PARADISE COVE (PARADISE SERIES Book 1) (13 page)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Kayla returned to Passions and found her mother and Taylor chatting in the air conditioned living area. Brittany was minding the office, and the other two had their feet up on the sofa, drinking large chilled glasses of iced tea.

Still unsettled, she said, "Miguel is fixing a screen in Harmony. Apparently he spotted a hole and took it upon himself to do the work. Next he wants to paint our cabins.” She spread her arms to the sides. “Seems like we found ourselves a handyman."

Taylor looked up from her Cooking Light magazine. "Are we going to pay him? It only seems right, and they sure could use the money."

"I agree.” Kayla joined them in the living room. “But Miguel is very stubborn and proud. Sean doesn't think he'll take cash from us. Says it would be an insult since we're giving him free room and board."

"Well, we can't just let him work for nothing!" Taylor argued.

"I know.” Kayla pushed her hair back from her forehead and stared at her mother. “Mom, maybe you can talk to Juanita when she gets here. Woman to woman. Perhaps say the money is for the baby? Give it to her and tell her not to let Miguel know until they reach Miami. Then he'll be unable to return it."

"That's a good idea,” Anna agreed. “Women are more practical in these matters.How can they possibly leave without a cent in their pockets? It would be a difficult position to put their relatives in, that's for sure."

"Glad you guys agree. They have their pride, but still..." Kayla rubbed her stomach without thinking. "Babies are very expensive." Then she smiled. "Hey, that gives me an idea. Why don't we go out tomorrow and buy the necessities before the baby arrives? Give them a head start. It can be in the cabin when they bring Juanita home. A "welcome home baby” gift."

Anna nodded. "Excellent idea. So, did you meet the new family yet? Brian and Rosemary? They are very nice. I told them about our happy hour and they're coming."

"No, I haven't met them, just their son Jack. Sean invited the boys for a swim, and I told them I'd bring a picnic lunch. The three of them fished off the pier and caught two good size snappers." She glanced at Taylor. "I also said they could bring the fish over and you might make it for dinner. I also invited Sean, Miguel and Raul."

"No problem. If the snapper isn't enough, I can also do a meat dish. How about spicy Korean ribs?"

"You're wonderful, Tay. You can just whip up any old thing and make it taste fabulous."

"So—you're going swimming too?" she asked with a not-so-sly wink.

"I kind of got talked into it." She turned her back so her sister wouldn't see her blush.

"I bet you did." She teased. "You want to wear Brit's teeny-weenie bikini?"

"I don't think so! Besides the boys will be there."

"In that case save it for your moonlight swims."

"Taylor. I thought this was between us! Sheesh! If you can't trust your own sister who can you trust?"

"Am I missing something here?" Anna asked, glancing at her two daughters. "Catch me up to speed. I hate missing the good stuff."

"You're not missing anything, Mom," Kayla answered quickly, giving Taylor the evil eye. "And even if you were, a girl's got to have some secrets. Right?"

"Well, if it's about you and that handsome devil, Sean, then no. I want all the details. What's this about a moonlight swim? Did you two meet last night and have a rendezvous at the pool?"

Taylor snorted and clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Not one word out of you, Taylor-maid, or I'll tell Mom about that guy in high school."

"What guy in high school?" Anna asked. "And don't dodge the question. What about the swim?" She clapped her hands. "Oh, I do want to see one of my girls married while I'm still young enough to dance at the wedding."

Kayla rolled her eyes. "Mom, there is not going to be any wedding. At least not for me or Sean." She sat down in an overstuffed chair and leaned her head against the back. "Last night he told me about Sara. The boat is named for his daughter. She died a year ago from leukemia. So, you see he's hurting deeply inside, and all of us need to remember that and do what we can to help. He needs us, all of us. As friends."

Taylor sent her a look, and Kayla bit her lip, holding back the threat of tears. Even just talking about Sean's pain broke down her emotional barrier. His pain was her pain, and she felt it deeply.

Taylor nodded, seeming to understand. "We’ll all do what we can, Kayla. How does a parent deal with a loss like that?"

