A Dangerous Leap (14 page)

Matt grinned at her and opened the pizza box. “Then tell me how you qualified as a Coastie lifeguard. I heard they use a lower standard for girls.”

Kelly threw her paper plate at him. “Maybe we should rethink this family idea. Staying apart might be a better option for us.”

Matt’s belly laugh loosened a coil of tension inside Kelly. Maybe her family wasn’t normal, but just maybe it wasn’t as dysfunctional as she had thought.

Chapter Nine

It rained off and on all day, the weather reflecting Ian’s foul mood. Tropical depressions were spawning in the Caribbean and off the coast of Africa like guppies in an aquarium.

He hadn’t seen or spoken to Kelly since he’d dropped her off at the marina yesterday morning. She was ignoring his calls and the messages he’d left on her cell phone. Not a good sign.

She’d had the day off, so when he finished his duty at fifteen hundred, he decided to go by her place before going home. Hell, maybe he’d pick up that box of day-glo condoms they’d seen at the local tourist shop on the pier. If nothing else she’d at least laugh over it.

Twenty minutes later, Ian jogged through the light rain down the walkway toward her boat slip. Her Jeep was parked in its usual spot, and unless she’d gone somewhere with Cait, she should be on the boat.

The yellow glow of a light shined in the starboard window and his mood improved. Anything over twelve hours without a Kelly fix made him seriously cranky.

He hopped onto the boat and called out her name knowing she’d feel the sway and wonder who’d boarded. It bothered him that she didn’t lock the hatch when she was home alone.

A quick rap with his knuckles on the companionway hatch and he popped it open. “Guess what I bought?” he asked. He tossed the bright box of assorted condoms toward the dinette table as he descended the stairs.

Too late he realized Kelly wasn’t alone. The man glowering at him from the galley seemed to take up half the boat. He was dressed in a black tank top that exposed muscular arms as big around as Kelly’s thighs, tattered cargo shorts and sandals. His long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and his tan was the kind that came from being under tropical sun for extended periods of time.

Ian’s heart pumped a hit of adrenaline into his blood stream. Son of a bitch, it had to be one of the drug smugglers, maybe the buyer. He saw Kelly huddled on the bench seat of the dinette, her face streaked with tears.

He barely contained his rage at seeing her distress. “Kelly, did he touch you?” he asked while keeping his gaze locked on Mr. Muscle. No weapon was visible, but hell, if he had arms like that, he wouldn’t need a gun. Kelly, for all her grit, wouldn’t even slow him down if he wanted to harm her.

“Of course, but not like you mean,” Kelly said.

He shot her a quick glance and saw humor lighting her eyes and kicking up the corner of her mouth even as she swiped at her cheeks. Mr. Muscle looked amused as well. What the hell?

“Is he one of those Coastie lifeguards too?” Mr. Muscle asked Kelly. He eyed Ian up and down. “Coasties, what a pansy name.”

All the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. Yeah he was right, the only weapons this guy needed
were
his bare hands. “Like being named after furry little animals men club to death is much better?”

Kelly laughed out loud. “Score one for the Coasties,” she said and pumped her fist in the air.

Ian returned his attention to her brother. He could see the resemblance now, in the shape of their eyes, and their coloring. The lifeguard reference still stunk. A Navy SEAL should show more respect for a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, especially when it was his sister.

“By the way, honey, your team’s credited with the drug bust. So far they’ve recovered a thousand kilos of cocaine.” Might as well stake his claim to Kelly while he was at it. If the guy was going to pound him into the sand, it should be over something worthwhile.

Ian looked at Kelly. She rolled her eyes at him, but looked pleased at the news nevertheless. He nodded toward her brother. “To tell you the truth, I thought he might be one of those guys coming to pay you back for screwing up their plans.” He sure as hell didn’t look Navy. Which meant he was into some truly scary shit. Like drug runners and terrorists in parts of the world that lacked what Americans thought of as basic human rights.

Kelly’s eyes widened at that. “Wow, so that’s why you looked like you were going to jump him. Guess I should introduce you two, now that you’re not going to kill each other. Ian Razzamenti, this is my brother, Matt Bishop. He only looks derelict because he’s been out of the country doing things we don’t want to know about.

“Matt, Ian’s not a rescue swimmer, he’s a Health Services Tech—a real medic kind of guy who does field work.”

Matt gave him a perfunctory handshake, his gaze still assessing. Then he reached for the box Ian had tossed on the table when he’d entered.

