A Woman To Blame (21 page)

Standing up, Bryn had already decided that she wasn't going to mention Rick's peculiar lack of interest in completing the ambulance project. Working with her to find six thousand dollars was the last thing on his mind. In the end it hadn't mattered. She'd taken care of the problem.

Reaching into the deep pockets of her gauzy sundress, she felt the rectangle of paper, crisp and big. "I think all of you remember that the second-place finisher in the 10K race was an executive from Conch Castle Resort over on Upper Matecumbe. I spoke to him at the ball last night, and he sounded genuinely interested in our cause. After all, if there's ever a big medical emergency over his way, he knows we'll send our ambulance." A murmur of approval floated around her, but was quickly lost within the sound of a car approaching. Glancing over her shoulder, she said, "There's more to tell you, but we might as well wait for Rick."

All eyes were trained on the window behind her, watching a smiling Rick Parrish park his Jeep, vault out of it, and head for the porch. Pushing open the screen door for him, she watched all six feet of his tanned and perfectly toned body heading her way.

"Welcome. You're just in time to hear my announcement."

"Am I?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as he walked in and eased the door shut with his foot.

Bryn's heart suddenly lightened at his expression. Compared with his mood lately, his easy attitude was as welcome as a breath of fresh sea air. Even his teasing leer had returned.

"By all means, let's hear your announcement," he said, "because then I have one of my own."

"I had a meeting this morning with the executives from Conch Castle Resort," she said, reaching into the pocket of her lime colored sundress. Pulling out a piece of paper, she unfolded it, raising it high for everyone to see. "They wrote us a check for six thousand dollars."

A small riot broke out in Liza's living room. While Jiggy danced Liza around the room, Rita attempted twice to high five Millie and May Leigh, then threw up her hands and hugged them both instead.

"Well, Captain, what do you think of Pappy Madison's granddaughter?" Liza asked before bussing Bryn loudly on both cheeks. The two women turned to Rick, while Jiggy continued his dance with the other three.

Shifting his weight to his left foot, Rick leaned away from Bryn and against the door frame. Running his tongue along the edges of his teeth, he appeared to be barely containing his displeasure. "I think she should have checked with me first. The money should come from a source on Malabar Key. You know how these resorts are. Once they get an interest here, they'll—"

"Wait a minute," Bryn demanded, slicing the air with her hand. "The resort is simply helping to pay for the ambulance. Other than community goodwill, the only interest they'll have is if and when they need to request the ambulance for, God forbid, a disaster emergency."

"You should have talked to me before doing this."

"I tried. Remember?" she asked, attempting to regain a light note in her voice. His chin dipped low for an instant as his eyes met with hers. A moment of recognition pulsed through him to her, and that moment of total oneness locked them in a hot look that left her sizzling. A slow smile began stealing across her lips, but when he purposely looked away from her, her cheeks stung with the heat of public embarrassment. Everyone in the room knew, as did most people on Malabar Key, that she and Rick were spending time together on matters other than the fund-raiser.

Taking a calming breath, she tried again. "I understand why you're not enthusiastic about a resort donating the rest of the money, but—"

"Do you?" he said, cutting her off. "We almost lost Malabar Key to that same group."

"You know my grandfather told me. But that was years ago. Can't you give a little on this?"

"Give a little?" he asked, motioning loosely with his hand. "Once people on this key realize where you got the money, they're not going to like the idea. If anyone needs to give here, it's you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you going to Conch Castle and giving them the check back. Bryn, the rest of the money has got to come from here."

"Rick, no one here wants to go through another fund-raiser. And scratching around Malabar Key for donations doesn't make much sense when Conch Castle has already written the check. Besides, we've proven this community cares."

"She's right," Rita said. "This has been fun, but I'm ready to call an end to it. I've got new merchandise in my back room that needed putting out a week ago."

"And I haven't had a scheduled night off in weeks," Jiggy said to May Leigh.

"They don't know me at bingo anymore," Millie said. "Cecilia Barton has taken my seat. I hate when that happens."

As the rest of the group compared stories, Bryn took a step to stand in front of Rick. Shoving a hand to her hip, she spoke with a control that amazed her. "Most of the festival participants were from places other than Malabar Key. And the official sponsors came from as far away as Miami and Key West. You didn't have a complaint about their money. Rick, you've got to back down on this and come to some sort of a compromise here."

"Compromise? These past six weeks have been nothing but compromise."

The hurtful words bit into her, tearing away at that tender center she'd shared with him. She'd been on shaky ground with their relationship for days, and with one quickly delivered retort, he brought her to her knees. Were those deep intimacies they had enjoyed simply hollow pleasures to be put behind them? Was she a fill-in lover until he could find one that was staying around longer? Had Rick pretended to go along with her ideas for the sake of his immediate needs? Damn him. Sex was not all she had to offer.

She'd given him the opportunity to speak about the pain that closed him up in loneliness, but he had declined the offer time and again. Fighting back a quiver of nausea, she tried to hold on to hope. Giving in to hysterical thoughts would be the end of everything. "Rick," she barely managed to whisper, "we are in this together."

"Not for this part. I'm taking care of it, Bryn," he said, pulling a check from his shirt pocket.

"That's your personal check. Why?"

"Just take the other back, Bryn."

There it was. That impatient, demanding tone she hadn't heard in weeks, delivering the order no one would dare challenge. Except her. Her spine straightened as she pushed a shock of loose curls from her forehead. "No, Rick," she said coolly, "I can't do that."

"Yes you can."

