Adam turned slowly, following Billy with only his eyes at first and then, one cautious step at a time, sidled up to the display mannequin beside Billy.
“Now that we have the junior dive programs, we carry gear that’s the right size for kids.”
The young boy reached out, fingering the smaller wet suit. “Dad said we could dive together.”
Billy swallowed the lump in his throat. “First
you’d have to get training. That’s why we built the pool.”
Adam cast a short glance across the shop to the glass doors leading to the pool.
“All the kids love Lexie.” With his chin, Billy pointed to his manager watching the little boy with sympathy swimming in her watery gaze.
From the glass doors, Adam’s attention shifted to Lexie and then back to the wet suits. “Thanks, but I don’t think so.”
That little voice inside him that had saved his ass more than once on the field was chatting away, and Billy didn’t like what it said. Five to one the kid hasn’t had a bellyache or headache or anything other than old-fashioned heartache. “There’s no hurry. Miss Maplewood tells me you’re going to be here for at least a few weeks. You’ll feel better soon and—”
“No.” Adam moved over to the one of the two kid-sized chairs Billy had bought for the book section.
At the time, he’d had much smaller kids in mind. Adam dwarfed the chair, reminding Billy of adults in Minnie Mouse’s house at Disney World. “Do you like to read?”
Adam nodded, flipping through pages of a turtle picture book.
“Have you seen a turtle before?”
The little boy shook his head before looking up. “Last year Bethany did. She and Dad were diving. Mom and I snorkeled.” He looked back to the book. “Dad said this year we’d see one together for sure.”
“If you don’t want to go with your sister, there’s a bay not far from here that always has turtles just hanging out. We could go if you like.”
Eyes looking back at him twinkled with interest before a curtain of indifference descended. “If you want.”
“Good. I’ve got a couple of things I need to tie up in my office. Give me a few minutes, and we’ll be on our way.”
The kid nodded and reached for a different book.
Billy turned to Lexie. She offered him a short shrug and then a comforting smile. This was way over his head. As much as he hated to admit it, calling Ken Shepherd for some advice on how to help Adam might not be a bad idea. Or he could call Angela. See if she wanted to tag along. Or he could suck it up and take the kid to go see turtles on his own.
The ringing of the front door chime saved him any further debate.
“Hey.” Angela came smiling into the shop. “It’s freedom day.”
“Freedom day?”
“My two weeks are up. I can drive. On my way to the office, but I couldn’t resist stopping at Buns in the Sun. I come bearing gifts.” Angela lifted the lid on the cardboard box filled with an array of baked goods, and Billy noticed the first signs of interest in the young boy temporarily under his care.
It was almost enough to make him laugh. Apparently the old adage the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach held true starting from a very early age.
* * *
How the heck she wound up on her way to Kiholo Bay to go turtle watching, Angela had no idea. Yes, she’d popped in to the shop using the baked goods as an excuse. She’d wanted to see Billy. Sleep last night had been peppered with dreams of babies, family gatherings, and Billy’s hands all over her. She’d woken hot and bothered and more than a little bewildered.
So this morning instead of heading straight to the Heights project to check on progress, she’d detoured to the famed bakery and landed at the Big Island Dive shop. She’d been more than pleased with herself at the way Billy’s face brightened at her arrival. Until she realized the high-wattage smile was brought on by relief at what to do with the boy in his charge and not pleasure at the sight of her.
She had no right to be disappointed. Thankful was the only thing she should feel. So why was she feeling like her best friend had yanked the rug out from under her and let her fall flat on her ass?
Billy sidled up beside her, dropped a hand on her shoulder, and whispered in her ear. “You okay?”
Her next breath seized in her lungs. “Angela?”
“Sorry, What?”
“You were frowning.”
“Oh,” Blinking to relax, she put on a smile. “Was working on my mental to-do list.”
His fingers slid away from her skin, and she resisted the urge to whimper at the loss. Oh, this was definitely going to be a long morning.
