Making a Splash

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“Joanne Rock puts her own personal magic into the pages of Highly Charged!, giving us a story that defines romance.” —Cataromance, 5 stars

“The super-sexy Highly Charged! is an explosive good time.” —RT Book Reviews

“A thrilling romantic suspense that will keep you turning the pages.” —RT Book Reviews on Under Wraps

“Definitely a home run!…

Characters jump off the pages and into our hearts.” —Cataromance on Double Play

“Readers will be held captive by Joanne Rock’s superb historical.” —Genre Go Round Reviews on The Captive

“Very hot, as is Ms Rock’s trademark.” —Tampa Bay Examiner, 5 stars on In the Laird’s Bed

The mother of three sports-minded sons, JOANNE ROCK’S primary occupation is carting kids to practices and cheering on their athletic prowess at any number of sporting events. In the windows of time between football games, she loves to write and cheer on happily-ever-afters. A three-time RITA® Award nominee, Joanne is the author of more than fifty books for a variety of Mills & boon series. She has been an RT Book Reviews Career Achievement nominee and multiple Reviewers’ Choice finalist, including a nomination for The Captive as best blaze of 2010. Her work has been reprinted in twenty-six countries and translated into nineteen languages. over two million copies of her books are in print. For more information on Joanne’s books, visit www.joannerock.com.

Making a Splash

Joanne Rock

To my sister and brother-in-law,

Linda and Bob Watson.

Thank you for letting me hang out on the boat and for

giving me another book idea. Turns out my Florida

visits are not only fun and fattening but creatively

productive, as well. I appreciate you!

Prologue

JACK MURPHY HAD BEEN BACK in town for less than four weeks since he’d completed his navy contract and returned to Chatham, Massachusetts, from Bahrain. Already Keith had noted the changes in his older brother. Jack was quieter. More brooding than he used to be. And he refused to resume his old job as VP of global properties for Murphy Resorts, the family business.

Perhaps most notably, he hadn’t bothered to show up for a family football game the day before, even though all the Murphy brothers were back in town at once—something that hadn’t happened since Christmas three years ago. Clearly, something was wrong.

Keith watched him now as they shared a table at their oldest brother’s engagement party on the lawn of the family’s home overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Jack stared out at the waves, while one table over their father tapped his beer bottle to signal for the crowd’s attention.

There were six brothers—five by birth plus Axel, the foster brother from Finland who’d been with them for eight years. Out of the six of them, Jack and Keith had both landed in the middle, with twenty-eight-year-old Jack eleven months older than Keith. They shared a look—the family pictures proved it (as well as the face that Keith dressed better than the rest). All the brothers had inherited their father’s green eyes, in varying shades, and dark brown hair. Even Axel fit the mold, except for his blue eyes. Danny and Kyle—twenty-six and twenty-five years old respectively—carried the most muscle. Jack was the tallest. The other differences were in the way they carried themselves. Ryan was the corporate shark who would take over the family business. Jack was ex-Navy, clean-cut and brooding. Keith the GQ charmer—he’d like to think—who’d developed his own company. Danny was a former rocker with a goatee and bad-ass sneer, but he’d joined the Navy, too, and had no plans to get out. Kyle was a hockey superstar whose nose had taken its fair share of hits. Axel had come to the U.S. to ease his transition into the National Hockey League after playing on college teams with Kyle.

As the family peacemaker, Keith naturally felt compelled to pinpoint the problem with Jack. He’d ruled out post-traumatic stress disorder last week, thank God, after strong-arming his closemouthed brother into talking about his second overseas stint in four years. In-stead of PTSD, he’d discovered that Jack had a woman problem.

And that, Keith planned to address tonight.

“To the future bride and groom!” Their father’s hearty toast reverberated through the huge outdoor tent on the lawn.

On cue, Keith clanked glasses with his brothers in honor of Ryan and his bride to be. At least one of the Murphy men was in a good mood today.

