by Karen Kirst
“What happened down there?”
“Regulator free-flow.” Seeing his lifted brows, she amended, “The gas started discharging from my cylinder. My regulator malfunctioned.”
James turned to her. “Didn’t they teach you how to handle that in dive school?”
“They did.” Olivia’s black brows pulled together. “It hasn’t happened to me before, and I lost my cool. I’m sorry for worrying the guests.” Tugging off her fingerless gloves, she looked at Brady. “Did I frighten the little girl?”
“Her mother distracted her.”
“What about your backup?” James persisted.
Brady bristled at his accusatory tone, but he muzzled the brewing retort. This man could be Olivia’s superior, and he didn’t want to get her in trouble.
Sinking onto a metal bench, she tugged off her fins one by one. “Something’s wrong with it. My primary cylinder, too. I checked both before I went in, and they were fine.”
The brunette interjected. “She’s right. We inspected our equipment at the same time.”
“The gauges showed they were full,” she said, straightening. “Down there, it was a different story. My large cylinder was nearly empty and the pony bottle was completely out.”
James planted his hands on his hips. “It would be unusual for one to malfunction, but not both.”
Silence reigned. Brady voiced what no one else seemed willing to. “Did you leave your equipment unsupervised between the time of your inspection and the time you entered the water?”
Olivia let her fins clatter to the floor. “What are you suggesting?”
“Is it possible that someone wanted to sabotage your dive?”
TWO
Sabotage? The word wasn’t part of her everyday life. Olivia understood why a military man like Brady would consider it. He was conditioned to combat evil in the world.
“There isn’t a single person on the aquarium payroll whom I’d consider capable of such an act.”
He held her gaze. “Capable in knowledge or intent?”
“There are plenty of certified divers here, but no one who’d willingly damage scuba equipment.”
“Not even for a joke?” Brady said.
“That’s not my idea of a joke.”
Erin sat beside her. “You were called away for an urgent phone call, remember?”
Olivia had forgotten about the summons. She’d been told that an American Zoo Association representative was requesting information about the upcoming fund-raiser, but when she’d gotten to the phone, the line was dead. She dismissed any thoughts of foul play. This was her second home. Her coworkers were her substitute family. The aquarium had kept her in the Jacksonville area after Derek’s death. If she didn’t adore her job, she would’ve returned to Cherokee in the western part of the state or even sought employment at a different aquarium.
“True,” she said, “but you were here.”
Worry lines dug into Erin’s forehead. “Actually, I dashed to the restroom.”
Brady bent and retrieved his jacket. The long-sleeved gray shirt he wore, wet from his foray into the tank, adhered to his muscular shoulders and biceps like glue. He straightened and regarded them with his arctic blue-gray gaze. His customary air of authority—gleaned from flight school and his subsequent climb through the ranks—was in place. He was accustomed to being respected and admired, not befriended or loved. She believed he preferred it that way. Why else would he work so hard at keeping others at arm’s length?
A shame, because he had a lot to offer. She’d witnessed his tireless commitment to community service. Each Christmas season, he was instrumental in local gift collection for Toys for Tots. He gave his time and energy each week to kids who lacked positive role models. She’d seen evidence of his compassion and selflessness, his patriotism and work ethic. She’d even seen him let go and have fun. He and Derek had played together on a church basketball team. On the court, he’d forgotten his childhood wounds, forgotten the drive to prove his worth and simply enjoyed himself.
Olivia wanted to get to know that Brady, but she doubted she’d ever have the chance.
“So there was a window of opportunity?” he said, scattering her thoughts.
Standing to her feet, she unzipped the wet suit. “It was a fluke. A one-off.”
James, who’d been looking over the equipment, joined them. “I’m inclined to agree. We’ll have these serviced before using them again.”
Brady pushed his damp hair off his forehead. “You aren’t going to do an in-house investigation?”
“I’ll discuss it with the director. For now, it’s enough to know that Olivia is unharmed,” James said. He gestured to the guard, who left his spot at the railing.
“It’s time for you to go, Captain Johnson.”
Olivia glanced between the men, realizing they intended to evict him from the aquarium. That meant he wouldn’t be able to stay for the program. She considered seizing the chance to avoid spending time with Brady but quickly dismissed it. He’d entered the shark tank to try to help her.
“Let him stay.”
Everyone stared at her.
“Please, James. He won’t be jumping into any more tanks, I promise.”
Relenting, James lectured Brady about safety protocols and sent the guard on his way.
“The kids get here in an hour. Olivia, may I speak to you alone before they arrive?”
She masked her reluctance with a nod. “I’ll meet you in Stingray Bay.”
When he’d left with Leon, Erin shot her a confess-all look. “Who is that?”
How to define their non-relationship? Someone she’d hoped could be a friend?
Regret pinched her heart. “He was important to my husband.”
* * *
Brady didn’t have to wait long. Olivia met him in the humid glass enclosure that housed an interactive stingray exhibit, lemurs and a butterfly garden. She’d changed into the standard uniform of khaki pants and a soft blue polo. Her fine black hair was woven into an intricate braid that accentuated her striking features. If Olivia was aware of her appeal, she didn’t show it.
