Keeping Her Close

by Carol Ross

  Unfortunately, that was the end of the conversation. Before Harper could respond, barking erupted from the next room. George and Coastie trotted into the kitchen followed by Nora who announced the fire was ready for marshmallow roasting. The three women gathered all the goodies for s’mores and headed down to the beach. Harper had no idea what to do with the knowledge she’d gained. Maybe with what she’d learned, and now that Kyle was being more forthcoming, she’d get more answers from him and solve the puzzle. Maybe there was even some way she could help mend this brother-sister rift.

  * * *

  KYLE’S BLOOD SEEMED to freeze inside his veins as the phone in his pocket blasted out a song he hadn’t heard in six months. “Another One Bites the Dust” was Owen’s ringtone. So why was he hearing it now? Was this some kind of sick joke? He was on his way back from fetching Nora’s jacket from the house. His eyes found Harper on the beach before taking note of everyone’s location. Nora, Mia, Laney, Josie, Craig and the little ones were roasting marshmallows. Levi and Jay were playing Frisbee with the dogs. All of them were too far away to be the source of the sound. Kyle knew very well the song was playing in his pocket, emanating from his phone, but his rational brain wouldn’t allow him to believe it.

  Pulse galloping, he removed the phone and stared at Owen’s smiling face. With a shaky finger, he swiped the screen and put the phone up to his ear. “Hello?”

  “Kyle?”

  A woman’s voice. Lungs pressing inward with a crushing weight, he demanded, “Who is this?”

  “Kyle, sweetie. It’s Sheila. Are you okay?”

  Owen’s mom. A mix of relief and understanding dawned. “I’m so sorry for my tone, Sheila. You startled me by calling from Owen’s phone.”

  “Oh, no! Of course, I did. What was I thinking? I’ve kept his phone because of the contacts and the photos, and sometimes I play his message so I can hear his voice. I went to get your number from it and I just tapped it without thinking. I’m still not myself and now...” The words trailed off with a quiet sob.

  “Sheila, what is it?”

  It took a moment. “Someone from Dahlia called me.”

  “About what?” Kyle calmly urged even as anxiety welled within him.

  “You know that Owen had a life insurance policy with the company.”

  “Yes, for you and Mattie.” Mattie was Owen’s eight-year-old daughter who lived with Sheila.

  “That’s right. They told me after he died that it would take a while to process the paperwork.”

  “You haven’t gotten the money?”

  “No, and now they’ve notified me that it will be a while longer yet...”

  “What did they tell you? Why won’t they release the funds?”

  “You know about the investigation, right?”

  “Yes. From what I understand, it’s standard procedure.”

  “Not like this. Usually, it only takes about six weeks. It’s been six months, and they keep giving me the runaround. Now they’re saying there’s a hang-up with the insurance company. I’m afraid that something is really wrong.”

  Kyle felt his already massive concern increase exponentially. With military contractors under the microscope these days, he knew that Dahlia had their reasons for wanting to find the truth. Employee behavior was scrutinized, and Dahlia took their reputation very seriously. If it were discovered that one of their employees was involved in criminal behavior, their reputation would suffer. The media tended to pounce on these kinds of stories. Ultimately this would be reflected in their bottom line. Kyle had wanted to help his employer avoid that as well as prevent Owen’s name being smeared in the process.

  But this was different. And much, much worse. Did this mean the insurance company suspected Owen of illegal activity? Kyle knew it was one of the reasons claims were denied.

  This was beyond belief. Kyle knew Owen, and there was no possible way he’d been doing anything illegal. Owen was good and honorable and... Kyle needed to help clear this up, so Sheila would get that money. Money she could use to help secure Mattie’s future. That meant upping his game where Harper was concerned.

  “Sheila, I’m so sorry. I’ll do what I can to help.” Kyle knew that was all he could say. Now he needed to do something, more than what he’d been doing. “We’ll get this figured out.”

  “I’m sorry to worry you about this. That’s not why I called. I just heard your voice, and I lost it.”

  “That’s okay. You can call me anytime—you know that.”

  “I called because I finally went through all of Owen’s things. There’s a box for you, Kyle. It’s taped shut, but it has your name on it. I’m going to send it to you, but I need an address.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  “HEY, KYLE? KYLE, wake up.”

  The hand on Kyle’s knee registered simultaneously with the soft lilt of Harper’s voice. A surge of adrenaline had him bolting upright to find her sitting serenely on the edge of his bed. Why was Harper sitting on his bed? Kyle flicked on the lamp to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

  “Good morning,” she chirped.

  Nope, not dreaming. “Harper, what are you doing here?” Still, the question came out a little sharper than he intended. Clearing his throat, he adjusted his tone and gathered his wits, “Is everything okay?”

  “I’m fine. Everything is fine.” Smile fading, she added, “Sorry, did I scare you?”

  “Yes. You did. A little. What’s going on?”

  “I got a phone call this morning, and I need to be at a marina in Astoria ASAP.” Lips twitching, her gaze traveled over the blanket on his bed. “Is that a kitty-cat blanket?”

