Robin took the cold bottle of Italian cherry soda Sam handed her and watched him slump on the bench next to her.
Putting the mouth of his bottle to his lips, he took a long pull. He still wore the bits of bandage over his nose, and drinking looked painful.
But he wouldn’t talk about the incident, only looked murderous when she brought it up. So she didn’t. He’d talk about it when he was ready, and if he never was, well, time would heal some of the pain.
When he put down the bottle, he stared away from her, and Robin followed his gaze across the bay.
Wind whipped white froth off the tips of the waves, so it looked like snow topping glassy turquoise and greens, and wafted seagulls into a gentle dance under a few clouds.
“Looks like paradise, doesn’t it?”
“Always. I love this island.”
She unwrapped the packet of sandwiches, handed one over, and pulled a bag of oatmeal and raisin cookies from her backpack. Now to make another judgment call—ask or keep silent. But silence wasn’t her game, and it never helped anyone as far as she knew. She took a deep breath. “What’s wrong, Sam?”
He stiffened and shrugged. “Nothing, really. I just got done talking to Kerry’s mother.”
“Why? What happened?” The muscles in her back tensed and her shoulders snapped into a straight line. She could take on whatever bad news Sam had for her. She had to, even when it came to Kerry.
“Hey, it all turned out all right.” Sam put his hand on her knee. Something that felt like warm honey trickled through her veins. “Kerry’s fine. But you know how trusting he can be.” Sam glanced up, the pain in his eyes almost flattening her.
“Oh, no.” Her whisper barely made it to her own ears. She doubted Sam could have heard her, but he must have read her expression.
“He’s OK, Robin. Yeah, he nearly got snagged by the creep, but someone saw.” Sam bent his head. “If I’d caught that guy the other night, this probably wouldn’t have happened, but God covered for me.”
“You don’t know it was the same guy, Sam. The guy who got away might have just lifted some tourist’s wallet. You don’t know.”
Head shaking, Sam re-wrapped his sandwich. He hadn’t even taken a bite.
“Who helped him? Whoever it is deserves a reward.”
Sam sighed. “Oh yeah. Believe it or not, Donovan’s the one who rescued him. The creep got away, but both Kerry and Donovan got a look at him so the police put together a sketch, and they’re going to publish it tonight. Well, I gather Kerry was pretty confused, but Donovan was really specific. So now we have an idea of who we’re looking for.” He stared at her.
Robin wanted to point out that if Donovan had rescued Kerry, he couldn’t be all bad. But she let it go. Sam had to realize that Donovan had some good qualities now, but she wouldn’t make him admit it out loud. She’d give him that much pride.
“I’m going to go talk to his mom. Kerry shouldn’t be out alone for a while.” She rewrapped her own sandwich and put it, along with Sam’s, back into her pack. “Come with me? We can offer to sort of—not babysit. He’s too old for that, but we’ve got to do something.”
“I agree.” Sam stood and helped her pull her backpack over her shoulders. “Be his back for as long as he needs us.”
She fitted her crutches to her arms and gripped them hard. The walk to the Wright’s house was farther than she’d planned to go, and she always had to portion out her energy to last the day. But Kerry meant more to her than a bad afternoon.
“Why don’t we go get your cart?” Sam asked.
“It’s not charged.” She made a face. “I forgot to plug it in last night.”
He didn’t move for a minute before he pulled out his cell phone. After a short conversation, he smiled. “Kerry’s mom will bring him down here. Really. Anyway, Kerry always likes to take a walk, and that’ll give his mom something to do with him.”
“What? Kerry can walk that far, but I can’t?”
His mouth went tight and straight and his eyes narrowed. “Will you stop being so doggone proud? There’s some things you can’t do. So what? Get over it.” He flipped his phone open and jabbed at the keypad.
Robin sat down, her cheeks burning. That told her what he thought of her. If it weren’t for Kerry, she’d go home. If it weren’t for her crutches, she’d run away.
