“You’d better get moving.” Maile handed her daughter a banana and practically shoved her out the front door. Ava had to stop and wonder if her mom would have been so eager if she’d known Ava would be the dive leader for Forrest Maplewood.
“I may stay after the dive and help at the shop, if Billy needs me.”
“I’ll be at Nick and Kara’s. That judge, who gave her so much work when she first moved to the island, asked her to do him a favor, so I volunteered to babysit.”
“Such a noble sacrifice,” Ava teased.
“Yeah, but someone has to do it.” Maile smiled sweetly and then grinned like a loon. She loved babies, and everyone knew it.
“Okay. I’m out of here. See ya later.”
“Make sure you take time for lunch,” Maile called from the front door, as Ava climbed into her car.
With a full crew she wasn’t needed at the boat early, so, by the time she’d pulled into the lot, a handful of divers were already gathering. The Maplewoods were pulling into the parking spot behind her.
“Hi!” Maggie waved, stepping out of the car. “I have to tell you I am trying very hard not to be nervous.”
Ava left her bag on the front seat and walked over to where Magnolia had parked her SUV. “What are you nervous about?”
“It has been ages—and I mean ages—since I’ve been underwater.”
“I thought you went out on the boat with the Deluca kids?”
“Oh, I did. But I only snorkled with the younger son. The last time I went diving was with Forrest, when we were kids.”
“Does Billy know that?”
“Yes. He said to come by early, and he’d do a little refresher course with me. Get in the water and make sure I was comfortable, and, if not, I could just snorkel with some of the others.”
Ava bobbed her head, unsure of the wisdom in that, but she trusted her brother. If he thought it would be okay, then she wasn’t going to say differently. “What about the other sisters?”
“Strictly snorkeling. And, if I know Heather, she’ll just sit on the boat and soak up the sun.” Maggie laughed quietly. “And probably watch the captain. Who’s driving our boat today?”
“If Billy said he’d be here early, my guess is he will.”
“Well, while he may not be available to date Heather, he’ll certainly provide some eye candy for her, if she does stay on board.”
Now it was Ava’s turn to laugh. She loved her brother and was aware of the fact that most people considered him a good-looking hunk, but there was no way she’d ever think of him as anyone’s eye candy.
“Morning.” Forrest walked up beside her.
For a second his hip brushed up against hers, as he moved next to his sister, and the brief flash of heat almost had her jumping back. Ignoring the electricity, she slapped on a casual grin. “All set to try out the new equipment?”
Forrest beamed. “You bet.”
“All your things should be on the boat. Go ahead and check in with Jonathan.” Ava waved a finger at the youngest dive shop employee. “He’s the one with the clipboard over there. And then, Maggie, you should probably go straight to Billy.”
Maggie nodded, turned to her brother. “You’ll make sure the girls get checked in?”
“Will do.” Forrest bobbed his head.
The other Maplewood sisters sidled up beside their brother. With huge floppy hats and sunglasses as wide as their faces, the two women looked like they belonged on the French Riviera, not a Hawaii dive boat. “Nice to see you again.” Ava stuck out her hand.
“Same here,” each answered, shaking Ava’s hand.
The taller brunette scanned the boat, glanced at her brother and gave a curt nod of approval. “Nice.”
“Come on, Rose.” Heather tugged at her sister. “Let’s sign in. I want to see if there are any single men on board.”
Forrest rolled his eyes skyward, and Ava watched the two women, elbows linked, prance off.
“I would have sworn Heather would have outgrown being boy crazy by the time she graduated high school.”
Ava figured it was best to keep her mouth shut, especially since she suspected Heather had something more substantial on her radar. “We’d better catch up.”
“Take me to your leader.” Forrest bowed at the waist and then straightened, waving her forward. “After you.”
Was this really the same guy who, less than a week ago, couldn’t get his nose out of his phone?
“You’re buzzing.”
“Excuse me?” she asked.
“Your phone.” He pointed at her purse. “It’s buzzing. You must have turned off the ringer.”
Oh, crap. Had she? Sure enough, as she shifted her handbag, she felt the humming of her cell. Scrambling to get the damn thing open and retrieve the call, she slid her finger across the screen and answered, “Hello?”
“Ava?”
“Yes.” This was it. At the sound of her name, her heart had already taken off like a racehorse at the starting gate.
“This is Howard Dempsey.”
“Yes, Mr. Dempsey.”
“If we’re going to be working together, you’d best call me Howard.”
Ava’s tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. Did he say if, as in she had a chance or as in she was in? Oh, God, now her racing heart was stuck in her throat.
“Ava?”
“Yes.” She swallowed hard and pressed her free hand flat across her ribs. Not that it was helping slow her heart rate any. “You were saying?”
“The decision has been made. Your design was unanimously approved for the new aquarium. I’ve sent you the official acceptance. You’ll be receiving a packet with all the details and appropriate contracts for your signature. You may want to have your attorney look them over, but they’re pretty standard boilerplate.”
“Yes, sir. Uh, Howard. Thank you.”
