* * *
Captain Bob was waiting at the dock for me when I got down to the marina. He seemed in a cheerful mood, whistling as he untied lines and adjusted his cap in the brisk winds.
“Did they go into town?” I asked.
He nodded. “Brought them here this morning and took them back about an hour ago.”
“What do you think? Did they look like they were getting along?”
“Not really my place to say, but they looked chummy to me,” was his friendly, if guarded, response.
I wondered if she had liked her car. I wasn’t sure how she could have been disappointed, but with women, you never knew. I’d never bought one a car before, but this one was different. This one was a keeper. This one, I wanted to get home to.
We motored out over rising waves. “Could be in for a blow,” Captain Bob warned me. “Barometer’s dropping and the water’s getting choppy. I’d like to put her into the boathouse until it blows over.”
“No problem. We’ve got everything we need, but you might check with Mrs. Sims before you do it. She’s not as fond of storms as we are,” I added and he knew exactly what I was talking about. If it hadn’t been for the simplicity of the responsibilities, paired with a lucrative salary, I don’t think I could have gotten her out there. She preferred her feet to be planted on ground that wasn’t susceptible to the whims of the Atlantic.
We docked and I leapt off the boat and quickened my step to get up to the house. I was anxious to hear how the day had gone.
“Uncle Brayden!” Meghan was running toward me, a contagious smile across her face. She suddenly looked like a young woman as she came closer, and I realized she was favoring her mother more as she matured. The resemblance washed over me in a fresh rush of emotion over the loss of my brother. Somewhere in the back of my head, my conscience fought the awful wish that Collin had been the brother to lose, if I’d had to lose one over the other. Cory had been so filled with the good things in life. People loved him and his daughter stood there next to me, looking so like her lovely mother. I loved Meghan as if she were my own. I considered that perhaps someday I might have a child of my own. Nevertheless, Meghan would always be my oldest daughter. I’d never let her get set aside.
I kissed the top of her head. “Well, somebody is looking pretty cheerful. Did you get some goodies today?”
“Of course. Harper was great, Uncle Brayden. We had a blast. Got our nails done and our toes—everything. But I can’t tell you anymore.” She stopped suddenly, covering her mouth with her hand. “I know Harper will want to tell you about it herself.”
“Does Mrs. Sims have dinner ready?”
“Oh, yeah. She’s been cooking all morning and afternoon. She says there’s a big blow coming and she wants to go to Largo, or maybe the mainland if she can get that far. She’s been waiting for Captain Bob to bring you over so he can take her back.”
I frowned. “I don’t know about that. Captain Bob is already waiting to put the boat under the roof. He seemed to agree with Mrs. Sims.”
“Oh, boy, she’s not going to like that at all.”
“That convinced, is she?”
“Seemed like it to me. There’s more.”
“What?”
“She wants me to go with her.”
“What? Why?”
“She says it’s too dangerous to stay.”
“What?”
“Uncle Brayden, Mrs. Sims has, well, you know, visions of things that are going to happen in the future. Did you know that?”
We were walking toward the house. “Yes, I’ve heard rumors to that effect. But she’s just being silly.”
“I don’t think so. I’ve seen things come true that she predicted.”
“You have?”
She nodded, lacing her hand under my arm. “We don’t like to tell you about it. You’re such a skeptic.”
“I am, am I? That’s a pretty big word for you.”
“I know what it means,” she assured me.
“I’m sure you do. So, what is it that she sees this time?”
“She said it’s not safe for me to be here and that I’m to go home with her where I’ll be fine.”
“I see. How about me? Or Harper?”
“I don’t think she sees anything bad for you. Just me. You can stay here. Unless you’re afraid, then I guess you should go to Utopia.”
“I see. Well, why don’t you run up to your room for a bit? I’ll come get you for dinner.”
“Don’t holler at her, Uncle Brayden. She means well,” she said as she turned to head toward her room.
“Where is Harper, Meghan?”
“She’s out on the pool patio with an iced tea. I think she has some things to tell you, and maybe even show you.”
“Thank you.” I headed directly for the patio. Mrs. Sims could wait.
Harper’s head was all I could see as I approached from the doors. She swiveled around to see who was coming. “Hello!”
“I missed you today,” I said, kissing the top of her shiny head.
“Brayden! I’m so glad you’re home!”
Those were words I’d waited a lifetime to hear. “Miss me, too?”
She hesitated, as if admitting that would somehow commit her to more than she was willing to agree to. “Meghan and I had a ball today. You know, you’d never guess she was just a kid. She’s terribly smart and mature. We talked for the most part like equals!”
I took the seat opposite her as Mrs. Sims entered the patio and brought me a cold beer. “I have to speak with you immediately, Mr. Brayden,” she told me in an urgent tone. I’d been hoping to put off this conversation until it was too late for her to act upon it, but I could tell she wasn’t about to be put off.
“Excuse me a second, Harper,” I said and turned my full attention to Mrs. Sims. “I hear you think we’re in for a blow.”
“It’s coming, and tonight. It’s not safe here and I want to go to the mainland.” Her comment was a statement and not a question. She was not asking permission, except for perhaps asking Captain Bob to provide transportation and to take Meghan with her.