Ten minutes later, during which neither of them ate any of the lunch Robin had provided, and neither of them spoke, Mrs. Wright trudged down the hill with Kerry next to her. Usually he was either a few feet behind or a few feet in front. Today, it looked like she’d threatened him to keep him as close as possible. He didn’t even smile when Sam said hi.
As soon as his mother let go of his hand, he lumbered to the bench where Robin sat and plopped next to her. “I can’t go anywhere. I can’t go to the park ‘cept on team day, and I can’t go for a walk or nothing. I can’t go to Ray’s house. I can’t do anything by myself.” His eyes and tone told the whole saga of injustice.
“We’re going to help with that.” Robin put her arm around his stiff shoulders. “Sam and I are going to hang out with you whenever we can.”
Kerry looked from Sam’s face to Robin’s, still frowning. “Can we go places?”
“Sure.” Not that Avalon offered an array of entertainment, other than for the tourists, but Kerry wouldn’t know that. He’d grown up on the island, just like Robin had, and as far as she knew, he’d seldom been off.
“Will you take me for rides in your golf cart?”
Robin laughed. “Sure.” At least one person in the world saw her as something more than a cripple. She glowered at Sam for half a second and decided to let the anger go. He probably hadn’t meant to hurt her. He thought he was being realistic.
Mrs. Wright wriggled Kerry’s hand. “Did you hear that, Kerry? Now you can have a little more freedom with either Robin or Sam.”
He twisted to face his mother. “And Donovan.”
“Oh, sure. You can go places with Donovan. That’s fine. But he hasn’t offered to take you anywhere.”
“But he saved me.” Kerry’s limbs tightened with his excitement. “Did you hear ‘bout that? Donovan saved me. An old creep was trying to make me go with him, but Donovan wouldn’t let him.”
“His new hero.” Mrs. Wright chuckled. “Really, I feel a lot better knowing you two are willing to take on Kerry.”
Sam opened his mouth, but Robin interrupted. “We’re not taking him on.” Not as if he were a burden, anyway. “We’re doing a favor. And we like hanging out with Kerry.”
“‘Cuz we’re friends, remember, Robin? You always said we’re friends. No matter what.”
“That’s right.” She gave him a one-armed hug.
The next day, as Robin entered the co-op, Grace leaned on the counter and watched Robin drag herself onto the stool behind the counter. “You looked wiped out. What’s up?”
Robin ran a hand through her hair, gathered it, and wrapped a band around it. “Sam and I talked to Kerry’s mom and set up a schedule so he doesn’t have to go places alone for a while.”
“Kerry’s a grown man.”
“Yeah, well, some creep tried to grab him. We’re not taking any chances. Even Kerry sees the sense in that. He knows he needs to be protected.”
Grace shrugged and pulled a box of merchandise from under the counter. “So how’d he get away from the predator?”
“Remember Donovan? The photographer?”
Grace stared at Robin, her mouth open in exaggerated shock, a handful of ceramic dolphins dangling from her fingers. “Do I? Honey, the woman who could forget him is dead.”
Robin grimaced. “Well, he saw what happened and ran after the guy. Chased him off. It would have been better if he’d stopped him, got the police or something. But at least Kerry is OK.”
“So on top of being beautiful, this guy is a knight in shining armor, and you’re still not interested?”
“Looks aren’t everyth
ing.”
Grace grinned. “No. Which is why I mentioned the knight part.”
“He’s a nice guy. There just isn’t anything there.”
“Because of Sam.”
“Because I’m not interested!”
“He is.” Grace peered at Robin from under her bangs. “Remember all the toys he bought? All your toys? The ones he mailed to Michigan, for his nieces.”
Robin stared at her friend, trying to keep her voice as level as her gaze. “Sure, I remember. And I told you that was nice of him.”
Grace planted her hands on her hips. “Is that all you can say?”
“I’m not interested. He’s nice, he’s good looking, and he does nothing for me.” She settled onto the rolling stool and edged toward the counter.
