“I thought about taking her with me. I found her a lifejacket at the bait shop. They sell all kinds of boating supplies. And I picked up one of those backpack things for a kid. You know the ones that let you carry a toddler on your back.”
She smiled. “You bought a carrier?”
“That’s it, like a sling you put on your back.” He shifted to face her. “Thanks for telling me all that stuff. I guess you never know what’s truly going on in a person’s life, even when things look so perfect from the outside.”
“Things are rarely perfect, Simon. Why don’t you think about forgiving yourself for whatever it is that’s eating you up inside?” She handed off Delaney and stood up to go. “Think about it. And if you change your mind about me babysitting, give me a heads-up first, okay? Even though I only have four guests, they can be demanding.”
“I know. You do a great job here. I couldn’t do what you guys do.”
“Sure you could.” Jordan turned to Delaney and waved. “Bye-bye.”
Simon picked up the girl’s hand and waved. “Bye-bye, Jordan.”
“Bye-bye,” Delaney uttered and reached for the dog, trying to wrap her arms around his middle.
Simon sat there another half hour watching Delaney and Merlin bond with each other until the sun went down. “Come on, kids, time to head home for supper.”
While he fixed dinner he put on music, beginning with the found Abba CD that Delaney seemed to like so much. “Dancing Queen” might’ve been her favorite, but he got a kick out of watching her move to the beat of “Super Trouper” with Merlin as her dance partner. And when Simon joined in, it became a party. “We’re number one, Delaney! Number one.” He showed her how to point, and all three rocked around the room in time to the music.
The menu tonight was macaroni and cheese and chicken. Surprisingly more went into her belly this time and less on the floor than the night before.
When it came time to get ready for bed, he put on a Donovan playlist and they listened to “Catch the Wind” during bath time. Afterward, he dressed her in a new pair of pajamas with pink and purple dinosaurs. The tunes seemed to soothe her and settle her down enough to sit still for a bedtime story. He’d checked out some kid books from the new Ocean Street Library and decided on the one about a dragon. Delaney didn’t make it to the end, falling asleep in his arms before the finale.
He watched her sleep until he realized he needed to play catch up and do all the things he couldn’t do while she was awake. Like install all those childproof locks and take a shower.
He worked till almost midnight putting latches on every drawer and cabinet throughout the house. Thinking it would make too much noise, he didn’t even use the drill, which is why it took him so long.
With the house quiet, and Merlin curled up in the corner snuggled in his dog bed, Simon took a quick shower before falling into bed. Within five minutes he was out like a light.
His day started out exactly like all the other days that came before it, days spent in this flea-infested sandbox with no way out, no escape.
Every sniper had a spotter and his was a guy known as Eagle Eye. The man had a warped sense of humor and would burst into his tent before dawn, shake him awake with the same tune that never changed. Eagle Eye loved Steppenwolf and somewhere in his civilian background someone had told him he could sing. God only knew why.
Eagle Eye sang at the top of his lungs the lyrics to “Born to be Wild.” He heard that damn song so often it would eat into his brain all day long even as they trekked to the mess hall for some grub. It stayed with him as they headed to the motor pool where they’d pick up their ride, a Humvee so layered in dust that it was hard to tell what color it really was.
Eagle Eye would crawl behind the wheel, roaring out through the gates of the compound before the rest of the camp began to stir, still singing at the top of his lungs.
Sometimes they would drive to an abandoned house that had a clear view of the main supply route, the one used for transporting everything to all the advance units. Convoys came and went, but they all at one time or another passed this way, on this route, located near the only oasis within fifty miles of anything.
It was their job to ID any potential threat and eradicate it. Period. Anything out of the ordinary spotted approaching the encampment or the convoy transports was dealt with by eliminating it.
As far as Simon was concerned, every day was like a repeat of the day before. Every day seemed hotter than the last one. All he thought about was swimming in a cool ocean, sitting with a beer in his hand as the breeze hit his face instead of this blast furnace.
Some days nothing moved. They’d sit and bake until the sand fleas tried to eat at their faces. Other days, only a small herd of goats could be seen trotting toward the water, the herd driven back and forth by a twelve-year-old boy.
But it was the other days that were burned into his mind forever, the days when Eagle Eye would nudge him. That’s when Simon would zero in on a target, a threat. Once he had the person in his crosshairs, he would assess the situation, and if need be, eliminate the threat.
Faces. There were a lot of faces that kept him up at night. Head shots. Young. Old. Male. Female. All had at one time or another tried to approach with some type of IED strapped to their bodies. When he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, he could still see their faces, sometimes blurred together, but always there. He tried to block the images by focusing on all the lives he’d saved with one flex of his index finger. His spotter always kept count. But Simon had instructed him to keep it to himself. He never wanted to know the actual number. He didn’t need to know because he saw them in flashbacks almost every night.
When he got back stateside he never wanted to look at another human being through the crosshairs of a rifle scope.
He wanted a normal life, one where he could forget about every bad thing he’d ever done, one where death didn’t visit quite so often.
