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1 SHAWN AND BEL LE
Although he'd been halfway around the world, Shawn Douglas Brady had never seen a fleet of ships like this one. While the blue-and-green-striped sails of his 45-foot Nicholson were usually impressive, he felt like a moth in the midst of monarch butterflies. But then, he was in Monte Carlo, the playground of the rich and famous.
Surrounded by Italy and France, it had the smallest, most exciting beachfront in the world at only 3.5 miles. Occupying only 1 square mile of land, the principality was considered the gem of the Riviera, if not the world.
Monte Carlo? Were they really there? It had been over a year since he and his wife had left Salem-on the yacht the Fancy Face IV, bought for them by Belle's magnanimous father, John Black-for their adventure. Shawn, the handsome but oft-troubled son of two of Salem's finest, had married the blonde spitfire Belle and then had an adorable daughter, Claire. But Belle had often fallen through the cracks in their social circle, which was dominated by her manipulative and malevolent half sister, Sami. So she was thrilled to take to the high seas. They needed an escape, and John knew that seeing the world from this vantage point would give his daughter and son-in-law a new perspective.
"Belle, get up here!" Shawn shouted excitedly. "You and Claire have to see this!"
A curly-haired moppet popped out from the galley.
"Mommy's in the head, Da'!" Claire squealed.
"Then you get up here, now!"
Shawn grabbed his daughter and hoisted the little girl onto the beautifully defined shoulders that topped his sinewy, tanned body. Claire giggled and pointed at the mass of sailboats, cruisers, and yachts that filled the harbor. "Wow." Claire giggled. "Even bigger than in Crete! Those sure aren't 'stinkpots.'"
Belle made her way up from below. Though a bit wobbly, when she looked around her, she was totally overwhelmed.
"Unbelievable." She gasped.
"Both the scene and our daughter. For a three-year-old, she's a well-traveled little girl."
"Not little, Da. And I'm four-almost!"
Belle, looking a lovely shade of chartreuse, stroked her daughter's hair.
"How you feeling?" Shawn asked carefully.
She smiled wanly. "As good as I look?"
Uh-oh, Shawn thought.
"But-damned excited to be here."
Shawn knew why. One of those yachts would later be holding a lavish sweet-sixteen party for Dalita Kasagian, the daughter of überrich Serge Kasagian, and Belle's fashion idol was going to be there.
"Olivia Marini Gaines," he stated emphatically. "OMG."
With that, Belle puked all over the deck of the yacht.