Not that they weren’t all glad for Ryan, whose hard work with Murphy Resorts had more than earned him some personal happiness. That’s why all the Murphys had heeded the call to return to the sprawling house on Cape Cod for tonight’s brouhaha.

Jack didn’t bother suppressing a scowl despite the festivities. Even as the chamber ensemble gave way to a lively dance band that cranked up tunes for the future bride and groom, Jack slid back into his chair after the toast and drummed his fingers on the white linen tablecloth.

The guy’s problem had a name, of course. Alicia LeBlanc. She was a firecracker and just the kind of woman a strong-willed man needed. But with two ardent opinions at work, they’d been too stubborn to see the possibilities of a future together, and Jack had joined the navy at a critical juncture in their relationship, telling her not to wait for him.

Nothing like slamming a door on a future.

The family had assumed four years away from home—returning only on the occasional leave—would cure Jack of Alicia. But he’d come back from Bahrain more restless and edgy than ever. Something needed to be settled between those two, one way or another.

Luckily, Keith had a plan to shove his hardheaded brother in the right direction—he just happened to have the woman in question aboard his boat and docked nearby at this very moment. Because of his success starting up the environmental consulting firm he now ran, Alicia had approached Keith two weeks ago with some questions about developing a business plan for a bed-and-breakfast she hoped to purchase. He might have simply given her the advice and sent her on her way. But the inn she wanted was up in Bar Harbor, Maine, close to where Keith was headed. He needed to hand off the catamaran to one of his company’s VIPs as part of a corporate incentives reward. He’d agreed to give Alicia all the help she wanted, but because of his busy schedule, he’d talked her into discussing her plans on the ride to Bar Harbor. It would save him time, and allow her to view the property.

They were supposed to leave right after Ryan’s engagement party. Right after Keith trotted out a little old-fashioned maneuvering to make sure Jack was aboard the catamaran for the trip north tonight instead of him.

“So how’s the Vesta handling these days?” Keith began, turning the discussion to watercraft as the band launched into “Moonglow” and their parents took the floor beneath a small chandelier suspended under one of the tent canopies. “Are you getting tired of sailing solo yet?”

It was a comfortable, easy place to begin a familiar argument about the merits of their respective boats, and Keith tipped back the last of his champagne while he watched Jack’s scowl deepen. Around the small table, Danny peeled the label on his microbrew while Kyle thumbed a text message faster than a teenage girl in spite of his massive hands. Axel furtively checked his PDA for rival-team hockey scores. The mild evening weather stirred a breeze fragrant with late blooming flowers the landscaper had imported for the occasion.

“She’s as smooth as ever,” he muttered, although he didn’t rise to defend the twenty-six-foot vintage fiberglass sailboat with the same fire as usual. “But I’ve got an offer on her and I’m taking her down to Charleston this week to meet with a potential buyer.”

Crap.

Keith hadn’t planned for that possibility, thinking he could goad Jack into a boat switch for a few days with no problem.

“You’re selling the Vesta?” This surprised him for a few reasons, not the least of which was because the Vesta was the first sailboat he’d ever purchased, and he’d christened it with Alicia.

What if Jack was truly making an effort to move on?

“Probably. Maybe.” He shrugged. “Heading south this time of year is bound to be a good idea either way. I’m doing some investing in local businesses and figured I might as well free up my capital to continue in that direction.”

What direction? Keith wanted to shout, since investing hardly amounted to the kind of hands-on work Jack preferred. His brother really did need help finding his way back to a satisfying civilian life.

All the more reason for Keith to forge ahead with his plan, right?

“Yeah?” Thinking fast, he tried to figure out how to make the scheme come together in light of the new wrinkle. “You ought to let me deliver the Vesta for you, bro. I have a client I need to see down that way and I’m well overdue for some time off.”

Jack snorted. “You? Sail the Vesta solo all the way to South Carolina?” He shook his head. “You forget, a vintage classic like a Pearson Triton doesn’t come equipped with all the techno-gadgets you need on the miniature corporate yacht you’ve got. I don’t know how you’d manage without satellite positioning and automatic docking.”

