"Hello Ben, Salma," Caeli said with the same slight smile.
"Hello, Lass. You are looking much better, though a bit unkempt," Ben teased.
"Sorry about that. I haven't been anywhere near a hairbrush." Caeli roughly ran her fingers through her still wet hair.
"Oh, Ben, cut it out. Let her sit down. Caeli, you shouldn't be walking about. I warned you about how fragile…," Salma began to remind Caeli about her high risk condition.
Ben caught the look that momentarily pained both Caeli and Vin, and then the forced change in Caeli's demeanor. She was putting up a façade and trying to make herself and Vin believe it. Ben reached out and took Salma's hand with a subtle nod toward Caeli. Salma looked more closely at her niece and realized what Caeli was going to say before she uttered the words.
"Oh Caeli, when? How? Are you sure? Oh dear me, I can tell that you are. I'm sorry. You too, Vin," Salma's heart hurt for Caeli. Not even Salma's gift could help her imagine what Caeli must be feeling after losing both babies.
"It's ok, Salma. We'll be all right," Caeli sighed as she reached for Vin's hand. Vin moved to stand closer to her and wrapped a supportive arm around her shoulders.
Both Ben and Salma were shocked by the news, but Caeli assured them that, physically, she was fine. Emotionally, Caeli was not. She let Vin explain what happened, including the demise of Vicki's car. However, he chose to leave out the more graphic details. As he described the car incident, Caeli noted a rush of warm air briefly surrounding Vin, followed by a strong, cool breeze wafting through the room. She blushed slightly, remembering what he said to her on the beach. Apparently, it was true. By the time he finished recounting the tale, both Ben and Salma were astounded by what they learned. The mood in the room was sullen and heavy, so Ben attempted to lift their spirits.
"Remind me never to get on your bad side, Lass," Ben teased, further embarrassing her for the excessive nature of her reaction. Hearing it described out loud to anyone other than Vin made it sound extremely foolish. Caeli ducked her head and fidgeted, avoiding looking directly at Ben.
"Ben, you're embarrassing her. Can't you see she already feels bad about staking such a dramatic claim on her man?" Salma played along with Ben's jest, but it was Vin's whispered words in Caeli's ear that caused her cheeks to darken three more shades. Caeli excused herself and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
"Vin, what on earth did you say to her? Her face was as red as a beet," Ben laughed.
"I told her it was the sexist thing I ever saw."
All three of them laughed.
While she was in the bathroom, Caeli grabbed a washcloth and cleaned off a few of the smudges that the sea water and rain had failed to remove from her face and arms. Unfortunately, there was no help for her hair or her ruined clothes. They would have to suffice for now. When she was done, Caeli looked at herself in the mirror. There was a small improvement, but it wasn't much. Anyway, none of it was important to her. She reminded herself that she came here to talk to Salma. This was Caeli's last task before she could properly freshen up and retreat for some long overdue and much needed, undisturbed rest.
Caeli rejoined the others in the main room. The flush on her face was now replaced with a mischievous smile. It lifted Vin's heart to see it, even briefly. Vin grinned and reached out to take her hand as she approached him. Caeli walked over to stand in front of him and leaned near as if to kiss him. She turned away at the last moment and walked over to sit near Salma on the bed instead.
"Always leave 'em wanting more," Caeli said to Salma as she sat down with her back to the men.
Vin laughed. Not only was she very easy to embarrass, but Caeli was always a good sport.
Salma, however, could read her expressions almost as well as Vin. She immediately saw that Caeli had something on her mind. Caeli looked directly at Salma, concealed a wink from the guys, and continued out loud.
"How are you feeling, Aunt Salma?"
"I'm fine, Dear. I would love to know how you did that trick with Ben to fix my shoulder. Perhaps you could tell me?" Salma picked up on Caeli's intention right away. She needed to say something to Salma without being overheard.
"Not in so many words. Here, it will be easier if I show you. Vin taught me a really neat trick. Close your eyes," Caeli instructed Salma as she placed her own hand over Salma's shoulder.
