"Pardon me for asking, but we could use a little help. We'd like to buy something useful for a family having a baby very soon. They’re just starting out, and have nothing. Would you recommend a bassinet or a crib?"
The pregnant woman glanced at her mother. "If we had to make a choice, I think a Pack 'n' Play might be the best option." Showing Kayla and Brittany what they looked like, she explained how useful they could be.
"They can be folded up and put away if space is a problem, and it will keep the baby safe both during the day and at night. This one here has an infant napper and a changing table, and it's really well priced." She thought for a moment. "Not sure how much you're willing to spend but they’ll also need a stroller, and you should get one that converts to a car seat for the baby." Again the young woman led them to the correct aisle, finding one that would be suitable.
"Thank you so much! This is wonderful," Kayla said, delighted that she had asked. "What else do they need?"
The mother answered this question. "A swing is very nice so the baby can be lulled to sleep, but it isn't a necessity. How about a bath so it's easier for the baby to be held during bath time?"
"That makes sense," Brittany said. "What else is essential? We've got the diapers covered."
"A baby monitor, if the baby will be sleeping in another room."
"That probably won't be the case," Kayla said, wishing things could be different.
"Well, I would say that this is a very good start," the pregnant mom said. "I'm just so lucky to have my mom and dad, and my husband's parents all eager to buy the expensive items."
"Yes, you are. And thanks for your help and best of luck with your baby," Kayla said, jotting down the numbers of the items they wished to buy. They went into the baby clothing area and selected blankets and half a dozen onesies for the infant to sleep in, plus a few outfits in neutral colors that they couldn't resist.
At the cash register they ordered the heavier items to be brought around to the front of the store, and Kayla left to retrieve the car. A clerk helped Brittany load up the back of the SUV, and then feeling excited about their purchases, the girls drove home.
They pulled up in front of Smooth Sailing and unloaded everything onto the front porch. They were going to use their spare key and bring in the boxes, when they spotted Sean's car coming down the dirt road. He parked next to their car, and Miguel jumped out.
"Hola!" he shouted with a huge grin. "Look! Juanita is home!"
The girls flew down the stairs and Kayla flung the rear door open. "They released you? That's wonderful." She took hold of Juanita's hand and helped her out.
Raul was already out of the car and inspecting all the boxes on the porch. "What is this?" He asked excitedly. "Presents?"
Sean looked at Brittany, then his eyes slid to Kayla. He cocked a brow. "Looks like you two went shopping."
Brittany grinned and ran up the stairs to give Raul a hug. "Things for the baby," she told the boy. "And a boogie board for you."
When he saw his gift his eyes lit up. "Gracias!" He took the brightly colored board in his hands and held it to his chest. "Can I keep it?" he asked.
"Yes, of course," Kayla answered with a happy smile. "That was the idea." She put an arm around Juanita and led her up the stairs. "Miguel, could you bring in the boxes, please? We wanted to make sure the baby had a place to sleep when he enters this world."
Miguel looked at the boxes, then back at his wife. "We can't accept this. You are too kind."
"You must! Please? We can't take them back now," Brittany answered. "And a thank you is enough."
His face crumpled and his shoulders dropped in defeat. Kayla could see the acceptance on his face and in his stance. He knew he couldn't win this argument, and the gifts were needed. "Gracias. Gracias."
Juanita hugged both women, and wouldn't let go. Then a moment later, her frail body crumpled like an accordion as she knelt at their feet.
"Are you all right?" Kayla asked, suddenly afraid.
Without waiting for an answer Sean swept her up and carried her inside, settling her on the sofa. "I think she's overwhelmed," he said to Kayla. "Brittany, can you get her a glass of water?"
Juanita's shoulders were shaking and tears flowed down her cheeks, but no sounds came. It was like a flood gate had opened, and she was unable to stop. Was it relief, Kayla wondered, realizing that they’d made it? The woman had gambled everything in order to create a better life in America.
