Love in Catalina Cove

by Brenda Jackson

  She looked up at him and nodded. “I understand.”

  Sawyer nodded back at her and then opened the door, got into his SUV and backed out of the driveway. Vashti stood there and watched him go.

  “Hey, remember me?”

  Vashti turned and smiled at Bryce who was waving her hands in the air. “Yes, I remember you. Doubt I can forget you.”

  As she strolled back to where Bryce stood with one of those you-better-tell-me-everything looks on her face, there was no doubt in Vashti’s mind she had a lot of explaining to do.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  JADE POUNCED ON Sawyer the moment he entered the house. He had expected it, which was why he’d driven around town for thirty minutes after leaving Vashti’s place. That kiss she’d laid on him hadn’t just knocked around his senses, it had aroused his body to the point it had taken just that long for his erection to go down. The last thing he’d wanted to do was to walk into his house with a hard-on.

  “How is she, Dad? Were you able to calm her down?”

  “Whoa,” he said as he headed to the kitchen for a beer. He leaned against the counter after popping the tab on his beer. “She’s fine now, Jade. Yes, I was able to calm her down.” No need to go into details of the technique he’d used to do so. “You can go to bed since you have work tomorrow,” he said. He needed time alone right now.

  “It’s still early, Dad, and I’m not sleepy.”

  He gave her a brief smile. Evidently she didn’t take the hint when she moved to sit down at the table. “I’m glad you called me,” he told her, joining her.

  “I’m glad I called you, too. It’s sad about that Ms. Gertie lady.”

  He lifted a brow. “How do you know the name of the lady who died? You didn’t earlier.”

  His daughter smiled brightly. “I called Karen Libby.”

  He recalled that name. She was Rachel’s niece. The same girl who’d shared romance novels with his daughter. “And how did Karen Libby know who died?”

  “Not sure, probably from her aunt Rachel. Karen said that back in the day this Ms. Gertie lady was a midwife and delivered all the babies born here. She was well liked by most people, but she had dementia.”

  Sawyer figured there was more. “And?”

  “And Karen said her aunt couldn’t understand why Ms. Vashti was always visiting Ms. Gertie at the nursing home when she wasn’t in her right mind most of the time.”

  Sawyer took a sip of his beer and glanced at his daughter. “And what do you think of that comment?” he asked, always wanting to keep abreast of his daughter’s thought processes.

  Jade made a face like she couldn’t believe someone would think that way. “Only an uncaring person would wonder why. I’m glad Ms. Vashti did care enough to visit her. I would have had I known her. But then, just from the weeks I’ve been working for Ms. Vashti, I see what a nice person she is. I’m sure you saw that for yourself, didn’t you?”

  He nodded, appreciating her thought process and also recognizing his daughter’s tactic on a certain thing. She liked Vashti and it was important to her that he liked her, too. What his daughter didn’t know was that he was already there in such a big way, that even his beer couldn’t eradicate her taste from his mouth. “Yes, it’s easy to see Vashti Alcindor is a real nice person.”

  “And she’s pretty,” Jade said. Sawyer figured the compliment was for his benefit in case he hadn’t noticed.

  “Yes, she is pretty.” His daughter was trying her hand at matchmaking and he figured he was supposed to be too dense to figure it out. So for good measure he decided to tack on, “She’s very pretty.”

  His daughter beamed. If her smile was any brighter it would blind him. “I’m glad you noticed, Dad.”

  He decided not to ask why she was glad, but he thought knowing she was was a good thing. Especially if Vashti had meant what she said about them moving forward and not backward. That meant they would have to change their mode of doing things. Both were private people and when they began dating it would cause talk. It was talk he could handle and hoped she could as well. As long as his daughter was all in, then to hell with anyone else.

  He glanced at his watch as he stood. “You might not be sleepy, young lady, but I am. I’m going out on the boat with Kaegan tomorrow.”

  “Okay, have fun, Dad. Love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  As he headed for the stairs his mind was consumed with thoughts of Vashti.

  * * *

  VASHTI TOOK A sip of her wine. After walking on the beach with Sawyer she thought it was too beautiful a night to go inside, so she had convinced Bryce to sit on the patio and enjoy the breeze off the gulf.

  Since moving back to the cove this was the first time she’d really had to unwind. Her days had been so busy that when night came all she could do was welcome sleep. Tonight was different. She and Bryce decided to enjoy a bottle of wine while swapping Ms. Gertie stories. It was their way to pay tribute to a woman whose hands had delivered them into the world, and who for the longest time had fought for social change in the cove.

  Before moving away Vashti had recalled Ms. Gertie had been in a never-ending battle with Mayor Proctor about the need for housing for the homeless as well as improvements needed for the boating docks. Ms. Gertie would also butt heads all the time with Sheriff Phillips, all generations of them, and was quick to remind them that she delivered them into the world and would have given them an extra whack on their rear end if she’d known they would grow up to be power-grabbing men. Needless to say, Ms. Gertie was known to call people out when they were wrong.

  Even Vashti’s parents...

  Knowing that made her think about what Ms. Gertie had told her that morning, which she took the time to share with Bryce. “I need to know the truth, Bryce. What if Ms. Gertie’s suspicions are true? I need to know one way or the other.”

