Sara pulled on Sean’s hand. “Darling, please get me a coffee. I’ll make sure you have everything you need too.” Her brows sagged and she pouted.
“Of course.” He smiled.
Her hand filtered from his, then both women hurried toward the elevators, leaving him with Earl. The man may have a business, but he wasn’t a communicator by any means. He only spoke when necessary, and when spoken to, but he was pleasant enough.
“You didn’t have to buy our tickets.” Earl gestured to the travel desk.
“You’re taking us for a nice dinner remember?”
“It might have been cheaper for the tickets.”
Before Sean came into money, he had always spent it thoughtfully—at least for the most part. He valued return on investment, whether that be intrinsic or entertainment. Some friends termed Sean a spend-thrift, but they hadn’t met Earl Spencer.
Squealing brakes echoed through the lobby from the front turnaround. The shuttle was here.
“I better go get that coffee.” Sean glanced at the elevator, and, as if on cue, it chimed and the doors opened. Both women came out together.
Sara had changed into a pair of black capris and a teal tank shirt. She carried a loaded beach bag over her shoulder and Sean took it from her.
“Thank you, hon.”
He lifted it up and down. “What have you got in here?”
“Everything we’ll need.” Her eyes settled on his hands.
“And my guess, a little more,” he said.
“Where’s my coffee?”
“Sorry, darling, but we’ll have to get something once we’re there. The shuttle’s already here.”
Sara took a deep breath, her gaze carrying a subtle glare. “I hope you’re right.”
“Oh, come on, darling,” he kissed her forehead, “you’ll live.”
“But you might not.” Sara laughed.
“See how cute they are together, Earl. Were we ever like that?”
When Earl didn’t answer his wife, Sara did it for him. “Probably cuter.”
Catherine smiled. “How sweet.”
Sara tugged on Sean’s arm. “We better get moving. Oh, I’m so excited. Swimming with the dolphins.”
She watched them walk off with another couple. That had been close. Earl’s wife had been right there. She had to be a little more careful about how she handled things. Her heart was getting in the way of her mind.
It thumped in her chest, pounding against her rib cage as if longing for freedom.
She kept glancing over at them until they boarded a shuttle, and then she hurried to the travel desk.
“Excuse me.”
The Mexican woman looked up, the reflection in her eyes telling her she was an intrusion.
She pointed to the shuttle. “Where are they going?”
“Who?”
“Them?” She jabbed her finger. She wished she knew Spanish, because at least it would gain her some favor with the Mexicans. They tended to see through her and not give her a second thought.
“The couples,” she said, hoping it would jar a response from the woman.
“To swim with dolphins.”
“I will take one ticket.”
“Many packages available. Do you also want to snorkel? Do you want to add on manatees? Or to swim with seals?”
She took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Just the dolphins.”
“Credit card or cash?”
“How much?”
The woman provided the total and she handed over her credit card. It should have an open balance sufficient to cover the transaction. She had booked the trip on it, but prior to that, it had been at a zero balance. She quickly went over purchases in her mind and realized that everything else she had bought she had paid for in cash.
“One moment.” The woman took her card and went over to the front desk.
Where was she going? Why did everyone move so slowly here?
The shuttle looked like it was getting ready to leave.
Come on. Come on.
The woman came back, extending the plastic. “Declined.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. Try it again.”
“I try three times. Declined.”
She took the card and rummaged through her purse. She had enough cash, but what happened to the available credit on the card? She prayed it didn’t mean what she thought it might.
She counted out the bills and handed them to the Mexican woman, who shuffled through each of them, slowly enough that she could have been memorizing serial numbers.
“You do take American currency?”
“Yes.” The woman’s eyes never left the cash.
“Please. Hur—”
She glanced over when she heard the psff of air. The shuttle doors closed and it was on the move.
“How am I supposed to—”
“Taxi.” The woman handed her a ticket. “It’s just a short ride to the boat that will take you to the dolphins.”
She couldn’t get out of this country fast enough.
Stormy Waters
THE DOLPHINS WERE ON ISLA MUJERES and required a twenty-five-minute boat ride through the Caribbean Sea. The boat was a three-decker, including the lower level where passengers entered.
Coming through the doorway, the hull of the ship carried the distinct smell of pastries and coffee. Sara’s eyes fired to life. “Thank the heavens.”
“Let me get it for you,” Sean said.
Catherine waved for Sara’s attention. “We’ll get a place for us to sit together.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
Sean poured Sara’s cup and got one for himself. She picked up an apple danish and put it on a napkin.
“Carbs for breakfast?” he asked.
“Sean, this is vacation. Calories don’t count, and besides, carbs are a popular breakfast form.”
“It won’t hold you over.”
He held back his true feelings. Just the glint in her eyes told him not to press her about food or drink choices—especially before her first cup of coffee.
“I’m sure there’s more food where we’re going, and right now, I’m more interested in coffee.” She bounced on her feet. “Oh, I’m so excited. We’re doing something today.”
Sean snickered.
“Are you laughing at me, or with me? Be honest. I know you’re excited to be getting off the resort too.”