Six
You’re here for a reason.
In his dream those words blended together, merging from Scott’s voice into Jordan’s.
At the sound of baby babble, Simon cobwebbed out of his slumber and rolled out of bed. It was still dark outside, but he accepted the early morning hour just as he had for years in the military.
More together today than he had been yesterday, he started a pot of coffee before heading into Delaney’s room. There was no mess like that first day and diaper changing went a great deal smoother. He let her wear pajamas during breakfast so there was only one change of clothes.
While he scrambled eggs, she ran around chasing Merlin. Every now and then, the pooch let her catch him, but mostly the dog dodged and darted like a game of tag.
She settled down long enough to eat but getting her dressed became a sing-song rhyming tune until the second shoe went on. Scooping her up, he plopped her on her feet and began to gather up dirty clothes. She trailed after him into the laundry room, beginning to explore more of her surroundings.
“I’m still not sure about taking you out on the water with me. Maybe you’d be better off staying with Jordan. I better text her,” Simon said aloud as he started the washer, which now had become a daily routine.
Picking up his phone, he keyed in, Jordan, are you still up for babysitting? I’m having second thoughts about taking Delaney on the boat all day. What if she doesn’t like it? I won’t be able to cut the trip short and leave the group to bring her back to the B&B. What’s your take?
Jordan’s reply came back within a few minutes. I think you’re selling yourself short. Once the boat gets to the island, walk around with her. She’ll be fine if she’s with you no matter where it is.
He smiled at that answer and texted back. Then it’s a go.
For two years, spending time on the water had been Simon’s refuge from all the wrong things he’d done in his life. Rain or shine, over the last few months he’d perfected his boating skills, even going out in bad weather to make sure he could handle the helm durin
g rough seas. He never put others in jeopardy and never took out a tourist when it was stormy. But on his own, he pushed the limits, striving to become a better skipper just as he had always pushed himself to be the best each day he woke up in the Army.
Today, none of that was on his mind. Keeping Delaney safe and the others in his charge was his number one priority.
While Jordan fussed over the toddler, Nick helped him check off the guests, a professor who’d brought along five grad students from the plant biology department at UC Davis.
A youthful forty, professor Luca Waterman had a full crop of light brownish hair and a day’s worth of beard. Turning to his entourage, three female students and two guys, Luca joked about his fondness for botany and flora. “This is my second trip out to the island. I came here two years ago with my girlfriend at the time and just happened to sign up for the tour on Treasure Island. I’m glad I did. You’re in for a real treat today. There’s so much to see. Prepare to experience native grasses in their natural habitat and California quail up close and personal.”
“Bree took them out when they were here the last time,” Jordan explained. “That was right before you came to town.”
Simon could tell the professor and his group were anxious to get going and excited about gathering new samples. “I wasn’t sure how Bree ever managed using such a compact boat to make all the trips she did in one day. I don’t see how she carried so many back and forth. The woman had it down to a fine art to have hauled as many around as she did.”
Luca snapped his fingers at the memory. “That’s right. She had this small cabin cruiser. I remember it was overcrowded that day with all the gear everyone brought on board. I was glad to see that my girlfriend and I weren’t the only ones who’d brought the kitchen sink with us. We’d lugged cameras, binoculars, and our field packs with us, along with the sample cases we didn’t want to leave behind.”
“Bree was good at what she did,” Simon revealed. “The cabin cruiser was a nice outfit, but more in line for personal use rather than the tourist trade. Since then, business has doubled. That’s why I like having the larger forty-six-footer. It cuts down on all the round trips Bree had to make.”
Nick scratched his head. “Yeah. I remember her complaining about that. She’d make two and three expeditions out there a day, dropping off one bunch, usually family members, and then coming back to pick up the rest. I think the fun of it wore off after a while.”
“Bree did a wonderful job for us,” Luca pointed out. “No complaints. And she knew her stuff. Once we arrived on the island, she was an exceptional tour guide, able to point out all the interesting flora and fauna. She even helped us locate a rare white sage growing near a nest of quail and a patch of coastal grassland that I personally had never seen before. It was on that trip that I took a few samples back home with me. It’s why I put in for a grant. When it finally came through this spring I had my funding, enough to bring my students back here for another round of visits. I’m hoping to take more samples and write a paper about the numerous plant species I’ve found growing there.”
“It’s a beautiful place that’s stayed untouched and undisturbed by developers,” Simon explained. “In this day and age that’s a rarity. Which is why we’d best get going.” He reached to take Delaney out of Jordan’s arms. “We’ll see you later this afternoon, that is unless…”
“If she fusses, bring her back,” Jordan offered, gathering up the food baskets. “I have rooms to tidy and beds to change, but it’ll take you that long to decide and bring her back if there’s a problem.”
Simon’s brow creased into a frown. He glanced at Nick before turning back to Jordan. “I’ll make it work. Delaney shouldn’t be your problem.”
Jordan grinned at his resolute attitude and patted his shoulder. “Nick will help you load up the boat while I get the kids ready for school. If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask. Don’t be so stubborn and think you can do it all by yourself. Who says I won’t have time to babysit this little doll if you find out the hard way she doesn’t like the water?”
