by Carolyn Rae
“What should I do for her?”
“Just reassure her and keep her calm. Or I can give her some Benzodiazepine.”
Lisa opened her eyes and stared at the doctor. She pushed at the blood pressure cuff. “What – what’s he doing here?” She looked panicked. “What’s he talking about? I don’t want anyone giving me anything.”
Justin smoothed hair from her face. “No one’s giving you anything. He was just taking your blood pressure.”
Dr. Bradbury removed the cuff and stepped away. “You’re going to be fine in a few hours. I believe you’re having a reaction to something someone put in your drink.”
Lisa frowned. “I don’t feel fine now.”
“You will after the effects from your drink wear off.”
“My wine? I didn’t see anyone put anything in it.”
Justin squeezed her hand. “Perhaps it was the Brandy Alexander.”
Lisa looked puzzled. “But my after-dinner drink was delicious. I could have drunk another if I wasn’t so full from dinner.”
Justin smoothed his hand over her forehead. “You seem a bit sweaty. Would you like me to open the window?”
She nodded, then rested her head in her hand. “My head still aches.”
Dr. Bradbury nodded. “Just wait until morning. I’m sure you’ll feel better then.” He turned toward the door.
Justin handed him a fifty-dollar bill. “Here. That’s all I have with me. Thanks so much for coming over. I feel better now that you’ve checked her.”
“Thanks. I think she’ll be okay, although she may suffer nausea before it wears off.”
Justin was about to walk him to the door when Lisa said, “Don’t leave me. Please.”
Dr. Bradbury said, “Don’t worry. I can find my way out.”
“Come back to me,” Lisa said. “I don’t want to be left alone again.”
Was she remembering Bill who’d betrayed her, or was she just uneasy about her condition? Justin wasn’t about to ask. “I’m right here.” He crawled onto the bed and put his arms around her again.
Suddenly, she jerked up. “Get away from me!”
Surprised, he rolled off the bed. “What’s the matter?”
“I’m going to be sick.” She emitted a gurgling sound.
He ran to the bathroom and grabbed a towel. Holding it up to her face, he said, “Don’t worry. This will take care of it.”
She spit into the towel. “I don’t want you to see me like this.”
“Everyone has to barf sometimes in life.”
“But it stinks.”
“Don’t worry. As soon as you’re through I’ll wash your face. I can wash the towel in the bathroom sink.” Gently, he smoothed a lock of hair from her face, wishing she felt good enough for him to kiss her. He helped her to the bathroom.
After throwing up her dinner and suffering a few dry heaves, she finally choked out, “Think I’m through.”
He washed her face with a warm, wet cloth. “Feel better now?”
She nodded. “I think I’ll sleep now. I guess you don’t need to stay any longer.”
He lay down beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist. “I’m not leaving you.” And it occurred to him, that he didn’t want to. He had a short term assignment here. But if he wanted a more lasting relationship, he had to figure out what to do about his career.
* * * *
Lisa woke, perhaps a few hours later. She wasn’t sure how long it had been, but Justin still lay by her side, his arm wrapped around her waist. His breath fanned her face as he slept. He hadn’t left her. And he’d been her rock all during her frightening experience. He was a man you could count on to stand by you through thick and thin.
While he still sent her senses sizzling, that was more important in the long run. He’d never betray her … not if he really wanted to be with her for the long haul, but she couldn’t be sure about that. Stevie had said Justin had never been involved with a woman for more than a few months. Was it worth it to hope he might want something lasting with her? She’d do all she could to show him how much she liked him and what a great man she thought he was. If he showed signs of being interested in a longer-lasting relationship, then she might consider sleeping with him.
Chapter Nine
Monday morning, both Justin and Stevie stopped by during her class. She excused herself and stepped out into the hall. Justin moved over to stand beside her. Stevie reached out as if to take her hand, but Justin frowned at him. “You’ve done enough. Do I have to beat the tar out of you to get you to behave?”