I didn’t want to make fun of her “visions” as she called them, but I had to ask, “What about Harper or me?”
She shook her head. “Nooooo… you okay, and Ms. Harper, too. I had a bad feeling, Mr. Brayden. Please let me take the little one with me and don’t hold me back. It can’t hurt to be on the safety side.”
Brayden looked at Harper, who was conspicuously looking at the concrete. “Okay, Mrs. Sims. Be on your safety side,” I said, using her word. “Tell Captain Bob I said to take you and Meghan in, but take your phone and have her take hers. Where will you be staying?”
“With my sister. She’s got a big house on the mainland, north of Miami.”
I nodded. “Okay, out of respect for you, Mrs. Sims. But please keep in touch and leave the address and your sister’s phone number on the kitchen counter.”
Mrs. Sims stepped quickly to pack and get started.
“I’m a little surprised,” commented Harper softly.
“Why is that?”
“You’re pretty protective over Meghan. If someone had asked me, I’d have said you’d never let her go.”
I nodded, looking out over the water. “Mrs. Sims might sound a little superstitious, but she’s not a stupid or unkind woman. Something has her spooked, even if there’s no storm coming, which according to my phone radar, there isn’t. But, she’s the closest thing Meghan has had to a mother these past few years. If she feels the need to be cautious, I’ll go along with that. You want to join them?”
She coughed a little laugh. “To sit in Mrs. Sims’ sister’s basement like rats in a sinking ship with nothing but decade-old canned peaches and the annual Christmas tree? Nope. They can have it all to themselves. Besides, I trust you.”
I snapped up at that remark. What an odd thing for her to say. “You trust me that there’s no storm, or to stay here alone with me?”
“Oh, I figure the storm might come, but not that bad. As for the second part, as a matter of fact, yes, I’m coming to.”
I had to let that double entendre pass by or risk losing her newly gained trust.
“We’re leaving now, Uncle Brayden,” Meghan called from the doorway of the opened slider. I could hear the excitement in her voice. Poor kid – even the prospect of a spider-filled basement with a stranger was exciting to her. I’d have to get her out more often. She was not much more than a prisoner here.
“Okay, sweetie, come give me a hug.” Her slim arms clamped around my head from the back.
“Bye, Harper, see you tomorrow.”
“Ask Mrs. Sims to come back a minute, would you?”
“I’m right here,” Mrs. Sims assured me.
“Meghan, go out and wait with Captain Bob, please.”
She left and I turned to face Mrs. Sims, holding out a set of keys. “I think you remember which garage is mine, don’t you? I want you to take my car to your sister’s. The tank is full. Also, here is some cash. If your sister’s house is ‘too full’ or whatever, find a nice hotel and stay put. Meghan’s not used to staying away from home, and I’d like it if you have options. Nothing against your sister, mind you, but it pays to have a backup plan. And please tell Captain Bob to find a marina on the mainland and stay there?”
She nodded and snatched the keys from my hand as she left. I could see the disapproval in her pale blue eyes, but would have to risk her being miffed in favor of Meghan feeling comfortable.
“That was thoughtful. You’re a good uncle to Meghan. She’s lucky to have you.”
I looked to see if she was mocking me, but her face was gentle and thoughtful. Harper wasn’t capable of malice, even if she thought she was.
We heard the boat motor start and then sat companionably, looking out over the water as it left the dock.
“You look peaceful. May I interrupt?” Harper asked.
I turned my attention to her. “Of course.”
“Thank you.”
It took me a moment to realize what she meant. “You liked?”
“I loved. I don’t have words big enough to convey it. It’s not the material things, Bray, it’s that you were thoughtful enough to make sure I was taken care of. No one has ever done that for me before. No one.”
“I like taking care of you.”
“Why is that? Why now?”
I shrugged. “I suppose you could say that I didn’t have the means before. Now I do and it makes me feel good to look after you.”
“You’re not trying to bribe me?”
Sitting forward in the chair, I looked at her with curiosity. “Bribe you to do or say what?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” To my immense surprise, there was a tear on her cheek. “What do you want from me?”
“You’re getting upset for no good reason, Harper. You know how I feel about you. In my mind, we’re still those kids in high school; fresh with enthusiasm and curious about the world. I want you close to me, in whatever fashion you’re comfortable with.”
“Sorry.” Her voice was small and she slumped, as if defeated.
“About…?”
She looked up, her green eyes drilling into mine. “About not trusting you – about assuming you have another objective.”
I couldn’t let those words hang there. “I won’t say that I don’t have a fantasy about being with you, in that way. I’d be insincere and lying if I said I didn’t. You know, Harper, there aren’t many people in the world I can let get close to me. People always want something. My influence, money, contacts—they always have a reason to try and make me like them. So, I keep them at a distance, even my own brother. You don’t. You see me as the Brayden in high school who was a screw-up and tried to get your bra off under the moon.”
She nodded slowly. “You’re right, I do.”
“Ironically, that means I can trust you. You’ve become one of me and mine. And that means I look after you.” We both knew we were talking about more than cars and wardrobes.
