The Look of Love

by Chris Keniston

  “Glad you’re here,” Angela mumbled to an approaching male.

  Still vigilant of his daughter’s company, Dan only half listened to what Angela said.

  “This is my husband, Billy. Honey, this is Carolyn Porter’s father.”

  “Nice to meet you…” His words trailed off, and the familiar sound of shoe heels knocking together caught Dan’s attention in time to see the house of a man throw his shoulders back and snap to attention. “Captain, sir.”

  “At ease. Here I’m just Dan.” He extended his hand, all the while his mind running through the files of men he’d served with. Or taught. It took him rolling back a lot of years, but he placed the face. One of his best students in EOD. “Nice to see you again.”

  Billy relaxed and smiled. “I read about your promotion in the Navy Times. Congratulations.”

  “Did you read about my retirement too?”

  A wrinkle settled between Billy’s brows. “No, sir. I must have missed that.”

  “Thirty days now. And please don’t call me sir. I feel old enough at the moment as it is.” His gaze drifted momentarily to his daughter. At least now she was distracted chatting with an attractive redhead. Maybe the Realtor was right, and he was taking this protective-dad thing too seriously. Turning back, he caught a glimpse of the sailor’s prosthesis. Sadly not uncommon for men whose careers consisted of disarming things that went boom in the night. “How long have you been out?”

  “A few years. I own my dad’s dive shop now. Partners with Nick Harper.” He put his fingers between his lips and blew a low, sharp and slightly stilted whistle. To the untrained ear it could almost sound like a native bird call.

  At least one trained ear recognized the sound for what it was. Another man standing beside a very pregnant woman tapped her arm, whispered in her ear, pointed to the chairs nearby and hurried over to where Dan and Billy stood, shooting his buddy a concerned stare. “What’s up?”

  Billy cocked his head in Dan’s direction. “You’re outranked.”

  The buddy turned to Dan, studying him a moment before his eyes burst round, and he too snapped to attention. Apparently Billy wasn’t the only one reading the Navy Times.

  “At ease.”

  “Sir, this is a welcome surprise.” While both men stood at rest, neither had gone fully to at ease.

  “Thank you.”

  “He’s with Carolyn. The young woman I sold the little house over on Kuana Street to.”

  Two heads gave a curt nod, and Dan saw the glimmer of recognition in their eyes. They’d put two and two together and concluded, justly, that their buddy the former SEAL had helped Carolyn locate her unknown father. And found him.

  “How are you enjoying your stay on the Big Island?” Angela asked.

  “Haven’t seen much of it yet. I’ve mostly been taking care of the to-do list.”

  Both men laughed, but it was Billy who first commented, “We know how that goes, sir.”

  Nick bobbed his head in agreement, and Dan concluded these two must have partnered up for a very long time. “You still in, Nick?”

  “No, sir. Didn’t have it in me to be a career man.”

  “I doubt that. But seems all is well for you here.” Dan let his gaze wander to the pregnant woman now resting in a comfortable chair.

  Nick beamed. “That it is, sir.”

  Gesturing to the beer bottles with his chin, Dan asked, “So how much of that stuff do you two have to drink before you’ll remember to call me by my name?”

  “Some habits are hard to break.” Billy tipped the neck of his beer bottle at Dan.

  “So you all know each other?” Angela asked. “How small a world is that?”

  “Actually,” Dan started, “the coincidence is only that we’re all EOD. Like the SEALs, it’s a small, rather tight-knit community. We’ve never actually served together, but I have been their instructor.”

  “One of the best,” Nick added.

  “I don’t know about that, but, as long as you knew more when you were through than you did when I got you, I did my job.” Dan looked over to the still huddled group of young people. “I should probably go rescue my daughter.”

  “Actually you stay here and keep talking shop. I want to introduce Carolyn to Nick’s sister. She’s around here somewhere.” Angela cast her gaze around the outdoor area, then stopped and smiled. “There she is.”

