Shore to Please

by Annette Mardis

  “You like that?” he asked, even though it was obvious she did. He needed to hear her say it, to ask him for what she wanted.

  “Yes,” she breathed as his handed skimmed down her body again. “It feels so…ooooh!” His searching fingers caressed her through her capris, and she twitched in response.

  Flipper flashed a self-satisfied smile. “You were saying?”

  Before she could reply, the doorbell rang. His hand stilled, and her eyes popped open.

  “Just ignore it,” he said, his fingers starting to move again. “He or she will go away if you don’t answer.”

  Whoever was out there rang the bell at least five more times and then began pounding on the door.

  “Tara, I know you’re in there,” an irritated male voice yelled. “Open up!”

  “Oh my God, it’s Larry,” she whispered.

  “Who the hell is Larry? He’d better have a damned good reason for so rudely disturbing us.”

  “He’s SWADS’ treasurer and one of Steven’s golfing buddies.” Tara nudged Flipper off her, straightened her clothes after she stood, and smoothed her hair. “I think we both know what he wants, and I’d better answer the door before the neighbors call the police. They’re elderly and have no tolerance for commotion.”

  As she started toward the door, Flipper scrambled up and stopped her with a hand on her arm.

  “Do you want me to wait in another room so he doesn’t see me?”

  “No, you stay right here.” She set her chin in defiance. “I’ll not have you hide like I’m ashamed for anyone to see us together.”

  Aren’t you? But then Flipper dismissed that thought as unfair. After all, he’d been trying to keep their attraction a secret, too. He settled back onto the couch and crossed his arms, looking as though he hadn’t a care in the world. But he was seething, and it wouldn’t take much to set him off.

  As soon as Larry stepped inside, his eyes widened and he blurted, “It’s you!”

  Flipper felt like a criminal defendant who’d just been singled out as the guilty party by a witness testifying at his trial. He sprang to his feet as the other man stalked forward.

  Tara’s imperious voice stopped him in his tracks. “Larry Clybourne, how dare you barge into my home and accost my guest. If you can’t mind your manners, assuming you have any, you can leave this minute and never darken my door again.”

  Larry sputtered in defense of himself, and Flipper hid a smile. That’s my Tara! She could put anyone in his place with just a raised eyebrow, but a full-blown show of temper was something to see, like a storm racing ashore from the Gulf.

  “I have every right to ask what you’re doing consorting with the likes of him.” Larry spat out that last word as if talking about the scourge of mankind. “Has he seduced you into joining the evil empire, Tara? Have you let your animal urges override your common sense and convictions?”

  Evil empire? Animal urges? Was this guy for real?

  “Hey, listen, pal.” Flipper fisted his hands but kept them at his side. “That’s no way to speak to a lady. She doesn’t owe you or anyone else an explanation, so back off before I toss you out on your judgmental, sanctimonious ass.”

  “The hell she doesn’t! And don’t you try to bully me, you sadistic bastard. It’s bad enough you lock innocent, beautiful, intelligent creatures in concrete tanks, dooming them to a life of misery. Did you have to sully Tara’s reputation, too?”

  “That’s enough, Larry,” she admonished. “Flipper’s not the enemy. Wesley Coffey, Jr. is. He wants to keep those pilot whales the aquarium rescued, whether they’re releasable or not. And before that he brought up the possibility of getting belugas, but Flipper talked him out of it. Isn’t that right?”

  Flipper wished he could bask in the admiration he saw reflected in her expression. But all he could do was stare. Did Helen Hunt tell her that? If not, who did? What will she do with that information, and what else does she know that she shouldn’t?

  “Flipper?” she pressed.

  “I’m not at liberty to discuss any of that.”

  “But—”

  “It’s none of his business. Or yours, either.”

  Tara flinched and regarded him as though he’d just bitten the head off a baby bird. Then she stiffened and cleared her throat.

  “I see,” she managed, the words gathering ice as they hung in the air between them. She shot Flipper a look that promised they’d have a serious conversation as soon as they were alone. “I apologize for assuming we were of the same mind on this.”

