She scrambled to untie the rope holding her to the boat, then went back to the motor. It was idling. Turning the handle revved it, but she wasn't going forward. Stupid engine. She swiped angrily at her tears. There had to be a gear lever here somewhere. Was that it on the side?
"You couldn't wait even a few minutes?"
Suzie jerked her head up. Nate stared down at her from the yacht, his expression hard. If only he'd show some sign that she meant enough to him to fight for. If he'd give her something to work with, maybe it didn't have to be this way.
"What about your things?" His voice was harsh.
Crap, she'd forgotten her suitcase and purse. She was so worked up she would have motored off in just the clothes she was wearing without a cent to her name.
"I didn't think about … " The words choked off, the lump in her throat getting in the way.
He turned and went below. She put her face in her hands as she slowly drifted away from the yacht. What was she doing? Running away wouldn't soften the pain. She'd stay and talk it through with him, if only he was willing to drop his defenses.
"Here." He climbed onto the transom with her suitcase and purse, and managed to throw them the short distance into the dinghy without losing either to the sea.
"Nate, I … " What good was it trying to talk when his mouth was set in a hard line? His eyes were the coldest she'd ever seen them.
"I'm sorry," she managed.
"Goodbye, Suzie." He turned and went below.
She stared at the empty deck for a moment, tears running down her cheeks, wishing he'd reappear. Every second she sat there, the Coast Guard boat got further away. But it couldn't end like this, could it?
17
When he heard the tender's engine roar away, Nate stuck his head up from re-attaching the new battery to watch her go.
It hurt like hell that she could end their relationship so easily. But maybe it had been a lucky escape. If the pain was bad now, it would only have got worse later. This was exactly why he hadn't wanted to get close to anyone.
Only, as he watched the Coast Guard vessel slow to let her come alongside, he didn't feel lucky. He felt miserable. The last couple of days had been so spectacular he'd let himself be lulled into a false sense of security, thinking maybe it would be okay. He should have known better.
The crew pulled Suzie on board. After a short conversation, one of them got in their own tender and started towing their one back to him. What had she told them? Would the young man in the boat think Suzie was desperate to get away from him because he'd done something awful?
He steeled himself as the man got close enough to pass him the tender, but the man just gave him a nod. "We're going to drop her at Denarau," he said. "We're not usually a taxi service, but we're heading there anyway."
"Thanks." Nate wasn't thanking him for taking Suzie away, but for letting him know she was going to be okay. And for not treating Nate with the suspicion that Nate would have no doubt felt if their positions were reversed.
Suzie had disappeared from sight on the Coast Guard vessel, and he had a sudden urge to ask the guy to bring her back. Or to go over there himself, so he could convince Suzie to get back on board with him.
If Suzie came back, he could tell her that the last couple of days had changed him. He felt like they'd been discovering something wonderful. In spite of the way she'd left, he already knew he was going to miss Suzie like crazy.
He'd fallen for her. Head over heels. He had to be, for it to hurt so badly. So what now?
Nate glanced towards the dashboard. Maybe he hadn't managed to bypass all the blown circuits. If he convinced Suzie to come back on board but couldn't get the engine started, she'd never forgive him.
He raised a hand in farewell as the man turned back toward the Coast Guard vessel. Better she stayed where she was if it meant she was guaranteed to catch her plane. Besides, heading to Port Denarau on his own would give him the thinking time he needed. Time to decide if opening himself up to someone who could inflict this kind of pain on him had been the worst idea ever. To wonder whether it was possible to evict her from his heart. Could he cut his losses and run?
And without Suzie on board, he had time to run his tests properly and be sure his software was going to work. Yeah, this way was best.
Still, he waited at the rail, watching until the Coast Guard boat was out of sight. Half hoping it would turn around and come back, that Suzie would jump back on board, her blue eyes flashing as she berated him.
It wasn't until the boat had disappeared in the distance that Nate turned back to the battery. Ah, he saw where he'd gone wrong. He'd been in too much of a hurry. Once he wired it properly, the engine would start. At least, that's what he hoped.
Nate did the work, then held his breath as he turned the ignition key to the starting position. The ignition light came on, so at least the new battery was working and the engine had power. He turned the key all the way and the engine coughed, then caught. The roar cut through the silence, shattering the serene beauty of his surroundings. Nate sighed. He should feel overjoyed it had started. Instead there was an empty place in his heart.
"See, Suzie?" he said aloud. "If you'd trusted me, I would have got you there."
But she hadn't trusted him. No, Suzie had jumped ship the first chance she'd got. She'd left without giving him a serious chance.
Every time Nate had loved someone, it had damn near destroyed him. First his mother. Then Yasmina. Worst of all had been the endless years he'd spent waiting for Harrison to kill himself. And still, like a fool, he'd opened his heart up to Suzie. What had he been thinking?
She'd got him so turned around, he didn't know what the hell he wanted anymore. No regrets? That was a joke. If he could wipe the last few days out of his memory and go back to the way he was, he'd do it in a heartbeat. Anything was better than this.
Instead of using the electric winch, Nate lifted the anchor by hand. He wanted to sweat and strain and forget about Suzie. His software was what mattered. He'd prove it worked, go back to New York, and throw himself into creating something special.
Nate secured the anchor, then went to the steering wheel and put the engine in gear. As he motored away from the rocks, he had to force himself to keep looking forward, and not glance back at the place he was leaving behind forever.
18
"Holy mother of mess ups." Suzie put her hands over her face and tried not to panic. "It's all going wrong."
Marianna took a piece of calamari out of Suzie's frying pan and chewed. "The flavor's good, but it's tough. Did you leave it on the heat too long?"
"I don't know what I did," Suzie moaned through her fingers. "Damn, damn, damn."
"It's okay. Look, we have all the ingredients for mini quiches, and you've prepared them a hundred times. Honestly, it's safer not to make anything so fancy. The bride might have been okay with the switch, but I'm sure she won't mind if you go back to the original plan."
Suzie took a deep breath, trying not to cry. Her last chance to do something different on Friday night was blown. Marianna was about to leave for her holiday, and the recipe Suzie had been going to wow her with was a disaster. She was a failure. Again. And this time it was official.
Marianna checked her watch. "I'm sorry hon, but I only have a few minutes before I have to go. You're a great cook when you make the usual things. Now's not the time to try something new."
Suzie nodded, her throat too tight to say anything.
"You're going to do great tomorrow night," Marianna got her lip gloss and compact out of her handbag. "I only wish I could be there to enjoy it. I'll be back on Saturday morning and I want a full report."
Suzie's cellphone rang, and she fished it out of her handbag to check the display. Nate. When he'd called yesterday, she'd been so shocked to hear his voice that she'd made an excuse and hung up.
"Don't you want to answer it?" Marianna slicked gloss over her lips and pressed them together.
"No."
It stopped ringing. Suzie waited but it didn't ding. No message. She wanted to talk to him, but she wasn't ready yet. First she needed time to think things through.
Marianna dropped her makeup back in her handbag and snapped it shut. "Was that the guy you've been so upset about? Why won't you talk to him?"
"Because he's not who I thought he was. I mean, I thought he wasn't a regular guy. But it turns out he's as far from regular as its possible to get."
"What do you mean?"
Instead of answering, Suzie picked up her phone and found one of the articles that had come up when she'd Googled Nate. An eight-page article in Newsweek, devoted entirely to Nate. It was titled, The Industry Disruptor and included pictures of him lounging in a huge penthouse apartment with spectacular views over New York.