by Conn, Claudy
“Now that I’m here, are they getting bigger?”
Grady chuckled deep and low. “Something is.”
Brittany pushed him away and laughed. “You need to slow down.”
He stumbled and fell onto his butt. Sand inched its way into his jeans, but the warm water felt nice. Grady pulled his legs in and rested his arms on top of his knees. Brittany’s hair glimmered in the moonlight. Her skin glistened, and Grady’s erection grew harder. Every fiber of his being ached to feel her against him once more, but Brittany wasn’t ready.
This was one relationship he didn’t want to screw up. If he tried, he could probably coax Brittany into his bed, but sex wasn’t his main goal. The young woman splashing gentle sprays of water in his direction captured his heart in more ways than he was willing to admit.
Something in his eyes must have given his deep thoughts away. Brittany cocked her head questioningly and asked, “What?”
For one fleeting moment, Grady considered giving up his innermost secret. That he was falling in love with her, but the theme song from Jaws drummed louder in his head.
• • •
BRITTANY WATCHED GRADY’S eyes grow warm with his thoughts. This was getting too serious for her. She liked Grady, but she wasn’t sure she could trust him. The family said he was a good person, but that he tended to play it fast and loose with the ladies.
She couldn’t survive another heartache. Even after she broke down and sent her parents a message telling them where she was, she still hadn’t heard one word. It wasn’t a surprise her dad hadn’t called, but she expected to hear something from her mother.
The heavy conversation she had with Annie about their parents hadn’t eased her mind. According to big sis, Brittany shouldn’t expect much. Since moving to Hawaii, the only correspondence Annie had with them was when dad asked for a loan. Since he never bothered to repay a single penny, the loan turned out to be a handout. Annie warned Brittany not to become too successful or she might find Mom and Dad sitting on her doorstep one day.
Brittany took Annie’s words as a dig for showing up unannounced, but Annie laughed at her assumption.
“You are only eighteen,” Annie explained, “who else would you turn to? Besides, you were always my favorite.”
Considering their birthright, Brittany found it hard to take that as a compliment and scowled. Annie still hadn’t addressed the looming question she needed answered. “But how did you get over the way they treated you?”
Annie sat down and rubbed her forehead thoughtfully. “I’m not sure I have. Being rejected by the people who are supposed to love and protect you isn’t something that goes away easily. It’s probably why I make light of it. It cuts too deep.” Tears welled in her sister’s eyes. “They didn’t bother to say goodbye when I left San Diego, and they never responded to my wedding invitation.” Annie dabbed the corner of her eye. “It’s easier now that I have my own family, but I don’t plan on introducing Max to his grandparents anytime soon.” A little chuckle slipped out. “And Terence is under strict orders to make me stick to that decision if I ever start to relent. Funny thing, though, I can’t stop myself from wanting their approval. One would think I would have received the message loud and clear by now,” her voice caught, “they don’t love me, and they never have.”
The only advice Annie could give was for Brittany to live her life well. Happiness was her greatest revenge. Even if their parents never saw how they failed to break their daughter, she would know, and that gave Brittany a little hope.
The hours of manual labor spent in Lena’s garden kept her mind occupied. Warden was not a quick learner, but he tried. Brittany figured that was all she could realistically ask for. The new garden tools, which magically appeared in the shed, were a blessing. They were the best of the best, and her job was made much easier. In another week, she and Lena would need to go shopping and pick out new plantings.
The bird Kap housed in the shed wasn’t anything close to being a blessing. It was probably still squawking. A few guests at the B&B complained, but after Kap asked, Lena decided to allow Turnabout to stay for a while. Then the duo spent a few hours huddled over the computer before they discovered a bird sanctuary located on the other side of the island. From the amount of laughing and flirting going on, Britt suspected a little May/December romance brewing between the odd couple.
After a few phone calls, the curator of the sanctuary agreed to take over the task of raising the tern, but he wouldn’t be able to pick him up for a few days.
