Chapter 6
Presley dipped her feet into the cool water and stared at the horizon. The volcano rumbled angrily in the background, and ash clouds floated out over the ocean. She’d gone to the local drugstore down the road.
No Plan B.
She should be upset. Scared. Concerned. Angry. Something. Anything other than slightly relieved.
But she wasn’t.
It was now two days since she’d slept with Waylen and past the time she could even take the pill.
She lifted her cell and found Waylen’s contact information. She’d made him a promise and she intended to honor it.
And she wouldn’t do it in a text. He deserved much better than that.
Before tapping the call button, she glanced over her shoulder. Tim, her engineer, Tony, the marina’s mechanic, Remi, and a special investigator were all in the catamaran up on the dry dock, working on learning what had caused the minor explosion.
She hated using that term; however, that’s precisely what had transpired.
The phone rang twice.
“Hey, Presley. What’s up?” Waylen asked.
“How are things at The Resort?”
“Honestly, hectic. I don’t have much time between this and a situation going on with both Harlan and Raider. But it’s damn good to hear your voice.”
Jesus, that melted her heart right down to her fucking toes. Waylen shouldn’t make her feel like she was the only woman in his world. What they shared was a trip down memory lane. It was a chance for them to say all the things they hadn’t when his mom ripped him from Big Island without warning.
It should represent closure.
Not a new beginning.
She shouldn’t confuse the two.
“I wanted to touch base with you about our little situation,” she said.
“Is everything okay? Are you okay?”
“I’m still staying at Benny’s. My team is taking a while to assess the damage. An investigator is here and trying to determine exactly what happened. There aren’t many drugstores around here, and I was unable to find the morning-after pill. I tried, but we’ll have to wait this one out.”
“I understand,” he said. “How do you feel about that?”
Being brutally honest with him might be too much for both of them. It didn’t matter that he’d poured his heart out. He never said he’d stay. Not once did he mention being a father. Or even co-parenting. All he did was let her know that he’d be around to ‘deal with it,’ and she feared that meant something else.
But she didn’t know because she hadn’t asked.
She couldn’t blame him if that’s what he wanted. There were so many good reasons for not having a child. They weren’t all that young anymore. They didn’t know each other either. They had a past, which included a loving relationship. But that didn’t make for a future.
“I have mixed emotions about it all,” she said.
Some things in life are worth risking everything. You’ll know it in your heart, feel it in your bones, and question it because it will force you to bear your soul, and it’s possible that you could lose everything. But you’ll never know unless you put it out there.
Those were her father’s wise words.
Perhaps she needed to put something out in the universe. The Waylen she knew was contemplative, weighing all his options. While he was an emotional man, he based his decisions in logic.
It wouldn’t be fair if she kept her true thoughts to herself.
“If by chance the craziest thing has happened, it certainly wouldn’t be the way I wanted to have a child, being single. But a child is something I’ve always wanted. Something I’ve always dreamed about.”
Crickets.
She waited for a good minute for him to say something, but no words came.
“Waylen?”
“I’m here,” he said. “I’m searching for the right words.”
“Silence speaks volumes.”
“No. Actually, it doesn’t. Not when you can’t see my face to gauge my response,” he said. “This is hard over the phone for that reason. It’s also hard because I’m not you. I’m not a woman. And to be frank, I gave up on the idea of having a family years ago. When Elena and I divorced, I swore off ever getting married again. Or even a committed relationship. And kids were certainly out of the equation.”
“You wouldn’t have to be part of?—”
“First, you’re putting the cart before the horse. And second, you know me better than that,” he said. “It’s not that I’m afraid of this. You don’t have me running scared. It’s just that I’m at a crossroads in my life in general. Seeing you again has brought so many things to the surface. I care about you. I always have. I always will. And I want to spend more time with you. I feel as though we were cheated out of something.”
“I feel a but coming on.”
“No buts. It’s just a lot of what-ifs and I don’t do well with them. We wait it out and not worry about it until we know. Then we talk. I’m not going anywhere in terms of support. I also don’t want to lose you again. I don’t know what that means for a lot of reasons.”
“Crossroads.”
“It’s more than that, Presley, and it’s not something that can be hashed out over the phone,” he said. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to hang up shortly. Things here are complicated. I’m working on three different missions at once. Hopefully things here will wrap up in a day or two and I’ll meet you wherever you are, okay?”
“All right.”
“Hey, before I go. Has the investigator mentioned anything to you about the boat?”
It had been a long while since she had someone in her life who took the time to check in on her and her problems. Blake did it. Remi and his wife were always looking out for her. A few of her other employees who had been around a long while also took the time. But Vernon had fractured some of her relationships. She’d also built up walls. He’d broken her trust and her spirit.