“I don’t see the turtles.” Adam stretched his neck, looking over the people splashing about in the bay.”
“You have to get away from the people.” Billy took the lead, marching across the beach to a crop of black rock that jetted out into the ocean.
At the foot of the cluster of natural stone, Adam stopped short, staring into the distance. “I don’t see them.”
Stepping onto the first lower stone, Billy extended his hand to the boy. “We have to walk out to the edge. When we get a little farther out, you and Miss Angela can climb into the water to get closer.”
Eyes previously glaring with doubt flew open wide. “I don’t want to go in the water. I…I don’t want to.”
Immediately Billy’s gaze met Angela’s. His eyes reflected the same concern that had settled in her gut. Something was wrong here that had nothing to do with upset tummies.
Billy eased back, closer to Adam, and lowered his voice. “Remember what I said about the law. You’re not allowed to touch. Even if you got close enough to try, they won’t hurt you.”
The kid stepped back and folded his arms across his chest. “I don’t feel good. I want to go back.”
Once again Billy’s gaze latched onto Angela’s. Concern had shifted to a silent plea for help. Great. Clearly fear of the turtles wasn’t the problem. She had agreed to come along for this little adventure. Shoving her sleeves a little higher up her arm, she climbed onto a stone beside Billy. “Well. I’m not dressed to go in the water, and I’d like to see the turtles. If I walk along here, can I stay dry and still get a glimpse?”
“Most likely.” Billy kept one eye on Adam. Again the kid stretched his neck as though he could better see off in the distance. He held out his hand to the boy. “Adam do you want to follow us?”
For the longest minute, Angela feared the kid was going to dig his heels further into the sand and throw a good old-fashioned temper tantrum. Instead he gave a nod and, without taking hold of Billy’s hand, moved onto a nearby rock.
In a single file line, the three zigged across the flattest stones until they reached an area where two people stood staring at the same spot a few feet in front of them. Sure enough. A large turtle floated within inches of the bystanders.
“There.” Billy pointed.
Adam climbed onto the same perch as Billy and looked over a few feet. Angela knew the moment the kid spotted the turtles by the huge grin that took over his face. Scanning the area, Billy shifted to his left and advanced a few more feet. “Come here,” he called.
Casting his gaze from the nearby turtle to Billy and back, Adam nibbled on his lower lip. Angela inched closer to him. With her best effort at a reassuring smile, she patted Adam’s shoulder and encouraged him to follow. “Let’s go see.”
Together they shifted from rock to stone, reaching Billy and following the direction of his finger.
“Wow.” Adam squatted down, hands on knees, and peered into the water directly below him. Three good-sized turtles floated and bobbed in front of the little boy. “Cool.”
“Yeah, way cool,” she agreed. Very way cool.
* * *
“Yes, Mother. I know. Of course. Yes, Capri… I’ll do my best.” Lexie rolled her eyes and blew out a heavy sigh.
Billy recognized the familiar scene as Lexie having another bonding moment wi
th her mother. He also recognized the help me plea in her normally take-no-prisoners gaze. “Lexie,” he shouted louder than necessary.
“That’s my boss, Mom. Gotta run.” Lexie tossed her disconnected cell onto the counter with a bit more force than was probably recommended by the manufacturer. “Thank you! Five more minutes and she’d have had me booking a flight to Italy.”
Billy tossed her a no problem smile. Last time her mother had wanted a weekend in Madrid. The woman considered anything reachable in under ten hours a doable weekend jaunt. Lexie, thankfully, never agreed.
“Did you have a good time?” Lexie asked of Adam before turning her questioning eyes to the two adults standing on either side of him.
“It was really cool. The turtles just hang out in the water. And then on the way back, we stopped at Miss Angela’s job site. Looked good. I thought the tile was wood.” His gaze dropped to the floor, the light of excitement quickly doused. “Dad would have liked it.”