Grady stood up and touched her arm. “We should head back. I have to pick Marissa up at the airport soon.”
Brittany blinked and was brought back to the present.
“Wanna come with?” he grinned sheepishly.
“I don’t think so. That woman always had a golden egg tucked under her pillow.” She grabbed Grady’s hand and they trudged their way through the water and back on shore. “I’ve never spoken a word to her, but she’d swing by our house in her fancy car, honk her horn, and whisk my sister away.”
“Leaving you behind,” he finished for her.
Grady hit the nail right on the head. “It’s not just that. She intimidates me. I’ve probably built this image up in my mind, but for me, Marissa is unapproachable.”
Grady fixed his eyes on her and sent a smirky half-grin in her direction. “Brittany, she’s staying at Lena’s. You’re going to have to talk to her at some point. Wouldn’t it be better for you to get rid of your preconceived notions sooner, rather than later?”
Avoidance was one of Brittany’s strong points and she had no intention of giving up on its robust ability to prolong the inevitable. “Marissa will probably want to go straight to the hospital. Erika’s there with Eleanor, the sisters will be able to keep each other company.”
Grady frowned. “Have you and Erika talked about the family?”
“No. Why?”
“Because, even though Marissa and Erika are siblings in the biological sense, where the heart is concerned, Marissa is Annie’s sister. If anyone goes to the airport with me, it will be her.”
Anger flared fast and furious through Brittany’s veins. She jerked her hand away and stopped short. “Annie is my sister, not Marissa’s.”
Grady wisely backed off. “I’m sorry. I touched a nerve.” He retrieved her hand and laced his fingers through hers. “Come on, I’ll walk you back home.”
Brittany felt like crap. He only spoke the truth as he saw it. It was her own jealousy which made her bark. With each step, her anguish increased, and she feared he wouldn’t want to be with her and her inner bitch. Britt wanted to apologize, but she couldn’t find the words.
When they opened the front door, Annie was there to greet them. “Are you ready to go, Grady?” she asked. “Thanks for driving. We are all exhausted.”
Brittany pulled away from Grady when she saw Annie pick up her purse. “Where are you going?”
Annie pointed at the boy who just walked her home. “To the airport.”
Grady grabbed Annie’s arm and shook his head in warning, but Annie didn’t understand. “We’re picking up Marissa.”
Brittany felt her face turn red. The hurt cut to the core. She felt like the ugly stepsister, an intruder, an unwanted interloper. Britt crumpled and raced to the room she shared with the other golden child, Erika.
Annie looked at Grady totally confused. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No. I did.”
• • •
“YOU’RE WAY OFF base.” Terence stepped into the dimly lit room, but stayed near the doorway. “I just got off the phone with Grady. He and Annie feel terrible about hurting your feelings.”
Brittany curled up into a tight ball on her air mattress. Pulling the light blue blanket up to her face, she rubbed its soft nap against her cheek. “They didn’t do it on purpose. They shouldn’t feel bad.” Her voice didn’t disguise her pain.
Terence scratched his ear. “I wish I could make your insecuriti
es disappear. You are more than just welcome in our house. You’re part of us. This is your home. If Erika was here, she would probably slap the back of your head. One very hard lesson we’ve learned is that love can’t be measured. I loved Erika long before Larry came into the picture, but that doesn’t mean she loves him any less. The relationships Larry and I share with her are very different, but that doesn’t negate our feelings.”
Brittany heard his words, but she was a long way off from understanding them. “It’s all so easy for you. None of you can understand what it’s like for me.”
Terence’s silhouette stood up a little straighter, and the man took a good long moment before he spoke again. “It’s been a long day. Our emotions are raw. Get some sleep, Brittany. We’ll talk again tomorrow.”
He eased out of the room and closed the door gently behind him.