“Hey, man. I said I was sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt her, and I didn’t realize that would cause a problem.”
Lisa frowned. “It was more than a problem. I had to suffer through it.”
Stevie shoved his hand into his pocket. “Lisa, I’m really sorry for what happened to you, and I want to make it up to you. I’ve got great plans for this afternoon. We’ll pick up lunch at South of the Border, and then we’ll rent a motor boat, my treat, and ride out into the Gulf. I brought my rod and reel, and we can fish. I’ll let you and Justin take a turn or two.” He glanced at Lisa. “Bring some sunscreen, and I’ll help you rub it on.”
Justin scowled and stared at his stepbrother as if he couldn’t believe his ears. “A gentleman doesn’t suggest that to another man’s date.”
“Look,” Lisa said, “I need to get back to my class. They are painting their paper mâché projects and might spill paint. You two just go on without me. You can rub sunscreen on each other.” She hurried inside, with only a glance back at the two men.
“If that’s the way it’s going to be,” Stevie said, “Guess I’ll live with it.”
“You’re damn right, you will,” Justin said. As they walked away, she heard more angry tones, but couldn’t make out any words. For all she knew, they might give up on the idea of a boat trip. She hoped Stevie wouldn’t stay in Barefoot Bay very long.
After her class was over, Lisa walked to her cottage and found Justin at her door waiting for her. “I talked to Stevie, and I think he’ll behave. I’d really like you to come with us.” He took hold of her hand, imparting a pleasant warmth and a delightful tiny tingle. “Please say you will.”
She couldn’t resist. “Okay. Come on in and wait until I change into a bathing suit.” Expecting Stevie to ogle her, she put on a one-piece and her pale green cover-up. Hoping the two brothers wouldn’t be difficult, she stepped out to meet Justin.
Later, the three of them gathered at the boat rental store. Stevie paid for the boat and insisted on the most expensive walk-around fishing boat. About twenty-five feet long, it had a roof, a microwave and a mini-refrigerator and a bathroom below deck. Lisa said, “Wow, that’s some boat. Must cost a bundle to rent.”
Stevie carried a cooler. “It’s my treat. I’ve got soft drinks and beer and ice. We can heat the quesadillas up after we get underway.” He loaded fishing poles and a pail to hold any fish they caught.
Justin held out his hand to help Lisa on board.
Stevie smiled. “The weather report said it would be sunny and warm. Maybe we’ll want to take a dip in the Gulf.”
After they’d eaten the quesadillas and ridden on the Gulf for an hour, neither Stevie nor Justin had caught any fish. Justin pulled out a box of chocolates and passed it around.
Stevie bit into one and grimaced. “I don’t feel well. I’d better not finish this.” He threw the other half overboard and clutched his stomach. “Justin, please drive the boat back to shore. All this rocking on the waves makes me feel worse.”
That seemed strange. Although a dark cloud was forming in the west, the boat wasn’t rocking any more than it had for the past hour, but Stevie was groaning. “I feel bad. Why don’t I drive your rental car to your cottage? I think I’ll just lie down. If I feel better by the time you get back, perhaps Chenille and I and you two can take in a movie tonight.”
Justin took the wheel and headed back to shore. As Stevie stepped off, he sai
d, “You two go on without me. I rented it for six hours, and I don’t want to ruin your fun. Just take some pictures for Mom.”
“I hope you feel better soon,” Lisa said.
“Thanks,” Stevie said, his voice barely audible.
Justin looked at the gas tank level. “Do you think we should get more gas?”
Stevie shook his head. “There’s no need. The clerk at the boat rental filled up the tank. I’m sure you have plenty.”
As they pulled away from the dock, Stevie stood and watched. Lisa waved, feeling as if Stevie’s gaze was focused on her alone.
Justin offered her another candy and took one for himself.
She enjoyed biting into the chocolate shell and chewing the chocolate inside. “Too bad Stevie couldn’t enjoy these. They’re mouth-watering.”