“Is that right?” Keith felt the same thrill as when he had a new client on the line, ready to close a deal that would reap fat rewards for his growing business. He could tell he had Jack on the hook. “I’ll bet I could handle the Vesta a whole hell of a lot easier than you could navigate a state-of-the-art, forty-five-foot power catamaran on your own.”

Across the table, Daniel’s eyes flicked their way and Kyle set down his Black-Berry, the brothers drawn into the bickering like moths to a flame. Hell, they’d forged a brotherhood by more than blood—which was why super-competitive Axel had fit right in. Every Murphy present was used to the unspoken family code of “don’t talk the talk if you can’t walk the walk.”

And they all talked a damned good game. Bets and competitions were their way of life. No clan affair was complete without an impromptu game of football or a wager over who could throw a ball, horseshoe, javelin, you-name-it the farthest.

“Do you remember who you’re talking to?” Jack shook his head in disbelief, though he lowered his voice in deference to the fact that their mother had zeroed in on their table and was making her way toward them with determined steps. “You think I don’t know state-of-the-art boats? I’ve been in the U.S. Navy for the last four years.”

The hard glint in Jack’s eyes told Keith his brother wasn’t backing down. Of course Jack could handle the boat. It was Alicia LeBlanc who would provide the challenge. And damned if Keith didn’t feel the smallest twinge of guilt for sending Jack into the fray unarmed and unaware.

But Keith knew what it was like to get taken in by a manipulative woman. And it pissed him off to think about his brother setting aside someone like Alicia without looking back. People fortunate enough to have something special like that had no business throwing it away.

Their mother arrived at the table in her peach silk dress and dyed-to-match pumps, her outfit perfectly coordinated with the harvest-themed colors of the engagement party. Colleen Murphy was all elegance on the outside with her understated diamond earrings and her French manicure, but she had a steely strength as tough as that of her sons. The fire in her light blue eyes right now suggested her maternal radar had gotten wind of a wager in the making.

“Boys?” She intervened discreetly, her gaze moving over each one slowly. “We agreed there would be no resolving disagreements with feats of strength tonight, remember?”

On cue, Kyle flexed his biceps for show. “As if there was any point to that when the winner is so obvious.”

Keith rose to his feet to put her at ease.

“No arguments here, Mom.” He kissed her cheek as he pulled a set of keys from his pocket and tossed them on the table. “Jack offered me a chance for a little downtime on the sailboat this week, since I was in the market for a vacation. He offered to take my boat up to Bar Harbor for my company’s chief financial officer to use, while I get to sail the Vesta down to Charleston to meet a guy who wants to buy it. Just a friendly swap.”

Daniel and Axel snickered. Kyle hid his grin behind a champagne glass. And Keith had to pat himself on the back for pulling off this operation so smoothly.

“That’s it?” their mother pressed. “A friendly trade?” She peered around the table, daring any of them to disagree.

Jack rose, staring Keith down for a little longer than was strictly necessary before offering a warm smile to their mom.

“That’s it,” he assured her. He took Keith’s keys and pocketed them. “I’m docked two slips down from you, bro. And since I don’t have one damn thing worth locking up, you won’t need a set of keys to get in. Good luck with a boat that doesn’t come with enough horsepower to fuel a jet engine. Sailing single-handed requires elbow grease.”

Keith yawned to demonstrate what he thought of the warning. “Not a problem. When you cut yourself off from the rest of the world, it’s easy to focus on one thing.” He loosened his tie. “I could use the life of leisure for a week.”

Keith noticed Kyle whistling under his breath at the implication that Jack was taking it easy. But damn it, when was he going to get back to his position at Murphy Resorts?

Jack seemed ready to fire off a retort when their mom extended a peach-silk-covered arm between them and gestured to Kyle, Axel and Danny.

“Speaking of leisure,” she blurted, no doubt to divert them, “there are some lovely young ladies here who would probably enjoy a turn on the dance floor.”

