by Vivi Holt
He laughed. “No, I had it in a box in my closet. Long story.”
“I’ve got plenty of time,” she stated gently.
He sighed and turned off the TV. “I haven’t really talked about this with anyone before … it’s hard.”
She didn’t reply. She’d let him speak if he wanted to. Sometimes silence was the best encouragement.
“I was engaged once, and bought this ring hoping I’d get to wear it. But Mom died soon after Kerry and I were engaged. It was a shock – we’d had a lot of arguments before she passed. I didn’t cope with it well, and Kerry had her own issues. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”
Her heart ached for what he must have endured. Losing a mother and fiancée one after the other. No wonder he acted cool toward her – he’d built walls around his heart, with good reason. “Well, we’re quite a pair, aren’t we?” she joked, frowning.
“Yes, we are. We could bring any party to a crashing halt with our heart-warming tales.” He half-smiled, eyes twinkling.
“I’m sorry that happened to you,” she whispered.
“Thanks.”
“What about the rest of your family – where were they in all this?”
He shook his head. “There’s only Dad, and he and I have always had a strained relationship. He’s a hard man, driven, and he pushed me as well. We butted heads a lot. When mom died … well, I think she might’ve been the glue keeping us together. I haven’t spoken to him once since the funeral. I don’t have any other family, at least none I’ve seen recently.”
“Where is your dad?”
“He lives in north Georgia, a little town called Jasper. Funny thing … he left a message on my home phone right before I came on this cruise. I should’ve called him back, I guess, but I wanted to wait until I got back. I can’t imagine what he wants to talk about – with Dad, there’s always an agenda.”
“Maybe he just wants to reconnect – you know, put the past behind you.” She could see the pain in his eyes. He clearly cared about his father, but whether it was enough to give the man a second chance was another matter.
“Yeah, maybe. I guess I’ll find out when I call.”
She snuggled under the covers, her thoughts in a whirl. What would she have done if she didn’t have her loving parents close by when Paul died – and when she found out about all of Paul’s affairs? She wasn’t sure she could’ve made it through that without them. She’d have had to keep going, for Scott’s sake. Still, she couldn’t imagine what it must be like now for Callum: his mother gone, his engagement broken, no relationship with his father.
Jessie drifted off to sleep and dreamed of running – away from something or toward it, she couldn’t be sure. All she knew was the pounding of her heart filled her with dread.
7
Callum peered out into the darkness. Anti-aircraft fire lit up the sky like lightning. He ducked through a doorway, his interpreter Abdullah on his heels. “Did we lose them?” asked Abdullah in that musical accent of his, glancing over his shoulder as they pressed against the wall of a mud hut.
“I don’t know.” Callum’s heart pounded against his ribcage and in his ears, which were still ringing from the explosion that had separated them from their team. He didn’t know if they’d made it, or where they were. All he could think about was getting the two of them back to base in one piece. He knew what he had to do, but as another round of gunfire echoed through the night, he also knew it’d be all they could do to survive the hour.
Shrapnel hit the mud wall beside him. He took a quick breath and poked his head out, scanning their surroundings for some sign of their attackers. If it was a sniper, he and Abdullah were in deep trouble. “We gotta keep moving …”
Just then, a bullet pierced Abdullah’s side and he fell to the ground, his eyes open and lifeless. Callum dropped to his knees. “Abdullah! Abdullah!” he whispered desperately. He checked for a pulse, found none and squeezed his eyes shut. Another bullet lodged in the wall by his head and he stood and ran …
Callum’s eyes slammed open and he rubbed them in frustration. Another dream. They were never the same, but they all carried the same theme: the men he’d known and lost. He wiped his face and breathed deep in an attempt to slow his heart rate. No matter how many nightmares he had, it never seemed to get any better. Every time he thought he’d moved onto a new phase in life and left that part of himself behind, he’d have another and the pain would be just as fresh as the day it’d happened. Would they ever stop?