She was nodding, and I felt a sense of relief that she wasn’t arguing with me. At least I had that much.
“There’s something we need to talk about.”
“And that is?”
“It was a choppy day today, lots of small problems but one rather big one. At least personally speaking. Collin and your sister seem to have formed a sort of partnership.”
“Oh?”
I stood up and slid off my tie, tossing it on the patio table. Putting my hands in my pockets, I looked out over the water; a restful vista for a troubled mind.
“Collin’s always had an instinct for finding people’s weaknesses and using them to get what he wants. He found an easy target in me when we were kids because I was the youngest. Cory, not so much. Cory could play the game as well as Collin, but didn’t have the mean inclination.”
“And you’re suggesting that Stephanie somehow enters into this?”
I nodded. “I’m afraid so. Please, Harper, you can’t let this be interpreted as a bad quality about your sister. Collin is a master at this, a sociopath. The women find him irresistible, and they’ll do anything he asks. Stephanie is like a tool for him.”
She was smiling. “You don’t have to worry. I know exactly who my sister is and isn’t. To tell you the truth, I could see it early on and I’ve been worried something like this would develop. So, what did he do?”
“He saw you, and Meghan, come to Utopia and get into your car. He’s suggesting some barbaric things about Meghan, not knowing who she is. He knows, of course, that you and I have history.”
Harper nodded. “I can just about imagine what he’s saying.”
“Well, the less said about that the better, but I’ve had your car moved and Captain Bob will drop you there from now on. I can’t afford to let Collin see you two together and get curious.”
“So, what if he sees Meghan coming in with Mrs. Sims?”
“Captain Bob will be taking them to the new garage I leased for the car. Collin won’t see a thing.”
“Okay, well, it’s not a big deal, then. Surely Collin will get tired of things and move on at some point.”
“I’ve bribed him to leave.”
“Are you serious?”
“Oh, yes, quite serious, but I’ve given him a year’s notice. I’m paying him an allowance for the next year and after that, he’s on his own.”
“So, what does this have to do with Stephanie?”
“I was hoping you might have an opinion on that. You know your sister better than I do. Why would she stick with someone who behaves like an ass?”
Harper shrugged and was thoughtful. “I’ve been away from Steph for years, you know. We kept in touch from time to time on the phone, but this was the first time I’d come back here and she never came to Cleveland to see me. Collin’s good looking and her type has always been the bad boy. She’s struggling to get by and I guess she figures Collin’s her best shot at a perceived security. She’s also got low self-esteem, Bray. I think Mom gave her the idea that I somehow turned out better because I left here and went to college while she stuck around and went to beauty school. Moms can be really good at pitting sisters against one another. I guess she wanted Steph to aim higher and thought if she used me as the example… well, you get the idea.”
“I get it.”
“So, I’m guessing she’ll be around until Collin gives her a reason not to.”
“He’s evil, Harper. I don’t want him around.”
“Then why did you give him free room and board for a year?”
“Because if I hadn’t, he’d have gotten suspicious about why I wanted him gone, and that would pretty much guarantee he’d stick around. Right now, he thinks I don’t care if he stays, so I’m hoping he’ll leave out of boredom. Damn, but I hate playing these silly games!”
“Me, too.”
“So, this brings me to a separate, but slightly related question.”
“Oh?” Her eyes were filled with compassion and interests.
“You and I.”
“What about us?”
“That’s pretty much the question. You have to know how I feel about you. Why do you keep pushing me away?”
She was playing with the ends of her hair, wrapping them around her finger. “I don’t know.”
“I think you do, but I think you’re scared to talk about it.”
“Scared? Me? Why would I be scared of you?”
“I didn’t say you were scared of me, per se, but I think that refusing to talk about it means you don’t have to deal with it. You get to just coast through things and not deal with the confrontation of your past and how it relates to the present.”
“Did you get a degree in psychology, Bray?” She wasn’t looking at me, and I knew she was trying to hide the emotions I might see in her face.
“Don’t need one. I know you pretty well. So, spill it.”
“Sure you can take it?”
“I’m a big guy. I can take a lot.”
“Well, then… Okay, think back to when we were dating in school. My mother told me over and over to save myself. The old ‘why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free’ thing?”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that a time or two.”
“So, I was convinced you were trying to get the milk.”
“I can see that, Harper,” I agreed with a nod. “But so were most of the guys. You can’t single me out for that. Anyway, we’re not in high school anymore.”
“No, we’re not. But I still want to be more than milk.”
“Damnit, Harper, is that what you think? Do you really think I’m just looking for tail?”
“Well, you don’t have to put it in quite those vulgar words.”
“Do you have any idea how frustrating you can be?”
She stood up suddenly. “I’m going inside. Mrs. Sims left dinner for us in the fridge and I’m hungry. I won’t talk to you when you’re in this frame of mind. You get riled and unreasonable and pretty soon, all hell breaks loose.” She headed for the sliding door.
“Harper… Harper… don’t run away again. Come back and let’s talk about this.” I turned my head, but she had already gone inside.