Chapter 4
Chapter Four
The courtyard was bustling with activity when Hunter walked Olivia into the courtyard. The pool lights were on and gleaming, the tables pushed together and covered with colorful tablecloths. Lexie, the manager's niece, was setting up a margarita machine with help from Kaia, who, despite her dark-red hair and fair skin, was one of the most devoted sunbathers in the group, often relaxing on a lounger by the pool when she wasn't working as a paramedic.
Both were beautiful women in their late twenties and good friends with Emmalyn, who was often with them. There had been a time in his life when he would have appreciated being surrounded by so many attractive, energetic people his age, but that was not now. When Gary had died, a part of him had died, too.
He drew in a breath at that thought. He couldn't start thinking about Gary; that wasn't going to help. He looked toward the barbecue area where Liam and his fiancée, Ava, were talking to Gabe and Madison, who were creating amazing smells with whatever spicy meat or fish they'd thrown on the grill.
He had bought food from Gabe's food truck before he'd ditched it to open a restaurant with Madison. He didn't know much about her, except that she and Gabe had competed against each other in a cooking competition that had been the buzz of the building for a week at the beginning of summer. Now, they were apparently in a relationship, and there was a familiarity and intimacy between them as they cooked and chatted with their friends.
Olivia yanked on his hand, drawing his attention to her.
"Where's Emmalyn?" she asked, her worried gaze scanning the courtyard, as if desperate to find someone she could count on.
"I'm sure she's coming soon. There's a kid over there who looks about your age." He tipped his head toward a little boy who was throwing a beach ball to an attractive dark-blonde woman who he thought was named Paige. It was amazing how much information he'd picked up just by having his windows open on warm days.
"There she is," Olivia said with relief, pointing to Emmalyn, who was coming down the stairs with a platter of cookies in her hand.
Olivia dragged him around the pool until they reached the dessert table where Emmalyn set down her cookies.
"You're here," Olivia said, giving Emmalyn a hug.
Emmalyn smiled as she patted Olivia's head. "Of course I'm here. Have you met everyone?"
Olivia shook her head.
Emmalyn glanced at him.
"We just got here," he said defensively. "And while I've picked up a few names over the last several months, I don't really know anyone."
"Well, we are going to change that, because I know everybody. Let's start with Henry and Paige."
They walked around the pool to where Paige and her six-year-old son, Henry, were batting a beach ball back and forth to each other. Within minutes, Olivia started playing with Henry while Paige and Emmalyn chatted about some book they were reading for a book club.
He felt awkward and very much on the outside, but at least Olivia was smiling and having a good time. That was why he was here, so mission accomplished.
After a few moments, Paige interrupted the kids' game to ask them if they wanted to help her choose some toys to bring out. That was met with excited agreement, and he gave a nod as Paige asked if it was okay for Olivia to come with them.
As they left, Emmalyn said, "Shall I introduce you around?"
"I'm sure I'll meet people as the night goes on. No need to force anything," he replied.
"Whatever makes you comfortable. I remember feeling out of place the first time I came to one of these events, but now it just feels like a family dinner. Not that I actually know what a real family dinner is supposed to feel like," she muttered, talking more to herself than to him.
He tilted his head to the right, giving her a thoughtful look. Every now and then, she said something a little odd, and then stopped abruptly, as if she was sorry she'd said anything, which was exactly what she did now.
"Did you grow up with regular family dinners?" she asked.
"My father was in the military. He didn't make a lot of family dinners."
"Was it just you and your mom then?"
"I have an older brother, too. My mom tried to put good meals on the table for my brother and me, but she also worked, so as we got older, we fended for ourselves. I do actually know how to cook, even though there is no evidence of that in my apartment."
She gave him a faint smile. "I'll have to take your word for it."
"What about you? Why weren't you having family dinners?" he asked, preferring to delve into her life rather than his.
A shadow passed over her face, quick but unmistakable. "My childhood was...unconventional."
He sensed there was more to that story, but before he could decide whether to probe deeper, Josie approached them, camera in hand.
"Hunter! You finally decided to join us." She beamed at him like he was a long-lost relative who'd finally made it home for Christmas. She held up her camera. "Mind if I snap a few pictures? I'm documenting our Ocean Shores family for the community board."
