Linda Castillo - Uncharted Waters

An uncomfortable minute passed while he worked.

Alison cleared her throat. “So what brings you here so early in the morning?”

All the lines he’d rehearsed on the drive up from Emerald Cove played like bad jingles in his head. Because he couldn’t think of a thing to say that was even halfway truthful, he settled for, “I thought you might need your toaster looked at.”

She laughed, and the simple sound filled the kitchen like sunshine, breaking the tension. It was a lovely sound that reminded him of happier times. How easy things had once been between them back when she’d belonged to another man, and he’d known exactly where he stood. It was a sound he hadn’t heard in a very long time. A sound he missed, he realized. Even though he knew coming here today was a mistake, at least he understood why he’d done it.

“Well, you’ve got good timing.” Crossing to the coffeemaker, she removed two mugs from the cabinet and poured.

Drew pulled out the badly burned figurine. “I think the toaster will survive,” he said, handing the pliers back to Alison and setting the appliance on the counter. “I’m not too sure about Spider-Man.”

She chuckled. “I’m not sure he’s going to need that arm, anyway.”

“Good thing.”

She shoved a cup of coffee at him, then looked at him expectantly as she sipped her own.

Drew knew she was wondering why he’d shown up at her door at eight o’clock in the morning. The answer tumbled around in his mouth like a pair of sneakers in the dryer, then came pouring out. “I acted like an ass yesterday,” he blurted. “I was rude to you and Kevin, and I came here to apologize.”

“You didn’t—”

“I did.”

“I assumed you were just...busy.”

“I was, but that isn’t all of it.” He looked down into his coffee cup, wishing he could find the right words and tell her the truth, settling instead for a half truth. “I was surprised to see you.” He looked away, struggled with what he wanted to say next. “Seeing you after so many years made me think about Rick.”

She nodded, a sadness he’d never liked seeing entering her expression. “I understand. I should have realized it might be difficult for you.”

Because he didn’t want to get into just how hard the last four years had been, because he could never let her know why he’d had such a difficult time dealing with the death of his best friend, he didn’t respond. The ensuing silence was loud and uncomfortable.

Drew took a deep breath. “In any case, I wanted to try to make it up to you and Kevin.”

“You know that’s not necessary. I mean, we’re friends. You don’t have to—”

“Yes, I do, Alison.”

“Hey, you fixed my toaster.”

“I can do a lot better than that.”

She looked flustered for a moment.

“Have you ever seen the sunrise over Key West from six thousand feet?” he asked abruptly.

Her gaze touched his. “I can’t say I have.”

“It’s one of the most spectacular sights in the world.”

“I’ll bet.”

“I was wondering if you and Kevin would like to fly with me tomorrow morning.”

Her smile devastated him, and for an instant Drew thought he was going to fall right into her gaze and drown in all that blue. “You’re sure it’s no trouble?”

“It would be my pleasure.”

“In that case, we’d love to.”

“Great,” he said, meaning it. “You’ll have to arrive at Water Flight Tours at about 6:00 a.m. Is that too early for Kevin?”

She shook her head. “If it has to do with flying or fishing, he’ll be up before me.” She glanced toward the kitchen door where she could hear Kevin singing along with one of the early morning children’s programs. “I can’t tell you how excited he was yesterday after the tour. He talked about it the rest of the day.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t stick around to talk to you.” Drew contemplated her, keenly aware of her proximity, her scent, the fact that he felt as drawn to her now as he had four years ago.

“You were busy with customers,” she said. “Really, it’s not a big deal.”

Deciding they would both be better off if they left it at that, he took a sip of coffee. “How long are you going to be in South Florida?”

“I signed the lease on this place for a month.”

“You were living with Rick’s parents?”

She nodded. “For the past four years. I thought it was time I moved on.” She shrugged. “I love them, and I’ll always be thankful they took Kevin and me in after Rick’s death. But it’s time for me to get on with my life.”

“I understand.” He sipped his coffee. “Why South Florida?”

Once again she glanced toward the living room, and Drew sensed that whatever she was going to say next, she didn’t want her son to hear. “Three years ago Kevin was diagnosed with asthma.”

Drew had felt bad enough upon hearing about Kevin’s asthma yesterday. But to have the little boy’s condition confirmed by Alison was like a fist sinking into his solar plexus in slow motion. He may not want this woman and her son in his life, but he hated it that her little boy was ill. Alison had already been through so much. Why couldn’t fate just leave her alone and let her be happy, for God’s sake?

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said. “Is it serious?”

“I’m afraid so. He’s on medication, but he still has pretty severe attacks two or three times a month. They’re particularly bad if he’s upset or sick with a cold or flu. The specialist we were seeing back in D.C. recommended the Waterton Clinic just south of Miami. He said it was one of the best asthma clinics in the United States.”

For the first time her being here made sense. “I’m sorry to hear that. If there’s anything I can do...”

She smiled, but he didn’t miss the flash of sadness in her eyes. “There isn’t. But thank you. Hopefully, the doctors at the clinic will be able to get him on a regimen of medication that will allow him to lead a relatively normal life.”

Drew figured the least he could do would be to check out the clinic himself. He would start by giving his adopted brother, Marcus, a call in Washington D.C. Marcus, a Navy SEAL, was one of the so-called Extraordinary Five—now Extraordinary Six—one of six genetically engineered children. Marcus’s sister, Faith, had been genetically engineered to develop extraordinary skills as a physician and diagnostician. She was formerly an epidemiologist with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. She would know if the Waterton Clinic was as good as Alison had been told.

“What about your job with the Defense Department?” he asked.

“I resigned. I need to be able to concentrate on caring for Kevin right now. I couldn’t do both.”

“You doing okay financially?”

For a moment she looked surprised, then nodded adamantly. “Of course I am. The Navy provided for us after Rick’s death.”

“I used to be in the Navy, Alison.”

She put on a too-bright smile he saw right through. “We’re doing fine. Really.”

Drew recalled the old Mustang he’d seen in the driveway and realized he didn’t believe her. Damn it. The last thing she needed were financial problems.

“I’m looking for a job, actually,” she said. “Parttime, maybe.”

“What kind of work are you looking for?”

“Something with flexible hours, so I can take Kevin to his doctor appointments.” She shrugged. “Something temporary for now. Administrative maybe.”

An odd sense of responsibility settled onto his shoulders. He hated the thought of her having to struggle financially after everything else she’d been through. He knew making ends meet couldn’t be easy for a widow and a young child with special needs. His first instinct was to help, and he thought of the administrative position open at Evans Yachts, which was operated by his cousin, Seth Evans. Simultaneously, the more cautious side of him knew that if he offered her a position with Evans Yachts—even a temporary one—he would be involving her in something that could ultimately put her in danger.