“He’s going through the vessel. I’m hoping I’ll know exactly what happened by the end of the day, but he hasn’t given me any indication of what he’s thinking yet.”
“This wasn’t your fault, Presley.”
“You can say that all you want and trust me, I appreciate you trying to make me feel better. But that cat was due for service. I had no business taking it out.”
“Your ex-husband forced your hand. And any number of things could have gone wrong. You know that. So stop beating yourself up.”
“I can’t. There’s a man in the hospital fighting for his life.” She swiped at her cheeks. From the moment the fire broke out, she knew she did everything right. Hell, once the volcano erupted and she decided to go to the dock instead of picking up a buoy and continuing with the charter, she’d been making all the right moves. But it didn’t change the outcome.
“Babe, until you have answers, you need to stop making yourself crazy.”
Her heart swelled. Waylen used to call her babe when they were dating, but he hadn’t used it until now, and it made all the difference in the world.
“I promise I’ll be back in touch as soon as I can to help you with all this.”
“You’re busy, and I understand the stakes. I do. There are lots of crazy things going on around Big Island. Do what you need to with your buddies. You’re helping good people. I’ve met Cassie and the family she protects. What went down is insane.”
“Cassie mentioned they went on a Driftwood Tours. She sang your praises,” Waylen said. “So did the family. I’ve got a few things to do to wrap that up, along with dealing with the situation with Raider and some IT work for Harlan. There are rumblings that we’ll have to go back to the ranch for a debrief before I can get to you.”
“There’s no reason for you to rush. I’m not in any danger. What you’re dealing with is far more pressing,” she said. “Be safe.”
“I will. Talk soon.”
She couldn’t be angry with him for anything he said. He was right. There was no point in discussing what might be until they knew for sure, and she shouldn’t worry about things she couldn’t control, including what the inspector might find. Waylen was saying and doing all the right things. He was present and he wasn’t blowing smoke up her skirt.
He wasn’t Vernon.
Waylen was a kind and caring man. He wouldn’t simply walk out of her life and leave her hanging. He didn’t do that twenty-three years ago. That hadn’t been his choice and it had been she who slowly cut off communication, ending what had already been destroyed by distance.
Waylen leaned back and cracked his knuckles. Between the phone call with Presley and staring at a fucking tiny computer screen for the last five hours, his brain was fried.
Knock. Knock.
He stood, peering out the peephole.
Lane.
Opening the door, he plastered on his best smile. “What’s up, man?”
“You look like death,” Lane said.
“You don’t look much better.” Waylen chuckled. “Been a hell of a few days.”
“Damn straight.” Lane fell back onto the sofa by the sliding glass doors. He raked a hand through his hair. “What are you working on?”
“Background checks for Harlan. Deep dives for Raider. And my own little project that has me wanting to blow out someone’s kneecap.”
“Damn. That’s aggressive for the quiet computer geek who prefers to spend his time fishing or surfing by himself.”
Waylen chuckled. “Take a look at this.” He handed Lane a computer printout.
“Wow. You’re looking up the ex-girlfriend’s ex-husband. There’s a word for that, but I’m going to choose not to use it until you tell me why you’re doing it.” Lane held up the paper. His eyes shifted left to right, but his face remained expressionless. “It’s not uncommon for spouses to split business in a divorce. If one can’t afford to buy out the other?—”
“I haven’t given you the full picture.” Waylen wanted another night with Presley. No. He wanted many nights with her and if he were being totally honest with himself, the idea of staying on Big Island had become more than a concept.
It was now something he wanted.
Not because there was a remote chance that Presley could be pregnant. They had sex once. Granted, it only took once, and he’d never taken that risk before. Ever. But he wanted to know if what he and Presley had was still real, and the only way to know was to spend time together.
Real time.
Besides, being back on Big Island was like coming home. It was the first time in his adult life that being in any one spot made him feel grounded.
“I’m listening,” Lane said.
“I’ve known Presley and her family my entire life. Her dad was incredibly protective of her and he wanted to make sure Driftwood Tours was a healthy business to leave to his daughter.”
“And was it?”
“Not when he died.” Waylen unplugged his computer, set it on his lap, and found the financial files. He shouldn’t have gone poking around Presley’s business and when she found out, she was going to have something to say about it.
“Was Presley married when he died?”
Waylen nodded. “Vernon got almost half when they divorced.”
“That seems like a lot for a brief marriage.”
“It does. But at the time, she was the breadwinner, and the reasons for it aren’t important,” Waylen said. “Before her father died, her mom had taken ill, and Vernon got involved in the business while Presley and her dad attended to her mother.”
“I take it he made some bad decisions.”