“Hear that, Delaney? You gotta show us your sea legs, girl,” Simon teased as he began smoothing sunblock over her arms and face and anything else exposed to the rays. When he was done, he rubbed his nose against her soft cheek before plopping her into the carryall. After adjusting the shoulder straps, he lifted the weight onto his back. “All set? We’re counting on you to love the water as much as we do.” He snapped his fingers to get the dog’s attention. “Aren’t we, Merlin? Come on. Let’s show her how it’s done.”
Merlin woofed and took off out the back door, leading the way down to the water. The trek down the steep set of stairs had everyone holding onto the iron railing to get to the bottom.
After making sure everyone had safely boarded, Simon stood at the helm and throttled the engine, motoring his way out of the inlet. Under a solid blue sky, the breeze light from a westerly direction, he found the water smooth as silk.
“How do you know she won’t barf in your hair?” the auburn-haired grad student asked, bobbing her head toward the toddler.
Simon could feel Delaney’s weight on his back, but couldn’t see her face. “I don’t. Does she look like she’s about to get sick?”
“No, she sorta looks like the dog does, leaning his head into the wind, taking in the breeze. How old is she?”
“Fifteen months.”
“My son’s a year and a half.”
Simon’s jaw dropped. The girl seemed too young to have a child.
She noticed his reaction and smiled. “I’m older than I look. Truth is I’m almost thirty, got a late start to getting my Ph.D. though, mostly due to an unplanned detour.” She lifted a shoulder. “My name’s Starla Miller. I went back to school two years ago when I decided I wanted to go into horticulture. Luca encouraged me to not let anything stop me.”
Simon noticed Starla looked over adoringly at the professor. “How do you get it all done with a child?”
“My mother takes care of Danny for me during the week. Since I’m going to school year-round it helps to have a built-in babysitter. Am I wrong to wonder if this little cutie is your first?”
Simon chuckled. “Does my lack of experience show that much?”
“Hey, at least you’re willing to bring her to work with you. I think that’s great.”
“I’m not that great, just trying to think outside the box for now. I’ll eventually have to rely on daycare.”
“Don’t we all at one time or another. I heard the innkeeper back there. Be grateful you have backup. Single parents need all the help we can get.”
Seven
At five-five, Gilly liked to think she was in shape, even though a portion of baby weight from three years back stubbornly wouldn’t let go of her belly. She’d given up trying to make it to the treadmill three times a week and relied on getting her workout by keeping up with an active toddler. And when she dashed from patient to patient at the hospital wasn’t that the same as a dozen hours of cardio and fat burning?
She’d once had a lean, athletic runner’s build, was even on the girls’ track team in high school. But now when she looked at herself in the mirror, she realized she could stand to lose a few pounds, especially around the hips. She’d let herself go because she never intended to date again. Not ever. And here she was waiting for a guy to show up for dinner.
“Well, you aren’t going to lose ten pounds before he gets here,” she mumbled to herself as she slid into her best summer dress, a black and white floral chiffon that made her feel more like Jennifer Lawrence walking the red carpet instead of a combat nurse stuck in scrubs every day of her life.
Jayden pushed the door open and scrambled on the bed to use it for a trampoline. She lifted him up and swung him around. “Not tonight, buddy. Let’s go check on supper.”
“Supper!”
“Yeah, well, I hope they like Italian,” she muttered to Jayden, as she looped an apron around her neck so she wouldn’t get
marinara splatter on her best dress.
But standing at the stove in her little kitchen, dragging a spoon through her thick, homemade spaghetti sauce, it suddenly hit her. She’d overdressed for a simple dinner with a friend. “What was I thinking? Why didn’t I just wear jeans?”
Jayden, who’d plopped down on the floor, was using his set of wooden building blocks to erect a fortress that cut off the only pathway in and out of the eating area.
Cutting her eyes to his project, she chewed her lip. “Oh, buddy, you’re gonna have to move that at some point so people can get through.”
Jayden shook his head. “No! Stays here. No!”
Gilly let out a mother’s frustrated sigh. This is why she didn’t have a lot of people over. She didn’t really like the idea of standing her ground over a fort. Not tonight. She was already having second thoughts about extending the invitation. Why hadn’t she invited them on a Friday night to allow herself at least one good night’s sleep?
She dragged a hand through her hair. It would have been the smart thing to do. But no, her mouth had rolled over her strategic thinking right along with her common sense.
It had been so long since she’d been on a date, she was pretty sure this whole thing would end up in an awkward mess. She was fairly certain she couldn’t remember how to act around a man in a social setting. Sure, she got a few looks and a couple of offers once or twice a year, but it was different entertaining in her own home.
“It’s not a date. It’s just dinner,” she told herself as she glanced at the clock. Realizing there was no time to slip into a sensible pair of jeans, she decided to make the best of it.
Keeping Cape Summer (A Pelican Pointe novel Book 11) Page 7
