Love by Design

by Chris Keniston

  Chapter Four

  Heaven seemed the perfect word. John hadn’t slept so soundly in he couldn’t remember how long. Dragging his ass out of bed at the crack of dawn had been much harder than he would have expected, considering his body clock thought it was already nine in the morning.

  Reaching across the nightstand, he felt for his phone. One quick check. No messages. Not one. There had to be some mistake. Crews started working at seven in the morning on the West Coast. By 7:15 he usually had his first morning crisis. And that didn’t include the middle-of-the-night queries from Dubai and London.

  Hitting one on his speed dial, he rang Evelyn.

  “You are supposed to be sleeping in.”

  “I’m going diving.”

  “Really?” Her voice held a trace of incredulity.

  “Annette Deluca arranged it. She seems to think I wouldn’t do well sitting around alone.”

  “She’s got you pegged, but where’s Maggie?”

  “Honolulu. She’ll be back this afternoon.”

  “And the others?”

  “Flying in today. Mind telling me why it was so important I be here a day before everyone else?”

  He heard the hesitation in Evelyn’s response. “I honestly don’t know. I was under the impression everyone was reuniting on the same day for the surprise party tomorrow night.”

  “Tomorrow?” He had thought everything was supposed to happen today. Then he could spend a pleasant couple of days catching up with his siblings and fly back home, before any serious damage could be done to his business.

  “Didn’t I mention that?”

  John could see her sweet cheesy grin through the phone. “You may have left out that bit of info.”

  She tsked on the other end. “Well, don’t let me keep you from the first day of your vacation.”

  “About that—”

  “Gotta run. Other line is ringing.”

  Before he could utter a single syllable, the phone had disconnected, and he was staring at a blank screen. He had to admit, if things on the business end were off to a hairy start, Evelyn should have sounded more serious. Her good mood should make him feel better about taking the day off. At least some. Maybe. Just to make sure, he hit the number for the DelFrisco project Manager. On the fourth ring the call went to voice mail. He tried Derrick next. Another call to voice mail. All set to hit the panic button, his phone dinged with a message. “About time,” he muttered.

  EVELYN: Put your phone away and have some fun.

  The woman was worse than his mother.

  EVELYN: Don’t make me disconnect your service.

  Was she serious? He wasn’t a wayward teen.

  EVELYN: I have spies everywhere.

  She probably did.

  JOHN: You win. For now.

  Pulling on a pair of shorts, he ignored the need to slip his phone into the pocket and instead made his way to the kitchen in search of breakfast. For a guesthouse, the ample kitchen was well stocked. A pantry in the corner held enough dry goods to open his own store. Clearly Annette Deluca expected the Maplewood clan to do some serious snacking. From the fridge he pulled out a carton of eggs, a package of bacon, and, as he reached for the block of cheddar cheese, it dawned on him that a heavy breakfast before a dive was not in his best interest. But, without at least one cup of coffee, he wouldn’t be fit for human company. Like the well-stocked pantry, the coffee dispenser had every flavor choice available to man. Dark French roast would hit the spot. The joy of the Keurig was nearly instant coffee that didn’t taste anything close to instant.

  Twenty minutes later, John had downed two cups of coffee, taken a quick shower and now indulged in a favorite childhood snack—peanut butter and banana—when the doorbell rang. If nothing else Billy was punctual. Not that it should surprise John. When his big sister had been dealing with the threats to the Deluca children in the aftermath of her employers’ plane crash, the name Billy Everrett had come up often. Former navy, Special Forces, Billy had called in some favors to make sure Maggie and the kids had better protection than the president of the United States.

  When he flung open the door, what caught his eye wasn’t the bruiser of a man standing in front of him, but the brunette leaning against the SUV in the driveway. The woman looked like she could be the center of an ad campaign for visiting Hawaii. Or better yet, a native woman in an oil painting by any great artist. Long dark hair framed her face and shoulders. A dark one-piece swimsuit swallowed her curves. From the waist down a bright floral sarong, tied in a big knot to one side, caressed her hips and legs, allowing only a view of her ankles and feet. Even those looked to have been created by the imagination of a master.

