Sea of Dreams (The American Heroes Series Book 2) (33 page)

It was a happy group that celebrated the marriage of Beck and Blakesley.  Blakesley’s friends integrated nicely with Beck’s men and everybody seemed to be having good time, especially Sophia and Kimberly, who were ragingly drunk by early afternoon.  While Kimberley sat on Anthony Solis’ lap and flirted, Sophia zeroed in on Captain Davis, a divorced and very eligible man who was very flattered and a little frightened at the attention from the beautiful blond.  Beck and Blakesley watched it all, enjoying the moment and laughing between themselves at the antics going on.

The restaurant manager managed to pipe in a mix of dance and ballads into the restaurant’s sound system, meant to be a background accompaniment to a fine meal but turning in to a dance party when Kimberly got a hold of a couple of wax bananas from a display and shook them around like they were maracas.   It started to get out of control so Beck sent Nikki and home with the little girls and Spike Aguirre while Lizzie stayed on, hanging out with her grandparents and enjoying being included with the adults.

Blakesley tried to convince her drunken friends to ease up, but the Naval men in the group circumvented her attempts and soon, there was a full-blown party going on. Beck sat with Captain Davis, smirking at the craziness and sipping Seven and Seven with his captain.  Truthfully, it wasn’t often they got the opportunity to relax and cut loose, so Beck wasn’t inclined to cut their fun short. They deserved it. Even Gina was up and dancing, enjoying a few moments of joy in the past few weeks of hell. 

Blakesley had been particularly concerned about Gina throughout the wedding and reception, acutely aware of her fragile mental status.  She told her girlfriends and they made sure they were very sweet to Gina and made her feel included.  So they sat and watched as Gina let her hair down with some of the men, Butch’s men, and it seemed to be very therapeutic for her. The woman was not only coping with her husband’s death, but she was also starting to heal.

Although the group had only intended to stay a couple of hours, they ended up hogging a good section of the restaurant all afternoon and into the dinner hour.  Beck wasn’t a dancer but he couldn’t resist dancing a slow, romantic ballad with his new wife, something that softened even Sophia has she watched. It was sweet and deeply romantic. Any man who made her friend so happy couldn’t be all bad, so she had a little fun with him.  After the slow dance was over, she made sure something fast and very 1980’s was played so all the women could jump up and dance with Beck.   Blakesley laughed as Beck found himself surrounded by seven aggressively dancing women, including his wife, so he just sucked it up and put on his best John Travolta moves.  It was hilarious to watch.

By five in the afternoon, the group finally called a halt to the festivities and cleared out of the restaurant.  Beck caught Blakesley giving the restaurant manager her credit card to pay for everything, which he gently argued with her about, giving Marshall time to slip in and pay for the tab.  Covert operation complete, Blakesley argued with her dad all the way out to the front driveway, prompting Marshall to threaten her with a spanking if she didn’t shut her mouth.  As the entire group filtered to the front of the hotel to wait for the Valet, the general manager from the hotel caught up to them.

“Mr. and Mrs. Seavington,“ the Hispanic man was beaming.  “I have something for you.”

It was the first time Blakesley had heard her new title.  She grinned with pleasure as the general manager handed Beck an envelope.  Looking curiously at Blakesley as he opened it, Beck discovered that someone had paid for a night in the U.S. Grant Presidential Suite for them.  Shocked, Beck handed the card over to Blakesley who, after reading it, looked equally shocked.

They looked around to see who was guilty but apparently the entire group was, because everyone was smiling and laughing.  Marshall slapped Beck on the shoulder.

“Congratulations,” he beamed. “It’s a gift from your parents and me.  You’ve got five hundred kids waiting for you back at that house and we figured you’d like one evening just to yourselves.”

Beck smiled at his father-in-law. “That’s really thoughtful, thank you,” he looked at Blakesley. “Are you okay leaving the girls for a night?”

Blakesley nodded without hesitation. “Absolutely,” she said eagerly. “Nikki’s with them. But I don’t have any of my stuff….”

“We’re going to go pick it up,” Sophia announced, still hammered.  “We’re going to pack for you and bring it back.”

