He cursed his inadequate knowledge of superheroes. “That’s right. Batman and I are teaming up against the Joker. That’s why I need your help. Will you help me? If so, let’s shake on it.”
Alex grasped his outstretched hand and shook it. “I wish Daddy was here. He loved Spider-Man! I have all his old comics. I can’t read them yet, but Mommy says she’s keeping them for me until I’m older.” He looked back toward the house. “What do I need to do? And when do I get my costume?”
“I’ll have your costume when you prove yourself. Only it’s just like in the movies. It’s a secret.” He knelt and told the boy what he was supposed to look for and where it might be once he was back at Zach’s house.
Alex’s brow furrowed. “Are you sure I can’t tell Mommy? She might see me looking for it.”
“You can tell her after the Joker is in jail. You’ll hear about it on TV. And I’m sure she won’t mind once she realizes how it was used for good. She’ll be so proud of you.”
Alex puffed out his chest. “She says we should always look for ways to do good and help others.”
“I need you to get it tonight. After your mom goes to sleep, I’ll wait in the backyard, and you can bring it out to me.”
Alex’s lip trembled. “But I might fall asleep. I always go to sleep before Mommy.”
The kid had a point. Most five-year-olds were in bed by eight. He’d watched Zach’s house most nights, and the lights were rarely out before eleven. “How about if you hide it in the backyard tomorrow morning before you go to school?”
“Where?”
The kid was beginning to get on his nerves. “You know the yard better than I do. You tell me.”
Alex took a step back at his sharp tone, and tears flooded his eyes. “I don’t think I want to be your sidekick. Not if you yell at me.”
His fingers curled into fists at his side, and it was all he could do to keep from grabbing Alex by the throat. He forced a smile. “Sorry, this is very important. People could die if we don’t help them. What you’re doing will save them.”
Alex fiddled with the cord on the neck of his sweatshirt. “Okay, I could hide it in the flower bed by the mums. I take Zach’s dogs out before breakfast, and I can put it there.”
“I knew you were the smart one.” He ruffled Alex’s hair. “You’re a good sidekick. I’ll bring you your special costume on Saturday night.”
But he had every intention of being on an island with a mai tai in his hand then.
Chapter 30
Shauna was pale, and her eyes drooped. She wore red pajamas and lay curled in a ball on her bed with an ice pack held to her head. She looked limp and exhausted in the dim hall light shining through the open door. She hadn’t touched a bite of dinner and hadn’t moved since Zach got home. He’d fed Alex and put him to bed before checking on her. The dogs were standing guard outside her bedroom door.
He pitched his voice low. “What can I do? Rub your neck or something?”
“Jack used to press on the acupressure point between my thumb and first finger.” Her voice was weak. “You might try that.”
He moved to the side of the bed and settled beside her. “Here?”
She nodded. “Press as hard as you can. It’s tough on your fingers so stop when it’s too much.”
Nothing would be too much if it helped her. He pressed his thumb into the spot and saw the pain on her face begin to ebb. “It’s already helping?”
“It usually helps right away. The trick is keeping it from coming back.”
His thumb was feeling the pressure, but he was determined to keep it up until they were sure the headache was gone. Holding her hand like this wasn’t as romantic as he would’ve liked to have made it—not when her head was thumping like a jackhammer.
“Has lavender always affected you like this?”
“I loved it when I was a little girl.”
“What changed?”
She opened her eyes. “I hadn’t really stopped to think about it. My mom used to put lavender in my bathwater, and I thought I was a princess when she did. I hated being around it after she died because a bottle of lavender water shattered in the earthquake, and the entire area reeked of it. Every time I smelled it, I thought about that day. I don’t think I smelled lavender again until my thirteenth birthday. After a lot of cajoling, my dad had agreed to a birthday party, and one of my friends brought a bunch of lavender. I had an instant headache.”
Her mouth sagged open a bit, and her eyes grew wider. “I wonder if it causes a headache because of the trauma?”
