Falling for the Single Dad (11 page)

Something passed between them.

“Likewise, Commander.”

“Caro—”

“In fact.” Her lips curved. “If my sister, your daughter, the entire Kiptohanock church women's guild and townsfolk weren't watching us from the café and the fellowship hall...” She tilted her head down and looked up at him out of those big brown eyes of hers. “I might have even kissed you right now.”

His heart skipped a beat as his eyes cut left and then right. She was correct. Genteel church ladies peered out of the fellowship hall window. And Caroline's male relatives plus half the Auxiliary were agog looking out of the plate-glass window of the Sandpiper.

“Rain check?” His mouth had gone dry.

She smiled and swept by him with the crystal tray. “Thursday. It's a date.” Her sling-back pumps crunched across the gravel.

Weston threw a grin toward his Coastie compatriots at the café. Mission accomplished.

Chapter Eleven

Kiptohanock Banner
—“Wednesday, June 17, after rehabilitation at the marine rescue center, six sea turtles will be released along the Kiptohanock shoreline at 10:00 a.m. The public is invited to attend.”

C
aroline kept careful watch as her grad students transferred the turtles to the tide foaming at her bare feet. A lot of teamwork had made this moment possible. The turtles—dubbed the Kiptohanock Six by locals—had been rescued and saved by having the marine center nearby.

On the waterfront in Kiptohanock, a crowd had formed to cheer the sea turtles' return to the ocean. Izzie perched on her father's broad shoulders and waved. Caroline's heart did a small trill at the warm light in Weston's eyes. A look just for her.

With effort, she refocused on the reason everyone had gathered. “First into the water—Ariel.”

Caroline scanned the crowd. There, at the back of the ring of people, her father hunkered. “Ariel was accidentally hooked off the Quinby pier.”

Placing the loggerhead under sedation, Caroline had successfully extracted the hook caught in Ariel's upper esophagus. With antibiotics and nutritional supplements, Ariel was now ready to resume her oceangoing life.

The grad students on each side of Ariel gently placed the turtle in the water. As the waves rolled onto the beach, the tide lifted Ariel and swept the turtle farther from shore. Everyone applauded.

Caroline gave the onlookers a brief rundown on sea turtles Snow, Belle and Elsa.

“You named 'em after Disney princesses? Gross...” Max pantomimed gagging.

She winked at Izzie. “Yes, I did. But once school starts, I'm giving the fifth grade dibs on naming the next round.” The next three turtle princesses were released without incident.

“Aurora—”

Max gave a dramatic groan. Her father laughed.

“Aurora,” Caroline continued. “Swallowed a large shark hook that was removed under sedation. Once the swelling went down, she began to eat well, and our veterinary staff cleared her for release.”

Caroline stepped aside as her team transferred the final two turtles. “Tiana was reported hooked by a fisherman using a small J-hook, but no hook was observed when the Stranding Response Team arrived. Tiana's blood work and X-rays indicated no other health concerns. Tiana and the last turtle, Mulan, are Kemp's ridleys, the most endangered of the sea turtle species.”

There were oohs and aahs.

Caroline waded shin-deep into the water. “Mulan was caught by a treble hook in the corner of her mouth.”

She surveyed the crowd. “But she and the others are fine now, thanks to everyone who contacted the twenty-four-hour hotline and helped us rehabilitate these magnificent animals.”

Caroline gestured toward the water. “All six turtles will carry an acoustic tag that transmits information about their ocean journeys. Adding to our scientific knowledge of their species, this will further ensure that there are sea turtles on the Eastern Shore of Virginia for generations to come.”

Her father raised his hand as the last of the turtles found their sea legs—aka flippers—and swam away toward the deep. “And if a waterman encounters a hooked turtle, what should we do?”

“I'm so glad you asked.”

Was her father finally thawing toward her and her life's work?

“Call the hotline and bring the turtle onto the dock or into your boat with a net. But do not attempt to remove the hook yourself. If possible, keep the turtle moist or better yet, in a shaded area until our response team arrives.”

Amid more clapping, the crowd dispersed and the grad students repacked the gear. Weston set Izzie on her feet.
Tonight?
he mouthed.

Caroline nodded. Mixed degrees of anticipation and fear curdled in her stomach. With Max in tow, Weston and Izzie headed toward the library for summer story time.