He suddenly became aware that something was pressing on his left arm and he’d lost feeling in it. He squinted and blinked a few times. Where was he? He scanned the room – oh yeah. It was the cabin, on board the cruise ship. There was the sofa. He was in the bed. Wait – why was he in the bed?
He frowned and looked down the length of his arm to find it pinned by a chestnut tumble of curls. Jessie. His heart lurched. What had happened?
Another deep breath. He closed his eyes and focused. He’d remembered getting up in the middle of the night to pee … but he didn’t remember returning to the sofa or climbing back under the covers. He must’ve fallen asleep while he was in the bathroom.
Now it all made sense. He’d sleepwalked occasionally since he was a boy – always when he needed the bathroom. He was such a heavy sleeper that he’d get up to pee, but often didn’t wake. Mom had even installed a high padlock on the farmhouse’s back door to keep him from going outside in the middle of the night – which he had a couple of times as a kid. The next morning, he’d be unable to remember a thing.
So he’d done it again - and this time he’d climbed into bed with Jessie, thankfully on top of the covers. No one could accuse him of anything, not even himself. But it didn’t look as if she minded. She sighed in her sleep and rolled over, nestling beneath his arm, one hand flopping onto the middle of his chest. He didn’t have the heart to wake her – she looked so peaceful, so happy. Never mind his numb arm – he’d gladly let it fall off before he’d disturb her. She was so beautiful it made his throat hurt.
Her eyes fluttered open and he found himself staring directly into their golden brown depths. She blinked, her forehead creased … and the spell was broken. She scrambled backward. “What? How did …?” Her thoughts sounded as jumbled as his had been moments earlier.
The embarrassment of the situation came crashing in on him all at once. “Sorry,” he croaked, standing up quickly and holding his hands up. “I … I sleepwalk sometimes, and I must’ve accidentally gotten into bed with you, I don’t remember. I know that sounds lame …”
She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. “No … I think I remember that actually. At least, I remember someone climbing into bed in the middle of the night. I thought it was Paul … oh crap …” She covered her eyes with both hands, her head shaking back and forth. “When I woke up, I thought you were Paul.”
He frowned, his throat tightening. “I’m sorry.”
She smiled weakly. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. It was nice to … to have someone there. I used to feel this pain in my chest every time I thought about him, but …”
“I don’t want you to think I was taking advantage. I just woke up a minute ago, completely confused …”
She waved it off. “I know you wouldn’t do that. Let’s just forget about it.”
As she said it, Callum believed her and relief flooded through him. He’d never shared a bed with a woman. Ever since he gave his life to God at the age of nineteen, he’d made the choice to wait for marriage. Holding Jessie had felt different, in a good way. He’d never known what he was missing, and he looked forward to so much more.
He also knew he would struggle to think about anything else that day.
Jessie slapped sunscreen on her cheeks and grimaced. She hated applying the gunk, but if it meant she got to spend the day in the sunshine on an island surrounded by azure water and dotted with palm trees, she could bear the inconvenience.
She grinned at her reflecti
on in the mirror. It had been strange to wake up in – okay, on – Callum’s arm, but curiously familiar. When she’d realized he wasn’t Paul, the usual pain associated with the memory of her deceased husband didn’t come. She’d looked in Callum’s eyes and her heart had skipped a beat. There were certainly worse ways to begin the day.
She smiled again and continued applying sunscreen.
The ship had stopped for the first time, docking just before she woke. As soon as she’d gathered her senses and gotten over the shock of finding herself laying on Callum’s arm with one hand on his firm chest, she’d thrown on a robe and run outside to take it all in, and was able to see Haiti from the balcony – all green trees and humid haze, with a backdrop of jungle-covered mountain peaks that stretched away on the jagged coastline. Visiting a Caribbean island had always been on her bucket list, and she couldn’t wait to set foot on it.