Family . There was that word again.
He'd had a family—two actually: one born of blood, the other born of service and duty. But neither one of those was intact anymore. And he really wasn't up for a third. But he also didn't want to make a big deal about a photo he never had to look at.
"Fine," he said shortly, forcing what he hoped was a smile on his face as Josie motioned for them to get closer together, then snapped a photo of him and Emmalyn.
As Josie moved on to capture other residents, he let out a breath, and Emmalyn laughed. He turned to see the amusement in her eyes. "What's so funny?"
"Your complete distaste with having your photo taken. It's not like it's going online. It will just be on the display board next to the laundry room."
"I'm not big on pictures."
"Dinner's ready!" Gabe called from the grill area, where he was transferring fish to a platter. "Come and get it before Liam eats it all!"
The group began to congregate around the tables, and Hunter observed the easy camaraderie as they jostled for seats and passed platters. It reminded him of mess hall meals with his unit, that sense of belonging, of shared history and inside jokes. He felt a sudden, sharp pang of longing. The military had given him more than a career—it had given him a family of choice. These past seven months of isolation had been a self-imposed exile, a punishment he'd felt he deserved, but now he felt a yearning for all that he'd lost.
"Are you okay?" Emmalyn asked quietly as they sat down together
"Yeah," he said, clearing his throat. "I'm good."
Olivia had returned and sat next to Emmalyn, with Henry and Paige on her other side.
A man slid into the chair across from him and gave him a cheerful smile. "Hi. I'm Brad Morrison. I own Maverick's with my brother Tyler. I've seen you in there a few times. Hunter, right?"
"Yes. You have a great bar."
"We think so," Brad said with a grin. "Heard you're a Marine Corps pilot."
"I am," he said, although he wasn't sure that was true anymore.
"Helicopters, right?"
He nodded.
"Serena," Emmalyn interrupted as Brad's wife sat down next to him. "You're back from your trip. How was it?"
As Emmalyn deftly changed the conversation to Serena's recent trip to Cancun, he was saved from having to answer any more questions, and he was very appreciative of her intervention. He knew Brad wasn't being particularly nosy; he just didn't want to talk about himself.
Another guy slid into the chair next to him. "Ben Mercer," he said, introducing himself. "I moved in a few months ago. I'm Kaia's brother."
"Hunter Kane."
"The pilot," Ben said with a nod.
"That's me. Where did you move from?"
"LA. I'm a detective with the Oceanside PD now. I much prefer a beat by the beach. Did you catch the Padres' game?" Ben asked. "That was quite a win."
"I saw that," Brad interjected. "Manny with three K's in the eleventh inning. Amazing game."
As they started talking baseball, Hunter sat back in his chair, happy to be out of the spotlight. The conversation flowed easily around him and across the three tables set up in the courtyard. He found himself surprisingly drawn to the rhythm of their banter, the verbal shorthand developed among people who knew each other well. It reminded him of his unit again, and that immediately dimmed his spirit, because one of the most important people in that unit was no longer alive. But he couldn't go down that rabbit hole of pain and anger, not here, not in front of all these people.
"Do you want more food?" Emmalyn asked, tipping her head toward his empty plate.
"No, but that was excellent."
"Gabe and Madison are the best. I can't wait for their restaurant to officially open next month. It's going to be amazing."
"What kind of food are they serving?"
"I'm not exactly sure. They come from different backgrounds, but I think it's going to be a blend of their styles, their favorite dishes." She paused, glancing over at Olivia, then back at him. "Olivia is enjoying herself."
"She is. I don't know how long her good mood will last once we get back to it being just the two of us, and she remembers her mother is gone."
"She just needs to feel safe with you. That's all that matters right now."
"I'm trying, but I think she feels safer when you're around."
"I'll come with you to school in the morning. We can meet in the parking lot, and you can follow me to Ravenswood. We'll go early so I can introduce her to her teacher, and you can meet her as well before the rest of the kids get there."
He hated that he still needed her help, but he wasn't stupid enough to turn it down. "Thanks. I'm sure Olivia will feel better if you're there."
"I'm happy to do what I can to make this easier. I know what she's feeling."
"How do you know?" he asked curiously.