Neither man was fooled. Vin knew that Caeli's hand should be covering Salma's eyes. Ben simply had a gut feeling. He and Vin could tell that the ladies were sharing a silent conversation, so they moved over near the door to give them some privacy.
"Any idea what's going on? It's not about Salma's shoulder," Ben asked.
"Not yet. Caeli wouldn't give me any details. Max said something to her about Salma, but Caeli wouldn't say anything further about it. She wanted to come see Salma before we did anything else," Vin answered.
"Oh my!" Salma exclaimed out loud as her eyes shot open.
Caeli removed her hand, smiling at Salma. Not only had she shared the news, but Caeli finished healing Salma's shoulder while she was at it.
"Interesting, don't you think?"
"Thank you for that, but I think I would like to test your theory. Come on, let's find out." The ladies got up to leave, almost forgetting about the two men blocking the room's exit. Neither one budged as the women drew near.
"And where do you think you're going in such a hurry?" Ben asked.
"Caeli and I are going to run a test. Do you mind stepping aside, Dear?" Salma answered.
"What exactly are you going to test?" Ben wanted to know before he moved.
"You know how I am when I get an idea in my head. I simply have to deal with it. Why don't you stay here and talk to Vin. We won't be long," Salma suggested.
"Not a chance, Love. I go where you go," Ben insisted without hesitation or room for negotiation.
Vin didn't have to say anything. Caeli already knew he wasn't leaving her side.
"Ok then, come along. You will be bored," Salma said with a shrug of her shoulders.
Ben opened the door and followed Salma out. Caeli put her arm through Vin's arm and leaned her head against him as they followed behind.
"What are you up to, Caeli?" Vin asked quietly.
"Sorry, can't tell you."
"Whatever it is, Ben's onto you. It didn't take him long at all. I told him that Max said something to you about Salma. It's only fair that I let you know that I'm going to help him figure it out. You can't put a mystery like that in front of us and expect us to let it be. You will have to fool both of us in order to keep your secret."
"Of course Ben's onto us. He wouldn't be a very good detective if my poor ruse fooled him. And I knew he would get whatever details he could from you. That's why I didn't tell you. Go ahead, guess away. You'll never get it," Caeli seemed sure of whatever she and Salma were doing, and she wasn't giving away any clues.
They reached the small lab and propped the door open fully. Ben and Vin agreed to wait on the long bench in the hall so the ladies would not be crowded while they worked. They were both busy for the first twenty minutes. Occasionally, one or the other would move out of sight at the end of the room, but not for very long. They were running various machines. They even brewed a pot of coffee, which they shared with the guys, who understood that this was meant to distract them. The girls were trying to confuse them, keep them puzzled about what they were really doing.
Vin watched Caeli intently, but she didn't reveal much. For the next twenty five minutes, Caeli mostly stayed put on a tall stool, leaning her head in her hand, barely keeping her eyes open while Salma worked diligently around her.
"I can't tell for certain," Vin said at last.
Ben smiled slightly, not taking his eyes off the room.
"They are testing Salma's blood," Ben asserted.
"How do you know that?"
"Never were very good at the shell game, were you? It's simple. Max said this was about Salma, so I've been watching Salma
. You have been watching them both and everything they are doing. You let them distract you. Look at Salma's left arm. She has a small piece of cotton taped where they drew blood. The rest is just fluff. I don't have any way to tell what type of tests they are running. The only theory I've come up with so far is that maybe they think Max is related to Salma. Of course, that would make him related to Caeli, too. So, they could have tested Caeli's blood for that. I can't figure what it is specifically about Salma that they needed to test," Ben explained casually as he relaxed on the bench.
"Ben, you're a wise man, but, unfortunately, you're wrong. Caeli already knows the answer to that question, and so do I. The answer is yes, they are related, but not how you might expect." Vin filled Ben in on that story while they continued to wait.
"That certainly explains a lot of what we've seen between them this week, but my theory could still hold. Maybe Salma is attempting to get proof of the relationship, especially after the change in Max's appearance," Ben suggested.
