Betty looked like she was in a hurry. Damn. I couldn’t keep her there, since she probably had things to do before her shift. I smiled. “Okay, well. Guess I have enough reading to do, and if I come up with questions, I can ask Jackie.”

“No! I mean, find me or Rico, and we’ll be glad to answer them.”

Rico came up from behind. More like snuck up from behind. Gave me the chills, but not the scary kind-more like the sexy kind. Felt good when he put his arm around my shoulder too. I told myself that sometimes I was pathetic, but that was the way of life for a thirtysomething single female nowadays.

“Amore, I am at your service.”

I eased free and smiled. Okay, I eased free and smiled after a long pause. “Thanks. Well, guess I’ll head off and do some reading. I also have some friends on the ship (admittedly a Freudian slip that I didn’t say relatives too) and would love to meet up with them for a bit.”

“Go ahead,” Betty said while Rico nodded.

“Learn your way around. Get your sea legs,” he added.

“Thanks. See you both around.”

I hurried out the door and leaned against the wall, thinking, Damn, but that Rico arm/shoulder thing did feel good.

“Look at you in that outfit, Pauline,” my mother said as I stood in the doorway of their cabin. “You look so nice, I don’t see why you don’t go back into nursing.”

I didn’t want to argue that looking good in a uniform was not a good reason to go back to a career that I had burned out of, so I eased past her and said, “Your cabin is wonderful!”

Daddy was napping on the couch near the sliding doors. I was glad they too had a balcony like Miles and Goldie’s and mentioned that fact. Daddy snored in agreement and Mother came closer.

“White makes your skin look too pale though. Go sit outside for a while.”

“It’s cloudy, Mother. Besides, I only came to see your place.”

She leaned near. If she mentioned my skin or eyes or clothing again, I might be tempted to fling her overboard. “Isn’t it like yours? Our cabin?”

I laughed. “Similar, but mine is for the crew, so it’s a bit smaller. But very nice,” I lied, after the thought struck me that Stella Sokol might find out my room number and come “help” make it better. “Very nice.”

I walked toward the balcony, but decided not to step out. Looking at the land floating by, I told myself if I went out there, I’d miss having a balcony along with the opportunity to get fresh ocean air. Then, I might get the urge to come up here…and I wouldn’t wish that on my enemy.

I was trying to wean myself from relying on my mother’s pine-scented Renuzit, which gave me a nostalgic, comforting feeling. I’d been known to rush to her house for a whiff of family comfort after some traumatic incident-usually from this job.

Out on the ocean, I felt I could handle it all by myself.

And I was not going to even think about Jagger either.

Mother looked at her watch. “It is almost time for dinner.”

Without looking, I knew it had to be nearly six, since my mother had a precise time for each meal. I wondered if she’d lighten up and relax on this cruise.

“Yeah, I’m getting kind of hungry.” As soon as the words came out, I wanted to lasso them back in, knowing I’d left the barn door open and readied for the stampede.

“Perfect. You’ll meet us in the lobby for dinner at six. Don’t change, Pauline. You look so nice.”

“I…I am part of the staff now, Mother. I have to eat with them.”

“But it’s a singles cruise.”

I could only stare.

She looked at me as if I were a moron. “Asingles cruise, dear. You could meet a nice young man.”

Duh. “I’m here to work.” I refused to tell her that I had been looking forward to meeting some bronzed hunk-and learning more about Rico.

She looked at my outfit. “Are you working now?”

“No. I’m off until Mon…oh…my…God.” She had a way, a subtle way, of making us kids tell the truth when we least expected to. Damn.

“Mon? What does Mon mean? Monday? Don’t talk in that kind of lingo and do not use the Lord’s name like that either.”

Did Stella Sokol really just say “lingo?” I think the ocean air was too thin for her mind. I hoped she was getting enough oxygen.

“So. Six it is. And wash up first. Do not eat at the buffets!”

“Mom, I-”

“Don’t argue with your mother. I read that those buffets that everyone talks so highly about are what cause…you know the kinds of problems I’m talking about.”

“Overeating?”

“Don’t be rude, Pauline. I’m talking about all the sickness that is so common on these ships. You never know who washed their hands before a meal and if they have touched the food. Oh, my.” She shook her head.

I had to smile. “Mom, please try to enjoy yourself.”

“Enjoy, schmoy. I suppose you think I’d enjoy myself after stuffing my stomach then getting sick the rest of the trip and living in the bathroom. Really, Pauline, you have been out of nursing way too long.”

It had only been a few months, but I decided not to mention that fact. “So, where’s Uncle Walt staying?”

“He’s in the other room, Pauline.”

My eyes widened. “You have two rooms?” It came out as if I was some nutcase, but in truth, I was just awed that they had two rooms and I had…the one with Jackie.

Speaking of Jackie, I had to head off and see what I could find out. I walked toward the door. “Tell him hi when he wakes. Daddy too.”

My father mumbled.

Mother brushed some imaginary dust from the bedside table. At least I couldn’t see any. Then again, I didn’t have her “cleaning” genes. “Almost time for dinner, Pauline. Do not eat at the buffets around here,” she repeated. “You never know who touched what. And if they washed their hands first.”

“Yes, Mother. You mentioned that before.” Suddenly I lost my appetite.

“Doesn’t hurt repeating. Not all passengers wash their hands before meals. I read that before we came on this ship.”

“Love you both,” I said and hurried to the door.

My mother stepped in front of me. “You really do look nice.”

I nodded in agreement (the only sensible thing to do) and ran out (the other sensible thing to do). Once in the hallway, I wondered, What the hell did she mean by that? Was mother just being nice or did she have some hidden meaning behind her words?

Pauline, I said to myself, we’re talking about Stella Sokol here.

I went with hidden meaning.

On the way up to Miles and Goldie’s suite, I told myself my mother was going to spend her entire trip trying to find me a husband-and I’d be sequestered on this damn floating singles prison until she did.

I shook my head as the elevator door opened-and I ran smack into a prospect. “Oh! Sorry.”

The bronzed god caught me before I knocked him against the wall. With a face as red as a cooked lobster, I looked up at him. With shoulders like that, he couldn’t be knocked into anything.

Well-built arms held me for a few more seconds until I eased free. He had on black shorts, a sleeveless black-and-white tee shirt and matching sneakers. Yikes he looked good.

“No problem.” He leaned near and read my name badge. “Ms. Sokol. Nurse Sokol, I’m guessing.”

“How did you know?” The elevator door started to close. The god stuck his hand out and it slid back into the wall. I don’t think he even touched it.

“The uniform. I’m Hunter Knight. Cruise director.” He held out his hand and the elevator door started to close again.

Since he ignored it, I went to grab for it. “You’ll miss your floor.”

He took my hand and said, “It’ll be there.”

The door shut.

My heart might have stopped for a few seconds. I wasn’t sure, but I had all the symptoms, including that white light thing. Well, maybe that was the reflection of Hunter’s teeth. They were damn perfect, as was the rest of his body, right up to the blond hair and blue eyes. Maybe contacts. But still looked good. Hey, we could all use some artificial help sometime.