Chapter Four
By the time Janie finished cleaning up after dinner, Larissa had put Lilly down in her crib for the night. She tried to block Archer’s reactions from her mind, but it was hard. No one except Larissa had ever made her question herself like this before. Who did he think he was? Larissa could get away with it because they’d been best friends for a couple years now. Archer was no one to her—a stranger! She’d be damned if she’d let his opinion make tears well in her eyes ever again.
A loud knock on the door heralded the arrival of most of the McCallister clan. When Larissa answered the door, Janie was shocked as all the brothers except Quinn filed into the entryway. Sydney was last, her arm looped through her husband’s.
Larissa gave a gracious smile, inviting them to the living room to sit. “I thought it would just be Brad and Matt. I didn’t expect you all to come out here.”
The second-youngest brother and co-manager of the resort, Brad, took a seat, a troubled frown on his lips. “Guess it’s our first time to your house, isn’t it? We haven’t had a housewarming party yet. Our wives are all home with the kids tonight since this visit is about business. When the circumstances are better, we should all meet here and celebrate.”
“It’s okay,” Larissa said. “Quinn’s busy with work this month anyway. We’ll have to plan something once he finishes his current contract.”
Sydney, the only sister out of the McCallister siblings, frowned. “He’s not becoming a workaholic again and leaving you and Lilly all alone, is he?”
Letting out a gentle laugh, Larissa shook her head. “Don’t worry. We talked this over before he took the job. Once it’s done, he’ll go back to being the doting husband and father that I love.”
Sydney squinted her eyes, though a playfulness shone in her gaze. “If not, I’ll kick his ass, so don’t worry, sis.”
Sydney’s teasing seemed to break everyone’s somber moods, and the siblings began chatting amicably.
However, Janie knew why they’d all come. They wanted to talk about what happened that afternoon. Janie had called Brad before heading to Larissa’s, giving him a quick rundown of events, but she was sure he wanted detailed information. With Sydney’s husband, Matt, being the other manager on the island, it made sense that he had come along.
Janie wasn’t sure why Shane and Parker involved themselves in the meeting, considering Shane ran the restaurants on the island and Parker was in charge of snorkeling trips. However, the siblings really got along well. Maybe this was an excuse for them to spend a bit of time together. Janie knew they had family dinners as often as they could, but with summer business heating up, they might have had a hard time getting together lately.
“I’ll pour everyone some iced tea,” she said, suddenly feeling as though she intruded on the happy family.
Brad gave her a congenial nod of thanks as she escaped back to the kitchen. By the time she returned, everyone had sat around the dining room table.
Brad accepted his glass of tea, then gestured to the chair across from him. “I’d like to hear a more detailed account of what happened today before deciding what to do with the lifeguard.”
Janie grimaced as she took her seat. Now that the moment had passed, and both the little girl and Archer were mostly out of danger, she wondered if she’d been too hot-headed when thinking Doug should be fired. It was only the kid’s first week of work.
Struggling to remain calm, she explained the afternoon’s events. Finally, she sighed and met Brad’s eyes. “Have you spoken to Doug at all yet? Did he have a reason for leaving without telling me or one of the other lifeguards?”
“He did.” Brad stroked a hand against the dark stubble on his face, looking tired. “Apparently, the kid cooked himself dinner at the employee housing unit last night, then took it up to his room. This morning, he decided to finish off what was left over. I think he gave himself food poisoning. He was in a rush to get to the bathroom.”
Food poisoning? What a moron. The whole reason they had kitchens on every floor of the employing housing unit was so the employees could cook for themselves if they couldn’t afford to eat at the restaurants every day. The kid should have put his leftovers away for the night if he planned to eat them.
“I thought he’d need retraining.” Janie let out a scoff of irritation. “Never thought he needed his mom to come to the island to cook for him too. Wonder if she still wipes his ass?”
Parker, the second-oldest McCallister brother, let out a laugh from his position beside Janie, sweeping back light brown hair from his eyes. “These kids are all the same. If we hire them their first time living away from home, they always screw something up in the beginning.”
Brad’s eyes narrowed, not amused. “That so-called screw up could have cost us some lives.”