  “Yes, Mia and Laney gave it to me. They made it.” Kyle checked the time. “Why? It’s 4 a.m. Why didn’t you text me?”

  “It seemed easier to explain in person. I brought coffee.” A steaming mug sat on the nightstand. Nice. Kyle couldn’t remember anyone ever bringing him a cup of morning coffee.

  How could someone be so sweet and frustratingly vague at the same time? Normally, she was all about the information. The very trait he planned to exploit where Owen was concerned. Kyle needed to push aside the uncomfortable manipulative nature of that thought and focus on the big picture. And the smaller one unfolding before him now. “No, I mean why do you need to be at the marina in the middle of the night?”

  “Whales.”

  “What about them?” he asked patiently.

  “We’re going to go see some. Hopefully. A while back, I talked to the captain of a boat named Robin’s Reveler about taking me out on the ocean.”

  “Who is this guy?”

  “A boat captain.” She said it like he’d just asked the stupidest question ever.

  “What type of boat, what kind of captain?” He fired off the questions.

  She answered just as quickly, “The type that floats, the kind that drives the floating boat.”

  Despite his consternation, he let out a chuckle. He couldn’t help it. “Harper, you can’t just—”

  “Okay, look,” she interrupted with a good-natured huff and a little eye roll. “I know it’s in your nature, and part of your job, to want to know everything and plan everything. But we need to get going, so I have to make this quick. Everyone told me this guy was the one to ask if you want to know where the whales are. I don’t know about the specs of the boat, his favorite baseball team or where he went to high school. We made a deal. He would take me out when the weather was decent, and there were whales close by. He warned me that it might be spur-of-the-moment. Turns out, it’s today!”

  “So we’re going out in the ocean.” Kyle reached for the coffee mug and tried to wrap his brain around this latest outing. A day on the ocean sounded awesome.

  The last two days had been busy ones. First, they’d driven up the coast to photograph oysters. At a shellfish farm, they’d donned waders and shuffled
out waist-deep into the oyster beds with the friendly owner. Harper had seemed entranced by the long history of oyster farming, impressing the man with her knowledge about how the Romans had practiced it as early as the first century. He’d shown them the proper method for shucking an oyster. An enthusiastic Harper attempted the task while the man looked on like a doting father. Then he’d graciously invited them to sample all his varieties of smoked oysters: barbecue, black pepper, garlic, jalapeno. They’d parted with a promise on Harper’s part to attend the oyster festival in a nearby town in the fall.

  On the way home, they’d detoured to a waterfall, which had led to a hike in the foothills to capture some spectacular ocean views. They hadn’t returned until after dark.

  Yesterday they’d driven inland and hiked through an old-growth forest. They’d followed that up with a visit to a museum dedicated to the mythical (or not) Sasquatch with an enormous carved statue of the creature out front. Somehow, Harper had talked him into posing in front of it, convincing him she needed him there “for perspective.” The smirk on her face at the final product had suggested otherwise and had Kyle suspicious of her intentions. They’d spent the afternoon at home where Kyle tackled a few of the items on his safety lesson list. They’d ended the day by strolling through downtown Pacific Cove and stopping at Tabbie’s for bowls of their prize-winning seafood chowder.

  “Yep, that’s the schedule for today. You want me to write it down for you?” she joked. “Or, wait a second, I’m going out on a boat today, but you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. You could have the day off. I mean, what could happen to me on a boat for goodness’ sake?”

  Kyle took a sip of coffee, set it down and said, “I’ll be ready in ten minutes.”

  * * *

  EVEN IN THE dim light on the dock, Harper could feel Kyle’s eyes on her, inquisitive, assessing. Although, she didn’t mind his glower as much now that they were on friendlier terms. She’d also learned that frequently this look meant he was gearing up for a safety lesson. No matter what they were doing, he never missed a teaching moment. Except this morning she feared he’d see through her to the terror she was busy trying to keep in check. This whale outing had seemed like a great idea when she’d planned it. Now that it was upon her, not so much.

  He said, “Just so you know, a lot can happen to a person on a boat.”

  Harper felt her stomach take a dip as if she were already being tossed about on the ocean. “I’m sure,” she said, immediately imagining a number of scenarios. If the boat were to capsize, she couldn’t decide which would be the worst way to go, hypothermia or being eaten by a shark. Hypothermia would be slower and likely, ultimately, involve less pain. A shark, on the other hand, would be much quicker, but horrifically painful. Getting eaten by a shark after hypothermia set in would probably be the best bet; faster, less pain due to the numbness from the water’s frigid temperature. This was one of those puzzles that she’d enjoy mulling over with her dad. She made a mental note to ask him next time they talked.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Yep, great!” she answered, fiddling unnecessarily with the camera hanging around her neck in the hope of distracting him. “I hope I packed my extra battery,” she muttered, knowing that she had.

  They were a few minutes early, which normally Harper would appreciate. Kyle might be lecture-y, but he was always ready at a moment’s notice when inspiration struck her and the weather decided to cooperate. And like this morning when she’d sprung this outing on him. Initially, she’d been concerned that he wouldn’t take her work seriously. That wasn’t the case at all. He was a fun travel companion and an excellent unofficial assistant.

