Uncharted Waters (6 page)

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.

“If I hear of any jobs, I'll let you know,” he said.

“Thank you. I appreciate that. But I'm sure something will come up soon.”

He contemplated her, feeling a lot more than he should, a lot more than was prudent. As he gazed into the guileless blue of her eyes, the reality of the situation sank in a little deeper, hit home a little harder, and Drew actually felt a moment of panic. Alison wasn't just visiting; she was going to be here awhile. He was going to have to deal with her. He was going to have to deal with her son. He was going to have to come to terms with how he felt about them.

The problem was Drew didn't have the slightest idea how to deal with any of those things. He wasn't ready to pick up where they'd left off. He couldn't, knowing the role he'd played in Rick's death. Worse, after the way he'd reacted to her this morning, he no longer trusted himself to do the right thing. The smart thing. The honorable thing.

Damn it.

“I've got to go,” he said abruptly.

“You sure you won't stay and have some breakfast?”

“I just remembered something I have to do.” Dumb lie, but he didn't care. He had to get out of there. Before he did something stupid. Something irrevocable. Something that would shame him and destroy a friendship that had once meant the world to him. Setting his cup of coffee on the counter, he started for the door.

He heard Alison behind him, but Drew didn't stop. In the living room, he barely spared Kevin a glance as he crossed to the foyer. His voice sounded curt when he bade the boy goodbye. “See you tomorrow, Kev.”

“Bye, Drew. Hey!” Kevin scrambled off the sofa and rushed over to him. “Did you want to see my Zoomer 57 Skyeagle before you leave?”

“Maybe next time.” Because he felt like an ogre, he added. “I'm late for an appointment.”

Drew opened the door and stepped onto the porch. The balmy South Florida morning embraced him, and he took his first deep breath since walking into the house just fifteen minutes earlier.

He was halfway to his truck when he heard his name. Turning, he spotted Alison standing on the porch in her robe and curlers, a dish towel in one hand. In the other, she dangled his truck keys. “Hey! I think you forgot something!”

For several heartbeats, Drew just stood there looking at her, feeling a familiar tug he didn't want to acknowledge. Wordlessly, he turned and started toward her. He tried to keep his expression light, but he could tell by her faltering smile that he wasn't quite succeeding.
Damn, he was bad at this stuff. Bad for her and her kid. Hell, he was even bad for himself.

He wished he hadn't come to see her. Wished he hadn't invited them to fly with him tomorrow. Spending time with her was only asking for trouble. He would never be able to live with himself if he acted on the impulses racing through his brain.

Stepping onto the porch, he stuck out his hand palm up. “Thanks.”

She dropped the keys into his hand, then cocked her head and glanced up at him. “Are you okay?”

He laughed, but the sound was fraught with tension. “I'm fine.”

“You seem...tense.”

“I'm just in a hurry.”

“You're late for an appointment.”

“Right.”

She didn't look convinced, so he glanced at his watch as if to prove he wasn't lying. “Gotta run.”

“See you tomorrow morning,” she said.

Drew's hands were shaking when he turned away from her. As he made his way down the sidewalk toward his truck, he realized he would never be able to put enough distance between them to avoid what he'd feared most since the terrible day they'd buried Rick. The only question that remained was what he was going to do about it.

Nothing, he assured himself.

Not a damn thing.

A
lison assured herself she wasn't nervous as she parked the Mustang in the gravel lot of Water Flight Tours and shut down the engine. Just because an old friend had invited her and her little boy to join him on a sunrise flight was no reason to get nervous. The only reason he'd invited them in the first place was that he felt guilty for ignoring them during their first tour. Or maybe some misplaced sense of responsibility.

She wasn't sure which rationale bothered her more.

Drew wasn't the first person who mistakenly believed that because she was a widow, she was somehow diminished. She could save them both some time and energy by letting him know she neither wanted or needed any special treatment. She certainly didn't need a knight in shining armor. She might be a widow, but she was far from a damsel in distress.

The only reason she was a little off kilter this morning was that she was getting some strange vibes from Drew. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She'd seen him twice in the last two days and both times he'd seemed uncomfortable and almost desperate to get away from her. At first she'd thought it was just her overactive imagination. It was clear he'd been busy the day she and Kevin had shown up unexpectedly for the tour. But yesterday morning when he'd shown up at her house, he'd been nervous and out of sorts. It was
almost as if the only reason he'd come at all was out of duty. Because he'd been Rick's best friend he felt he owed it to him to look out for his widow.

Alison didn't need that and neither did Kevin. Duty, however honorable, wasn't what their friendship was all about. She didn't need him looking out for her. Sure, the last four years had been difficult. But if she'd learned anything during those first endless months after Rick's death, it was that time was, indeed, the great healer. Life really did go on. Not only for Kevin, she'd realized, but for herself. Rick would have wanted that for her and for his son. Alison knew that as steadfastly as she knew he'd loved her. The question was, how did she convince Drew that she was doing just fine when he had the misguided notion that he owed her something?

Just tell him, a little voice chimed in. Men understood things best when they were spelled out in black and white. They didn't do well with subtle. Alison would set him straight today and let him know that he didn't have to look out for her. That she and Kevin were doing fine, thank you very much.

Of course none of those things explained why she'd changed outfits three times that morning before deciding on the khaki shorts and navy scoop-neck T-shirt. It wasn't like this was a date or anything. Goodness no. Drew Evans might be a good-looking man—a fact even Alison couldn't help noticing—but there was no way they could ever be anything more than friends. That was just the way things were. The way she wanted them to be. Evidently, the way Drew wanted them to be, too.

“Mommy, look! There's the plane!”

Because there were no cars in the parking lot this
early in the morning, she let go of Kevin's hand. “Don't get too close to the water,” she said.

“I won't,” he shouted over his shoulder as he took off running toward the plane. “Hey, Drew! We're ready to go!”

In the predawn darkness, she saw Drew standing just beneath the wing. “Hey there, sprout,” he said as Kevin approached.

She couldn't see Drew's face, but his silhouette was unmistakable. Broad, well-developed shoulders. Narrow hips. Legs slightly bowed with muscle. He wore a cap with the visor turned backward. A dark T-shirt revealed a flat belly and arms that were a lot more muscular than she remembered. His jeans were faded and snug, and the sight of his hips packaged so nicely made her look quickly away.