“Ucky,” Meg said.
“You’re yucky all right,” Ben said. “She’s got peanut butter smeared in her hair and all over her clothes.”
“There’s no time to bathe her. We need to get out to the coffee trees. Just get a washcloth and we’ll clean her up. She’ll just get dirty outside anyway.”
“You don’t realize how bad it is. Her hair is—matted with it.” His steps retreated.
Lani touched the little girl’s hair. “Daddy?” Meg said. “Mommy?”
“You want to go play with Fisher?” Lani asked, hoping to distract her.
Meg pulled away. “Mommy,” she demanded. “Daddy.”
Lani pulled her onto her lap, but the little girl pulled away and began to wail. “Mommy,” she sobbed.
Fisher’s nails clicked on the tile, then he whined, pressing his nose between Lani and Meg. Lani could feel his agitation. “It’s okay,” she said, rocking Meg back and forth.
Ben’s footsteps came hurrying back. “What’s wrong?”
“She wants her parents.”
“Here, let me have her.”
But Meg went from squirming to get away from Lani to clinging to her neck and screaming all the louder. “Mommy! Mommy!”
“You’re making it worse,” Lani said. “Quit pulling at her.”
“Meggie, let’s go play ball,” he said in a coaxing voice.
But nothing distracted her, and she continued to sob for her parents. Lani finally succeeded in handing her over to Ben, then got to her feet. “Let’s take her outside.”
She called the dog, and he came at once, the metal tags at his neck jingling. They followed Ben as he carried the wailing child out the door.
“Maybe she’ll fall asleep as we walk toward the orchard. I’ve still got the washcloth. I’ll try to clean her up,” Ben said. Meg’s wails intensified along with huffs of frustration from Ben. “Well, she’s not spotless, but she looks better.”
“Let me have her a minute,” Lani said, stopping and holding out her arms.
“Lani,” Meg sobbed.
Lani felt her lunge into her arms, then Meg’s small hands clutched her neck. “Mommy,” she whispered in Lani’s ear.
“I know, sweetheart, I know.” Lani rocked her back and forth in her arms and wept with her.
Chapter Fourteen
Meg had finally fallen asleep, and Ben laid her down on a blanket under a tree before going to work on picking coffee cherries. Ben fingered his chin and glanced at Lani as she worked steadily at the tree next to him. The touch of her fingers on his face had been as light as fireflies yet had carried an impact that still shook him. Tearing his gaze away, he focused on his work. The plump cherries dropped into his hand and then into the bucket.
He’d told her he’d keep her in sight. In the meantime, he could check out some of the other Taylor Camp residents. He edged around the tree until he positioned himself next to Jerry. With a trunk nearly as big as the tree, Jerry scooped up coffee cherries in his big hands with calm efficiency. He didn’t look like a doctor today.
“Hot day,” Ben said. He paused and wiped his brow.
“Yeah.” Jerry’s thick black hair fell over his forehead in a shaggy style the ladies probably found attractive. About fiftyfive, he had a muscular build that showed he worked out.
“You all seem to have known one another a long time,” Ben said. “I lived at Taylor Camp when I was a kid.”
“No kidding?” Jerry’s hands paused, then he began to grab handfuls of coffee cherries again. “When?”
“Early seventies until they burned it. I was born there.”
“I had to have known your mom. What was her name?”
“Nancy Anderson. Peekaboo.” He was still rocked by the way Willie seemed to think his mother had something to do with the old murder.
Jerry appraised Ben. “You don’t look like her.”
“My mother said I looked like my dad.” Loser that he was. Every time he looked in the mirror, Ben thought of his dad and vowed never to be like him.
Jerry gave him a long, slow look. “You look like Ash.”
“So I’ve been told. I think he might have been my dad.”
“Where’s your mom now?”
“Last I heard she was in Michigan. I haven’t seen her in five years.”
“Hard feelings,” Jerry observed.
“You might say that.” Ben saw no reason to reveal that his mother had been distant at best and neglectful at worst. She’d never even sent a birthday or Christmas card over the years. “There’s so much water under the bridge I’d need a life jacket to survive.”
