Chapter Twelve

ON the back of a moped, Adam clung to Jonah’s waist as they sped over the hilly roads toward Las Cañadas, about ten miles from the resort. Situated on the rocky coast, the small village was hardly more than a few dozen cinderblock houses and shops with a tiny square in the middle. But from the moment they climbed off the moped onto the cobblestones, Adam felt as though he’d been transported fifty years into the past.

In one corner of the square, brightly colored hats, clothing, and dolls hung from an awning. Woven baskets were piled on either side of the storefront, which was completely open. Outside, an elderly woman sat at a makeshift table, painting small wooden figures. She waved at them.

“Would you like to take a look?” Jonah asked.

“I’d love to.” Adam set his helmet onto the seat and followed Jonah.

The old woman stood and embraced Jonah like an old friend.

“I’ve known Eugenia for about five years,” he explained as Adam took in all the products. “Ever since I moved to this part of the island.”

Eugenia smiled as Jonah introduced them. “Look around,” she said in heavily accented English. “Since you’re Jonah’s friend, I make you a good price.”

“Thank you.”

Adam followed Jonah into the shop. The floorboards were uneven and worn, but the merchandise was well cared for and organized in neat rows. Adam picked up a brightly painted statuette of a bird and held it up to the light.

“Some of the village men carve those,” Jonah said. “Eugenia’s sister paints them.”

“They’re beautiful.” It wasn’t what he had in mind for Karen or his mother, but he decided he’d buy one to brighten up his desk at the office. He set the bird down and picked up a large, more intricately carved statue of a dolphin swimming alongside corals painted in purples and pinks.

“Reminds me of our dive,” Jonah said as Adam placed the carving back where he’d found it.

“Me too. Although what I really need are gifts for Karen and my mom.” There was a time when he’d enjoyed finding gifts for his brother too. Adam wished things were different between them.

“You okay?” Jonah asked.

Adam nodded. “Just thinking about how complicated some things are.”

Jonah put a hand on his shoulder. The gesture felt damn good. It felt right.

“I’ve got an idea for gifts.” Jonah took Adam’s hand.

“Sure.”

Jonah led Adam past another row, then stopped abruptly and chuckled. “I probably shouldn’t show you this,” he said as he picked up an ashtray. It took Adam a moment to realize it wasn’t a bird perched on the side among carved flowers, but an erect penis.

“Oh, now that’s the perfect gift for my mother,” Adam said and laughed. “I can just imagine the look on her face.”

“Maybe you should take one home, then.”

“Not.” Adam laughed again and shook his head.

“Come on,” Jonah teased. “You can’t tell me that you’d have passed it up if you’d seen it when you were younger.”

“Much younger. Maybe fifteen.” He handed it to Jonah. “I think you need to buy it. Not me. I’m sure you can find a nice spot for it at your place.”

“You haven’t seen my place,” Jonah protested. “Maybe it’s ultrasophisticated.”

Adam raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Okay, so it’s dull as dirt,” Jonah admitted. “But at least I make the bed.”

“This would certainly liven things up.”

Jonah sighed theatrically and set the ashtray back down. “Forget I suggested it.”

“Any other suggestions for gifts?” Adam prompted and playfully pulled Jonah away from the ashtrays.

“Yeah.” Jonah grinned and pointed toward a glass case. “Jewelry a better bet?”

“Much better.” Adam leaned over the case, which was filled with sterling silver rings, pendants, and earrings. “Perfect, in fact.” He picked up a pendant and held it to the light. The blue stone at its center reminded him of the ocean with the sun shining down to the sandy bottom. “Is this turquoise?”

“Larimar. It’s only found here in the Dominican Republic.”

“These are really lovely.” He turned one over. “And the price isn’t bad at all.”

“Eugenia’ll knock off 20 percent of that,” Jonah said.

“Does she make any money selling jewelry at a discount?”

“Enough. The markup’s pretty substantial. And some of the hotels arrange to have guests brought here to shop, so she does all right.”

Adam picked up a man’s ring and turned it over in his hand. Done in a modern style, the ring’s rectangular face alternated silver and Larimar stripes on an angle. He was about to set it back down again when Jonah said, “Try it on.”

