by Lola Kidd
The kitchen was small but very functional. She took a bottle of water from the fridge and went to look out all the windows. Safari Town was very busy. Besides the construction there were lots of people walking on the sidewalks and golf carts whizzing past. She didn’t know why Jimmy Tony wanted to sneak in on the shore near here. It was going to be very hard to get ashore unspotted.
They had even tried once before. Last summer the PFA had sent a group to the island, and they’d been caught in less than four hours. She hoped they had a better plan this time, but she was starting to have doubts. Jimmy Tony was very secretive about the actual plan. She knew why they needed to get onto the island. There had been many speakers at the PFA Florida chapter meeting who talked about the horrors of Safari Corp. Still, it was huge undertaking.
What if this plan failed too? She would be in a lot of trouble. Being arrested would surely be the cherry on top of an awful summer. She had no clue what laws were in place on Safari Island or what country was in charge. What if she ended up in a gulag?!
No. Maura pushed her doubts aside. Who was she to question the leader of her chapter? He’d been working on this plan for over a year. He must have considered all the things that could go wrong. There was no way he hadn’t considered how busy Safari Town was or any other little details. He was the leader for a reason. If she stuck to the plan, she would be fine. This little detour wouldn’t be so bad. She could use one night of fun before the mission. It would help her relax and she would do a better job.
Lily came out of her bedroom wearing a kicky dress and heels. “Ready to party?”
Maura nodded. “Am I ever.”
***
“Hey, man.” Brent Zwisher nodded at Branch. He worked as a concierge at Wild Resort and partied with Shane and Branch often. Brent was a human, not a shifter, but Branch didn’t hold that against him; they were a small minority in the Safari Island employee pool. Besides, Brent always brought the hottest tourists to Club Safari and he was very laid back. He was a nice addition to the new trio.
The three had met outside Shane’s house and were walking to the bar in town. It was faster than trying to take a golf cart these days. The town had exploded with growth and it was impossible to get around during the summer. Branch couldn’t wait for the construction to be done. This was the slowest month of the summer and it was still a pain to get to work in the morning.
“What do you think the town bar is looking like tonight?” Shane asked.
“Crowded,” Brent guessed. “Lots of people are talking about skipping Club Safari. Too many tourists. They’re having to bring in new bartenders from off-island.”
“Figures,” Branch said. “Wild Resort is packed, and most of those people go to the club. They didn’t hire enough bartenders to begin with.”
The island was always understaffed but this summer was the worst Branch had ever seen. There wasn’t any area of the island that could get enough workers. While he liked seeing all the ladies visiting, it was starting to affect the quality of people’s vacations. If you didn’t book your safari tour as soon as you booked your hotel, you were out of luck. It made him sad to have to turn away families excited to show their kids the animals.
The bar was crowded, just as Brent had said. It was still better than being at the club, so Branch didn’t mind. There were a lot of new faces, he noticed. He hadn’t gotten around to meeting a lot of the new staff since he was a busy veteran. If he wasn’t so busy, he would have considered being part of the new employee orientation team. The only downside to the team was that it put new female employees out of reach. Orientation leaders weren’t allowed to date the new recruits. That wasn’t something he wanted to give up just yet.
“Looks like Lily’s here without the twins.” Shane pointed to a table near the back. “Let’s see if we can sit with her. There aren’t any open tables.”
It was strange seeing her out without Finn and Max. Branch could see some of the new guys eyeing his friends’ wife. They were definitely going to sit with her. He couldn’t leave her alone with all these guys eyeballing her.
He liked Lily. She was one of the many new recruits to the island. She’d gone from working accounting back in the States to working reception at the newest resort. She was funny and always spoke her mind. Even without the twins, he liked hanging out with her. His friends really had lucked out. Addison and Lily were both great women and cool wives. When he settled down, he hoped to find someone as great.
“Hey, Lily.” Branch took the seat next to her.
“Hey, that seat’s taken. Move down one.” Lily nodded just over his shoulder. “My new friend Maura is sitting there.”
Branch turned and saw a shy-looking redhead holding two beers. He got off the chair. “Sorry.”
“No problem.” She kept her eyes down as she put the beers down and took her seat.
“These are my friends Branch, Shane, and Brent,” Lily said. “Guys, this is Maura. She’s staying at Blue Sky Resort for the weekend.”
Branch couldn’t take his eyes off the stunning redhead. Her eyes were still hidden by her long lashes, but he was sure he saw a flash of pale green. Her island tan offset her freckles in the cutest way. She had a smallish chest but her bodacious hips more than made up for it. He managed to get a good look at her ass before she sat down and he was tempted to give it a little squeeze. The girl was gorgeous. Too bad she was married. Blue Sky was the honeymoon resort. It was super romantic and offered discounts to couples who also got married on island. That was it for his night. He wasn’t going to be able to find any girl prettier than her. It was going to be another night at Casa Dunkin.
“Blue Sky Resort?” Shane asked. “So your new husband let a pretty girl like you out for the night alone? He must be real trusting.”
“I don’t have a husband,” she said softly.