Brittany handed her the glass and some tissues. Juanita gulped the water, seemingly oblivious to her tears. Miguel sat down beside her and held her hand, crooning something softly in his wife’s ear. She buried her face in Miguel's shirt and sobbed.
Love. Kayla was witnessing the true meaning of the emotion and she avoided looking at Sean, knowing she’d give her own feelings away.
Brittany and Raul opened the boxes and Juanita peeked out to see. "For the baby?"
"Yes." Brittany gestured to the gifts. "For your family and the baby. It makes us happy to see you happy."
At last Juanita smiled.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
When Sean saw that everything was under control he left the cottage and returned to his own. The emotion surrounding him felt like a heavy cloak—and he needed to be free of it. Without any thought to how his actions might be perceived, he packed his duffel bag with clothes and food, slung it over his shoulder and headed for the marina.
He needed to get away, be out at sea. Alone with Sara. He readied his boat, slipped off the rope from the piling on the dock, and headed into the strait where he'd rescued the family a short while ago. So much had changed in such a brief time. This family was thriving, and for a few days, he’d thrived too. Now, he felt crushed by the weight of it all. Juanita, Miguel, the baby...and Kayla. Everyone needed him, wanted something he couldn't give.
Maybe that was unfair to say, but he barely had enough strength for himself. What he did have he owed his daughter. While he was with Kayla, he had not once thought of Sara. His beautiful baby deserved better than that. And if that made him selfish, then so be it.
He felt badly for his harsh comments about Brittany. He knew that all three women had hearts of gold, and who was he to judge? They’d shown him and the Hernandez family nothing but kindness, and had been generous to the extreme. He would make it up to Kayla when he returned, and apologize to Brittany. Maybe a night of dining and dancing. But for now, he had no choice except to leave.
Once the boat was safely away from the cottages of Paradise Cove, and he was free from all that called to him, he began to feel lighter. He reduced the speed of the boat and tossed over a line with one of his favorite lures, trolling for Mahi. He knew they were rich in this area during the summer season, having caught plenty just weeks before. He was familiar with the best areas and knew he might even snare a Tarpon if he got lucky. He was about thirty miles out when he ran into the first school of fish.
Within an hour, he had three decent-sized Mahis on board, ranging from five to eight pounds. He saved the smaller one for himself and released the other two. The activity loosened a knot in his stomach. As always, the sea breeze calmed him, letting him breathe easier. He put up his mainsail and the jib, then took his position at the helm, releasing the sheet to allow the wind to fill the sail. The boat began to heel as the speed picked up. Sean tossed his head back, and leaned with the boat, enjoying the thrill as Sara skimmed the waves.
He breathed her name, and felt his heart expand. He was one with the sea, one with nature, and his baby girl, again.
***
Sean didn’t return that night, or the next day. Kayla tried to keep her worries to herself, but as the hours passed her anxiety increased. So did her anger. How dare he leave without a word? Was this it, then? Would she never see him again? She didn't think he had anything in his cottage that would matter one way or another, but she refused to go and check.
Thinking about him hurt way too much, and his disappearance galvanized her into
action. She was thankful for the back-breaking work that left her too exhausted to feel anything but physical pain. After all, the ache inside of her was her own darn fault. She never should have allowed him inside her heart. He had made that abundantly clear, and if there had been any doubts before, he'd cleared that up in the last couple of days.
The day after he'd headed out to sea, Taylor and Brittany had removed the wooden name plaques from all the unoccupied cottages and taken down the planters under the window sills. Miguel, Raul and Kayla had cleaned the gutters, downspouts and eaves. This morning they’d gone over the cabins exteriors, using putty and caulk to fill in any nail head depressions, cracks, or to smooth the surface where paint had peeled or blistered.
It was near noon, two days since she'd last seen Sean. Not that she was counting the days or the minutes, she told herself. The temperature was unbearable, the heat index well over a hundred, but this hadn't deterred them from getting the job done. The women took several breaks, being unaccustomed to working outdoors in the extreme heat. Miguel and Raul plowed on. Anna brought out refreshments every few hours, iced lemonade or tea, cut up fruit, and sandwiches for lunch.