“It’s possible.” The color was returning to her face as he watched, and her eyes were a bit brighter.
“I think you can stop now. I feel much better.”
He released the pressure from his throbbing thumb but didn’t pull his hand away. “I can do it longer if you think it will help.”
“I’ll let you know if the pain comes back.” She scooted up higher in the bed. “Not many people know about my aversion to lavender. The school and the church know about Alex’s peanut allergy, so that’s a bigger pool of people. But who could know about both?”
He pulled his phone from his pocket and touched the Notes screen. “Let’s make a list and cross-check it.”
She adjusted the pillows behind her head. “Okay. Let’s start with who knows about the lavender. Marilyn, you, and a couple of old school friends are all that come to mind.” She rattled off the names of two women who still lived in Lavender Tides. “I still have lunch with them once in a while, but they’re unlikely to have anything to do with this. Jermaine and Michelle, of course.”
Marilyn. “This happened at Marilyn’s. Do you think she would have done this to scare you?”
“I can’t see her ever threatening Alex, and basically that note was a warning that Alex might be a target. I don’t think it’s her.”
He heard the quiver in her voice and knew she was trying to convince herself as much as she was him. “She’s been feeling left out. I know she’d never hurt Alex, but she might want to feel needed.”
“S-she did try to convince me again to move in with her.”
He wanted to feel relief that Marilyn could be behind the implied threat, but it didn’t sit right, even though he’d argued for it. “Whoever left this note wants something you have. We still don’t even know what that is.”
“I’d give it to him if I knew what he wanted. Life needs to return to normal. Alex is coming to depend on you too much. He’ll miss you when we move back home.”
You don’t ever have to leave. He clamped his teeth down against the words and swallowed hard as a tsunami of emotion choked him. He loved her. When had that happened? When he wasn’t looking, his admiration had morphed into something much, much stronger.
“Is something wrong?” she asked. “You look, I don’t know, alarmed or something.”
He picked up her hand again and laced his fingers with hers. “I’ll always be here for Alex. And for you.”
Her dark hair fell across her pink cheek as she looked down at their linked hands. “I-I know you will. But it’s too easy to lean on you. I’ve got to face this and get my life back.”
He leaned closer and used his other hand to tip her chin up. “What would you say if I told you I want to be part of that life?”
She wet her lips and stared into his eyes. He’d always loved her eyes, such a vivid green with flecks of gold. His gaze went to her lips, so full and kissable. He stroked his thumb over her plump lower lip, then pulled her close and lowered his head. Her lips were soft and pliable, fusing against his as if they were made for him. Her arm crept around his neck, and he pulled her onto his lap to deepen the kiss.
The taste of her, the feel of her in his arms imprinted a sense of destiny in him. He refused to feel guilty. Jack was gone, and he was here. Shauna was here. He pushed away his thoughts and kissed her again.
She finally pulled back and put her hand against his chest. “You make my head spin, Cowboy. I don’t
know where we’re going with this.”
“I don’t either, but I want us to find out together.” He drank in her beautiful face and knew he’d do whatever was necessary to win her heart.
Zach tossed and turned, trying to get some sleep, but the kiss replayed over and over in his head. The sheets tangled through his bare legs until he finally kicked them off and got out of bed. Still dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, he went toward the kitchen to snag the last muffin Shauna had made. When he stepped into the living room, he heard a noise and stopped. A tiny beam of light moved through the space, and he caught the dim outline of a small figure.
He flipped on the overhead light. “Alex, what are you doing?”
The little boy whirled around to face him. “I-I wasn’t doing anything.” He was in his Superman pajamas.
The doors on the end tables stood open, and several items from inside were on the floor. “What are you looking for?”
Alex stared down at his bare feet. “I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.”
Zach squatted in front of him. “You can tell me anything, kiddo. What’s going on?”
Alex looked up and locked gazes with him. “I’m going to be Spider-Man’s sidekick, but I have to give him the key to prove I can be a good helper.”
