Fireworks in Paradise

by Kathi Daley

“Yeah, about that…” I replied as I walked between Jenna and Kyle. “Kyle and I shared a fairly enthusiastic greeting on the driveway in front of everyone. I’m not sure I’m ready to go back to answer a bunch of questions. So far you’re the only one who officially knows about our change in relationship status.”

  Jenna chuckled. “If what you say is true I think they all know by now.”

  “Maybe, but I still don’t want to talk about it just yet.”

  Jenna stopped walking and turned toward us. I glanced at Kyle, who didn’t look embarrassed in the least by what had happened, but he was wisely letting me do the talking and setting of the pace.

  “Look,” she said, “it’s like ripping off a Band-Aid. Just get it over with.”

  I grimaced. “I don’t know. I never did get the whole Band-Aid-ripping thing.”

  “It’ll be fine. Two minutes of ribbing and you can relax and enjoy the journey.”

  I didn’t answer, but Jenna took my hand and led me toward the house, Kyle following along behind. When we arrived on the lawn, the girls stopped playing their game. Everyone turned and looked at us.

  “So…” Helen began.

  “Yes, Kyle and I are together,” I blurted out before she could say anything more.

  Doc winked at Grandpa, but, thankfully, neither commented. Bookman seemed to be pinching Helen, which shut her up for probably the first time in her life.

  Finally it was Gracie, with a look of confusion on her face, who broke the silence. “What does that mean?”

  Kyle stepped forward and lifted her in the air. She began to giggle as he replied, “It means nothing will really change except that I’m going to be kissing your sister all the time.”

  “Eww,” eight-year-old Gracie and seven-year-old Kari said in unison.

  Ashley and Kristi began giggling and whispering to each other, but it seemed everyone was fine with the situation.

  “I need to call Roy,” I said, desperately needing a few minutes to myself. “He’s bringing his new partner for us to meet. Kyle, Jenna, and I are having dinner with them.”

  Kyle distracted the girls while I headed for the house and the bathroom, where I splashed cold water on my face. I really had no idea what was wrong with me. I wasn’t a kid with her first crush. I’d been in other relationships, but I’d never before felt as nervous about what that would mean as I did now. I stopped in the living room and looked out the window. Kyle had teamed up with Gracie and Kari to play badminton against Jenna, Ashley, and Kristi, and the others were talking among themselves on the sidelines. Everyone looked happy and relaxed. It was ridiculous that I was such a nervous wreck. Obviously everyone except the four girls had already figured out what was going on between Kyle and me, probably before we had.

  I smiled as I continued to watch the scene on the lawn. It really was good to be home.

  I took out my phone and called Roy. He didn’t pick up, so I left a message. “Hey, Roy, it’s Tj. Just checking in about tonight. I know I initially mentioned having some food sent to the house, but there are a bunch of people here. Then I considered the beach, but it’s going to be busy with the bands, so I’m going to reserve a beachside table at the Lakeside Bar and Grill. I was thinking around eight. If you’d prefer another time just call to let me know. Jenna and Dennis are joining us; he should be here by six, so whenever works for you is fine.” I paused and took a breath. “Oh, and just so you know, Kyle and I are together. Yes, we’re very happy, and no, I don’t want to talk about it.”

  I hung up and looked back out to the lawn. I stood a little taller as I committed to stop being so weird about everything. If Kyle and I hadn’t been such good friends for such a long time, I was sure I wouldn’t be going through the ridiculous emotions I was dealing with now. I almost felt like I had the time my dad caught me in the closet kissing a kid in my class who was over for a playdate when we were six.

  Geez. I really did need to get a grip.

  I was about to head out when my phone rang. It was Roy.

  “Eight is fine. We’ll be off duty by then, which is just as well because we won’t have to listen to our scanners while we eat.”

  “Did they send someone from the main office to help you out with all the tourists in town this weekend?”

  “They sent two someones, so unless something really huge happens we should be able to take the whole night off.”

  “That’s good. You work way too many hours. Listen, before you come over, I wanted to ask about Sam Wilson. I understand Kate spoke to him about Judge Harper’s murder.”

  “Yeah. Someone called in an anonymous tip that Sam had been going around town threatening the judge. Kate spoke to both Sam and his mother and didn’t think he was a serious suspect. Why do you ask?”

  “I got a tip as well and spoke to Sam’s mother today. I do consider Sam a strong suspect, but to be fair I haven’t spoken to him directly. He might have said something to Kate that I don’t know about that could eliminate him.”

  “Kate’s a bright woman. I trust her instincts. I think you will too when you meet her.”

  “I’m looking forward to it. I’ll see you at eight.”

  I hung up the phone and headed outdoors to join the others. I was determined that no matter what anyone said I wasn’t going to be shy or embarrassed. I was an adult with an adequate, although somewhat limited, romantic history. Kyle and I weren’t doing anything strange; I had no reason to act like a shy virgin on her first date.

  Just as Jenna had indicated, Kate was adorable. She was about my age and my height, with long blonde hair she wore up but I imagined would be striking when it was down. When I first saw her, an image of a fragile doll came to mind, but it didn’t take long for me to see that she was strong, intelligent, and opinionated. And unless I was reading things wrong, Roy was totally smitten.