“Bad is being kind,” Waylen said. “It started with cutting corners on safety things on the boats. Or quality scuba and snorkeling equipment. There are complaints regarding the food on charters. Two new boats were bought before the older ones were retired, putting a strain on the business. And then there were special charters. Ones that went off course.”
“What do mean by that?” Lane glanced over the papers.
“Didn’t go to where the charters had stated. And they were all done by captains that weren’t employees, but hired through other means,” Waylen said. “That’s done sometimes when people go on vacations, but these seemed strange.”
“As in, you believe something else could have been happening?” Lane arched a brow. “Like smuggling?”
“That’s where my mind went. But there’s more. There are also discounted charters for what were listed as special VIP guests. Some of them match those charters that went off course. Others, the fares were so discounted that it doesn’t make sense. All of them have her ex-husband’s name next to them. I’ve hacked into all the financials and on the surface, it looks like bad management on his part. But it doesn’t feel that way to me.” He handed Lane the computer. “It looks more like skimming off the top.”
“Do you know how much money we’re talking?”
“It’s a fair amount. A few hundred grand over a two-year period,” Waylen said. “Also, one of the new boats was sold right after it was purchased. Not necessarily a red flag, especially if they couldn’t afford to keep it. But it got me thinking about money laundering.”
“Why? What does this Vernon guy do?”
“A whole lot of fucking nothing.” Waylen took his computer back and tapped a few keystrokes. “This is Vernon. He might as well be a snake oil salesman.”
Lane took the laptop and stared at the screen. “He says here that he’s been a time-share salesman, a used car salesman, and a high-risk investment broker.”
“While he is part owner in Driftwood Tours, he also has a stake in a car wash, a dog grooming and boarding business, to name a few. That’s suspicious to me.”
“Don’t get pissed, but that’s in part because you’ve got the hots for this girl.” Lane handed the computer back. “What do her books look like now?”
“Since the divorce, it”s been perfect. She managed a controlling interest in the settlement, but what baffles me is how he got close to half in a seven-year marriage.”
“You had to pay alimony and your marriage wasn’t very long.”
“That happened for two reasons. She quit her job twice to move with me and I offered until she got her feet on the ground. I didn’t know she was going to take my kindness and turn it against me.”
“Which is why you took a piano that you don’t even know how to play.” Lane chuckled.
If the man only knew the instrumental talents Waylen possessed. “I was pissed. She bought the damn thing because it looked pretty in the family room and even she can’t play the stupid thing, so I took it out of principle. But that’s not the point. You’re comparing apples to oranges. The alimony she was awarded would have run out in a couple of years. It was a small amount. This man has ownership in a business that his name was never on.”
“If there’s no prenup, nothing can be done.”
“I’m honestly surprised that she didn’t have one.” Waylen set the laptop on the desk. “She told me that Vernon offered to buy her out when they got divorced.”
“That’s bold.”
“The whole thing bothers the fuck out of me.”
“What are you planning on doing about it?”
He leaned back, clasping his hands behind his head. “The guy injured on Presley’s boat is a business associate of Vernon’s. Until I know more about their relationship and get the investigator’s report, nothing, except maybe call in a favor from an old friend to tail Vernon.”
“Who?” Lane stood.
“This guy I went to high school with. His name’s Mano. He’s a private dick these days. I sent him what I have on Vernon. He doesn’t have his sights on him yet, but he will.”
“Do what you must and let me know how I can help. In the meantime, pack up. We need to head back to Hawk’s ranch for a meeting today. Blake’s offered us a ride.” Lane shook his head. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Kian so smitten before. He’s like a lovesick puppy.”
“You’re one to talk with Cassie. You’re like a fast car speeding down the highway.”
Lane smiled. “Shut up.” He tried to wipe the grin off his face but failed miserably. He waggled his finger. “And don’t you dare toss out that stupid nickname.”
When they first met, two things stuck out about Lane. He often didn’t stay in his own lane and he drove like a crazy motherfucker, which is why Waylen called him Tracy. “Okay, Tracy.” Without overthinking about what he was doing, Waylen sang one of the lines from “Fast Car”by Tracy Chapman.
Lane did a double take. “You can carry a tune?”
“Can’t everyone?”
“Hell no.” Lane narrowed his eyes. “How is it that I never knew you could sing.”
“Because I can’t.” He rose, stuffing his computer into his backpack. “Not really, anyway. Give me five to finish getting my shit together. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
“Sounds good.” Lane disappeared into the hallway, leaving Waylen with his thoughts.
They drifted off to his dad as they often did.
He pulled out his cell. “Hey Siri, call Mom.”
It rang once. “Hey, Waylen. How are you? How’s Presley?”