“Spider-Man?” Zach touched his forehead. Was he sick or just sleepwalking? “You should get back to bed. It was just a dream.”
Alex shook his head. “No, it wasn’t a dream. He came to see me at Grammy’s house this afternoon when I was in the tree house. He’s going to bring me a costume and everything.”
Zach frowned and stared into the boy’s clear turquoise eyes. It could only have been a dream, but Alex seemed adamant he was telling the truth. “What did Spider-Man want you to do?”
“Bring him the key so we can stop the Joker.”
A key? Zach stood and lifted the boy in his arms. “The Joker is Batman’s enemy. He wouldn’t have anything to do with Spider-Man.” But his spine prickled at the word key. There was a key in the box Clarence had given to Shauna.
“That’s what I told him, but Batman is working with us too. I didn’t see him, though.”
Zach turned and headed back toward Alex’s bedroom. “Sounds like a big problem.” The boy’s bulk, so trusting and warm, felt right in his arms.
“It is. I have to leave the key outside for him in the mums. Could you help me look for it?”
“I think you’d better get to sleep before Mommy hears you up and around. You’ve got school tomorrow.”
Alex stiffened in Zach’s arms. “But I won’t get to be his sidekick if I don’t bring him the key!”
“I’ll look for it while you’re in bed.” Zach pushed open the door and nearly tripped over a train set in the middle of the floor. He hopped on one foot and recovered his balance, then set the boy down on the bed. “Hop in there, kiddo. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Alex crawled under the covers. “Bring me the key if you find it.”
Zach tucked him in. “I’ll do that.” He brushed a kiss on Alex’s cheek, then retreated to the hallway.
What if there was something to this? First lavender was left with a warning, and now Alex was looking for a key. The whole Spider-Man thing sounded like a dream, but what if it wasn’t?
Curled up with an afghan on the sofa, Shauna still looked a little pale from her headache the night before, and Zach handed her a cup of coffee. “You sure you’re up to going to the Quadrangle today?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” She sipped her coffee.
Alex yanked on the doorknob. “Can I go out and play, Mommy?”
She glanced at her watch. “You’ve got about half an hour before we need to leave. Just stay in the yard.”
“Thanks.” He twisted the doorknob but couldn’t get it to open.
“Here you go.” Zach opened the door for him, and the boy vaulted out. He wished he had half the energy Alex did.
Coffee in hand, Shauna yawned and headed for the kitchen. “Any pancakes left?”
“Yep.” He slid a stack of still-warm pancakes toward her, then handed her the maple syrup.
“Thanks.”
The dogs were squirreling around his feet. “I think I’ll take them out while you eat and get ready.” He called Apollo and Artemis. When he stepped out onto the back deck, he didn’t see Alex. The access door from the garage gaped open, so he went that way across the large expanse of yard. Dust motes danced in the air inside the garage, but a glance around convinced him Alex wasn’t in here.
His pulse kicked up a notch as he went back outside. “Alex?”
It was then he saw the back gate standing open. His long stride became a sprint, and he darted for the opening down the hillside to the bay below. He spotted a shock of auburn hair glinting in the fading sunlight. The boy stood with Zach’s boogie board at the top of the rocky slope that ran down to the beach, which was just a small sliver with the tide rolling in.
Zach’s gut clenched. Alex intended to ride the board down the slope. “Alex, don’t move!”
The boy turned with the board in his hand. “Zachster, there’s another boogie board in the garage. We could ride down together and surf right out onto the waves.”
Time slowed and morphed back twenty years. A kaleidoscope of images played out in his head of all the times he’d coaxed Jack into going along with some crazy idea. He hadn’t been interested in surfing until Zach talked him into it. The thought of skydiving made him want to puke until Zach told him he needed to learn to be a real man, one without fear. But did he want Alex to always try to measure up to the crazy things Zach did?
