"You can call her if you want to. Bill had some spare phones on the island and she was downloading her info from the cloud when I was talking to her." Matt grit his teeth. Of course the perfect Mr. Bill Ruby had spare phones laying around his island. He probably had a cell phone store in his mansion.
He'd had no cell phone, ergo no one's phone number, no email, no internet. It had made an interesting journey to the main island and then the hop back to Miami and connection to New York. He'd been forced to sit and look at the wall or read whatever he could find. It gave Matt a better perspective on his parents and how they could just sit in a room for long periods of time reading or deep in thought, with no need for electronics. Matt wasn't nostalgic about this though, he was angry. Bill Ruby could have just as easily furnished him with a new cell phone.
He looked in his phone for Reynolds’ contact information, but there was none. This phone was from before he'd known her. Still, what would he tell Reynolds? He didn't know who those boys were, and he wasn't going to be able to play the part that she wanted him to play. Nicole was staring at him, and Matt forced a smile.
"She was okay, I promise. The doctor said forty-eight hours, and when I left, she was walking around and sitting at the table to eat and everything. She looked okay to me," he said, before choking on his dry throat.
Reynolds wasn't just fine when he had left. She had been trying to convince him to stay and sort out the three children who had been zapped down from a spaceship. Matt had binged on too many YouTube videos about the Bermuda Triangle since he had been back, and he shook his head at his own thoughts.
"Well, you know Amy and Bill go way back," Nicole said, with a wink at Matt. He scratched at his neck and realized that had become a tick he had developed in the last two days, and it usually occurred when he heard Bill Ruby's name. "How is the article coming?"
"I'm not ready to turn in an article yet," he confessed.
"That's okay," Nicole said. Matt knew that it was the editor's job to push for drafts, and she wasn't pushing at all. "Take your time on this one, Matt. If Amy is staying on the island for a while, you might have a new story to write when she comes back. Maybe it will be a story about Bill and Amy." Nicole winked and then watched Matt scratch his neck again, and she thought he had clenched his jaw. He stood and headed toward Charley's office, and she called after him. "Matt, a small island hopper service has been calling looking for you. Did you guys have a problem with your travel?"
"No, no!" Matt said and then caught himself. "I called down because I think I left my tablet on his plane. We flew private the last leg. Bill arranged it," he lied. Matt cursed himself remembering he'd goaded the guy with his business card and the name of the magazine to earn his trust. Of course a huge conglomerate would take care of the aircraft if anything happened, he remembered saying. He would have hit himself in the forehead if his future father-in-law hadn't been staring at him through the huge glass wall that separated them.
Matt smiled at Nicole and pointed toward Charley, and she disapprovingly said "Mmmm hmmmm," loud enough for Matt to hear as he walked away.
"Matt," Charley said before he had even stepped into the office. "How is Amy? She's staying there for two weeks, and she’s injured. Why didn't you call me?" Matt could see that Charley was very worried about Reynolds. "What happened? You don't seem concerned." Matt felt as though Charley was accusing him, but he also got the impression Charley was fishing to see how worried Matt was about Reynolds. He read this as a test.
"Reynolds is fine," Matt said confidently. He took a seat and tried to relax. "Nicole tells me that Reynolds used to have a thing with Ruby. That must be the delay. She was just fine when I left."
"Just fine?" Charley asked slowly. Matt tried not to squirm in his seat. His boss wasn't a big man, but he was powerful, and he knew it. Charley didn't stare through people, he stared into them.
"Are you fishing for something specific, Charley?" Matt asked him, nervous that he might have heard about the three boys who had turned up claiming he was their dad. Since Nicole didn't bring it up, Matt thought he was still in the clear. He wasn't so sure now.
"Mr. Robinson," Charley corrected Matt.
Matt cleared his throat. He had called Charley by his first name for a couple of years, but when Sarah had introduced Matt as her boyfriend, all amiability went out the door.
