Love's Stormy Gale (Heartsong Presents) Read online

  THE BRIDE’S SECOND CHANCE

  Two years ago, Olivia Shea was trying on her wedding gown, dreaming of marriage and motherhood. But her fisherman fiancé was lost at sea and Olivia fled, unable to stay in the New England fishing village. Now she’s back in Fairport, determined to face her fears by working on a whale boat tour. But the charter’s captain is the sole survivor of her fiancé’s illfated voyage—a man of danger and memories.

  Jonathan Barrotta’s scars from the night he nearly died run as deep as the vast Atlantic. To prove himself and to honor his friend’s memory, he vows to fulfill his dream of piloting his own boat. But a life at sea means a life without Olivia—the woman he’s always secretly loved. How can he ask her to be a fisherman’s wife? Only with the Lord guiding their way will Jonathan and Olivia chart a course toward home—together.

  Jonathan reached for Olivia’s free hand.

  “Getting my own rig is my dream, even after what happened with Robby. Don’t look at me like that. I’ll say his name if I want to. You weren’t the only one who lost someone.”

  “I know that.” Her voice barely sounded above a whisper.

  “Then be happy for me.”

  “Have you considered the risks?” She pulled her hand from his grasp.

  “If there’s anything I’ve learned, life is full of risks. We aren’t guaranteed the next day or the next breath. But God’s taking care of things for us.” Jonathan reached for her shoulders, but she stepped back.

  “Until the rug gets yanked out from under us on His whim.” Her voice quavered.

  “Liv, God’s not like that.”

  “So you want to put yourself in danger again?”

  “I’m not doing anything stupid. I know what I’m doing.” How else could he make her understand?

  LYNETTE SOWELL

  is an award-winning author with New England roots, but she makes her home in central Texas with her husband and a herd of five cats. When she’s not writing, she edits medical reports and chases down stories for the local newspaper. You can find out more about

  Lynette at lynettesowell.com, or find her on Facebook.

  Lynette Sowell

  Love’s Stormy Gale

  For my sisters Catherine and Amy, in honor of

  one “Perfect Storm” of a whale watch.

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  “Two more weeks, and I’ll be Mrs. Robby O’Leary.” Olivia Shea twirled on the dais before the full-length mirror in the dress shop, loving the sheen of her satin wedding gown. It was the stuff of dreams, the embodiment of her own dream ever since she’d been a little girl. The ball-gown skirt billowed from her waist to a long train. She stopped the twirl and posed for her maid of honor. “So, Mag, what do you think?”

  Maggie Donovan nodded, her smile stretching across her face. Mag had started her own fairytale life with her hero last year. “He’ll step right off the boat and sweep you up in his arms and carry you off.”

  “Smelling of fish and three days without a shower? I don’t think so.” Olivia snorted at the idea but grinned anyway. “No sweeping until after he cleans up.”

  At that, Maggie laughed and glanced down at her buzzing phone. “I need to take this. Then I get to cram into my gown.”

  “Oh, stop. You’re gorgeous.” Olivia waved Maggie off as her friend stepped closer to the main door of the bridal shop. Olivia glanced past Maggie out the front window and took in the sight of the cobbled streets of downtown Fairport. Despite the weather, her heart warmed as the rain pounded the stones and the street and drummed on the buildings. Wind lashed at the branches of the elms surrounding Fairport Square. But the sun might as well have been out, shining down in its June summer glory.

  No mere thunderstorm could have kept Olivia from one last fitting. Next week she’d meet the photographer for the formal portraits according to the schedule in her phone. Then the Saturday after that… No more stealing just one more kiss at the door when Robby dropped her off at her apartment after supper with his parents. Olivia felt a blush flow across her face. She ached for the security of Robby’s arms, even now. How long until his boat returned? If the weather wasn’t so bad today, she’d head over to the harbor and wait until she saw the Lady Jane chug home to port.