“I had nothing to do with this, but, on behalf of the committee, you’re welcome. Once you’ve received and signed the papers, we’ll be expecting you to come to San Francisco for an initial meeting. There will be some preliminaries to go over.”
“Understood.”
“You’ll meet the chief engineer on the project.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“And, of course, John, the head of FJM Global Development and Construction, should be back in the office by then.” Ava nodded, even though he couldn’t see her.
“He recommended you. I don’t think there was another person on the planet who could have made the committee delay their decision to view a last-minute design.”
“I see.” How the hell did the head of one of the largest development companies in the world know about her, and why had he pushed the committee to ask her to submit?
“I think that’s it for now. We’ll be speaking again soon. And, once again, congratulations.”
“Thank you, Howard. Looking forward to our next meeting.”
With the appropriate good-byes, she hit the red Disconnect button, gulped in a huge breath of air. Slowly letting it out, she spun around as fast as she could and, squealing like a four-year-old, threw her arms around the nearest person and squeezed with every ounce of energy bursting inside her.
“I got it!”
Two strong arms wound around her waist. “Sounds like congratulations are in order.”
She squeezed again, burying her face in his broad chest. “I’m playing with the big boys!”
A soft rumble moved beneath her cheek. The broad chest was chuckling. Not any broad chest. Forrest Maplewood’s chest. And Forrest’s arms were still wrapped tightly around her.
“Oh.” She lifted her head. Manacled in his embrace, she was unable to step back and was left with no choice but to look up. “Sorry about that.”
His easy grin slipped, and the humorous twinkle in his gaze instantly doused darker. There was no missing the strength in those steel gray eyes. Suddenly she was very aware of everything. The intensity with which his gaze bore into her, ever
y nerve ending brushing against his, and the thin press of his lips as his head lowered to meet hers.
Chapter Fifteen
Every warning in John blared for him to stop. To think this through. Let go. Step back. Breathe. But every instinct, every yearning, every heartbeat urged him forward. Only inches away, he dared close his eyes, already savoring the feel of Ava’s lips against his. The sound of tires crunching gravel approached. A loose stone spit at the back of his legs and still he couldn’t bring himself to stop.
The tender feel of her lips had barely met his when two doors slammed loudly behind them, one after the other. In a flash Ava tensed; his arms fell to his side, and she leaped back. Big black eyes stared up at him. He’d have given anything to know what she might be thinking. His ability to read people had vanished. If she was startled, surprised, hurt, angry, insulted or disappointed, he didn’t have a clue as to which.
“I’d better get to the boat,” she mumbled, backing away.
Like a hormonal teen stealing his first kiss, John stood rooted to the ground, not sure where to go or how to face her. There was only one thing he was definitely sure of. He wanted to kiss Ava Everrett again. Thoroughly. And not in the middle of a public parking lot.
* * *
OMG. Ava’s head reeled, and she had no idea how much was due to her good news and how much from a barely there kiss that still had her toes curled. She could only begin to fathom what it would be like to really get her hands, and mouth, on Forrest Maplewood. The workaholic who didn’t know how to have fun. Right.
Her sides were still tingling where his hands had been but then slowly eased away, as she’d stepped back from his embrace. The echoed rumble of his laugh lingered against her ear. Damn, had she ever felt so totally at home in a man’s embrace? Ever? And the whole thing only lasted what…a minute? Maybe less. Holy shit.
“You okay?” Jonathan stood at the edge of the dock, staring at her, as though she’d sprouted a third eye.
“Yeah.” She forced a smile. “Why?”
“You look sort of…lost.”
“Nope.” Time to shake it off and put on her big-girl panties—focus on what’s important. The aquarium. “I just got some really great news.”
“Strange reaction for great news.”
“I won a bid for a big project in the San Francisco Bay Area.”
Jonathan’s expression brightened. “Well, that’s really cool. Congrats.”
“Thanks.” She had to pull herself together. “Where’s Billy?”
“In the water with Maggie.” He pointed aft and returned his attention to the lingering passengers.
Shielding her eyes from the sun, she spotted Billy and Maggie at the back of the boat, just barely underwater. Her heart swelled once again for a whole different reason. Not much more than a year ago everyone in the family had feared her brother would never again go in the water. Never again be a fraction of the man they’d known and loved. Losing a leg had been nothing compared to losing the heart and soul of her brother. Seeing him now, in his element, loving life, Ava had to hold back the urge to weep with the joy of having her brother back and with sorrow for those brothers who would never come home.
Bubbles surfaced, followed by Maggie and then Billy. Maggie whipped the regulator out of her mouth, and, for a few seconds, Ava thought there might be some crisis, but, just as quickly, Maggie looked up at Ava and flashed a huge grin.
“Damn, I don’t remember diving being this much fun.”
Billy lifted his mask from his eyes and took the regulator from his mouth, then urged Maggie toward the boat. “Your brother said the same thing.”
“Does this mean she’s all set?” Ava reached out to help Maggie into the boat.
“Absolutely. We won’t take her too deep. Stay above sixty feet. But she’s good to go.”