"I don't know. Not easily that's for sure. His marriage broke up, and he took a leave of absence from work." She picked at her thumbnail. "So you see, he'll return to Boston and his job once he gets his head straightened out."

"It's not his head I'm worried about," her mother said. "His heart will take much longer to heal. And I can see that you care about him very much. He also cares about you. But will it be enough to make him stay?" She rose and patted Kayla's shoulder. "I don't know, my sweet girl. Be careful."

Kayla stood too, and stretched her back. "I've got to get ready for the picnic at the pool. I'm so pleased to see Raul with a new friend."

Her mom gave Kayla a gentle push. "Go get into your most alluring swim suit, and I'll get the lunch ready. Off you go now. The red halter suit is hot. It does great things for your boobs."

"Mom!!!" Kayla felt her cheeks flame. "Really?"

"I'm just saying. Use your assets, girl. And that goes for you too, Taylor. Get your head out of cooking books and go find yourself a man to cook for."

Taylor tossed the magazine onto the coffee table. "I'll go pick up a few things for dinner," she said. "And maybe if I'm real lucky, I'll meet a nice butcher or two."

"You're a piece of work," Anna said, laughing lightly. "Just wiggle your cute fanny around town and see what happens. I've noticed a few men giving you the eye. Not that you noticed, but I sure did."

"Not interested. I just broke up with my boyfriend a few months ago. I need some space."

"Well, you've got it, sunshine," her mother said. "Right between the ears." She tossed her a smile to take the sting out of the words. "While you're in town, why don't you pick me up a few romance novels? I just finished my latest book and don't have anything to read. And while you're at it, grab a couple for yourself. It'll get you in the mood. Trust me on that."

"Oh, mother," Taylor groaned. "You just buried husband number two. Surely you aren't still interested in sex? That's just gross."

"Honey, I'm only in my fifties. There's still a lot of life inside these old bones."

Kayla headed for the bedroom. "I'm going to close my ears and pretend I didn't hear that." She shut the door behind her and smiled. With her sisters and her mother around, she always had a reason to smile. And knowing that she'd be hanging around a sexy, half-naked Sean for the afternoon was enough to make her darn near giddy. She'd try to put a lid on it, but it wouldn't be easy.    
              A few minutes later she was dressed in the red one-piece swimsuit with a sarong tied around her hip. She grabbed the picnic basket her mother put together and strolled down to the pool. Even from a distance she could hear the splashing of water and the high pitched squeals of boys having a good time.

Kayla spotted an attractive young woman with chestnut hair pulled into a long, swinging ponytail, and a little girl next to her that could be a clone. They were seated on the edge of a lounge chair, watching the boys play. She also noticed Sean in the pool, tossing a beach ball around to the boys. She ignored him for the time being, and walked over to introduce herself to their new guests.

"Hi, I'm Kayla." She offered her hand and a friendly smile. "My mother checked you in this morning. Welcome to Paradise Cove. How was your drive from North Carolina? Jack said you stopped in Orlando and took the kids to Disneyworld."

"Yes, we did, but it might have been a mistake, as they cried for hours when we left," she said, giving her daughter a quick hug. "Nice to meet you. I'm Rosemary, and this is Megan."

"Would you like to join us for a picnic lunch?" Kayla asked. "We have plenty of food, and that way you and I can get to know each other."

"Don't tempt me. I have unpacking to do, and laundry. My husband's a nice guy, but leaving him to do the work would be pushing it."

Kayla smiled. "I understand. I'll get a chance to get acquainted with both of you later. At happy hour."

"That's right. Your mother mentioned it.” She smiled. “I really appreciate you taking care of Megan for me."

"My pleasure." She kneeled down so she'd be at the same height as the little girl. "How old are you? I'm guessing four."

Megan nodded. "I used to be three."

"That's right, and now you're a big girl and can swim with floaties." She glanced at her mother. "I used to work summers at a county pool. I've got a life guard certificate, so she's in good hands." She winked at Megan. "And I like little girls. I have two younger sisters—have you met them yet? One is named Taylor and the baby is Brittany."