How was that for a segue? His brothers took the bait, standing to attend to their bachelor duties as the band began a swing tune.

Jack’s jaw flexed in an obvious effort to swallow back whatever he’d been about to say. He tapped Keith in the center of his chest. “Your life is only as complicated as you make it, hotshot. I’ll have your boat relocated to Bar Harbor in a few days and leave myself enough time to take in the sights.” He turned to their mother and kissed her cheek. “Mom, it’s been a pleasure. I’ll pay my respects to the happy couple on my way out.”

When he had disappeared into the darkness and out of earshot, Colleen peered up at Keith.

“I don’t suppose you care to tell me what that was all about?” She twisted the small diamond stud in one ear.

“I’m just trying to remind Jack that ignoring the obstacles in life doesn’t make them go away.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about and no clue how a week on a spiffed-up catamaran will call to mind any obstacles for Jack.” She tipped her head toward his shoulder to murmur a quiet warning. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

He thought about Alicia, who should have already arrived aboard his boat and would quite possibly be safely asleep by now, since he’d warned her he would be late. They’d set a tentative time to talk over the business plan tomorrow afternoon. That was his only regret in his scheme to help Jack confront his past: Keith genuinely had some ideas for her. But he’d prepped a file to email her in the morning, so she wouldn’t be deprived of that input.

Besides, Jack knew more about the hospitality industry than him after working in the family business. Keith had gotten out from under the family thumb early in his career.

“Trust me.” He took his mom’s arm and led her toward the dance floor. “When you run as hard and fast as Jack does from happiness, you’re bound to slam headfirst into trouble sooner or later. I’m merely speeding up the inevitable collision.”

His mother stopped short a few feet shy of the hardwood dance surface. Keith could practically see the wheels turning in her mind, her delicately arched blond brows furrowed in thought before they smoothed out again.

Clearly, she’d reached the logical conclusion about Jack. The one thing he’d run from hard and fast—love, in the form of Alicia LeBlanc.

“Don’t tell me Alicia is in Bar Harbor.”

“Better yet, she’s on my boat.” Keith grinned, unrepentant. He tugged his cell phone out of his pocket and slid open the keypad. “But don’t worry. I’ll give Jack a heads-up…once I’m sure it’s too late for him to turn back.”

1

JACK’S CELL PHONE buzzed at least three times before he even got his brother’s sleek catamaran into open water.

He knew it was nothing pressing, since the text messages had subject lines such as “quick heads-up” rather than “URGENT.” So he ignored them, figuring Keith wanted to share a lot of details about his high-end vessel—as if Jack couldn’t figure out how to steer a boat without the help of GPS gizmos. Jack had gotten this far in life by knowing when to tune out the rest of the world, a lesson his workaholic brother had yet to process.

Keith the Corporate Mogul took every incoming call as if it were life or death, assuming the world couldn’t turn without his input. Jack had weathered enough storms to know plenty of problems blew themselves out without him lifting a finger. While Keith positioned himself for the Forbes list, Jack was content to invest some of his savings in local businesses, as he’d been doing since he returned home a month ago. Nothing big. He gave those struggling bars a hand up in a rough economy while he figured out what direction he wanted his career to take now that he was out of the service. Returning to the family business wasn’t a direction that particularly appealed.

In the meantime, he’d started selling off a few of his personal possessions to consolidate his assets and simplify his lifestyle. Truth be told, he was glad not to be the one to hand off the vintage Pearson Triton that was full of memories for him. Alicia had helped him christen the Vesta back when his life had made more sense.

Not that he would think about her now, damn it. His brother’s engagement party had messed with his head tonight, putting thoughts of her back in his brain.

But you broke up with her because she was too young… . Some obnoxious voice in his head piped up. That problem no longer exists.

The fact that they’d both matured, however, wouldn’t take away their bulldog personalities. Or erase the fact that she’d moved on since he’d been away. Every time he’d been home on leave in the past four years, she’d been dating someone else.

