“Well, that was interesting.”
“Can you believe how that…woman threw herself at him?”
“Oh, I wasn’t watching her, honey.” There was a big smile on Connie’s face. “I was watching you.”
****
In spite of the emotion Sean felt, the next announcement rang out very clear.
“Victor, party of two. Victor, party of two.”
Sean almost choked on a bite of crab claw. Raine’s eyes lit up as she stood on her chair and looked around. “There they are!”
There they are, she had said. Party of two. Party of two. The words swirled around his head and his heart pounded. Try as he might he couldn’t take his eyes from his daughter to look toward where she pointed, petrified he would see Noelle with another man. The anger welled in his chest and the adrenaline surged, making his ears burn and his teeth grind. In spite of trying to avoid it, he ventured a look. There she was—looking even better than the last time he had seen her. The simple movement of her standing from the bar stool looked sexy. A tall bald man stood close to her. Sean’s first thought was that he was looking at a dead man. He would simply kill him, thereby eliminating the competition.
Then he saw her step away from the man and move toward Connie.
Thank God.
Then a different emotion took control, a mix of anger, pride, and defensiveness. After all, she had avoided him like the plague.
I can handle this.
Raine was off to the races, running around tables and chairs toward her. As she reached her, Noelle knelt and scooped her into her arms. Her smile couldn’t hide the tears that formed in her eyes. It was obvious she had missed his daughter. For a moment, he couldn’t get his mind around that. He caught up with them and stood awkwardly before Raine and the two ladies.
“Hi.” Noelle timidly offered her hand. He reluctantly took it and ignored the jolt his body felt from his first contact with her in what seemed like ages.
“Noelle,” he said with a cool, forced smile and then glanced toward her office manager. “Connie.”
Connie nodded. She stood quietly, biting her lip.
“Will you sit with us, Miss Noelle?” His daughter’s invitation made him uneasy. He stammered for a moment before Noelle spoke.
“Thank you for asking, honey. But we don’t want to intrude on your Daddy time.”
“Please, we would love to have you join us,” Sean said and immediately wondered why. In spite of all the emotions surging through him, he swallowed his pride for the sake of his daughter.
“Why, we’d love to join you two.” Connie stepped up. “I don’t know about anybody else, but I’m starved. There ain’t no use in the two of us taking up a whole big table, when you have so much room at yours.”
Noelle looked at Connie and forced a smile.
Soon after they all sat down at Sean’s table, it was apparent Blonde was not happy with the new seating arrangements. Having two more lovely women at Sean’s table slowed the service and iced her smile. Although she wasn’t the primary server, she was influential. The longer it took to get service, the more conversation was needed to fill the gaps.
“Daddy, did you tell Miss Noelle about us going sailing?”
“Haven’t had the chance to talk to the doctor lately, little one. You know between her practice and my writing, busy, busy, busy.” Not a chance he was going to hide his sarcasm. Noelle passed right over it.
“You’re writing again?” She blushed, stammered, but didn’t wait for him to answer. She looked at Raine. “You helped your daddy sail that big boat?”
“Uh-huh,” she said. “And I caught a big fish, too.”
“Really?” Her eyes were wide, her lips pursed. Perhaps his slight about not being able to speak with her was soaking in. “Let me guess. He threw it back, didn’t he?”
Sean opened his mouth with a comeback but was cut off quickly.
“Wonder where our server is?” Connie strained to look around with a desperate look on her face. “They aren’t usually this slow. We ordered a while ago, didn’t we?”
“Perhaps your daddy can get his little blonde friend over to help us out? She seemed eager to help earlier.” Noelle’s implication was venomous.
“Raine, sweetie, why don’t we go back to the playground for a while, until the food arrives?” Connie asked. “I’m sure your daddy wouldn’t mind, would you, Sean?”
“Of course not.” They quickly left, and Sean prepared to unload, but he didn’t get the chance.
“Please stop calling me,” she said quietly, leaning across the table.
“Done.”
“And please stop sending me gifts.”
“Done.”
The food arrived. The server took one look at Sean and then Noelle and quickly dumped the food and left, as if the plates were suddenly too hot to handle.
“Excuse me,” he said. He dropped his napkin on the table and stood. “I’ll get the others.”
Before she could reply, he was gone.
****
Noelle rode in silence on the way home. The meal had been stressful. She hardly touched her food. Raine took care of the leftovers. Apparently, Sean wasn’t hungry either. He looked as though he could have used a stiff drink, but he would never allow himself that luxury. She knew him well enough to know he would never drink and then drive with a child in the car, even the few minutes to Ono Island. She was suddenly jealous of Raine. He was much better at being a father than at being in a relationship.
The night had been a total bust. She had hoped to have some time to talk with him, but pride and anger got in the way. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she had wanted to clear the air about, so many feelings she needed to resolve.
