Bad Karma (41 page)

Cassie recognized the tall, African-American deputy named Germaine wearing a splashy floral Hawaiian shirt and faded cut offs. He grinned and nodded at her from his table in the back corner of the room. Warren told her that Calvin hired Germaine off-duty to provide extra security for bashes like the one he was hosting that night.

Woodrow led her by the hand to the bar, behind which, a stern-faced Calvin surveyed the goings on. Spotting her, he broke into a broad smile. “Cassie, welcome to my establishment. Family drinks free.”

She gave him a grin in return. “Am I family?”

Calvin picked up a beer mug and beat on the side with a spoon. The patrons turned as he asked for their attention. “Ladies and gentlemen, and you know which one you are. This is my future sister-in-law, Cassidy Danforth. Treat her as you would any princess of the realm or face the wrath of Calvin.”

Cassie felt her color rising as the crowd stomped and cheered, but she couldn’t help laughing.

Calvin seemed amused by her embarrassment. “What can I get for you, Cassie?” He leaned his beefy, tattooed arms on the bar. An overhead light picked up the glint of two small gold hoop earrings in one ear and the warm glow of his golden-red hair that he wore pulled back into a pony tail at the nape of his neck. His green eyes, so like Zach’s, regarded her warmly.

She grinned at him, suddenly shy. “Um, I’m not old enough to drink, but I don’t want to look like a complete dork. What do you suggest?”

“
Ah, let me fix you up.” Calvin turned and prepared something, setting an ice-filled glass of dark fizzy liquid on the bar. He squeezed a twist of lime into it with a flourish.

She took a sip. “It’s a cola with lime.”

“
No, it’s a virgin
Cuba Libre
.”

“
What’s the difference?”

Calvin raised one finger. “Perception.”

“
It’s perfect. Thank you.” She leaned against the bar and sipped her drink.

Warren waved her to the other side of the room. Cassie had a sinking feeling he was going to expect her to dance. She sucked her drink through the straw and turned to Calvin.

“
I’ll put your drink back here,” he said. He raised his eyebrows. “There are unscrupulous men who might try to put something in your drink. I don’t know all of these people. I won’t let that happen to you.”

Cassie shuddered, recalling what had happened to Sky. “Thanks Calvin. I do like being in the family.” She hoisted herself up to lean over the bar to plant a kiss on his cheek.

When she crossed the room, she was aware that many eyes followed her. She spotted one of Javier’s fellow fire fighters and waved at him. He raised a beer mug to her by way of greeting.

“
Let’s dance.” Warren grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the postage-stamp sized dance floor. The reggae beat thrummed through her chest, the amps reverberating through her bones. Warren’s cute face was accessorized with a spray of freckles and big brown eyes like Darla’s. He started dancing and she followed the simple steps he was doing, more like little hopping motions in time to the music.
I can do this. Piece of cake. I’m with my family.

The tiny dance floor filled up and she couldn’t tell exactly who she was dancing with. Both Warren and Woodrow bounced around close to her as well as several of the young people she suspected had been surfing earlier. A tanned beauty with a pierced naval danced provocatively with some of the surfing males.

After a couple more songs played, Cassie edged her way off the dance floor and returned to the bar. Calvin set a fresh soda in front of her.

She winked at Calvin. “I must say, the service in this place is outstanding.”

“
Special for you, Cassie. Tell me, what kind of music do you like?”

She thought for a moment. “I’m liking this dancing thing, so anything you can dance to.”

He grinned at her. “Tomorrow night a progressive country band from Austin will be here. Get the boys to bring you back then.”

“
It sounds like fun.” She sipped the cola and watched as Woodrow danced with the pierced naval girl. Warren pulled Cassie back onto the dance floor and she found herself laughing for the first time since Javier had so unceremoniously dumped her.

The music was lively and the crowd seemed to be celebrating something. She didn’t know what and she didn’t care.

The next time she made it to the bar, Calvin set a basket in front of her with a sandwich on a sesame seed roll and a hearty serving of French fries. “Specialty of the house,” he said.

“
You’re taking better care of me than my mother.” She poked a hot French fry into her mouth.

Calvin gave her a sideways glance. “Your mother’s not here. I am.” He pointed to the sandwich. “Eat up. It’s an oyster poor boy.”

Cassie ate standing at the bar and relished the mingled flavors of hot, batter-fried oysters with tartar sauce, thin slices of tomato and crisp shredded lettuce on a fresh seeded bun. She was having a good time, no matter that she should be crying in her room over losing Javier Rios. She could always cry tomorrow.

“
I’ll have what she’s having.”

Cassie turned around to find Sean, the blonde surfer she’d met on the beach standing behind her.

Calvin fixed him with a cold stare. “For here or to go?” he asked in his deep baritone.

“
I’ll eat it here.” Sean indicated the bar.

“
You’ll have to take it to a table. Only family is allowed to eat at the bar.”

Sean seemed to think that Calvin was kidding, but quickly sobered under the unwavering glare and said an appropriate, “Yes, sir.”