  All three of them followed Angela’s watchful gaze, finally settling on a young brunette in a floral sundress with legs all the way to her… Holy crap.

  * * *

  “Dr. Shepherd is a very nice man. For a little while there we thought he was going to end up with our Angela, but she and my Billy were meant to be.” Maile Everrett set a bowl of guacamole and chips on the small table.

  “I’m sure he is.” Maddie did her best not to act too interested without being downright rude. Billy’s mom was many things, but subtle wasn’t one of them. She did, however, have an endearing nature, despite her matchmaking ambitions.

  “Now what are you doing there?” Maile leaned over and scratched the ears of the biggest German shepherd Maddie had ever seen. “No one is going to give you a snack. You go on back in the house and keep an eye on the boys.”

  The black-and-silver-faced dog seemed to huff and bob his head in obedience to his master before trotting off to the open patio door.

  “Well, I’ll be.” Maddie kept her attention on the beloved family pet. Sure enough, halfway in the door he spotted his charges and plopped on the floor within a few feet to survey his flock. “Fascinating.”

  “He’s a wonderful dog. We got him from a rescue organization for large breeds. The trainer thinks he comes from a true German bloodline. He’s so incredibly smart.”

  She certainly wouldn’t argue with that. “He’s beautiful too.”

  “Yes.” Maile beamed, then turned her attention from Gunny to Maddie. “Now where did Dr. Shepherd go? Did I mention he’s a successful psychiatrist?”

  “You did, and I’m sure we’ll bump into each other before I return to San Diego.”

  Angela strolled up to her mother-in-law. “Looking for someone?”

  “Dr. Shepherd.”

  Maile missed the roll of her daughter-in-law’s eyes, but Maddie caught it and had to cover her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh.

  “Well”—Angela linked arms with Maddie and grinned at her mother-in-law—“if you don’t mind, I want to steal Maddie and introduce her to Carolyn. Oh, and we just discovered that Carolyn’s father is a former instructor of Nick’s and Billy’s. If you get a chance, you may want to go say hello. But I’d give it a little while. It sounded to me like they were about to start sharing war stories. You know, the kind about the fish that got away.”

  Except Maddie knew from years of eavesdropping on her big brother’s stories that too many of them weren’t even a little exaggerated. She remembered one time in particular from years ago. She’d been lurking in the hall long after everyone’s bedtime. Nick and Billy and a few friends from a SEAL team were hanging out. What little she’d heard about saving a woman whose brother had put her in an explosives vest could still give Maddie nightmares. She was often torn between the pride of what her brother had done for a living and the horror that had surrounded it.

  Following the direction of Angela’s finger, Maddie spotted her brother and Billy laughing and drinking, and then her stomach slid to her feet. The tall, well-built man that Maddie now realized had to be their former instructor was also the same man she’d spent the last few days trying not to think of. If she were a betting woman, she’d lay odds that fate was on her side. Though she’d feel much better about those odds if the object of her attention weren’t frowning in her direction.

  Chapter Nine

  Now what? Dan had been staring at Madeleine Harper. Couldn’t stop himself from drinking her in. A small part of him wanted to turn cartwheels at the chance to spend some more time with her. The other more sensible part said that this fascinati
on with a woman he’d known for only a few hours was ridiculous. And getting to know her any better would only make walking away more difficult. And he would have to walk away. No way would he put his new relationship with Carolyn at risk by dating someone practically his daughter’s age.

  He still hadn’t looked away when Maddie turned to face him, and their gazes met. It took a few seconds for recognition to set in and shock to take over her face. Finally a shaky smile replaced the surprise, and he forced himself to smile back. And just for good measure, he threw in a nod. But that left him right back to Now what?

  “Honey, I’d like you to meet Captain O’Neil.”

  Dan turned his attention back to his former students. Grinning like a cat in a cream factory, Nick had looped an arm around the very pregnant woman Dan had noticed him with earlier.

  “How do you do?” She extended her hand. “I’m Kara, also known as Honey, Sweetie and occasionally Sugar. That’s when he’s feeling his Texas roots.”