Shoving the unwanted appreciation aside, he thought of the secret Derek had entrusted him with months before his death. He still couldn’t quite believe that the man he’d known for years had been using a fake identity. Sometimes, when Brady wondered if he’d dreamed the conversation, he dug out the newspaper clippings about the missing mafia heir and reread them.
He considered what Olivia’s reaction to the news might be. Would she feel betrayed? Angry? Disillusioned? After all, her perfect pilot hadn’t been what he’d presented himself to be.
Brady wouldn’t tell her, of course. He couldn’t bring himself to deliberately wound her.
He continued to observe the stingrays in their shallow touch tank. “Feeling any lingering effects from your ordeal?”
“A mild headache and hefty dose of embarrassment. Scaring the guests is not in my job description.”
He could’ve told her that it wasn’t her fault, but the words stuck in his throat. His conscience pinched him. Derek was gone. It no longer mattered what her ulterior motives for marrying him had been.
“What about you?” she said. “Sorry you took a swim in the shark tank?”
“No.” He turned toward her. “I am glad I had an extra change of clothes in the car, however.”
Sunlight rendered her hair an even glossier shade of jet and lent her complexion a satiny sheen. He wasn’t supposed to notice these things. He locked his hands behind his back and put extra inches between them.
“What were you doing down there alone?”
“A colleague and I are working on an innovative project. I was down there to collect fish eggs.”
“Is there anyone who’d benefit from its failure?”
“The aim of thi
s project is to minimize our impact on the oceans’ fish population. Successfully raising larval saltwater fish here will preclude the need to harvest them from the wild. I can’t think of anyone who would stand in the way of that.”
“Is there an employee who’d like to have your position? Someone who’d try and frighten you into quitting?”
“You’re thinking like a marine, not a civilian.”
“Military or no, evil exists in the world. You shouldn’t dismiss the possibility the damage was intentional.”
“Not in this case, Brady.” She paused as an announcement came over the speakers. The aquarium was closing in half an hour. A family of four exited the area, leaving them alone. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
He had to force the next words from his mouth. “The anniversary of Derek’s death is in a few weeks. Will you meet the deadline?”
Sadness stole over her, only to be shuttered seconds later. “I’ve already put a deposit on a new place. I’ll be out in time.”
As the widow of an active-duty marine, she’d been given a year to move out of base housing. She’d taken advantage of the grace period, using the months since Derek’s death to take stock of her options. Brady drove past the air station housing area every morning on his way to squadron headquarters and every evening on his way home.
“Where?”
“A warehouse apartment near downtown. It’s more compact, but it has a fantastic view of the river.”
“I’ll help you move.” Derek would want him to help her, to see her settled in her new life.
“I’m considering hiring a moving company.”
“That won’t be cheap.”
“I’ll figure it out.”
“Why don’t you let me and some of the guys do it?” The entire squadron mourned Derek’s loss, and any one of them would leap at the chance to help her. “You don’t have family here.”
“My coworkers stand in for them.”
“Olivia—”
“Brady, stop the charade.” Resignation tugged at her lips. “Derek’s not here to applaud your performance.”
“I don’t know what—”
“For whatever reason, you’ve never given me a chance to win your respect or friendship.”
The genuine hurt in her eyes knocked him back a step. Surely, she didn’t care what he thought? That would indicate she wasn’t the shallow groupie he’d painted her to be.
You’re wrong about her, Derek had argued the one time they’d discussed Brady’s reservations. Time will prove you wrong.
More and more, he was beginning to suspect he had made a mistake. Nothing supported his initial assessment of her character. In fact, her behavior suggested the opposite. She’d been a devoted, supportive wife during their brief, seven months’ union. She’d been unfailingly kind to Brady, despite his refusal to trust her. She hadn’t tried to sabotage his and Derek’s friendship, either.
Have you considered that this wasn’t about her? That you’d be suspicious of anyone who’d intruded on your oldest, closest friendship?
Cold flushed through him. If that was true, he’d been grossly unfair.
She lifted her chin in challenge. “Let’s just get through this night, okay? And then we agree to steer clear of each other. No more pity visits. They don’t benefit either of us.”
Pity visits? Didn’t she realize she was his last link to his best friend, and that no matter their history, he’d needed to see her?
Before he could think of a proper response, a young woman emerged from a door beside the lemur exhibit and hailed Olivia with a hardy wave.
“Do you have time to get the snacks and drinks ready for tonight?”
“Maya. I thought Erin was working the program with me.”
“I asked her to switch. I have plans tomorrow night.” Her jaw sawing on bubblegum, she stuffed her hands into her back pockets and regarded him with wide eyes. “Hello.”
“Brady, this is Maya Fentress.”
Grinning, Maya blew a giant pink bubble. Taller and stockier than Olivia, she had chin-length brown hair streaked with pink and an eyebrow piercing. Freckles dusted her pert nose and rounded cheeks. She looked to be in her early twenties.