Justin picked up the fishing rod. “Want to try your hand at this?”
“Sure. Why not?”
Justin edged behind her, his body warm against her back. He took hold of her hand. “Now, you hold it like this. Sort of loose so the bait will be swung by the waves. You don’t hold it tight until you feel a definite pull.”
She felt his breath against her neck and caught a whiff of chocolate. He seemed calmer now that his brother had left. “Hang on now,” he said. He moved his face close to hers, his cheek a bit rough against her face, but pleasantly warm. She turned to kiss him.
Then something tugged on the line. “Oh, I’ve got a fish.” She gripped the line. “It must be a big one. It’s pulling hard.”
He pointed to the reel. “Turn that, and pull him in.”
She wound the handle. The pole bent and pulled in her hand. “Help me hold it steady.”
He wrapped his big hands around hers and helped hold it steady while she kept turning the handle.
“Now lift up the pole,” he directed.
She grabbed it with both hands and raised it. “Oh, look. It’s more than a foot long.”
He dragged the cooler nearby and quickly removed what was left of their food and drink. “Hold it over here. I’ll pour some water in after you land it.”
The fish wriggled so much she feared she’d lose it, but she finally got it inside the boat. Justin grabbed the line and lowered the fish into the cooler. He fiddled with the hook while the fish flapped its tail. “Are you going to cook it? It’s probably enough for four of us.”
Lisa frowned. She didn’t really want to be around Stevie any more. “I don’t even know how to clean a fish. Do you?”
“Of course. I’ll do that if you cook it.”
“Is there some way we can have a fish dinner for just the two of us? Maybe I could freeze the rest.”
Justin smiled. “That sounds great. You don’t have to entertain Stevie just because he’s my brother. Besides, he doesn’t like fish.”
“How much longer will he stay here?”
“I don’t know. I thought he was coming just for a long weekend, but he has an able assistant, who will take over his store, if and when he leaves to manage the new one.”
Lisa took a deep breath. She didn’t want to ask this, but she had to know. “When do you plan to head back to Dallas?”
“There’s no hurry. First I have to find who stole the jewels.”
“You remember that new desk clerk? Her name’s Rosa.”
“Yes, but I’ve ruled her out.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. Last week I asked her where the next meeting of the book club was. When she told me, I said I might have a hard time finding it and persuaded her to go with me.”
“Whose house was it at?”
“Chenille’s. I saw Rosa admiring Chenille’s pink diamond ring. She asked if it was real, and Chenille said it was.”
“So?”
“Then Rosa excused herself to use the bathroom and didn’t come back for a long time. She may have been checking out Chenille’s jewelry box in her bedroom.”
“I doubt she’d find anything valuable. Chenille already asked me to check out that ring. It’s not a real diamond.”
“Oh. But maybe you’d better have another look at Rosa.”
“I will.”
The fish flopped again, splashing Lisa. “The bottom of my cover-up is wet. Let’s head back.”
Justin tried to start the engine. It sputtered and coughed. He tried once more. The motor barely turned over. He looked at the gas tank. “We’re not out of gas, but the motor won’t start.” He looked at the sky. “We’re too far away to swim, and it looks like a storm is coming.”
A huge black cloud edged closer and soon hung over them. Lightning split the heavens. Thunder rumbled, and rain slashed down. Justin grabbed her hand and pulled her under the roof. Wind and waves rocked the boat. He pulled out his cell phone.
“Are you calling someone to tow us?” Lisa asked.
He clicked it. “Damn. My phone’s dead.” He groaned. Bending his head, he supported it with his hands. His stomach churned. Someone he cared about was in serious danger because of him. Again.
Lisa took her phone from her purse. “Let me try.”
“You may not get a signal. We’re pretty far out.”
“Do I use 9-1-1 for the Coast Guard?”
“I don’t know. The only time I had to call for help, we were on a road, not on the ocean.”
