Life, Liberty, and Pursuit

by Susan Kaye Quinn

  Life, Liberty,

  and Pursuit

  a novel by

  Susan Kaye Quinn

  OMNIFIC PUBLISHING

  DALLAS

  Copyright © 2010 by Susan Kaye Quinn

  All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976,

  no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted

  in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system,

  without prior written permission of the publisher.

  Omnific Publishing

  P.O. Box 793871, Dallas, TX 75379

  www.omnificpublishing.com

  First Omnific eBook edition, June 2010

  First Omnific trade paperback edition, June 2010

  First Omnific Kindle edition, June 2010

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious.

  Any similarity to real persons, living or dead,

  is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

  Quinn, Susan Kaye.

  Life, Liberty, and Pursuit/ Susan Kaye Quinn – 1st ed.

  ISBN: 978-1-936305-24-7

  1. Young Adult Romance—Fiction. 2. Cruise—Fiction. 3. Aspirations—Fiction.

  4. Long-Distance Relationship - Fiction. I. Title

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Book Cover Design by Amy Brokaw

  Book Interior Design by Barbara Hallworth

  Printed in the United States of America

  To Bethany and Erynn, who were there from the beginning.

  Chapter 1

  Moonlight

  The cruise ship gently rose and fell as it sailed out of the bay towards open water. David had wanted to come to the bow of the ship when his family had boarded, but he waited until everyone settled into their cabins and then suffered through dinner with them. Finally, he had time alone. The moon was nearly full, reflecting off the waves like shimmering silver fish just below the surface.

  While everyone else was unpacking, he had tackled the ship’s floor plans. He memorized the vast array of amenities the cruise ship had to offer, which was no small feat given there were fifteen decks. He decided Deck Four, one of the many pool decks, had the most forward position and would provide the best unobstructed view of the sea. But he had underestimated how far above the ocean it would be. With several decks between him and the water, he was easily fifty feet above the glistening waves. The cruise ship was simply enormous—as big as an aircraft carrier. He loved it.

  He had expected to see some fellow travelers on deck but was pleasantly surprised to find it deserted. From his perch at the bow, no passengers or crew in sight, the Miss Liberty could have been a ghost ship swiftly sailing out into unknown waters. He had been against the idea when his mom proposed taking a cruise, relenting only because she wanted one last family outing before he and Teagan left home. But a few nights like this would make up for having to tolerate her family cruise-director itinerary during the day.

  He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, enjoying the gentle whoosh of the waves far below and the serenity of the empty deck. The sea spray couldn’t come close to reaching him, but the air was still rich with the salty smell of the open ocean. The ship taxied along at five to ten knots as it moved out of the bay, inducing a steady breeze of warm tropical air through his light shirt. His unzipped jacket whisked gently around his waist. Once they reached the open water, it would probably be too windy to stay above deck. At least he could enjoy it while it lasted.

  He opened his eyes and turned to fish his iPod out of the flapping pocket of his jacket. A little Water Music would fit his mood, and he thought he had it on his classic cuts playlist. As he turned he saw someone—a girl—standing on the port side of the ship under the overhang of the deck above. With the glare of the moon and the shadows falling on her face, he could barely see her. She probably wanted to come outside for fresh air, as he had. He was about to wave, to let her know he wasn’t some kind of creep, but she ducked her head and turned away. She slipped into the shadows between the deck lights and was gone. He must have scared her off. Good job, David.

  He was trying again to retrieve his iPod when he heard a muffled cry and a splash coming from the back of the open deck, near the pool. He froze, listening—a sloshing sound, coming from the pool? His feet were running before the thought formed in his head—did she fall in? It was only twenty yards to the pool, another ten down the concrete edge. The water was obscured by the sheen of moonlight dancing on the surface. He could barely see her, ghostly white hands thrashing, already under the surface and swallowed by the pool.

  The EMT training of his former job kicked in. He needed a life buoy, a cushion—anything that would float. A drowning person would grasp and pull down on anything they could reach—it was reflexive. If he went in after her without one, they could both drown. His eyes raked the deck, covered with cushion-less chairs and tables. There—a lifesaver hanging on the wall of the pool house. He grabbed the ring and dashed back to where he had seen her hands. There was nothing but churning pool water. He jumped in.

  The pool was shockingly cold for a warm summer night, and he was blinded by the water. With one arm hooked around the ring, he flailed with his free arm, trying to find her. Suddenly he felt her hands bash against his arm. Pulling the ring under the water with him, he evaded her grasping hands and reached around her waist. His arm locked around her, and he turned his face away as she grabbed, panic-stricken, at his shoulders and head. He kicked towards the surface. As they broke through, she got a firm hold on him, clutching his shoulders and choking and spitting up water. They weren’t far from the edge of the pool.

  “You’re okay. I’ve got you,” he murmured to the side of her head, trying to calm her as she gasped for air. With a couple of kicks, he towed her to the edge and tossed the ring up on deck. Her body convulsed with coughs. Keeping his grip on her, he heaved himself up on deck and then hauled her up with both hands and gently lay her down.

