Love in Catalina Cove

by Brenda Jackson

  “And I like your dad, too, Jade. Sawyer is a very nice guy.”

  Vashti knew she could say a lot more than that, but of course she wouldn’t.

  Jade’s smile brightened. “I’m glad. I have a great dad and he means the world to me. I was beginning to worry about him.”

  Vashti lifted a brow. “Worry about him? Why?”

  “Because I knew when I left for college he would be all alone. I know he has friends here like Mr. Kaegan, but he didn’t have a girlfriend. Now I’m glad he does.”

  There was no need to try and explain to Jade that she wasn’t exactly Sawyer’s girlfriend, just a friend whose company he enjoyed. But then that sounded too much like a friend with benefits. She and Sawyer had talked about it and they thought of themselves as lovers, but Jade didn’t need to know that.

  “And I like you, Ms. Vashti, a lot. I think you’re the type of person my dad needs. He smiles a lot. He no longer looks sad. I want to thank you for making him happy.”

  Vashti wondered if she’d done that. Made Sawyer happy. He definitely had made her happy in addition to rocking her world. She tried not to think what the future held or didn’t hold for them. How could she when she didn’t even know what the future held for her? She might have a kid out there somewhere. Being around Jade reminded her of that every day since he and Jade would be close to the same age. The investigation would totally consume her mind if it wasn’t for Sawyer. She enjoyed his company and he seemed to enjoy hers. They were both living again.

  “Thanks, Jade, and I like you, too,” Vashti said, and really meant it. “I tell Sawyer all the time just how lucky he is to have you for a daughter.”

  “You do?” Jade asked, surprised.

  Vashti chuckled. “Yes, I do. The two of you have a strong father-daughter relationship. I like it.”

  “Thanks and I just wanted you to know I’m glad Dad is dating you and that the two of you are special to me.”

  Vashti fought back tears, thinking that was a real nice thing for Jade to say. “Ahh, thanks, Jade. I appreciate that.”

  “I say it and I mean it, Ms. Vashti. You’re nice to everyone and you’re smart. I like the way you run your business. Very professional, but you don’t let anyone run over you. I watch, listen and observe. I like what I see.”

  And this compliment was coming from a sixteen-year-old? “Thank you.”

  “Are we still on this weekend for the baton lessons?” Jade asked.

  “Yes, I’m looking forward to it. And your dad plans to grill the fish we caught while out boating that day.”

  “Super! Wait until you taste Dad’s grilled fish. You’re going to love it.”

  Vashti chuckled. “That’s what he says and I didn’t want to believe him, but since you claim it’s true, I’ll give him credit.”

  Hours after Jade had left, Vashti got a call from Sawyer asking if he could stop by. One thing she liked about him was that he never assumed anything. He had the decency to ask first, although she made it her business to make time whenever he visited.

  She had taken a shower and dressed in a lounging outfit when her phone rang. A part of her was hoping it wasn’t Sawyer canceling since she had looked forward to seeing him tonight. “Hello?”

  “Ms. Alcindor, this is Jeremy Banks.”

  Her heart nearly skipped a beat. He’d told her weeks ago that she wouldn’t hear from him until he had something. “Yes, Mr. Banks?”

  “I’m sorry it’s taken this long to check in, but the inquiry into the death certificate is taking a while with the state of Arkansas. Meanwhile, I’ve been working the adoption angle. I got a court order to review the records of that facility in Arkansas. Because it closed down it’s taken a lot of searching to find out who were the keepers of the records.”

  “And you have now?”

  “Yes. Digital records were lost, but paper records were transferred to a hospital in Arkansas for storage. This will be like finding a needle in a haystack, but I’m on it.”

  Vashti nodded. “Thank you for the update. At least we’re making progress, right?”

  “Yes, Ms. Alcindor. We are making progress. I’ll check in again in a week, or if I have anything before then.”

  Vashti had just hung up the phone with Jeremy Banks when her doorbell sounded. She quickly moved to the door and opened it. The minute Sawyer walked into the house he must have detected something was wrong because he reached out for her. She went straight into his arms.

  “You okay?”

  Vashti buried her face into his chest, not ready to talk yet. Right now the only thing she wanted was to be held by him. The man she was falling in love with, although she hadn’t meant for such a thing to happen. But right now, he was the stationary object when everything in her world seemed to be moving all around her, some out of place. She was getting confused, befuddled and tangled, and couldn’t operate that way.

  He stepped back and lifted her chin for her to look up at him. “Tell me what’s wrong, Vashti,” he said, wiping a tear from her eye.

  She was crying? She hadn’t even known it. Why was she letting the fear of the unknown get to her? “I just got a call from my private investigator.”

  Sawyer’s eyes grew intense. He took hold of her hand to lead her into the living room. “And?”

  They sat down on the sofa side by side. He continued to hold her hand and she appreciated that. She wasn’t sure why Jeremy Banks’s phone call had rocked her world but it had. “He said the request for the death certificate is being processed, but that he tracked down where the facility’s records were sent when it closed.”

  Sawyer nodded. “So when will he know something?”

  “In a week, and it will be the longest week of my life, Sawyer.”