  “How long have you been a cop?” Dennis asked Kate.

  “Seven years. I went to the academy after college. I would have gone right out of high school, but I’d made a deal with my mother that I would go to college before committing to law enforcement and she’d promise not to hound me about it the rest of my life.”

  “She didn’t want you to be a cop?” I asked.

  Kate shook her head. “She absolutely didn’t. My dad was a cop. He died in the line of duty, trying to protect civilians who shouldn’t have been anywhere near the crime scene in the first place.”

  I glanced at Kyle. He raised his eyebrows but didn’t say anything.

  “Your mom hoped that if you went to college you’d change your mind,” I concluded.

  Kate looked me in the eye, paused, and then answered, “Correct. Roy told me you’re a teacher. Is that what you’ve always wanted to do?”

  I thought about it. “Yes, I guess in a way I have. It’s not like I sat around in high school and thought about taking over the reins from my teachers when I graduated college, but I’ve always been athletic and I love all sorts of sports, so going into coaching and teaching physical education was a logical move.”

  “And you’re retired?” Kate looked at Kyle curiously.

  “Not really. I used to be a full-time software developer, but when I came into some money I switched to freelancing. I help out where I can, but I don’t usually charge for it.”

  “I think I’d continue to be a cop even if I inherited a hundred million dollars,” Kate said. “I love what I do. It’s important. I feel like it matters.”

  “Dennis is the new fire chief in Serenity,” Roy offered.

  “I heard the old fire chief killed a guy.”

  Kate was great, but one thing was for certain: she needed to work on her social skills.

  “It’s a complicated story,” I answered. “How are you liking our little town?”

  Kate shrugged. “It’s okay. The people seem friendly enough, but there’s a certain lack of culture
and sophistication that’s found in larger cities.”

  “I suppose that might be true, but, in general, there’s a lot less crime, not to mention noise and pollution.”

  “I suppose.” Kate looked at Roy. “Now that we’ve finished our meal and the pleasantries are out of the way, do you want to tell me what we’re really doing here?”

  Roy looked completely shocked by her question. In fact, his mouth hung open for several seconds before he thought to close it. It was obvious to me that Kate was no dummy; she’d probably heard Roy had friends who helped him solve his toughest cases long before this.

  “We occasionally help Roy work on some of his cases,” I explained. “I don’t think he wanted to dump us on you before you had a chance to meet us.”

  “I’ve heard about your little group, and I want to go on record that I don’t approve. Civilians have no place in an active investigation.”

  “You’ve been a cop for seven years. How many murders have you personally been responsible for solving?” Jenna asked gently.

  “I solved one and helped in another two investigations.”

  “Tj has seven murders under her belt and she’s solved them all. Kyle isn’t just a retired software developer, but a computer genius who can out-research and out-hack anyone you can put up against him, and my husband has been saving dozens of lives a year for the past decade.”

  “And you?” Kate looked at Jenna. “What do you bring to the mix?”

  “I make a mean cheesecake.”

  I couldn’t help but snicker. Kyle kicked me under the table. I guess it was rude to laugh at the fact that Jenna had just torn Kate a new one.

  “I don’t care what sort of talents each of you have. You haven’t been trained and therefore are a liability. My father’s gone because some wannabe superhero type thought he could fight crime better than local law enforcement. If you want to be a cop, go to the academy and get the training like I did. If not, stay the hell out of the way.” Kate stood up. She looked at Roy. “I’m leaving. I’ll find my own way back. I like you and have enjoyed working with you, but know this: if your friends don’t stay out of this case, I’ll report you and them to the sheriff. Do we understand each other?”

  Roy just nodded. He looked like he was going to cry. Poor guy; I think he’d really felt Kate would fit right in with our little family.

  “I’m sorry,” Jenna said to Roy. “I shouldn’t have said all that.”

  “No. It’s okay. It seems obvious Kate has strong feelings about this that aren’t likely to change. I guess it’s best to know sooner rather than later.”

  We all sat quietly for what seemed like forever.

  “What now?” I asked Roy. “Do you want us to back off?”

  He didn’t answer right away. Then he sighed and said, “I’m officially telling you to back off and let the people trained and paid to do the job do it. If you choose to ignore my request there isn’t a lot I can do about it.” Roy looked at Kyle. “Have you ever thought of getting a private investigator’s license? It might make consulting with you a little easier to swallow for by-the-book types.”

  “I hadn’t considered it, but I’ll take it under advisement.”

  Roy stood up. “I should go see if I can do some damage control. I’m sorry about the way things went down. I could see how she felt about following the rules. I just had no idea she would be quite so adamant.”

  “She has a good reason for feeling the way she does,” I murmured. “Officially, we’re off the case. Unofficially, we’ll tread lightly.”

  “Thanks, guys.”

  I felt as bad as Roy as he walked away. He was really taking the situation hard.

  “Thank you for dinner, but Dennis and I will get going as well.” Jenna yawned after Roy left. “I need to get up early to open the restaurant. I think we’re going to be slammed.”