  He sucked in a sharp breath.

  Her soaked shirt clung to her pale skin, both shimmering white in the moonlight. Her shorts revealed long legs that stretched out, ending in delicate feet—one with a blue Keds sneaker, the other shoe lost to the pool. She shook violently as she continued coughing and sputtering.

  Idiot! Help her, don’t ogle her!

  He rolled her on her side, letting her head hang down to the deck as she continued to hack up pool water. If she had swallowed a substantial amount she might throw up, and he didn’t want her choking. As her head bent to the deck, her long dark hair fell across her face, hiding it. He carefully swept the wet hair back and tucked it behind her head. She was shivering. His jacket was soaked, but it was lightweight and would at least provide a wind barrier. He shrugged out of it, shook it once to get some of the water off, and laid it over her.

  “We need to get you out of the wind.” He scooped her up, silently thanking Tomasz for the brutal workouts he had put him through these last three months. She felt light, and he easily carried her to the pool house a couple of yards away. He set her down on a bench inside.

  Stacks of towels sat on the pool desk waiting for the next day’s tourists. He grabbed two and wrapped them around her, one over the other. He didn’t like the way she kept gasping.

  “Can you talk?” he asked, knowing that talking meant she had enough breath to not need respiratory help.

  She nodded, still shaking and wheezing. He repressed a smile.

  “Please say
something,” he asked again.

  “No,” she said between coughs.

  “No?” He almost laughed, unable to stop the grin now.

  “No, thank you?” she coughed out.

  He laughed out loud then. She was in shock. He tried to reign in his laughter—it wasn’t kind to laugh at near-drowning victims who were in shock. She seemed to be able to speak, so she wasn’t in imminent danger. Her coughing was starting to settle a little. Still, she needed medical help.

  He stood up. “We need to get you to the ship’s doctor.” He held his hands out to help her up. “Can you walk?”

  She nodded, taking his hands and standing up. He decided he had better help her with the walking part, just in case her shock went into overdrive. He pulled her hand over his shoulders and slipped his arm around her waist, holding her firmly to his side. It was a good thing he did, because just then her knees buckled.

  “Whoa, steady!” he said. “We can do this; just lean on me.” He held her tight to his side, feeling the shaking of her cold body, and started walking them to the rear of the pool house. He knew there were stairs beyond the back door that would take them down one level. The ship’s doctor was on that deck, on the starboard side if he remembered correctly. She seemed to strengthen a little as they hobbled through the door.

  He stopped, peering down the flight of stairs. They looked extremely steep for them to negotiate in her still shaky condition. He decided it would be better if he carried her again. It would have been more stable if he carried her over his shoulder, but he didn’t think her stomach could take it. Without a word, David bent down and picked her up, his arm cradling the backs of her knees. As he straightened up, her face was suddenly only inches from his. He felt the air go out of him as he looked into her warm brown eyes. He stared dumbly at her for a moment, until another coughing fit took hold of her, and she turned her head into his shoulder. Released from her gaze, he tried to remember what he was doing.

  Don’t trip, don’t trip, don’t trip, he thought on his way down the stairs. She continued to cough, then gasp for air, then cough again. At the bottom of the stairs, he set her down, stealing a look at her face. He hooked his arm under hers and half-carried her down the starboard hall, towards what he hoped was the infirmary. Her skin was luminously pale, even inside with the warm cabin lights. Her wet hair was plastered all over her head and clung to the contours of her neck. She looked like a drowned cat, and yet she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She had a determined look on her face and didn’t look at him again until they reached the doctor’s office.

  The door to the infirmary was open a crack. He kicked it open the rest of the way, revealing a very small cabin. It was stuffed with a raised cot, a desk bolted to the floor, and a few cabinets he hoped were filled with medical supplies. He was not impressed. At the desk sat a short, older woman with unnaturally red hair tied up neatly in a bun. Nancy Draper, R.N. read the nameplate on her desk.

  “Oh my! What happened to you, dears?” asked Nurse Draper. She hastily put down the romance novel she had been reading and scurried around the edge of the desk.

  “She fell in the pool,” David said quickly. “I think she may have taken in some water.” He watched Nurse Draper carefully, unsure of the quality of medical care his patient was about to receive.

  “Come, sit down, dear.” The nurse guided her to the cot. “What’s your name?”

  “Eliza.” She struggled to get the word out between coughs. Eliza—what an interesting name. Her coughing was more sporadic and less intense, but he still didn’t like it. He considered calling his father.

  “Is there a physician on the ship?” He tried not to sound too urgent.

  Nurse Draper gave him a disparaging look. “Well, yes, but first I think we need to take a look at Eliza before we call the doctor.” He didn’t really care if she felt he was encroaching on her territory—he wanted a real doctor to check her out.

  “Can I use your phone?” He was already moving to the table.

  “Um, okay.” She turned back to Eliza and started removing the towels that were still draped around her. “I’m going to listen to your breathing, dear.” She fumbled around for her stethoscope.