  “Nice to meet you.”

  John wasn’t sure how long Billy’s hand had been extended in front of him, but he summoned a smile and accepted the handshake. “Same here. I’ve been looking forward to meeting the man my sister speaks so highly of.”

  Billy’s brows lifted high on his forehead. “Yeah, well, I’m sorry about the early hour, but we need to set up the boat for the rest of the divers.”

  “Right.” John patted his pockets, debating if he needed anything more than his phone and his wallet. Not that his drill sergeant of an assistant would let him do any work with his phone. “I guess I’m all set.”

  “We’ll stop for a minute at the shop on the way and pick you out a suit, along with the other rentals for today’s dive. Annette says you’ve got dive experience?”

  For just a moment he wondered how his sister’s employer would know such a thing, but he chose to accept the reality that, being surrounded by very competent women, meant they most likely knew more about him than he did. “It’s been a long time.” As in years. Counting quickly, he was taken aback to realize decades was a more appropriate time frame. Not since the day he had left Uncle Sam’s Navy and decided never to take orders from anyone again had he spent any time in, or even near, the water. Except, of course, for a beachside construction site, and even then the ocean was nothing more than a backdrop for the landscaping crew. “I may need a refresher course.”

  Billy grinned, a knowing glimmer in his eyes. “That’s what I’ve been told. My sister Ava will help with that.”

  John followed the tilt of Billy’s head to the woman now waving at him. Maybe a day of diving wasn’t a bad idea. Not a bad idea at all.

  * * *

  Driving to pick up Magnolia’s brother, Forrest, Ava had drawn a lot of pictures in her head for the younger brother of her family’s good friend. According to Billy, Forrest was an overtaxed workaholic, a desk jockey, in desperate need of a little R & R. Nowhere in her mental sketches had a broad-shouldered man with dark sun-bleached hair, who was as tall as her own brother, come to mind. The guy looked like he could be one of Billy’s navy buddies. Fit and trim and ready for action. And why did that last thought make even her fingertips tingle?

  It had been months since her breakup, and the thought of entangling with another man held as much appeal as running naked down Ali’i Drive. When Forrest turned in her direction to follow her brother to the car, Ava’s gaze shifted from his twinkling eyes to his sparkling smile, the combination almost predatory. By the time she’d taken in his shoulders and narrowing waistline, he stood only a foot from her, and she wondered why anyone in their right mind would describe this hunk as a desk jockey. Despite her tongue feeling stuck to the roof of her mouth, she eked out a “Hi,” then took her place in the backseat, before she said something stupid, like, did he want to come over to see her etchings?

  The last thing she needed now was to complicate her life with a man. Especially one who was only on the island temporarily. Besides, she’d already done the all work and no play makes Jane a dull girl routine, plus putting up with a man who only appreciated her paycheck, not her work. When she was ready to hit the dating scene again, it would be with someone who could help her keep a balanced life, without making her feel guilty for wanting a successful career. Balance had to be an option. O
ther people did it. Didn’t they?

  “Annette mentioned you and your siblings are here to surprise Maggie for her birthday.” Billy buckled in and turned the key in the ignition.

  “That’s the plan,” Forrest replied.

  “Should be some party. Mom and Annette have been planning it for weeks.”

  Forrest nodded and pulled out his phone.

  Billy backed out of the driveway and turned toward the shop and marina. After a few moments of silence he caught Ava’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “You ready for today?”

  A smile pushed its way to her lips. “You bet.” It had been way too long since she’d stopped climbing the corporate ladder long enough to play in the water. Though she’d grumbled a little about being roped into working today by her brother, deep down she was thrilled to be free for the day and to start working on that balance thing. Her gaze shifted to the man in the passenger seat, his eyes glued to his phone. Judging by the concentrated frown on Forrest’s forehead, he had a thing or two to learn about balance himself.