  “That just goes to show you can’t trust this guy, or anybody else from that aquarium,” Larry insisted. “And the sooner you realize that and give him the boot, the better.”

  “How about I demand you both leave?” Tara retorted. “I’ve had enough conflict for one day, thank you very much.”

  Larry pouted like a petulant child. “Fine. But this isn’t over.”

  “As far as I’m concerned, it is. You have some nerve telling me who I’m allowed to associate with.”

  “You’ll regret this, especially after I call an emergency meeting of the SWADS board of directors and fill them in on your indiscretions.”

  Flipper’s fuse had finally burned to the end. “That’s it! You’re done here, buddy.”

  He advanced on Larry, who attempted to maintain his bravado while backing up. But when Larry nearly tripped over his own feet, Flipper couldn’t help but smirk.

  “You’re really slick, you know that? Now get out of here while I’m still in the mood to let you keep all your limbs.”

  He flashed a predatory smile as he loomed over Larry. Though Flipper had no intention of touching the other man, Larry obviously didn’t know that.

  “You may think you’re a big shot now,” he retorted, “but your little aquarium is going down, and you along with it.”

  When Flipper lunged, Larry’s face paled and he ran out the door, slamming it behind him. Flipper’s grin faltered when he saw Tara scowling above crossed arms.

  “I’m sorry, baby, but I can’t discuss proprietary information with anyone outside GSA,” he soothed. “And that includes the disposition of the pilot whales and any other animals in rehab.”

  “I’m telling you right now, if those whales are healthy enough to return to the wild and your boss attempts to keep them in captivity, I’ll do everything possible to fight it.”

  “Why are you so willing to believe the worst of us? And what exactly do you mean by ‘everything’? Because that sounds very much like a threat, and we don’t take kindly to those, as I’m sure you know by now.”

  “If you’re asking me if I intend to break the law, you should know by now I don’t condone that. But I will mount a public relations campaign against Gulf Shore Aquarium that will put your operation under such scrutiny you’ll rue the day you ever heard of SWADS.”

  Flipper felt like she’d taken him out at the knees. “You’d actually do that after what we’ve shared the past couple days and what we were about to do on your couch before that idiot interrupted?”

  She appeared to soften for a second, but then squared her shoulders.

  “One has nothing to do with the other.”

  “The hell it doesn’t! I can’t believe you’d say that, let alone believe it. What happened to the girl I’ve been falling for? Did I conjure her? Or ignore reality, seeing only what I wanted to see?”

  Tara opened her mouth, closed it, and then blinked. “You’re…falling for me?”

  “I thought so. But now I’m wondering if I was delusional or simply blinded by lust.”

  Her face fell. “What an insulting observation. How do you manage to give my heart hope and then dash it in the same breath?”

  “The same way you just did when you made that comment about trying to ruin the aquarium.”

  “That isn’t what I said at all. Don’t twist my words, Flipper.”

  They glared at each other, and the gulf between them seemed as vast as the Atlantic Oce
an in that moment. Flipper wasn’t willing to let her slide on her comments, and she appeared to feel the same way.

  Tara finally broke the tense silence. “So where does that leave us?”

  “On opposite sides of the fence again, I guess.” A sadness settled over him that he knew would take a very long time to lift. “Listen, I think I’d better go. We had some good times this weekend. I’m sorry it didn’t end like either of us expected.”

  “That’s it, then?”

  “I’m afraid so. Take care, Tara. I wish you the best.”

  He paused, hoping she’d say something, anything, to make him stay. But when she just looked at him with regret in her eyes, he turned and trudged out the door.

  Chapter 15

  Flipper was about fifteen minutes outside Gulf Shore when his cell phone rang. His spirits lifted as he thought Tara might be calling to admit she’d been wrong and ask his forgiveness. But then his stomach plummeted when he saw his boss’ name on the display screen. He considered not answering but knew Kenshin wouldn’t be deterred. If he couldn’t reach his head dolphin trainer on the phone, Kenshin would just show up at Flipper’s cottage.

