As Bright as the Stars

by Cindy Caldwell

  “The Federales? The Mexican police?”

  “That’s right.” She rested her hand on Whiskers’ head, slowly shaking her own.

  Jimmy laughed. “So James said no?”

  “Yes, and they didn’t seem very happy with that answer. Why wouldn’t he help?”

  “Can’t explain that. James’s an interesting character. He has a good sense of right and wrong, and really cares about Baja. But he’s been around the block a few times. Sometimes being happy means minding your own business.”

  “But something as big as smuggling, right here in our front yard? How could you ever look the other way for that?” Her eyes misted at the thought of the fish disappearing forever, and she felt her anger rise at the thought that James might not do anything about it, might not follow the rules.

  Jimmy leaned back a bit and peered at Megan. “You sound just like Cassie and the vaquita. She comes by it honestly, I’ll say.”

  Megan sighed. Her daughter had been passionate about saving the vaquita for years and years, and her commitment had grown into the sanctuary. And Megan had taught her at a very young age that they had a responsibility to help when they could. So Jimmy was right—this was no different for her than the vaquita were for Cassie.

  Jimmy cleared his throat, bringing her back to the present. “But I did talk with James this afternoon, and there’s something I want to tell you.”

  “You did?” Confused, she looked up at her friend.

  “Yep. I don’t usually get involved in this kind of stuff either.”

  “What is it with you guys not wanting to get involved? How can you ever feel good about yourself without helping other people?”

  “Well, that’s why I’m here. I’m trying to help. I’ve never seen him quite like this before. All he talked about was you.”

  Megan lost her breath for a moment. “He did? I don’t understand that. We’ve barely met, and clearly we’re not of the same mind in lots of areas.”

  “I don’t think that’s true. Maybe you two ought to clear that up.” He took her hand, pulling her into a hug. “Life’s too short not to be happy.”

  “What is it with all this ‘be happy’ stuff?” she said, not able to suppress a laugh.

  “I don’t know. Just decide what happy looks like for you, and make it happen,” he said, heading out the door, Whiskers following behind.

  19

  Jimmy had gone a while ago, and she found herself sitting on the cliff, staring at the water. The sound of her phone ringing jolted her back into the present. She read the display, letting out a deep sigh as she pulled herself back into reality.

  “Hello, dear sister. How are you?”

  “I’m good. Just wanted to make sure you were all right. And give you a bit of news,” Annie said. “You okay?”

  She didn’t have the energy to share with her sister what had happened the past two days. “Yes, I’m good. It’s beautiful here.”

  “Ah, it always is. I hope you’re enjoying it. And I think you might enjoy it a little more now.”

  “What? I’ve been spending most of my time trying to figure out what to do about the ranch. We’ve got to make a decision soon.”

  “Well, it’s going to be a different kind of decision.” She sounded like a kid at Christmas, waiting to open presents.

  “What the heck? Spill.”

  “I don’t quite know how to say this. I’m still spinning. Daniel and I are just shocked.”

  “You’ve got to put me out of my misery.” Her hands tightened around the phone as she prepared herself for anything. The past few years had been tough, and she was used to getting bad news. “Just get it over with and tell me.”

  “Do you remember the award we won for best rehab facility from the state?

  “Yes. It was one of the rare highlights in the past few years.”

  “Well, somehow we got noticed by a corporation that runs horse ranches like ours all over the country. They want to buy the business and bring it into their fold.”

  Her breath rushed out of her as she sat down hard on the chair outside, overlooking the ocean.

  “Are you joking?”

  “No, I’m not. It’s an amazing offer, too. Enough to pay off all the debt and then some. Quite a bit more than that.”

  “Oh, my gosh. I’d never thought that going private rather than relying on public funds might make a difference. Is that something that we should consider on our own? To make a go of it with different funding?”

  The line went silent for a bit, and Megan wondered if the call had been dropped. Finally, her sister spoke.

  “Megan, income or no income, we talked about this. Remember when we were waiting for Eliana at the airport and we sat on the bench and asked each other if we were really happy? And we decided we weren’t. That hasn’t changed. This is a way to move on, find other ways to help and let the girls still be in good hands. Just not in our hands.”

  Megan took a breath and considered what her sister had said, and she knew she was right.

  “And I will add—you sound completely different. I don’t know if things are going well or not for you, but there’s a different tone in your voice. You sound—lighter.”

  After sharing a few more particulars, they’d agreed to talk again in a few days while they all three considered their options.

  Her head spinning with the new information, she watched the last sunlight disappear behind her, the horizon of the ocean turning to a lovely shade of lavender. The light changed once more, and she watched as the horizon disappeared altogether, the sky and the water the same color for that brief moment that she looked forward to every day.

  The beauty of the water overwhelmed her, and she gave in to the rush of emotion she had kept at bay until now. Relief enveloped her, all of the anxiety that had been ever-present with the girls’ home evaporating with the news she had just gotten. She had thought her path was clear, continued sacrifice laid out before her. No retirement, no savings—no happy.