In spite of being on the outside looking in, Noelle couldn’t fault Sean for going to great lengths to build his life around Raine. He protected his little girl at all costs, obsessed with guarding her in every sense of the word. Noelle didn’t need to be a specialist to know exactly why he felt this way. Plain and simple, he didn’t want to lose her as he had lost his wife. The conversation in New York left little doubt where his priorities were. There were a couple of times she had wanted to chime in, but she resolved she wouldn’t do that, not without his asking for help.
He never asked.
So, instead she had just listened, all the while wanting to tell him there was nothing more he could have done to save his wife. She wanted to say Patty would have resented anything he had forced her into doing and would have never forgiven him if his insistence had caused a delay or suspension in the adoption proceedings. From the sound of how advanced her cancer was, his efforts would have served to only postpone the inevitable.
He loved his daughter very much. He would never have forgiven himself if his insistence had contributed to their losing Raine. Her heart went out to him and the impossible situation his wife’s illness had put him in.
Noelle was mired in guilt from resentment. How could she ask him to love her, when his struggle every day with the past and his fear of the future were so strong? Yet, what she felt for him was so powerful and so deep that no matter how she tried, she couldn’t control it. The situation was impossible. If she gave in to those yearnings, she might never be able to survive, especially if someday he decided to walk away. This was a definite possibility. His inherent, instinctive protection for his daughter was so strong, it trumped everything else in his life. All the sum total of her experience and studies told her to cut her losses and run. Unless he could properly control his guilt and obsession with protecting his daughter, she would always live in fear of losing them both. She couldn’t take that chance. She had to face reality; she wasn’t on the right side of history.
And yet she loved them both.
Deeply.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She glanced at her friend. “I’m not sure what it would accomplish.” The tears flowed. Connie touched her shoulder.
“I understand. Just know
I’m here for you.”
Noelle forced a smile. In spite of everything, she found comfort in her friend’s words.
****
“So, I was wondering if you had forgotten about your best friend.”
“No, Derek, I talked to him the other day. He says to tell you hello.”
“Funny.”
“Jerk.” In spite of the anger that still consumed Sean, it was good to lighten things up. Raine was tucked in, and his head was still spinning with the events of the night. He felt he was losing grip on life. In his gruff, comical way, Derek always seemed to know what to say to set things right—something he definitely needed at the moment.
“From what you told me about the New York trip, it’s obvious you care for Noelle. You know, I think there’s hope for you yet, buddy. But then you tell me the two of you ignored each other all night?”
“Pretty much. She seemed more interested in talking with Raine.”
“And you just sat there? You didn’t put your napkin down, stand, take her hand, and ask Connie to watch Raine while you took her to a dark corner and had your way with her? And by the way, can you get this chick Connie’s number? She sounds hot.”
“Jeez, man, is that all you can think about?”
“Oh, that’s easy for you to say, bud. But remember, I’m divorced.” He barked and then brought down his volume to a whisper, as if there were someone else listening. “What else have I got but fantasies?”
“You see, that’s what I mean. How am I supposed to know she’s the one in the first place? You thought Marie was the one for you, and that didn’t work out. I had the love of my life, and that didn’t work out. How can I possibly think I could find another Patty?”
“You won’t.”
“What do you mean, I won’t?”
“You’ll never find another Patty.”
“Then why try?”
“Because you’ve found a Noelle instead.”
“Look, call me dense, but I don’t get it.”
“You’ll never have another relationship like you had with Patty. The next one will be different. It will be better in many ways, maybe not so good in other ways. I don’t know. But it will all be worth it, my friend.”
Sean thought about this for a moment.
“I do know this. If you don’t continue trying to see if this will work out, you will regret it for the rest of your life. She may not come around tomorrow, next week, or next month, but you shouldn’t give up on her. You have to figure out what exactly you feel for her. Look, I remember every word you said during our conversation when you got home from D.C. In fact, I recorded it and am selling it to Simon and Schuster as your next work. The advance check is in the bank.”
“Very funny.”
“Shut up, ya big jerk, and listen. Seriously, these things take time. She needs time. You need time. You may not agree with that, but you do. Although you ain’t gonna believe this is coming from me, but I really don’t think you’re ready to open your arms and take her back. Never thought I would say this, but I think you need more time to really let it sink in that, whether or not you believe it, you can’t control and protect everything and everybody you care about.”
This hit home for Sean. He thought about arguing, but his friend was right. “I miss her.”
“And you will continue to miss her. But it’s time to move on.”
“I meant Noelle.”
“Oh. Look, I believe with all my heart Noelle will be back. You need to give her space and time. Just wish you hadn’t pissed her off before I got to meet her and this Connie babe.”
“Well, I’d love for you to meet her, but given the circumstances—and in case you haven’t noticed, I am giving her plenty of space and time. Hell, this is the first time I’ve seen her in weeks, and it was by accident.”
“Hey, I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m saying maybe it was fate you two hooked up tonight. Even if it wasn’t much of a hook-up. I still think you should have taken her away behind a sand dune.”