Billy let his hand fall on Adam’s shoulder again. He’d done that more than once today. It was all the reassurance he could think of. The kid was too grown up for a bear hug and too young to be left alone. “Your sister should be back any time now.”
“Speaking of the sister.” Lexie gestured to the storefront window. “The crew is pulling in now.”
Magnolia Maplewood hurried in, her eyes scanning the shop for her charge. “How’d it go?” “Cool,” Adam repeated. Apparently the ten-year-old’s vocabulary could stand some room for expansion.
Bethany glanced around the shop. “Really?” “We went to…”
“Kiholo Bay,” Billy supplied.
“And got to watch the turtles.”
“That’s wonderful.” Magnolia smiled, pulling the kid into the bear hug that Billy had wanted to offer all morning. The way Adam rolled his eyes at her, he was glad he hadn’t tried it. “We’d better be on our way. I bet you’re starving. I know I am.”
“I could eat a cow,” Bethany added, taking her place beside her brother. Yep, protective big sister was back.
Mixed voices of “see you tomorrow” and “catch you later,” with “thank you” and “good-bye” tumbled over each other as the group made their way out the door into the parking lot.
“I don’t like it,” Angela said, watching the makeshift family load into the car.
“What?” Lexie asked.
“I’m not sure. But if that boy has been sick the last couple of days, then my name is Jackie O.”
“Jackie O?” Lexie looked to Billy. “Do you know what she’s talking about?”
His back teeth clenched, and the muscles in his jaw tensed. Yeah, he knew. That still-small voice had been muttering at him all morning. He knew exactly what the kid was doing. Closing himself off from the things he’d shared with his father. The things his father wouldn’t get to enjoy anymore. What Billy didn’t know was what the hell to do about it.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Catching up on her work had swallowed up all of Angela’s time the last few days. On the bright side, she’d been too busy to watch the clock until this morning’s doctor appointment. The downside was she hadn’t been able to stop at the shop to see Billy since the day at the bay.
At least they’d spoken on the phone. Usually for only a few minutes. Last night she hadn’t wanted to hang up. She’d had to cancel dinner plans with Lexie to show property at the last minute. Before going to bed, Billy had called. They’d exchanged childhood stories that made her laugh and a couple of times almost cry. Adam had found excuses to stay with Billy at the shop. Billy hadn’t come right out and said he was worried about the boy, but she knew he was. After almost two hours on the phone, he’d asked about this morning’s appointment and offered to come with her.
The offer had been tempting. But in the end, she knew it would only make her nervous knowing he was sitting out in the waiting room. So now she sat, feet dangling off the side of the exam table, waiting for the doctor’s verdict and trying to figure out why Billy was so thoughtful and considerate and concerned and yet insisted on remaining a not-quite-anonymous but at least distant donor.
“How are you feeling?” Dr. Mary McCarthy closed the door behind her.
“Good. Fine. Okay.”
The doctor laughed. “As long as you’re sure.” Angela nodded and realized how silly that sounded. “I’m glad to be driving again.”
“And now you want to know when you can have sexual relations again?” The woman actually said that with a straight face. No blushing, no blinking, no bashfulness. How the heck did doctors do that? “Well…”
“That’s usually the first question I get asked after a procedure like this. Let’s take a look.”
Propping her feet up in the stirrups, Angela lay back while the doctor tapped her side, her belly, and poked and prodded.
Finally, with a quick pat to Angela’s knee, the doctor removed her gloves and tossed them aside. “You can get up now.”
Anticipation ran circles in her stomach. Would she be getting the all clear to make a baby or at least try, or had the procedure failed?
“Don’t look so worried.” Dr. McCarthy pulled a stool close and sat. “Everything looks pretty good.”
Angela wondered if there was a higher rank of good and very good, or should she just be thankful she didn’t fall into the okay or not-so-good category.
“I’m not a fan of delaying an attempt at conception any longer than necessary,” the woman continued. “Once you get your first period, you’re free to have intercourse.”