“When she comes back for your brother’s funeral, maybe you’ll be able to patch things up.” Jerry’s glance held sympathy.
“I’m not holding my breath. She hasn’t decided if she’s even coming, and the funeral is tomorrow.” Ben really didn’t want to talk about his mother. His chest felt hollow whenever he thought about her. He watched Jerry move off to empty his bucket into the burlap sack. His practiced bedside manner had Ben talking more than he liked.
He glanced toward Meg and saw she was stirring. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. At least she wasn’t crying. “Hey, baby girl,” he said in a soft voice. Her sweet smile broke his heart. He would do all he could to protect her from further harm. She held up her arms, and he scooped her up.
Meg patted Ben’s hair, then laid her cheek against his neck. He caught a whiff of something. A dirty diaper. Holding her at arm’s length, he wrinkled his nose. “You couldn’t have eaten that,” he told her.
She giggled. “Eat.”
Her diaper bag sat on the blanket. He laid her down, then retrieved a diaper and wipes and began the process. The odor nearly made him gag. He wasn’t sure why. He’d trained puppies and cleaned up after them plenty of times. Meg smiled up at him in such a trusting manner that he felt like a heel at his reaction. He took a deep breath. Mistake. The unpleasant aroma filled his nose with a distinctive stench he didn’t know if he’d ever get out of his lungs.
He heard something behind him and turned to see Lani approaching with Fisher. “Where you headed?” he asked.
“I need some water. The cooler’s around here somewhere, isn’t it?”
“Sure. I’ll get you a bottle.” He reached into the cooler beside the blanket and pulled out a cold, wet bottle of Hawaiian Springs. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” She uncapped the bottle and took a swig.
Ben chuckled. “You should see the look on Fisher’s face. I think he wants to play in your bottle.”
Lani smiled. She tipped the bottle up and let some dribble out. “Did I hit him?”
“Yep, he’s smiling.” Ben glanced back at her. His gaze caught on the smooth, firm line of her neck. “Um, I’m changing Meg.”
“Oh, that’s the smell.”
“Yep.” He eyed her. She wasn’t rushing to offer help. “I think I need some guidance here.”
A slow smile lifted her lips. “You haven’t changed a dirty diaper yet. I’ve noticed how you’ve managed to get out of it every time. You need to learn.”
His gorge rose as the stench intensified. Stuff oozed from the side of the diaper too. She would laugh as he made a fool of himself. “I can hardly wait.” He didn’t bother to hide the sarcasm in his voice.
“It’s easy. Got some wipes?”
“Yeah.” He glared at the wipes. They looked pretty flimsy, not really big enough to protect his hands much.
“Just clean her up good and put a clean diaper on. Hold your breath through the worst part,” Lani advised. She moved closer, then stepped back. “Whew, that’s a bad one.”
“You’re telling me,” he muttered. He turned his head into the wind, filled his lungs, then plunged into the task. When he had to take another breath, the dirty diaper was rolled up and lying on the blanket, but the odor still hung in the air. He tugged on the diaper tape and managed to get it snug enough not to fall off, then pulled up Meg’s jeans. Smiling, he lif
ted her in his arms like a trophy. It felt good even if Lani couldn’t see his victorious gesture.
“You did it.” Lani’s proud smile came quickly.
Ben dragged in more fresh air. “It isn’t something I’m eager to repeat. Could you potty train her?”
“She’s too young. You shouldn’t start until they’re two or so. Whenever she starts telling you she has to go or starts bringing you a diaper to change her, then you’ll know she’s ready.”
“She’ll be two in a few days,” he protested. “My mom always said my brother was trained when he was eighteen months.”
“That’s very rare for a boy,” Lani said.
“How do you know all this stuff?”
Her smile broadened. “Remember, I worked in a day care for a while.”
Maybe women just knew this stuff naturally. It was all gibberish to Ben. He popped Meg back into her carrier and shrugged his arms into it. Walking back up the hill to the coffee grove, he matched his steps to Lani’s measured pace.