Roland pulled Caroline into a hug. “Great job working the crowd. Your dad was perfect. Did you two rehearse?”

She made a face. “That would be a no.”

As her father approached, Roland clapped the waterman on the back. “Your daughter is a treasure. You must be so proud.”

She winced.

Her father glared at Roland from underneath his bushy brows. “Don't let us hold you up, Teague. I'm sure you've got somewhere you need to be.”

Roland gave a nervous chuckle. “Sure. Sure.” He made as if to move past Caroline. “This is why we need you, kid.” He scuttled past. “Once a 'come here, always a 'come here.”

Her father crimped the brim of his cap and adjusted it on his head. “You're good at what you do.”

She waited for the other shoe to drop.

He folded his arms across his chest. “You've got a real way of inspiring people. And this turtle hospital is a worthy cause, I'll grant you.”

But... There had to be a but coming.

“I'm still waiting to understand how a woman as intelligent as you could pour herself with such passion into these creatures, and yet walk away from your family.”

Truth be told, Caroline was still waiting to understand, too.

“Your sisters have been over-the-moon now that you've come home after all these years.”

“But not you,” she whispered.

“You're after the Watermen's endorsement. And when you get it, will you move on somewhere else to enhance your résumé?”

For the first time in her career, Caroline knew she wouldn't. Not if someone asked her to stay. Someone like her father. Or Weston Clark.

When she didn't answer right away, her father's jaw tightened. “Consider yourself endorsed, then, daughter. Don't let me be the one holding you back.”

“I don't want to leave, Daddy. The aquarium board has offered me a permanent position here on the rescue center staff.”

He sighed. “For how long, though, before you get the urge to wander again?”

“I had to go.” She clamped the bracelets against her side. “Don't you see? I couldn't survive and stay. And even then, I nearly didn't...”

He stiffened. “What does that mean?”

The old, dreadful blackness spiraled in front of her vision. Her breath accelerated. She'd been so busy this week she'd not taken her usual precautions. And with their semitruce regarding the egg laying last week, she'd not foreseen coming face-to-face with this particular trigger. Not today, leastways. She worried her lower lip with her teeth.

“Amelia knows.” It was getting harder to breathe. “I—I can't talk about this right now.”

If she could make it to the church sanctuary, slip in unnoticed, calm herself...center herself and pray...

“What concerns me are the casualties you leave in your wake.” He snorted. “Weston Clark and his daughter don't know you as well as I do.”

Her chest heaving, Caroline pushed past him. “I have to go.”

Thank God Weston and Izzie weren't here to see her like this...

“You always have to go somewhere. Run away.” Her father stepped aside. “After all, it's what you do best.”

In a straight trajectory, she bypassed the Sandpiper and headed toward the church. Her hands shook as she thrust the sanctuary door open. Inside, she stumbled to the front, thankful that in Kiptohanock no one locked doors.

Caroline sank onto the first pew and practiced taking even, steady breaths. She thanked God the church was empty and no one around to see her humiliation. She quieted her heart and emptied her mind of the fear.

She'd discovered that sometimes the stress of fearing the attack could actually bring on an attack. So she focused on the altar cross for a long moment until gradually the anxiety receded.

Closing her eyes, she remembered the joy of the morning when the turtles had been returned to their natural habitat. She relived the grittiness of the sand beneath her feet and the tangy taste of the salt in the air. She smelled the brine of the ocean and felt the cool lap of the water against her shins.

And God was good. He'd given her satisfying, work to do that made a difference. He'd brought her back to her seaside home where first He called her heart to a noble task. He'd given her friends here—old and new. Allowed her a chance to reconnect with her family.

She grimaced. Maybe not all of them. But God had also brought a certain redheaded little girl into her life. Along with her incredibly handsome and altogether wonderful father.

“I don't deserve a future with them,” she whispered to the cross on the altar. But instead of the doubt she grappled with on a daily basis, peace flooded the aching places of her heart.

And she realized with no small degree of amazement that for once, she'd fought off the debilitating despair. The darkness and panic had retreated. For now.

She suspected she'd always battle anxiety. But today, she'd prevailed. Turned what had been once upon a time an inexorable tide. And hope swelled. Hope for a new beginning. Despite what her father believed, maybe her future did lie here in Kiptohanock.