Intercourse. That’s what she had planned. Sperm donation through intercourse. Not making love. Not even sex. Intercourse. “When should I expect my period?”
“I suspect any day now. But keep in mind, conceiving may take awhile. I don’t want you to panic if you don’t get pregnant on the first try.”
Angela nodded. Intellectually she knew this might not be easy. Getting pregnant could take time. More than one attempt. Even for people without fertility issues. Her mind wandered back to walking on the beach and talking on the phone with Billy, and emotionally she wondered if not getting pregnant right away would be so bad. The answer was easy—no. Having more time with Billy could only be a good thing. The harder question was, could her heart take it?
* * *
A whole blasted week had passed since Angela’s visit with her doctor, and Billy had only managed to see her for all of ten minutes as she ran in and out of the shop a few days ago. If Lexie hadn’t needed to borrow something and Angela dropped it off, he wouldn’t have seen her at all.
Last night he’d been damn tempted to drive over and check up on her. And wasn’t that damn stupid? She didn’t need checking up on. And he didn’t need to be hovering. But the truth was, what he’d begun to think of as D day for do the deed was coming up fast. One day very soon, like a bad made-for-TV movie, he’d get a call telling him it’s time and have to drop everything and run.
To make matters more confusing he’d been kicking around a stupid idea and wished to hell he could bounce it off someone before mentioning it to Angela. The clock over the cash register told him it wouldn’t be long before Nick and Jonathan returned from the morning dive. If he told Nick what he and Angela were planning and shot the idea by him, what’s the worst his friend would do? Laugh at him? Yell at him? Gag him, bind him, and drag him to a shrink?
Raking his hand through his hair, he pushed away from his desk and walked out to the pool. Lexie was in the midst of another junior dive class. Who knew there were so many interested kids on the island? Adam Deluca popped into his mind. The last couple of days, Magnolia and the kids had taken a break from water activities. Nothing any of them said could get Adam in the water.
And who was Billy to say anything? He wasn’t getting in the water either. But it wasn’t fear of the water that kept Billy on dry land. This was about respect. And payback. None of what happened to Tom Deluca was Adam’s fault. So how the hell was he going to get the kid back in the wa
ter before things went too far?
Lord knew there were plenty of people in this world who never set foot in a swimming pool or the ocean, and they lived happy, fulfilled lives. But that wasn’t Adam Deluca. The kid had been a fish. And Billy’s gut told him Adam would make a damn fine sailor. Shit.
“Anchors Aweigh” blaring from his pocket dragged his thoughts back to the here and now. “Yeah?”
“My, my, don’t we sound friendly.”
“Sorry, man. Got a lot on my mind.” Billy turned away from the pool.
Luke “Brooklyn” Chapman heaved a sigh. “You’re about to have a lot more on your mind. One of my people managed to get a hold of the NTSB’s preliminary reports on the crash investigation. The FBI has been keeping it buried. Deep.”
“FBI…”
“Standard procedure to call in FBI when a crime is suspected. It wasn’t an accident. The plane was tampered with.”
Billy whistled and stopped half way to his office. “You sure?”
“No doubt. Which would explain the undercover op to transport the kids to Hawaii.”
“You think whoever tampered with the plane would come after the kids?” Every hair on the back of his neck stood at full alert. Damn.
“There’s no telling. I’ve got my best people on this twenty-four seven, but we still don’t have a handle on the details.” Brooklyn heaved another sigh.
Billy didn’t like the sound of all that heavy breathing. He wanted to sigh himself. Instead he dropped into his desk chair. “But you’ve got an idea?”
“Yeah. But I want to be sure.”
“Do we need to call in some extra eyes for the kids?”
“I’ve got a guy on Mrs. Deluca. I’m working on moving my men around. Free someone up for the kids until we can evaluate if we need more. Anything suspicious so far?”
Almost Paradise Page 19