“Pleased to meet you, Maya.”
“Are you one of the dads?” She glanced at his left hand, presumably looking for a ring.
“No, I don’t have any kids.”
Family life wasn’t for him. He’d known it from a tender age and had accepted his lot. His own parents hadn’t thought him worthy of attention or love. They’d discarded him as if he were secondhand goods, dumping him at his grandmother’s house shortly before his tenth birthday. As his school counselor had said often enough, he had abandonment issues. A tidy label that didn’t scratch the surface of what his childhood experiences had done to him.
THREE
The grief ravaging Brady’s face siphoned the breath from her lungs. She lifted her hand to touch him, to impart comfort, only to catch herself. He didn’t want anything from her.
“Not married, huh?” Speculation ripened Maya’s eyes. She hadn’t noticed his unease. Not surprising, considering Maya’s chief concern was herself.
“Brady volunteers with a local program pairing volunteer mentors with at-risk youth,” Olivia quickly interjected.
“Most of the kids in our group have never been to an aquarium before,” he said, his voice rusty.
“It’s our most popular event. Stick with me, and I’ll make sure you have a blast.” She giggled. “The kids, too.”
“Maya, why don’t you gather the snacks while I show Brady the auditorium?”
She opened her mouth to protest but, at Olivia’s pointed stare, rubbed his arm instead. “I’ll see you soon, Brady.”
Olivia ushered him out of the stingray area. Riding the escalator to the first floor, she studied his stoic profile and found herself wishing he’d open up to her. Holding in that amount of grief and anger robbed the present of its joy. Derek had mentioned Brady had had a tough childhood, but he hadn’t given many details. If only he were here...he’d had the ability to shred Brady’s reserve.
“I should warn you that Maya can be a lot to handle.”
He gave her a tight smile. “I gathered as much.”
“How long have you volunteered with these kids?”
“Over five years.”
Stepping off the escalator, they circumvented this building’s main entrance and descended yet another escalator to where the group’s event would originate. He opened the auditorium door for her.
“We’ll start the program with an up close and personal experience with a couple of our favorite reptiles, and then we’ll go to the feeding room, where we’ll discuss what types of foods the animals eat. Pizza will be served before we tour the two buildings.”
They reached the stage. “Is this a regular part of your job? Derek never mentioned it.”
The casual mention of him was jarring. No one spoke his name anymore. Her sisters tiptoed around the subject. Her coworkers avoided it completely. As time marched on, Olivia found herself wanting to talk about him. Acting as if he hadn’t existed—simply to spare her pain—wasn’t fair to his memory.
“I subbed for someone a couple of months ago and enjoyed it.” She motioned to the vacant room. “Being in the aquarium at night is a unique experience. It’s peaceful.”
His blond brows shot up. “In my experience, peace and kids don’t go together.”
“You’ll see what I mean. Especially when they’re in the shark tunnel, snug in their sleeping bags, and everyone drifts to sleep watching the fish swim overhead.”
Commotion at the top left entrance shattered the hushed stillness. An aquarium employee ushered twenty middle and high school kids into the auditorium. Chatter and laughter bounced off the paneled walls as they dropped their
backpacks and sleeping bags and thundered down the steps.
“How many hours until bedtime?” Brady drawled, rubbing his jaw.
His words were belied by the high fives he doled out. One of the younger boys, Michael, gave him a hug. The affection on Brady’s face and the way he mussed the boy’s hair spoke volumes. The unflappable Marine pilot who looked as if he could eat nails for breakfast had a marshmallow heart, at least when it came to these kids.
She wished things could be different. It would’ve been nice to bond with someone who cared about Derek as much as she did.
He introduced her to his fellow volunteers—Norman, who resembled a wise owl, and Dana, a frazzled middle-aged mom—before spouting off the names of everyone in the group. Olivia’s previous reluctance faded. Maybe the night wouldn’t be as onerous as she’d thought.
Maya arrived with the boa constrictor, drawing the boys and girls into a tight knot around her. Their curiosity remained evident as they progressed to the feeding room with walk-in freezers and coolers stocked with everything from vegetables to tiny shrimp. As she interacted with them, Olivia managed to forget her diving ordeal.
While they were wolfing down pizza and guzzling caffeinated sodas, she joined Brady at the windows. He twisted the cap off an orange juice bottle and offered it to her.
Shaking her head, she studied the tables’ occupants. “Why them? Why not the homeless shelter or food bank?”
His eyes had a bleak look that saddened her.
“Growing up in my grandmother’s home, I didn’t have a positive male influence. My grandmother was a sweet soul, but her health was frail. No one bothered to step into my life and make a positive impact. I longed for that, even though I couldn’t pinpoint the specific need at the time.”
“How old were you when you went to live with her?”
His lips thinned. “Ten.”
Olivia could imagine his confusion and disappointment. Then, to have to take on the role of caregiver at such a young age. Her heart hurt for the child he’d been.