“Sure,” Parker shrugged. “But wonder woman Janie had it under control and everyone’s fine. Get that nasty look off your face, Brad. What if your new son saw you scowling like that? He’d be so scared of Daddy.”
The others around the table laughed at Parker’s easygoing nature.
Janie met Brad’s eyes again, making a decision. “I think Doug should get a second chance. Retrain him, maybe give him a lesson on common sense while you’re at it. Also, the lifeguard training staff needs to be doing a better job of explaining what the procedure is if someone gets sick while on duty. At the very least, Doug should have known to send me a text message once he reached the bathroom.”
“Agreed.” Brad looked around the table, meeting Matt’s eyes. “As comanager do you think Janie’s right, or should we get rid of him?”
Matt had his arm around Sydney, which normally had the man looking blissfully happy, but tonight he frowned. “I only worry about lawsuits, either from the girl’s mother or that employee who almost drowned as a result of Doug’s carelessness. They might demand we fire him.”
“Mr. Croft won’t,” Larissa said. “He’s a good guy. I don’t think he’s blaming anyone.”
Sydney shook her head. “Maybe not tonight, but what if he has complications? That’s the reason he’s staying with you, because complications are possible, right? If that little girl has problems, I’m sure her mom will want blood. Doug might have to be sacrificed for the sake of the business if that happens.”
“I can see that.” Larissa nodded and looked toward Janie. “If someone left their post and Lilly fell into danger, I’d be so angry. What do you think, Janie?”
Archer was completely disgusted by immoral people like Janie, but she didn’t think he’d hold a young kid’s stupidity against him. The mother might be a problem, but the little girl had only been underwater for a few seconds before Janie got to her. She should be okay. “The little girl never stopped breathing or really got any water into her lungs before I got to her, thanks to Mr. Croft’s actions. Chances for complications are low. I’m sure things will be fine, but Brad could talk to Mr. Croft first about it if it would make everyone feel better.”
At that moment, Janie’s cell buzzed with an incoming text message.
“Excuse me a minute,” she told the McCallisters.
Were his ears burning? It was from Archer.
I’m sorry to bother you. I hear you have more people down there, but I need help.
Help? Her heart pounded a little quicker, wondering if he was okay. Still, going in to face him after their last conversation wasn’t something she wanted to do. He’d hurt her feelings, and Janie wasn’t used to being in that position.
“Larissa,” she said, “Archer needs help. You should take Brad with you and they can talk about Doug.”
Larissa whipped her head around, a faint frown wrinkling her pretty face. “I’m assuming he wants you since he texted your phone.”
Closing her eyes, Janie shook her head. “Please, take Brad and go.”
***
Archer attempted to sit up in bed a bit straighter as he heard the doorknob rattle. Putting on his very best smile, he turned toward it as soon as it opened. “Janie, I’m so sor—”
Larissa stood in the doorway with Brad McCallister. They both gave him a sad-looking smile before exchanging an unreadable glance.
Approaching the bed, Larissa’s smile definitely looked forced. “Janie said you needed some help. Is everything okay?”
“Uh, yeah.” He hadn’t really needed anything, but he’d been so tired of worrying about how he’d treated her. He’d simply wanted to talk to her, to try and make her smile again. “I just need to use the restroom,” he lied.
Brad McCallister nodded. “Good thing I came up then.” He bent over the bed, helping Archer to his feet. “Larissa tells me you aren’t to be doing much on your own for a few days.”
The sore muscles still complained as Archer moved, but that was nothing compared to the pain radiating from his chest. Once his boss helped steady him, Archer then shuffled carefully across the floor, each jostling movement provoking more pain. “I’m just sore,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll be fine by tomorrow.”
“I hope so.” Brad paced along with him, pointing out the bathroom door at the top of the stairs. “I’ll wait out here, but holler if you need help.”
Archer’s face burned with shame. How much more embarrassing could it get then having his boss of three days help him use the bathroom? “I’ll be fine, sir.”
Brad gave a faint scowl and shrugged, leaning against the hallway wall. “Whatever. When you’re done, I need to ask you about today.”
