Page 16 of Visions of You

Her smile froze and puzzlement filled her eyes. “Because he’s a Hemingway cat, of course.”

I laughed. There was nothing condescending or snotty in her tone. My question genuinely puzzled her. “I don’t know what a Hemingway cat is.”

Her smile returned as she pointed to his front paws. “He has six toes on his front feet.”

“I noticed that! I didn’t realize that was a thing.”

Hailey nodded sagely. “Oh, yes. He’s descended from one of Ernest Hemingway’s six-toed cats. We have three of them. Santiago lives at the dive shop, and Pilar in the Big House. She’s strictly an indoor cat. I let her out one time and Nona wasn’t happy with me.”

I’d interacted with black-and-white Santiago in the dive shop but had never counted his toes. I’d take her word for it that he had six of them. Hemingway hopped off my lap and moved to a sunny spot on the flagstone floor. He sat and licked his paw, then washed his face with it.

“Where did you live before you came here?” I asked the girl, already liking her immensely.

“Miami. Dad said he didn’t want me growing up inthat den of thieves”—she made a fierce face and deepened her voice to utter the phrase before returning to her normal, breezy tone—“but I don’t know what he was talking about. We lived in a big apartment at the top of a high-rise, and it was really nice.”

I smiled. I couldn’t imagine having this kind of poise and confidence at her age. She obviously knew she was loved, and as a child of divorced parents myself, that was of paramount importance. Though I had no idea where her mother was or why she wasn’t in Hailey’s life. “So it’s just you and your dad?”

Her smile faded slightly, and her eyes clouded. I mentally kicked myself.

“Yeah. My parents divorced a few years ago. My mom left and didn’t contact us for over a year. Then she told my dad she settled in California and wanted to have me with her. I overheard his part ofthe conversation, though he doesn’t know that.” She giggled, then deepened her voice again. “If you think you’re takingmydaughter away from her home and across the country, you better think again. Hailey stays with me. If you fight me on this, Kora, I’ll come after you with everything I’ve got.” Hailey lifted her shoulders, her equanimity restored. “I miss my mom sometimes, but plenty of people here love me, so I think I’m better off. My dad isn’t afraid to put his foot down when he needs to.”

Her declaration astonished me and how matter-of-fact she was about it. How utterly confident she was of her father’s love and secure that he’d do anything for her. It made me even more curious to meet Gabe. He sounded like an amazing father.

I gave her a soft smile. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. But it sounds like you have a terrific family at Calypso Key.”

“I do, and I love it here. I’m going to learn to dive when I’m twelve.”

“Then you’ve got one up on me. I didn’t learn until my early twenties.”

“Are you a divemaster, or an instructor?”

“I’ve been a divemaster for six years. I was in the same class as your aunt.”

“Oh! That’s so cool. And now you’re working together! I can’t wait to meet Aunt Maia’s baby.”

My head spun at the rapid subjects a young mind was capable of flitting through, but I thoroughly enjoyed her company. I was getting ready to ask her about school when a shout reached us.

“Hailey! Where are you?”

A man’s deep voice echoed around us, tight with fear. Hailey and I whipped our heads toward the hill where the shout had come from, and Hemingway stopped washing his face. A man trotted down the sand path, cupped both hands around his mouth, and called Hailey’s name again.

“Uh-oh,” she said quietly. “I might be in trouble.” She stood and waved. “I’m here, Dad!”

The man skidded to a stop and ratcheted his head toward her call. Then he broke into a jog, running across the short grass, straight toward the patio.

As he neared, I had to tighten my jaw to keep my mouth from dropping open.

It can’t be!

Hailey’s father stopped at the edge of the flagstone patio, dressed in a plaid button-down shirt and gray cargo shorts. There was no denying that tall frame, or the broad, muscular shoulders. Neatly manicured scruff covered his firm jaw.

Hot Grumpy Guy stood on my patio.

This man was Gabe?

The panicked expression in his brown eyes relaxed at locating Hailey, but his chest heaved. “You can’t just run off without telling me!”

Her mouth pursed, a contrite expression washing over her face. “I’m sorry. I was only going for a short walk when I saw April, and we got to talking. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

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