stopped herself. His mouth was stretched into that broad smile that used to melt her heart. But even his smile had changed. It was more reserved.
“Doesn’t seem like I have much choice, so let’s go gather up supplies.”
It didn’t take them long to fill a box with the things she needed. Anna lifted the box and Nico reached over to take it from her, his hands brushing hers.
She stepped back. “I can carry it.” One thing she could never fault in Nico was his chivalry. There was an incident once when they had hiked up to the Fonte Dam, and she’d twisted her ankle. Even though she’d been able to walk on it, he’d carried her on his back the entire four miles home. He hadn’t listened to her objections.
He raised an eyebrow. “Fine, then.”
They made their way back to the road. Anna’s arms protested. The box hadn’t felt that heavy back at camp, but walking through mud and debris was wearing her down.
“You okay with that box?”
She nodded. “It’s pretty light.”
His lips twitched but he graciously pointed to a pickup truck parked down the road. She saw that the big tree she’d climbed last night had been chopped up and moved to the side so cars could pass in single file. The locals weren’t going to sit on their hands and wait for help to arrive. She remembered when Nico had first introduced her to the island he’d said, No one comes for us. We’re more than twelve hours flying time from the US mainland. We fend for ourselves. At the time she’d been enchanted with the idea of living on a remote island and awed by the spirit of the people who charted their own course.
Branches and leaves still littered the road. As they crossed the fallen tree, her foot caught an errant limb and she reached out to keep from falling. Nico grabbed her arm to stabilize her, then wordlessly took the box. He walked to the passenger side of the pickup, opened the door for her and set the box in the truck bed.
She got herself into the seat, then shut the door before he could come around to do it for her. Nico placed his hand on the steering wheel but didn’t start the engine. Anna stared at him. He turned to her. “Before we see my family, there’s something I need to tell you.”
She waited. His face told her she wasn’t going to like what he had to say. Her heart slowed until she could barely feel it beating inside her chest. He tried to smile, but it was his fake smile, the one he gave when he was trying to put a good face on bad news.
“Nana has breast cancer.”
She gasped and instinctively placed her hand on his.
“She’s not in a lot of pain yet.”
A small ray bloomed in Anna’s chest. “Have you considered taking her to Hawaii or California for treatment?”
Nico shook his head. “I’ve begged, but she doesn’t want to leave the island. She’s convinced that it’s better to spend her last few days dying here than to waste away in a hospital on the mainland. Besides, Guam Hospital can do some basic radiation and chemo.”
Anger sparked through her. Couldn’t he see that his mother might have a real chance at treatment? Why are they so obstinate about staying on this island?
“That’s why you’ve been working so hard to get that hospital up and running?”
“She was only diagnosed a month ago. The hospital was well underway, but yes, my hope is that it’ll be open in time to help her.”
She squeezed his hand. His frozen face told her he was fighting back tears.
“There’s one more thing.”
She waited, watching his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. Her heart kicked up a notch. More bad news.
“My mother has asked me to marry again. She wants to see grandchildren before she dies. You’ll be meeting someone who’s very special to me.”
AS THEY DROVE down the littered road, Anna clung to the handhold while Nico swerved to dodge branches, pieces of furniture and random objects. At times, he had to go off-road to bypass a section.
“This is what you call passable?”
He gave her a half smile and wiggled his brows. Despite herself, she smiled back. It was Nico’s mischievous smile. Like the time he’d surprised her with their honeymoon. She’d thought they were going to Tahiti or Fiji. Instead, he’d driven her to a run-down house in Tumon Bay.
“What’s this?”
“It’s our new home.”
She stared in horror. They had talked about buying a house so they wouldn’t have to live in his family home, with his mother and the rest of his family constantly in their faces. Anna had pictured one of the cute cottages by the sea with a front porch they could sit on and enjoy breakfast as they watched the tide come in. While this house was on the sea, it looked like it would fall into it any second. The railings on the front porch were broken. A section of the roof had caved in. Trash littered the front and side yards. While she could hear the ocean, there was no sight of it. The whole thing looked like a crumbling heap that would collapse if she poked it with a finger.
“You bought this?”
He nodded and she turned to see his eyes shining, his mouth turned up in a brilliant smile.
“Now, I know what you’re thinking. This place is a dump and if we combined our salaries, we could’ve had something much better. But I wanted to buy this for you, with my own money, and fix it up the way you want it.”
Fix it up? This place needed to be bulldozed. Before she could say anything else, her feet left the ground as he lifted her. Automatically, her hands went around his neck so she could rest her face in the nook between his neck and shoulder. It was the best vantage point to breathe in the scent that was uniquely Nico. Earth, sweat and clean soap. Somehow the feel of his solid chest tempered her anger. It always did, and he knew it. He was still dressed in the cotton shirt and pants he’d worn to their wedding. She had chosen a plain white dress that fell to her ankles. Somehow a big wedding dress didn’t appeal to her. They were married in the church where Nico had been christened, then had a luncheon at the golf course. Her sister Caro had come with her two-year-old toddler and the rest of the guests included nearly every person on the island. Nico and Nana were connected to everyone somehow, either by blood or friendship.
Stepping onto the rickety porch, he kicked open the door, which nearly fell off its hinges. The inside of the house was only marginally better than the outside. They entered through a foyer with peeling paint and years of grime and dirt on the hardwood floors. Miraculously, the stairs didn’t crumble under their weight.
He toed open the door of a bedroom and set her down. Anna gasped. The room looked like it belonged to another house. There was a big wooden four-poster bed, complete with white gauzy drapes. It was covered in rose petals. A dark wood dresser held several candles, their flickering lights dancing along the mirror. The wide plank floors gleamed. Skylights let in the soft glow of the evening sun and big French doors led to a balcony.
Nico walked over and opened the doors. She followed him outside and