Thankful the man wasn’t going to insist on doing more to help, Archer closed the bathroom door and painfully made his way to the toilet. He might as well use it now that he had made the trip to the bathroom. It was painful enough that Archer didn’t want to come back anytime soon. The effort took all his strength, and the discomfort in his ribcage and chest was excruciating by the time he finished washing his hands and opened the door.
Brad took a single look at him and put his arm around Archer’s shoulders to support him back to the room without comment, though his scowl deepened.
Once Archer was situated back in the bed, Larissa helped him drink more water and made him as comfortable as she could with pillows around his body to prop him up. She was silent as she went about her business, but Archer appreciated it all the same. At least she made sure he could face his boss while sitting upright instead of staring up at him from a sickbed.
Brad seemed to realize how uncomfortable the situation was as well, taking the seat Janie had used earlier to be on eye level with him. “Tell me about what happened on the beach.”
“I heard a woman crying as I was walking back to the employee housing from my shift at the Pavilion. When I looked at the water, I realized a child was being swept away. The mother was yelling that she couldn’t swim and begged someone to save her kid, so I jumped in.”
Brad scrubbed a hand over his face, looking agitated. “Where was the lifeguard?”
“I never saw a lifeguard until Janie saved me, sir. I was only thinking about the kid. Honestly, it never occurred to me to look for a lifeguard. The kid was being pulled out further and further, and I just had to get to her before it was too late.”
Larissa smiled and patted Archer’s shoulder. “Janie says you saved that child’s life, so we’re grateful you took action.”
Archer’s heart thumped a bit when thinking about Janie again. Why hadn’t she come upstairs when he asked for her? Did she hate him that much for the things he’d said earlier?
“Well...” Brad puffed out his cheeks, not meeting Archer’s eyes. “The lifeguard that should have been there was new. He had food poisoning and ran to the bathroom without telling anyone, which is why you ended up hurt.”
“Okay.” Archer didn’t know what else to say.
Brad’s shrewd gaze finally looked back at him. “Do you think I should fire the new guy? Would that keep you from suing the island?”
“Suing?” Archer wrinkled his brow, not sure what Brad meant. “Why would I sue you? Everything turned out okay. Janie saved me and the girl. Sure, I’m in a hell of a lot of pain tonight, but I’m going to be fine.”
“You’re sure you aren’t thinking of going to a lawyer?”
While Archer was a bit surprised at how direct Brad spoke about the possibility of a lawsuit, he appreciated that the man didn’t beat around the bush or try to sugarcoat anything. “Not unless I’m losing my job because I have to be out for a while... Is that what’s going on here?”
Larissa let out a soft giggle, breaking the tension in the room. “That would definitely be grounds for a lawsuit, considering you were hurt covering that lifeguard’s butt.”
Brad shifted his glare to her momentarily before shaking his head. “Of course, we aren’t firing you. In fact, Shane was just downstairs talking about how proud he is to have a brave man like you working in one of his restaurants.”
Shane McCallister was there? Archer had been trying to figure out a way to meet the man ever since his first interview on the island. It seemed like being taken in by Larissa and Janie was as fortuitous as he’d hoped.
“That’s good to hear,” Archer responded. “Saving the girl was reward enough, but knowing I’ve impressed a chef I admire makes everything better.”
The hostility and worry in Brad’s eyes finally left, and he let out an audible exhale in relief. “Janie and Larissa said you wouldn’t want to sue us or have the new kid fired, but I didn’t believe them. There are a lot of people who’d do anything for money.”
Archer shook his head. “All I want is a chance to improve myself as a chef here on the island. I know Shane studied abroad, and his food is top notch. I wouldn’t be surprised if he earns some Michelin stars before long. That’s the sort of place I want to work. I’m going to prove to Shane I can be an asset, so he doesn’t want to let me go when the season ends.”
Larissa patted his arm. “I’m sure you can do it.”
Part of Archer thought he should do what it took to get ahead and tell them he wouldn’t sue if Shane moved him into working at Paradise Point, but he just couldn’t form the words. While that was his dream and he hoped to impress Shane and make it there, he wanted to do it based on his skill as a chef. Blackmailing the McCallisters into giving him a good position wouldn’t fulfill his dream, it would cheapen it.
He looked back at Brad. “I assume the lifeguard at fault will be retrained and talked to about this, right?”