"Salma does like all that scientific evidence. Naturally, she would want proof. Your mind never ceases to amaze me, Ben."
"Coming from someone who has seen the things you have, that's quite a compliment," Ben grinned.
"Well, don't get too big of an ego. You did get one thing wrong," Vin added.
Ben raised a questioning eyebrow at Vin, who gladly obliged him with an explanation.
"Max told Caeli something about Salma. Caeli did not say it only involved Salma. Look closer at Caeli's arm. She has already removed her gauze, but there is a spot where they drew her blood, too. Looks like both ladies gave blood for testing," Vin supplemented Ben's facts.
"Well, then either my theory is right or the plot thickens. Then again, our gals could be trying to put one over on us, and this is an incredibly simple matter that we are overcomplicating," Ben laughed.
Just then a glass hit the floor in the lab. Ben jumped up and rushed inside. He had watched when both ladies moved off to the far end of the room together, but could not see what happened.
"It's ok, Ben. Salma dropped her coffee cup."
Salma was standing there with a piece of paper in her hand and a surprised look on her face. Caeli was already cleaning up the spill. When the floor was clean, the ladies shut down all the equipment and cleaned up the rest of the lab. Salma deftly folded and hid the paper in her pocket before stepping out into the hall with Caeli to rejoin the guys.
Vin was, at last, able to convince Caeli to head back to their room for a while. There were still several hours before Max's party. Despite her best efforts to pretend otherwise, Caeli was very tired. She did want to get cleaned up and rest for a bit. She and Vin walked off together.
Salma and Ben were left in the privacy of the deserted hall.
"So, what's the verdict?" Ben asked as he gently placed his hand on Salma's arm where the gauze had been recently removed. Whatever the results were, Salma was definitely startled when she read them. Ben gleaned that much from the broken coffee cup.
"It turns out that the theory was valid. I really wasn't expecting it to be," Salma answered with a small smile.
"And what theory is that?"
"Pretty Doctor Salma!" Max's voice rang through the hall.
"Ah, saved by the bell, so to speak. We'll talk about it later. It's incredible," Salma said with a smile.
Ben stared at her for a minute, trying to read something more in her expression and demeanor, trying to decide if he liked that answer or not. Finally, he let the matter drop. Whatever this was, it didn't seem urgent. Salma did not seem worried or upset; she actually seemed somewhat excited. Ben decided he could wait.
Max came running up and hugged Salma's leg. Salma was still amazed at the change in his appearance. Ben noted how much more he looked like his father now.
"Hi, Max." Salma greeted him.
"I'm glad you are finally out of bed. Are you rested? Will you come to my party? Mr. Ben said you probably would, if you were feeling better. Are you feeling better?" Salma was glad to hear that some things never changed.
"Yes, Max. I wouldn't miss your party." Salma looked over at Ben, indicating the change in Max. Ben shrugged.
"Max, you have impeccable timing, as always. What are you doing down this way?" Ben asked, reaching down to grab Max and sling him across his shoulders so that the boy could ride on his back as they walked.
"I was looking for you, Mr. Ben. Papa wants to know if you will help him with something. He wants you to whitliss a paper for him so nobody will try to take me away again," Max answered.
"Whitliss? Oh, you mean witness. Sure. Lead the way. Come along, my Dear. Maybe we can grab an afternoon snack while we're out and about. I am a little hungry. Seems the rice we ate for lunch didn't quite stick with me." Ben returned Max to the floor so that he could dash ahead to let Apela know that he and Salma were on their way.
"Actually, a snack sounds like a good idea. I could definitely munch on something," Salma agreed. They followed Max's route toward the lounge, where Apela waited for them.
CHAPTER 60
Caeli worked in the kitchen with Salma and Apela, feeling considerably refreshed after her shower and nap with Vin. They spent about an hour getting the meal prepared for Max's birthday party. She made the requested pancakes. Salma fixed the side dishes. Apela chopped up some fruit and placed two chocolate cake layers in the oven. Max was peeking around the corner periodically watching as they worked. Salma came out once to set the table, wink at Ben, and then return to the kitchen and her whispered discussion with Caeli.
