Destiny Undone: The Complete Series Box Set (21 page)

“No, babe. You’re sexy…and sweet…and smart. What did I do to deserve
you
?” I leaned in to kiss her, and I felt butterflies in my stomach and stiffening in my pants. She was so amazing.

“Gabe…”

“Yeah?” I stared into her eyes.

“I’m yucky, I haven’t—” I silenced her with my lips on hers. My hand moved around her waist and I scooted in closer. I wanted to devour her—to kiss her, love her and make all the bad go way.

“Ahem.” Mills had returned with her food delivery. “Uhm…should I leave? Maybe hang a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door? Rent you guys a real room?”

“No, we’re good.” Pepper laughed as Mills delivered her breakfast on a tray. “This looks great. Push that button, please, to raise the bed up. I hope I get to go home soon. I’m so ready to get out of here.”

She started eating then Mills asked me, all nonchalant, “Hey, Gabe, who was that girl you brought with you yesterday? She’s was so tall! Like my mother! Is she a model?”

“Who? Sophie? No—well, yes, she was, but she’s in marketing now. She’s heading up the gala for me at Sea Lab.”

“Oh, only I was just wondering about her. I mean, you two were holding hands like you were Hansel and Gretel—or something.”

“Mills, don’t be nosy!” Pepper scolded her.

“I have every right to ask. He’s sucking face with my sister and I want to know if he’s stepping out on her. I mean, you were kind of out of it, so it’s likely that you don’t remember.”

“We’re just friends, Mills. I assure you. We’ve been good friends for years. As a matter of fact, she’s one of my closest friends.”

“Okay, well, she’s awful pretty to be just a friend.”

“Mills, please. That’s enough!”

“Sorry, but if my sister’s man is in here holding hands with some floozy, I—”

“Mills!” Pepper yelled.

“It’s okay, really. I don’t mind the questions, but I do have to get to work now. Call me, please, and let me know when you leave? One of you?”

“Will do, boss.” Mills gave me a salute and I rubbed her messy hair. I kissed Pepper one more time on the cheek and left the hospital. I surveyed the parking lot and didn’t see Jonathan Church anywhere. I’d half hoped the guy would stick around so we could conclude our unfinished business.

Maybe it was best he’d gone.

Mills’ smile said it all. “You look fantastic, sis, but are you sure you want to wear your hair down? Maybe put it in a ponytail?”

“No, I always leave it down when I’m riding Singh. It might not make a difference, but then again it might. I don’t want to change anything. He’s already performing for a crowd, and I don’t want to stress him out more.” I’d taken her to meet my dolphin earlier, and she fell in love with him. I could tell he liked her, too, especially after she gave him a few fish.

Sea Lab was packed. A Jimmy Buffet cover band played in the amphitheater where we hoped we’d soon have extra tanks and two killer whales to add to the attractions. Mr. Buffett couldn’t make it in person, but his replacement group sounded terrific. All the interns had been given the chance to mingle earlier on in the day, and I’d bought a new red silk dress for the occasion with a plunging back and a fluttering hem. I loved the way it looked on me and Gabe did, too. He said I looked like a ‘walking flame’ and then he kissed me, right in front of everyone—he’d never done that before.

I’d only been out of the hospital for a few days, and the bump and the stitches were still on my head, but I wasn’t going to miss this gala for anything. The doctor told me to take it easy, and I would after the gala. It was nothing that some ibuprofen and a band-aid wouldn’t help, anyway.

I went into the locker room to trade in my stilettos for a red, one-piece bathing suit—no sequins. I took off all my rings and jewelry so it wouldn’t distract Singh, who didn’t like anything shiny. Like all of his species, Singh was intelligent and curious, and that was a troublesome duo for him when he was out in the wild. It was always so sad to hear about dolphins getting caught in fishermen’s nets and drowning.

“I can’t believe this! My sister on a dolphin! Can I take pictures?”

“Sure, everyone else will be,” I laughed. “Now, go enjoy the party and I’ll see you out there, okay?”

“Okay. Good luck, Pep! Don’t forget your helmet!” she joked as he left.