  But she had too much to do before the wedding to spend time scanning a stormy horizon. Besides the wedding, they had to close on their house. Two bedrooms and a sun porch, with a yard big enough to need a riding lawn mower.

  They’d weather this storm like any other. A nice payday would make their week of separation worth it.

  The front door opened, filling the room with the sound of rain on pavement and a shot of humidity. Frances O’Leary, bundled in a raincoat and hat, burst into the tranquil store. Her umbrella was a twisted mass of nylon and metal. She cast it onto the floor.

  “Frances, what’s wrong?” Olivia’s future motherin-law had never attended one of Olivia’s dress fittings, and Olivia couldn’t imagine why the woman had ventured out today.

  This afternoon Frances’s wrinkles looked as though someone had engraved her facial lines more deeply with a chisel. “Liv, something’s happened.”

  Olivia’s heart broke out into an uneven gallop. She clutched at her chest. Seed pearls tickled her fingertips. The lacework alone had cost hundreds. Her fingers touched the beads, the sequins. “Did you hear from Robby?” She sounded like a stammering schoolgirl.

  “It’s the Lady Jane.” Frances sank onto a nearby pink upholstered chair, oblivious to the rainwater puddling around her. “Didn’t you hear?”

  “No, what’s going on?” Olivia moved her hands to her skirt. Despite herself, she gripped the soft fabric. She glanced at Maggie, heading back to where she stood on the dais.

  “Oh, Liv.” Maggie gave a sob, then clamped her hand over her mouth. “That was Todd on the phone.”

  “The distress signal was triggered early this morning. The Lady Jane’s been lost.” Frances spoke the words to the carpet in front of her.

  Lost.

  The word echoed into Olivia’s soul. Did that mean the men had no directions to guide them home? Lost could mean anything, as in, they could be found. Maybe once the weather cleared, they’d chart a course home. GPS could help locate anyone, anywhere.

  “But the men?”

  “The Coast Guard picked up only one survivor,” said Frances.

  “Robby?” Breathe. Try to breathe.

  Frances bowed her head. The woman’s unspoken answer ripped a scream from Olivia’s lips. She’d never heard a sound like that before. She sank down onto the billowing skirt. It would wrinkle, but it didn’t matter. Nothing did.

  In the circle of Maggie’s arms, Liv buried her face on her friend’s shoulder and screamed again. “No, no, no!”

  Chapter 1

  Two years later

  Olivia grasped the ship’s railing until her knuckles turned white. She filled her lungs with the salty air, then slowly released her breath. A balmy June breeze whistled in her ears. Calm down. Now. She faced the ship’s bow as they traveled east, away from Fai
rport Harbor. Sun sparkled off the rippling water.

  A familiar longboat chugged past them. Dad! Olivia released one hand long enough to wave at her father, heading out to check his lobster pots. Then she clamped her hand back around the railing. There went the ice company, more docks, more fishing boats, their trawling nets wrapped up as their captains brought in the catch.

  For you, Dad. I came for you. Olivia battled the old ache, as she had every day since returning to Fairport. With the close of the school year in Pennsylvania, she’d bid her middle school biology students good-bye, loaded up her car and headed back to Massachusetts. Perhaps if she closed her eyes, she could imagine the waves turning into the green rolling hills near Harrisburg. Waves of grassy hills couldn’t swallow someone you love and tear them from you forever.

  She shivered at the idea of being out on the ocean again. Olivia willed herself to relax her hold on the railing. Lord, help me make it through this trip. The glory of Your creation is around me, but part of me wants to jump in my car and head back to Pennsylvania.

  Above the rushing water and clicking cameras and chattering tourists came Maggie’s unmistakable voice over the loudspeaker.

  “Today our vessel is piloted by Captain Jonathan Barrotta. Say hello, Jonathan!” The deafening ship’s horn was his reply.