“I’m good. So is she.” He chuckled. No way would he get into the details of what was really going on with his mother. She worried enough about him as it was. The last thing he needed was for her to add Presley to the mix and for his mom to get all hopeful about that. “I haven’t been able to spend any time with her these last few days because of work for her and, of course, helping out with the Brotherhood Protectors and their aid in the eruption of Kilauea.”
“I can’t believe she spewed while you were there,” his mom said. “I guess that was her way of welcoming you home.”
“Funny you should mention that.” He strolled into the bathroom and collected his toiletries. “The guys and I have been talking about what we want to do next and we keep coming back to working for the Brotherhood Protectors.”
“Seriously?”
“We don’t know if it’s an option yet, but it’s a great organization. The men and women we’ve met so far are top-notch, and they have branches in Montana, Colorado, West Yellowstone, and here, to name a few.”
“Where do you think you’d end up?”
“That’s a good question. The goal would be here, but that’s up to the Hawk and Hank,” Waylen said. “If it even happens. But I wanted to ask you if I did move back here, how would you feel about that and would you come with me?”
“Are you serious?”
“Of course I am,” he said. “But for now, it’s purely a hypothetical question. I’m just gauging your emotions. I know it might not be easy for you.”
“This is all about a job? And nothing to do with Presley?”
He took his toiletry kit and stuffed it in his rucksack. He was prepared for this question.
“I can’t live off my retirement forever. It’s not enough and I’m too young. I need to work and the Brotherhood Protectors is the kind of outfit that would give me and the boys the kind of work we enjoy minus being shot at all the time.” He opted not to tell his mother that had already happened.
Twice.
“I wasn’t sure about coming back because of all the memories of Dad, but instead of making me feel sad about him being gone, it’s made me feel closer to him.”
“I’m glad about that,” she said. “But are you sure it doesn’t have to do with Presley? Are you positive that’s not the driving force?”
Jesus. She was like a dog with a bone. “It’s been great seeing Presley again. We’re enjoying catching up and talking about old times.” Putting the cell on speaker, he hoisted his rucksack and tossed it over his shoulder while reaching for his backpack.
His mom giggled. “Have you and Presley hooked up?”
He dropped his bag on his foot.
“Fuck,” he mumbled, hopping around on one leg.
“Language, son.”
“Sorry, Ma. But really? Whatever gave you that idea? I told you what happened. The event that surrounded me even seeing her again.” He sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his temples. Not once had he given her the impression that anything had transpired. Nor would he. She would be planning their wedding if he had.
“Oh, a little birdie might have given me some details about that night.”
“What the heck does that mean?”
“I got a phone call from Mrs. Kincaid and she might have mentioned that you and Presley spent the night at Benny’s. In one room.”
He smacked his forehead. “For the record, I got two rooms.”
“But you didn’t use both,” his mom said in that singsong voice she used when she wanted to tease him while making a point. “She also might have mentioned seeing the two of you in an intimate embrace?—”
“I really don’t want to talk about this with you.”
“So, it’s true. You spent the night with Presley,” she said with a fair amount of triumph in her tone.
No way was he going to admit it. But if he kept denying it, she’d keep pressing on. His mother didn’t know when to quit regarding certain things in his life, especially Presley. When he and Elena divorced, the first thing out of his mother’s mouth was that he should look Presley up. “Mom. Would you consider moving back to Big Island if I took a job with the Brotherhood Protectors or not?”
“I always thought you and Presley would make some gorgeous children and I’d love to be a grandma.”
“Mother, this isn’t about me and Presley. It’s about a job and whether or not you will move like we talked about. I want you close to me.”
“I hate it when you call me that, young man, and to answer your question, yes. I would. But in part because Presley’s there and I like the idea of the two of you getting back together. I’ve always felt a pang of guilt for taking you away from that girl. I’d hoped that after you got settled in the Navy, she’d find her way back to you. Instead, you wound up with Elena.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ve had a good life, Mom. A happy one. I have no regrets.”
“Maybe not. But there’s always been something missing and her name’s Presley.”
“I love you, Ma. But you’ve got to stop with this Presley thing, okay? Even if there is something brewing, and I’m not saying there is, there are no guarantees. We’re completely different people.”
“That gives me a little hope,” she said. “I know I say this a lot, but your dad, he’d be so proud of the man you’ve become.”
“That’s because a good woman raised me.”
“Oh, now I know there’s something you’re not telling me,” she said. “But you can keep your little secret for now.”
“I’ll talk to you soon.”
“I love you, Waylen.”
He tapped the red button on his cell. “Good Lord.” He shook his head. For all his life he could never keep a secret, tell a lie, or hide anything from his mother. She had this weird sense of knowing exactly what was going on with him, sometimes before he knew.
This situation was no different.
Only, he wasn’t sure how to handle it all.