The stern scowl Brad often seemed to wear crossed his face once more. “Oh, yes. He will be getting retraining and a firm reprimand from me personally.”
Archer winced slightly. Brad had referred to the lifeguard as a kid, so he must be young. He hoped the kid could take the full force of Brad’s fury. Just the backlash of it was enough to make Archer pause. Then again, the lifeguards made the difference between life and death, so the kid had to understand the gravity of the mistake he’d made.
“Excuse me,” a male voice called from the doorway, breaking the intensity in Brad’s gaze as he turned to face it.
“What’s up, Shane?”
Archer looked up, shocked to find his idol right before him. True, Shane was a few years younger than Archer, but the guy had his shit together. Already a renowned chef and gaining fans as the island’s popularity progressed.
“Chef McCallister!” Archer struggled to sit up even straighter, but a shot of pain in his chest took his breath away and stopped the attempt.
Shane walked into the room, sandy-brown hair disheveled and eyes bright with a friendly air. “Don’t move, you idiot! I’m not a chef right now, I’m a concerned friend checking on the patient. And...” Shane hesitated and looked around the room. “I bring bad news.”
“Bad news?” Larissa stood up from her position on the edge of the bed, biting her bottom lip in worry. “What’s happened?”
“Doc Peterson called,” Shane replied. “He’s on his way over. It seems his radiologist colleague over in Kona looked over the chest x-ray and the news isn’t good.”
Archer wasn’t really surprised. The more he tried to move, the more he hurt. “How many of my ribs are broken?”
Shane grimaced. “Doc wouldn’t tell Janie much, since it’s your medical information. He didn’t even really say anything more than he got the results, but Janie said he sounded grim and he’s coming over here to talk to you and bring you some better pain meds, so we’re guessing they’re broken.”
Dammit! Now what would he do? Broken ribs would mean a lot longer out of work, weeks or even months before he’d be back up to his usual activity. He had no home to go back to, no way to work to support himself while he recovered. It was incredibly sweet of Larissa to agree to take him in for a while, but he couldn’t take advantage of her or her husband by staying long term.
He looked back to Brad. “I still don’t want to sue you, boss, but I might need a bit of financial help while I recover. Sorry, I wouldn’t ask if I had any other option. I have no family to go back to over on the mainland and no one to help me.”
Shane chuckled. “Looks like Janie was right about him not suing, huh? That’s the kind of loyalty we need around here.”
Archer clenched his hands together, not saying anything.
Larissa reclaimed her position next to him on the bed. She patted him again. “Of course, we aren’t leaving you on your own, Archer. You’ll stay here, however long it takes to recover.”
He shook his head. “I can’t ask that.”
“You aren’t asking, I’m telling you.”
From beneath his downcast eyelids, Archer sensed Brad’s deep nod of agreement.
“I’ll talk to Quinn,” Brad said, “but I see no reason you can’t recover here. If Janie will continue helping Larissa take care of you until you are able to do more on your own, that’d be even better, but I could always hire a nurse to come to the island if need be.”
Archer hated putting them out like this. They were doing so much to help him, and he’d only been on the island for a few days. Larissa had claimed the McCallisters took care of their own and it was only natural when she invited him to her house, but this was too much for a brand-new employee. Just as he opened his mouth to argue, Shane cut in.
“And once you’re all better, I’m pretty sure the kind of man who would dive in to save a child is the sort I need working at Paradise Point. The job will be waiting for you to recover.”
Astonished, Archer looked up at him. “Sir, that’s my dream job, but I need to earn it.”
Shane shrugged, the grin never leaving his face. “I talked to my manager over at The Pavilion. She said you’ve worked your butt off the last few days and she was kind of surprised I hadn’t already snatched you up to work at the main restaurant. Mix good work ethic with your obvious loyalty and desire to accomplish things on your own, not to mention your fearlessness, I believe you are just the man I’ve been looking for.”
There was no way Archer could refuse the offer. “As soon as I’m better, I’ll prove myself in the kitchen. You won’t regret having me there.”
Shane nodded amicably. “Never thought I would. Glad you’re part of the McCallister Paradise family, Archer. We always need more good brothers.”