“He says that to all of us,” Lexie added, this time for all to hear.
Angela blew out what little breath was left in her lungs, thankful the focus had shifted from her.
“He’s avoiding his navy buddies, too.” Ava moved into the seat her mother had vacated. “Jim Borden called me last week. Billy hasn’t responded to the invitation to Jim’s bachelor party.”
Angela recognized the name from Billy’s recount of the accident.
“He’s called the shop a few times,” Lexie volunteered. “Who is he?”
“Jim was on the same team when Billy lost his foot. Jim’s stationed at Pearl now, is getting married, and some of the guys from the old team are flying in for an early bachelor party. Billy won’t take Jim’s calls, so he looked me up.”
Lexie nodded. “I could tell it wasn’t a business call. The guy seemed too friendly. Knew too much. Asked about all of you.”
Maile wiped her hands on a towel and inched toward Angela. “I love my son. I’m glad he’s home. But we’ve all been afraid to push him too hard. Of making things worse. We keep hoping he’ll work it out on his own. And frankly, if his never setting foot in the ocean again is the price paid for having him home alive, I can live with that. But I worry, can he?”
* * *
“Pass the pork, please.”
“Send the sweet potatoes this way.”
Platters made their way back and forth in front of Billy. The salt then pepper shaker followed. Serving spoons clanked against clay dishes as the food made the rounds from person to person. The din of chatter, an orchestral background to the silverware sonata played out by a table of friends and family.
It had been this way most of Billy’s life. Holidays and birthdays. Friends and relatives overflowed. More people for dinner? No problem. His mother pulled out another folding table and tacked it onto the end. No such thing as one too many.
“The boy seems to be taking it the hardest.” Lexie’s voice carried from several seats away.
“Poor thing. It has to be hard on him,” Maile Everrett said softly, her glance and that of a few others at the table, including Nick and Kara, shot over to little Bradley. Seated at the opposite end of the long table with Margaret’s grandson, neither boy paid any attention to the adult conversation.
“I still don’t understand why you got dragged into this.” Emily handed the grilled shrimp to her sister but looked to her brother. “I mean, I know the Delucas have been one of our best customers and all, but I don’t get it.”
Neither did Billy. Ever since Maggie Maplewood had left the shop, that same thought had danced around in his brain. Why him?
“Well it does make sense that Mrs. Deluca would chose someone in Hawaii since a friend or relative in California wouldn’t do her any good with the children vacationing in Kona.” Kara scooped a forkful of pineapple chutney. She’d turned her nose up at the poi, but had developed a heartfelt relationship with his mother’s pineapple blend.
“But why Billy?” Ava repeated.
“Do they know anyone else here?” Angela
asked.
Billy and Nick both shrugged, but Billy answered. “Hard to say.”
Maile waved a fork at her daughters. “They did spend the most time with Billy. After all, none of you girls worked the boats with your dad.”
“I’m sure they spent a lot of vacations with a lot of different people, but I don’t see them making those people secondary guardians,” Emily added.
Maile offered a halfhearted nod. “It is a bit odd.”
“So what are you going to do?” The soft voice came from Angela. The way her fingers played with her fork, he had a feeling it wasn’t a casual question.
“Nothing.”
Eyes wide, Nick spoke up this time. “Nothing? What happened to ‘no way’?”
“I can’t storm into Mrs. Deluca’s LA hospital room and tell her she’s lost her mind. The Delucas have come to Hawaii for every summer since before the kids were born, and no one has had to have an emergency run to the hospital yet.” Besides, the lost look on the kid’s face got to him. Which left him counting on this year being the same as every other year and hoping Murphy’s Law didn’t want to play any tricks on him. He did not want any more surprises.
“I hope you’re right, big brother.” Emily refilled her wine glass and passed the bottle.
Billy poured some more for Angela then turned to Kara sitting next to him.
Kara slid her hand over the empty glass.
“None for me.”
A quick glance around the table told Billy no one else noticed her refusal or the slight shade of pink that tinged her cheek except for Nick. Fork in mouth, his other hand had immediately covered his wife’s free hand and squeezed.
The little secret keepers. Nick and Kara are pregnant. He turned his attention to Angela, who was now chatting with Emily’s boyfriend on her other side. She’d missed the entire little screenshot. And how the hell was she going to react when the news was made public that Kara’s pregnant and she’s not? Shit. So much for no more surprises.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Do you want to head home, or would you like to go somewhere else to talk?” Billy slid the key into the ignition and watched the thoughts flickering across Angela’s face.
A lazy smile tugged at her lips. “That blanket still in the back?”
“It is.” He smiled. “And I know just the spot.”
Fifteen minutes later he pulled into one of
three empty parking spaces in a little cove off the main road.
“This is private property.”
“No problem.” Blanket tucked under one arm, he punched a code onto the gate lock and held the door open for her.
A small patch of beach stretched in front of them. Enough for a long walk in the moonlight, but short enough to remain isolated from the long Kona coast.
“Must be nice to know people in high places.”