  Olivia deserved stony silence from her old friends. She wasn’t surprised that so far neither of them had acknowledged her presence on the boat. Their boss Terry must have mentioned that she would be on board today, a trial run to see how she coped on the water. She’d been honest with Terry when he hired her, that the idea of being on the water was terrifying. But she was the expert on whales he needed, even without an advanced degree.

  She entered the large enclosed cabin that hosted a few café tables facing the windows outside and a small snack bar. Even inside, Olivia could hear Maggie’s voice pointing out harbor seals and other wildlife. Face it, girl. You’re not irreplaceable. Life had gone on. Olivia sighed, and ordered ginger ale and crackers from the snack bar. She found an empty table and slid onto a vacant seat.

  Life had also gone on without Robby, as she had known it would. Being back in Fairport, and out on the water, made memories of him come rushing back with the force of a tsunami. Time had dulled the edge of pain, but its assault was overwhelming nonetheless.

  Maggie breezed into the snack bar area and headed for the coffeepot. Olivia turned to face the window. Maybe Maggie hadn’t spotted her.

  “Liv! It is you!” She was engulfed in a hug, and a paper cup filled with coffee appeared next to the ginger ale.

  “Maggie.” Olivia swallowed hard. Her best friend, a comfort and source of humor during Olivia’s grief. She’d missed Maggie these past couple of years.

  “I thought it was you I saw in the crowd earlier. You getting your sea legs back?” Maggie’s brown eyes sparkled.

  “I’m doing well, considering it’s the first time I’ve been out on the water in ages. Dad says it’s like riding a bike, though I can’t say I’ve ever seen him ride one.” She shook her head at the mental image of her weather-beaten father clad in rubber hip boots and riding a bicycle to the docks every day.

  “How is your dad? I haven’t seen him around town lately. But since Todd and I started working on the house, we haven’t had time for much else.” Maggie took the seat across from Olivia.

  “So you’re working on renovations. That’s good to hear. I know you were talking about it before I left.” The boat smacked against a wave and her stomach lurched. Olivia leaned on the table to steady herself. She’d forgotten how even a ninety-foot cruise boat could get tossed by the waves.

  “Mmm-hmm! Even Jonathan pitches in when he has a moment.” Then Maggie rubbed her stomach. “Plus, come December, there’ll be three Donovans in the house.”

  Olivia felt a smile stretch across her face. “Wow, that’s wonderful.”

  Rosy-cheeked Maggie nodded. “I’m glad you’re back. Really. And not just for when I go on maternity leave.”

  Olivia shifted her gaze to the package of saltines. “I don’t know how long I’ll be working for Whale Tales. I told Terry I’d stay until the end of the summer at least, until the tourist rush slows down. And then I start my graduate program again.”

  Maggie tugged on Olivia’s arm. “Hey, speaking of Jonathan, you should come up to the wheelhouse and see him. He’ll be glad to see you.”

  Olivia looked at the stairs leading to the wheelhouse and resisted. “Maybe some other time. I’ve got all summer.” She smiled, trying to be casual. One memory at a time, thank you very much.

  “Well, I figured because he was practically one of your best friends besides me, you’d want to see him.”

  “It’s just—” Olivia broke off mid-sentence. She could readily conjure up an image of Jonathan—curly ebony hair, snappy dark chocolate eyes that crinkled at the corners when he grinned. He smiled the most when piloting, and Olivia imagined he didn’t look much different from his Portuguese ancestors at the helm of a boat. She could picture his scruff of beard because he’d run late some mornings and hadn’t had time to shave. He probably still wore flannel shirts, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, over ancient Tshirts and equally ancient blue jeans.

  Maggie interrupted Olivia’s pondering. “You can run, but you can’t hide.” Her friend’s mouth sealed into a firm line.

  “Right, Maggie. Now, don’t you have some travelers to entertain? We should see some minke whales soon. Or aren’t they feeding this close to shore right now?”