She hesitated. "It doesn’t matter."
"That's not the first time you've mentioned being able to relate to Olivia's situation. Care to add a few more details?" He really had no business asking about her life when he didn't want to share anything about his. But he was curious.
Before Emmalyn could answer, Josie's raised voice caught everyone's attention.
"I hate to bring business to taco night," Josie said, "but I wanted to let everyone know that the building owner is coming to town next week. I've heard rumors he might be thinking about selling the building. I want him to see that we have more than just a building here; we have a community. So feel free to share your thoughts if you see him wandering around. His name is Grayson Holt. Let's make him feel as welcome as we can."
"Do you really think he'll sell?" Kaia asked with concern. "And if he does, will we be able to stay as tenants?"
"I'm not sure he's going to sell, but he asks a lot of questions that make me nervous," Josie said. "The Holt family has owned the building since I first moved in over thirty years ago, and it's been passed down twice. This is the third generation to take over but the first to mention an interest in selling the building. I don't want anyone to be blindsided, so I will let you know as soon as I know."
As small conversations broke out around the table after Josie's words, Emmalyn muttered, "That's worrisome."
"It doesn't sound like anything will happen soon."
"You're right, and maybe it won't happen at all. I can't imagine us all having to move."
As he looked around the group, he could see that Josie's words had definitely put a damper on the party. He wasn't that concerned, because he'd never intended for Ocean Shores to be his long-term home, but he could see how troubled the others were by the idea of having to move, having to split up their makeshift family.
"I'm going to help clean up," Emmalyn said, grabbing his plate as she got to her feet. He looked at Olivia and saw her stifle a yawn. Then he met Paige's knowing gaze.
"Time for bed," Paige said as her son also yawned.
"I agree," he said. Olivia was definitely tired. She'd had a big day, but he was dreading bedtime and getting her to sleep. He wanted to ask Emmalyn to help, but he really couldn't do that. Olivia was his responsibility, and he had to figure it out. Plus, Emmalyn was talking to some of the others by the grill now, and he didn't want to pull her away. He got to his feet and told Olivia it was time to go inside.
Livvy immediately looked concerned, and he was afraid she was about to break into tears, so he threw her a quick buoy. "But Emmalyn is going to meet us in the morning and come with us to school. She'll introduce you to your new teacher."
"Can she sleep at your house, too?" Olivia asked.
"No. She has her own place, but she's just upstairs. She's not that far away."
"I want her to stay with me." He could see her lower lip tremble.
Fortunately, Emmalyn appeared, coming to the rescue once more. "Is it time to say goodnight?" she asked.
"I want you to stay with us," Olivia said, grabbing Emmalyn's hand.
He felt like a complete failure when he saw how eager Olivia was to be with Emmalyn and how reluctant she was to be with him, although he couldn't blame her at all.
"Why don't I walk you back to your apartment?" Emmalyn suggested. "I can help you get ready for bed." She turned to him. "If that's okay with you."
"More than okay," he said with relief.
They said goodnight to those still around the table and then made their exit. Once they got into his apartment, Olivia started to cry. "I want my mom," she told Emmalyn.
Emmalyn knelt down and pulled Livvy into her arms, stroking her hair. "She'll be back soon."
"I don't want to stay here."
"You are going to have so much fun tomorrow. And you can't have that fun until you go to sleep."
"What kind of fun?" Olivia asked skeptically.
"You're going to meet new kids and play games at recess. You'll get to read and do art, and it's going to be great. You will love first grade."
"Will my mommy be back tomorrow?"
"I don't know, but I'm sure it will be soon. Why don't you go to the bathroom and brush your teeth? Then you can put on the new pajamas we bought. They're on the bed with all your stuffies."
Olivia hesitated, then did as Emmalyn suggested and went into the bathroom.
"I don't think she's going to sleep tonight," he murmured.
"It's a difficult situation, but she's tired, so hopefully she will sleep. She has some books you can read her."
"Me? You should read to her. She wants you."
"I think you need to do this part on your own, Hunter, so she starts to feel more comfortable with you," Emmalyn said.
"As soon as you leave, she'll cry again. I really hate when girls cry."
"Sometimes, crying is good. It's better than holding emotions inside. Although, I suspect you wouldn't agree with that philosophy."
