True Devotion (18 page)

Her blush was adorable. “Liz helped.”

Her hair was pulled up and back; her jewelry was beautiful. None of it came close to the sparkle in her eyes. “You look wonderful.”

“Thank you, sir. You don’t look so bad yourself.”

“These are for you.” He placed the roses in her hands.

“They’re beautiful.”

“Marsha’s best,” he confirmed. “And Charles forgot this color.”

She blushed, and it made him feel petty for taking a soft shot at a man just because he was using his money to say thanks in an extravagant way. Kelly deserved every last rose in Coronado for what she had done. Joe was relieved when Kelly gestured to the kitchen and thus removed the likelihood of him putting his foot in his mouth again. “Just let me put them in water and I’ll be ready to go.”

“Sure.” Joe followed her, then leaned against the counter as she arranged the bouquet. Her color was still high. That did it. He wasn’t going to mention the name Charles again tonight for any reason. “So you told Liz.”

She nodded. “Since I raided her closet, I had to.”

“You must’ve made her day.”

She laughed softly. “I think you could safely say that.” She glanced over at him. “Did you get paged?”

He frowned slightly. “Why do you ask?”

“I’ve never known you not to be early. I was convinced I wouldn’t be ready on time.”

Considering he had been running around racing the clock, it felt good to find out she had been too. “Actually, yes. We’re back on short notice, so my sailing time has been temporarily curtailed.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

He didn’t want to talk about something that serious, not now. He tilted his head, not recognizing the perfume she wore but liking it. “Did you get a chance to glance at the movies playing tonight?”

“I’d already tossed out my newspaper. I don’t mind choosing when we get there.”

“Really?”

“Really.” She finished arranging the roses. “They are gorgeous.”

“I’ll have to buy you flowers more often. That smile is worth it.” She could have so easily and subtly made a comparison between his gift and Charles’s, but she hadn’t, not even with a glance at the bouquet on her kitchen table. That was more than tact. It was honoring him by not comparing them. He loved her for that.

“Joe—”

He held out his hand. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

She picked up a small clutch purse and let him lock the door behind them. He settled his hand lightly on her back as he escorted her to the car.

“You traded the Jeep for the night.”

“The occasion demanded a nice ride.” He held her door for her.

“Where are we going?”

“The Prince of Wales Grill.”

“I’m impressed. How did you swing reservations on such short notice?”

“Ingenuity.”

“And a friend somewhere?”

Joe glanced over to share a smile. “A friend of a friend. Coronado is a small place when you get right down to it.”

“I knew you would try for extravagant.”

“Just wait—I think I pulled it off.”

Her laughter was nice to hear.

The restaurant was in an exclusive part of the Hotel del Coronado, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It had been recently voted most romantic restaurant by
San Diego
magazine for a reason. Joe gave his name and they were escorted to a table with a wonderful view.

Heather did indeed play nice jazz on the piano. Joe caught her attention and gave her a small salute, pleased to see the roses he had sent her as a thank-you had arrived. Heather touched a rose and smiled back at him, sending a silent thanks.

Kelly saw the exchange. “What’s her name?”

“Heather.”

“Your friend of a friend?”

Joe settled into his chair. “Yes.”

“Thanks for sending the roses.”

“Not jealous?”

“When you went to the trouble on my behalf?
Flattered
is a better word.”

He handed her the cloth-covered menu, appreciating her reply. “What would you like for dinner?”

* * *

“Joe, are you sure you want to see a comedy? We’ve already been laughing most of the evening.”

Kelly’s hand was clutching his arm, and her weight leaned slightly against him as they stood in front of the theater debating which movie to see. The happiness seemed to sparkle out of her, and Joe wished he could sweep her closer. It was hard to subdue his own pleasure. He had set out to make tonight memorable for her, but instead discovered she had done it for him. She never mentioned Nick or Charles, never touched on a serious subject. Instead she thoroughly enjoyed everything—the food, the music, the ocean view, the short walk from where he parked to the theater—and in doing so, pulled him along to share that happiness. It practically bubbled from her.

“I like laughing with you,” he replied, enjoying the merriment in her eyes.

“You laugh at all the wrong places in my jokes.”

“You don’t know how to tell one. You need more practice.”

She giggled. “Probably true.” She looked again at the marquee. “Okay, let’s see the comedy.” She glanced around at the crowd they had joined. “We fit right in.”

They were a decade too old and considerably overdressed, but the couples in the crowd were easy to spot. Joe settled his arm comfortably around Kelly’s shoulders as they moved into line. “Yes, we do.” His satisfaction at having her at his side matched the expressions of numerous others on dates around him.

Mingled in the crowd were a few men who saw him, glanced to Kelly then back to him, and nodded a greeting. It was a good thing Kelly hadn’t asked that they keep their dating a secret. By morning most of the base would have the news he had been seen escorting her.

The movie was good. Joe figured it could have been a bomb and it wouldn’t have mattered. They simply would have laughed together at how awful it was.

The evening had relaxed the tension and the wonder over what it would be like to change from friends to something more. It had been a smooth transition. Joe hoped it was only going to get better. After the movie was over, he offered his arm as they walked back to where he had parked. Kelly accepted without hesitation. He liked that about her, the way she accepted his statement of belonging together. He offered her one of the last hazelnuts from the bag they had been sharing.

“Do you suppose this is what makes dating so much fun?” She glanced up at him and he gestured toward the people ahead of them also strolling toward their cars, then at the sky. “This sense of time stopping? There’s no reason not to stroll along and enjoy the beautiful evening.”

“I think it also has something to do with who you are with,” she offered.

“I figured that much out. But you and I have spent a lot of time together in six years. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed an evening more.”

“I’ve got a theory about nights like these.”

“What’s your theory?” he asked.