“But maybe you should—”
“What?” Robin spun, leaning forward, her hands clenched. “Settle for him because he’s the only guy interested in me?”
Tsking, Grace said, “It’s not settling when a guy looks like that.”
Robin shook her head. “I can’t convince you, can I?”
“I just think you’re missing out on something really good.”
Robin closed her eyes to keep the tears from showing. “I know. I am. But it’s not Donovan I’m missing.”
7
The pizza parlor was as noisy as ever, more because of the video games begging for players than the number of patrons. Sam looked around the restaurant. “You’d think more parents would be bringing their kids to places like these.”
“Are you kidding?” Robin edged around the end of a bench.
Sam knew better than to offer help. The last time he’d suggested getting a special chair for her, so she wouldn’t have to maneuver the benches, she hadn’t talked to him for a week. Add her reaction when he’d insisted Kerry do the walking instead of Robin, and he might end up without a best friend. Better to let her play Miss Independent and stick around to pick up the pieces if he ever needed to. So far, he hadn’t. She seemed to know her own limits better than he did.
In fact, he was the one who tended to end up in pieces, each time he offended her pride.
Sam shook his head. Worrying about Robin in front of her would not help his case, so instead, he concentrated on the subject. “What’s wrong with bringing kids here? It’s safe. There’s only one exit.”
Donovan bumped past Sam and slid next to Robin, leaving Sam no place but across the table from her. “There’s the bathroom.” He glowered at Sam. “You’re the one who pointed out what a guy could do to a kid in a bathroom, and how quick it can happen. And you’re right.” He shook his head. “I used to think people were being paranoid, you know? Until I saw that guy go after Kerry. If I were a parent, I’d make my kid wear diapers until he graduated high school.”
Robin’s face showed her revulsion, but Donovan didn’t see it. Sam did, though, and his spirits rose. He tried not to smirk. “I’d be more careful. Stand outside the door, check the place out first. But kids have to have some fun sometime.”
“Sure they do. But not when there’s some monster out there just waiting to molest them.” His face contorted. “They oughta just castrate those guys the minute they see they’ve got any sort of inclination to that.”
Robin smacked her forehead. “Donovan, please, not again. There are children here.”
Sam, studying Robin’s face, thought, and young women with tender hearts. He reached across the table and covered her hand with his.
Donovan glared at her. “What do you want to do, Robin, throw our kids in his way without telling them what could happen to them?”
“I don’t think they need details.”
Sam gripped her hand as she jerked.
Donovan stood, his jaw trembling. “I’m only thinking about the kids. No one wants to see molesters killed better than me. No one.” He jerked out his wallet, threw a twenty on the table and strode out.
Robin bent and covered her face with her hands. “I’m sorry. I just don’t think the kids need graphic details. Not of what could happen, and not of what he’d do to the criminals who’d do it.”
Sam squeezed her hand before he let go and reached for the food in front of him. “But they need to know what to avoid.”
I’m not arguing that.” She rubbed her face and finally dropped her hands to her lap. “I just don’t agree with his methods.”
“You have to admit, he’s passionate about it.”
“Right.” She didn’t seem impressed.
Should he point out how completely they’d each taken the other’s position, him defending Donovan, her lambasting him? But no. He’d just enjoy it while it lasted. He went around the table and hugged her gently. “You can’t fault him for that.”
“I guess. But most people get pretty upset about pedophiles.” She pushed a stray lock of black hair behind her ear and shrugged out of his embrace.
Sam grinned, but only as he went back to his place across the table from her. No sense giving her a reason to stop talking to him again. “That, too. I mean, I feel the same way.”
“Can we talk about something else?”
“Anything you want, Robin. Anything you want.”
Robin watched Sam over the rim of her soda cup. He was a lot nicer when Donovan wasn’t around. He might not love Robin, not in the way that meant the most to her, but he sure didn’t want Donovan playing up to her either. Not that Donovan had tried much today. He’d taken a few team pictures, wandered around the edge of the field and watched, mostly. Donovan was a nice enough guy, but he made her nervous. And that was probably Grace’s fault, with her constant pushing to get Robin to go out with him, when he hadn’t even asked.
