Mister Diamond

by Chance Carter

  * * *

  Joss fell asleep quickly, lured to sleep by the constant hum of the engine. She had only meant to rest a few hours but her worn out body had other plans. When she finally opened her eyes, she was startled to see she had slept almost five hours. She never meant to stay apart from Charlie so long.

  After freshening up, she wound her way up the stairs towards the bridge. Charlie was sitting in the captain’s chair, steering the boat towards the coastline. Joss moved slowly towards him, admiring the view through the expansive windows. Something about the rugged landscape in front of them reminded her of their little island, making her feel nostalgic, even a little homesick.

  “Hey,” Charlie greeted, gesturing her to come near, “how did you sleep?”

  “Surprisingly well. Better than I have in months,” she admitted, taking the seat beside him.

  He turned to her and smiled. “That’s good. You probably needed it.”

  “Charlie,” Joss sighed, pausing to collect her thoughts. “Can we talk about the elephant in the room?”

  “Of course,” he agreed, as though he knew the question was coming.

  “Can we talk about the boat? You named it after me?” she asked, her eyes settling on his.

  “Yes.”

  “Why?” she pressed cautiously, locking her emotions up tight. Although touched by the gesture, they still hadn’t talked about the future.

  “Because it’s yours,” he stated flatly.

  “The boat?”

  “It’s a yacht, baby, but ya,” he smirked, tilting his head puckishly.

  “The yacht. What do you mean?” Joss asked, sucking in air.

  “I mean I bought it for you. It’s yours.”

  “Charlie, what the hell are you talking about? Why would you buy me a yacht?”

  Charles chuckled softly, shrugging his shoulders. “Because I want you to live the rest of your life like a queen.”

  Her jaw dropped, searching for words. He chuckled quietly, waiting for his news to settle.

  “Well...that was...pretty presumptuous,” she said, still reeling from the shock.

  “Yes,” he affirmed.

  “Charlie, have you gone mad?” she asked, leaning forward in her seat.

  “Not that I know of,” he laughed, taking her hand. “It’s in your name, Joss. You can do whatever you want with it. You can kick me off and sail it around the world if you want, continue your adventures. Or you can invite me to stay and I’ll be your captain...”

  “Hmm, I’m sure you would,” Joss said recalling how Charlie liked to take control.

  “I told you everything was going to work out, and I meant it. I just want you to know you have choices.”

  “Charlie, this is too much!” Joss gushed, overwhelmed by the extravagant gesture.

  “No, it’s not. Joss, I have more money than I could spend in five lifetimes, maybe more. What’s the point in having it if you can’t spend it on the people you love?”

  “But Charlie...” Joss stopped short, letting his words land on her.

  He shook his head and grinned, obviously pleased with himself. “I’ve been intimately familiar with seven women in my life, three of them I married, and the common denominator with all of them was that they each wanted me to take care of them. They loved the money more than me. You’ve never asked me for anything, Joss. In fact, it was always you taking care of me.”

  “Well if I’d known how rich you were...” she teased, chuckling softly.

  “Cute,” he said, squeezing her fingers, “but you knew I was filthy rich. I was in Fiji to buy a frigging island when we met, for chrissakes.”

  “Yeah yeah,” she said, shrugging her shoulders lightly.

  “I’m in love with you, Joss,” he suddenly choked, his tone rich with emotion. “I know how hard the past five months were for you, being apart from everyone. It was for me too. We bonded like a family; in some cases the family that none of us had...”

  Joss dropped her eyes, afraid she might cry. She missed her boys so much, every single one of them. It was hard hearing Charlie talk about them. She didn’t want to stir up all her old feelings before she figured out what her new feelings were. How would that be fair to Charlie?

  “I want you to be happy, Joss. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. When we were together on that island you shone like a diamond. You were truly in your element, like you belonged there. You made it feel like home for all of us. Christ, if Ryan had not taken so ill, I think we all could have stayed forever. In fact, I’m sure of it. I’ve never known a woman so self-assured, so fucking real. Please look at me” he begged, raising her chin with two strong fingers.

