FIREWORKS IN PARADISE Page 8

  Hank shook his head. “No. I honestly didn’t pay much attention, but it did appear that emotions were high. There seemed to be a considerable amount of hand gesturing going on and both men had intense looks on their faces. Bristow is close to having enough votes to get the support he needs to move forward with his project. All he really needed to do was get Judge Harper to back off from his aggressive campaign to deny Bristow the permit he needed, and the few remaining holdouts on the council would most likely have gone along with the idea.”

  “You’ve been working with Bristow for a while now. Does he seem like the sort to resort to murder to get what he wants?”

  “Honestly, no. Bristow is a shrewd businessman, but I don’t see him killing a man over a project.”

  Hank hadn’t really told me anything I didn’t already know, so I asked him about the second person he had mentioned.

  “Duffy Welby.”

  “And who is Duffy Welby?” I asked.

  “He works for the town in the capacity of facilities maintenance. It seems Duffy was tasked with painting the town offices, but for some reason he hadn’t followed through with the task assigned to him. Based on what I’ve heard, Mayor Harper spoke to him about his shabby work ethic on several occasions before coming to the conclusion that it was time to move on. Harper fired Duffy on the very afternoon of his death. Now, I’m not saying the man killed Judge Harper, but I could see him doing something to get back at him.”

  “Have you mentioned this to Roy?”

  “No, but I did mention it to his new partner. She said she’d follow up. I assume she has.”

  I spoke to Hank for a few more minutes, then headed out to Grandpa’s truck. I called Roy, who informed me that Kate had followed up with Duffy Welby, who had a solid alibi. I asked if he had ever gotten ahold of Bristow and he said he was still working on it.

  After I left the Beef and Brew, I decided to head back to the hospital. I hadn’t heard from Hunter, but I was done waiting. If my dad was going to wake up, I wanted to be there. I hated to think of him coming to and not knowing where he was or what had happened to him. Of course, I knew the nurses were keeping a close eye on him, but when he finally opened his eyes he should have someone he knew there to help him navigate his way back to us.

  I pulled into the parking lot and found a space near the entrance. As she had earlier in the day, the woman manning the front desk near the elevator waved me through. When I arrived on the third floor, the nurse who usually worked the desk wasn’t there, but I could hear a commotion from down the hall, so it seemed one of the patients needed immediate help. Everyone must have been assisting that one patient; I didn’t see anyone else as I walked to my dad’s room and let myself in.

  As he had been every time I’d come into the room, Dad was lying perfectly still. The ventilator had been removed, but the sound of the heart monitor filled the air as I tried to tame the butterflies in my stomach. I don’t know what I expected; I guess I hoped to walk in and find Dad sitting up in bed, chatting with whoever was visiting him. I quelled my disappointment and sat down on the bedside chair. I gently placed my hand over Dad’s, but this time he opened his eyes and looked directly at me.

  “Tj?”

  I was so shocked I just sat there for several seconds before responding.

  “Dad?” I started to cry. “You’re awake.”

  “Where am I?”

  “You’re in the hospital. You were in an accident and have been unconscious for a few days. I need to get Hunter.” I stood up and looked around. There were usually nurses lurking just outside the room, but of course when I really needed one there were none to be found. “Don’t move,” I said as I released Dad’s hand. “I’ll be right back. I promise. And don’t go back to sleep.”

  I ran for the door and headed down the hall. When I got there, I discovered the man in the room where it seemed the entire third-floor staff had congregated had gone into cardiac arrest.

  “You shouldn’t be in here,” one of the nurses said when I poked my head inside.

  “It’s my dad, Mike Jensen. He’s awake.”

  “Go and sit with him,” a nurse said. “Someone will be there as soon as we’re able to stabilize this man.”

  I held my breath as I returned to Dad’s room, praying I hadn’t imagined things, that he’d still be awake. His eyes were closed again and he didn’t seem to hear me enter the room.

  “Dad?”