She tried dialing, but couldn’t get a signal. “What happened then?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it.” He hated to be the one who put someone else in danger … again. His throat tightened. He didn’t want to relive the memory, but unbidden, it took over, almost overwhelming him. His girlfriend, Becky, hadn’t deserved to die, and it had been all his fault.
“Did someone get hurt?”
He nodded, the lump in his throat growing harder.
Lisa laid her hand on his shoulder, but her warm touch couldn’t comfort him.
“Dark clouds were massing in the sky, and I was driving my convertible. I swerved to avoid a dog, then took the curve too fast.”
“Did you crash the car?”
“Worse than that. I crashed and someone fell out. Someone I cared about – a lot.”
“Couldn’t you call for help?”
Tears welled up in his eyes. He thought he’d buried the pain, but it washed over him, almost as fresh as that awful day. “I did, but the paramedics couldn’t revive her. She was bleeding so badly by the time the ambulance got there, she’d lost too much blood to survive.”
Lisa took both his hands in hers. “That must have been awful to bear.”
“It was even worse when I had to tell her parents I’d killed their only daughter. Even now, I remember seeing their grief-stricken faces. I still hear her mother saying, ‘That can’t be. She can’t be dead.’ But she was, and it was my fault.”
“That was a freak accident. You can’t blame yourself. You need to forgive yourself. I bet her parents have.”
“They should hate me, but they have forgiven me. They understood I really liked her and wouldn’t want to hurt her. I lost my best friend. She was a sweet girl. That’s when I resolved not to get close to a woman again.” The pain seemed overwhelming. He felt empty and worthless. How could Lisa care about such a lost soul?
Lisa put her arms around him and hugged him. “I don’t know what to say to make you feel better. Now that I know what happened, I don’t think any less of you.”
Her arms felt good, but he wasn’t good enough for her. “I don’t deserve to be close to anyone. I’m toxic.”
“But it’s not like you’re an alcoholic.”
“I’m not, but that awful day hangs in my mind. That’s why I keep my relationships light and casual.”
“You’ve been a good friend to me, and I care about you. I won’t sit here and do nothing to save us.” She picked up her phone. “Maybe I can get a signal.” She tried. Nothing happened.
“It’s no use. We just have to weather the storm.”
Lisa studied the sky. “That huge cloud is awfully da
rk now. The waves are bigger.”
The boat swung to one side, and water gushed over the side. Sea spray chilled her arms. Lisa gasped. “I - don’t – like - this. I don’t like it one bit.”
Finally, the boat righted itself.
Justin fought nausea and a growing sense of desperation. “We’ll be soaked before long.”
“Or be blown overboard and get wetter.” Her face looked pale. “Can’t we paddle. Maybe we can get closer to shallow water.”
“Do you see any oars or paddles?”
She shook her head. “It’s worth looking.” She lifted up cushions to reveal a storage cabinet, but there was nothing underneath except life preservers. “At least, we can put these on so if we get blown overboard, we can keep afloat.”
“Good idea.”
She ducked back under the roof and handed one to him. After she finished buckling it, she stood on the cushions and bent over the back of the boat. “There are more compartments here.”
He grabbed hold of her legs. “Be careful you don’t fall. I don’t want to lose you to the waves.”
She shot him a look. “Don’t be so melodramatic.” A wave splashed her shoulder as she tugged at a knob and finally pulled a cover open, almost falling to one side. The boat rocked, even more so than before. He kept hold of one leg, but shoved at her hip to straighten her.
“Hey,” she shouted. “I found paddles.” She held up one.
“We’re not out of the woods. We have to fight wind and the current.”
She tossed him a paddle. “Let’s get started.”
He moved closer to the front of the boat. He had to get on his knees on the hard floor. They couldn’t do this under the roof because there the side was too high to reach over with the paddles.
She moved to the other side. The rain pelted his arm and shoulder. Soon his hair was plastered to his head, and his wet shirt clung to his chest.
Again and again, he dipped the paddle in and pulled. The current and the waves worked against them, impeding any progress.