Blakesley cocked an eyebrow at her. “No driving for you,” she looked at Kimberly and the rest of the happy group. “None of you, okay?”

Marshall put his arm around his only child and hugged her. “I’ll take care of them,” he told her. “We’ll make everything is taken care of.”

Blakesley hugged her dad. “Thanks, Dad,” she said, looking him in the eye.  “For everything.”

Marshall kissed her cheek and began to move off with the group, issuing directives and hailing the valet. Sophia and Kimberly staggered their way back to Blakesley, big grins on their faces as they looked at her and Beck.

“We’ll pack for Beck, too,” Sophia announced. “Little satin underwear, French maid’s outfits and all that.”

Beck rolled his eyes. “Great,” he grumbled, although it was in good humor. “Just what I need. Do me a favor, okay? Don’t do me a favor by packing for me.”

The women laughed, hugging Blakesley and Beck before staggering back towards the valet stand. “No promises,” Sophia called over her shoulder. “You married Blakesley. Now you’re going to have to deal with us. We’re family, too.”

He smirked, looking at his wife. “Seriously? They’re going to pack for me?”

She fought off a grin. “There won’t be clothes in the suitcase, just piles and piles of condoms and sex toys. Trust me. I know those two.”

He laughed softly, shaking his head as he watched the women pointing and laughing at him.  “Look,” he said. “They’ve got Gina with them now. Is she going to be okay?”

Blakesley watched Gina as she laughed and chatted with Barbi and Cyndee. “She’ll be fine,” she said, softening. “They’ll take care of her.  I think they’re exactly what she needs right now.”

Beck sobered as he watched Gina also. “I’m sorry Butch missed this,” he said quietly. “I missed him.”

Blakesley turned to him, patting his cheek with sympathy.  She knew he was still hurting for Butch although he wouldn’t admit it except in times like this, almost in passing.  It was a happy day minus his good friend but he was carrying on nonetheless. Life went on.

 The valets started bring the cars around so hugs and kisses went all around as Beck and Blakesley left their friends and headed back into the hotel.  The General Manager was waiting just inside the door to escort them to their suite.  As Beck carried his new wife over the threshold into their bridal suite, he knew for a fact that he had never been happier.  Every time he looked at Blakesley, he felt like pinching himself because he still couldn’t believe any of this was real.  It was as sweet and thrilling and wonderful as he could have imagined it.

They stayed up to watch the sunrise together.

Chapter Eighteen

Early August

“Seriously?” Blakesley was bordering on livid. “You guys are seriously telling me that this entire property has to be re-surveyed? That’s a bunch of crap.”

The archaeologist from the State of California could see how upset she was.  He was just trying to be truthful.

“I’m just telling you what our engineers are saying,” he said. “There are all kinds of blocked off tunnels underneath the public wing and then we’ve come across some big voids underneath the family wing that the ground penetrating radar is picking up.  The records on this property indicate it has never been property surveyed since it was built in 1847.  For the historical value, and for your safety, we’re going to have to keep it sealed off.”

Blakesley sighed heavily. “But I’ve got one hundred and sixty years of family artifacts and heirlooms in there. Can we at least clear out the family wing? I’ve got to pay for twenty four hour security for this place to protect the contents and it’s really becoming expensive.”

Dr. Nate Welton had been a State of California historian for thirty years. He knew the historical details of the entire state intimately and particularly the details of Southern California.  He knew how valuable the Benjamin and Dulcinea Earp house was to the State.   He’d been on-site since the beginning and the more he studied the house, the more valuable it became.

“I apologize if this is a bad suggestion, but I really have to ask,” he said. “Have you thought about selling it to the State of California? I can’t tell you have valuable this place is from a historical standpoint.  The artifacts, the mine shafts, the structure itself are just remarkable and really integral to the history of the state.  Would you consider selling it or donating it?”

Blakesley’s gaze drifted over the whitewashed structures. “I’m not sure,” she said, no longer angry but more thoughtful. “It’s my family’s history. I’m not sure I want to part from it even though it’s becoming a pain in the ass. I’d really hoped to live here someday.”

Welton looked at the structures as well, now pulled apart as engineers and historians went through it.