  “So, what are you going to do?” Bryce asked.

  Vashti released a deep sigh. “Sawyer suggested I hire a private investigator.”

  Bryce lifted a brow. “Did he?”

  “Yes, and I think it’s a good idea. What do you think?”

  “I think it’s a good idea as well. I also think you’ve finally realized something.”

  “What?”

  “That you really like Sawyer. It’s obvious that the sexual chemistry between the two of you is hot as ever. And tonight it didn’t seem like you were holding anything back.”

  Vashti shrugged. “I’ve always liked Sawyer. I told you months ago I thought he was a nice guy. I admit I got upset with him when I found out about his New Orleans affair, but he explained things when he visited me in New York.”

  “And then you freaked out when he suggested the two of you continue your affair when you moved back here.”

  Yes, Vashti would admit to freaking out. But since moving back she’d realized the attraction between her and Sawyer hadn’t diminished any. If anything, it had increased. “I didn’t want to fall for him, Bryce. Lord knows I have lousy judgment when it comes to men, but the thought of falling for Sawyer isn’t as scary as it once was.”

  “And what about the talk? People will have a lot to say at first, but only because that’s just the way people in the cove are. They assume your business is their business. Will you be able to handle it?”

  “I don’t have any choice but to handle it. Sawyer won’t sneak around.”

  “And you shouldn’t. The two of you are adults. It’s time you stop letting Catalina Cove control your life. Sawyer has already shown that he’s a man who won’t let them control his.”

  Vashti was silent for a minute and then she said, “I’m really going to try, Bryce. I want to do this and I want to be all in when I do.”

  “What changed for you tonight, Vash? What made you decide to make a move?”

  Vashti thought about her questi
on. “Seeing firsthand how he handles things and the people he cares about. His daughter didn’t hesitate to call him when she thought I needed comforting. And he’s good at that. He was here when I needed him and neither Julius nor Scott had ever been there for me.”

  Later that night after taking her shower, Vashti settled in bed as her last conversation with Ms. Gertie replayed in her mind. It was still hard to believe she was gone. She had called Mr. Landers to offer her condolences and she could tell the man was pretty torn up about it. At least he’d spent some time with his grandmother and had brought her flowers. She felt the lump in her chest get heavier, a sign she was about to cry again and she didn’t want to do that.

  Vashti wanted to think of something else so she shifted her thoughts to Sawyer. He would never know how much she’d needed someone at that moment when he’d shown up.

  She thought about their walk on the beach, their kiss and how she had practically asked him to make love to her, and how he’d refused because he’d known she was grieving. Somehow he’d known about the grief that had filled her heart. Any other man would not have cared and would have gladly taken her, right there on the sand. But Sawyer hadn’t because he had cared. He had held her, kissed her, held her hand. It was as if he was willing her pain to become his. Like she’d told Bryce, she believed that had been the turning point. That moment when she realized just what a good man she was denying herself the chance to know because of a past she might regret but couldn’t change.

  She was about to shift around in the bed to find a more comfortable position when her cell phone rang. When sensations went off inside of her she knew her caller was Sawyer. “Hello.”

  “Hello, Vashti, I couldn’t sleep for thinking about you and wanted to check to make sure you’re okay.”

  She smiled at his thoughtfulness. “I’m fine. Bryce left an hour ago and I took a shower and got into bed. I take it you’re in bed as well.”

  “Yes, I’m in bed.”

  She remembered the night they’d spent in bed together. “I tried reading and couldn’t stay focused.”

  “And I tried to get into one of my favorite cop shows on television, but it didn’t hold my interest tonight. Thoughts of you took over.”

  “What kind of thoughts?”

  “All kinds. Especially memories of kissing you tonight.”

  She’d been reliving those same memories. “Seems like we’re on the same page.” There. She’d just admitted to thinking about kissing him as well.

  “Would you go out with me Saturday night, Vashti?”

  Vashti knew what he was doing. Propelling them forward with the understanding there would be no turning back. “Yes, Sawyer, I will go out with you.”

  “How would you like going to the Lighthouse?”

  “The Lighthouse? Will we be able to get reservations at this late date?” She knew the exclusive restaurant was usually booked solid weeks in advance.

  “I think I can arrange it. I’ll pick you up around seven.”

  “Okay, and thanks for calling, Sawyer. Good night.”

  “Good night, Vashti. And thanks for agreeing to go out with me.”

  She smiled, clicking off the phone. The most sought-after single man in the cove was thanking her for agreeing to out with him. She couldn’t help but feel good about that.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  “A KIDNEY DISEASE!” Percelli Harris exclaimed as he, his wife and mother sat across from Dr. Telfair in the physician’s hospital office. His mother, Gloria Harris, had arrived yesterday and she had been great in helping to keep Alma calm. Their daughter was sick and now the doctor was saying she had some kind of kidney disease. “Are you sure?”

  Dr. Telfair nodded. “For the last seventy hours your daughter has been undergoing a series of tests. Unfortunately, our prognosis is conclusive.”

  “But how? Kia has always been healthy.”