“I really don’t need—”

“Jewelry isn’t about need. It’s supposed to be special.”

“You sound like a Hallmark card, you know,” Adam said jokingly.

“Try it on. What can it hurt?” Jonah asked with a barely repressed grin.

“All right. But I’m not buying it.” Adam slipped it onto his right ring finger. “Not bad.” It looked really good. “But I really don’t need something for me.”

Twenty minutes later, having found a matching earring and necklace set for his mother and for his sister a silver cuff with several Larimar stones set in a row from top to bottom, Jonah and Adam walked back to the scooter, where Jonah placed Adam’s package in the hard case trunk and locked it.

“Shit,” Jonah said. “Forgot my wallet inside. Wait here for me? I’ll be right back.”

“Sure.”

Jonah returned a few minutes later holding up his wallet. “Sorry about that,” he said. “Sometimes I can be a bit of a space cadet.”

“No worries.” Adam’s stomach growled loudly.

“Hungry?”

“I probably should have eaten more breakfast,” Adam said. “I guess I’m used to eating light for diving.”

“No worries.” Jonah glanced at his dive watch. “It’s nearly noon. What do you say we get something and eat on the beach?”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Great. There’s a little sandwich place on the edge of town, on the way to the beach. We’ll stop there and have a picnic on the sand. There’s a spot with a little shade.”

The sandwich shop was surprisingly busy. Adam wondered if the entire village had come out to eat.

“Trust me to order for you?” Jonah asked.

“Totally,” Adam replied. “And something to drink now, if that’s okay with you.”

“You got it.” Jonah gestured to the small bench in front of the shop. “Take a load off. I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Great. Thanks.” Adam sat on the bench and leaned back so the sun was on his face. Later, it would be too hot to enjoy from anywhere but in the water, but now it still felt good. Comforting. Relaxing.

Adam tried not to think about leaving the next day, but thoughts of home intruded. He wished the Entech fiasco was over and he could look forward to seeing his family again. It’ll be over soon, and then you can focus on what really matters.

“You’re a lot more relaxed than when you first arrived,” Jonah said.

Adam opened his eyes and took the cold beer Jonah offered him. “Perfect. Thank you.”

“Thinking about something?” Jonah asked after Adam had taken a long drink.

Adam shrugged. “Always. And here I told myself I wouldn’t think about Entech, or Roger, or any of the bullshit until I was on the plane home.”

“Was Roger the one who suggested the buyout?” Jonah sat next to him and took a drink.

“Yes. And I understand why he wants it,” Adam said, then took a sip of his beer. “He’s a schoolteacher. He’s worried about retirement… having enough money to make ends meet. I get that.”

“He doesn’t trust that you’ll make that happen with Prestco?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. He doesn’t really understand what I do. I mean, he understands what the company used to be,” Adam explained, “but he doesn’t understand where I want to take it. He hears them talk about tens of millions of dollars, and that’s as far as it goes.”

“Can’t blame him, I guess.”

“Not at all. Sticking it out with Prestco in the face of that kind of cash is a hard sell.” God, the beer tasted good and cold. The fuzzy feeling of the alcohol and the cool breeze off the ocean was almost enough to make Adam forget. Almost.

“I’m sure it is.” The edges of Jonah’s mouth turned upward, and he added, “But you’ll manage it. I’m sure of it.”

“Thanks.”

“Señor Jonah?” A woman poked her head out of the shop. “Your sandwiches.” She handed Jonah a bag, then said, “Just a moment.”

“There’s more?”

Jonah grinned. “Of course. I can’t have you going back to the States without the full treatment, can I?” The woman returned with a half-dozen cans of what looked like beer.

“I can carry those,” Adam offered and took them from her.

“Thank you.” Jonah waved at the woman, and they walked back to the scooter.

As they drove over a bumpy dirt road leading out of town, the smell of the ocean grew stronger. The houses were even closer together here, and it was difficult to see anything for all the twists and turns. Adam held tight to Jonah’s waist and the bag of sandwiches, laughing from time to time as they hit a particularly big rut.