“Oh, so we were destined to meet at the Crab Trap?” Sean asked, ignoring Derek’s last suggestion. “Like there are so many seafood restaurants along the Redneck Riviera?” As he said it, he became aware how ridiculous it sounded. There were a lot of seafood restaurants along the beach.
“I’m just saying…” Derek retorted, closing in for the kill.
After a moment’s silence, Sean yawned.
“Let me know if I’m boring you.”
“You’re boring me. Later.”
“Hey!”
“Yeah, what is it? I’m tired.”
“Two of your books are climbing the best seller list. One is seventy-fourth and the other is number eighty.”
“Yeah, yeah. That’s great,” Sean replied. “And, by the way, I’m writing a new story.”
“No kidding?” The excitement in Derek’s voice rose a few decibels. “That’s great. Your timing may be finally right. By the way, did you hear the news about your buddy the senator?”
“My buddy the senator?”
“Blane. He was arrested today. Don’t you ever watch the news?”
“Not if I can help it.” He tried to sound disinterested, but in fact this news made him uneasy.
“I’m surprised that little genius of yours didn’t tell you. You tell me she’s on the Internet all the time.”
“If she knows, it’s probably old news to her, now. She’s on to bigger things. Passing bills, balancing the national budget, advising Congress, economic summits, lobbying for world peace, and the like.”
“Go to bed.”
“Later.”
Sean hung up the phone and literally staggered to bed.
He was too tired to worry about lymphoma or arrested senators.
Or the Castle Man.
****
The loud ring of the phone sent bolts of pain through James’s head. He fumbled in the dark for the night stand and knocked the receiver from the cradle. He tried to sit up from the bed, but his head throbbed. He reached over and turned on the bedside lamp. An empty bourbon bottle lay on its side near the edge of the table. Had he drunk the whole bottle? His head and stomach suggested he had. He found the receiver and lifted it gently to his ear.
“Yeah?” The sound of his own voice did little to sooth his miseries.
“Did you hear?” The tone of the voice of one of his closest friends did little to alleviate his near panic.
“Hear what?”
“Senator Blane was arrested.”
“What!”
“Yesterday. Something about him stealing some money or something.”
James was silent. No words could express what he was feeling.
“Somebody figured out he was funding the Cause.”
“But how?”
“No idea. Hell, nobody in the club could figure it out, but we all knew it was him footing the bill. Must have been some sort of genius that put the pieces together.”
James thought back to the morning Blane was supposed to appear on that morning show. Then he thought of the Chinese kid. Could his no-show somehow be related to that smart Chinese kid? “It ain’t right, man.”
“Somebody needs to pay, man.”
James was thinking the same thing.
“They will, man.” His hand shook. The adrenaline was surging. He had some vacation time coming up soon. He swore to himself he would get to the bottom of who sent Blane up. “They definitely will.”
Chapter Seventeen
The cloak and dagger continued.
A call from the National Security Agency came three days later. An agent, who identified himself as Wayne Worley, gave Sean a special secure phone number, and asked him to call back from his cell phone. Sean got the agent back on the line, after glancing in on Raine, who was asleep.
“Mr. Sampson, the agency would very much appreciate your and your daughter’s cooperation in the continued investigation
of the alleged misconduct of Senator Blane. I have been instructed to escort you and your daughter to Washington to speak with the ethics committee.”
“Look, Agent Worley, my daughter was very specific concerning what she learned about the issue. I see no reason to drag us back to Washington to go over the same stuff. Besides, we’ll be there in a couple of months.”
“I understand your concern, Mr. Sampson, but this won’t wait. In matters as high-profile and important as this one, you must understand we can’t hesitate in our efforts to cross every T and dot every I. It is imperative you cooperate in matters—”
“I know, I know,” Sean interrupted. “In matters of national security. Would it make any difference at all if I refused?”
“Quite frankly, no, sir.”
“Fine, then fill me in on the details.”
“On Wednesday, an escort will arrive at your home and take you to waiting transportation at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola.”
Sean thought of the threat he had received from the senator in the Green Room.
“Agent, is there any reason I should be concerned about my daughter’s safety?”
“Mr. Sampson, as you may or may not know, we have made every effort to isolate your daughter from this incident. In the press releases, we state information relative to the implication of the senator was from undisclosed sources. We are aware of no immediate threats to your daughter or from the press connecting any dots. This interview is to wrap this matter up.”
Sean suspected the matter might never be wrapped up. As powerful as Blane was, he would likely have many more friends than enemies. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to tie Raine to the senator. There were a lot of crazies out there, who could easily put the two and two together concerning the senator’s failure to make his appearance on the morning show, and then Raine’s appearance afterwards.
“Sir, I am breaking a few rules here, but I will tell you that an agent has been assigned to support you and your daughter.”
Time for Raine Page 19