by Tony Lavely
“One each, then watch the sunset or go to the movies or something.”
The glasses appeared almost as fast as Boynton disappeared.
She squeezed Ian even tighter. “I hope Millie hasn’t left us any restrictions?”
“I chose not to ask and she volunteered none.”
“Indeed.” She giggled. “Let me make sure Ralf’s down, and then let’s get acquainted… again.” She made sure the baby was comfortable in his crib, then gave Angel a quick thank-you hug. She hurried back to her room… Their room. “Gonna get a shower,” she said, slipping by Ian.
Washing her hair took longer than she wanted, but pouring the strawberry-flavored body wash over her skin… Hope he hasn’t forgotten… She scrubbed. Out, she toweled her body, then absorbed as much water from her hair as she could tolerate. She glanced at the mirror before wrapping a fresh bath sheet under her arms. All my bruises… It’ll have to be okay; it’s what I have. She opened the door to see Ian sitting on the bench at the foot of the bed. Hmm. Okay. She felt an old rhythm fill her; she raised herself on tiptoe and danced across, ending a couple feet in front of him. As she continued her motion, it was no accident that the towel obeyed gravity, slipping slowly to reveal her breasts, then her hips, and then… her.
She dropped from tiptoe and ran to press herself against her love. I am so-o-o ready!
In the morning, light snuck in through the open slider to the balcony lanai. Beckie moved an arm slowly, gingerly, until a finger touched… Ian’s hand! He took it and kissed her palm. She rolled over against his side and rubbed, almost the way they’d started last night.
An hour later, showered, dressed and glowing, they made their way to the kitchen.
Boynton smiled from his toes to his thinning hair and pointed to the lanai.
Beckie pulled Ian along a little more aggressively once she heard Ralf’s vocalizations, but she stopped short in the doorway. Her cohort, her crew, was scattered about the chairs and sofa, leaving plenty of room at the table for Ian and her. Cori was holding Ralf; Angel sat beside her, her own baby at her breast. The rest were more expected. Amy and Dylan, Lisa, Kerry and Solène, Willie.
“What… How long have you all been here? Is every… is everything okay?”
Assurances and big grins came from everyone. Boynton entered, carrying a tray that he laid on the table. Beckie stared at the flimsy paper folded under Ian’s cup, then sat. She took her cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain and sipped while meeting the eyes of each of her friends.
“Doctor Ardan asked me to say Bethany’s in her care; she’ll have a prognosis later today.”
“Thanks for that, Maurice. What else?”
“She’s happy with Sam’s injury and with your approval, he’ll ask Jannike for a ride to Turkey.”
“Done, but ask him to stop by first. Elena?”
“Ms Rios is being examined as we speak, according to Millie.”
“Good enough. Thanks again.” She focused on Cori. “When I’ve got some food in me, we need to talk. Do you want Lisa there, too?”
Cori nodded and handed Ralf to Amy, but Solène stood and took him. “I’ll just get a cup of tea,” Cori said.
Once Cori had left the lanai, Beckie turned to Lisa. “She looks a lot more relaxed than when I left.”
“Yeah. We’ve been working on her.”
“We?”
“Amy and I. Dylan, too, when Amy permits,” she said with a grin.
Beckie giggled through a mouthful of eggs.
“Boynton,” Ian said, “did Millie say when we may visit Bethany and Elena?”
“Not specifically, but she implied it would be later this afternoon.”
“Very well. Can you ask if four would be suitable?” He turned to Beckie. “I believe you should ask Millie directly why she needed to see Samuel before he returns to Syria.”
Ian pointedly ignored her stunned questioning stare; she finally gave it up, but decided not to ask. A second Danish consoled her.
In a couple of minutes, Beckie washed the last bit of pastry down with fresh coffee; as she did, Cori returned with a mug in her hand. Beckie nodded, sagely, she hoped, and rose. “I think we’ll head down to the beach, if that’s okay? I’m confident all the rest of you can find something to talk about.”
Cori might have been surprised; Lisa, too, a little, but the look on Amy’s face said, I know what you’re doing; take care. Oh, I will, believe me.