She and Callum had eaten a quick breakfast at the buffet, since they had to be ready to disembark at eight. When they’d walked back to their room to dress, people were already lining up by the gates with their shoulder bags, oversized hats and pale skin, ready for a day in the sun.
The only thing missing was Scott. Her heart fell just thinking of him. It had been four days since she’d seen him, and they’d never been apart that long before. She called him on FaceTime the moment she woke up, hoping to catch him before school. His sleepy eyes and mussed hair caused her breath to catch. But he said he’d made a friend at school and that he was going to the baseball tryouts at lunchtime. He seemed excited and happy, and she’d held back the tears to smile at him.
She missed him. And Mom. But she knew what she was doing was for all three of them, to help make their new start. Her thoughts brightened – she might finally get a chance to relax and enjoy herself after three years of grieving and getting by. Scott would understand. She was grateful he loved his grandmother enough that he didn’t miss Jessie too much. At least, that’s how he sounded when he hurried off to get ready for school, calling to Nana about where his baseball cleats might be.
When her mom’s face came onto the screen, Jessie had forced another smile, filled her in on where his baseball gear was and urged her to make sure he had plenty of food in his lunchbox since his appetite had increased in the past couple of weeks. Mom had nodded and told her not to worry, but she couldn’t help herself. Whenever she was away from him, she worried. It was part of the job description.
She gathered her things and stepped out of the bathroom. Callum waited patiently on the sofa, watching a morning news and lifestyle show, but jumped up when he saw her. “All set?”
She nodded. “Let’s go.” She donned her wide-brimmed straw hat and her sunglasses and slung her bag over her shoulder. Her flip-flops slapped against the hard floor, echoing along the hallway as she and Callum walked to the elevator.
Callum pressed the button and they stopped to wait. “How was your little man?”
Jessie crossed her arms. “He was good. Didn’t seem to miss me as much as I miss him.” She chuckled.
“That’s good.”
“Yeah, I’m glad. It’d be so much harder if he wasn’t happy. But he’s trying out for the school baseball team today, so he’s all excited about that. He’s very serious about baseball.”
“As he should be.” Callum winked.
“Of course, we’re living in Atlanta now. Home of the Braves, his favorite team even in Chicago. My dad’s influence – he bragged that he’d rooted for them since they moved south in 1966.”
“He and your son were close?”
She nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yes, especially after Scott’s dad died – he was only four, so he doesn’t remember a lot. He and Papa talked all the time on the phone and over FaceTime – mostly about the Braves.”
“It’s good he had that relationship, at least for a while.”
She nodded, unable to keep talking. Callum took her hand and squeezed it. She met his gaze and smiled in gratitude.
They rode the elevator down and joined the line that snaked down to the small dock below. The crowd buzzed with excitement. Jessie spotted the Timmses – Sam was foraging in Ethel’s purse while she nagged at him in her loud, shrill voice. Jessie hid a smile behind her hand. Poor Sam. “So what’s the plan for today?” she asked Callum.
He put his arms around her waist and pulled her close, burying his head in her hair and making her gasp for breath. “I thought this might be the best way to talk when we’re in public,” he whispered into her ear.
The warmth of his body made her shiver, and she gave into the temptation to put her arms around his neck and nestle closer. “Okay.” She licked her lips and closed her eyes.
“Let’s try to get closer to Alton and Liliana,” he continued. “See if we can get them talking more. Maybe she’ll take her scarf off today – we can only hope, right? I’ll try to snap some pictures and send them to the client – she could give us some insights.”
“That sounds good.” Jessie leaned against his chest, grateful for the support given how weak her knees had suddenly become.
“I did a bit more research and I can’t find anything on a Liliana Meer. Obviously she’s just become a Meer, maybe hasn’t officially changed her name yet. There’s no way for us to know what her maiden name is, unless we can draw it out of her.”
“I’ll work on that today.”
“Thanks.” Callum stepped back and traced the outline of Jessie’s jaw and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, grinning at her all the while.
“Mr. McKenzie, you’re making me blush,” she chuckled.