The guys were sitting at the bar on opposite sides of a chessboard. As Ben watched the ladies in the kitchen, he noticed how often the two seemed to have their heads together in quiet conversation.
"I don't think I like the look of that," Ben said with a bit of amusement, completing his move on the chessboard.
"You shouldn't. If you have learned anything at all about Caeli, you should be able to see the mischief on her face. Whatever they are up to, Caeli seemed confident that neither of us would figure it out. One possibility did occur to me, Ben. You do have something in common with Max. Isn't today your birthday?" Vin asked casually, still looking at the chessboard, carefully selecting his next move. He was twirling a captured pawn in one hand while he considered his options.
"Why yes, it is. I honestly hadn't even thought about it. I have seldom celebrated my birthday by anything more than a drink with the guys from the station. Do you think that's what this is all about, a birthday surprise for me? What would that have to do with the blood tests?"
"I don't know. It may be nothing and perhaps everything. It was just a thought, and one that you should get used to, my friend. I know that neither of them would have forgotten your birthday."
"I'm sure it was the last thing on their minds this week," Ben doubted.
"Don't be too sure about that. They love to celebrate any occasion, and birthdays are one of their favorites. You have not yet experienced one of their special events. But, if they are planning your birthday celebration, then you are in for a real treat. They always manage to come up with at least one over-the-top, memorable, unexpected item," Vin explained with a touch of excitement. He always loved Caeli's surprises.
"That sounds intriguing."
"In general, I'm not too much of a party person myself; but I am always eager to find out what the next wow factor will be at one of Caeli's events. It looks like it is for you this time. I suspect she and Salma made plans before they left home. They were likely going to do this when we arrived on Friday and are probably adjusting the agenda to accommodate the change in the timeline. Caeli loves to do stuff like that. It would certainly take her mind off…other things. Salma is always her eager accomplice. Remember Wednesday morning and…" Vin stopped.
"And what?" Ben asked, pulling his eyes away from the kitchen.
Vin stared at the pawn in his hand. Because Ben had been looking elsewhere, Vin's furtive glance at the table went unnoticed. Vin retu
rned the game piece to the board and conceded defeat.
"Excuse me, Ben. I need to have a word with Caeli." Vin smirked and walked toward the kitchen.
Ben realized that he missed a clue in their last exchange. Apparently, Vin stumbled upon an issue that was more important than their game. Vin bumped into Max at the kitchen door and whispered to him briefly. Max ran up to Ben excitedly wanting to know if it was really his birthday, too. Ben was occupied with Max's questions for a good ten minutes.
"Caeli, can I borrow you for a minute?" Vin asked from the kitchen doorway. She joined him, and they walked down the hall a little ways. Vin stopped when they were out of sight of everyone else.
"What do you need, Vin?"
Vin smiled impishly and kissed her in response.
"Aside from needing to do that, I couldn't help noticing the way the table has been set. One napkin in particular caught my attention. I thought I detected the tiniest edge of paper poking out from the middle of it. I remembered what Max enjoyed more than your pancakes Wednesday morning. He was thrilled to be able to make an announcement for you…"
"Whoa, Vin! I am not pregnant. You know I'm not. I am sorry, but this is just pancakes. There is no present hidden in your napkin, if that's what you're thinking," Caeli insisted with a low whisper.
"No, no. That's not what I was suggesting. I know that Salma set the table. I was trying to confirm my suspicion that the present is in Ben's napkin. I'm pretty sure the birthday boys are seated at the ends of the table," Vin smiled down at her.
"Oh, Vin. I really thought we fooled you," Caeli confessed.
"Wow! So it's true?" Vin laughed loudly.
"Shh! Not so loud. You'll ruin Salma's surprise," Caeli cautioned him.
"Surprise is a good word for it. This is one Ben certainly won't be expecting," Vin laughed a bit too loudly again. This would be the last thing Ben was considering.
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