They walked a little way along the beach, but when they reached the western end of the cay, Beckie dropped to sit on the sand and patted beside her. Cori sat at about a right angle to her while Lisa took her place almost beside Beckie, where the two of them could watch the girl.
“It’s like the inquisition,” Cori said, a cheerful note in her voice.
“Nah,” Beckie said, “not really. What’s got you so happy? Not that that’s bad, it’s just… not what I expected.”
Cori blushed prettily. “Well, it’s been really nice, even if it’s only been, what, less than a week, anyway. And once Shalin and Mr. Jamse and Mr. Boynton allowed, and Angel, too, of course, I really enjoyed taking care of Ralf!”
“And I appreciate that, believe me!” Beckie replied. “But I hope you’re planning to work on other pursuits than babysitting?”
Now Cori’s expression became more calculating. I guess that’s not a surprise.
“I hope so, but doesn’t it depend on you? You still control my destiny; at least, it seems like you do.”
Beckie smiled. “I can see how you might think that, whether it’s true or not. So, let me ask; how up to date are you?”
“Not very—”
“She hasn’t seen a TV, or a computer connected to the Internet… or a phone since you said,” Lisa said. “Shen’s still worried that she may be a target.”
“Probably no more than any of us, based on what Elena found. Which I guess you heard?”
“Only what Shen told us after Maurice and Ian talked to him. They decided what you suggested, but no phone or that.”
“Cool.”
“Not really,” Cori said. “I couldn’t even have the cute guys doing the strip search every time I wanted to walk on the beach. After a day or so, I just gave up and wore one of Lisa’s skimpy bikinis. No one had to use their hands, at least.”
Beckie stifled her laughter; she could guess at the girl’s discomfort. “Thanks for taking it so well. All restrictions are lifted as soon as we get off the beach, unless something completely unexpected occurs.” Both Cori and Lisa sagged in relief at that, but they straightened once Beckie continued. “You can get more details from Elena later, but since Jose unwittingly backed your story, you’ve been given civilian friend status here. The police in San Diego are going to see what else he might have been doing.
“Also, San Diego police have forgotten that they were ever concerned about you. Your step-dad’s in the hospital… No!” Cori’d covered her face with her hands, but not before Beckie’d seen her look of shock. “It wasn’t anything to do with you. He had a heart attack. I haven’t heard any prognosis, but when he’s out of the hospital, the police will charge him for assaulting your mom.
“I don’t know if you want to go back to San Diego, to your mom; that’s up to you.”
“Could I stay… here? Or…” She grabbed at Lisa’s hand without taking her eyes from Beckie. “Or maybe with Lisa?”
“To the first, yes. You’ll have to ask Lisa and her parents about the second; I won’t get in the middle of that. They’ll be headed to Miami, I think, before Lisa starts school. Where are you going?”
“I got accepted at Stanford and Berkeley, but I’ve been talking to Miami, in case I could stay over here.”
“Cool. I can say I know two alumna, then.” Beckie wriggled as if she was rising. “But—”
Cori grabbed at her arm; Beckie twisted a little on the sand. “Oof! Ribs… not…quite healed.”
Cori snatched her hand back. “I didn’t mean—”
&n
bsp; “Not to worry. I guess you had something else on your mind?”
“Yeah. If staying here’s an option… then that’s what I’d take. Lisa’s parents’ place is gonna be too small if another…”
“Another wild and crazy teenager moves in? Good thinking, even if I haven’t seen it. And I can see from Lisa’s expression that you’re absolutely right.”
“Yeah, I have to get a dorm room; Mom and Dad picked a small place since none of us girls would be doing more than visiting. I mean, we could shoehorn Cori in… But wait! If she goes there, she’ll be in a dorm, too.”
“And if I give her space up on Cottage, say, you can both stay there? Sometimes? That the plan now?”
Together, they nodded, so sheepish that Beckie had to laugh.
“Done. Maybe not on Cottage, though. I’ll talk with Rou; see what we can wrangle. Now…” Beckie leaned back on her arms, but her ribs didn’t like that angle; she sat back up. That’s a new line of thinking from Cori, worrying about the Groves. I wonder… “So, Cori, remember our last conversation?”
