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“Thank you. Rub me anytime,” he teased.
She licked her lips. “You’re supposed to rub the lamp, not the genie, but I’ll look forward to it. Sit down with me. Have you already eaten?”
He circled the bed to sit down beside her and waited for her to start on the french toast before he tasted the scrambled eggs. “I had to make certain the breakfast was up to the Ortiz standard, so I’ve already sampled it all.”
The thick french toast was dusted with powdered sugar, and the maple syrup was warm. “This is so good, but I never eat this much for breakfast. You’ll have to help me finish.”
He poured her a cup of tea. “You could stand to gain a few pounds.”
“True, but not all in one sitting.” A firm knock at the door jarred them both. “Did you order something more?” she asked.
“No, I’ll get it.” He rolled off the bed and eased the partition closed before going to the door.
A steward addressed him with a slight nod. “Good morning, Mr. Vasquez. Captain Reyes says there’s a message for you, and he asks that you come to the bridge.”
“Can’t it wait?”
“No, sir. He told me it’s urgent.”
“I’ll be right back,” he called to Ana and left with the steward.
Ana was curious but not alarmed and swished another bite of french toast in the puddle of syrup pooling on her plate. It was almost too sweet, but she chewed each bite slowly to savor every single morsel. When Alejandro returned and pushed open the partition, his dark expression told her something was very wrong. “What’s happened that they had to call you?”
“My father’s suffered a massive stroke. My stepmother couldn’t wake him this morning, and he was rushed to the hospital. His doctor doesn’t expect him to survive the day. A helicopter is coming for me. I
hate to leave you again, but you’ll be more comfortable here. I’ll make travel arrangements for you just as soon as I can. Although you needn’t be caught in the mess if my father dies.”
Shocked that he’d dismiss her so easily, she struggled to remain calm. “Mess? Is that how you’d regard it?”
“My father runs a huge corporation. If he dies, the stock value will drop and…”
She rested her fork on her plate. “That’s your only concern, the stock value?”
“We weren’t close for a good reason, Ana. I won’t pretend to be devastated if we lose him. Start planning for our wedding. You must have a favorite designer who’d love to make your dress.”
She drew in a deep breath, but his sudden change in subject was difficult to grasp. “I’ll think about it.” She didn’t utter another word as he packed up a few things and left her with only a maple-syrup-flavored kiss.
Chapter Fifteen
The ship’s library was larger than she’d expected and had an old-world charm with oak bookcases and comfortable leather armchairs and hassocks where she could prop her legs. She took a book from the mystery section, eased herself into a chair, then let Maria move the wheelchair out of the way and go. A young man in a dark suit soon joined her.
“I’m Edwardo Mendoza, the librarian. Please let me know if there’s anything you need.”
She raised her book. “Is this any good?”
He frowned as though he hated to offer an opinion. “It’s not a book you’d keep forever, but for a quick shipboard read, it’s good enough.”
She handed it to him. “I need something more involving, riveting, if you have one.” She raised her skirt hem to show off her cast. “The most active thing I can do is read, so I need something really, really good.”
He pursed his lips. “Have you read R.J. Ellory’s A Quiet Belief in Angels?”
“No, is it good?”
“It’s one of my favorites. It’s beautifully written, and you won’t guess who did it until the very end.” He brought her a copy. “Let me know when you’d like something to eat or drink.”
“After the breakfast I had, I won’t have to eat for days, but a cup of tea would be wonderful.”
“Give me a moment.”