Branch almost did a gleeful dance. He was going to have to get her to relax first, but he was in business. He couldn’t believe his luck. “Where are you from?”
She looked up for the first time and met his eyes. They were a beautiful pale green with speckles of brown. “Elway, Florida.”
Branch put down his beer and looked at her more closely. “I’m from Elway.”
“You are? Did you go to Elway High?”
He thought back and tried to place Maura before answering. He had been a bit of a prick in high school. More than ten years removed from those days, he still cringed to remember how immature and cruel he’d been as a teen. He’d been on the football team and very popular, yet he’d gone out of his way to make people’s lives hell. At the time, he thought he was so funny but now he was embarrassed by his actions. He’d spent most of his ten year reunion apologizing. His old classmates had been very kind but he had never been ever to fully forgive himself.
Mercifully, he couldn’t remember ever saying anything mean to a pretty red-haired girl. Maura looked near his age but he didn’t remember any smoking hot redheads in his class or the years before or after his. He was drawing a total blank.
“I did. I’m coming up on my fifteen year reunion,” he said finally.
“It’s going to be my fifteenth year soon. I don’t think my class is going to do a whole meetup, though.”
“I think my class was the last to really be into it.” Branch was still trying to place her pretty face. He couldn’t believe that he would forget someone like her. She had to be young enough that they never have crossed paths at school.
“We didn’t even do a ten year, so I’m not holding my breath.”
“Whoa. It’s like a little town meetup here,” Shane said. “Did you guys know each other?”
“No,” Maura said quickly.
Branch shook his head. “I don’t think so. No reason we can’t get to know each other better now, though. You still in Elway?”
Maura nodded. “I am. My family is from the area, so it’s hard for me to move away.”
“I know how that is.” Branch finished his beer. “I’m buying
a round of shots. And everyone’s drinking.”
Lily groaned. “Only one. You know what happened last time.”
“I love drunk Lily,” Brent said. “Never a dull moment with her around.”
“I have to work in the morning, so it’s only one,” Lily insisted.
“You too.” Branch put his arm around Maura’s shoulder. “A little present for my hometown honey.”
She smiled nervously. He didn’t know what was going on with her, but he needed to loosen her up. His elephant was as excited as his human side was. Now that he’d met her, she was never going to be able to forget about Maura. He didn’t care how long it took to convince her, she was going home with him tonight.
Three
“Are you sure?” Branch asked, pouting. “You’re on vacation. There’s no good reason for you to be going home this early.”
“I’m tired. It’s my first day on the island. There’ll be plenty of time to stay out late,” Maura said firmly. “I don’t want to miss the last bus back to the resort.”
Branch pulled her in for a tight hug. He pressed his entire body against her and whispered in her ear. “Well, then, reserve one of those late nights for me.”
Maura nodded and pulled herself from his grasp. “Sure. Thanks for the drinks. I had fun.”
“Come on. I’ll walk you to the bus.” Lily took Maura by the hand and led her out of the bar. “Sorry. Branch is a real ladies’ man. He’s not used to hearing no.”
Maura was having a hard time walking. She’d had way too much to drink thanks to Branch. All night, he’d kept the shots and margaritas coming, and she’d wanted to forget about John and have fun so badly that she’d kept drinking.
“I had a nice time.” Maura spoke slowly so she wouldn’t slur her words.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to ride with you to the hotel?” Lily asked, sounding a little worried. “It wouldn’t be a big deal at all.”
“No, you go home to your husbands.”
Lily let go of Maura’s hand now that they were at the bus stop. “Alright. But you have to text me as soon as you’re in your room. I’m not going to be able to sleep until you do.”
Maura nodded. “Will do. Thanks again for the nice night.”
“Don’t thank me. I had fun too. It’s been so long since I’ve gone out with a girlfriend sans husbands. This was a really nice night for me too. We should get together again before you leave.”
“For sure. I’ll talk to you when I wake up.”
“I’ll be down at the front desk so just drop by whenever. Things are slow now that it’s so hot.”
Maura took the seat behind the driver. There were only four other riders—two couples—going back to the resort. Maura closed her eyes and rested all the way back. She was exhausted. The evening had been a lot of fun but also so stressful. She couldn’t believe her luck.
Any other time, she would have been thrilled to have someone like Branch interested in her. Especially after her breakup, he would have been a very nice distraction. The elephant shifter was still hot as hell. She’d recognized him right away. How couldn’t she? He’d been the star of many of her teenage fantasies. Branch Dunkin, defensive star of the football team and all-around great guy. He had a wicked sense of humor and made lots of jokes. Some people thought he was a total ass, but Maura knew he was actually a nice guy.
She remembered racing home after school every day to be there before he dropped off her neighbor, who was on the team too. Neither of them ever noticed her, but she was obsessed with Branch. Then he’d gone away to college and she’d never seen him again. She had looked for him online a few times and had heard a few things around town, but mostly, she’d forgotten about him. Until now.
Her greatest dream had turned into a nightmare. He knew who she was. He could name her once the protest got started. He would figure out it was her, and it would all be over. She would be arrested and her life would be ruined. Good-bye Elway, hello gulag.