“Not people. Just me.” Smoothing the edges of the blanket, he waved for Angela to take a seat.
“You?”
“Well, my family. Second floor up. Balcony on the left.” He pointed to a small building perched on the edge of the cove.
Her gaze followed his fingers to the older wood structure. “I don’t get it.”
“Used to be Dad’s bachelor pad when he first arrived in Kona and real estate was affordable for an accountant running away from home. Vacation rental now. Belongs to all of us.”
“Your dad ran away from home?”
“In a matter of speaking. He used to be a CPA on track to CFO. Came to Kona for a two-week vacation and never returned to the mainland.”
Sitting side by side facing the ocean, reality seemed so far away. The full moon cast a glassy shine across the water. The only sounds were those of the waves rolling softly ashore before easing back.
“It’s okay if you’ve changed your mind,” Angela said softly. Her gaze remained fixed on the water.
He didn’t have to ask about what. “I haven’t changed my mind.”
Drawing her knees close to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her legs. “You’re going to have your hands full the next few weeks with the Deluca kids here.”
“I don’t have to be involved as long as nothing happens—”
“Lexie mentioned the boy is spending the day with you at the shop tomorrow.” Cutting him off, she dared a sideways glance at him. “Sounds to me, whether you like it or not, you’re involved.”
No point in arguing. She was right. But that still didn’t mean… “It’s not like they’re moving here
forever. You mentioned a doctor follow-up?” “Friday.” Her gaze returned to the sea. “Then
I’ll know more.”
“How do you want to work this?”
“How?” She twisted to fully face him this time.
“When the time comes. Clinically…” His eyes locked on hers, his gaze steady, the curtain of military calm hiding the nerves and doubts
battling off stage. She’d already said she didn’t object to the old-fashioned way. Sitting side by side the other night without his prosthesis, she’d shown him she was made of
stronger stuff than a lot of women, but he had to give her the chance to change her mind. “Or up close and personal.”
Her knees drew in tighter, her gaze shifted back to the ocean, and her voice came out very small. “Personal.”
“And after—”
“After?” Again she tilted her head in his direction.
“I know you understand I’m not offering marriage.”
Letting her arms fall to her side, digging her fingers into the sand, she nodded. “I want a baby.”
And he wanted her to have a baby, too. “But you can count on me for support—”
“I don’t need—”
“There’s no debate on this one. I make a very good living. I will help.”
Her mouth dropped open, and he prepared for an argument. Instead her jaw snapped shut and she nodded. “You can help.”
“Anything you or the child needs, I’m here for you. But for the record, with everyone, just a friend. Nothing more.”
“What about Uncle Billy?”
He nodded. “I’ll be Uncle Billy. Even when you find that husband you want, I’ll be Uncle Billy.” He had no right to anything more.
* * *
Even when she finds that husband she wants. Angela had to wonder if Billy had any idea how hard it would be to find a man to take on parenting someone else’s child. She knew the odds, had considered them, rolled them around like dice in a game of Yahtzee and had decided she wanted this baby. No matter what it took. Or what she lost.
“What do we tell people? Our friends?”
“Nothing.” Pulling away and standing, he extended his hand. “Let’s walk. I was never very good at just sitting.”
What she hadn’t expected after he helped her up was for Billy to keep hold of her hand. She liked it. Almost a romantic walk on the beach. Almost.
They’d gone a few yards when he squeezed her fingers. “Is this okay?”
She nodded. More than okay.
“If we’re going to be personal, it would be good for you to get used to me…” He lifted their joined hands. “…touching you.”
She nodded again. Even if she already knew he was a phenomenal kisser, the truth was she was more than a little nervous about what came next. Okay, she was totally freaking nervous. Holding hands was good. She could do this.
“I’ve been reading.” Billy slowed his pace. “They sell products in the drugstores that help pinpoint the best time to conceive.”
How did he do that? Go from hand holding to best time to do the deed. Then again it was probably a good thing one of them was being practical about this. Or maybe she really had lost her mind, and none of this was such a good idea after all. So what if she never had children?
“Also.” He stole a glance in her direction before returning his eyes forward, “I thought it might be a good idea to get tested.”
She lost her footing in the sand and tipped forward. Tested?
Billy pulled on her hand to right her then swung about, steadying her with his other hand. It had never occurred to her to be tested. She hadn’t had sex in so damn long there was no reason for her to. But of course he was a man. A navy man no less.
The longer Billy silently watched her, the deeper the ridges between his brow grew. “You think I mean HIV?”
She nodded. So did he. Then he spun back and continued walking at her side, his hand still threaded with hers.
“We know your fertility issues. We don’t know mine. Just because I’m physically fit doesn’t mean I’m the best candidate to get you pregnant. It’s best to check. I could have a low sperm count or some other condition that would need to be corrected.”
“Oh. Of course.” He’d picked up the pace, and she hurried her step. “That does make sense. I have some savings—”
“Not necessary.”
“But if it’s for me, I should be—”
“It’s covered.” Once again he stopped and turned to face her. “I just want to be sure. I want you to be sure.”