“I heard you talking to Jerry. What do you think of him?” she asked.
“Seems like a nice guy. They all do. None of them seems likely to be a murderer. Or a smuggler. Harry doesn’t drive a flashy car. He dresses like Jimmy Buffet and seems pretty easygoing. It’s hard to imagine him aiming a gun at someone. And Arlo loves everyone.”
She twisted her hands together, and her mouth turned down. She began to run. The dog loped along to keep up. He kept glancing up at Lani as if to ask her what was wrong. Ben jogged along after her, waiting until she tripped. He caught her as she stumbled.
She buried her face in his chest. “I feel so helpless. I need to see so I can figure out who’s doing this. This is punishment. God hates me.”
He gave her a gentle shake. “You know that’s not true.”
“It is true,” she wept. “You don’t know what I did. I killed a baby. My own baby. I let a doctor sweep it away like it was so much trash.” She buried her face in his shirt, and sobs wracked her.
He went still, his hand running over her sleek black hair. An abortion. Sorrow sifted through him, but who was he to judge her? He’d killed his friend’s sight. His fingers stilled. No wonder Tyrone had been upset. “God still loves you, Lani. He isn’t punishing you.”
“I deserve punishment,” she whispered.
“Sometimes I think we’d feel better if we took what we deserved. But that’s not the way it works, and it leaves us in debt to Jesus.”
She raised her head. “I want the pain to go away.”
“It may never go away. When we sorrow for our sin, we know we really belong to God.” He smoothed her hair. The fragrance of pikake blew away the diaper smell that still clung to his nostrils. Her tears soaked his shirt. She felt warm and pliable in his arms. He stared down into her face, his gaze lingering on her lips. Bending his neck, he leaned down to kiss her.
Her fragrant breath mingled with his, and he brushed her lips with his. Just a tiny kiss, but it was enough to send adrenaline shooting through him. He lifted his head. “We’d better get to work,” he whispered.
“I know.” She opened her eyes. “Thanks, Ben. I guess I just have to live with it.”
“We all do.” Something wet dribbled in his hair. He jerked. “What?” He twisted around to look at Meg. “You drooling in my hair?”
The toddler giggled.
Lani did too. She pulled back, and the moment ebbed away.
Ben dropped his hands. “Ick.”
“Get used to it. It’s just the beginning of your education.” She laughed and widened the distance between them.
Ben wanted to pull her back against his chest, but he dropped his hands. “So what about the other Taylor Camp people? What do you know about them?”
“Arlo Beckett is my favorite. I think he has the hots for Aunt Rina. He’s always watched her a lot. Does he still?” she asked.
“Yeah, now that you mention it. He’s a goner over her.”
Lani smiled. “She’s well preserved for her age. What do you think about Harry Drayton?”
“He’s an okay guy. Hard worker.”
“He told me once he never married because he couldn’t find anyone like Aunt Rina. I think they’re all smitten by her. Jerry worries about her all the time and is always trying new medicines on her. But it seems no one wants to move in on Willie.”
“Willie is the one I don’t know much about. You know him well, don’t you?” He found he loved watching her, the way she moved, the tilt of her smile, the length of her lashes.
Lani shook her head. “I’ve known him for about a year now, but he never said more than two words to me before today. I don’t like the way he orders Aunt Rina around. And she lets him usually. Until this whole genetically altered coffee thing came up.”
“How does she feel about Willie?”
“Well, she was almost ready to marry him. But I don’t know. In case you haven’t noticed, she’s pretty closemouthed. If not for this injunction thing, I think she might say yes.”
He nodded. “Did finding out she’d been in prison change your mind about her innocence in all this?”
“No,” she said, jutting her chin up.
She was a loyal little thing. He smiled at her even though he knew she couldn’t see. His gaze lingered on her lips.
Meg tugged on his hair. “Gum,” she said.
“I’ve got some in my backpack.” Lani felt around for it then pulled it out of the contents. “Here you go,” she said, holding out a piece.