  Now, with everything different, she would be free to choose her own path, and find her own happiness. Sobs overtook her, and overwhelmed with both joy and sorrow, she watched the last light of the day disappear.

  As darkness fell, she walked inside toward the glow of the wood stove, placing another log in. The fire grew, warming the house and it seemed like the perfect time to grab a warm bath. She set candles all around the blue marble bathtub, determined to let the bubbles wash away the pain she was feeling. Even with the good news about the ranch, her heart was heavy about James. Pinning her hair on top of her head, she dropped her clothes on the floor and sunk into the hot water, hoping it would warm her heart.

  She refused to think about James as she relaxed, taking in the beautiful blue marble of the tub and the colorful bricks that surrounded her, her mind settling on the lovely couple she had bought the house from. They had built it with love, just for the two of them, and had hired a special builder to help them. She smiled a bit at the thought that it wasn’t until recently that she’d met the man who’d built it, and it turned out that her daughter was marrying his nephew. It was such a small world, and she’d enjoyed meeting Pablo when she’d come out for the vaquita sanctuary ground-breaking. Cassie had let her know that Pablo, in cahoots with Alex, was building a home for them to move into after the wedding and while it promised to be a grand affair, she preferred her own cozy home that had held her safe for all these years. She supposed she’d be seeing Pablo at the wedding, and that made her heart lighter.

  He had only built churches before, and the love and pride he’d put into those buildings had been placed here in her home, as well. He had taken his time with this home, lovingly matching the patterns in the ladrillo so that all of the bricks were placed just so.

  The first owners had been married for fifty years, and the house was designed to be a cozy place, just for two. They’d decided to use saloon doors from the house into the bathroom, creating an atmosphere of intimacy. She’d considered changing the
m out for a door with a lock, but had decided there wasn’t any reason to as she was usually there alone.

  Now, as the doors swung open, she gasped, sinking as far as she could into the bubbles in the tub.

  “What are you doing here? You can’t just keep letting yourself in places like that.” Her eyes darted around the room as she tried to locate a towel or a robe, anything she could throw over herself that was within arm’s reach. As she searched for a towel, she sighed as she realized there weren’t any she could reach and she was grateful that she’d put in enough bubble bath that there wasn’t anything exposed.

  James stood in the doorway, running his hands through his hair.

  “I thought I’d have a better chance of you not running away again if you were...incapacitated.”

  “Well, I sure am that. If I could, I’d throw you out right now.” She sunk deeper into the tub and looked away. “I really have nothing to say to you. You need to leave.”

  “Megan, you’ve got to hear me out. It’s not what it seemed.” He sat on the side of the tub, placing his hand lightly on her chin. He pulled her face toward his and waited until she looked up at him.

  “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”

  “I can see you’re going to make me do this the hard way. I won't leave until you hear me out.”

  She squealed as he turned his back, grabbed her hand and pulled her up to stand, the bubbles running down into the tub. He grabbed a towel and threw it over his shoulder as he pushed the saloon doors open.

  “I’ll wait for you by the fire.”

  She shook her head, wrapped the towel around her and stepped out of the tub. She wasn’t sure what to think. Why was he here now? What would she say?

  She shrugged her robe over her shoulders and found her slippers, easing her feet into them as she headed out to the fire. As she rounded the corner, she stopped short. James was on the couch, his elbows on his knees as he stared into the flames. She sat beside him, waiting for him to speak.

  “I wanted to explain what you overheard, but you left too quickly.”

  “I was just in shock, I think. I thought..I guess I thought you were different. When I heard you were involved with the smuggling, I just didn’t know what to do. You keep telling me to be happy. But in my world, smuggling could never make me happy.”

  “What makes you think I am involved in the smuggling?” He rubbed the back of his neck, pacing back and forth in front of the hearth. “I’ve never been a smuggler and don’t plan to become one now.”

  “I thought that’s what you were talking about with the police.”

  “As you probably heard, they asked for the pictures that I took yesterday. They believe they are the smugglers and need the pictures for evidence.” His eyes drilled into hers as he sat down again next to her.

  “I heard that. I can’t believe you won’t help.”

  “I can’t. I heard from my editor, and he’s forbidden me to give them to anyone. He said he spoke with the magazine’s attorneys, and the magazine doesn’t want to get involved.”

  “Your editor said that? How could they do that? I thought your editor supported your story?”

  “Yes, that’s the confusing thing. He’s the one I told you about who wanted me to print the story a few months back about the totuaba and the smuggling. Even what they did with the bladders.”

  “If he wanted you to do it then, why doesn’t he want you to write about the fact that it’s happening again?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t quite piece it together, but he’s forbidden me from writing the story. I sent him pictures of the smugglers that I found in my shots from yesterday. Said I’d lose my job if I did.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense. You’ve already written about it once before. What’s the difference now?”

  “I don’t know,” he said, standing again. He didn’t seem to be able to stay in one place for long. The man standing before her now was certainly not the one she’d come to know. His agitation was new to her.