  “I’d thought it might be easier for you to borrow a car.” Billy redirected his attention to the passenger. “But Annette insisted we come for you.”

  “She did, did she?”

  The way Magnolia’s brother lifted his gaze momentarily from the phone to barely nod at Billy, Ava almost laughed. A few months ago that could have been her. So focused on work and career opportunities, she’d forgotten the word downtime even existed. “How long has it been since you were diving?”

  “Years.” Forrest frowned at his phone, then slid it back into his shirt pocket.

  Billy caught sight of Ava in the rearview mirror again and, with a quick lift of his brow, let her know Annette’s order to make sure Magnolia’s brother had a good time was not going to be easy. Fortunately for Forrest Maplewood, Ava loved a challenge.

  Chapter Five

  “We’ve got a full boat this morning.” Billy parked the pickup truck in the small lot at the marina.

  John followed the man and his sister to a sweet boat. “How big is she?”

  “Fifty feet. We picked her up about the same time your sister came to the island.” Billy smiled at the dive boat the way a man home from war grinned at his sexy bride. With pride, joy and sheer lust. “If you want to take a load off, you can hang out over here, while we set up things for the morning run.”

  Forrest nodded and turned halfway toward the shady bench, when he spotted Billy’s sister heaving a cooler from the back of the pickup. Spinning on his heel, he dashed across the short distance and grabbed the handles, lifting the blue-and-white container from her hands and over the tailgate. “Allow me.”

  Ava nodded and reached for a nearby shopping bag, then tipped her chin toward the slip where the Island Girl II was tied to the dock. “Billy will show you where to put that.”

  After the cooler came another. Then gear bags and air tanks. Each piece of equipment had to be tested before set in place on the boat. No wonder they’d picked him up so early in the morning. At one point, when they’d run out of things to haul from the truck, John leaned back and just watched the siblings working side by side. Billy would spout an instruction, and Ava—he liked that name—would nod and do as directed. He’d yet to see her balk or bark at her brother. To the contrary, a few times a bright smile overtook her face, and he wished he could be in on the camaraderie.

  “Anything I can do?” He never was any good at sitting on the sidelines, watching. Probably one of the reasons he’d started his own company, taking everything he’d learned from years of summers and high-school afternoons working for his father, along with a great deal about discipline and good order, which he’d learned from Uncle Sam.

  “Sit tight.” Billy flipped his wrist to look at his watch. “It’s a little after seven. The rest of the passengers should be arriving shortly.”

  John nodded and went back to watching Ava move about the boat, setting things to right. With those huge brown eyes and a cascade of dark hair draped about her shoulders, she reminded him of the princess in an epic Hawaiian movie. Or perhaps the virgin about to be sacrificed to the volcano, awaiting the swashbuckling hero to swoop in and save her from a fiery death. A caustic snicker rose to his throat. Good thing she was neither, because the chances of him swooping in and saving the damsel in distress were pretty slim. He was more likely to be the one she’d need saving from.

  Voices clamored behind him, dragging his thoughts away from pirates, virtuous maidens and sword-yielding film stars. John noticed a suntanned young man climb aboard, grab a clipboard and then return to the dock. A group of three or four people circled around him. Heads bobbed, as the young man appeared to check their names off a list. Each person kicked off their shoes and dropped them into a bucket. Another cluster of people made their way down from the parking lot. The pattern continued until Billy gave the waiting crowd the all-clear signal to board.

  “You’ll be in my group.” Ava sidled up beside him. “There will be four of us altogether. Jonathan will be the dive leader for the rest of the passengers.”

  “What about Billy?”

  “Someone has to stay on board and keep a lookout for anyone in trouble.”

  “Bubble-watcher?”

  Ava’s lips curled upward in the slightest of smiles. “That’s right.” Her smile was as beautiful as her name.

  “Jonathan has a few experienced divers going for certifications. There’s one family who will only be snorkeling. They’re Billy’s responsibility. Another couple on their first ocean dive will be with us. I’ll run through some safety points first and do a little double-checking of gear, etc. This should give you a chance to catch up. If at any point you feel you’re in over your head—”

  He smothered a smile at the unnoticed pun.