Meg took it and giggled. Ben set her down beside Lani. Fisher sniffed her neck, then licked her. Her peals of laughter made Ben smile more. His cell phone rang, and he looked at the display. A hard knot formed in his stomach. He didn’t recognize the number, but it was a stateside area code.
He clicked on the phone. “Ben Mahoney,” he said.
His mother’s voice came over the line. “Ben, I just heard about Ethan. The least you could have done is call me yourself.”
“Hello, Nancy,” he said. “You don’t keep me posted with your phone numbers, so I had to have my attorney track you down.”
“I need you to get me a ticket,” she said. “I don’t have the money.”
She never had the money. “I’ll take care of it,” he said. “Which airport do you want to fly out of?”
“Chicago O’Hare. I need to leave today to get there in time.”
“Did you just now decide to come?” He knew it was a mistake to question her, but the words slipped out.
“I had things to arrange. Call me back when you have the ticket.” She clicked off without saying good-bye.
Ben flipped his phone closed and stuck it in his pocket. After all this time of dealing with his mother, he’d have thought his hands wouldn’t shake anymore. He put them in his pockets.
“A problem?” Lani asked.
“My mom is coming to the funeral.” Was his voice shaking?
“I think it’s a good thing. You need someone from your family.”
“It’s going to be hard enough to hold it together without her there. She didn’t sound too broken up about it, but I bet she wails like a professional mourner at the service.”
“You didn’t even know where she was?”
Ben shook his head, then realized she couldn’t see it. “No.”
“I’m sorry.” She sounded as though she was, too.
“The last time I heard from her, she was getting married again and wanted money for a dress. I didn’t get a wedding invitation either, even though I sent her the money.” Aware his voice sounded bitter, he cleared his throat. “Not that I wanted to go. I’d already been to four or so. I lost count.”
She touched his hand. “Were she and Ethan close?”
“I don’t know that anyone has ever really reached her heart. I used to wonder what made her so hard and self-centered, but then I got to where it didn’t matter anymore.” If anyone touched her heart, it wouldn’t be him.
“I don’t think
I believe that,” she said softly. “It sounds like you’re just trying to convince yourself so it doesn’t hurt.”
“I’ve got my own life, and she’s got hers. That’s just the way it is.”
“You’d better make her reservation if she’s going to get here in time for the funeral.”
“I’ll have my lawyer do it.” He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Cliff. The receptionist put him right through.
“Ben, I just picked up the phone to call you,” Cliff said when he came on the line.
“Did my mother call you too? She needs a ticket leaving yet today.”
“I’ll take care of it, but that’s not why I’m calling. I found out more about the Waldens’ suit. They’re claiming you’re a dangerous driver and would endanger Meg’s safety.”
“What?” Meg puckered when Ben shouted, and he put his hand on her head and patted her curls. “It was an accident.”
“But someone was blinded, and you were ticketed for negligence. We know it’s not fair, but it might sway a judge.”
He began to pace across the grass. “What can I do?”
“There’s nothing we can do. It’s a matter of public record. We’ll go before the judge and present our case and hope he listens. Would Tyrone testify on your behalf?”
“I’m sure he would.”
“That would help, but even then, it will depend on what the judge thinks is best for Meg.”
“I want what’s best for her too,” he protested. “But being hauled off by strangers would crush her.” And me. “And what about the rap sheet on Natalie’s father?”
“I’ve got that, but he’s been a model citizen for five years. I’ll keep you posted,” Cliff promised. “Let me get your mother’s ticket. Do you want to pick her up at the airport?”
“No, she won’t ride on my bike. It would mess up her hair.”
“I’ll take care of it, then.”
“Trouble?” Lani asked when Ben hung up. She sat down with Fisher’s head on her lap. The dog had a blissful expression on his face as her fingers ran along his ears.
Ben envied the dog. “Yeah. Natalie’s parents are claiming I’m unfit to have custody of Meg.”
Midnight Sea (Aloha Reef Series) Page 15