  I swear my heart stopped in the two seconds it took him to open his eyes.

  “How are you feeling?”

  Dad narrowed his eyes but didn’t answer. He looked dazed and confused.

  I sat down in the chair next to the bed and put my hand over his. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. Hunter’s going to be here in a few minutes and he’ll explain everything.”

  “Rosalie?”

  “She’s at home. I’ll call her.” I looked toward the door. “As soon as Hunter gets here. She’s going to be so happy to see that you’re awake.”

  Dad closed his eyes.

  “You aren’t going back to sleep? You should stay awake until Hunter gets here.”

  Dad didn’t answer, but he shook his head ever so slightly. He was probably light-headed and dizzy, but I didn’t want him to go back to sleep until after Hunter had a chance to examine him and confirm that the danger we’d all been worried about was over. I had no idea whether talking to him would help keep him from falling back into unconsciousness or not, but I needed to do something, so I began to ramble.

  “It’s a good thing you woke up when you did. Tomorrow is the beginning of the Star-Spangled Spectacular. You worked so hard on the planning for both the resort and the town. I’d hate for you to miss it. Not that I want you to worry about it. Because I don’t. Rosalie, Grandpa, and I met with Noah today and everything is all set. I’m not anticipating any problems.”

  Dad hadn’t responded or even moved since I’d been talking. “Are you still with me?”

  “Ice cream.”

  “You want some ice cream?”

  He shook his head ever so slightly. “Cook-off.”

  “Oh.” I realized he’d been listening to my rambling after all. “You want to be sure we ordered the ice cream for the make-your-own-sundae stand we always have at the cook-off. I’m sure Noah has taken care of it, but I’ll ask him. Everyone knows you can’t have a Fourth of July celebration without ice cream.”

  Dad squeezed my hand just a bit.

  “Grandpa’s filling in as judge for the BBQ cook-off and Noah is going to announce the bands. It looks like you lined up a few new ones this year. I think that was a good move. I know everyone has their favorites, but it can’t hurt to bring in some new talent.” I glanced at Dad. He hadn’t moved. “Still with me?”

  He nodded but didn’t speak.

  “Are you dizzy?”

  He nodded again.

  “I hear our sleeping beauty has decided to wake up.” Hunter strutted into the room with a smile on his face and a lightness in his step that hadn’t been there the last time I’d seen him.

  “Oh, good, you’re here. Dad’s feeling dizzy.”

  “That’s to be expected. Do you know how long he’s been conscious?”

  “Not long. I stopped by to check on him and when I sat down and began to talk to him, he opened his eyes.”

  Hunter reached down and took Dad’s pulse. It seemed like taking a person’s pulse was the first thing doctors ever did, even though Dad was hooked up to a heart monitor that should have given him all the information he needed. I supposed going for the pulse must have become a habit for Hunter and other doctors.

  Dad opened his eyes and looked at Hunter, who immediately took out his penlight and shone it in each eye.

  “Can you wiggle the fingers on your right hand, Mike?” Hunter asked.

  Dad did a
s requested.

  “Good. Now how about the left hand?”

  Dad complied, as well as moving his right and then his left foot.

  “Is he okay?” I asked. “Has the danger passed?”

  “Probably. The tests I ran earlier didn’t show any sign of permanent damage. I’ll run additional tests now that he’s awake. As far as I can tell, though, it looks like he’s going to be fine.”

  I looked toward the door. “I need to call Rosalie. She’ll want to come here. Grandpa too.”

  “That’s fine, but I’m only going to allow brief visits. Your dad still has a lot of healing to do. We don’t want to tire him out.”

  I took several steps toward the door. Then I stopped, turned around, and looked at Hunter. “Thank you.”

  He shrugged. “Just doing my job.”

  “No. It was more than that. I know you slept at the hospital before I got back. Thank you for watching out for him.”

  “You know how I feel about your dad. He’s been like a second father to me. I was happy to do whatever I could to make sure he pulled through. Now go make your call, but remember, short visits.”