“Maybe I am fishing a little," Charley admitted. "Why is there an aircraft charter service calling for you?"
Matt hesitated and Charley leaned forward. Matt took a deep breath and sat up in his chair. He exhaled the truth. "It was taking forever to get there and we had to take a hopper from Miami just to get a boat."
Charley nodded. "Go on."
"So, I rented the charter aircraft so we could get to the island quicker. I just wanted to get the interview over with to get back home. I know how much Sarah wanted me back."
"Matt, you're not the first idiot this year to try to fly to Ruby Island, but you might be the last." Charley tossed his phone to Matt where there was a small story about a plane crashing near Ruby Island.
"But we didn't crash. We landed just fine."
"And that’s how Amy got hurt? When you landed just fine?"
"I'm telling you, Mr. Robinson, that Reynolds is fine. I just wanted to finish the job and get back to Sarah."
"You wanted to get back so you could explain why you were on a trip to a tropical island with a beautiful girl?" his future father-in-law pressed, and now Matt knew he was being toyed with.
"I was with a girl and almost crash-landed a plane into a tropical island, where a dashing, tanned, superstar hero rode up on a motorcycle to rescue us, where said girl is staying to spend some quality time with dashing superhero," Matt quipped sarcastically.
"You sound jealous," Charley said.
"I am. I'll never have abs like Bill Ruby," Matt laughed and then scratched at his neck.
"Mr. Ruby, thank you for finally taking my call," Matt said.
"Come on, Matt, call me Bill. I'm practically an uncle to your boys." Bill was smiling, and he loved the silence that followed. He wouldn’t allow himself to be badgered by anyone ever again now that he was Bill Ruby, international superstar. That's why he had waited days to take this call. He wanted Matt to squirm for many reasons. Matt was his ball of yarn this week, and he would toy with him like a cat until he was good and done.
"Did you get my messages?" Matt asked, not wanting to bring up the airplane again, but needing desperately to resolve the issue. He ignored the comment about the boys. Matt had accepted that they were real, just not that he had anything to do with their existence.
"Of course I did, Matt, but I have to do what is best in this matter."
"So, you will return the airplane?" Matt was anxious during the silence that followed and he could practically hear Ruby's smile across the ocean.
"That is in conflict of what would be best in this situation, Matt, and you know that. I don't want anyone to know that you landed safely on the island. I can't have people buzzing the island to get pictures of me and my guests. As far as I'm concerned, the airplane crashed."
"Bill, as I explained to your staff, I’ll lose my pilot’s license and be investigated if they think I crashed a plane. I need you to call the charter service and tell them that they will get their plane back." Matt was trying to sound firm but not rude. He was glad Bill Ruby wasn't standing in front of him though, because he might have punched him in the face.
"Listen, Matt," Ruby said. The hairs on the back of Matt's neck rose. He'd heard that direct voice before, in the movies, just before Ruby's character was going to threaten his prey. "I know you are a friend of Amy's so I’d like to help you for her sake, but I don't want the plane charter to even know I am involved. I'm well known," he paused and Matt filled in the blanks.
"Mr. Ruby," Matt said more sarcastically than he'd intended. "Bill, help me out here. I was just trying to get the interview completed in a timely manner so that I could get back to N
ew York. I don't want any trouble."
Bill Ruby laughed heartily at this, and Matt shook his head and bit his tongue. It was an impossible situation. Matt wanted to rub shoulders with celebrities. That’s the reason he had pursued this job. He wanted to be part of that New York City he'd heard of, the one that glitters and shines. He loved being engaged to Sarah because, well, she was gorgeous, but it also opened doors to events that he wanted to attend. It was about pulling up in a limousine, moving to the front of the line, and having what everyone else wanted.
Matt wanted to forget about Ruby Island and get back to his life here, the life that he had worked so hard to create. It hadn’t been easy, though, because the boys’ faces kept him up at night, and he wavered between finding out who they really were and never sleeping again.