  He reached over and pulled her into his lap and pressed her head down to his chest. “This is what you wanted, right? To know for sure?”

  “Yes, but if I get confirmation my baby did die then I will relive the pain all over again and berate myself for believing Ms. Gertie when I knew the extent of her condition.”

  “And if you find out your baby is somewhere alive?” he asked her.

  She lifted her head from his chest and met his gaze. “Then my parents have a lot to answer for, Sawyer. I doubt if I could ever forgive them if that’s the case. So either way I will be unhappy.”

  He reached out and lightly ran the tip of his finger around her mouth. “And I’ll be here, Vashti, ready and willing to make you happy again. And at some point you’ll have to forgive your parents no matter what. Anger, bitterness and animosity are too much baggage to carry around. At some point you have to let it go. Otherwise it will destroy you. And I don’t ever intend to let anything destroy you.”

  He leaned down and kissed her, and then picking her up into his arms, he headed for the bedroom.

  * * *

  HOURS LATER, Sawyer leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips before carefully easing from her arms. It was time for him to leave. After grabbing his clothes, which he’d tossed earlier on the chair in her bedroom, he began getting dressed. Glancing over his shoulder he saw she was still sleeping soundly and he was glad. Hopefully she was having pleasant dreams and nothing to wake her up until the morning.

  He knew she was worried about what that private investigator would report, but like he’d told her, either way, he intended to be there to help her through it. He glanced back at her while he sat down in the chair to put on his socks and shoes. She was mumbling something in her sleep and he paused a minute when he recognized his name.

  At that moment something stirred to life within him. Something he thought was dead to him forever. Love. He wasn’t sure when and how he had fallen in love with her but he had. It might have been the same day he’d pulled her over and given her a ticket. Or it might have been the night at Kaegan’s party when he’d kissed her. It didn’t ma
tter when it happened; all he knew was that it had happened. That was the reason he couldn’t stay away. The reason he thought about her often and why he couldn’t wait to see her whenever he could.

  He stood and walked to the bed and stared down at her. She had that satisfied look on her face even while sleeping with her hair tousled over the pillow. She looked beautiful. Like a goddess. Like the woman he had fallen in love with.

  He leaned down and carefully placed another kiss on her lips. He knew there had to be a reason Vashti had been brought into his life when he had been alone for so long. He had preferred being alone, but now as he moved around her house to recheck the locks before leaving, he knew because of her he didn’t want to ever be alone again.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  SAWYER TRIED KEEPING his attention on the fish, shrimp and salmon that were cooking on the grill and not on Vashti, who was giving Jade baton-twirling lessons.

  Jade was an eager student and Vashti a worthy instructor. He was amazed at how easily the baton moved through her fingers. It had to be a gift, definitely a special skill and talent. He appreciated her taking the time to share that talent with his daughter.

  Both were dressed in shorts and tank tops. This was the first time he’d seen Jade and Vashti interact together and he noticed how similar some of their features were. Jade resembled Vashti more than she had Johanna.

  Sawyer figured it had to be the fact Jade and Vashti had the same coloring, where Johanna’s had been a shade darker. Then it might have been because both Jade and Vashti had curly dark brown hair that flowed down their shoulders and both had chocolate-colored eyes. Although Jade was a few inches shorter than Vashti, their frames were similar.

  He shook his head. Maybe the reason he thought the two favored each other was because unintentionally he was looking for similarities; anything that would give rationale to his desire to make Vashti a permanent part of his family. He knew Jade adored Vashti and she wouldn’t have a problem with it.

  He turned back to observe Jade and Vashti. He thought his daughter was doing a good job and would ace the try-outs. However, Vashti was letting her know there was more to being a majorette than twirling a baton. There was a certain way you had to march as well. Band music was playing from the stereo speakers, while Vashti and Jade were now marching around his backyard as if they were in a parade. The one thing he discovered about most Louisianans was that they loved parades.

  His eyes were glued to Vashti’s legs as she moved them around and kicked them out. They were beautiful and she knew just the right precision while stepping to the music. He’d heard her tell Jade that during the next lesson they would go through several majorette dances.

  “How do you think I did, Dad?” Jade came over to ask him when she and Vashti finally took a break.

  “I think you did awesome.”

  “Yes, she did,” Vashti said, placing her arm around Jade’s shoulders. “She’s a natural.”

  “Thanks and I can’t believe how easy baton twirling is for you, Ms. Vashti. You’re a pro.”

  “Thank you, Jade, but it took years of practice. I happen to think you’re doing a great job.”

  Sawyer watched Jade’s eyes light up. It was as if Vashti’s compliment equated to being handed a million dollars. “Thanks, Ms. Vashti.”

  “Food is ready,” Sawyer said. “I thought it would be nice to sit out here and enjoy the breeze for a while.”

  “That would be great,” Vashti said, agreeing. “You have a great view of the cove.”

  He chuckled. “So says the lady who has the gulf in her backyard. And as far as a view of the cove, you’re right, it’s there, but look at all the trees you have to get through to find it.”

  After dinner, which both Vashti and Jade had complimented him on, they began the baton-twirling lessons again.