Kayla had just finished her chicken salad on wheat, when Brittany sprang up, swiped her flushed cheeks and took off in the direction of the pool. She jumped in, clothes and all, making a huge splash. Raul looked at Kayla with a question in his eyes. She nodded. "Go ahead."
A moment later Taylor stood up, took one long look at Brittany and Raul splashing each other in the pool, then raced down to join them, letting out a whoop of delight as her bottom hit the water.
Kayla shook her head and laughed at the sight. "Look at them. Acting like a bunch of children!" She wished she could do the same. But someone had to be responsible. Someone needed to help Miguel and put everything away. Cans of primer, cauking, tarps, ladders, everything was still in plain view and their guests—the few they had—would be returning soon from their activities.
Miguel gave her a push. "Go on. I'll put things away. We're done today. Paint tomorrow," he said, wiping sweat off his brow, his eyes crinkling as he smiled.
"Okay," she said, hugging Miguel’s strong shoulders before running off. She dove into the deep end of the pool, shorts, tank top, canvas shoes and all.
They stayed in the too-warm pool for quite some time. Kayla didn't know about the others, but she lacked the energy to get out and walk back to the air-conditioned cabin. She suspected the others did too.
It wasn't until other hotel guests returned from their day trips that Kayla ushered everyone out of the pool. "Fun's over, kids." Without a towel, she tried to shake the water off, like a wet dog.
Her sisters waded out of the pool, giggling as they caught sight of each other. Their clothes clung to them, and their long hair was plastered to their faces. Raul peeled off his soggy tee, and seemed ready to drop his shorts. Kayla stopped him in the nick of time. "Off you go to your cabin, Raul. Good job today, everyone. I'm proud of you all."
Raul ran off, and Kayla walked slowly with her sisters back to their cabin. "I feel like I could sleep for a week," she murmured, aching in every joint.
"Bed sounds like a dream," Taylor said.
"Is that a boat I see in the distance?" Brittany asked, shading her eyes from the sun. "It better be Sean returning, or I'm going to wring his neck when I see him."
Taylor turned in the direction she was pointing. "Might be. It's too far out to tell," she said with a shrug. "Figured he'd be back today or tomorrow. Whatever was eating him, I hope he got it out of his system." She glanced at Kayla. "I know you've been worried, even though you haven't said anything."
Brittany slung an arm around her neck. "Don't worry, sis. I checked out his cabin. He still had all his clothes in his drawers, and personal stuff lying about. He didn't leave for good."
Kayla shrugged, pretending indifference, but her heart raced. She wanted it to be Sean so badly. Yet caring about him hurt so damn much. Perhaps it might be better if he did leave and never returned. "Whatever. He paid up front, so we won't be out money if he is gone for good."
"You don't mean that," Taylor said wisely. "You're crazy about him. I see it in your face whenever he's near."
"That's because he drives me crazy. Not because I care." She bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. "Why would I waste good emotion on him when he doesn't have any?"
"He's got plenty of emotion," Brit said. "That's what's tearing him up inside."
Taylor put a hand on her back and walked with her hip to hip. "Most men are idiots, but Sean's one of the good guys. And he does care about you. He just doesn't know it yet, or if he does, it scares the piss out of him."
"Great." Kayla let herself get steered along by her two sisters. "Just what we need. A guy with more problems than we have." She sighed. "Well, until he figures it out I'm not going to be sitting around waiting."
"None of us were doing any sitting around," Brittany said with a laugh. "We worked our asses off."
"Well, I have an idea, Brit. How about after a nice long rest this afternoon, we take the night off and go out for dinner? Find a place with music. Maybe some dancing. What do you all say?"
Taylor shook her wet curls. "Not me. I'm so exhausted that hanging around here sounds like a slice of heaven." She gave Brittany a bright smile. "You girls go. I'll stay and do happy hour with Mom. She's been holding down the fort while we've been doing the grunt work, but that hasn't been easy either."