  Dan laughed. “My friends call me Dan.”

  “That’s not how I remember it.” Billy took a swallow of his beer.

  “That’s right,” Nick added, still holding onto his wife.

  “Another one of those silly call signs?” Kara asked.

  “Call signs are for pilots,” Nick corrected. “This was more of a handle.”

  “Like Brooklyn?” she suggested.

  “Sort of.”

  Grinning, Kara turned to Dan. “Is the handle suitable for mixed company?”

  He liked this lady. And he was pleased to see Nick married to someone who could keep him on his toes. “Banger, at your services, ma’am. As in bangers and mash. For dinner.”

  “Right.” She shook her head, the smile never faltering. “I’ll stick with Dan.”

  Noticing the fingers on her right hand gently massaged her tummy, Dan wondered how close she was to delivering, then spotted the four-legged companion who had quietly come and sat at her feet. “I see you have a shadow.”

  Kara looked down at the canine. “Gunny, I thought Maile told you to watch the boys?”

  The big dog made a throaty noise somewhere between a groan and a mumble, nudged her hand with his muzzle, and then, as though debating the immortality of the crab, hesitated before lifting his butt off the floor and turning toward the house again.

  “He’s been doing that since I got here. He’s getting to be as bad as everyone else, staring at me, waiting for this baby to come.”

  “When are you due?” Dan asked.

  “Not for three weeks.”

  “Which is an excellent reason,” Nick added, “for you to be sitting down.”

  “I’m tired of sitting. I sit, and Junior thinks that means it’s kick-off time. I’d rather move around.” She extended her hand to him again. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Dan. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to sample another one of Maile’s coconut fritters.”

  “Ah. I tried one. Definitely worth abandoning us for.”

  As casually as he could, he let his gaze drift to the spot where he’d last seen Maddie. Only she was no longer there. Looking about, he took in the casual decor, the growing crowd of people and knew he was in trouble when his heart did a backflip at the sight of Maddie in the opposite corner from where she’d been standing earlier. When he realized Maddie and Carolyn were chatting, his heartbeat took off at a frantic gallop.

  It took a couple of deep breaths to squelch his first reaction. Even though there was no reason for the two women not to visit and laugh together, somehow the idea left him more than uncomfortable. It wasn’t like he’d done anything inappropriate. Or that Maddie knew enough about him to share some less-than-flattering history with his newfound daughter. And it certainly beat having Carolyn surrounded by a flock of men. All he had to do was keep up with the friendly conversation about fast cars, fast boats and pregnant women. And find an excuse to stroll over and casually say hello to Maddie.

  “Captain.”

  Dan spun about to see Yvette Harper approaching.

  “I thought that was you. What a nice surprise.”

  Smiling at the pleasant woman, he pointed a thumb at her son. “I’ve been getting reacquainted with a couple of my star pupils.”

  “I didn’t realize you were EOD.” Yvette slanted a prideful glance at her son, then immediately shifted her attention back to Dan. “What a happy coincidence you should meet up here.”

  “Dan has been catching us up with his career.” Nick slung an arm about his mom. “Most recently he’d been working with marine mammal operational systems out of Point Loma.”

  “Point Loma? Isn’t that in San Diego?”

  Dan nodded. “It is.”

  “My daughter lives in San Diego. Isn’t it a small world?”

  “Isn’t it though.” And his world was getting smaller every minute.

  * * *

  Maddie found herself searching Carolyn’s face, looking for similarities with her father—the man Maddie had not expected to ever see again but now was almost giddy at a chance to spend more time with. Dan had said very little about his daughter that day in Honolulu. Right away the one thing that struck Maddie was the woman’s smile. Definitely her father’s. Warm and welcoming. She probably would have made a great elementary school teacher. Or even a Realtor.

  “Is this a private party, or can anyone join in?” Kara snatched a cream puff from a nearby table.