"How old is Brittany?" Megan asked. "Is she four? Can I play with her?"

"She's working right now, but you'll meet her in a little while. She's big like me, and she's twenty-five, but sometimes she acts like four."

Her mother laughed. "Thanks so much for taking the kids off our hands. It's been a long couple of days driving and they're restless." She glanced at Sean playing with the boys in the pool. "It was very nice of Sean to take Jack fishing earlier. He has the boat down at the marina. It's lovely." Her eyes held a question that Kayla ignored.

"Yes, it is. He's a long-term guest and we're very lucky to have him." She glanced at him, and her mouth watered.

Sean caught her look, and shouted loud enough to be heard, "Come on in. The water is perfect." He sent a dazzling smile to Megan's mother. "We’ll take care of the kids. Not to worry."

"Thank you," Rosemary acknowledged Sean's words, then she stood up and walked to the pool's edge. "Don't be rough with her, Jack. You know she's little."

"I won't, Mom."

"Sean's my friend, and he'll take care of us," Raul said proudly. "He saved me, and my mom and dad. We were drowning—out there," he pointed to the ocean. "Didn't you?" he asked, delighted to share his story.

Sean tossed the ball over to Jack, clearly not wanting to go into details. "Yeah, it was that or run over you in my boat. I figured picking you all up was a better idea."

Rosemary glanced at Kayla. "Really? Did their boat capsize?"

"It sure did," she replied, but didn't feel the need to elaborate.  The less the guests knew of the rescue, the better for the family. Some people might oppose the idea of letting them stay in this country and she certainly didn't want to argue the point. "Sean saved their lives. Raul’s mother is seven months pregnant. She's on bed rest."

"Amazing." She gave Sean an admiring glance, then bent to kiss her daughter's cheek. "I'll see you a little later. Have fun, sweetheart. I love you."

"Okay. Love you too, Mommy." Megan took hold of Kayla's hand. "I can't swim so you have to hold me up. Okay?"

"Okay. I'll be right with you all the time, and when you want out of the pool, you just tell me." She glanced at Rosemary. "Tell Brian I look forward to meeting him later. Happy hour is mandatory around here."

She nodded and smiled. “So I hear.” Tossing her daughter and son a kiss, Rosemary left them to return to her chores.

Kayla entered the pool by the steps, holding the sweet child's hand. Sean swam over and reached for Megan's other hand, leading her into the pool.

Kayla felt her insides turn to mush as she watched him care for the young girl. Did this child remind him of the one he'd lost? She could see that he must have been a wonderful father. She hoped that one day he would be again.

Sean swung Megan into the air, over his head, and made her laugh, then he eased her into the water, and held her for a few seconds until she felt comfortable. The pink butterfly swim vest held the child up securely, enabling her to kick and splash her way around the shallow end of the pool. The boys began a game of Marco Polo.

Sean swam up to Kayla and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back into his chest. He nibbled on her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "You look sexy as hell, but where's that bikini I asked for? I can't feel your skin the way I want to."

Her stomach did a cartwheel, but she pushed his hands away and turned to face him. "That kind of talk can only lead to no good," she answered with a teasing smile. “And we have a lunch that will spoil in the sun." She tossed the floating beach ball in the direction of the boys. "Hey, kids? Who wants chicken sandwiches and fruit salad?"

"I do! I do!" They both shouted, splashing as they raced to get out of the water.

Sean lifted Megan out of the pool while Kayla grabbed towels for everyone. Once they were all dried and seated Kayla dished out the food. It made her happy to see Raul eating and chatting with his new friend. He had left everyone he ever knew behind him back home and nearly hadn't survived the crossing. But he and his family would be happy here, and they would thrive.

Megan sat next to her brother, and Kayla and Sean sat together across from the three children. She could feel his warm thigh next to her bare leg, and pretended not to notice. He dropped a piece of chicken from his sandwich and it landed between them, giving him an excuse to touch her. She tried to keep a straight face as he meticulously cleaned the spot; the back of his hand caressing her skin.