“God, yeah.”
“Sean.”
“What?”
“Well, that was a little quick.”
He gently guided her over by her elbow and let another couple cram in to get their morning delights. “You know exactly how I feel.” He matched eyes with her.
She smiled and nodded. “I do. Bored. Now, please don’t take it personally, darling.”
“Never.”
“No, really. It’s just we’re used to always being on the go and never slowing down. We’re going on our third week of doing nothing.”
“I know exactly how you feel. I’m dying for some action and adventure. Maybe even a crime to solve.” He rubbed his hands together.
“You’re on vacation in Cancun and dreaming of your old day job? You’ve got to be the first.”
“Can you honestly say you don’t miss it, even a little bit?”
“I miss the purpose and direction.” Sara tore a small corner off the danish and popped it into her mouth.
He wiped away a crumb at the corner of her bottom lip. “I miss bringing closure to families and stopping killers. I’m starting to look at everyone as a suspect.”
She slanted her head to the side. “And what’s the crime?”
“Well, for most of the guys, it’s staring at you.”
“Oh. Punishable by death.”
“It should be.”
She smirked and took a sip of her coffee.
“We should get upstairs with the Spencers. After all, we did invite them along, and it would be rude to hide out somewhere making love.” He put his hands
on her hips and pulled her toward him.
She put her cup and pastry on a free corner of the table and draped her arms around his neck. Her fingers caressed his nape and she kissed his lips.
It had him wishing they were back at the resort.
The Spencers were at a table near an open window. Catherine gestured toward two empty chairs—one beside her, the other by her husband. “We left the ones against the glass for you.”
Sara glanced at Sean, and he picked up on her silent communication. She didn’t want to part from his side, but she smiled at Catherine and took the seat beside her.
A few minutes passed before the roar of the engines started and the boat was in motion. The farther out they went, the choppier the waves became, rocking the boat, kicking up water and foam though the window.
Sean got up to close it.
“Leave it. It’s okay.” Sara was laughing. She licked her lips. “That is so salty.”
“Then, you asked for it.” Sean sat back down.
For being such a lady, he loved Sara’s playful nature. Life was an adventure to her. For him, before he came into money, he tackled life as a list of to-dos that needed crossing off.
While the others didn’t seem affected by the motion of the boat—Sara giggled every time it cut a wave, sending sea water cascading inside—for him, with each heave, he willed his focus on something else. His stomach churned and he was thankful he didn’t have breakfast in there.
“Tell us about your company, Earl.” Sean figured it was a good time to broach the subject, and it would get his mind off the drastic ups and downs.
He swiped at the air. “Nah, I don’t want to bore you with the details.”
“It wouldn’t.”
Earl looked out the window, his aversion to making eye contact ever apparent.
“Let’s talk about the dolphins, darling. Earl came on holidays to get away from work.” Sara didn’t seem to miss Earl’s body language.
Sean wished she hadn’t shot down his efforts to get some personal information from Earl.
Sara’s attention went back out the window. “It’s so beautiful.”
The women started into a conversation, but Sean wasn’t really listening. He was still curious why Earl went quiet every time business came up.
“The girl’s right. This is vacation,” Earl added, seconds after he could have let the topic go.
“I was just trying to make conversation.”
“Let’s talk about you and your new bride then. How did you meet?”
“You know how it is. You find the right one and the rest is history.” He paused, studying Earl’s eyes. He wasn’t going to get caught up in the details and let Earl’s attempt at diverting the discussion work. He referred back to Earl’s business. “Of course, I didn’t mean to pry.”
“It’s starting to seem like you do.”
“Nonsense. I just have a curious mind.”
Earl pressed his lips together before turning away and getting up. “Anyone else here interested in a drink? My treat.”
“A drink? Earl, it’s only eight o’clock in the morning,” Catherine chirped in.
“I am fully aware of that, but we are on vacation, are we not?” He hit both hands to his chest and opened his arms wide. “What do you say?”
Sean glanced over at Sara, who shook her head.
“We’ll pass, at this time.” Sean answered for the both of them.
Catherine gestured toward her husband, then to his chair. “Why don’t you sit down? There is plenty of day for drinking.”
He ignored the offer and took off in the direction of the bar.
“I apologize for him. He doesn’t realize how he comes across sometimes. He’s not really a boozer.”
“No judgment here at all. Right, Sean?” Sara touched her shoe against his.
“None.”
“You two are the sweetest people I’ve met in a long time,” Catherine said.
“Thank you.”
While Sara was being kind, he couldn’t help but think why the topic of business had Earl needing a drink.
Swimming With The Dolphins
THE PLACE WAS LARGER THAN Sean had expected. A huge section of sea was fenced off and dolphins were jumping and performing as nature would dictate, but there weren’t any tourists in the water at this point. There was also a pen with a shark, as well as separate areas for seals and manatees.
Signs located near the change rooms announced bicycle rentals were available for riding around the island.
They were directed to a counter to get a life jacket and then separated into teams of six to eight and each group was assigned a trainer. A Canadian couple, William and Ann Bolder, joined them.
