Page 30 of The Tycoon's Diamond Demand

The captain spoke rapidly and because Maja’s Norwegian was very rusty, she wasn’t sure she understood everything they said. When Jens ended the call, she half turned to face him. ‘What was that about a fishing boat?’

‘A fishing trawler caught fire about fifty miles north of Svolvær. He told me because he knew I sailed out of the same harbour as the owner of the boat in distress.’

Maja knew how dangerous a fire on a sea vessel could be. ‘Did the crew get off?’ she asked, immediately worried.

Jens nodded. ‘Thankfully. They were rescued by a trawler who heard their mayday call. No injuries, but the boat is leaking oil and is still on fire.’

‘Do you know the owner of the boat? From...before?’

Jens closed his eyes and his fingers dug into her skin. ‘Yes, it was owned by Gunnar Solberg.’

Solberg... Maja recognised the name. ‘Didn’t Gunnar Solberg work for you and your aunt?’ Maja asked.

‘Mmm. After you left, he borrowed money from your father, bought a couple of trawlers and went into competition with us. Gunnar poached some of our crew and tried to grab our quotas. But, like so many other small operators, Gunnar is barely holding on. The boat that’s on fire is his only vessel, and his crew won’t have work now.’

She felt sorry for Gunnar, but she was stuck on why her father had meddled in the Svolvær fishing scene after she left Norway. It was small fry to him, and it went against his selfish nature for him to loan money to a small-time fisherman. That wasn’t his style. Unless there was something in it for him. She started to ask Jens what he knew, but he held up his hand and instructed his phone to call Captain Sig again.

Maja concentrated hard to understand their rapid conversation. ‘Is a vessel en route to tow Gunnar’s trawler into the nearest harbour?’ Jens asked the captain.

‘There is, but it’s a few days away. Even with the insurance money, assuming Gunnar kept up with the payments, rumour has it that he won’t be able to afford to tow the boat in, repair it and get back to sea.’

Jens told the captain to hang on, took a sip of his coffee and gripped the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. He did that when he was thinking through a problem. After a minute, he lifted his head and tossed a series of commands into the phone.

When he cut the call, she raised her eyebrows. ‘You’re paying to have his boat towed and repaired? The salaries of his crew while they are out of work? Why? It doesn’t sound like he was loyal to you.’

Jens shrugged. ‘Most of his crew are older men, some of whom are close to retirement, and they’ll struggle to find work if he doesn’t provide it. Gunnar also has a sick wife and an autistic son. He doesn’t need this hassle on top of everything else he has to deal with.’

Maja remembered how proud the fishermen were, how much they hated to be pitied. ‘I’m surprised Gunnar would accept your help,’ she mused. And she was shocked that he still had his finger on the pulse of Svolvær’s fishing scene.

‘He won’t. That’s why I’ll run the expenses through the foundation I set up to help fishermen and their dependants. No one knows I run and fund it. Well, Sig does now, but I’ve asked him to keep my involvement quiet.’

Clever.Maja was impressed by his easy offer. And surprised. In so many ways he was exactly like her dad, then in others, the complete opposite. Håkon would never have stepped in to help a ‘simple’ fisherman repair his boat, or have it towed, especially if it cost him time or money. Jens didn’t hesitate. He was such a conundrum...one Maja couldn’t work out. He could be unbelievably harsh, a clone of her ruthless father. Then he did something kind and thoughtful, and she didn’t know which side of him dominated. Apart from being the man who made her body sing, who was he?

Jens reached for the newspaper he’d placed on the table and flipped it open, his eyes running over the headlines. She placed her feet beneath her bottom, her eyes dancing over the unfamiliar letters. She’d let her Norwegian slide. There was only one picture on the front page, that of a dark-haired woman, and she instantly recognised the face of the famous musical theatre star.

‘What’s Flora been up to now?’ she idly asked. ‘A new show, another hit or an even younger lover?’

Jens stiffened and when his eyes met hers, she pulled back, blasted by the ice in them. ‘I can’t tell you how little I care about some egotistical Broadway star.’

Whoa!His voice was colder than his eyes. It had just been an offhand comment, and she couldn’t understand his sharp reply. He tossed the newspaper onto the table and stood up and stomped into the bedroom. When he returned, he wore navy shorts and a white button-down shirt. And a remote expression on his face.

Maja reached for the newspaper and squinted down at the article, forcing her brain to translate the words. She got the gist: Flora was being nominated for an award, something about her being a credit to Norway. She turned her attention to Jens, who stood a few yards from her, his arms folded and his expression belligerent. What was it about this entertainer that set his teeth on edge?

‘Do you know Flora? Have you met her?’ she probed, needing to understand his reaction.

Jens snorted. ‘You could say that.’

Right, he was back to being emotionally remote and inaccessible.Fabulous.But, because she was curious, she pushed for more. ‘How do you know her, Jens?’

His smile was shark-like and held no humour. ‘Oh, in the most biblical way of all.’

He’dsleptwith her? Right, that was more information than she needed.

Jens’s eyes bored through her. ‘I wasn’t one of her many lovers, Maja.’ He sighed. ‘Although she would deny it with her dying breath, Flora is my mother.’

That was the last thing she’d expected to hear. And the pain bubbling under what was supposed to be a toss-away statement had her cocking her head, intrigued. Then again, everything about him fascinated her. ‘Tell me more, Jens.’

Jens wasn’t surprised by her question. He’d opened the door by mentioning his relationship to Flora and he’d silently invited Maja to indulge her curiosity about his past. Within the space of a day, they’d come to a point where she felt comfortable enough to pry into his life. Did she think they were on their way back to being friends and lovers?

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