Ruby's laughter finally tapered off. "Matt, I understand, I really do." He said this in an empathetic tone that made Matt wonder if he'd been reading his thoughts through the phone. "But if you didn't want any trouble, you shouldn't have flown to Ruby Island. I have to contend with the paparazzi and there are already enough rumors about me, Matt. I have to take precautions. Forget about the plane," he said as though he was referring to a rubber ducky. "The plane has already been towed out to sea and sunk."
Matt didn't think he had heard correctly. He cleared his throat and croaked, "What?"
"We sank the plane, Matt. We towed the plane out to sea, took some photos and leaked them to make a good story out of it. I owe you for that." The walls pulled in on Matt and he almost fell over. "Just take the hit on your insurance, and I will wire you the money to pay the deductible on the plane."
"You can't do that," Matt said.
"It's nothing, Matt, really."
Matt realized they were both having a different conversation. If he paid the deductible, then the National Transportation and Safety Board would be all over him and he might never pilot an aircraft again. "Bill," Matt tried to sound calm but realized it was futile, "I can't let it hit my insurance because then I will lose my pilot’s license for crashing an airplane."
"So I will wire you the money to pay for the airplane straight out, and no one has to know."
Matt could hear Ruby calling to someone in the background. It was probably Reynolds lying in a chair beside the pool, while his world came crashing down. It wasn't her fault that he was in this mess. She had warned him not to fly. Why had he been so arrogant? Was he trying to show off? Matt took a deep breath. Figuring out his motives had never been his strong suit.
"I’ll have someone call you about the wire transfer, Matt. I've got to go now. It was a pleasure talking to you." After the line went dead, there was neither click nor dial tone like there used to be when he was growing up. There was just utter silence.
Chapter 6
"We took care of him, Mr. Ruby," Donnelly said as Ruby returned to the patio table.
"Good. Thank you, Mr. Donnelly." There were five plates of fruit decadently arranged at each place setting. Ruby sat next to Amy, but the boys were still splashing around in the pool.
"Am I interrupting?" she asked.
Bill smiled and patted Amy's hand. He loved having her here again, and he would do anything to make her happy. "Nothing of importance. The owner of the airplane that you borrowed was asking around. It seems he never got his plane back." Ruby chuckled as Amy's face turned red. "Don't worry, Amy, it's taken care of. I can't have the locals knowing that an aircraft actually landed on my island."
"I know," she said, but she couldn't help but think of Matt. She had no idea what might happen with the charter service, and she was worried. She mentally chastised herself for caring at all. Matt Cole was a pompous ass who’d flown to Ruby Island against her warnings, he’d dared her to fly with him, and he’d abandoned her with the three boys days ago.
"It's all right, Amy. I’ve taken care of everything." Bill Ruby's confident smile put Amy at ease, and she took a deep breath and tried to relax. Bill turned his attention to the boys and then nodded at Donnelly. The butler looked out of place calling the boys over for a snack, but they raced each other to the edge and swarmed upon the table like a pack of ravenous dogs getting Amy and Bill wet in their play.
"Have something to eat and let's talk about what we’ll do this afternoon," Bill said to the boys with a satisfied smile. They could literally do anything they wanted to, but luckily for Amy, the boys claimed to have been raised on an island with no electricity, no television, no Internet or cell phones, and they were happy to play on the island as it was. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked at the oldest boy, William, and noticed for the tenth time that he looked a lot like Matt. Her concern over the aircraft faded fast as she remembered how quickly he had left them on the island. It was a shocking day, but he had run away like a scared rat.
For her part, she was glad that she had decided to stay on the island to get to know these boys, and she was now convinced that against all odds, she was somehow their mother. There was something so familiar about each of them. They were different in their own ways, but the same too. And the way they were so relaxed with her, no one child could pretend that well with an adult who was a stranger. She had been through that flight in her mind a million times, and she had no explanation for what had happened. Bill said it was the Bermuda Triangle and anything could happen, and as the days went by, Amy was letting go of her doubt.