He laughed. “Good. You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”
The line began to move, with grumbles and complaints from some and exclamations of excitement from others. The sun beat on Jessie’s head and Callum let her walk ahead of him down the gangplank to the dock. She took a long, deep breath of tropical air and smiled.
The view was so stunning it almost didn’t seem real. Bright blue water surrounded the ship, and an array of small boats floated on the still surface of a nearby marina. A white sandy beach stretched away in a graceful arc, with trees dotting the small peninsula alongside red-roofed cottages. They were soon making their way through the sand and over the peninsula to an even longer beach with cabanas. Flimsy white curtains flapped in the breeze over white mattresses and pillows. “Wow,” said Jessie, taking Callum’s hand again.
He lifted it to his lips and kissed it. She smiled. He might be pretending, but he was good at it.
The Meers were just ahead of them, walking side by side but with enough space between them to make Jessie shoot Callum a look – not newlywed behavior. He nodded, one eyebrow up. Maybe she was new to this whole PI thing, but years as a police officer had taught her to read people and situations well enough. And she was sure Alton and Liliana weren’t newlyweds. In fact, she’d be surprised if they were in love at all. So what was their deal?
“… So please sign up and pay at the window for any of the mentioned tours,” said a man in a white uniform, his accent adding to the magic of the moment. “If you do not intend to go on a tour, you can stay here at the resort. We have cabanas for your use, cocktails are served on the beach, there is food available at the bar. And anything you need, just ask one of our friendly staff and we’ll be happy to oblige.”
Jessie glanced at Callum, who shrugged and nodded toward Alton Meer. She knew what he meant: they’d have to see what the target intended to do before they made a choice themselves. But she’d be happy with any of the options around the town of Labadee, or just sitting in a cabana on the beach. It was a hard job, but someone had to do it. She grinned, her hands on her hips as she waited.
It wasn’t long before Alton and Liliana wandered toward the beach. It seemed they’d be skipping the tours. Jessie and Callum followed at a safe distance, still holding hands. “I know this is work,” she whispered, “but I think it’s safe to say that this is already my favorite job ever.�
� She watched people milling around, claiming cabanas or perching under colorful umbrellas.
Alton and Liliana walked to a cabana. Liliana laid down immediately on the thick mattress, an arm across her forehead. Alton seemed at a loss for what to do with himself, sitting on the edge of the bed and peering out over the water, the soft white curtains that framed the bed fanning out around them in the breeze. Finally he pulled an iPad from his shoulder bag and began to read.
Callum led Jessie to the next cabana over and they sat down to rest. Jessie decided to follow Alton’s example and booted up her Kindle. Callum lay on his side, watching the couple behind his sunglasses. “Think they’re just gonna settle in for the day?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Maybe. They’re such a … cold couple.”
“That’s for sure. I haven’t seen them touch all morning, or exchange more than a word or two.” Callum turned onto his back. “I wonder … never mind, it’s probably nothing. I think I’ll take a swim – care to join me?”
She shook her head and held up the Kindle. “I’ll stay here and keep an eye on the lovebirds.”
He smiled and took off his shirt, his muscled torso rippling in the bright sunshine. Jessie’s eyes widened behind her sunglasses. She knew he’d been a Navy SEAL, but clearly he still worked out a lot. She didn’t have that kind of free time. But then, what single mother did? She wrapped her arms around herself and grimaced, painfully aware of how pale, thin and soft she must look beside him. Maybe she should keep herself covered up with the white dress she’d pulled on over her turquoise bikini.
She watched him jog down the beach, unable to look away. When she finally did, she noticed a lot of other women had their eyes trained on him as he disappeared beneath the ocean’s surface, only to emerge again glistening with salt water. She certainly couldn’t blame them. Callum shook the water from his hair, then turned to look at Jessie. She held the Kindle up in front of her in a hurry, hoping he hadn’t caught her gawking. But when he waved, she waved back.