“That you’ve invested so much into them, they become a moment in time you have to really live in. Most of the time we rush around and never realize what’s around us, enjoy the person we are with, because we’re too busy to let ourselves live in that moment. Dates are designed to take our full attention.”

He paused to glance down at her. “That’s really good. I’m impressed.”

She leaned against him. “You should be. It’s my one profound comment for the night.”

“Are you in a hurry to get home? It’s getting late.”

“Not particularly. I don’t work tomorrow.”

“Want to walk down along the beach?”

“Could I change first?”

“Sure.”

He drove them back to her home. The full moon was bright overhead when he pulled into her driveway. She leaned her head back against the headrest and made no move to open the car door. “Thanks for all of this, Joe. You have no idea how much it means.”

“I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.” He left his hands resting atop the steering column, for she looked a little too appealing at the moment. “You’ve still got a present to unwrap. Before or after we stroll down to the beach?”

“I do?”

He reached around to the backseat and picked up the sack. “It wouldn’t be a truly memorable first date without one.”

“Joe.”

Her protest made him smile. “It will cost you a cup of coffee, though.”

“In that case—”

He came around the car and opened her door for her. “I like this about you.”

They walked to her front door, and she glanced up at him as she found the right key to unlock the house. “What?”

“You make it nice to give you gifts.”

Her blush was incredible. He probably shouldn’t tease her about it, but it was too much fun.

Kelly shooed him out of the kitchen while she started the coffee, and Joe moved back to the living room, taking off his tie. When she joined him, she handed him one of the china cups, then slipped off her shoes and curled up on the couch. “A nice restaurant, roses, a present—our second date has a lot to live up to.”

Joe took a seat on the chair across from her. “We’re painting your kitchen,” he replied dryly.

“You’re serious?”

“Yes.”

She laughed so hard her eyes watered. “Oh, Joe, I needed that.”

Joe offered her the box he had set on the table. “A memory for tonight.”

Kelly carefully unwrapped the paper and set aside the tissue paper. “Joe—he’s beautiful.”

He was surprised at the emotions on her face. “Bad move?”

She shook her head. “I love it. Thank you. I was afraid since Nick bought me so many bears, you would think you shouldn’t.”

“Kelly—” he waited until she looked up—“you collect bears. I think it’s the perfect way to mark this occasion. You’ll have to come up with a name.”

She gently straightened the ribbon the bear wore. “Bear.” She smiled. “Just Bear.”

“You need one that’s brown or black and looks kind of rugged for that name.”

She looked over at him. “Insulted?”

“Embarrassed.”

Her laughter filled the room. Joe decided it was best to change the subject. He got to his feet and held out his hand. “Come on, let’s take that walk.”

She let him pull her up. “It won’t take me but a minute to change.”

“Bring a jacket.”

She put the bear in a place of honor before she left the room.

Bear.

When the guys got wind of this—maybe if it lost the ribbon and got pulled through the dirt—a white plush bear with his handle
was
embarrassing. It also made him smile. Kelly knew how to say a lot without saying it directly.

* * *

Kelly slipped her hand into Joe’s as they strolled down to the water’s edge then turned north to follow the beach toward the Hotel del Coronado where their evening had begun. Music from the Ocean Terrace restaurant at the hotel drifted toward them, the colorful lanterns lit around the Terrace reflecting off the water. It was a festive mood.

“One of the last memories I had in the water before you found me was from the last time we walked this beach.”

“Really?”

She nodded. “Friday night after dinner. You indulged me with a walk down to the Terrace to buy a frozen fruit smoothie. Remember?”

“I remember the smoothie—it gave me an ice cream headache.”

“I had forgotten that.”

“I haven’t.”

“What I remember is holding your hand while we walked, deciding how nice it was not to be walking alone.”

He squeezed her hand gently. “Thank you. You’re welcome to hold my hand anytime you like.”

Kelly returned the pressure, and they walked in silence along the shore. This was the best memory maker of the evening. The restaurant, the movie, roses, and the bear—of all the images of the evening, this was the one she treasured most. She had walked this beach with Joe before, but this time it was different. This time in a new way she belonged beside him and it felt special.

The evening was going to end eventually, and she didn’t want that to happen. Would he kiss her good night? There were already stars in her eyes; that would certainly cap this evening with the best ending possible.

The moonlight flickered as clouds skimmed over the sky.

Joe stopped.

She looked at him, puzzled, and saw his eyes narrow as he gazed ahead.

There was only the dark shadow of the surf and the resulting white breakers. The sound clued her in, an odd interruption in the withdrawing surf as it pulled back to sea.

They both began to run.

A limp body was rolling in the surf, being thrown by the sea to the shore.

Sixteen

* * *

“Kelly, go back to the house and call the police.” Joe still wore his pager, but he had left his phone with his suit jacket in her living room. He was angry at himself for leaving the phone behind, because he couldn’t comfort Kelly and do what needed to be done here. She was not reacting well, was scaring him, in fact.

She had gone up to her knees into the surf with him, having instinctively moved to help get the person out of the water, but now she stood shaking, icy white, not unlike the coloring of the lady they could do nothing to help. In only the few moments it took to lift the lady to the sand, they knew there was nothing they could do to save her life.

Joe carefully closed his hands over Kelly’s shaking ones. “Go, honey.”

Her horror-filled eyes lifted to his, and she fought to get a breath. Joe nodded. “You’re okay. Go get us some help.”

When she turned, she ran across the sand like hornets were after her.

Lord, I need someone with Kelly. Liz, Christi, someone she trusts. Please, yank someone out of bed. She’s shattering.

Joe turned and knelt beside the young woman lying on the sand. She would never walk on a beach again. Never laugh. She had drowned. Probably tonight. With painful sympathy he reached over and closed her blue eyes.

* * *