  He was about to start cleaning the grill when he heard the cell phone Vashti had placed on the patio table ring. He knew she couldn’t hear it over the music so he picked it up. After getting her attention, he walked it over to her.

  “Someone is trying to reach you.”

  “Thanks, Sawyer.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said, handing her the phone before walking off.

  “I’ll be right back,” Jade said, rushing past him to go into the house, evidently in need of a bathroom break.

  Sawyer glance back over his shoulder at Vashti in time to see a strange look appear on her face. He stopped walking and turned back around as she clicked off the phone. “Are you okay?” he asked her.

  “Not sure. That was my investigator. He has information that he wants to share with me. He wouldn’t tell me anything over the phone and wants to fly here tomorrow.”

  Sawyer lifted a brow. “On a Sunday?”

  “Yes. I wonder what he has discovered.”

  He reached out and took her hand in his. It was shaking. He covered hers with his to let her know things would be alright. “You will know tomorrow, baby.”

  * * *

  “DON’T YOU WANT to come sit over here by me for a while, Vashti?”

  Vashti stopped pacing to glance at Sawyer who was sitting on the sofa watching her. He had to work today, which was obvious since he was wearing his uniform. But he had come here anyway, to be with her when Jeremy Banks arrived. She appreciated his thoughtfulness in doing that.

  Bryce had wanted to be there with her, but she’d left first thing that morning to attend a week-long real estate seminar in Dallas. They had talked last night and like Vashti, Bryce was wondering why Jeremy couldn’t tell her what he’d found over the phone.

  “I can’t help being nervous.” Mr. Banks’s plane had landed and he’d texted her that he was on his way. That had been an hour ago.

  Sawyer got up and walked over to her and placed his arms around her. “Considering the circumstances, your being nervous is understandable. I just figured being in my arms was a whole lot better than pacing the floor.”

  She smiled up at him. “Being in your arms is a whole lot better than a lot of things.” Sawyer had that natural ability to calm people down, soothe their ruffled feathers, relax their mind. How he did it, she wasn’t sure. That night when Ms. Gertie had died and Jade had called him had been a turning point in their relationship. In all honesty, it had been the start of their relationship. She’d already seen the law and order part of him. Even the seduction and sex part of him. But that night she had been exposed to the compassionate and supportive side of Sawyer Grisham. That had been her downfall. That’s what had knocked down her guard, picked away at her resolve and ground it into dust.

  “In that case,” he said, tightening his arms around her. “Let me just stand here and hold you for a while.”

  She lifted her head to stare up at him. The eyes gazing back at her sent sensuous shivers all through her.

  He lowered his head and their mouths were inches from connecting when the doorbell sounded. He pulled back and caressed her cheek. Smiling, he said, “I suggest you get that while I try to get my body in order.”

  She knew exactly what he meant and smiling, she quickly headed for the door.

  * * *

  “I DON’T UNDERSTAND what you’re saying, Mr. Banks.”

  Sawyer felt Vashti’s hand tighten in his. Like her, he was listening to what the private investigator was saying. Since Banks was an ex-FBI agent, Sawyer was doing a good job of following him, although he knew Vashti was not. When it came to sealed documents and records, it wasn’t always easy for the courts to comply with requests to unseal such documents. However, Banks had been able to obtain a copy of the adoption agreement, which it appeared that Vashti had signed. It was just like she suspected. Her parents had tricked her into signing the document.

  Banks leaned forward and said, “Okay, using the least legal terms as I can, what we do know is that the night you gave birth, there were recor
ds of four babies born that night. All females. No males. And I checked forty-eight hours before and forty-eight hours after. The only male child born was to a woman within eight hours following. She kept her baby and didn’t give him up for adoption. Her son is now sixteen. I was able to contact her.”

  “And?” Vashti asked.

  “The woman seems to have a good memory. She said she recalled the nurses telling her that her son had finally broken the drought with boy babies being born and that her son had been the first boy baby born in a week’s time. The others had been girls. So far my investigation substantiates her claim.”

  Vashti frowned. “But how can that be when I gave birth to a boy? The only reason I can come up with as to why he wasn’t included in the count was because he died within hours of being born.”

  Banks shook his head. “And that’s another thing that doesn’t add up. There are no records of any baby dying, male or female. There was one recorded case of a stillbirth two months after you gave birth, but that was a female baby as well.”

  Vashti released a deep sigh of frustration. Sawyer could hear it and could feel it. And he knew it wouldn’t be long before that frustration became borderline annoyance. He decided to step in and ask questions. All intended to be direct and to get them from point A to point B. The man’s approach to have Vashti figure some things out on her own without Banks spelling them out for her wasn’t working.

  “So what are you saying, Banks? That Vashti’s got the birthdate of her son confused?”

  As he expected, she glared at him. “I didn’t get the birthdate wrong, Sawyer. I know the day I went into labor and the day my son was born.”

  He smiled at her and reached out and brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed them. “I believe you, since that’s the sort a thing any mother would remember.”

  He turned back to Jeremy Banks. “In that case, there can be only one reason for the discrepancy.” He was certain that Banks already knew what that reason was.

  “Then will someone tell me?” Vashti said in exasperation.