  After I left the hospital I called Rosalie and told her the good news. She had been busy helping out at the resort, so I agreed to come back and help out so she and Grandpa could have a short visit. I wasn’t sure exactly what time Kyle and Doc would get here, but I knew if I didn’t keep busy I was going to explode with nervous energy.

  After I checked in with Grandpa, I headed outside to get an update from the resort managers on the status of the day’s activities.

  “Tj!” Our guest services manager, Leiani Pope, hugged me. “I heard you were back. How’s your dad?”

  “Better. He just woke up today, and Hunter thinks he’s out of the woods.”

  Leiani, a native Hawaiian with dark hair, dark eyes, and dark skin, had worked at the resort for years and was more like family than an employee. She was outgoing and personable and a huge hit with the guests who returned year after year.

  “I’m so glad. I’ve been so worried. We all have. It just isn’t the same around here without him.”

  “Noah’s been taking the lead in Dad’s absence. How do you think he’s doing?”

  Leiani smiled, her dark eyes shining as she spoke. “Noah’s doing great, but I’d say Ben is the one taking the lead. He’s been out there since before it got light, making sure everything’s perfect.”

  “Well, he did run this place for a lot of years before Dad took over. If anyone knows what needs to be done, it’s him. Do you know where Noah is? I wanted to chat with him about a few things.”

  “Try the grassy area where they’re holding the BBQ cook-off. I saw him there earlier.”

  “I will, thanks.”

  I was heading for the grassy area when I saw Bookman’s van pull onto the resort road. Bookman had been the one to pick up Kyle, Doc, and the animals from the airport. I changed direction and headed over to the house.

  As soon as the van stopped and Doc opened the passenger door, Echo jumped out and ran over to greet me. He was so happy to see me that he almost knocked me down in his enthusiasm. I fell to my knees and wrapped my arms around his neck. My heart filled with joy as I buried my face in his warm clean-smelling fur. Echo licked my cheek as everyone else piled out of the van.

  I glanced up and saw Kyle still standing near the now empty vehicle. He was smiling but looked uncertain. I remembered my talk with Jenna. I’d actually thought about it a lot. I knew Kyle cared about me and I cared about him. I didn’t want things to be awkward between us, and I knew if we took time to analyze things, awkward really was the most likely outcome.

  Making a quick decision, I stood up, told Echo to stay, and ran as fast as I could to Kyle. I jumped into his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. He seemed surprised but managed to catch me without falling over. I looked him in the eye and then leaned forward ever so slowly. I gently and hesitantly kissed him on the lips. His arms tightened around my body, and as my heart raced in anticipation, he pulled me closer and deepened the kiss.

  I’m not sure how long we stood there kissing, but at some point Bookman and Doc took the animals into the house. I pulled back slightly and looked Kyle in the eye. “I missed you.”

  He smiled. “I missed you too.”

  Chapter 9

  Bookman had taken Kyle and Doc home so they could retrieve their own vehicles and freshen up after their long flight, but both promised to return for the evening festivities. Jenna came by with all four girls who were now playing in the pool, while I made the rounds to ensure that everyone who had entered the cook-off had everything they needed.

  I had to admit I was on an emotional roller coaster that afternoon. I was so happy Kyle was home and hopeful about what the future might hold for us. I was looking forward to tasting all the entries from this year’s cook-off and grateful to have a chance to catch up with friends and neighbors I hadn’t seen in a while.

  “I think my favorite part of the cook-off is the smell,” Jenna said as she walked over to join me.

  “Hmm,” I responded as I stared out at the lake, which was dotted with boats of all types, shapes, and sizes on this sunny summer afternoon.

  “I’m sorry Doc couldn’t enter his brisket this year. There are always a lot of delicious entries, but his brisket really can’t be beat.”

  “That’s nice.”

  “Are you even listening to me?”

  I turned and looked at Jenna. “Of course.”