  “What are you going to do?” Her blue eyes searched his.

  “If I write the story or give up the pictures to the police, I’ll get fired. This isn’t something I want to get involved in.”

  She stood herself, moving toward him. Her eyes met his, and she took his hand.

  “James, I can’t believe that being happy means not caring about things, not getting involved. Not following rules is one thing, but not being responsible and doing what is right is something else completely.”

  “The happiness of the entire world is not my responsibility. You seem to think it’s yours, but that’s not the way I operate. This is likely something better left alone. It could be dangerous, and I like living here.”

  “If you don’t do something, nothing will change. The fish will be gone in no time.”

  “Taking responsibility for all things, taking care of others at your own expense is not the only right way to be.” He pulled away from her and leaned against the kitchen counter.

  “I think there’s a place in the middle, where you can take care of yourself and balance that with how much you do for others. But ignoring what’s right? I can’t respect that.”

  He looked at her quizzically, his arms folded over his chest. She swallowed hard as his eyes held hers, and she tightened her robe around her. In one step, he was next to her, gathering her in his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder and felt his beard against her cheek, his scent comforting. She felt the wetness of her tears on his shirt as his arms squeezed around her.

  “I think I should go. It’s late, and I have some thinking to do.” He released her, gently placing his hand on her chin. With a soft kiss to her forehead, he turned and walked out the door.

  20

  Megan woke with a start as she heard cars roaring down the dirt road to the beach. The sun peeked over the horizon as dawn broke over the sea. It was early for so much noise and she hopped out of bed, hopping on one leg as she pulled her sweats on over her pajamas. Tugging on her Uggs, she grabbed her sunglasses and headed outside.

  Felicia stood across the road, coffee in hand and motioned for Megan to come over, holding up her cup of coffee. A horn blared as she started to cross, and she stepped back off the road. She held up her hands in mock surrender as at least four trucks sped by, all pulling fishing boats. There were small boats with single motors and larger ones, all types and sizes and varying states of disrepair, all making a beeline for the beach. As the last one passed, she looked both ways and ran across to where Felicia was standing.

  “What’s that all about? Is it a parade or something?” Megan looked after the boats, her mouth open.

  “I have no idea. All I know is that James knocked on the door before the sun came up and asked for Kyle. They stood outside talking for a while, then Kyle grabbed his stuff and left.”

  “He didn’t say where he was going?”

  “He just said he had to take care of something important. That’s all I know. Have you talked to James?”

  “He came over last night, and I guess there’s something going on with the smugglers. He didn’t want to get involved, and I told him I couldn’t respect that decision.”

  “That sounds about right. What if they get in trouble?” Felicia held out a cup of coffee to her friend. “Did you think about that?”

  Megan poured French vanilla creamer in her coffee. It was the only way she could get it down. “No, I don’t think I suggested anything crazy. Where do you think they’re going?”

  Felicia grabbed her jeans and changed out of her pajamas. Pouring coffee into a travel mug, she grabbed her jacket. “No clue. But I know how to find out.”

  They stood on the roof of Megan’s house and looked for a level spot to place the telescope that Felicia had brought over.

  “I haven’t used this thing in ages. Hope it still works.” She pulled open the legs on the tripod. “We should be able to see exactly what they’re doing with this thing. If it can see the moon,
it can see where those boats went.”

  Megan grabbed the telescope from the case, carefully taking off the lens cap. As she set it on the tripod, Felicia tightened the bolts and turned some dials.

  “I think it’s just like a big pair of binoculars, isn’t it?” She scanned the horizon, back and forth, finally settling on one spot. “There they are!”

  “What? Where?” Megan certainly hoped that it was the makeshift flotilla, and hoped that they weren’t doing anything too dangerous. It had never occurred to her when she had shared her feelings about being responsible that it might lead to an event like this.

  “They’re out there, all the boats. It looks like they’re just floating. That’s weird.” She stood back, gesturing for Megan to take a look.

  As she peered through the telescope, she saw a large circle of boats, some that she had not long ago seen hurrying down the road. In the center were three pangas, the same that had been on the water the day before. It was those pangas that James had been focused on with the lens of his camera.

  Now, she saw him talking to one of the men on the panga.

  “Felicia, Kyle’s out there, too. I think they’ve surrounded the smugglers.”

  “No. No way. That’s...” Her voice trailed off as she took a turn at the telescope. “Well, look at that. Who are all those guys with James? Where did all those boats come from?”

  “Like I know that,” Megan said as she held her hand over her eyes, squinting to try to see what was happening.

  “Um, this is like a TV show. You’re not going to believe this one. Gosh, I hope they don’t have guns.”

  “Nobody has guns down here but the police,” Megan reminded her. “That would get you in more trouble than you’d know how to get out of. Remember when Jimmy went to jail because they found those guns his dad had left after he retired as a sheriff?”

  “I forgot about that. Maybe the smugglers are smart enough to know that, too. I hope so.”