“Ha, ha!” I turned toward the mirror and checked my bathing suit. Yeah, everything was in place. I couldn’t risk showing any private body parts—not after “titty-gate.” Would I ever live that down? I looked at myself again in the mirror. Yes, I would. Tonight would be the night when I would draw the line between past and present. This was it. I heard the door to the locker room open, but no one stepped inside. “Who is it?” I called out.

I didn’t hear an answer, then Church appeared and stood there with his hands in the pockets of his dress pants. His tuxedo looked perfect, his hair looked perfect, his smile white—classic Church. “You can’t be in here, Church. This is a restricted area.”

“But I
am
in here,” he said, and he smiled and took a step towards me. It wasn’t an innocent smile, either—he was up to something. I wondered if he’d try to hurt me, or was he just being wildly inappropriate? With Church, it could go either way.

“Get out of here, Jonathan. I have a performance in like five minutes.” He took another few steps towards me leaned against a locker with his hands still in his pockets.

“I was thinking that after the show, you and I could go somewhere.” He moved closer. “Maybe talk, maybe dance, maybe walk on the beach. I miss my friend.” Then he reached out his hand and touched my hair. My heart raced as I stepped back away from him.

“There are no more
maybes
between us, Church. I’m seeing Gabe and that’s it.” His face changed instantly. The seductive smile crept away and a cold, intimidating stare took its place. I stepped back a little further and leaned against the vanity table. “Now please leave, before I call security.”

“Hey, Pepper. Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you. They’re ready for you downstairs.” Sophie gave me a curious look, but I didn’t bother to explain. She wasn’t my biggest fan and, as a matter of fact, I could tell she had a major crush on Gabe, and I was pretty sure that she’d report this locker encounter to him in detail.

I squeezed past both of them and headed toward the door. “Thanks,” I smiled. “I’m on my way.” I didn’t have time for any of this right now. I had a dolphin to ride.

I walked down the stairs to the employees’ entrance that led outside to the pools. I skirted past the crowd and tried to keep a low-profile, but that didn’t happen. A half-dozen people insisted on taking selfies with me, so I smiled, gave my best side profile pose then walked to the tank as quickly as I could. The air was warm, the water would be warm and I looked forward to the swim. While Bobbie Jo made her speech about the show the audience was about to see, I stepped behind the door to Singh’s pen and talked to him quietly. I had to calm my nerves, and his. I wasn’t sure, but I believed Church had nefarious intentions. Why else would he come into the locker rooms that were off-limits to the public?

“Hey, boy. Are you ready for the show?” I tossed him a fish and he nodded, with his head bobbing above the water. “That’s great. Me, too.” I rubbed his snout and talked encouragingly to him. “No matter what, Singh, I’m right here with you. It’s going to be okay, I promise.” He nodded again, hungry for another fish. I had no idea if he understood what I was saying or not, but it was nice to believe that he did. “Here you go. Last one, though, for now. We’ve got a show to put on. You ready?” He gave me another nod and I walked to the edge of the ring with Singh following me, then I stepped down the ladder and eased into the warm water.

I interacted with Singh by diving under the water and letting him play to get his energy going. Bobbie Jo finished her spiel and now it was my turn to show the crowd how awesome this dolphin was. I patted the water twice and he swam up right beside me. “Can I have a ride?” I asked him, knowing exactly how he’d react. We’d practiced this routine so many times before. He nodded and I slid onto his back. I leaned forward and whispered to him. “Let’s show them what you can do, Singh. You are one beautiful dolphin. The nicest, smartest dolphin I’ve ever seen. Let’s go!”

He loved the attention and we took off into the display arena. He seemed to be in a good mood, and he remembered the circuit perfectly as we sailed around the pool. I smiled and waved at everyone as we glided effortlessly through the water. I couldn’t see faces—we were moving too fast for that—but once we’d made the first round, I gave him the next command and leaned forward on his back. I held my breath, then we dove to the bottom of the pool for half a circuit and popped back up to the sound of wild applause from the crowd. I slid off and he circled the pool at full speed, then leaped straight up out of the water. He must have jumped eight feet into the air before he crashed down and showered the front rows in huge wave. He was amazing! I clapped and laughed at all the people with their clothes soaking wet. Then he raced to the side of the pool for a treat from Bobbie Jo. After he’d swallowed a few fish, I patted the water twice again and he swam up beside me. “May I have a ride?” As we’d practiced, he shook his head, no. Bobbie told the audience what I was saying and explained his response.