  Angela waved her over. “The more the merrier. I want you to meet Kona’s newest resident, Carolyn Porter.”

  Quickly Kara shoved the entire puff into her mouth and moaned with delight. “Maile should so open her own bakery.” Extending her hand, Kara introduced herself to the only unfamiliar person in the group. “Sorry, lately food always distracts me. Kara Harper.”

  “You’ve got a great excuse.” Carolyn returned the handshake. “Did you say, Harper?”

  “She’s married to my brother, Nick.”

  “Ah, so this”—Carolyn tipped her head in Kara’s direction—“is the reason the whole family has come to Kona.”

  “Most of the reason.” An impish grin passed across Maddie’s face. “We’re pretty fond of Nick too.”

  Kara smiled at her sister-in-law’s comment, placing both her hands on her protruding belly. “It seems pretty obvious I’m fond of him as well.”

  The four women laughed, then moved on to chatting about the benefits and disadvantages of living on an island plus Carolyn’s hunt for the perfect affordable home. The entire time, while sampling more of Maile’s treats, Kara kept one hand perched on her tummy. Maddie couldn’t begin to fathom how uncomfortable it must be to carry around the equivalent of a twenty-pound bowling ball in front of you 24/7.

  “So, how are you enjoying your new house?” Kara asked, popping another cream puff into her mouth.

  “Loving it. Not too big, not too small. And while I do miss the fall colors of Tennessee, it doesn’t compare with living in paradise.”

  That was what Maddie had always thought about San Diego. Not too hot, not too cold, the beach practically at her doorstep, and, if she couldn’t find what she needed at home, L.A. was only a short drive away. But San Diego was lacking the one thing Kona had—family.

  With an eye on her brother and Dan, Maddie did her best to keep up with the changing conversation. All set to excuse herself and meander in Dan’s direction, she saw Maile, accompanied by an attractive redhead, smother Dan in a motherly hug, and then slip away leaving Dan and the redhead side by side in conversation. Biting down on her back teeth, Maddie did her best to ignore the churning in her gut, and the urge to storm across the room and hip-check the redhead. How absurd was that? Maddie had been dating Gary from her office exclusively for almost three months when she’d caught him and his bimbo in a less-than-platonic clench, and Maddie had barely flinched. Now she felt like a jealous mate over a man she’d only spent a few sightseeing hours with.

  “Don’t you agree?”

  Three sets of eyes staring at Maddi
e suggested not only had she completely tuned out the conversation but apparently she was supposed to agree with something. “Sorry, what was that?”

  Angela smiled up at her as though ignoring them was no big deal. “It would be nice if her father relocated here instead of stateside.”

  “I don’t know. Where does he live now?”

  “He was stationed in San Diego working with the marine mammal program. My father was in explosive ordinance disposal like your brother was. He loves working with the marine program, but it’s scheduled for shut down, and I don’t think he would appreciate a desk job anywhere else. So he decided to just get out as soon as he hit his twenty years rather than stay in for another ten.”

  “Do you think he would have stayed if the program weren’t ending?”

  Carolyn shrugged. “I don’t honestly know.”

  Across the room Maddie caught a glimpse of Dan heading into the house. “If you’ll excuse me a minute?”

  Her friends nodded and fell back into discussing the pros versus cons of living near parents. Once inside, Maddie surveyed the area. Several small groups of people milled about, laughing, drinking and, of course, munching on Maile’s great cooking. But no sign of the man she was looking for. Skirting around a few people she recognized from the dive shop, she maneuvered her way into the kitchen. Bingo. Straightening up from pulling a beer out of the cooler stood the object of her interest.

  “Hey.” She moved beside him and reached for a bottled water in a nearby cooler.

  “Here, let me.” Bending over at the same moment, their heads bumped, and both sprang erect. “Sorry. I should have seen that coming.” Dan inched closer, raising his hand in her direction for a moment and then let it fall to his side. “You okay?”

  Rubbing her temple she looked at him with one eye open. “I didn’t think anyone had a harder head than my brother.”