Brittany pounded the AeroBed Terence purchased for her. It was more comfortable than the lumpy mattress she had back at her parents’ house. Her brother-in-law hadn’t said it, but it was clear he felt she was acting like a child. Well, dammit anyway! Why shouldn’t she? When did she ever have a chance to be a kid, to throw a fit, or have a pity party? It wasn’t allowed in her old life.
She wiped her face on her sleeve and the image of an inconsolable Max appeared in her mind. His little red face puckered with anger as he kicked his legs in frustration.
Brittany sat up, ashamed of her behavior. Annie needed to focus on Larry, Marissa, and Erika. She didn’t need her younger sister melting down and acting like a two-year-old. One Max was quite enough.
She wasn’t in any condition to carry on a conversation with her sister, so she picked up her phone and tapped out a quick message. I’m sorry. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.
A few seconds later, her phone chirped. We’ll talk this out as soon as possible. I love you. Please don’t be sad or upset.
Brittany had the best sister in the entire world. Feeling generous, she replied, Tell Marissa hello and give Erika a hug. I’m not upset anymore. Your husband has a way of getting his point across without saying a word. I’m headed out to apologize to him right now.
Brittany’s phone pinged a few seconds later. Yes, he does... You’ve just been Terrorenced-ized. We’re still talking about this though.
She hoped the subject would be dropped, but it didn’t appear as if that was going to happen. Brittany stopped by the bathroom to wash her face before facing her brother-in-law. It was going to be tough admitting she was a brat.
The living room was dark. Terence’s bare feet rested on top of the coffee table. He relaxed on the couch with his baby son asleep on his chest. The television was on low, and it gave off a strobe light effect as it changed from scene to scene.
Britt plopped down in the club chair strategically placed adjacent to the sofa. Wanting to prolong the inevitable, she asked, “What are you watching?”
Terence glanced up, raised the remote and flipped off the tube. “Nothing.”
The only illumination was now provided by moonbeams radiating through the bay window.
Her brother-in-law was smooth. Terence wasn’t going to be the first one to speak. He would wait her out until the silence between them became unbearable. Brittany watched him use the same technique on both Annie and Erika. The women in his life could be described as chatty, especially his daughter. Left in a quiet abyss wasn’t something either of them could abide.
The only one who didn’t fall for his ploy was his sister, Lena. She would rest her chin on the heel of her hand and the siblings would wait each other out. Usually the one who had more pressing things to do was the one who would eventually give up. Sometimes it would turn into a staring contest and the first one who blinked would be the loser.
Brittany didn’t have anything better to do with her time tonight and considered giving the quiet game a whirl, but Max would probably wake up. Terence would have to tend to him, and her opportunity to make amends would disappear.
“You’re right. I was way off base,” she said softly.
Terence chose not to reply.
He wasn’t going to make it easy. She hurt his wife’s feelings and upset her. Brittany needed to dig a little deeper to get back in his good graces.
“Everyone has welcomed me with open arms, especially Annie.” Britt shifted on the cushions and tucked a leg up under her. “I don’t have any real reason to be jealous of Marissa. I haven’t had a sister in a long time. When Grady and I were out on the beach, he told me biology didn’t matter, that Annie and Marissa were sisters. He also said that even though Annie was tired, she would probably go to the airport with him. He was right. Annie was waiting at the door, and I lost it.”
She rubbed her face and sniffed hard. Terence still wasn’t talking. “When I was little,” she continued, “I remember Marissa swinging by our house in her fancy car and Annie running off. I guess I felt she was doing it again. I don’t blame Annie for leaving me behind back then. She had to. Mom and Dad treated her really bad. After she left for good, I became their punching bag. I didn’t realize how much abuse Annie took until I became the brunt of it.”
Tears streamed down her face. Brittany had a break through. The words she spoke had never formed in her head that way before. Everything was suddenly much clearer. It felt good to let that burden go. For years, she blamed Marissa for taking Annie away when all she was guilty of was saving her. The Wright family befriended Annie in much the same way as her stoner beach friends back in San Diego. Annie stepped up into Marissa’s world, while Brittany took a step down.