  “Somehow I doubt that. Are you thinking about the investigation?”

  I grinned. “No. Not that.”

  “Your dad?”

  I put my arms up in the air and twirled around in a circle. “No, not Dad.”

  Jenna frowned, and then it was as if a light had gone on. “You talked to Kyle.”

  “I did.” I paused. “Actually, talking really wasn’t involved.”

  “Huh?”

  I blushed as I thought of the total abandon I’d demonstrated when I greeted him. That really wasn’t like me at all. I felt like I wanted to dance on the picnic tables while singing a jolly tune. Not that I would. But I couldn’t ever remember being quite this happy. I grabbed both of Jenna’s hands in mine as we stood face to face. “We didn’t really have the opportunity to talk, but I did take your advice and didn’t overthink things. When I saw him, I ran toward him as fast as I could, threw myself in his arms, and kissed him.”

  “And it wasn’t awkward?”

  I grinned and shook my head. “Not even a little bit. It was magical. Probably the most perfect moment of my life.”

  Jenna hugged me. “I’m so glad. You guys are going to be great together. Is he coming back today?”

  “Yeah. Bookman took him home to unpack and get his car, but he promised to be back before Roy gets here with Kate.”

  “Deputy Baldwin, his new partner?”

  I nodded. “Roy thought it would be good if we could all meet. It’s awkward for him to keep things from her. We’re going to have dinner here at the resort. Initially I thought of meeting at the house, but the weather is so perfect I’m thinking maybe we’ll have a picnic on the beach. Why don’t you join us?”

  “I’d like to. Roy’s brought her into the restaurant a few times, but we’ve never had a chance to chat. She seems nice, though.”

  “He hasn’t said much about her. Is she young? Old?”

  Jenna paused. “She’s about thirty, although she’s such a tiny little thing she looks younger. She sort of reminds me of you. She’s petite, but she looks strong, and she wears her confidence for all to see. She likely doesn’t weigh more than a hundred and ten pounds, but she has a way about her that lets you know she could probably wrestle a mountain lion to the ground.”

  I had a feeling I was going to like this woman.
“I’m excited to meet her. When Roy said his new partner was a woman I guess I was picturing a female version of him.”

  Jenna laughed. “Not even close.”

  I looked out over the sea of people gathered to sample the meat from the cook-off after the judging was completed. This event had grown in popularity over the years and the resort now offered shuttle buses from town to deal with the parking issue created by so many visitors. The lawn, as well as the beach, was packed, and based on the number of people wandering around with cups of the resort’s signature rum punch in their hand, the bar must be doing a brisk business.

  “It looks like Noah’s waving me over,” I informed Jenna. “He probably wants me to get the judges organized. You can tag along or I can text you when I’m done.”

  “Text me,” Jenna answered, tucking her long blonde hair behind one ear. “I see Frannie over near the ice cream booth. I think I’ll go see if the book she was going to order for me ever came in.” Frannie Edison was the local librarian.

  “I shouldn’t be too long. Maybe we can grab a drink before everyone gets here for dinner. I’ve been running around all day and could use a few minutes to sit down and relax.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Most of the cook-off judges had participated during previous years and knew what to do, but there were a few new ones who needed a quick tutorial on how to proceed and what to look for before they began, so I agreed to take on that duty. I was halfway through my spiel when one of the men I knew from a spin class I’d taken a few times interrupted to let me know he had important information he was sure I’d want to hear.

  “What’s up?” I asked after I had Grandpa come over to finish the introduction to judging speech.

  “I heard what happened to the mayor and your dad. I think I might know something you’d be interested in.”

  “I’m listening.”

  The man looked around. “Not here. Is there somewhere we can talk in private?”

  He was giving me the creeps, and I hated to invite him into the house, so I suggested we take a walk down to the beach. Both the sand and the water were crowded, but the area up under the trees was only sparsely populated. I located a spot away from everyone, then asked him again what he wanted to tell me.