  As soon as he said hello, Kenshin launched into his tirade.

  “What the holy freaking hell is wrong with you? What part of ‘don’t have anything to do with that woman’ don’t you understand? Are you trying to get your ass fired? Don’t expect me to defend you if Wesley or anyone else presses the issue.”

  “Well, hello to you, too.”

  “This is no time to be a wiseass, O’Riley. I just saw that picture of you and Tara Langley that some jackass posted on GSA’s Facebook page a little while ago. Any chance it was photoshopped?”

  “I assume you’re talking about the shot of Tara and me having a picnic?”

  “Are there others?”

  “Who knows? We were ambushed by a guy whose wife had an affair with Tara’s ex-boyfriend. Don’t ask me why Chase Childers is punishing her for it, but he’s crazy. I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

  “Son of a bitch! Where the hell are you right now, and how long will it take you to get your stupid ass home?”

  “I’m on my way back from Orlando. Where are you?”

  “Sitting in front of your house.”

  “What the hell for?”

  “So I can knock some sense into your brainless head and we can sync our stories.”

  “Listen, man, this one’s on me. Tell anyone who asks that I disregarded your warning. Although given the way we left things, I doubt Tara and I will be spending any more private time together.”

  “What happened?”

  “That’s between her and me. Suffice it to say we realized we can’t get past my job and her misguided opinions about the aquarium.”

  “I could’ve told you that and saved you a lot of grief. In fact, I did tell you that, but naturally you didn’t listen. Now we’re going to come off looking like dipshits. As if I don’t have enough to worry about.”

  “That’s the crux of it, isn’t it? How this affects you,” Flipper retorted. “Did you ever stop to consider how I feel? I’m the one who just got my heart ripped out and trounced on by someone I easily could’ve fallen in love with. I haven’t felt that way about a woman since Kelsey. But hey, I’ll get over it. I always do.”

  “Seriously, man? Don’t waste your time crying in your beer over Tara Langley. She’s nothing but trouble, for you and for everyone else at GSA.”

  “How long did it take you to get over Hoshi?”

  He knew he shouldn’t bring up Kenshin’s ex-wife, but Flipper had a point to prove. He could almost hear Kenshin grinding his teeth.

  “That’s a low blow, Flip. And it doesn’t compare, not even close. I was married to her for eleven years. We made a child together. And when we lost that child, we should’ve been there for each other. But she drowned her sorrows in booze and in bed with other men. It’s taken me a long time to get over what she did, and I don’t appreciate you throwing it in my face now.”

  “I figured since you know what it feels like to get your balls cut off and handed to you, that you’d at least be a little sympathetic now, whether you approve of Tara or not.”

  “You knew this was a no-win from the start.”

  “You’re right, I did. But the brain and the heart aren’t always in agreement.”

  “That’s for sure. So is this really it? Will I have to worry about you and Langley again?”

  “Right now it’s dead in the water. But I’m not too proud to admit I’d drive straight back to Orlando if she called and told me what I need to hear.”

  “Damn it, Flipper.”

  “I’m just being honest, Ken.”

  “Well, for your sake, and mine, I hope that doesn’t happen. You’ve worked too hard to see your career go down the shitter because of some chick who’s caused nothing but problems since she first stepped foot in Gulf Shore.”

  “She’s got her own problems right now.” Flipper told Kenshin about the confrontation with Larry Clybourne.

  “Do you think the rest of her group will turn on her?”

  His boss’ hopeful tone irritated him, but Flipper let it slide.

  “If they’re anything like this Larry character, there’s a good chance this will blow up in her face,” the trainer replied. “Personally, I’d hate to see them do that to her. But professionally, I’d be thrilled if SWADS fell apart.”

  “That might be the best we can hope for at this point.”