  “I saw you put at least three batteries in that bag. Now might be a good time to talk about a few safety precautions. How much boating experience do you have?”

  He also took his work very seriously. Flashing him her best “I got this” expression, she said, “When I was a teenager, my friend Cynthia’s family had a boat. Her dad used to take us sailing on Puget Sound. Super fun.”

  “Sailing,” he repeated drily. “On Puget Sound. So, you’ve never been out in the ocean?”

  “Of course I have! A few times, actually, since I’ve been living here.” One thing Harper had learned in her career as a photographer was that faking it went a long way where confidence was concerned, both in boosting her own and in generating others’ confidence in her. She’d scored a lot of photo opportunities this way. Kind of like Kyle’s confident victim speech, although she doubted that “attitude” would help where a shark attack was concerned. She let out a short, nerve-induced cackle.

  Kyle gave her a sharp look. She could feel his eyes on her, keen with doubt and questions. Like some sort of silent interrogation, she was feeling the heat. Even her palms were sweating. His lips pursed thoughtfully. She imagined him analyzing her answer, looking for ways to squeeze the details from her.

  “Okay!” She confessed, “I’ve been out in the ocean, but you should know that I’ve never crossed the Columbia River Bar.”

  Kyle’s mouth turned down into a little frown.

  Noise on the dock behind them halted his commentary. They both turned.

  “Hey, ho! Good morning, folks.” An older gentleman approached with a friendly wave. He was medium height and barrel-chested, and with his warm grin, jolly voice and shuffling gait, Harper thought he was the perfect picture of a sailor. His white beard was trimmed close, but it couldn’t hide the dimples flashing in his round cheeks. He wore blue jeans, boots and a lightweight parka. A faded and frayed, royal blue baseball cap fit snug on his head with the word Grandpa stitched across the front.

  “I’m Robin Reichman. You must be Harper, the whale seeker?”

  “Yes, sir.” Harper shook the calloused hand he offered. “It’s wonderful to meet you. Thank you so much for calling this morning and making this happen. This is my friend Kyle.”

  Kyle reached out his hand. “Kyle Frasier. Appreciate your generosity in taking us out today, Captain.”

  Kyle and Captain Robin made small talk as he led the way down the dock to a slip and stopped in front of a sleek white boat. Fancy script spelled out Robin’s Reveler on the stern and Harper was relieved to see that the vessel looked clean and appeared perfectly seaworthy. Of course, it was difficult to make out all the details in the dark under mercury vapor lights, but she couldn’t imagine Kyle would have a problem with it.

  “You kids go ahead and board.” The captain swung a hand toward the craft. “I see you brought your own life vests. No need for my lecture, then. Folks love to tell me how well they can swim.” Captain Robin added a hearty chuckle and headshake.

  Kyle commented, “Tough to swim if you hit your head or break a limb on the way into the water.”

  “That’s exactly right!” Captain Robin exclaimed, and Harper braced herself for a conversation about Kyle’s career. Owen always bragged about his life as a SEAL.

  Instead, Kyle grabbed her duffel bag full of gear and the small cooler containing their water and lunch and climbed onboard. He faced her and Harper could tell he was staying close to see if she needed help. A combination of excitement and fear prodded the already agitated butterflies in her stomach as she boarded, but she managed to keep her cool. Stepping onto the boat felt almost menacing. Nicknamed the “Graveyard of the Pacific,” the Columbia River Bar was one of the deadliest stretches of water in the entire world, and even on a calm day like today, problems could arise in the strong currents and notorious shoals where the river literally collided with the ocean.

  As if reading her mind, Kyle reached out and slipped one arm across her shoulders. Giving them a squeeze, he whispered, “Did you take the meclizine I gave you?”

  She nodded. She hadn’t even thought about taking a seasickness pill until he’d handed it to her in the car.

  “This is going to be a blast, and you’re going to get so
me phenomenal shots today.” His gentle smile charmed the butterflies into submission and calmed her fidgety pulse. Under different circumstances, she’d analyze how much his confidence and experience eased her apprehension. Right now she was just grateful.

  The captain followed. “I take it you have some nautical experience, Kyle?”

  “Yes, sir, a bit. I’m ready and willing to take orders.”

  “Excellent. Thank you. Truthfully, that’s a relief. My buddy Al was supposed to be my first mate today but he canceled this morning. Down with a stomach bug. You think you can handle the job?”

  “Sorry to hear about your friend. I’ll do my best to fill in and help out any way I can.”

  The captain looked pleased, and Harper again waited for Kyle to add his credentials. Instead, he nodded politely and asked, “Should I cast off?”

  Captain Robin agreed, throwing out a few specific instructions while Kyle saw to the task. The captain fired up the motor. In a matter of minutes, they were cruising out of the marina, the scent of diesel and fish and creosote surprisingly pleasant in the chilly morning air. Slivers of sunlight were peeking over the horizon behind them, the brilliant orange shade reminding Harper of a perfectly ripe cantaloupe. Overhead, a gull screeched, its grayish-white wings glowing in the morning light.