"If you're tired, you should go lie down," Mabel said from the door. She was carrying a small tea cup with a small scoop of Chocolate Chocolate Chip ice cream in it. Amy would have preferred the entire pint, but she knew that Mabel would disapprove of the excess.
"Thanks," Amy said, taking the cup and savoring the first bite.
"You don't have to keep us here, Mabel. I can figure something out."
"I'm sure Bill would put you up at the Four Seasons if you'd like," Mabel answered with a smile. "But just in case not, I had a twin bed installed in your dark room to make more space, and I cleared out my boudoir and had a twin bed installed in there."
Mabel said this with a casual tone, but Amy's jaw dropped. Her mother had kept the fourth bedroom as a private closet and sitting room for the last two decades. Amy always thought it was decadent, but her mother was an uncommon woman.
Amy cleared her throat and took another bite of ice cream. "I guess you really do want us to stay."
"Well then, it's settled," Mabel said. She patted Amy on the knee. "Why don't you decide where you want the boys to sleep while I take them toy shopping. They've never seen a toy store!" Mabel laughed with excitement.
"They've never seen toys," Amy corrected her.
"Well, they are going to have fun with their... Mabel," she stuttered and Amy smiled. "Come, boys, we are going to see New York!"
"Take it easy," Amy said.
"I’ll just take them to the toy store," Mabel said with a wink.
"Okay, but they've never been to a city, they don't have cell phones, and if they get lost, they will be really lost."
"What? Uncle Bill didn't get them cell phones?" Mabel wisecracked. The boys each went to Amy to give her a kiss on the cheek, a ritual she was really enjoying. William had told her that it was because Dad had always told them to give their mother a kiss. Since Matt wasn't even answering the phone, Amy decided to give herself the credit for their good manners.
The front door closed, and Amy was alone for the first time in a week. On the island, the only place she was alone was in the bathroom. It seems small children require much attention, and Benji was a bit sad since Matt was gone, so he'd clung to Amy like she might disappear at any moment.
Amy walked to the kitchen and put her cup in the sink, deciding she should get the boys unpacked and straightened out in their quarters. She went in the dark room first and saw the twin bed, but she knew she would have to move it out, not wanting the boys around any chemicals.
She moved her hands along the rows of photos she'd left hanging to dry before she’d left, and it felt like a lifetime ago. Amy felt a burst of spirit and decided not to stall any longer. She would develop the film that was in her gig bag. It was the film she had no memory of using. She had been stalling when Bill offered to set up a dark room on the island because she didn't want to see the images. Amy wasn't sure what she hoped to see in those photos from her thirteen years of lost time.
Amy woke on the twin bed in the dark room and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She'd been in a coma, she thought. She wondered how the bed had ended up in this room, and then she saw the first of the photos hanging next to her, and it all came back.
Well, the actual memory of the image in the photo didn't return, but the hours she spent developing the photos pored over her again, and Amy rolled over and covered her eyes.
She could see what had happened on the island now, and it was just as William had said. They'd crashed, and Amy had photos of the airplane with minor damage. They'd been stranded for a long time, and Amy had seen all of the evidence she needed that the boys were theirs.
There were photos of Amy pregnant and holding the baby, and there were photos of her and Matt in an embrace, close and kissing. There were a lot of pictures of William growing up, and then less of Steven and only a few of Benji because they had been running out of film.
Amy rolled over and looked at the images again. She knew the boys were hers, she'd felt it all along. And as much as she didn't want to admit she'd had a crush on Matt, she knew she was already half in love with him before they had even gotten on that plane. The thing that bothered her now though, was the fact that she could see the proof, and she still couldn't remember a thing.
"The Bermuda Triangle," Amy said to herself. She stood up and left the room, turning the sign on the door to "Enter". Amy could smell the coffee, and she shuffled to the kitchen where she saw Mabel cooking eggs for the boys.
"Mom!" Benji yelled, and he ran over to hug her.
"You left the sign on "Stay out"," Mabel commented. "So we stayed out."