"Excellent idea." Brittany's face lit up with pleasure. "And you're right. Mom can use a break. I'll get showered and dressed, then relieve her for awhile. She could use some time away, go into town, get her hair done."
"That's nice of you, Brit." Kayla yawned. "I'm heading straight for bed. I want to be in decent shape for tonight." She finger combed her wet, matted hair. "It may take hours to repair the damage from the past couple of days. My hair is dried out straw, my nails are chipped, and my joints are screaming with pain. Otherwise, I feel like a million bucks."
Taylor giggled. "I've seen outdoor cats drag in things that look better than you."
"Watch it, Tay. Or I'll take a picture of you drooling in your sleep and Facebook it."
"You wouldn't dare." Her eyes narrowed, but her lips twitched.
"Naw." She hugged her sister. "We might not be pretty, but we're bubbling with personality and grit." Kayla laughed and made a dash for the cottage, eager to get to the only washroom before her sisters. The intense heat over the past few days must have fried her brain, for she felt almost light-hearted, as if she were ten again.
Sean wasn’t gone for good.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Brittany and Kayla ended up at Robbie's Marina that evening. They had a sunset dinner under the coconut palms, overlooking the waterway and nearby islands.
A local band played Calypso music while they drank skinny margaritas and ate freshly grilled fish with a salad and French fries.
As the sun dipped, a moon arose, bright and full in the starry sky. A warm breeze blew and Kayla shook off the gloom she'd been feeling for the past couple of days. Whatever happened, she would grin and bear it. After all, there were plenty of fish in the sea, and if Sean sailed off into the sunset, then when she was good and ready, she'd toss out a line and catch another one.
She laughed out loud, and Brittany gave her a funny look. "What are you laughing at? Some private joke?"
"Not really. I was thinking about fishing. For men." She took another sip of her drink.
"Whoa. Slow down on that drink. It's your second and it's got quite a kick."
"Who’s talking? You're keeping right up with me."
"Yeah, but you're a lightweight."
"Oh, yeah? Says who?"
"Says me. And I think due to the heat and all the work you've done the past few days, the tequila is going to knock you flat on your ass."
"Aw...you're probably right, but hey. I'm in the mood to get a little loopy, as long as you don't mind driving home."
"That's fine. Just go easy, okay?"
"You're a sweetheart, you know that?" She grinned at her sister, "Hey—I never asked you about that guy from Home Goods. Didn't you meet up with him the other night?"
"We met for a quick drink. That’s all." Brittany tossed her long hair back and glanced around the bar. She crossed her long legs, allowing her dress to slide up a little. She smiled brightly, enticing the men to come and ask her to dance.
"Why? What happened?" Kayla glanced around too, wondering who would be the first brave man to approach her gorgeous sister.
"Turns out, he's twenty years old! Twenty!! I felt like a pervert or something."
Kayla laughed. "Hardly. That's only five years difference. Wouldn't matter at all if he was the one older, now would it?"
"It matters. He's here for the summer and then going back to college. Plays basketball for Florida State." She turned her back on the bar, and looked out to sea. "Cute as a button, but I would feel like a child molester if I laid a hand on him.”
"That's just wrong. Why is there a double standard? Who made it anyway? Had to be a man." Kayla picked up her glass, took another sip, then pushed it away and stood up. "Come on. I like this song. Let's dance."
"Good idea," Brittany slid off her stool and the two girls moved toward the band, joining a few couples on the makeshift dance floor.
Before long, a couple of fellows joined the girls and Kayla didn't care that they weren't as handsome as Sean, or as well dressed, or as gentlemanly. They were guys who were flirting with her and her sister. And they were here.
Two big plusses, she told herself, smiling and acting as though she were having the time of her life. Which she was. Although she did feel a little wobbly. Perhaps Brittany was right. She could normally drink two margaritas. No problem. But she was physically drained. The heat index alone was killer. It zapped a girl's strength. She leaned against the guy she was dancing with, and his arm curved around her waist.
That was good because her knees were like rubber. She tilted her head and looked at the tanned full face in front of her. "What did you say your name was again?"
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