“I am,” she breathed. For just a second, she thought she saw a flicker of something raw and hot in his eyes. In that same fraction of time her heart did a somersault, and the blood in her veins pulsed with anticipation. She braced for a kiss, waited, wanted. Only to taste disappointment when he turned to continue walking.
Falling into to a slow, steady pace, when they reached the end of the short stretch of beach, he let go of her hand. The loss washed over her as coolly as if she’d fallen headfirst into the surf.
“You should know it’s been a long time for me. A really long time.” His sudden burst of laughter broke the tension that had hung over them. “Don’t look so surprised.”
Putting both hands to her cheeks, she realized she must have looked like her eyes were about to fall out of her head. She knew he didn’t date. Enough people had certainly fussed about it. But she didn’t think that meant he didn’t…” I thought guys liked to have sex. A lot.”
He laughed again. “While I’ll agree most guys think about having sex, a lot, they don’t all get it anywhere near as often as they’d like.”
“So you’d like to have more? Is that what you’re saying?”
This time his eyes circled round like the full moon overhead. “No, that wasn’t what I was trying to say. I want you to understand you don’t have to worry about who I’ve been with or will be with.”
“Oh. I see.”
“Do you? There will be nothing between us, nothing to protect you from disease for I don’t know how long. Whether I test clean for STDs now won’t matter if I don’t keep it in my pants later.”
She bobbed her head again. He was giving all of this way more thought than she had. And he was being darn more careful about her than she deserved. Her heart did another somersault routine, and her mouth went a little dry.
If she wasn’t careful, very careful, she could too easily lose her heart to this man.
* * *
Billy slammed his fist into his pillow. Again. If he continued to pummel his pillows into submission, he’d be sleeping with tattered remains of polyester fill. Not being able to sleep had little to do with his lumpy pillow and everything to do with how badly he wanted Angela Carson in his arms instead.
He’d done his research. After her visit with the doctor, he would give her an all clear in a couple more weeks. Then they’d need to keep track of her cycle for the most-likely time to conceive.
That would be the scientific way.
Making love to her every single day until she got pregnant would be the selfish way. And from what he’d researched, would result in a bumper crop of little girls. Except he was only getting one chance for one baby. Eventually she’d meet the man of her dreams and add more children to the family.
That thought only made him want to pound the pillow again. Instead he rolled over and spied the clock. Three a.m. He’d already taken two cold showers tonight. Taking a third wasn’t going to change what he wanted. According to his estimates, there’d be as many as three weeks or as little as ten days before it would be time. And tonight walking, she’d felt too stiff, apprehensive, for his liking.
It was up to him to make her more comfortable around him. His touch. And how was he supposed to do that if, with the exception of the past two days, he only saw her once a week at best?
The same way he’d done with Claire. Patiently, slowly.
For all the good that had done him. When he’d finally made his move, Claire had shot him down. Worse than that, she’d made him leave. Told him it was time for him to move on with his own life. He hadn’t wanted a life. He’d wanted to take care of her. There was only one problem. He hadn’t wanted her.
Even after he’d thought he’d stopped thinking of Claire as his buddy’s wife, no matter what he did, there was no reaction. Not even a little warmth, never mind
sizzle. She’d called it kissing his sister. It was worse. He’d almost been grateful she’d turned him down because if she had taken him up on what he was offering, she would have been bitterly disappointed with his bedroom performance. Or lack thereof.
It had taken a lot of booze and bartender therapy to get past that little problem. Of course Connie had been one hell of a bartender. The memory brought a smile to his lips. She’d been quite a bit older, wiser, and exceptionally skilled. And he was pretty sure she had nursed many a wounded soldier back to…health. But not ’til Angela had old glory come so eagerly to attention.
Chapter Twenty-Four
What exactly was he going to do all day with a ten-year-old little boy? Any minute now Adam Deluca would be arriving. Why had Billy agreed to let the kid hang out with him?
“Any chance they’ve changed their minds?” Billy walked up the hall to the front desk.
Lexie shook her head. “Not that I know of.”
“I’m accepting suggestions on how to keep him busy.”
Leaning back, Lexie crossed her arms. “Private lessons?”
There was no point in responding. “We could get him set up with gear.”
“You could.” Additional comment was cut off by the sound of the front door opening.
“Good morning.” Magnolia came in with Adam at her side.
Billy and Lexie echoed her greeting.
“He’s still feeling a bit under the weather. Bethany tried to convince him a little fresh sea air would be good but…” Magnolia shrugged behind the ten-year-old’s back. “I’d better hurry so the boat doesn’t leave without us.”
“We’ll be fine,” Billy called after her. Not that he was all that convinced.
Adam stood aimlessly in the middle of the shop, his attention on the slowly closing door. Billy debated letting the boy linger or stepping forward to distract him. Without seeing Adam’s face, Billy knew the sadness battling inside the boy. The kid was too damn young to have to deal with losing a parent. “We’ve added a new section since you were here last.”
Almost Paradise Page 18