  “—let me know, and we’ll regroup.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” He nodded.

  With all the passengers aboard and the preliminary introductions by Billy out of the way, the boat’s engine roared to life, and the Island Girl cut her way out of the marina, stopping at the mouth of the expansive ocean.

  “What’s wrong?” one half of the beginner couple whispered to her husband.

  “Oh, look!” squealed someone from the other side of the boat. “Dolphins.”

  The two tweens scheduled to snorkel darted past everyone to the other side. By the time John followed the trail of passengers, the dolphins were in full performance mode. He wasn’t sure if there were only six or more, but they would swim alongside the boat in pairs, disappear underneath and then burst out of the water ahead, only to arc back into the ocean and swim around them again.

  Several people had pulled out their phones, their GoPros and even a few sleek-looking waterproof cameras, snapping away. John had to admit, the sight was fabulous. And relaxing. And almost worth leaving his work behind.

  The engine’s roar increased, and the divers settled in their previous places, most keeping their gazes on the still playful dolphins, as the boat turned into open waters. Sitting back, John watched the enthusiasm of everyone around him. The almost-teens laughing and poking at each other. He remembered how he and his siblings used to tussle. Only Heather had been the prissy-girly type, but, even so, as kids, all three of his sisters had kept him on his toes.

  A sputter of emotion coughed inside him. It had been too long since all the Maplewood children were together. The tween sister stopped her teasing long enough to concentrate on helping her brother zip up. That could have been him with any one of his sisters. Though Magnolia was the one who tended to butt into his life the most often. He suddenly realized just how much he missed all his sisters, and being in Kona with them seemed the most important thing he’d done in a very long time. Maybe staying on a few extra days wouldn’t be such a bad thing at all.

  * * *

  Beyond the shadow of any doubt, Ava should have told her boss to shove it a hell of a long time ago.

  “Okay, I’m going in first. That way I can help wi
th any issues in the water. Billy will help with anything on board. Everyone check your gear once more, before we go. Remember, it’s like stepping into a room, but don’t let go of your mask and regulator until you’re in the water. And what’s the signal to let Billy know you got in okay?”

  “Fist bump on top of my head.” The male half of the diving duo demonstrated for everyone. His wife beamed up at him, as though he’d just announced a cure for the common cold.

  Maybe Ava had more of her mother’s matchmaking heart in her than she liked to believe, because she was having a hard time not grinning at how cute the two lovebirds looked.

  “And how will you be able to recognize me from the others, once we’re underwater?”

  “You and Jonathan have on two different-colored fins. Yours are yellow and blue.”

  “Right.” She watched the last of Jonathan’s group step in the ocean and disappear. Waiting just a few seconds, she allowed the more experienced divers time to clear the boat and get underway with their rescue and instructor certifications, before glancing over her shoulder to her group. “All right, here we go. I’m off.” Securing her gauges with her left hand, and her mask and regulator with her right, she took a large scissor step off the boat and into the water. The cool Pacific hugged her, and she wanted to shout with glee. Damn she’d missed this.

  For only a flash of a second she wondered if she should have paid more attention to her ex, Danny. All those nights he’d nagged her to stop working, to slow down, to enjoy life a little, to take it easy. Maybe he’d been right. Maybe she’d been too hasty ending the relationship so abruptly.

  Forrest was the first off the boat. Then Mr. Newlywed smiled at his bride, gave her a nod of encouragement, a kiss on the lips, and he watched her carefully step off the boat. All laughter was gone from his eyes, until she popped up again, giving the signal for all was okay. His beaming grin was back; he followed his wife into the water, and Ava clearly remembered that Danny’s concern had been more focused on someone to play with—at what he wanted to play—than he was concerned for her quality of life. And how he had wanted her home earlier, so she had time to cook a real dinner, like his mother. Heaven forbid Danny should have learned to boil water. And, of course, all that fun living and good eating he wanted to do didn’t come cheap.