Oh shit. He’d forgotten about the condoms.

“Kelly, baby, I’m thinking I’m going to have to kill your boyfriend after all,” Matt said. Turning the condoms over, he first looked at Kelly, then Ian.

“Glow in the dark? Afraid she won’t be able to find it any other way?”

Kelly bounced off the bench seat and grabbed the box from Matt. “Man oh man, you bought the combo pack, how cool,” she said. She poked her brother in the ribs with a well-aimed elbow. “Leave him alone, bully. I’m not a virgin, I’m over twenty-one, and I’m entitled to fun sex just like you are.”

Ian’s smile faded. Was that all he was to her, a source of “fun sex”?

“Matt was going to take me to dinner, why don’t you join us?” Kelly said.

Ian saw the surprise on Matt’s face but he covered it up with a quick smile.

“Sure, we can go to that little Italian place we drove by this morning,” he offered.

“No, I’m sure you two have a lot of catching up to do. Didn’t you say it had been years since you’d seen him?” Ian edged his way up the steps. He needed to get away and think about her attitude and why it bothered him so much. After all, fun sex should be part of a good marriage too.

Not that she’d agreed to marry him.

Kelly looked confused. “Okay, I guess.”

“Hold on, I’ll walk you back to your car,” Matt volunteered.

“Why? You’re not going to do anything stupid, are you?” Kelly asked.

Matt patted her on the head. “Nah, I promise. Just a little male bonding is all.”

“Yeah, right. Like I believe that,” Kelly said with a sniff.

Neither did Ian, but he turned and opened the hatch, Matt following.

Thankfully, the rain had stopped. Ian waited until they’d climbed off the boat before he said anything. “I wish you’d cut the lifeguard crap, Kelly’s job is a hell of a lot more than that. She could have been killed Monday—”

“I know. That’s why I’m here.”

Matt’s quiet admission took the wind out of Ian’s argument. “What?” Why the hell would a Navy SEAL be watching a drug dealer coming out of South America? Sure the Navy conducted joint missions with the Coast Guard and DEA on drug interdictions, but that still didn’t explain the need for special ops. He frowned at Matt.

Not unless the drug dealer, or the money, tied back to a terrorist organization. Shit, that meant the risk to Kelly had been even greater than he’d thought.

“I can’t tell you any specifics about this particular incident, but I’ve followed Kelly’s career all along. Hell, my whole team can recite every damn award she’s won for her rescues. She doesn’t realize it, but I even know about that bastard she married. Including the way he walked out on her after the baby died.”

Ian’s gut recoiled as if he’d been sucker punched. Married? A baby? Kelly’d never said anything about being married, much less that she’d had a baby who’d died. Then to have her bastard of a husband walk out on her? Hell, no wonder she was afraid to commit to anyone.

Matt stopped in the middle of the walkway and turned to face Ian. “I want it straight, no bullshit. Is Kelly just a temporary thing until someone better comes along, or is this serious?”

Ian shoved his hands in his jeans. “Serious for me, but apparently I’m only ‘fun sex’ for your sister.” That damn comment rankled.

Matt’s expression didn’t change. “Married with kids kind of serious?”

What was this, twenty questions? Ian blew out his breath. “Yeah, but so far she’s saying no. She doesn’t think she’s a good bet for sticking around.” Never mind the deal about having kids. But if she’d lost her baby…maybe that explained all of it. Hadn’t his mother mourned her two babies who died? Ian had been just a kid himself, but all of them had felt the loss. His mother had had her family to help her through those difficult years. Who had Kelly turned to?

Matt looked toward the cloudy distance. “Yeah, well given her life growing up, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Everyone she’s ever loved left her. I don’t think it takes a degree in psych to conclude she’d rather do the walking next time.”

His penetrating gaze returned to search Ian’s face. “You would have taken me on, knowing you couldn’t possibly beat me. Why?”

Ian didn’t want to think about the kind of experiences that gave a man that kind of confidence. “To give Kelly a chance to escape.” He met the SEAL’s stare without flinching.

A smirk replaced the practiced warrior expression. “You realize it wouldn’t have worked, don’t you?”

That was a low blow. Hell, he liked to believe he’d have lasted long enough for Kelly to scramble to safety. “Why not, you don’t think I’d put up much of a fight?”

Matt barked out a laugh, his brown eyes registering his mirth. “No, Coastie, I think you’d put up a hell of a fight for Kelly. But see, your logic’s flawed. She wouldn’t have left
you
. Our little flea-bite would have jumped the bad guy trying to protect you, and gotten herself killed in the process.”