Sara slipped her jacket on and zipped it up. “What was the weather like when you left home?”
“It was minus twenty-five with a wind chill that made it feel like minus forty.” Ann looked at William, his face contorting as he did the conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit.
“That would be minus thirteen for you guys.”
“And you probably have lots of snow, eh.” Earl bumped his shoulder into his wife’s.
Catherine shot him a glare and moved a few steps away. “Never mind him. He thinks he’s funny.”
Both Canadians were smiling but didn’t seem to be too engaged in the interaction and turned around to watch the marine life.
Earl crossed his arms. “I am funny. You just don’t appreciate my sense of humor.”
Ever since Earl downed a couple cocktails, his awkward nature had transformed to irritating. Sean wouldn’t verbalize his feelings to Sara, as he didn’t want any negativity to dampen the enjoyment of the day. Instead, he asked, “Are you ready?”
“Yes, this is so exciting, Sean. To think, just weeks ago, we were at work.” Her voice rose in volume with each word.
Earl stood with his hands on his hips, legs about twelve inches apart. “You want to talk about business, Mr. McKinley. What about you and the Mrs.?”
“Oh.” Sara looked at him.
“We’re in between occupations currently.”
Sara touched Sean’s arm and her energy read, good save.
“Whoa, and you’re on vacation. Nice.”
“Mr. Spencer,” he mimicked Earl’s formal address, “there must be some mystery to us.”
A tanned man of about five-five came over and garnered the group’s attention, including the Bolders. “My name is Alejandro. I’ll be your trainer today.” He paused to insert a sincere-looking smile. “Have any of you ever swam with dolphins before?”
The Bolders put their hands up and accompanied it with a verbal chorus. “We have.”
“Excellent. Was it here?”
Ann Bolder was smiling. “Yes, one year ago.”
“Welcome back.”
“Gracias.”
Alejandro bobbed his head. “You’ve all got your life jackets on, I see.” He inspected them. “You all look good. All right, follow me.”
“Look!” Sara stopped walking and pointed at three dolphins racing through the water. They came up together and jumped in the air. “They’re so beautiful I’m going to cry.”
“I left my handkerchiefs in the locker, darling, but I’m willing to kiss your tears away.”
“Aw.”
The expression slipped from Ann Bolder, and Sean broke eye contact from Sara for a second to smile at her. Most women were the same. They loved romantic gestures.
They walked a few more steps and Sara’s feet grounded to the deck again. She pulled back on Sean’s arm. “I’m not sure I can do this.”
The rest of the group slowed their pace and Alejandro came over. “Is everything all right, miss?”
“It’s Mrs. McKinley.”
Alejandro hitched his brows at Sean, not seeming to care if Sara saw the gesture or its implication. “You have no need to worry. They are like dogs of the sea.”
Sara snickered and then it grew into a full laugh, drawing Alejandro’s attentio
n further to her, while Sean kept a close eye on him.
“Did you hear what he said, Sean? Dogs of the sea.”
“Well, they’re certainly a little larger than a dog, aren’t they?” Sean cocked his head.
“Yes, but they are gentle. They won’t hurt you.” Alejandro traced his hand down Sara’s arm.
She stepped back, nodded, and smiled pleasantly, but tucked into Sean’s side. “I’ll be fine.”
“You will, darling.” Sean kissed her forehead.
Chain link cordoned off the dolphin area, and some of the fencing was used to make a shelf around the perimeter for them to stand on. Alejandro led them to a metal staircase that took them into the water at a depth of about four feet. Other groups were positioned around the pen as well.
“Oh, I’m scared, Sean.”
“You will be fine, love.” Sean led the way and held her hand.
“Just be careful of your footing as the steps get slick with algae,” Alejandro said.
He was too concerned, and occupied, with Sara for Sean’s liking. “We’ve got it. Thank you.”
Sara smiled knowingly, and the expression made Sean acknowledge the “green monster” living beneath his surface. He needed to squash it quick—Sara wasn’t going anywhere.
“We all need to line up along the fence and I’ll introduce you to our girls.” Alejandro blew a whistle—not that humans could hear it.
Sara nestled into Sean and he gripped the link fence at their back. Between the choppy water and their buoyancy, they were bucked back and forth, the slimy shelf doing little to help them.
Two dolphins jumped out of the water and then swam along in front of them.
“What we’re going to do is get you used to them first.” Alejandro spoke with his eyes fixed on Sara.
Sean supposed he had known what he’d signed up for—Sara was the beautiful woman next door with a splash of Playboy Bunny.
One of the dolphins swam near.
“Sally is five.” Alejandro popped a few fish into her mouth.
She ducked beneath the surface and came back up again, then worked her way down the line as Alejandro had them petting her, shaking a fin, and kissing her.
Tears streaked down Sara’s cheeks when her lips met the mammal’s thick, yet soft as velvet, hide. “They are so beautiful,” she whispered.
Carolyn Arnold - McKinley 02 - Vacation is Murder Page 2