A soft snore passed through Terence’s lips. His body was slack. She had bared her soul to a man who was sound asleep.
It didn’t matter. Brittany felt lighter. The only reason Terence was home was to relieve her of Max duty. The Javiers had a standing code that until Max was older and calmer, they would never submit any of their friends and family to more than three hours of his special kind of torture. Today, that rule had been broken for the first time and Brittany, with Grady’s help, had taken care of him for over six hours.
She tiptoed over to the sofa and gently removed Max from his father’s loving embrace.
10
ERIKA STROKED TURNABOUT’S downy feathers. Today was going to be tough to get through. Her outfit was black, her mood was dark, and her grief was vast. Her father was dead and she was never going to see him again. She wiped a tear from her cheek and wished she hadn’t argued about the paper Larry wanted her to write over the holiday break. She was prepared to go back for round two, the day she walked in and found him on the floor.
Annie and Marissa tried to console her the night they waited for news at the hospital. The last words Marissa spoke to their dad weren’t of the most positive nature either. Annie relayed that Terence reamed him a good one the day before, and Eleanor confessed she suspected something was wrong, but decided to wait and see. Every last one of the family wished they had said or done something different.
None of it mattered. They couldn’t right the wrongs. Larry was gone. The father Erika had only known for a few years was no longer there to keep her on the Wright path as Larry was fond of saying. He wouldn’t be there to argue with, and he wouldn’t be there with a hug when she was upset with her dad and Annie.
Erika’s biggest regret was that she had never called Larry dad. They had a good relationship, but she always kept a thin wall between them. Terence was her father in every way except one, and she never considered calling the man who sired her by that term of endearment.
Now that the option wasn’t available, it was the one thing she wanted most. Erika vowed she would never make that mistake again.
The shed door opened and Erika turned to see who was going to try to comfort her this time. She let out a relieved sigh when Mr. Kaplinger walked through the door.
He maneuvered around the worktable and pulled up a stool. “You look very pretty today. I’m surprised, though. I thought you would all paddle out on your surfboards and
scatter Mr. Wright’s ashes out in the ocean.”
The smile that curved on her lips felt odd. It seemed ages since her cheek muscles did anything other than droop with sadness. “You obviously didn’t know Larry.” Her voice was weak, but even she heard the amused undertone.
Mr. Kaplinger’s face filled with compassion. “I wish I had. I think everyone on the island has gathered to say goodbye, down on Lena’s beach.”
Her little curve broke into an actual grin. “We are all related to each other in one way or another around here.”
“Have you noticed the beautiful job Brittany and Warden did with the landscape, and how they decorated the beach for today? Your father would be honored. I know I would.”
Erika gazed out the dingy window at an arch adorned with greenery and at all the flowers, which had been arriving the past few days. If you didn’t know better, the funeral service could have been mistaken for a wedding. “Yes, they’ve been working overtime. I hear you put in your fair share of time out there, too.” A confused frown pinched her forehead. “Why would you spend your vacation working for our benefit? Shouldn’t you be out basking in the sun?”
Kap’s eyes softened. “When you get to my age, you don’t take times like these for granted. I doubt anyone will miss me when my time comes. My career took me all over the world. I met some wonderful people, but after I’ve taken my last breath, that will be it. I’m the last of my family. I never married and to the best of my knowledge, I don’t have any children. My emergency contact number is always left blank.” He nudged the little bird off Erika’s finger and onto his own. “Turnabout is the closest living relative I have, and he doesn’t own a phone.”
There were times when Erika wished her family wasn’t so large. They could be suffocating. Hearing Kap’s story put everything back into perspective. It was her turn to reach out with compassion. “I’m pretty good in an emergency. Those forms don’t have to remain blank.”
“Bless you, dear child. Unfortunately, you’re a little young to carry such a burden.”