No, he didn’t, but history would repeat itself with Jack’s boy if Zach didn’t stop it.
He stepped forward and grabbed the boogie board from Alex’s hand, then snapped it in two across his knee. “I was wrong, Alex. A real man doesn’t have to prove it by doing dangerous things. A real man is like your daddy—someone who took care of his family, loved his neighbors, and cared about people in need. I remember when we were in grade school, your dad bought lunch for an immigrant kid from Croatia, then asked your grandma to start making him a big lunch every day so that he could share it with the boy.”
Alex’s eyes widened, and Jack’s innocence and goodness shone out in them. “You’re just like your dad. Don’t try to be a tough guy. Be kind and good like your father. He was a real man. I’m going to work on being more like him too.”
Alex nodded solemnly. “Okay. Does that mean you’re not going to go volcano surfing anymore?”
“No, I’m not. I’m going to stay here and take care of you and your mom. It was a stupid thing to want to do in the first place, and I’m sorry you heard about it.”
The feel of Alex’s trusting hand in his made a boulder form in his throat. Why had he been so blind for so long?
“I’m hungry,” Alex announced.
“There’s chili on the stove, and we can make popcorn later.”
Zach turned toward the house and caught sight of Shauna standing five feet away. Tears swam in her eyes.
“How long have you been there?”
She sniffled and swiped at her cheeks. “Long enough.”
He released Alex’s hand. “Run on ahead and check on the dogs. I’ll be right there.”
“Okay, Zachster.”
Shauna smiled as her son darted past her. “Zachster. It’s so cute to hear him call you that.”
“You used to call me Cowboy. I always liked it.” Zach paused in front of Shauna. “I’m sorry, Shauna. You were right. I was going to lead Alex in the wrong direction. I realized that I’ve been seeking a new thrill to prove to myself that I wasn’t afraid, when the reality is, I’m scared most of the time. Scared of not measuring up to the man my dad was. His escapades were legendary, and I read all the articles he wrote for the travel magazine. I wanted to be just like him. I don’t want to do that to Alex. I’m so sorry.”
Her mouth softened, and she put her hand on his arm.
“It’s all right, Zach. Now let’s begin our exploration.”
A weight fell off his shoulders, one he hadn’t even realized he was carrying.
He didn’t like skulking around Zach’s house in the daylight, but he had no choice. He waited until it seemed likely that most neighbors would be gone to work, then parked down the street and set off at a brisk walk along the sidewalk as if he knew where he was going and didn’t want to be interrupted. The tree-lined street was quiet, and he didn’t see anyone out or movement through any windows.
He wore a ball cap low over his forehead, and he hoped the nondescript jeans and T-shirt would suggest a meter reader of some kind if anyone happened to glance out their windows. Just to be on the safe side, he paused at Bannister’s house and walked with purpose along the side to where the electric meter was situated. The trees of the property hid him from the street, so after looking around, he climbed the privacy fence and dropped into the backyard.
A ferocious volley of barking started immediately, and he scrambled back to the top of the fence, then stared down into the snarling faces of two rottweilers. Great, just great. The kid could have left the key, and he’d never know it with these two guarding the yard.
He dropped back onto the ground outside the fence and walked around to the back. All he really had to do was open the gate to let the dogs out. The gate was padlocked from the inside, though, and the dogs had tracked with him and were snarling on the other side. Maybe he could break in through a side window, open the back door to let the dogs in, then go around and shut them inside.
He retraced his steps to the side of the house, took a handkerchief out of his pocket, wrapped it around his hand, then broke the window and unlocked it. As the tinkle of glass echoed in the air, he looked around to see if anyone poked a head out of a neighboring house. Nothing stirred.
Moments later he was inside a bathroom. He hurried down the hall and through the living room to the kitchen. The dogs were going crazy in the back, but they were over by the side near where he’d broken the window. He opened the kitchen door and whistled, then raced back to the bathroom and shut the door.
The View from Rainshadow Bay Page 20