“Who knew diving could be like riding a bike? Once Billy reminded me of a few things, the rest all came back.”
“Great.” Ava gave her a thumbs-up. “Then we’re almost ready. Rinse off your mask in that bucket over there. We’ll switch out a fresh tank for you and be set to go.”
Once Maggie was across the boat with her sisters, Ava looked to Billy. “Do I need to watch her more closely?”
“Nope. She suited up and adjusted her equipment as though she’d been doing it for years. She stepped into the water, and I had to hurry to catch up to her. I wouldn’t be surprised if she winds up rescuing someone else in trouble.”
He was only kidding, but Ava knew her brother was thinking the same thing she was. Heaven forbid. They’d never lost a life on a dive, and, in all the years her father—and now Billy and Nick—ran the business, they’d had fewer than a handful of incidents. “I have some news.”
Billy slipped his arms out of the wet suit and let it hang around his waist. “Good news?”
“Yep. I got the contract.”
“The aquarium?”
Ava nodded.
“Hooyah!” He high-fived her, then assumed a nonchalant stance. “I knew it all along.”
“Right.”
“You tell Mom?”
“You’re the first. Well, I was with Forrest when I got the call, so he knows. And I guess I mentioned it to Jonathan.”
“The first, huh?” Billy hugged his sister. “I need to get this show on the road, but no reason you can’t take a few minutes to call and spread the good news.”
“I’m going to wait till we get back. It’ll be more fun sharing the news in person.”
“Whatever floats your boat.”
Yeah, well, she sure as hell wasn’t going there.
* * *
“I’m good to go,” Maggie announced with glee to her siblings.
“They’re really going to let you underwater?” Heather made no effort to hide the horror of the idea.
“Yeah, and I’m really looking forward to it. Wish I’d tried it sooner all those times Annette and the kids went out.”
“I’ll stick to snorkeling, thank you.” Rose slathered on another coat of sunscreen, then held out the tube. “Anyone need some?”
“Thanks, but all covered.” Heather pulled out her e-reader. “I think I’ll just hang out here.”
Maggie followed the direction of her youngest sister’s gaze. “Jonathan’s too young for you.”
“Besides,” Rose added, “he’s going to be underwater with the more experienced tourists.”
Heather shrugged. “No matter. I’ll be just fine. I can keep an eye out for anyone in trouble.”
“That’ll be the day.”
Heather either didn’t hear, or chose to ignore Maggie’s pithy comment.
Maggie didn’t spend much time with her sisters anymore. As a matter of fact it had been years since the three of them had spent any time together, but it hadn’t escaped her attention that Heather’s world still revolved around Heather.
“Not that I don’t love chatting about me, but did either of you catch the lip-lock?”
“Lip-lock?” Maggie and Rose repeated.
“In the parking lot. Our dear all-work-and-no-play brother planted one on the pretty native girl. The sister.”
Maggie and Rose turned to see Ava on one side of the boat with her brother, and Forrest on the opposite side, casually pretending not to watch her.
“Excuse me.” Maggie walked away without giving either of her sisters a parting glance and didn’t stop until she stood beside her brother. “How’s the new suit fit?”
All zipped, Forrest lifted a thumbs-up. “So far, so good.”
“Besides the other day, you haven’t dived in as many years as me.”
“Did a little diving in the navy.”
“That was almost just as long ago.” Maggie studied her brother. “I like the Everretts.”
“So do I.” He didn’t look at her; instead he busied himself playing with the straps on his new mask.
“Some more than others?”
This time Forrest looked up. “Maybe.”
�
��You know they live in a different world than we do. Than you do. Here everything is about family and enjoying life. Earning a living is just a means to an end. It’s not the purpose in life. They don’t care about settling old grudges or conquering the world. The longest American life expectancy is for the residents of Hawaii.”
“Really?” He put the mask on top of the rest of his gear. “I’ll have to keep that in mind.”
The man could be irritating as hell, when he opted for obtuse. “Did she get the contract?”
“How did you know?”
“I’m a good listener. Besides, how many aquariums are planned in the northern California area?”
Forrest nodded. “Yes.”
“Does she know she’ll be working for you?”
He shook his head.
“When do you plan on telling her?”
“Soon.”
Suddenly her brother was a man of few words. “I don’t know Ava very well, but it’s my guess that, if she thinks she got the job for any reason other than her own merits, she’s going to hate it.”
Forrest gave a curt nod, his gaze tracking Ava. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“You can’t hide who you are forever.”
“You have.”
“Give me a break. That’s totally different. I no longer walk the runway. My world is a smaller, simpler place now.”
“And it suits you.”
“It does. And I’d love to see you step back and have more balance in your life, but, when you leave Kona—if you plan on going back to eighty- and hundred-hour workweeks, sleeping on flights as you cross the world and taking your computer to bed with you—don’t get involved with an Everrett.”
Forrest looked down at her and flashed that lazy half grin that reminded her of the little boy about to play with fire. “That ship has sailed. Like it or not, I’m involved.”
Love by Design Page 10
