Instead she explained she and Luc were on their way out the door, and she’d call her again in a couple of days. After telling her she loved her, Olivia hung up the phone, relieved to have touched base with Piper without letting it turn into a frustrating exchange.
A few fishermen walked past, calling out to her in Italian. Words like bellissima. She smiled and waved back.
It reminded her of the evening she and her sisters had run away from Luc and his cousins on their newly purchased bikes. Every male along the road had whistled and shouted at them. But she’d only wanted Luc’s attention. No one else’s.
Now she was alone with him. Nothing compared to the feelings alive inside of her at this very moment.
“Señorita Olivo? It’s time to set sail for Monterosso. Are you ready for your first lesson?”
Olivia’s heart did a nosedive that went straight through the floor of the boat.
She’d heard that voice before. Yesterday morning in fact. It was as familiar as Luc’s. Not that she didn’t like Nic. He was awesome. But his presence could only mean one thing…
Don’t let him know how you feel. Don’t let either of them know. She would beat Luc at his game if it killed her!
She turned around with a beatific smile on her face. Luc had come back up on deck with him.
“Nic—what a fabulous surprise! I’m so glad you’re here. Can you be with us the whole trip?”
“Of course. I’ve cleared my calendar of business so I could come on this holiday, too. We’ll sail all the way to Marbella where you will be a guest at my house for a change.”
“Terrific!” She ran over and gave him an enthusiastic hug in front of Luc who by this time had stretched out on the lounger. She beamed up at his cousin. “This will be perfect. Now I have someone to enjoy the nightlife with me.”
His brown eyes gleamed. “You like dancing?”
“I adore it. This is turning out much better than I’d dared hope,” she replied in all honesty as visions of new possibilities to provoke Luc filled her mind. “Your presence relieves me of a worry.”
“You should have no worries on vacation!”
“It’s just that I promised your aunt I’d take good care of her son on this trip. With you along as captain of the Gabbiano, nothing can go wrong.”
“You didn’t always think that.” He grinned.
She grinned back. “A lady is known to change her mind.”
Nic chuckled. “We’ll spell each other off helping Luc.”
“Absolutely. But right now I want my first sailing lesson.”
“Anything to please one of Max’s sisters-in-law. I’d like to stay in his good graces if you know what I mean.”
“That works both ways, Nic. I want to be the kind of sister-in-law he admires so he’ll never wish we weren’t related.” Unlike someone else she knew.
“Max would never wish that.”
“Piper’s so worried about interfering, she says she won’t be coming to Europe again except for the christening of their first child. Unless Max and Greer decide to adopt, that won’t be happening.”
A frown broke out on his face. “Señorita Piper said that?”
“Yes. I’m afraid she was born with enough angst for the three of us. It’s the artiste in her. She has a conscience that works overtime.”
Just then Olivia made the mistake of allowing her eyes to stray to Luc’s. He was staring at her as if to say that explained why Olivia didn’t have a trace of one.
“I believe it’s the middle child syndrome,” she continued to explain to Nic. “Piper’s the peacemaker.”
Nic’s brows formed a distinct bar. “It won’t please Max if she stays away from Greer with the result that his wife is upset.”
“But Piper sees it as doing Max a favor. When he makes remarks about the three of us being joined in a seamless line, she doesn’t think he’s teasing. Frankly, neither do I.”