Jonah stopped a few minutes later and locked the scooter, then grabbed a blanket from one of the saddlebags. They walked through a stand of low-lying trees and bushes and emerged onto a spectacularly beautiful beach. A row of brightly painted wooden boats rested in the sand, awaiting their owners for fishing. Here and there, men worked to repair large nets. They waved at Jonah and Adam.

“Beautiful place,” Adam said as they continued to make their way down the beach and onto a narrow path through palm trees and more thick bushes.

“Gets better.” Jonah held back some fronds, and Adam slipped past him. The vegetation gave way, and Adam nearly gasped with pleasure.

“You have a way of finding the most amazing places,” Adam said as he gazed over a small beach with the whitest sand he’d ever seen. Totally surrounded by trees on three sides, the tiny cove was pristine and the water as clear as glass.

“I like to explore.” Jonah grinned and added, “But I can’t take credit for this particular spot. One of the instructors at my last job told me about it.” He pointed to the far edge, where the trees overhung a good stretch of sand. “Reservations for two.”

They kicked off their shoes and walked barefoot at the edge of the surf. The water felt good after the dusty roads. Once they reached the spot, Adam set down their lunch and caught the corners of the blanket Jonah had unfolded. They sat side by side, facing the ocean.

“I’m starving,” Jonah said and proceeded to open the bag with their lunch.

“That smells amazing.” Adam was pretty sure he wouldn’t be disappointed.

“Their roasted pork leg sandwich on pan de agua is the best I’ve ever had on the island. They make the bread every day.” Jonah watched as Adam unwrapped and bit into his sandwich. The bread was soft and slightly sweet, the meat so tender it melted in Adam’s mouth. He moaned, then laughed as Jonah wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin to catch a bit of juice that Adam hadn’t been quick enough to lick.

“Perfect food, an amazing beach, great company…. I can die now,” Adam said after he’d swallowed. He wished he’d make a total mess of himself so Jonah would touch him again.

“You need something to wash that down with.” Jonah handed Adam his drink.

Adam sipped a bit and moaned. “Oh good Lord, that’s sinful.”

“It’s a passion fruit smoothie made with evaporated milk,” Jonah explained as he opened his sandwich and took a bite. “The mango’s pretty good too.”

“This place really is amazing.” Adam sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. “I can see why you decided to stay.”

“I’ve thought about trying another island. I’ve been here nearly ten years now, and I was thinking I’d like to see Vieques in Puerto Rico. There’s a bioluminescent bay that’s supposed to be amazing. Can you imagine a night dive where you don’t need to bring a light?”

“Sign me up.” Adam made quick work of his sandwich, then sipped thoughtfully on his drink. He’d avoided asking Jonah about his past, but after five days spent almost constantly together, he figured he’d broach the topic. “So what were you doing before you came to the Dominican Republic?”

Jonah’s relaxed smile faded. “Nothing much.”

Adam hesitated. He knew he shouldn’t be suspicious of Jonah, but that niggle at the back of his mind wouldn’t leave him alone. “Jonah?”

“Hmm?”

“Whatever you did before… I mean… it wouldn’t bother me, you know.”

“Thanks.” If anything, Jonah looked even more uncomfortable than he had a minute before.

Another dead end. He should probably let it go. But he’d never been a quitter and he’d never been particularly shy. “Jonah, if you don’t want to talk about it because you used to be in the tech business, I get that. But it really wouldn’t—”

“It has nothing to do with that.” Jonah’s voice vibrated with frustration. “I….” He shot to his feet and walked to the edge of the water.

Crap. Adam felt terrible. He’d poked at something Jonah clearly didn’t care to revisit. And much as he wanted to know more about Jonah, spoiling their day was the last thing he intended. He got up and put a tentative hand on Jonah’s shoulder. He half expected Jonah to snap at him, but instead Jonah’s entire body relaxed with the touch.

“I’m sorry,” Jonah said.

“You? No. My mistake. I should have realized you didn’t want to share that with me.”

Jonah let out a long breath and shook his head. “It’s not what you think.”

“I don’t understand.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you about myself,” Jonah said, his voice calm, though Adam sensed an undercurrent of tension beneath. “It’s just that I don’t remember. I don’t remember anything.”