  *

  As Evan Sanders drove home from work a few evenings later, he saw something small and furry huddled at the side of the road. At first he thought maybe a raccoon had met an ugly end beneath someone’s tires, but then the fuzzy mound moved and nearly got flattened by a sport bike whizzing by. The driver swerved to avoid the animal and nearly dumped his Suzuki. When the motorcyclist collected himself and kept going, Evan pulled his SUV off the street and parked.

  He ran over and managed to corral the critter before it skittered onto the asphalt again. Once safely in the grass, he knelt and realized the dirty, matted, malnourished creature was a dog. He held out his hand and let the canine sniff it before he moved closer to look for a collar and a tag. The poor pup had neither.

  “Hey there, what are you doing out here all alone? Don’t you have somebody who’s missing you tonight?” Evan spoke softly as the dog gave his fingers a tentative lick. “Well, we can’t leave you out here, and the animal shelter’s closed by now. You want to go home with me?” The stray bumped his hand with its head in a request to be petted. “You’re a friendly little one, aren’t you? Come on, let’s take you home and get you cleaned up.”

  The pup offered no resistance as Evan picked it up and carried it to his vehicle. He found an old towel in the back, spread it across the front passenger seat, and set the grimy animal on top of it. The dog rearranged the towel to its liking, turned a couple of circles before settling onto the soft cotton, and promptly fell asleep.

  When Evan pulled up to his condo, he brought the stray inside and filled a small bowl with water. As the animal lapped up the liquid, he rooted through the refrigerator until he found a hamburger patty left over from the day before. He’d planned to have it for dinner but figured the stray needed it far more than he did. Evan warmed it in the microwave and then crumbled it into another bowl and set it on the kitchen floor.

  The dog attacked the meat as if it hadn’t eaten in days—and likely hadn’t—and then looked up at him with pleading brown eyes as if to say, “Got any more?”

  “That’s all the hamburger I have, but I’m sure I can find something else. Oh, hey, here we go. How about a couple pieces of lunchmeat? It’s oven-roasted turkey. Would you like that?”

  The pup stood with its front paws on Evan’s leg and barked.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” He tore the turkey into small sections and dropped it in the bowl. The dog wolfed it down and took a drink. Its hunger and thirst apparently satisfied, it began
to explore the kitchen.

  Evan let the animal sniff around for a bit and then scooped it up and carried it into the bathroom. He ran warm water in the tub and set the smelly stray inside. It stood, stiff and still, and looked at him as if unsure what to do next.

  “I don’t have any pet shampoo so this stuff I use on my hair will have to do.”

  Evan had heard somewhere that people shampoo needed to be diluted for dogs, so he filled the rest of the bottle with tap water and proceeded to wash his new friend, which he determined was a female. It wasn’t long before the bath water had turned brown, so he pulled the plug and then refilled the tub after the filthy water disappeared down the drain. He lathered the pup again, grabbed the plastic cup he and Dani kept beside the sink, and used it to rinse off the soap.

  He towel-dried the animal and stepped back as she shook water out of her fur, all over his shirt.

  “Thanks a lot, little girl.” Evan wrapped her in a dry towel and sat on the closed toiled lid with her on his lap. As he used his fingers to comb through her long hair, he encountered so many knots that he used scissors to snip the worst of the tangles.

  “Looks like it’s been a while since you’ve been brushed or had a decent grooming. But at least you don’t stink anymore, and you look a little better.”

  She licked his hand again, made herself comfortable and, with what sounded like a sigh, closed her eyes and let out a soft snore.

  *

  When Dani pulled into the garage and came inside a couple hours later, Evan was sitting in one of the two leather recliners in the living room, watching the Science Channel. She did a double take when she saw the little dog on his lap.

  “Evan, what in the world?”

  Dani knelt beside his chair and gently petted the furry little head as her fiancé explained how he’d found the poor pup.

  “You sweet baby. Look how skinny you are,” Dani cooed. “Evan is such a good guy for rescuing you, isn’t he? Yes he is. He’s our hero. That’s right. He sure is. You look awfully content there on his lap, baby. I know the feeling. Yes I do.”