By the time she got back to her room and lay on the bed, Maura was in a tailspin. She texted Lily and then punched in Jimmy Tony’s number. It probably wasn’t the best idea, since she was drunk, but that couldn’t be helped. She had to speak to him now or she was going to have to call the whole thing off.
“Hello?” he answered groggily. “What’s wrong?”
“Everything.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I met one of the workers and he’s from Elway. He knows me.”
There was silence at the other end of the line. Maura was sure Jimmy had fallen asleep until he spoke again. “So?”
“He knows me! He’ll be able to tell the island police that it was me. Interpol or whoever will be after me before I’m halfway back to the States. They are going to toss me into a gulag and throw away the key.”
“Did you tell him about the plan?” he asked harshly.
“Of course not,” Maura sniffled and wiped her nose.
“How would he know, then?”
“He’ll put two and two together. He’ll know it was me.”
“Maura, there are thousands of visitors on the island every single day. Thousands of new faces every single month. Why in the world would he think you had any part in our protest?”
She said nothing. She had a feeling, but there was no way to explain it without sounding crazy. Hell, maybe it was crazy. Something was going to happen. She just knew it. Something was going to happen and Branch was going to be involved somehow. Even drunk as she was, she trusted her instincts.
“I think you’ve had a little too much to drink tonight,” Jimmy said. “When you get up tomorrow morning, you’ll feel much better about everything. I’ll be there soon and everything will be fine.”
“I hope so.”
“Trust me. I’ve been working on this plan for almost a year. We’re going to succeed this time. You still believe in the cause, don’t you?”
“Of course I do,” Maura said slowly. She was starting to feel very tired and her words were slurring even more.
“Good. Think about how good you’re going to feel when we expose Safari Corp to the world. You’re going to make a big difference,” Jimmy said. “You’re very brave. I’m so proud of you. After everything with John, you could have crawled into a hole and been depressed for the rest of your life. But look at you. You’re out there and you’re doing big things.”
“Thank you.” Maura was smiling. “I feel better. Thanks for picking up. I know it’s late.”
“No problem. Sleep tight and good night.”
“Night.”
She did feel better, but that ominous feeling was still there too, like a huge case of nerves. She wanted to trust Jimmy Tony. He had to be right. She would stay away from Branch and it would all be fine.
Maybe after they exposed Safari Corp, business would screech to a halt and Branch would have to come home to Elway. That would be a stroke of good luck.
***
Branch had been texting Lily all day trying to get more information on Maura. Last night had been a bust, but she was too beautiful to give up on after one night. Lily had been stonewalling him all day, but he’d just run into Finn on the way home from work. Finn told him about Lily’s new friend, who was having a very depressing honeymoon dinner for one.
It had to be Maura. Lily had offered to go with her, but Maura had turned her down. Finn had no idea that what he’d done, but Branch was pretty sure Lily was going to be pissed when she found out. Clearly, she didn’t want Maura to have anything to do with him. Too bad. Branch was going to get to know the beautiful redhead a little better. It was more than a good time now. He was interested.
Branch rushed home after work and changed quickly. He put on a nice pair of slacks, a button-down shirt, and a blazer. He knew he looked great and there was no way Maura would turn him away. He caught a bus to one of the resorts and walked to the restaurant. It was another humid and hot day that had turned to a very warm night. Warm summer nights always put him in a good mood. There was an electri
city in the air and it made him feel even more hopeful about the night.
He’d been to the dinner theater once before, and it hadn’t been fun. This time was a lot more promising. The restaurant was full, and all the guests were buzzing with excitement.
Branch walked to reception confidently. “Treble. I’m a little late and my lady is already seated.”
Thankfully the receptionist was a newbie and didn’t recognize him. “Right this way, Mr. Treble.”
Maura looked shocked when she saw him. He swooped in and kissed her on the cheek. “Hey, doll.”
“Looks like he made it after all,” the receptionist said to Maura. “Enjoy dinner, you two.”
“What are…What is…?” Maura couldn’t even get a full question out.
“I heard you were coming on your honeymoon dinner alone.” Branch put his arm around the back of her chair. “I thought you could use the company. I’ve never seen this show either.”
Maura swallowed. “A Broadway actress is here to perform tonight. This is way beneath her, but I heard that she’s dating the head chef.”
“Really?” Branch had seen Parker Travers out at Club Safari and there was always a beautiful girl on his arm. “I thought his girlfriend was a model. I met them once or twice, and she didn’t look like a Broadway singer.”
Maura showed him the program. “Jasminda.”
“That makes much more sense.” Branch laughed. “I never thought a chef would get so much play. He must have broken up with the model. Not so nice for the girl, but this is great for the island.”
Maura nodded. Her hands were shaking. It was so cute. “I’ve never seen a show like this before.”
“It’s pretty unique.” Branch put his hand over hers to she’d stop trembling. “A mermaid theme, I think. The website says that it’s the only one of its kind in the whole world. I doubt that, but it sure sounds nice. Looks like the advertising works. This place is packed.”