Hope and healing within the cradle of the Eastern Shore. An image of a little redhead and the child's ex-Coastie father rose in Caroline's mind. The thought of her carnival date with Weston tonight set her limbs aquiver.

Perhaps it was time to let someone in, to share the deepest wounds of her heart. She needed to tell him everything about her past. She was taking a chance, given his history with his ex-wife. But a real relationship had to be based on honesty.

Secrets destroyed trust. But with Weston, for the first time in her life, Caroline was willing to risk everything by telling him the truth. Because despite her fear of his rejection, shining more brightly was the hope she glimpsed in his eyes of what could be.

* * *

Weston couldn't stop his heart from pounding as he pulled to a stop outside Caroline's cabin. He'd already dropped Izzie off at the main lodge with Max and Amelia. Nervous, he reminded himself he'd been a commander in the Coast Guard. He'd rescued people and run a small cutter.

Now he wished somebody would rescue him from the palpitations gripping his chest. He'd been out of the dating scene for a long time. But it was more than that, he knew.

This woman stirred his senses and had him daydreaming of a new life. Daydreaming when he should've been sanding floors and prepping drywall. Daydreaming of a woman with whom at long last, his heart might find safe harbor.

At his knock, Caroline answered the door and as usual, blew his breath away in denim shorts, Keds sneakers and a T-shirt, which read
Southern Couture
. The miniature green turtles on the shirt sported pink bows.

She smiled. “Hey.”

Weston leaned against the doorframe—mainly to recover. And tried for a studied, casual tone. “Hey, yourself. I like your shirt.”

He cocked his head. “Like Izzie said. Not either or, but both.”

Caroline laughed. “Thanks.”

“Ready for carnival fun?”

She closed the door behind them and followed him to his truck. “Will it involve cotton candy and foot-longs?”

He held the door for her. “I could arrange that. Seeing as how I'm such a big spender and all.” He grinned. “Next time I promise to do better.”

If ever there was an open invitation... He reddened beneath the collar of his shirt at his unaccustomed forwardness. But Caroline didn't say anything either way.

Weston chose to take her shy, uncertain smile for an unspoken affirmative. No need to assume the worst. But he'd boarded drug submarines with less fear than embarking on this first date with a woman he couldn't get out of his head. A woman who'd taken up permanent residence in his heart.

They arrived in Wachapreague in time to see the sun set over the marina. She gave a big sigh. He turned at the sound.

“It's good to be home.”

“You're happy here?” So much rode on her answer. Izzie's happiness and his. Their future.

Caroline smiled at him. Her face lit with a glow he'd not seen that first day they met at the library. A glow to which he hoped he'd contributed.

“Yes, I am.” Her voice quivered. “I'm almost afraid to say it out loud. Afraid it might disappear.”

He found her hand and gazed deep into her eyes. “Me, too. Happy and scared.”

An impish smile hovered on her lips. “Only way to get over fear is to face it, head-on.” She winked at him. “Together?”

“Why do I get the impression I'm going to live to regret whatever it is you have in mind?”

She batted her eyelashes at him. “I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about. You're not scared of a little fun, Eastern Shore–style, are you,
Commander
Clark?”

His lips quirked. “Bring it, Turtle Lady.”

“First, we need to eat before the cute kid contest begins.”

“Aye-aye, Dr. Duer.” He shuffled into line with Caroline at his side. “There's a plan to enjoying the carnival?”

“Like invading Normandy.”

Amid the aroma of fried everything, he ordered a crab sandwich for himself and a hot dog for her. But selecting a picnic table amid Coastie friends from stations Wachapreague and Kiptohanock was his first mistake.

“Who's the pretty lady, Commander?”

“What ya want with an old sea dog like that, ma'am?”

She laughed. He huffed. The bantering continued as church families and Auxiliary buddies strolled past.

He rolled his eyes. “Maybe our first date in such a public place wasn't the brightest idea I've ever had.”

She smiled. “I love the way you've made a place for yourself here on the Shore.”

After they finished eating, he tossed the remains of their dinner into a garbage bin. “A walk on the beach after dinner at the Island House sounds like a better idea right about now.”

“This is perfect.” She threaded her arm through his and guided him toward the pavilion. “And I've got a surprise for you.”

She pointed to the grandstand as a troop of frilly-frocked little girls marched onstage. Izzie, included.