“You need to look at this like an old castle,” he said. “Castles are great to look at and very historical, but financially, they’re just not feasible to live in.  The upkeep costs are enormous, as they are with any historical structure.  Didn’t you say you have children?”

Blakesley nodded. “Four girls.”

Welton wriggled his eyebrows. “I’m not sure I’d want my kids roaming around this place,” he motioned to her and began to walk.  “Come over here. I want to show you something.”

Blakesley followed.  She was in flat shoes and jeans, making it much easier to traverse the uneven ground.  She and Dr. Welton crossed the driveway and ended up over by the public wing.   Welton pointed to a yellow-taped off area a few feet away.

“See that?” he jabbed a finger at what appeared to be a small sink hole, overgrown with weeds. “That’s an old well.  We’ve found four of them but there’s probably more.  Not a safe set-up for kids or animals.”

Blakesley peered at the well without getting too close.  She was coming to feel a sense of foreboding and disappointment. “Three of my girls are small,” she said. “They’d fall right in those holes.”

Welton nodded. “They’d get swallowed up,” he said. “In fact, this entire area is a landmine of stuff.  We’ve found old railroad spikes, buried wagon wheels,  stuff like that.  But that tunnel under the public wing has been a time capsule. We’ll be pulling stuff out of there for years to come.”

Blakesley looked at him. “What about that old man who was living in the tunnel? What happened to him?”

Welton snorted. “That old guy?” he said. “The cops had to come and get him out. He was really dug-in down there.  I don’t know what happened to him after the cops removed him. Did you know him?”

She shook her head. “Not really, “she said. “He seemed to know a lot about the history of the area, though.  Maybe you should talk to him.”

Welton half-shrugged and half-nodded, not particularly interested in that suggestion. Blakesley was feeling more and more disappointed as she looked around the property again, fighting off the impending sense of doom.   She was coming to think that this place was never meant to be hers because since the beginning, fate or curses or whatever witchcraft one might believe in seemed to be preventing her from moving in. Looking at the structures made her remember everything Old Mike had told them. She sighed heavily.

“So you don’t think it would be safe to move my girls in here?” she asked.

Welton shook his head. “If it was me, I wouldn’t do it,” he could see she was depressed. “Look; this is a very old house.  Even if you were to re-wire and re-plumb, the State of California and the City of San Diego would fight you on every turn because you’d be disturbing original walls to do those things. You can’t mess up the old adobe; people are going to have a fit.  You wouldn’t be able to remodel or add on or change the roof.  The State would file lawsuits to prevent you from altering the structure in any way. See where I’m going with this?  You own, unfortunately, one of the last great true and untouched historical structures in the State of California and the State is going to be hugely protective of it.   There’s not going to be a lot you’ll be able to do with it.”

Blakesley was starting to see the light, however reluctantly.  “Do you think the State would buy it from me?”

Welton nodded.  “Given the historical significance of this place, I would think they’d be very interested,” he replied. “What did you pay for it?”

“Three point one million,” she replied. “I wouldn’t take a penny less.”

“Let me talk to some people, then.”

“Have them give me a call.”

“Do you want to talk to your husband first?”

She waved him off. “He’ll do whatever I want to do,” she said. “Besides, he’s away on business.”

“What does he do?”

“Navy.” She didn’t want to get into Beck’s absence so she started to walk. “Can I just look around?”

Welton nodded. “Watch your step.”

Blakesley nodded her acknowledgement and continued walking around the rear of the public wing.  It was a hot day, dusty and dry, and she fanned herself as she walked back to the edge of the yard where the slope disappeared down into the wooded canyon.   She turned to look at the rear of the house, the same door that she and Beck had charged through the first time they had made love.  This house had some deep memories for her in spite of the fact that she had never lived in it. It didn’t look like she was ever going to.

She began to pace around the perimeter of the public wing, into an area that they were doing some external surveying on.  There were areas sectioned off with yellow caution tape.  As she wandered, her cell phone rang.  Caller I.D. showed it to be Sophia and she answered accordingly.

“Hey, chickie,” Blakesley said, phone against her ear. “What’s shaking?”