"I'm sorry," Amy said, patting Steven on the head while still holding on to Benji. "I fell asleep on the bed you put in there."
"So it worked out after all," Mabel said, pleased with herself.
Just then the doorbell rang and everyone stopped and looked into the hallway where the sound had come from. Amy noticed the serious looks on the boy's faces, and she smiled at them.
"That's a doorbell, boys. When someone comes to the front door, they push it to announce themselves.
The boys all ran down the hall followed by Mabel who was chiding them to never answer the door to a stranger. Amy shuffled over to get a cup of coffee and she heard a commotion, and then the doorbell rang about fifteen more times, and she knew it was the boys inspecting the newest gadget.
"Mom, it's Uncle Bill!" Amy heard Benji call, and Amy groaned.
"Mabel, wonderful to see you again."
"Bill," Mabel replied. Amy stood in the doorway as Bill crossed the room to kiss Mabel’s hand.
"What have you done with my daughter?"
"I cloned her, Mabel. I kept the original," Bill joked.
"Well, keep her, I like this one. She comes with babies," Mabel said, and she patted Benji on the head.
"Mom," Amy complained.
"I told you never to call me that," Mabel retorted, and Bill, William, and Steven all laughed.
Amy's eyes darted to Bill, and he put his arms up and shook his head. "I didn't clone you," he said, as though that was something that deemed an explanation. Amy bit her lip and looked at her boys who were still smiling.
"You think that's funny, boys?" Amy asked William and Steven.
"She's just like you described on the island, Mom," William explained, and Amy's heart sank a little. The island, where they had been a happy family, only she couldn't remember. She loved the boys, but now that she'd seen the pictures, she hated the island. Amy's face turned sour, and so William kept explaining.
"You told us that she didn't let you call her mom, and it's exactly how you would tell it."
"Oh?" Mabel asked. "Do tell."
William turned to his grandmother and Amy moaned. "She acted it out just like that, Auntie Mabel."
"Auntie!" Amy belted, and Mabel waved her off.
"She said you were sometimes eccentric..."
"What is that anyway?" Steven asked. "She looks fine to me."
William punched Steven in the arm and continued. "But she said you were wonderfully understanding, and you always knew just the right thing to do at all times. And she was right, Auntie Mabel." William smiled, and he and Steven joined Mabel and Benji for a group hug.
"You're hugging them?" Amy complained. She couldn't remember the last time her mom had hugged her. Her mom "air hugged" her sometimes, like those passing double cheeked kisses that celebrities did. The boys surrounded Mabel, and they were in an outright embrace.
Mabel shrugged. "Well if you wanted a hug, you should have taken them to the toy store."
"She has a point," Bill said, and Amy glared at him.
"Long time, no see," Amy said, turning to Bill. He crossed the room and embraced Amy, and she took a deep breath and hugged him back. She'd felt beaten up, by herself of course, since she'd seen the photos.
There was really nothing in the world that a hug from Bill couldn't fix. Amy stepped back, still a bit angry and surprised that Bill's hug hadn't cured her this time.
>
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I know you need some space to figure things out, Amy. That's why I sent you ahead without me. But I do have business in the city, and I figured you were under so much pressure, I didn't want to bother you with it." Bill shrugged, and she could see the sheepish side of him emerging. Amy gulped.
"Go on."
"Would you come with me to the Ireland Funds Annual New York Gala?" Bill cocked his head and smiled. Amy felt a jolt of happy, and she surprised herself by immediately accepting the offer.
"Yes!" she said. "Only if I get to sit next to Liam again." Bill Ruby and Liam Neeson had been friends since their hit movie Shadow of a Doubt, and Amy had done the Vanity Fair Magazine photo shoot where she had met both of the men. Liam was, well, Liam Neeson, and Amy was star-struck, and Bill was the new star on the block at the time. He was cocky, and Liam was wise, and they really got along together. It was all Amy could do to get a shot of the two without mischievous grins on their faces.
Amy had attended the Gala a few years ago with Bill, and she'd had a hilarious evening at the table where these men of constant wit ripped each other to shreds.
