Page 12 of Saul

Calvin’s lips parted, but no words came out, and I grinned. After dropping that revelation, I was really hungry. I reckon we’d both worked up an appetite.

“What do you normally eat for breakfast?” I asked, pulling some covers off and seeing bacon, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, then fruit and pastries.

“I—well, I don’t have time for much. I might grab a piece of toast, sometimes a bagel,” he added as if that made all the difference.

I nodded as I started making a plate up. “Lunch?”

“Oh, I take sandwiches to work,” he said in relief, like that was okay.

“What’s your favorite?”

“Peanut butter,” he said in a small voice. There wasn’t much I could do about his previous eating habits, but I doubted if his supper was much better. I would have to manage that. He wasn’t going to get sick on my watch.

I put the large plate down along with a fork, then pulled another chair out. “I—what—” He let out a squeak as I simply lifted him off his chair and onto my lap.

“We’re going to share.”

Calvin looked at me in shock and opened his mouth, probably to tell me he wasn’t hungry or some such nonsense, but I put a bite-sized piece of bacon in it. “Good?” I bit off a piece and chewed, then went for the eggs. “Do you want ketchup on your potatoes?”

And he flushed quite prettily and nodded. “Yes, please.”

It didn’t take long until he was full, and I kissed him on his head to reward him for trying everything. “Good boy. How about you watch Saturday cartoons while your tummy settles, then we’ll plan our day?”

He agreed enthusiastically, and I got him settled with the remote and insisted he wore another pair of my socks, then walked into the bedroom, grabbing the last piece of bacon on the way and pouring myself a second cup of coffee. Calvin was happywith his juice. I heard a notification and grabbed my phone from the dresser.

Apparently, Ricky had texted Calvin, and he hadn’t replied. I grinned, got Calvin’s phone from the nightstand, and took it out to him. “Ricky’s been texting you.” He looked up with a shy smile and I was helpless not to bend down and plant a kiss on those lips while Calvin was trying to text Ricky. I looked at the app on my phone in case there was anything organized that Calvin might like to do. There were two notices of congratulations before the day’s offered activities. One to Chris and Ricky, and another to a Shauna, Robert, and Grayson on their tenth anniversary of their blessing.

I knew Chris and Ricky weren’t filling the hotel, and I assumed those three were other guests, but Chris had told me it wasn’t that large a place and they had permanent residents as well.

“Daddy?” Calvin called, and I went back into the lounge area. “Ricky says there are golf carts and we could take one and explore, but he wants to go in the pool first, and then there’s the beach as well.” He frowned down at his phone, and I chuckled.

“I’d already gotten the impression Ricky is very excitable.” Calvin sent me a sheepish smile. “How about we start at the pool and see where the day takes us?”

I insisted on putting Calvin’s sunscreen on him myself and was satisfied at his glazed look when I’d finished. It was a good thing we were both wearing swim shorts and nothing tighter. Even so, we had to take a moment to calm down.

We walked down the stairs rather than taking the elevator. Towels were provided by the pool and free drinks and snacks were also offered. I very carefully took Calvin’s hand down the stairs and was rewarded with another of the shy smiles I was rapidly getting addicted to. When we got to the bottom step, the flash of a uniform made me turn to the door at the right. It was closed, but in those few seconds I clocked that it was an office,and that an older guy with gray hair and two uniformed officers were in there with him. I quickly identified them as Coast Guard officers, which made sense, and carried on to a huge lounge area with cozy groups of seating and a whole wall of open sliding doors that led to a patio area with seating, tables, and fire-pits leading to a massive pool area and the beach beyond.

I grinned at the squeal when Ricky saw us and let go of Calvin’s hand; looking to my left I spied a member of staff judging from the uniform helping an old lady settle into a chair in a smaller lounge with a huge TV mounted on the wall.

I saw the lady pat the man’s cheek fondly and him kiss hers before I stepped outside after Calvin and Ricky. Ricky drew Calvin into a group of guests, and I was relieved to see the evil stepbrother wasn’t here.

Then I saw the older guy talking to the Coast Guard come over to Chris, bend down, and say something to him. Chris turned and gazed at him in what looked like disbelief, then he nodded and got up from his lounger. He glanced over at me and lifted his chin, and I understood. We both headed for Ricky and Calvin at the same time. “We’re just going to chat with Daniel. Confirm arrangements for tonight. We won’t be long.” Chris said, and glanced at Calvin, making sure he understood he meant me as well.

I stepped up to Calvin. “Don’t go anywhere.”

Ricky giggled and saluted, and I brushed a kiss on Calvin’s cheek because I couldn’t seem to stop touching him and followed Chris.

We went to the same office I’d passed earlier, but it was empty now. The man gestured to some chairs, and Chris introduced me to Daniel Morgan, the owner of Sunset Hotels. We shook hands and sat.

“What’s wrong?” Chris got straight to the point.

Daniel scrubbed his face and sighed. “I don’t quite know how to say this, so I’m going to be blunt. The Coast Guard has just informed me they’re having problems with pirates.”

Chris seemed speechless for the first time in his life, and I leaned forward. “You’re not talking about men with eye patches; you mean real thieves, don’t you?”

Daniel nodded. “They’re warning all the islands. There’s been some raids a lot lower down the coast, but they’re targeting smaller places. And one woman was just murdered when she refused to take her ring off.”

“Murdered how?” I asked with gritted teeth.

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