She offered him another fish and I laughed as I patted the water again. He came back and I pleaded for another ride. This time, he nodded ‘yes’ and I slid on. We rode a figure eight around the pool. He was a little faster than what we’d practiced in training, but it was totally exhilarating.

“Okay, let’s try another dive.” I squeezed him with my thighs and he dove us under the water again. This was the long dive, so I took a big breath of air and wrapped my arms and legs tightly around him. I trusted him—I knew he would make sure I came back up okay. Down, down, down we went. Singh played and showed off his muscles and his swimming skills. Just when I was about to run out of air, he took us back up just in time to a standing ovation. I dismounted, stood in the shallow side, clapping for Singh. He stood up in the water on his powerful tail and moved back and forth to say thank you.

“Come on, Singh. Let’s get a snack!” He slid gracefully back into the water and together we swam to the side of the pool to get some fish from the bucket. I handed them to him and David handed me a towel. He smiled proudly, but didn’t say a word. We rarely talked anymore after the hospital incident, and I was okay with that. I dried my hair while Bobbie Jo wrapped up her part of the presentation and reminded everyone that there were plenty of cocktails and a buffet inside. I was starving and hoped I’d get something to eat soon.

Mills raced toward me. “Pepper! Pepper! Oh, my God! You were awesome! I loved that! Can you show me how to ride a dolphin?”

“Thanks, Mills,” I grinned.

Dad hugged me and kissed my forehead. “Daughter, you were amazing. I’m speechless at how well you did.”

Charlotte stood by his side with a big, beaming smile on her face. “You gave me goose bumps watching you ride like that. So brave. We’re so proud of you, Pepper. Congratulations on a great performance. Do you need help getting dressed?”

Before I could answer, Mills chimed in, “I’ll help her. Come on Pepper. Let’s get you dried off.”

I could see Charlotte was disappointed, so before I walked away, I said, “Thanks for the offer, Charlotte, and I’d love a diet soda if you can find me one.”

Her smile broadened and she was obviously pleased she could help. “I’m on it!” I was disappointed with the way Mills treated her. There was no need for her to be mean, but they’d have to work it out between them. I’d always found her to be warm and kind—and anyway, I wanted my dad to be happy. I liked her.

I was glad Mills was going with me to the locker room, though. I didn’t want to risk running into Jonathan Church again. I told Mills all about it and she was as shocked as I was. “He’s gone too far now. I’m worried for you, Pep. You need to tell Gabe.”

“I will, but don’t leave me, please. I have to get a shower real quick, and then I’m going to put that other dress on.”

“Okay. I’ll watch out here, but don’t take too long. I’ve got mace in my purse and I’m not afraid to use it!”

“Well, don’t mace Charlotte. She’s bringing me a Coke,” I joked.

“Rats! Okay, I won’t.”A few minutes later, I’d washed my body, shampooed my hair carefully so I wouldn’t tear out the two stitches, and then wrapped it in a towel on top of my head. Charlotte came up with two drinks, one for Mills and one for me.

“Thank you,” I said to her as I wrapped another towel around me.

“You’re quite welcome. I’ll see you girls downstairs.”

Mills stuck her tongue out at the door after she’d left.

“Why are you acting like that? She’s a nice lady and she makes Dad happy.”

“Dad belongs with Mom, Pepper.”

I slid into my bra and panties and continued to dry my hair. “Surely you are joking, Mills. You don’t believe that, do you? Evangeline is a train wreck, and I don’t think she’d want him if he came to her with a dozen roses, a diamond ring and a fortune anyway. No, wait…he’s already given her all that and she still didn’t want him. Please don’t fall for that fantasy. Has she told you that, by the way?”