"I'll have to ask Liam," Bill said with a smile. "You really hurt his pride last time."
Amy had had a bit too much champagne, and according to Bill, she'd said something to Liam in jest that had stumped him. She wasn't surprised. Amy had been raised by Mabel and she loved a good battle of wits. She knew Bill was joking now, but she wished she could remember what she’d said.
"Liam Neeson loves me," Amy said in jest.
"Well then, you are definitely not sitting next to him." Bill smiled.
"Go," Mabel called from the next room. "I can keep an eye on the boys."
"When is it?" Amy asked, her face crunching up, hoping he wouldn't say tomorrow.
"It's on Thursday night," Bill said.
"And what is today?" Amy asked. Her ordeal had made knowing the day of the week a futile need.
"It's Wednesday," Bill said. "Can Cindy bring over some things for you to try on this afternoon?"
"Of course she can," Mabel said, entering the room. "Remind me to Cindy, too."
"Yes, ma'am," Bill said, smiling at Mabel's squint toward him.
"Trish will be here Thursday at five to get you ready," he told Amy, kissing her on the cheek. Amy knew from their previous days dating that Bill retained a couple of stylists in a couple of cities to be at his beck and call if he needed them. She liked Cindy and Trish, and Amy wasn't annoyed this time that Bill could just take care of everything at the snap of a finger.
"That's perfect," Amy said, and Mabel cooed. Bill would have Cindy bring dresses for Mabel to try on as well, and if she wanted, Trish would do her hair, and Amy knew Mabel wanted.
"One more thing," Bill said. "Can I take the boys to the Yankees game tomorrow? We watched a lot of baseball together on the island, and they are really into it. Seems that Matt told them all about sports on the other island."
Amy remembered the picture she'd seen of William holding a crudely carved stick as though he was at bat, and she knew Bill was right. Matt was a regular guy in that way. He loved sports and he loved the Yankees. Amy cringed at the thought that Matt would miss taking them to their first Yankees game.
"I have the box, and you know DD and Jennie will help keep an eye on the boys." DD and Jennie were sisters in the box next to Bill's, and they hadn't missed a game in three years. They were lottery winners and salt of the earth.
Amy considered it for another minute, not sure why she was so worried about what Matt might want since he had ditched her and the boys.
"Boys," Amy called. "Want to go to a Yankees game with Uncle Bill tomorrow?"
Chapter 9
Matt loved clothes shopping since he had discovered weight lifting as a twenty-six year old. He had no money back then, but his tall, lithe frame fit perfectly in most attire and it made him feel confident. Matt was now in the tuxedo rental store to pick up a very expensive tuxedo, because although Sarah had invited him to a gala and told him to dress nice, he didn't yet have the money to purchase a tuxedo. He grimaced knowing he would be putting the rental on a second credit card.
The thought of money made him think of Bill Ruby again. Matt wanted to take the wire transfer of money Bill had offered to pay for the sunken airplane. But he couldn’t, because if he did he would lose his pilot’s license, and he'd gone through too many hours of training to chance it.
He still thought there might be a way out. His savings had dwindled in the last year because he hadn’t had much work, and his credit card company was now calling and badgering him for payment. He was maxed out because the airplane company on Eleuthera Island charged him the max on his credit card as a first installment for the aircraft, and although he’d canceled the card, they were still investigating for fraud. His insurance company had called and he had denied that this was his claim, which was a lie. Matt didn't know what he was doing anymore, but he knew he would have fun at the gala tomorrow night with Sarah. She was a prize, and she was his.
Matt stood in front of the mirror and waited for the sales clerk to finish tying his bowtie. He'd never learned how to do that, but if he was going to marry Sarah and go to gala events, he thought he'd better learn soon. The sales clerk walked away, and Matt admired himself in the three-sided mirror. He noticed a man behind him watching and suddenly felt self-conscious. Matt turned around and stared back at the bleached blond and tanned man.
"Matt Cole," the man said with a friendly smile.
"Yes. Can I help you?" Matt smiled back, but there was something about this man that wasn't right. He was dressed down but in a very expensive jogging outfit, wearing five hundred dollar gym shoes, and he reeked L.A.