  I smiled at my best friend. She really did look exhausted. “Thanks again for taking the girls the last few days. It really helped.”

  Jenna hugged me. “Any time. I hope your visit with your dad goes well tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  Jenna stood up and then paused. “You might want to prepare the girls for what they’re going to see. Your dad looks pretty bad. I’d hate to have the fact that his face is a total mess scare them.”

  “Thanks. That’s good advice. I’ll talk to them in the morning.”

  After Dennis and Jenna left, Kyle and I took a walk on the beach. The area near where the bands were playing was packed, so we headed in the opposite direction. It was a beautiful night, the moon bright in the sky. I missed the warmth of the nights on Gull Island, but I was more than glad to be home.

  “How did Blackbeard and Garrett’s sister get along?” I asked about the colorful parrot who had provided so much entertainment when we were staying at the Turtle Cove Resort.

  Kyle grinned, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “Blackbeard loved her. When she walked into the house for the first time he flew right over to her, landed on her shoulder, and said ‘pretty lady, pretty lady.’ I think the bird is in love.”

  “Is she? Pretty, I mean?”

  “She is. She’s also very nice and extremely intelligent. I think the fact that she’s willing to take over the resort is going to work out best for everyone.”

  I smiled. I’d grown fond of the people on Gull Island. I was really going to miss them. “What sort of work does she do? She must have had to quit her job rather abruptly to take over at the resort with so little notice.”

  “She’s a writer. From what I understand she used to be a newspaper reporter, but apparently she decided to give it up and work on a novel. To be honest, I was in a hurry to get home to you, so we barely spoke. I don’t have all the details, but my sense is that she is going to fit right in with the gang on Gull Island.”

  My hand tightened in Kyle’s. “Seeing to the renovations at Turtle Cove is going to be a big job. Did you get the sense she’d be up for it?”

  Kyle nodded. “Garrett’s sister is at least twenty years younger than he is. She seemed both willing and able to take on whatever tasks needed attending to.”

  I let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good. I felt bad about deserting Garrett.”

  “He totally understood.”

  I walked closer to the water and slipped off my shoes, then wandered into the chilly water to the point where it covered my feet. Now that everyone had gone home and the conversation had paused, I found the fluttering in my stomach had returned. What was it with all the nerves? I decided to fill the silence with a subject that didn’t make me want to jump out of my skin. “What do you think we should do in terms of the investigation into Judge Harper’s death?”

  Kyle joined me where I stood and turned me in his arms so we were facing each other. He looked deeply into my eyes, then he used one of his index fingers to smooth a stray lock of hair from my cheek. I felt my legs shake as he spoke. “What I think, pretty lady, is that we should take a break from death and mayhem and wait to talk about the investigation tomorrow.”

  I leaned forward, my lips less than an inch from his. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah,” he whispered before he closed the distance and once again made the world fade away.

  Chapter 11

  Sunday, July 2

  The following morning, I sat Ashley and Gracie down to talk to them about what they would face at the hospital. Although Dad was doing better, he still had a long road ahead of him and the girls needed to understand that not only did he look different, he was weak and fragile and they’d need to be careful when interacting with him.

  “I need to discuss a few things with you before we go see Papa,” I said at breakfast.

  “What kind of things?” Ashley asked as she buttered a piece of toast.

  “You know he was injured in an accident. I’m afraid he has a l
ot of cuts, bruises, and broken bones that need to heal.”

  “We need to be careful not to bump him or do anything to hurt him,” Ashley supplied.

  “Exactly. I know you’ll want to hug him, but it might be best if you wait for that until he has a chance to heal.”

  Neither sister replied.

  I passed the raspberry jelly to Ashley before I continued. “I also want you to be prepared for the way he looks.”

  “How does he look?” Gracie asked. “Does he look like a monster?”

  I hesitated, searching for the words that would prepare them but not scare them. “I wouldn’t exactly say that, but he does look different. Remember when that kid in your class fell off his bike and had a puffy purple eye?”

  “Yeah.” Gracie glanced at me with a look of disgust. “It was gross.”

  “Well, Papa has a puffy purple eye that looks a little gross too, but we may not want to mention it to him.”

  Gracie scrunched up her nose.

  “Can we bring him a present?” Ashley asked after finishing off her glass of milk.

  “I think that’s a wonderful idea. What do you have in mind?”

  “We could make him a card,” Gracie suggested. “Maybe something with bears on it. Papa really likes bears. He told me once that they were his favorite animal.”

  I smiled at Gracie. “I’m sure he would love that.”

  “I was thinking more like a video game,” Ashley countered. “The handheld kind that he won’t have to hook up to a television. I’m not sure the hospital would let him do that.”

  “I don’t think Papa is quite up to holding a video game just yet, but maybe we can bring him some flowers for his room.”

  “And pants,” Gracie added. “They never give you pants when you’re in the hospital.”

  Gracie had a point. Dad had a cast on one leg, but perhaps I could find an old pair of pajama bottoms and cut off one leg. It wouldn’t hurt to bring them along with his robe, some magazines, and the pillow from his bed.

  I glanced at Gracie, who was frowning. She appeared to be deep in thought, as if she was working through a problem. “Something on your mind?”