"I wouldn't. Emotions are better on the inside than the outside."
"Well, you're not a six-year-old girl." Emmalyn paused. "Instead of reading a book to her, why don't you tell her a story about you and her dad?"
He didn't like that idea at all. "That won't make her feel better. It will just remind her that he's gone."
"I think it will make her feel closer to you and remind her that you were her father's good friend."
"Maybe." He paused, giving her a thoughtful look. "I asked you earlier why you understand Olivia so well, and we got interrupted before you could answer."
"That's a longer story than we have time for."
"Is there a short version?"
She hesitated, then said, "When I was twelve, I went to live with my aunt, someone I barely knew. I felt abandoned and scared, which is why I can relate to Olivia's situation. That's the short version."
He now had a lot more questions, but Olivia was coming out of the bathroom, and she wanted Emmalyn's help with her PJs.
He hovered in the doorway to the bedroom as Emmalyn helped Olivia change, then tucked her into bed with her stuffies all around her. When they both looked at him, he felt another wave of panic. He wanted to beg Emmalyn to stay until Olivia fell asleep. But she was already saying goodnight to Olivia, and he needed to step up and show Olivia she could count on him.
Emmalyn gave him an encouraging smile as she walked toward him, murmuring, "You can do this." Then she was gone. And he was on his own.
He walked over to the bed and sat down awkwardly on the side of it. "Uh, do you want me to read you one of your books?"
Olivia shook her head. "Emmalyn said you could tell me a story."
He silently cursed Emmalyn for putting that thought in Olivia's head, but her expectant gaze was better than a crying fit, so he said, "Okay. What kind of story?"
"Can you tell me a story about my daddy?"
He had a million stories about Gary, but he had no idea if any of them were appropriate for a six-year-old. He thought for a moment, his gaze moving across the stuffed animals, and then he smiled. "Did your dad ever tell you about making friends with a monkey?"
Her eyes widened. "A real monkey?"
"Oh, yeah, but it was a sneaky monkey. We were in the Philippines, sitting at a café, when your dad decided to share his banana with a wild monkey."
"Did the monkey like the banana?"
"He devoured it. And then your dad decided to give him a name. He called him Captain Banana."
She giggled at that.
"But then, Captain Banana decided he wanted more than a banana. He grabbed my sunglasses and took off down the street."
"What happened?"
"Well, your dad wasn't going to let that monkey get away with my glasses, so he took off down the street, jumping over the curb, shouting for Captain Banana to drop my glasses. But the monkey just scurried up a light pole and gazed down at your dad, twirling my sunglasses in his little monkey hands. I caught up to them and told your dad to forget about it. I wasn't getting those glasses back."
"What did my daddy say?"
"That he wasn't giving up that easily. It was his fault the monkey had gotten that close to my glasses. Your dad grabbed another banana from a street vendor and told the monkey he would trade the banana for his glasses. I didn't think it would work, because a monkey couldn't understand what your dad was saying, but your father kept talking to the monkey like he could understand. And then, finally, by some miracle, the monkey came down the pole, dropped the glasses and grabbed the banana. Your dad handed me my glasses, and the monkey got another banana."
"What did Daddy do then?"
"We walked back to the café and ordered a banana smoothie to celebrate."
"Daddy was silly," she said with a shy smile.
"Yeah, he was silly," he said. "But he always showed up for his friends…for me, especially. He was going to do whatever it took to get my glasses back. You know what they call that kind of person?"
She shook her head.
"A hero. Your dad was a true hero, the best man in the world."
Olivia grabbed the little monkey next to her, then turned onto her side, giving him a sleepy smile. "I wish I could have met that monkey. Do you think he looked like this one?"
"Exactly like that one."
"Can you tell me another story about Daddy?"
"Uh, sure." He was still thinking about what to say when he realized Olivia's eyes were closed, and she was already fast asleep.
He got up from the bed, careful not to disturb her. As he walked back into the living room, he found himself smiling about the story he'd just told. And he realized that this was the first time since Gary's death he'd been able to think about his friend without thinking about the explosion, the fire, the fear, the pain... Instead, he'd remembered a good moment. Maybe not every memory had to hurt.