Page 15 of Saul

Daniel appeared in the middle of Joshua’s lengthy explanation. “May-belle, I can relocate—”

She shook her head. “Absolutely not.”

Joshua sighed. “But—”

“Let me see if I understand this correctly. There are a group of marauders targeting islands over two hundred miles away as the crow flies, and the Coast Guard is patrolling, hoping to catch them?”

Daniel nodded. “Well, yes, but—”

“And,” she continued, ignoring them both, “they are targeting wealthy resorts?”

Joshua sent Daniel a more hopeful glance. “They are,” Daniel confirmed, “but they have no way of knowing if this is one.”

Joshua wrinkled his nose. “But it makes it unlikely, surely.”

“They’re also likely to target the ones with the least security,” I pointed out.

“Look,” Daniel said. “Talk it over. I’m going to speak to the other large party we have this week, then the individual guests. We also have three trainees.”

“What about Skye and Lizzie?” May-belle asked.

“Our daughter,” Joshua explained. “Lizzie is Ben’s sister, and they’re both off the island with my mom. She’s taken them to see Mickey Mouse.” He looked at Daniel. “Maybe they can stay a few more days while we decide?”

“On it,” Daniel agreed.

“And your staff?” I asked, because if they were going, no one could stay.

“Oh, they’re just as stubborn as a certainother person I know,” Joshua answered, looking at May-belle pointedly.

“Well, it was very nice meeting you all, but my show starts in five minutes and Geraldine has tried to poison Mark, so I don’t want to miss it.”

We all watched Joshua help her back to her TV.

“I wish she was my Nana,” Calvin said wistfully.

“Yeah,” I agreed and lifted Calvin onto my knee, unable to watch him sitting on his own. He let out a started eep, but I silenced it with a kiss, and he relaxed.

Chris met my gaze. “We need to let our guests know. That they have a choice.”

I agreed, so giving Calvin a squeeze, I set him on his feet and took his hand. Ricky also looked a lot better and took out his binkie, stuffing it in Chris’s pocket. When we got outside, it was to see Matt had blown up all the inflatables and tossed them in the kids’ pool and added a huge inflatable swan to the main one. Ricky took Calvin’s hand, and they headed that way. I walked over to the first group, which included Chris’s stepbrother Steven and his boyfriend Emile, who immediately panicked and demanded Steven take them home.

Steven started protesting and said he was Chris’s best man and of course he would stay, then glanced at Calvin but he wasn’t looking at him. Chris bent and whispered something to Steven and he nodded. Not that I was sorry as I watched Emile drag a clearly reluctant Steven inside to pack.

Chris sent me an amused glance. Another couple with young children took up Daniel’s offer, as did an older man. Matt confirmed Ryder had the boat ready, but he would stay here and find out if they needed the second one.

Daniel came back out in a few minutes and said all the other party were leaving so they would need the other boat. He also said that someone called Rocket was on his way to help Sammi with the bar, and gestured to the bar area that a young man was just opening. “The lunch buffet will be set up at one p.m. but if anyone needs anything before that just ask one of the staff.” Daniel smiled and dropped a kiss on Joshua’s cheek as he went back in.

It was nice. Easy. And I could see a lot of repeat visits in my future. I glanced at Calvin, who was watching Ricky sit on some sort of inflatable swan and keep falling off. He laughed but shook his head when Ricky tried to get him to go in. It looked like fun. Why didn't Calvin want to go in?

Calvin turned and when he saw me, he smiled. I returned it immediately, remembering the expression on his face this morning in the shower. I wanted a future with Calvin. I just needed to concentrate on getting through this weekend first.

Chapter nine

Calvin

Ilaughed at Ricky’s antics on the inflatable swan and if it had been in the small pool, I would have been tempted, but not even Ricky knew I still couldn’t swim. Mom had never let me go when Ricky’s dad offered to take us both because she knew he would see my bruises.

And when she was high…

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