Cassie ate her poor boy and chatted with Sean while his food was being prepared. When it was ready, Calvin collected his money and presented his order on a small tray.

“
I’ll, uh, see you around, Cassie.” Sean flashed a wide, white-toothed grin at her and made his way through the crowd to sit with some of his fellow surfers.

After she’d eaten, Woodrow and Warren made her dance again. This time, Sean came to dance with her too. She laughed as his infectious grin got to her.

When she was leaving with the twins, Sean pulled her aside and said that he’d see her on the beach the next day.

As the twins drove her home, she reflected on the unexpected evening of revelry. “That was great fun. Thank you for taking me.”

“
No probs, Cassie,” Warren said. “Calvin invited us back tomorrow night. Want to go?”

“
Sure. One thing I don’t understand is what everyone was celebrating.”

“
We’re celebrating the hurricane. The hurricane is headed right for us.”

~*~

Just before six the next morning, Javier stood on the wide concrete driveway in front of the fire station gazing up at the sky. The sun was a thin line of gold splitting the eastern horizon between dark sky and dark water. It reached its long crimson fingers across the purple sky. He observed the wind direction as streaks of high thin clouds scudded by overhead.

The tropical storm was now a full-fledged hurricane. All emergency personnel had been placed on standby.

He thought about Cassie as he’d seen her last, looking miserable and confused as he’d walked away from her.

I am so freakin’ stupid.

He thought about calling her, but no. He’d done the right thing. Let her mate with one of her own kind. Some Nobel Peace Prize winner or at least a world-renowned brain surgeon.

“
Javier!”

He turned when he heard his name, but did a mental eye-roll when he recognized Dave, just getting out of his car to begin his seventy-two hour rotation.

“
Man, you missed a great party last night.”

Javier’s lips twitched. “I’m sure I did.” He turned back to watch the sunrise, not interested in Dave’s inane prattle.

“
At the Bait Camp. There was a reggae band and everybody was dancing. Your ex-girlfriend was there. Man, she can move that sweet little ass of hers. She was dancing with everyone.”

“
Good for her!” Javier bit out. Grinding pain ripped through his chest as he envisioned Cassie in someone else’s arms.

“
And drunk! Man, that girl can put it away. Old Calvin kept pouring her a new drink every couple of dances.” Dave walked away laughing as he entered the station to check in.

Javier’s jaw clenched, along with his fists. She was underage. How could Calvin, of all people, allow Cassie to get drunk? But, she was probably there with his brothers and not driving. Still, it shouldn’t have happened.

Strong emotions battled within Javier. In one instant, he wanted to go jerk her out of bed and ask her what the hell she thought she was doing...if she was in her own bed. That thought stunned him. In the next instant, he was filled with remorse, certain that his actions had driven her to her wild conduct.

Javier ran his fingers over the stubble on his unshaven chin and heaved a huge sigh of defeat. He knew when he was whipped. He loved her, pure and simple.

At midnight, his long shift would be over. He would find her. They would talk and he would take her back.

An uneasy shiver played around the back of his neck. If she would have him back. If someone else hadn’t snatched her while he was brooding over her superior intelligence.

Javier smacked himself on the forehead.

Damn! I really am an idiot!

~*~

A sign on the bulletin board by the time clock announced an emergency preparedness meeting for all hospital staff scheduled for nine that morning in the cafeteria.

Sky hesitated. Did that mean her? She was going to begin an extended leave at the end of her shift.

Just before nine, she took a seat at a table in the cafeteria and was quickly joined by Selena Rios and Doctor Rick.

Selena surprised her by reaching across the table to squeeze her hand and give her a big smile. “I heard about your upcoming marriage. I’m so happy for you.”

“
Thank you.” Sky smiled in return.

“
The Bailey’s are a fine family. I know you’ll be very happy.” Selena cleared her throat. “So, how’s your sister Cassie doing?”

Aha! So that’s what this is all about.
Sky tried not to overreact. “She’s well.”

“
Because my Javier brought her by the house a few days ago for breakfast. She’s a lovely girl...and so smart.”

Sky nodded. “Cassie is very intelligent, but she hasn’t dated a lot. I don’t think your son understands how naïve and innocent she is.”

Selena pursed her lips. “You could be right. I think they’ll get back together again.”

Sky smiled. “If it’s meant to be.”

The hospital administrator came into the room and cleared his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen, it seems that we are now on an emergency alert. Tropical storm Fiona has been upgraded to a hurricane and has taken a turn toward the Texas coast. The latest coordinates suggest we should expect landfall between Palacios and Brownsville sometime before Wednesday morning. I understand that most of you have family responsibilities and property to take care of, so we’ll be working with a skeleton crew until we determine exactly where Fiona will make landfall. Please make your evacuation plans accordingly. We will be prepared to evacuate the nursing home residents as well as any in-patients. This will only be undertaken if it appears that we will be in Fiona’s direct path. In the meantime, the emergency room will stay open on a patch-and-ship basis. No one will be admitted as of today.”