wrath of the Sea Queen (125 page)

While C
a
eli and Apela put the final touches on the meal, Ben and Salma sat together in the lounge, and Vin sat on a high stool at
the
counter where he could continue his vigil.  Max, who was playing quietly in the lounge, enjoyed his part in Vin's game.  He liked being able to help keep an eye on pretty C
a
eli.  When requested, Max would happily go and ask for a bite of food.  Generally, he came back with a smile on his face, chewing on the requested morsel.  Each trip, Max also walked up to Vin and placed the same requested tidbit in his hand.  It was a clear
indication
that C
a
eli knew
exactly
what Vin was doing.  Vin would smile, thank Max for helping him, and continue his conversation with Ben and Salma.  Only once did Max come back empty-handed.  He said that
Papa told him to stop bugging
pretty C
a
eli
cause dinner was on its way to the table
.
  Apela was teaching C
a
eli about Hawaiian f
lav
ors,
m
anag
ing
to do most of the actual cooking himself.  C
a
eli assumed Vin was responsible for that as well. 

Salma and Ben were
discussing
her seminar scheduled for tomorrow morning.  She did not have to be there until nine o'clock
to present a two hour
seminar, and then Salma was supposed to give a quick, ten minute speech at the beginning of the lunch session.  Salma didn't want Ben to go.  She wanted him to stay at the hotel
to rest and
allow his back more time to heal
.  Vin knew Salma was fighting a losing battle.  After the trouble at the lighthouse and the news reporting that the protests were getting more aggressive, there was no way Ben would allow Salma to go
out
alone
.  Instead, Ben was attempting, unsuccessfully, to convince her to cancel.  At the very least, Ben would be accompanying her.

Vin wanted to go along as well.  Ben would need his help if he
ran into
any further trouble.  On the other hand, Vin also wanted to stay with C
a
eli.  She was mark
ed
ly better, but not up to par yet.  He was torn between the two and had not yet made up his mind.  Perhaps if C
a
eli
's improvement continued
after a good night's sleep, then Vin would go.  He definitely would not let
C
a
eli
attend
. 
He was prepared for the fact that
she
would not be happy about it, but
Vin
did not intend to
budge on this. 
He
did not want
C
a
eli
anywhere near the conference if there was
the slightest
chance
that
she could get hurt.  She had been through enough already.  C
a
eli still needed time to re
cuperate
whether she admitted it or not.  Vin intended to see that
she did
.

Apela and C
a
eli served dinner, and everyone commented on how wonderful it tasted.  Max particularly enjoyed the chocolate
and coconut
pie, and sat on C
a
eli's lap while he ate it.  C
a
eli could not contain her smile.  She leaned over several times during dinner to wrangle a kiss from Vin, who didn
'
t complain.

"Oh, get a room," Salma teased as she ate.  Her appetite was uncommonly large today.  For some reason, the food
tasted
exceptional
ly good
.  She enjoyed a second helping of nearly everything, even the pie.  Then again, it could be that the food
merely
provided
comfort after a particularly trying day.

"Tempting," Vin
whispered, out of earshot of Max,
as he looked longingly at C
a
eli
and the resultant blush on her face
.

"Now look what you've started," Ben joked.

"Alas, there are dishes to be washed,"
Vin replied in mock grievance.

Everyone laugh
ed
, and the mood at the dinner table was pleasant.  Salma offered to join Vin with the cleanup
,
since Apela and C
a
eli
had prepared the meal
.  Ben offered his assistance as well, but Salma insisted that he would be more helpful
taking it easy on
his back and keeping C
a
eli company.  Apela bid them all good night, arranged to drive them to the conference the next morning, and ushered a protesting Max off to bed.

After
brief
discussion
s
about the food
and
weather, Ben finally broached the subject that had been on his mind for two days.

"Well Lass, I couldn't help but notice that big grin on
your face.  I don't think it is
sol
ely
because you
a
re feeling better. 
Salma told me what you thought happened earlier, but I suspect that
you
might
finally
have some good news
.  Am I right
?
"  Ben asked quietly.

"Yes
. 
It stopped, and
I took a second test,"
C
a
eli's broad smile flashed up at him, but she didn't say anything else.

"Then you might want this.  Salma hasn't seen it yet.  I
know you asked her to run it, but I thought you might want to see the results first.  I
pulled it off the machine and held onto it.  I
had decided to give it to
Salma
tomorrow if you
r condition
had not
improved
.  It's not fair to ask her to treat you without giving her all the facts.
"

"It's ok, Ben.  She already knew.  I was only asking her to confirm it for me."

"Well, that's good.
 
I ask
ed
her if
the
missing
results were
necessary
to
your
treat
ment
, and she said
she only ran
that test
to satisfy your curiosity
. 
A
nd a
lthough this says otherwise,
Salma
thought
you m
ight
be w
rong.  Either way,
Salma will not be pleased to find out that I kept
this
page
from her."
Ben reached into his front pocket and pulled out a piece of folded paper he had kept carefully hidden from Salma
, and
handed it to C
a
eli. 

"
Th
is
confirms it! 
Turns out that I was wrong about being wrong,"
C
a
eli
smiled in response
as she
unfolded
the page
and read what was printed upon it
.  Her grin, if possible, became even bigger.  She impulsively reached over and hugged Ben as Vin came strolling into the lounge. 

"Thank you, Ben. 
I don't know how you kept it from
Salma
, but thank you. 
Tomorrow morning.  I want to make it special
,
"
C
a
eli whispered.  She quickly refolded the paper
and slid
it into her
p
ocket.

"Hey now, what's this?"  Vin asked jokingly as he walked up and
wrapped
his arm around C
a
eli's slender waist.

"Just returning that token of affection," Ben answered with a smile, reminding Vin of his comment earlier that morning.

"I'm really glad you're all right," C
a
eli said as she looked up and flashed another smile at Vin
.  They were sitting
on the back porch enjoying the cool evening air, protected from the rain.
 
The light of the moon was partially visible th
r
ough the ominous storm clouds.

Vin shook his head and
,
laugh
ing
lightly
,
kissed her and took both of her hands in his.

"
T
hat's supposed to be my line. 
Honey, y
ou
ha
ve got to quit scaring me like this.  When I
saw you on th
e
arena floor,
felt your pain
after you fixed my arm,
and then
had to stop you from letting
you
r energy drain away
at the lighthouse…well, I
just
don't know what I
woul
d do without you."