  He dialed the room number and his father picked up immediately. As quietly as he could, he said, “Dad, I have a patient for you. I need you to come down to the infirmary.”

  Although his father was sometimes difficult to please, he always took David seriously, and tonight he was grateful for that. His mom would have panicked first, asked several questions, and then finally gotten to the business at hand. His dad simply said, “It’s on the third deck, right?”

  “Right. Starboard side, near the front of the ship.”

  “I’ll be right there.” He hung up before David had a chance to thank him.

  The nurse had managed to get her stethoscope out and was listening to Eliza’s breathing. Eliza stared at the floor, trying to take deep breaths at the nurse’s commands, but her attempts kept getting interrupted by further coughing. He looked her over carefully. Her face was very pale, but she wasn’t shaking or crying. For having nearly drowned only minutes before, she seemed unnaturally calm.

  And she had no right to be so beautiful, sitting there soaking wet, clinging to his jacket.

  Nurse Draper finished her fussing. “Your lungs sound clear, Eliza. I think with a bit of rest, you’ll be just fine.” She looped her stethoscope around her neck and turned to pick up the wet towels. Eliza looked up at him, catching him watching her. They stared at each other for a long moment, and then the strangest look passed over her face. Her eyes went wide, and she looked like she might keel over. He flew to her side and caught her, wrapping his arm around her waist to steady her. Eliza’s head slumped against his shoulder, and he thought for a moment she was passing out. But then she steadied herself, pushing off his chest to hold herself up. She shook her head a little and looked up into his face.

  “You okay?” His voice was somehow lost.

  “Dizzy,” she whispered. She held his gaze until another coughing fit took hold of her. Dizzy. He didn’t like the sound of that. To his relief, a light knock sounded at the door, and his father walked into the small cabin.

  “David, is this our patient?” He used the gentle bedside-manner voice that he reserved for those he was treating. His father briefly looked over Eliza and then glanced at Nurse Draper, who was staring at him with something between outrage and attraction. His father’s good looks, dark blond hair, and lanky build seemed to inspire that reaction in nurses of all ages, much to his mother’s amusement. He knew she would find it less funny if his father had ever shown any interest in anyone but her. His mother’s fiery Irish temper was a force to be reckoned with, and his father was not stupid.

  “I’m Dr. Jozef Marek,” he said quickly. “Do you mind if I take a look at her?” He beamed a smile at the befuddled nurse. Without waiting for her answer, he held out his hand to relieve her of her stethoscope. With that in his grip, he took two steps to Eliza’s side.

  “Eliza fell in a pool—I think she may have ingested some water,” David offered. She was still encased in his arms. He added by way of explanation, “She says she’s dizzy.” She shook her head and pulled away from him, showing the good doctor that she could sit up on her own. Reluctantly, he released her.

  “Well, Eliza, do you mind if I take a look at you, to see how you’re doing?” he asked gently. She nodded her assent. David stepped back to give them room, watching her in case she decided to attempt another head-dive off the cot. But now that his father was here, she would at least get proper care. He was the finest doctor in Green Bay, but he could easily have been head physician at any big-city hospital.

  He quickly checked her breathing and her pupils. He asked her to count his fingers and answer some standard questions, checking for a concussion or oxygen deprivation
.

  “What day is it?” he asked. He flashed his ever-present pen light across her eyes to check her pupil dilation again.

  “Flag Day.”

  His dad paused, raising his eyebrows and glancing quickly at him. David tried not to smile.

  He looked back at Eliza. “Flag Day?”

  “Saturday?” She tried again. “June fourteenth.”

  His dad smiled, relieved. David glanced at the calendar Nurse Draper had hung on the wall. He knew it was Saturday, but he wasn’t sure of the date. He smiled involuntarily when he saw small red letters on the calendar—Flag Day.

  He looked back at her and grinned. She only glanced at him before turning her brown eyes back to his father.

  “Well, Eliza, I think you’re going to be fine. You’re going to need some warm clothes and a long rest. But if you have any trouble breathing or start to feel dizzy again, I want you to call me immediately. Do you understand?” She nodded. “Are you traveling with your parents?”

  Eliza nodded again and whispered in a hoarse voice, “Cabin five-three-five.”

  “Nurse, could you please ring Eliza’s parents and ask them to come get her?” The nurse jumped like she had been shocked and immediately started dialing the phone.

  Having packed up his bag, his dad looked at him as if to say Are you all right?

  David gave a quick nod. “I’ll stay until Eliza’s parents arrive.”

  His father turned and smiled warmly at her. “Good-bye, Eliza. The next time I see you, I expect you to be completely recovered.”

  She smiled weakly. David went to stand next to her as his dad left the infirmary, telling himself she might faint again. She didn’t seem to mind, smiling at him in between coughs but not speaking. In less than a minute, a tall, ridiculously muscular man rushed into the cabin, which hardly seemed big enough to hold him. He didn’t look old enough to be Eliza’s father, but his wildly panicked look left few other possibilities.