  “Oh Charlie,” she choked, absorbing his words, a million thoughts swirling in her head. “I have missed you so much. All of you. I tried so hard to move on, to shake my feelings... but...”

  “Before you say ‘but’, I need you to look forward, out the window,” he smiled, gently turning her chair.

  Joss followed his eye line, looking at the land in front of them. As they had closed in on the island the silhouette started taking on a shape she recognized. The familiar peak of a mountain, pushing up through the centre, like a fist in solidarity. It was their island! They were sailing towards the north beach!

  “What is this?” Joss asked, jumping to her feet.

  Charlie, continuing to steer the yacht towards the coast, smiling peacefully, pleased with her response.

  “You found it?” she asked, turning back.

  “It wasn’t that hard Joss, the coordinates were in all the transcripts from the rescue. I came back months ago. I wanted to check out the north beach. You, Daniel and Ryan were so excited about it.”

  Joss blushed, recalling the naughty nights the three of them had spent there together. She turned her head, hoping Charlie wouldn’t read those memories on her face.

  “It’s a beautiful spot. You know, the island was actually uncharted and unclaimed...” he added. She knew him well enough to recognize his tone. He was leading her somewhere.

  “Was?”

  “It now belongs to us. I registered it so I could build on it,” he revealed proudly.

  “Are you joking? What do you mean us?” Joss gushed, slowly walking towards him.

  “It’s our Island. All of us. You, me, and the boys. I claimed it for us.”

  “This is crazy,” she laughed, slipping her arms around him. He allowed her to hug him, keeping his eyes on the horizon.

  “I thought you might like to see it again, show you what I’ve been doing. I had a crew come in and build a small structure, nothing extravagant, more of a cabin really but we can add on to it in time.”

  “What about work, Charlie?” she asked, pragmatic as ever. “Live there? Permanently?”

  “Well sort of, the options are open. I made sure to install wind and solar power, and we have a fresh water well too. Your yacht will make it easy for us to come and go as we please, have some fun off the island, keep the pantry stocked, unless of course you’re happy trapping rats.”

  “I think I’m good,” Joss laughed, still in shock. “And work?”

  “I sold my shares to my business partners and stepped down as CEO. I’ll stay on the Board of Directors, but I can do that from anywhere in the world. I’m done working so hard. If my heart attack last year didn’t send me a clear message, then the plane crash did. Being on that island with you, and the rest of the guys, made me realize that life is too fucking short. I have more money than God, Joss. I don’t have to work another day in my life.”

  “I just can’t believe it...” she stammered.

  “Honestly, even if I had to give up everything to be back on this little island with you I would have,” he admitted, reaching for her hand. “You’re my family now, Joss.”

  Joss nodded, her heart bursting with love. “Me too, Charlie.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful I don’t have to, I mean come on, look at this boat!” he boasted playfully.

  “It�
�s a yacht, baby...” Joss teased, quick on the comeback. Charlie raised a brow and laughed at her, gently smacking her ass.

  “Smart-ass,” he teased, pulling her into his lap, a frisky kiss stifling her giggles. At first it was playful, but quickly became more passionate, until Charlie finally pulled away.

  “Honey, I’m driving. Unless you want me to run aground, I had better pay attention to what I’m doing.”

  Joss jumped off his lap, and let him steer them towards the shore. When they were a hundred yards from shore he stopped the engines, dropped the anchor, and hopped out of his chair.

  “Come on, let’s go,” he suggested, gesturing with a nod.

  “Are we going ashore?” Joss asked, following him off the bridge and down the stairs.

  “Yes, we’ll take the dinghy the rest of the way. It’s not safe to pull the yacht in any further.”

  Within minutes they were pulling up to the dock Charlie had built, the sun just starting to set behind them. The dock was lined with unlit tiki torches, which continued all the way up the beautiful beach, guiding them towards the cabin. Charlie had understated things a little. It was more like a cozy cottage, a beautiful porch wrapping it on three sides.