She shook her head. "No I can't. I already deposited the Conch Castle check in the ambulance account. This is a cashier's check made out to the ambulance company. I'm leaving in a few minutes to pick it up in Miami."

"Don't do this, Bryn."

Closing her eyes, she continued. "Will you come with me to Miami? Will you finish this with me, Rick?"

She opened her eyes in time to see him fold his check, then shove it in his shirt pocket. Shaking his head, he pushed open the screen door and went out.

The others looked expectantly their way.

"Where's Captain Parrish going?" May Leigh asked, as Bryn caught the screen door before it banged against the door frame. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of a noisy departure.

"Well, what is happening?" Rita demanded. "What's Captain Parrish so steamed up about?"

"Yes, what have you two decided?" Liza asked.

"I know what I've decided," Bryn said, watching the cloud of dust following him and his Jeep out of the driveway. "Your Captain Parrish can be a very stubborn man."

"Ain't that the truth," Rita said, joining Bryn at the window to watch his speedy departure.

Pulling the last of her pride together, Bryn swallowed back tears. "Well, he can be stubborn until dolphins walk on land, but I made a promise to this community and I intend to keep it." Picking up her purse, she shoved back her hair and forced a shaky smile onto her face. "Anyone want to take the bus up to Miami with me to pick up an ambulance?"

Chapter 10

At eight P.M. Bryn turned on the siren and flashing lights as she drove onto Marina Road and then into Pappy's parking lot. By the time she'd parked the vehicle and turned off the siren, most of the patrons were pouring out of Pappy's stairwell. The swelling crowd and enthusiastic shouts didn't make up for the one missing factor in her moment of triumph. She looked everywhere in the crowd for him and then scanned the faces of those leaning over the upstairs rail. If he was there, he was being careful not to show himself. Soft pain wound around her heart at the thought of him remaining in the shadows.

Liza stepped out of the crowd and lowered her head to the open window of the ambulance. "I know who you're looking for and he's not here, dear," she said, patting Bryn's hand, "but the rest of the committee is."

Bryn wanted to ask why he wasn't there tonight, but she knew the answer. He was staying away from her because of his stubborn need to hold on to the past. She wanted to tell him that the character of Malabar Key was firmly established, and that the donation from Conch Castle Resort couldn't nudge this feisty populace into ever selling out. Rubbing her temples, she tried to bring herself back into the present, yet thoughts of Rick persisted. Being angry with him about his stubbornness would have felt good, but she was already missing him too much for that. Besides, after reassuring him Malabar Key wasn't in danger of changing, the real unresolved issue between them would still be there—his continuing love for Angie.

"You were right going ahead with your plan, dear. You'll see."

See what? What plan? she wanted to ask, but before she could, Liza disappeared back into the crowd. As Bryn strained to find her again, Tweed MacNeil and Jiggy appeared on the brick walkway with Pappy Madison in their arms. May Leigh hurried ahead of them to place his walker securely on the bricks.

"There you go, Pappy," May Leigh said as the old man stood up from the basket of Tweed's and Jiggy's arms.

"Brynnie, it's a beaut," he said, taking small, hard-won steps toward the gleaming new vehicle. "Did Rick let you drive it?" he asked, bracing himself on the walker as he leaned to look in the window of the ambulance. "Where is he? Where's Rick?"

"Grandfather, I drove this all the way from Miami by myself," she said, trying to sound jokingly miffed that he wouldn't have considered that possibility. "I have a proper license."

"What?" her grandfather asked. "Rick didn't go with you? Then where's he been all evening?"

"Rick's at the marina, Pappy," Jiggy said. "He insisted he had to overhaul an engine tonight, but I think he'll take a break to see this. Tweed, go get him."

Yes
, Bryn thought,
go get him and bring him here so he can make one more cruel remark. Maybe then, when the last shred of hope that we could have worked this out is gone, I can think about what I'm going to do with the rest of my life.

Stepping from the vehicle, she walked around back to show it off. Opening the doors, she climbed into the interior. "This is your basic ambulance, ladies and gentlemen," she said, pretending to give the sales pitch. Turning back toward the people, she continued pointing out the special features of the model. "We would appreciate it if no one would have a complicated accident until we can afford all the equipment for it."

Rita stuck her head in the back. "You mean all those really fancy-shmancy doodads that we see on the television rescue shows?"

"Exactly."

"Hmmm," Liza said, "sounds to me like we should consider having another fund-raiser for those things."

While Rita, May Leigh, and Millie protested, Jiggy took the more dramatic approach. Clutching at his chest, he sank to his knees.

"Somebody, please, get me an ambulance."

The crowd convulsed in laughter as Liza turned toward them, shouting, "Volunteers? Are there any community-minded souls who would like to volunteer for a worthy cause? Ah, Captain Parrish. Perhaps you'd like to volunteer again?"

Bryn's heart skipped a beat when she heard his name. Hope was suddenly surging inside her again, and she didn't care that she was probably certifiably crazy because of it. As optimistic as any child on Christmas morning, she held her breath waiting for his reaction. She knew he wouldn't be interested in participating in another fund-raiser, but once Rick had a good look at the new ambulance, his attitude had to change. No one could remain obstinate in the presence of such an impressive vehicle. So why, she asked herself impatiently, were her hands shaking? The worst was over. Any moment now he would set aside his stubbornness and marvel over the ambulance like everyone else. And if he could do that, anything was possible. Anything. Scooting to the open doors, she looked around for him. Under the flashing light, she met his gaze.