"Where would you like me to administer this DNA test?" the man asked, his eyes moving easily around the store. Matt's eyes followed, and he realized that they were alone in this area. Matt felt himself start to sweat.
"You have the wrong Matt Cole."
The man smiled and nodded. "No, you are the only Matt Cole I'm looking for. Recently flew to Ruby Island with three boys in the aircraft?"
Matt pulled at his collar, suddenly sweating. He wondered if his face was turning red. "I didn't crash. I landed the aircraft."
"Ah," the man said. "Well, we can do this back in your dressing room." He held out a small bag and Matt wondered what might be in a DNA kit, but he had no intention of finding out.
Matt turned back to look in the mirror. "I'm not taking a paternity test, so you can scamper back to Reynolds and let her know she's nuts." Matt could see the man nod in the mirror, and he smiled a half-smile and straightened his bowtie.
"Are you sure? It would be a lot simpler if you would just help me out here."
"Get lost, buddy."
The last word was barely out of Matt's mouth when the man darted forward. Matt saw a flash of blond hair and then the man’s arm swung across his reflection in the mirror, and he thought the guy was taking a swing at him. He ducked to the side, but the guy grabbed Matt's hair and pulled.
"Ouch!" Matt yelled as he staggered away from the man. Blondie was smiling at Matt, a full inch of his hair pulled out at the root. Matt reached up and thought he could feel a bald spot on his head.
Blondie opened his bag and pulled a plastic baggie out, depositing the hair inside and zipping it closed.
"We can do this the easy way," he said.
"Get away from me!" Matt yelled. He figured the store clerk or other customers would come running back to see what was going on, but no one came. Matt stood up to his full height, ready to defend himself.
"Come on, mate," the guy said, feigning an Australian accent.
"I'm calling the police," Matt said, fumbling for his phone, but he was in the rental tux and his phone was in the changing room.
"No hard feelings," the guys said, and then he pulled a gun out.
At least Matt thought it was a gun. The metal glinted under the bright
lights and he threw his hands up. "Don't shoot!" He squinted and froze in place.
"Don't be so dramatic," the guy said. He stepped forward and grabbed Matt's arm and then Matt saw that it was a staple gun. He tried to twist away, but Blondie was strong. He pressed Matt's left side hard into the wall and then jammed the staple gun against his right shoulder and pulled the trigger.
Matt felt a nail pierce through his skin and it felt like his shoulder was swelling up. "What the hell!" he screamed, and the guy stepped back and put his hands up.
"All done," Blondie said. "Calm down."
Matt's left hand went up to his right shoulder and he looked down. There was a small hole in the tuxedo jacket. "What did you do to me?" Matt asked.
"This little beauty was made for the military to give medical shots to their new recruits. It's kind of like a staple gun, but it delivers the shots." Blondie pulled a small needle from the front of the device and put it in a plastic baggie. "I use it to get a bit of blood for DNA testing."
"You ruined my jacket!" Matt complained.
"I asked nicely," Blondie said as he zipped up his bag and turned and left the shop.
Amy drank her third cup of coffee and realized she'd overdone it. She was already jumpy with all of the turmoil in her life.
"It's mine, it's mine!" Benji yelled as he chased Steven around the table and back out into the living room, both boys almost knocking her and her coffee over.
"Boys!" Amy yelled and cupped her forehead in her hands.
"Benji, Steven, come here," Mabel called with friendly authority in her voice.
"Yes, Aunt Mabel," Steven said, and Amy saw the boys walk into the darkroom. Amy sighed. She'd spent an hour in there this morning, but she still couldn't remember the moments that were in the photos. Amy moved to the door and watched as William told Mabel all about the island and his mom and dad.
Amy was so grateful to have the boys, and she didn't know where that emotion had come from, but she was truly happy to be their mother. She couldn’t remember even kissing Matt though, and she was frustrated with her lack of memory. She leaned against the door of the dark room and watched Mabel with the boys.
Ruby Island Page 9