  “Fine.” Maggie frowned, then stood and smoothed the hem of her Whale Tales polo shirt. “And you’re right about the whales. We’re nearly there. See you after the trip?”

  Olivia nodded and watched Maggie climb the stairs to the wheelhouse. Seems all she’d done these past two years was run away. Making amends wouldn’t be easy. Lord knows my mouth hasn’t changed any. And knowing Jonathan, he wouldn’t waste words. He would only look at her with an irritated or angry expression, depending on how she goaded him.

  Quite different from Robby, who used to enjoy friendly verbal sparring, just so they could make up. At eighteen, she’d fallen in love with Robby the first time she’d seen him from the window of the Seaside Gift Shop. He’d caught her staring as he piloted his father’s boat into the harbor. Olivia swallowed her humiliation and introduced herself to him on the dock. Still smelling of the sea and its wildness, he’d charmed her with his wide smile and friendly demeanor.

  Six summers later with her undergraduate biology studies behind her, Olivia would have changed her name to Mrs. Robert O’Leary. Two years after the loss of the Lady Jane had been long enough to assuage the pain into a dull ache that would only spring up on gray days.

  “What have I gotten myself into?” She should have taken the motion sickness medicine. Waves of memory jumbled her insides more than the ocean waves. Despite memories, she’d work this job and make the best of reassembling her life in Fairport. Dad needed her, and she wouldn’t be yet another woman to walk out of his life.

  The deck pitched under her feet as she went out into the fresh air. A cry went out, “Whales at ten o’clock just off the port bow!”

  *

  “Liv’s down there, Jon.”

  Maggie didn’t have to tell him. Jonathan could see her silken ponytail bobbing up and down as she talked to a young child, pointing off the bow at the feeding humpback whale. No wonder she’d become a teacher. He caught her radiant grin as she faced the excited child. Jonathan felt himself smile, too, then he sobered. Olivia and Robby should have had a house full of little ones. Jonathan should have been the one…

  He banished any more should-haves from his mind and concentrated on the boat.

  Jonathan maneuvered closer to the whales so the passengers had a better view. They had paid good money to see the animals in their natural habitat, so he’d make sure they got their show. He never tired of seeing the flukes emerge from the depths of the Atlantic, or the sight of a humpback’s
tail pointing straight up into the sky.

  Maggie continued her narration of the whales’ activities, and the crowd gasped in delight as Spoon, one of the larger humpbacks, showed off her tail with its proud white flukes. Was it Jonathan’s imagination, or did he see Olivia turn her face up toward where he stood?

  “Quite a show today, huh?” Maggie muted the loudspeaker. “Terry signed Olivia on to work for the summer.”

  “Really?” Terry had been evasive about their newest naturalist. The Cetacean Institute of Cape Ann had been shorthanded with volunteers that summer, but Terry had assured him a CICA associate would be on board each Whale Tales voyage to narrate and answer questions about whale facts. “I didn’t know. She’s a smart lady. Knows a lot about fish.”

  “Mammals, Jonathan. Whales are not fish. They’re mammals.”

  “Okay, Mag. They’re mammals. They bear live young, have scant hair growth, produce milk.” Jonathan gladly traded banter with Maggie instead of discussing their old friend Olivia.

  “You’re forgiven. Come for supper tonight? Todd’s barbecuing.”

  “Sure. Haven’t gotten around to writing my grocery list anyway.” The ship’s radio squawked—more humpbacks farther south.

  Maggie notified the passengers of the sighting, and without being asked, Jonathan turned south and pushed on the throttle. He was sure Maggie hadn’t finished her comments about Olivia.

  “You know something, Jon?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I wasn’t sure what to think when I saw Olivia again. But Terry seems to think she can handle it.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Being out on the water. You probably won’t be her pilot all the time.”

  “Won’t be a problem for me. I can handle it.” Like he’d confess to Maggie that he’d missed Olivia so bad he could feel the pain to his very heart. They’d all lost Robby, felt it in different ways.