The boys ate their food in one bite and ran back to the pool, jumping in and causing huge splashes as they landed. Bill laughed out loud, and Amy watched him enjoying himself. "You really like spending time with them," she commented.
"I really do!" Bill told her. "It's like they haven't seen anything in the world, so every time I pull out a gadget, their eyes get wide and they go nuts. Just driving in a car makes them happy. It's fun to watch." Bill stared at the boys and Amy knew that look. He was reflecting on his choices, and he was thinking of what it would be like to be a father. She didn't want to have this conversation with him right now, so she cut his thoughts short.
"What did you boys decide to do this afternoon?" Amy asked.
"We’re going over to scale the ravine on the west side of the island."
"Is it safe?"
"For them it is," Bill said. "I've worked with expert climbers, but these boys aren't afraid of anything. They go up a wall like it's as easy as climbing stairs."
Amy watched the boys splashing in the water. They seemed to be expert swimmers too, even little Benji. It was obvious that they had spent all their lives playing outdoors.
"Let's take a walk, Amy." His voice was smooth, but Amy could tell that he wanted to have some privacy, so she slipped her sandals on. Bill stood and pulled Amy's chair away from the table and instructed Donnelly to have the boys ready in thirty minutes.
They walked to a beautiful stone path that took them over a small hill and looked over the ocean. You could see the ocean from anywhere on the island. The flowers around them looked indigenous, and it was a beautiful place to walk. Amy didn't know if the path had been put in this spot for this reason or if Bill had the garden installed, but either way, it always calmed Amy to walk through.
"I had Gary do me a favor. Well, I had him do you a favor." He strolled next to her with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Gary!" Amy laughed. "You mean he knows how to lift a finger?" Bill chuckled at the jibe. Amy knew Gary as a loafing cousin who lived in Bill's L.A. mansion and drove Bill's very expensive fleet of cars. Bill knew Gary as his friend and cousin, his only closest confidant, who would keep every secret of Bill's forever.
"Yes, well, he means well." Bill said, side-stepping the conversation for a moment longer. He really didn't know how to tell Amy what he had done, and he wasn't sure if she would be very pleased with him by the time they made it to the other end of the stone walk.
"Gary goes to a DNA lab about twice a year for me. He presents them with a specimen of hair, and they run it to his DNA on file. The women at the lab think that Gary is quite a play
er." Bill waited a beat to let this sink in. "Gary pays extra for a rush job, but they don't know that the DNA on file is not Gary's, it's mine." Amy laughed but it was forced. "I don't play around much anymore, Amy, but when you're a celebrity, ladies you never met before come out of the woodwork."
Amy had seen this when she was dating Bill, and she remembered feeling sorry for him. People really do stupid things around celebrities. She figured it was the price they paid for wealth and popularity.
"Amy, I hope you don't mind, but I sent Gary some samples to run for me." Bill waited and he could see that she was starting to work things out on her own. "Would you like the test results?"
Amy stopped walking and put her hands over her face. She was certain that she was somehow related to these boys, even though she couldn't explain it, but to know it for certain with DNA results, that would be more final than she had planned. Still, she would need to have the proof to move forward.
Her hands shook and she felt tears roll down her cheeks, and Amy wasn’t sure if she was more terrified to find out she was their mother, or to find out they weren’t related at all.
"Tell me," she said without pulling her hands away from her face.
"Okay," Bill said. "Well, I took samples from all three boys, and unfortunately, Gary says that I’m not their father." He smiled at her as she pulled her hands away from her eyes and he had succeeded in lightening up the moment. "Amy, you are their mother." He let the words sink in, and as tears continued to fill her eyes, he pulled her close and let her bury her face in his chest. He could feel her heaving for a moment, and then she took a deep breath.
Ruby Island Page 6