  “Are you ready?” Charlie asked, escorting her up to the porch, smiling like the cat who ate the canary.

  “Yes!” Joss gushed, stifling her giggles.

  Just as Charlie stepped out of her way, the cottage door swung open, and Willie stepped through.

  “What?” Joss cried, closing the gap between them, passing a grinning Charlie. She threw herself into his arms, tears spilling from her eyes. Laughing, Willie released his embrace and stepped aside, revealing Ryan and Daniel, also in the doorway.

  “Oh my god, is this really happening?” Joss squealed, hugging them both. “How?”

  “Charles arranged it all. He sent us a message a few weeks ago telling us about his plans,” Ryan explained joyfully, “we all arrived a few days ago and have been working to get this place ready for you!”

  Joss was speechless. She couldn’t believe they were all together, home again. She looked towards the door, waiting, her eyes filled with hope.

  “He’s not here, Joss,” Daniel offered soberly.

  Joss looked at Charles who nodded, clearly just as disappointed as she was. “I tried to reach out to him. I sent him an email telling him the plan and the day you would be arriving. I never heard back from him.”

  “Oh,” she choked, her smile waning.

  “Well, we’re here,” she continued, making her voice as cheerful as possible. She wished with all her heart that Grant had joined their reunion, but she wouldn’t let her disappointment ruin things for the others.

  “Come inside,” Ryan smiled, grabbing her suitcase. “We’ll give you a tour and open some wine.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Joss giggled following him inside, the others close behind.

  The place was sparsely furnished and modestly decorated, simple and comfortable, just the way you would imagine a beach house should be. Aside from a functional little kitchen and a cozy living room, there were three bedrooms, one with a king sized bed.

  The other two bedrooms were furnished with single beds. Charles told her the arrangement was only temporary, that once they added the addition they would include more bedrooms. Joss couldn’t help but wonder who would be sharing her bed until then. Would they take turns? Draw straws? What exactly was the plan? It was one thing to find a cozy little corner in the jungle to make love, or snuggle up privately on the beach. But what did all of this mean?

  “How long are you guys staying?” Joss asked, sitting down at the kitchen island.

  “How long will you have us?” Willie asked sincerely. She’d forgotten how sexy his voice was.

  “What does that mean?”

  “We’re staying,” Daniel nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

  “How can that be? You all just left everything behind?” Joss pressed, her eyes landing on Ryan.

  “Well it’s not like we’re trapped here, we can still travel, work if we want, connect with the outside world. This is just home base,” Ryan explained, setting some wine glasses on the counter in front of them. “I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be relevant in the movie industry anyway. You know how fickle it can be.”

  “What about that movie you were going to make, that action flick with Ethan McLaughlin?” Joss asked, looking at him skeptically.

  “That ship has sailed, baby. When the world thought I was dead they gave the part to another sexy stud,” he chuckled, making them all laugh.

  “Daniel? What about you?” Joss asked, patting the seat beside her, gesturing for him to sit down. He sat on the stool, wrapping his knees around her.

  “Well I no longer have my trust fund, if that’s what your asking. My parents disowned me when I told them I was leaving, but I don’t give a damn. After I went home I decided that nothing about that life made sense for me. I couldn’t stand being at work, in that stuffy law office. The walls were literally closing in on me. You know me, Joss. I need adventure. So when Charles called and told me what he was planning, I didn’t even blink. I knew this was where I was meant to be. With you, the love of my life. And my mates, of course.”

  “Happened the same way for me,” Willie interjected thoughtfully, to no one in particular. Joss looked at him and smiled, encouraging him to go one. “I just couldn’t do it anymore. You saw how I was here on the island. For the first time in my life I felt like I had purpose, peace. Basketball was great, but when I weighed out all the pros and cons, the list was pretty one sided. I wasn’t happy anymore, so I retired. I missed you guys. You’re like family.” His eyes landed on Joss, as the next words spilled from his lips, “I love you too, Joss.”

  He came closer, kissing her on the top of her head before allowing their eyes to connect. In that moment of vulnerability she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that his heart belonged to her.