Outside the parlor, after lunch, Robin hitched her crutches under her arms and edged onto the bus lift. Sam leaned through the door, getting the driver’s attention. “Can I get a ride today? There aren’t that many kids, and I’m getting off the same place as Robin.”
“Against policy.” The driver reached for the controls.
Before he could shut the door in Sam’s face, Robin said, “Fine, I’ll walk.”
The driver glared at her and threw Sam a dirty look. “All right, already. Just don’t think I’m going to make a habit of this.”
“Thanks.” Sam bounded onto the bus, waited for Robin to take her seat, and sat across the aisle from her. He leaned toward her, one elbow on his knee, a slight grin on his face. Go figure. He always got what he wanted.
“You’re such a player,” she told him.
“What?” He straightened, outrage widening his eyes.
“You play people. Maybe I should have said manipulator, but it’s not as pithy.”
He laughed. “Hey, whatever it takes.” Still chuckling, he relaxed against the seat and stretched his arm along it, reaching toward her. “Don’t tell me you’d rather have walked. Anyway, you were the one who persuaded him.”
“Only because you wanted me to.”
“I never said that.”
“Not in words.”
For a long moment he studied her face. His gaze felt like a warm glow washing over her, just like his touch. Exotic, enticing, and a little uncomfortable. She’d never get herself free from him, and he’d never much want her either. And someday, maybe when she hit eighty or so, it would stop hurting.
After several more minutes, he sighed. “You know me too well.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
He chuckled again, completely without humor and without looking at her. “Depends. This time, maybe. I don’t know.” He jumped up. “Here’s our stop.”
She struggled to her feet and clomped down the aisle after him. The driver waited for Sam to land on the street before he engaged the lift. She stepped on it, staggered and wavered for half a second before she pitched off.
Sam caught her, not quite before she hit the ground, but before she’d sustained too much damage. Still, she glared at her right knee, now covered in shredded uni
form, grit and flecks of blood, and stinging like crazy.
“Ah, babe.” Sam bent to check out her leg and that gave her time to control her reaction to his nickname. Really, he had to stop calling her that. It was killing her. “Think you can make it inside?”
“Yeah, sure.” She shifted her crutches and tried not to put as much weight on that leg. She walked funny enough without the extra pain, and hot shame dogged her as closely as Sam, with his outstretched arms and wrinkled brow. He was sweet to be so concerned, but, oh, did he have to see how badly the lower half of her body flopped around, out of her control?
“Do you want to sit down while I wash it off?”
“I think I need to lie down.” So much for acting the stoic. She jabbed her crutch toward her bedroom just off the living room.
Sam was helping her lift herself onto her bed when her grandmother came in. She stood at the door to Robin’s room, hands on her hips, and watched. “What happened, kiddo?”
“I fell getting off the bus.”
Gram tsked her tongue but came forward to stroke Robin’s hair. “I’m really glad I don’t have to worry about you having a man in your room.”
“I’m not.” Oh, but that was the pain talking, pain from the sting of humiliation rather than the scraped knee. She looked at Sam, ignoring her grandmother’s hoots of laughter.
His lips twitched.
She’d kill him as soon as she could move.
Gram disappeared and came back a moment later with the first aid kit and a dripping cloth, which she handed to Sam. He wiped at her knee, pausing when she gasped but going on with it.
As soon as her grandmother left them again, Robin said, “I didn’t mean—”
“I know what you meant.” Sam bent as though he had to see a particularly difficult bit of grit in her wound. “Looks like you’re ready for the bandaging.” He took care of that and carried the box to her dresser.
Robin lay on her bed, still burning. She wanted him to leave. She wanted the chance to curl on her side and cry. She wanted to replay the conversation until she could convince herself she hadn’t said those awful words, but that couldn’t happen.
Fixing Perfect Page 7