Her Pirate to Love: A Sam Steele Romance Read Online Free PDF Page A

him?
    “Jacques tells me she’ll live,” Aidan said as he hung the cage from the hook he’d fastened for it years ago. He’d removed his bandana—he only ever wore it when they were in battle—and the wind once again tossed his blonde hair.
    Squawk . “She’ll live. She’ll live.”
    “What do you plan on doing with her?” Aidan asked.
    “She needs to heal and we’re heading to Santo Domingo. I told her we would take her that far.”
    “Does she have family there?” Luckily, Aidan handed the bird a few seeds to keep its beak busy.
    “No,” Steele answered.
    “With no family, what will she do?”
    “Do I look like her mother?”
    Aidan grinned, but was smart enough to know his captain didn’t tolerate sass. “I’m sure Claire will take her in,” he said instead.
    Claire Carter had known Vincent. She and her husband, Nate, had sailed and found a treasure with him. The treasure. She’d cared enough about Vincent to name the orphanages she ran on various islands, Vincent’s House . There were three now altogether and while Claire ran the orphanage on Santo Domingo, she also oversaw the one on San Salvador and a newer one in Port Royal. Steele had little doubt Claire would take Grace in. It was a fact Vincent’s House turned no one away.
    Because of that, currency was always needed to keep the orphanages open. It was why he was heading there now. Steele’s share of what filled the hold would be handed over to Claire, just as he’d done since taking over the role four years ago. Would this be the time, he wondered, when handing over his spoils would finally heal his soul? Or would he once again walk away as empty inside as he always did?
    “I’m certain she will,” Steele said, referring to Claire’s acceptance of Grace.
    “And you’re not afraid?” Laughter danced in Aidan’s brown eyes.
    Steele was almost afraid to ask. “Afraid of what?”
    “That you’ll end up like every other Sam Steele before you, in love by the time you make port.”
    Squawk . “In Love. In Love.”
    “Shut it,” Steele grumbled, speaking to both bird and man.
    Aidan held up his hands in innocence. “I’m simply reminding you Samantha took on Luke for help, now they’re married and building ships. Alicia stowed away on Blake’s ship and they’ve got five children.”
    “Blake was never Steele. He was a privateer.” And couldn’t Steele just nail his own lips shut because all he’d done was further encourage the boy.
    “Yes, but he took Alicia to find Samantha, who was Sam Steele, so in a roundabout way, it’s all connected. And then there’s Nate. He was forced to take Claire on as she had half the treasure map. And now look at them, married with three little Nates running about.”
    Steele cut him a glare. “Your time would be better spent seeing the sails are being repaired to my standards.”
    “Aye,” Aidan replied, his grin not quite masked as he turned to heed his captain’s orders.
    Steele’s fingers once again found their way to the pendant. In love, he scoffed.
    No. Not ever again.

Chapter Three
    W hile Aidan’s words of love were easily dismissed, something else began to nag Steele other than his first mate’s nattering. The woman had wanted to speak to Jacques. Why? Did she not believe she was safe or was there something she was afraid Jacques had discovered when he’d tended to her?
    The worst possible scenario plunged into his mind and his blood ran cold at the thought of it. If she had an illness and didn’t see fit to tell him… A disease or sickness on any ship could see the lot of them dead before they made it to Santo Domingo.
    “Aidan!” he called when his first mate stepped through the hatch.
    Squawk . “Aidan is right. Aidan is right.”
    “Blasted, infernal bird,” Steele muttered.
    Squawk . “Blasted bird. Blasted bird.”
    Steele cursed, reconsidered opening the cage. Aidan scurried up the steps to the quarterdeck.
    “Take the wheel.”
    “Aye,