  “How the filters in her kidneys got damaged we aren’t sure. It could have resulted from a number of things such as a hangover of flu-like symptoms in the body, a urinary tract infection that went untreated or inflammation of organs located near the kidneys.”

  “How bad is it?” Alma asked in a broken voice. Percelli felt his wife’s tears fall on their joined hands.

  “The good news is that we’ve ruled out congenital problems or an inherited condition,” Dr. Telfair said. “The bad news is that unless we begin aggressive treatment immediately, we’re looking at an end-stage kidney disease which is life-threatening.”

  “Oh, no,” Percelli heard his mother cry out simultaneously with the sound of Alma crying even more. He tightened his hold on Alma’s hand and used his other hand to grab hold of his mother’s.

  “What can be done so she doesn’t reach that stage, Dr. Telfair?” he asked, trying to hold it together.

  “Ideally, a kidney transplant from a close family member such as a parent or sibling. But you’ve indicated in her medical records she was adopted so I can only assume you have no way of contacting the biological mother.”

  “We have no information on her. The adoption documents are sealed. All we know is that the mother was a sixteen-year-old girl who gave her baby up for adoption. We hired a private attorney to handle the adoption for us.”

  Dr. Telfair nodded. “In life-threatening situations, we usually can get a court order to unseal adoption documents to reach out to the biological parents. It will be up to them to decide if they want to get involved. I’ve seen it go both ways. There are some biological parents who do and others who won’t.”

  “Who would be that heartless?” Gloria asked.

  “A person who has gotten on with their life and doesn’t feel any connection to the child they gave up years before,” Dr. Telfair answered.

  “What are our options?” Alma wanted to know.

  “Kia will be placed on the kidney transplant waiting list. Usually it’s a two-year wait at least. In this case, it could be longer because your daughter has a rare blood type. While she’s waiting for the transplant she has to be on dialysis.”

  Percelli rubbed his hands down his face. He loved his daughter and would give up his kidney in a heartbeat if doing so would keep her alive. But neither his kidney, nor that of his wife or his mother was an option since they had different blood types than Kia.

  “We need to explain Kia’s condition to her since we’ll be starting dialysis right away. She needs to know what’s going on with her body and what we’ll be doing to make her better.”

  Percelli nodded. “Okay, and we want to be there when you tell her.”

  * * *

  “MR. BANKS, THANKS for coming to Catalina Cove to meet with me,” Vashti said to the private investigator.

  “No problem. I had business in Shreveport today anyway. This is a nice town and definitely a nice inn you have here. I can see why you were quick to leave New York,” Jeremy Banks said, easing into the chair across from her desk.

  Vashti figured there was no need to tell him that moving to Catalina Cove hadn’t been her original plan, but now that she was here, she intended to make not only the most of it but to reclaim it as her home, something she hadn’t thought she would ever do again.

  “Now tell me everything you know,” he said, taking out a pad to jot down notes.

  She told him her parents’ version regarding her son dying an hour after she’d given birth and how he’d died. She then told him what Ms. Gertie suspected.

  “That was sixteen years ago, right?” Banks asked her.

  “Yes. March would have been sixteen years.”

  “You said the baby lived for about an hour. The first thing I’ll do is find out if there is a death certificate. Those are public record in Arkansas. If there’s not one, though, that doesn’t necessarily mean the child survived. Records can go missing or be misfiled, especially when a facility closes. Do you recall
any of the other nurses there? What about the teachers?”

  “I recall my math teacher was a Rosie Farlow. That’s the only one I remember. Why would you ask about my teachers? They would not have been in the delivery room.”

  “No, but if contacted, they might be able to provide names of individuals who were. The problem we have to face is the possibility the birth records were sealed as requested by the adoption parents, which isn’t unusual. If that’s the case, we might have to obtain a court order to see them.”

  After asking her several more questions he closed his pad and looked over at her. “I hope your parents have told you the truth, and I’m being hired to verify their story. However, there is something you need to seriously think about.”

  “What’s that?”

  “If they lied to you and Gertie Lander’s suspicions are true, then you have a child somewhere who would be sixteen now. What if he was never told that he was adopted only to find out because of your investigation?”

  She had thought about that and the one thing she didn’t want to do was to disrupt her child’s life if he was alive somewhere and doing well. “I would want to know that he’s happy and healthy. If he is then I will be satisfied.”

  Jeremy Banks nodded. “And if he’s not?”

  She thought about what could bring about an if he’s not situation. She recalled what Sawyer had told her about his childhood. How his mother had given him up for adoption only for him to be shifted from foster home to foster home, trying to find his way, fit in and belong. Yet in the end, what he’d face was denials, deprivation and rejection. Vashti knew she would not want that for her child when she could offer him better. And that’s what her answer to Jeremy Banks was. “If I were to find out that wasn’t the case then I would want the opportunity to offer him better.”

  Banks nodded again as he stood to his feet. “Fair enough. You’ve given me enough information to get started and I’ll contact you when I find out anything.”

  * * *

  “I DON’T CARE, Percelli, we need to find Kia’s biological mother,” Alma implored her husband. “Our child might be dying.”