than she would have liked, Stephen pulled the boat to shore and tied it to the dock. He waved for them to come along. Alyson gathered herself and walked toward the boat. Samson followed closely behind.
She wasn’t sure what the day would bring, but so far she wasn’t pleased with its start.
On Sophia, Stephen’s powerboat, they traveled at a fast pace across the Atlantic Ocean. Stephen steered the boat through the clear turquoise waters. Alyson reclined on the leather seat on the port side of the boat, behind Stephen, while Samson relaxed in its bow. His back was to her, so she had an opportunity to check him out without his knowledge.
Samson and Stephen chatted about everything under the sun—whatever it was that men chatted about. Occasionally she’d tune in to the conversation, which didn’t really amount to anything more than a conversation about the ocean, deep-sea diving and the Islands of the Bahamas. Stephen was a diver, and boasted about it every chance he got. He’d go diving for fish and lobsters. Stephen told Samson about his and Alyson’s upbringing. As first cousins, they spent a great deal of time together as children and even as teens and adults. The Talbots were a close-knit clan.
When they arrived on Abaco, Stephen tied a rope from the cleat of the boat to the dock. He helped Alyson climb out of the boat first, and then helped Samson.
“I have a couple that I’m taking on a sightseeing tour,” Stephen said. “Shouldn’t take me more than an hour, Chicken.”
Chicken was a nickname that she’d never outgrown. It was a name that clearly didn’t describe her, as she was not afraid of anything. However, some of her family members saw fit to give it to her anyway, and she hated it.
“An hour? Are you kidding me?” she asked. “Why didn’t you tell me you had business on Abaco before you brought me here?”
“Alyson, this is my livelihood. I always schedule other business when we come here. You know that. I have to take advantage of every opportunity to make money.”
Stephen was definitely an entrepreneur. He owned a rental shop along the beach on the Eleuthera, where he rented jet skis and surfboards by the hour. He used his powerboat to transport tourists between the islands. Though Alyson often complained, she appreciated him allowing her to tag along on his moneymaking trips. But because he was her younger cousin, she felt obligated to give him a hard time—each and every time. It was a habit that she hadn’t quite grown out of. She didn’t care about Stephen leaving her for an hour, but spending time alone with Samson was what she feared most.
“Hurry back.” She kissed her cousin’s cheek. “I need to get back to the Eleuthera before nightfall. I have an early meeting that I need to prepare for.”
“Good luck with her,” Stephen told Samson. “She’s impossible to deal with.”
“I’m not impossible! I’m just a woman who knows what she wants.”
Stephen shook his head, and then stood on the deck. Lit a cigarette. “I’ll call you when I’m on my way back.”
* * *
Madison House was one of the most alluring properties in the Abacos. Positioned at sixty-eight feet above sea level and overlooking the Sea of Abaco, the magnificent beauty boasted six bedrooms and a great room all connected by massive breezeways. Each bedroom had its own private balcony. The vaulted ceilings, Brazilian wood flooring and the glass walls were by far the main attractions. The view of the beach from the great room was stunning.
“There are no words to describe this property,” said Samson. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more beautiful.”
“You like, huh?” she asked.
“It’s breathtaking.”
Samson followed her across the mahogany floors and into the kitchen with its upscale stainless-steel appliances and a dumbwaiter. French doors off the kitchen led to a porch that wrapped all the way around the property. She stepped outside and felt the tropical air against her face—breathed it in.
“I could live here.” Samson said it softly.
“Unfortunately it’s not for sale. But since you insisted on seeing it, here it is,” she told him.
“Here it is, indeed.”
They stepped back inside and took the winding staircase to the second level and to the master suite. Huge glass French doors led to an enormous private balcony with a view of the ocean.
“This is unreal,” said Samson.
It took them more than thirty minutes to finish the tour. When they were done, she set the alarm and secured the property.
“We can use the golf cart from this house, and I’ll drive you over to a nearby property. Of course it’s a little more quaint, but still very beautiful.”
“I’ll follow your lead,” he said.
They drove the golf cart along the road to a smaller three-bedroom house on Marsh Harbour. Tall palm trees greeted them in front of the well-manicured yard.
“This one seems a little more practical,” Samson said as they entered the home. “I like the kitchen. It’s much bigger than the other house.”
“Why would you care about a kitchen?”
“I cook. And very well, as a matter of fact.”
“And what is it that you cook?” she asked with a bit of skepticism in her voice.
“A little of everything, but mostly soul food. Collard greens and the best fried chicken you’ve ever tasted,” he boasted. “I make a mean sweet potato pie, too.”
She looked at him. “You make sweet potato pie?”
“A mean one,” he insisted.
“That’s my favorite pie. I can eat a whole one all by myself.”
“Well, maybe I’ll make you one someday,” said Samson. “Do you cook?”
“All my life. Mostly Bahamian dishes. Our mother made sure we all learned how to cook. Said the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” She laughed. “Not that I care about getting to a man’s heart. But it’s nice to know how to cook, nonetheless. At least I’ll never go hungry, right?”
“Why aren’t you interested in getting to a man’s heart? Aren’t you interested in men?”
“Of course I’m interested in men.” She set her purse down on the kitchen counter. “But I’m just not interested in the whole drama of a relationship right now. Don’t have the time or the energy. My life is fine just the way it is.”
“Relationships don’t always have to bring drama. Maybe you’re unhappy by your own choosing.”
“I never said I was unhappy! I’m quite happy, in fact.” She was convincing herself more than him. “But I’m just not interested in the whole drama of a relationship