  “Look what I have,” Ryan said, raising a dusty old bottle of wine. “Is that...?” Joss gasped, recognizing the worn out label.

  “Yup, it’s the bottle of wine we were saving for the day we got rescued. I guess in all the haste to save my sorry ass, it got left behind.”

  “How did it get here?” Joss asked, taking the bottle from him.

  “I had our belongings gathered up and brought back here, all the stuff we left at camp. The wine was in one of the suitcases. I thought it would be fitting for our first toast together,” Charlie chimed in.

  “It’s perfect,” Joss agreed, thinking about Grant. She wished he was there with them. She set the bottle on the counter for Ryan to open.

  “Did you forgot to buy a corkscrew?” Ryan laughed, digging through the cabinet.

  “Shit,” Charlie laughed, slipping in beside him. He rifled through the drawer himself, coming up empty handed. “You’d think we were on a deserted island or something,” he quipped, slapping Ryan between the shoulder blades. “I’m sure I have an extra one on the yacht.”

  Joss let out an anxious breath, looking at each of them, her eyes filled with uncertainty. “What is it, Joss?” Charlie asked, closing the drawer with a thud.

  “How does this work for us?” she asked pensively, sweeping her hand between them all. “What does this mean?”

  “What does what mean, love?” he asked, regarding her warmly.

  “Me, you, all of you?” she asked cautiously, struggling to find the words.

  “It means we all love you, Joss. We’re here because we want to be together, to be a family. We’re here because we’re committed to you,” Charlie replied confidently, answering for them all. The others nodded enthusiastically, affirming his sentiments.

  “And you’re all okay with this? The intimacy?” she asked, pressing for clarity, her heart thumping nervously beneath her breasts.

  “Nothing has to change, Joss,” Ryan assured, reaching across the counter for her hand. She could feel herself shaking beneath his touch. He grinned a
t her playfully and winked, “Think of us as your boy toys.”

  “You guys have talked about this? You don’t foresee any problems? Any hurt feelings?”

  “Of course we thought it through,” Willie answered softly, brushing a loose hair off her cheek. “We made it work before. We had a good thing going, didn’t we? We know it’s unconventional, but so what? As long as you’re happy, we’re happy. You’re our girl.”

  Her mouth softened, suddenly aroused, the blood rushing to her womb. She couldn’t help but fantasize about all the sinful possibilities.

  “What’s that?” Daniel asked, holding his hand up to silence them. It was a low pitched humming, getting louder and louder by the second. They silently stared at each other for a minute, trying to place the sound.

  “That sounds like a plane,” Willie suggested, heading towards the door. The rest of them followed him outside, Joss bringing up the rear.

  They stepped out on to the porch, curiously watching a floatplane skillfully land in the water, somewhere between the yacht and the dock.

  “Are you expecting company?” Joss asked Charlie, slipping under his arm. “A delivery?”

  “Not for a few days,” he admitted, just as confused as she was. The little plane navigated towards the dock, pulling up behind the dinghy.

  “Holy shit, is that Grant?” Ryan asked, hurrying down the steps, the others following quickly behind.

  Her eyes softening, Joss stared up at Charlie curiously. He looked down at her and nodded, as though he knew exactly what she was thinking. He knew how much Grant meant to her, and his smile expressed exactly what she needed to know. Charlie had nothing but the best of intentions. He just wanted her to be happy.

  Charles pulled her in tightly, kissing her softly on the temple. “Let’s go say hello,” he whispered sweetly.

  Grant turned off his plane and stepped out onto the dock, raising two bottles of champagne in the air. “You blokes weren’t going to start celebrating without me, were you?” he said, strutting towards them.

  The boys greeted him the way boys do, whooping and hollering and slapping each other on the back. Joss waited patiently at the end of the dock, observing their bromances. She couldn’t help but smile, laughing softly at the scene. Satisfied with their greetings, they walked in a line towards her, Grant leading the way. As soon as he was within arms reach he handed the champagne to Daniel and pulled Joss into his arms, kissing her cheek.