The absolute certainty of Matt’s prediction stunned Ian.

Matt punched him in the arm. “Chill, it didn’t happen. I’m the good guy, remember? Just be thankful her job is more about saving lives than going after bad guys.”

A stiff breeze popped the brightly colored pennants on the boat masts along the pier and scattered raindrops began to fall with stinging force. Ian held his hand out. “I’m glad to have met you. How long do you get to stay?”

Matt grinned as he pumped Ian’s hand up and down. “You mean how long before you get to make use of your ‘fun pack,’ don’t ya?”

Ian made a face. Hell, Matt probably wouldn’t let that one go anytime soon.

“Don’t worry Coastie, I ship out in the morning,” he added, clasping Ian’s shoulder. “I think you’re all right for Kelly, but if you prove me wrong, I’ll be doubly pissed. Understand?”

The brief squeeze he gave Ian damn near brought him to his knees. Jesus, what did they teach those guys?

Matt’s grin widened. “Yeah, you’re all right,” he said. He gave Ian a salute then turned and jogged back to Kelly’s boat.

Ian rubbed his shoulder while watching Matt’s predatory retreat. He’d have to prove to Kelly he wasn’t going to walk out on her no matter what.

Maybe then she’d trust him with her heart.

* * *

Kelly made it to the air station bright and early the next morning, having dropped Matt at the airport. They’d both promised to keep in touch this time. She never would have guessed her brother cared enough to follow her career, let alone worry about her the way he did. His first night visiting, they’d stayed up until dawn talking about everything. It came as no surprise that his specialty was explosives—creating them and disarming them. From what their dad had told her, he’d been blowing things up since he’d been a little kid. She’d laughed her butt off when she’d learned his buddies had named him Fuse. And considered it her God-given right to tease him about the real meaning of having a
short fuse
.

Her new, more grown-up perspective on her parents, her childhood and her brother was still running into opposition from her more entrenched memories. She couldn’t wait to tell Ian about the things she’d learned. Darn it, she’d missed being around the guy.

As Murphy’s Law predicted, if it could go wrong it did. They had equipment malfunctions, an aborted mission due to miscommunications, and two false maydays, one of which pulled them away from an actual SAR. Fortunately, their backup crew had been available to answer the real call. Kelly was furious when she returned to base.

“Dammit, why would anyone call in a false mayday? I just don’t get it,” she fumed as she readied their helicopter for the next callout.

“I don’t know, but I hope they catch the kids doing it and prosecute the hell out of them,” Joe said.

Kelly stopped what she was doing and squinted at Joe. “You keep agreeing with everything I say and I’ll begin to think you like me or something,” she said. Come to think about it, he’d been damn nice to her all day.

“Dream on, Fish-Food, I like my women quiet and obedient.”

Kelly threw her head back and howled. “Do they wear flea collars and fetch your slippers too?” She followed him into the ready room alternating between barks and whines.

Caitlyn gave her a quizzical look.

“Joe wants a golden retriever for a girlfriend. I was—”

“Kelly, Razz called, he wants you to call him on his cell phone. It sounded important,” Tank interrupted on his way out to the hangar.

“If you need me, I’ll be outside,” Kelly told Caitlyn. She dug her cell phone out of her pocket and switched it out of airplane mode. The message waiting tone chirped as she punched in Ian’s number. She scuffed her boots on the edge of the tarmac, heat still radiating upward. The air, moist and still, formed halos around the runway lights.

Ian answered on the first ring. “Kelly, are you off Saturday?” he asked before she said hello.

Her joking protest died immediately. Something was wrong. She’d never heard that tone of voice from him before. “Sure, what do you need?”

“Come with me to a funeral in Orlando. My aunt died last night and the whole family will be descending on my uncle.”

Her heart seemed to stall, then plummeted to the ground. A funeral. She followed her heart down as she sank to her knees on the hard surface. Dear God, the last funeral she’d attended had been her daughter’s.

Before Miranda, it had been her father, and before him, it had been her mother. That’s what families did—they died, and the survivors mourned.

No, she couldn’t do that again. “All right,” she heard herself say. The roar of a departing C-130 prevented her from hearing all of Ian’s response.

“… I’ll pick you up at the marina at sixteen-hundred. That should give you time to get a few hours’ sleep and pack some things for the trip. Tomorrow night is the rosary service and the funeral is Saturday afternoon. Brendan, Penny and the boys will be there.”