If he had any sense, he would fall for someone softer. Someone who wouldn’t argue about his every decision. Someone a whole lot less like him. But first he needed to find a way to come to terms with a shared past he’d never really forgotten.

Now, at about two-thirty in the morning, he had his ropes thrown off and he’d steered through the coastal traffic into open water. He’d checked out the chart plotter and the self-steering feature enough to feel comfortable moving around deck while the boat cruised along. No doubt about it, the catamaran had every cool innovation known to mankind—the Zeus steering system and GPS position-locking features both made handling a big vessel easy.

He figured he’d put enough distance between him and the rest of the Murphy clan to settle down for the night. He was out of the main shipping lanes and his lights were burning bright, so he should be safe to get some rest.

It would kill his mother to know it, but he hated trips home. Being there brought back too many memories of a time where he’d dreamed of a different life.

Jamming the cell phone back in his jacket pocket, he tugged his tie off. The fact that, hours after leaving Ryan’s party, Jack hadn’t even changed out of his suit yet spoke volumes about his need to be under way, as far from Cape Cod and the possibility of bumping into Alicia as he could get. He needed to see her sooner or later, yes. But not until he figured out why her memory still affected him so strongly.

He’d stopped at a convenience store for some supplies on his way to the marina, despite Keith’s assurance that the corporate toy was fully stocked. But other than the one brief pause, he’d been running nonstop since he walked away from the party.

The boat was a beauty. Keith’s company owned the power catamaran and used it to entertain clients. But in between gigs to impress potential customers or long-term patrons, the top dogs passed the toy around amongst themselves.

Now that he’d cooled down a bit, he could appreciate some of the features of Keith’s catamaran. Roomy as hell. Laid out by someone who’d been at sea before, with no skimping on practical stuff—although there were some fluffy add-ons such as a hot tub in the front deck. Jack switched on the night-light in the hall leading to the forward cabin. He’d done a quick inspection of the hull layout before he’d left the marina, tossing his bag into the cabin that looked as if it had been recently used, with the berth still rumpled and a duffel in one corner. Had to be the space Keith had used, and was therefore the one most likely to have sheets and an alarm clock at the ready.

Yanking off his jacket and belt, Jack trailed clothes like a stripper, too wasted to hang things up. He didn’t even bother turning on the light before he slid into the queen-size bed, liking the dark just fine. Oblivion couldn’t come soon enough after the day he’d had.

He was happy for Ryan finding The One. Truly, he was. But seeing that promise of a future on both their faces had poured acid in an old wound, reminding Jack of the way Alicia had started to think long-term with him when he’d been embroiled in a family drama that had needed his attention. Those days should have been too long ago for him to remember their breakup in such vivid detail.

Unfortunately, he remembered all too well.

On the plus side, he’d put some serious nautical miles between himself and the woman he’d walked out on, before he finally drifted into exhausted sleep… .

ALICIA LEBLANC COULD almost swear Jack Murphy was back in her arms.

An annoying rational voice—inescapable even in her dreams—told her that was because she was on board a Murphy-owned boat. Dealing with Keith had put his whole family back in the forefront of her mind after all these years, and that’s why her subconscious had concocted a delicious nighttime fantasy about her ex.

“Jack…” She sighed his name in her half sleep, resenting the practical side of her that insisted she was just dreaming. Why couldn’t she simply enjoy sexy dreams like the rest of the population?

Because dreaming about him makes you weak! her cranky ego shouted.

Undaunted, she pressed her cheek to Jack’s broad, bare chest. Her dreams added muscle and weight to his younger body, altering her memories of him to account for the navy-hardened form he sported these days. She’d caught sight of him on the beach earlier in the week, when she’d been giving kite-surfing lessons to tourists—one facet of the water sports business she’d started to save money for her own coastal bed-and-breakfast. Nothing big like Murphy Resorts owned all over the Cape, but something small and personal, where she could entertain all the time and share her love of the water with travelers. She’d been hooking up the safety harness on a couple of college kids who wanted to catch big air on the water when she had heard Jack’s voice carrying from farther out in the surf.