifting her off her feet, his lips pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Hey, Mads.”
She loved it when he called her that. “Hi, bossman.” She hugged him back, his familiar, masculine scent filling her nose. He felt like…safety and security. Two things she’d taken for granted until recently. With him she could let her guard down fully and be herself.
Blaine eased his hold and looked down at her, hazel eyes warm. “You look good. Been way too long.”
He looked good too. Better than he had in years. Maybe this place had a healing effect. “Happy to be here. And yeah, it has.” She glanced past him to his car. “Nice ride, by the way. Beats the ones we had overseas.”
His eyes twinkled at the shared memories. “Wait until you see the view from my place.”
“Yeah? Can’t wait.” She linked her arm through his as he led her back to his vehicle. “So, what are you planning now that I’m here?”
“I’m taking you home first, let you get settled.”
Home. She loved the sound of that. Home wasn’t something she had much experience with. “And then what?”
“Then I’m going to show you around the island in style.”
“Yeah? What did you have in mind?”
“We’re starting with a private whale watch tour this afternoon, then dinner at the best place on the waterfront.”
“That sounds amazing. But as long as I get to be with you, I don’t care what we do.”
He smiled down at her. “I’m really glad you’re here.”
“Me too.” She leaned into him, his tall, powerful frame grounding her. I’m okay. I’m going to be okay again. “All right. Take me home.”
Blaine knew the exact moment when Xanthe spotted him and Maddy approaching down the dock.
Her gaze locked on them. She froze in a bent over position, then straightened, her mouth compressed into a thin line. She looked over at the guy filling up the fuel tank nearby, her expression taut.
Guess she hadn’t been told who the client was for this afternoon.
“You’re the private tour?” Xanthe said when they neared the boat. A twin outboard zodiac that looked like it could be a former military vessel.
“That’s right. This is Maddy, by the way. She’s staying with me and just got in today. She wanted to experience the island, so I thought I’d take her out whale watching with a marine biologist.” He wanted to see Xanthe in action and learn more about the whales. Even though she despised him.
“Is that right?” Her tone was a bit cool, but Xanthe gave Maddy a polite smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“Maddy, this is Dr. Lazos.”
“You can call me Xanthe,” she said to Maddy before her gaze cut back to him. “But not you.”
Maddy’s blue eyes widened as she looked back and forth between them, but Blaine smiled. “Still adversaries, huh? Even though you beat me last night?”
She ignored him, focused on Maddy. “Where are you visiting from?”
“Europe.”
“Oh. You live there?”
“Off and on.”
From Maddy’s vague answer, Xanthe seemed to understand not to keep asking personal questions. “Well, welcome to Skeleton Island. Ever been whale watching before?”
“No, and I’m so excited.”
It showed. She was more relaxed here than he’d ever seen her. More alive, somehow. He was happy to see it. And relieved. For a while he hadn’t been sure she would be able to beat her demons.
“I hear you rescued a humpback last night?” she asked Xanthe.
“My skipper and I.” Xanthe gestured to the guy filling their tank.
“Blaine also tells me you’re a world-renowned orca expert.”
Xanthe shot him an almost wary look. “I am.”
“Think we’ll see any today?”
“There’s a good chance. We’ve had reports of humpbacks, grays, and some orcas in the area over the past few hours.”
“What about the one you saved last night? Is he okay?” Maddy asked.
“Nootka. He was last reported west of here, headed up toward the west coast of Vancouver Island, so that’s a good sign.
I’ll get an update from my colleague at the research station.
If he’s close by, we can go take a look.
Unfortunately our drone isn’t working, so we can’t follow him from the air to get a good look at him. ”
“I hope we get to see him.” Maddy turned to him, her eyes full of such excitement it made him smile. “I’m so stoked.”
“The sunny weather is a bonus, but you’ll still need these.
It’s chilly out there, especially when the wind picks up.
” Xanthe handed them each bright orange flotation suits, giving Blaine his without looking at him.
“And since we don’t have to wait for any other guests, we can leave a bit ahead of schedule if our captain’s ready. Lachlan, we good to go?” she asked him.
“Just about.” The tall man around Blaine’s age tugged off a glove and came over to shake with him and Maddy. “Good to meet you both.”
“Same,” Blaine said. “Looking forward to the trip.”
Lachlan climbed aboard the zodiac and stepped into the pilothouse.
Xanthe helped Maddy into the front of the boat, leaving Blaine to hop in after them.
The padded straddle seats were arranged in two rows from bow to pilothouse.
Maddy straddled one on the port side, and Blaine took the one beside her at starboard, facing forward.
Xanthe quickly untied the lines from the cleats on the dock and hopped back aboard as the engines started up, taking her position in the bow as Lachlan reversed them out of the berth.
“Let me tell you a bit about the orcas in our area. We have two distinct groups in these waters, transient Bigg’s killer whales that prey on marine mammals, and our Southern Resident orcas that rely on salmon, primarily Chinooks.
We have three different groups here, J, K, and L Pods, which are matrilineal.
Unfortunately, they’re all critically endangered, with only seventy-four individuals remaining total. ”
Maddy nodded soberly. “I read that. It’s so sad.”
“Very sad,” Xanthe said. “That’s why our work here is so important, because we need urgent conservation efforts at every level if we’re going to save them.” She shot him a censuring look.
Blaine didn’t bother responding. He’d never said or indicated that her work wasn’t important. But he also didn’t understand why the orcas were such a big deal.
He was hoping to learn more about them today, firsthand. And who better to learn from than a respected expert like Xanthe? Even if it was clear she didn’t want him there.