The girl blushed again. Guess she does. “Yeah. You mean about my being clueless about… about pretty near everything that isn’t me, me, me?” Beckie nodded. “Yeah. When I thought about how I acted… how I’ve been acting ever since… ever since grade school, probably, well, if Lisa and Amy hadn’t been watching, I’d probably have tried to swim back home. Without a raft or anything. I was completely—”
“She was…” Lisa grabbed Cori and pulled her into an embrace, then gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek. “God, I don’t even know how to describe it. Amy noticed her while we were all sitting… Or maybe Dylan. Anyway, Amy grabbed my hand and yanked me out to where Cori’s walking into the waves. She tried to fight us off, but… Well, Amy wasn’t having any of that; together we got her back on the beach and calmed down.”
“Yeah,” Cori said. “Sorta calmed down, anyway. But I was still really upset. Until Dylan came over and picked me up, soaking wet like I was, and without his hands… or eyes wandering, carried me until I could walk, and then walked me up and down the beach, talking to me about relaxing and forgetting everything so far and loving all the crew here and taking my thoughts away from school and ‘home’ life and using… ordering me to use my damn head the way it’s supposed to be used. To think!” For a second, she buried her face in Lisa’s chest. “It took about two hours that first time.”
“Sessions after that were shorter, much to Amy’s delight.”
“Anyway, I’m trying to do better at seeing things from a different place, where my friends have an important voice in what I do and say.”
“Full marks to the three of them, then, and to you, too. I’ve seen others who couldn’t learn the lesson. Not that it’s easy, but you’ll be happier once it’s learned. Ask me how I know… No, I take it back, don’t ask!”
Their laughter was music to Beckie’s ears. After a few more minutes of sharing other things that had transpired while Beckie was in Pakistan, she grabbed their hands and pulled until they rose.
Ian had a soft comforting smile playing on his lips as they walked through the slider to the lanai. He was sitting with Amy and Dylan, who stood as they entered.
“Com’on, you guys,” Amy said. “We’ll leave the Jamse’s alone.”
“Tomorrow for breakfast? Then Lisa, Cori and I will talk to Rou.” Beckie struck a hipshot pose, index finger in her mouth. She glanced at Ian, whose smile… Wow! That’s nice. “Maybe she’d agree to put all four of you in the Cottage next door.” She waved her free hand toward the building that stood between their house and the deVeel’s.
Amy reacted first. With a laugh, she said, “Not a chance, boss! I don’t want to be that close when you get a wild idea.” She looked at Dylan, then the other two girls. “And if these guys are smart, neither do they! I might accept that place on Sud Cay, though, just to keep everyone in line. Kerry and Solène could fit in there, too.”
“Girls’ dorm, eh? We’ll see if she has any better ideas tomorrow, then. About eight?”
“If it’s okay,” Cori said, “I’ll come over about six to help Angel and Maurice with Ralf and Ethian. They’ll be ready for the day by then.”
Beckie mused for a second. “Okay. But I’ll be taking back that job… If Ralf will allow it.”
The flash of disappointment in Cori’s expression was quick, but Beckie gave her a shoulder hug as the four left. Better make sure that girl’s on birth control; she’s too enamoured of having a baby. Although, long as it’s her and Lisa snuggling…
She ignored the chatter her friends were making about moving as they walked to the dock when Ian came up behind her and encircled her with his strong arms. That kiss on the back of my ear’s not bad either. But she stamped down the flush his continuing kisses gave her and turned in his arms. “Hold me.”
For several minutes, she luxuriated in feeling the warmth of his body against hers, the beating of his heart against her cheek. Forever! That’s almost long enough.
Finally, she leaned back, reached up to kiss his chin, and nodded toward the house.
“Not yet,” Ian said. “We should visit Millie. Perhaps Bethany and Elena will be permitted visitors.”
“Even if not,” Beckie said, “I need to ask her about how she plans to staff the new clinic in Surab, and no time like the present.” She linked her arm with his and headed along the shell walkway. They met Angel, holding Ralf, at the door. When Ian smiled and released her, she took the baby in her arms. “I can see why Cori’s entranced. This is great! Thanks, Angel.”
Ian touched her back with a hand. “While Ms D’Costa has been a great help, and Ms Johnson, Ms Sabrina here has had the lion’s share of work.” He smiled at the girl, and then at Ralf. With a chuckle, he said, “I will be interested to see if you are as enchanted with our son when he is thirteen or so.”
She glanced quickly to see his grin. “A warning?”
“I recall my own adolescence.”
“Fondly?”
“Some of it.”
She giggled as they walked into the house behind Angel.
In twenty-five minutes they had settled Ralf with Ethian in the nursery, boated to Bon Secours and were seated before Millie’s desk, waiting while the doctor cleared her schedule.
She hurried through the door, pitched her lab coat at an empty chair, and slid into her desk chair. “You both look no worse than the last time I saw you, so… Everything okay?”
“Fine,” Ian replied, “except for pre-existing conditions, and you are aware of those. We would like to entertain Bethany and Elena, with your permission of course. Also, Rebecca needs to discuss… things.”
Millie was smiling before he finished. “I can’t imagine what Beckie wants to talk about… Unless…”
“I guess, first, since we all know there was no real reason to bring Sam back…”
If anything, Beckie thought Millie’s smirk grew. “Yes. I apologize for not explaining then. I thought it better for a face-to-face meeting.”
“Like this one?”
“Like this one, yes. Give me a second.” She took her phone and asked whoever answered to “Find Captain Dabron, please. He’s probably with Ms Stadd or Ms Rios.”
She returned the phone to her desk. “As for visiting Beth and Elena, no problem. I’m not as sure about ‘entertaining’ them, though.”
“We’ll keep the carousing to a minimum, then,” Beckie said with a smile. “While we wait, are you up to date on the promises I’ve made on your behalf concerning a clinic in Pakistan?”
“Pretty much, I think. Leonid and Fabien called and we talked. Rou and I have some feelers out for administrative people, and I hope for as good a return as we got the last time we went recruiting.”
“The medical staff, we’ll be okay on that?”
“Yeah, I have sources. That won’t be an issue. If it becomes one, we’ll talk then.”
Beckie nodded and gave Ian a smile. His in return brought a flu
sh to her cheeks. God, I love him!
A rap on the door frame interrupted her fantasies; Millie invited Sam in. “I wanted Sam here so we all hear the same thing—”
“No argument from me, Millie. Thanks.”
“Good. I asked to bring him back to let him know that I’m assigning Doctor Curt Bennet to the hospital in Al Quaryatayn, and I wanted to—”
“Wait!” Beckie shoved her immediate reaction back. Wait til she finishes, girl. “Doctor Bennet? He’s the one—”
“He’s the one we talked about last October, yes. I think with the sensitivity training he’s had, and the additional experience, we can set him to work there. But on the off-chance I’m wrong, I wanted Sam to understand the background.”
“We’ll keep a weather eye on him, Mrs. Jamse. That shouldn’t be a concern.”
“It’s not, but are you okay with… well, with, it’s almost babysitting him?”
He laughed. “It’s no worse than some of the others I deal with. And in his case, unless he regresses, the risk-reward is worth making the attempt. While we all love Millie and Sue and Shakti visiting for their tours of duty, if Bennet can hang on for twelve months or so, I think the consistency will benefit us.”
“First sign of trouble, Captain.”
“Right!”
“Good. Now, please tell me the reason Doctor Bennet’s not here is because you had exactly this conversation with him already.”
“Absolutely” and “Of course” overlapped Ian’s “Indeed.”
“Good. I won’t do to him what I accused him of doing to Lisa. Sam, are you taking him back when you leave?”
“Yeah, in about an hour, Patrice said.”
“I’ll be going along, too,” Millie said. “Sue can get off a couple days early, and I can get Bennet indoctrinated while I’m there.”
“Cool. You guys, have an excellent trip.” She stood and when Sam reached his hand, she pulled him into an embrace. “Keep safe.”
He nodded and headed to the door.
“Without further ado then, we shall visit the injured.” Ian stood and caught Beckie around the waist.
Both of the women were moving, Elena more than Beth, who was confined to her bed for the time being. Once all the questions and teasing—now that they were actually going to recover—were done, Beckie and Ian bid them a good evening and returned home.
