Horizons (23 page)

“Of course. I just hope your family won’t see it as an intrusion.”

Zach knew Kelly intended to go to Phoenix to check on the status of her shops and her divorce. On the flip side of that same coin, he had to attend to his own family and business matters in Seattle. For a time, they would be communicating via phone and fax, and commuting back and forth whenever possible.

“Once they meet you, they’ll love you as much as I do.”

Kelly wasn’t as optimistic on that score, but loving him as she did, she kept her concerns to herself for the moment. Zach had enough on his plate to worry about right now, and she was a big girl. She could fend for herself, and their baby, until they could work things out. In the meanwhile, they still had several hours to themselves, and she intended to make the most of them. Her hand wandered southward, to that lumpy nest between his legs.

Zach gave a chagrined groan. “Sweetheart, you’re beating a dead horse. The spirit’s willing, but the flesh is comatose.”

“Poor pony,” she crooned, shooting him an impish wink. “Maybe a little resuscitation will get him pumped up.”

“Mouth to mouth?”

“So to speak.” She wriggled around, sprinkling kisses along his abdomen as her lips trailed downward, toward their ultimate goal.

“It’s worth a try,” he volunteered, gasping as her tongue painted a warm, wet design on his already reviving member. “Just promise me you won’t resort to anything as drastic
as the Heimlich maneuver. That could put me out of commission for good.”

Kelly laughed. “Gosh, Zach. Where’s your sense of adventure? Sometimes you’re just no fun at all!”

Chapter 23

W
hen their ship finally clocked at nine o’clock the next morning, the pier was jammed with people. From the deck, while waiting for the stair-ramp to be secured, the rescued castaways scanned the crowd. Blair was first to spot her family. “Oh, look!” She waved and pointed excitedly. “There’s Anton and the kids! Arid my mother and father, too!”

It took a minute more, and Zach sighted his family. “Oh, no! They’ve got Dad in a wheelchair. Does his color look a little gray to you?”

Kelly followed his gaze. “It’s hard to tell from this distance, Zach. And don’t go borrowing trouble. They wouldn’t have let him come all the way from Seattle if his condition was terribly critical. He’s probably just using the chair to conserve his energy.”

“I hope so, but he doesn’t look good.”

“Well, he’s had a couple of terrific shocks this past couple of months,” she reminded him. “First thinking you’d
been killed, and now the joy of knowing you’ve survived. That would take a lot out of anyone, let alone someone with a heart condition.”

“
They should have kept him in Seattle, where his doctors could keep a close eye on him.”

“Honolulu is a very large city, Zach. If he needs immediate attention. I'm sure the doctors and medical facilities here are excellent. Besides, he’ll have a couple of days to rest up before the flight back to the mainland.”

The naval captain had informed them that they would be met in Honolulu by representatives from the airline and the FAA—officials who would be investigating the crash and wanted a day or two to interview them and gather whatever first-hand information they could concerning the accident. These people would also act as mediators during a scheduled press conference. As a courtesy, the crash survivors and their families were to be installed in a plush hotel, all expenses paid by the airline, for the duration.

“They’re hoping if they’re nice to us, we won’t sue their wings off,” Zach had said upon first learning this.

“Damn straight,” Gavin concurred. “Especially if it turns out to be pilot error or a mechanical malfunction.”

“Oh, come on,” Kelly had said. “I thought we had all agreed it was that direct hit by lightning. We certainly can’t hold anyone responsible for an act of God.”

“I’m just glad they’ll be able to retrieve all the bodies and give those people decent funerals,” Blair had added gravely. “And they’ll want to hear about Wynne, and Frazer, and Earl, too, and the other three we brought down off the mountain.”

Now, within seconds of disembarking, Kelly finally caught sight of her own relatives. “Wow! They brought the whole clan!” she exclaimed. “There’s Mom and Dad, and Cole and his wife, and their children.” She pointed them out to Zach. Then, on a choked curse, she gasped,
“Oh, rats! Oh, dang! Of all the times and places, why did he have to turn up here?”

“Who?”

“Brad, damn it all!”

“Where?”

“Right down there. The self-important idiot in the blue three-piece suit and the Gucci loafers. I can see his diamond tie tack winking at me from here. I’m surprised he left his briefcase at home. Correction, he probably brought it, and left it at the hotel.”

Zach studied him with a critical eye. “So that’s Brad Kennedy. After all you’ve told me about him, I guess I didn’t expect him to be such a handsome cuss.”

“Pretty is as pretty does,” Kelly muttered. “And his name is not Kennedy. It’s Bradley Charles Sanders—Esquire, of course. I reverted to my maiden name even before I filed for divorce.”

Blair interrupted by tugging at Kelly’s arm. “Do I look all right? Is my make-up okay? I wish I’d thought to ask you to do my hair for me. Oh, nuts! I’m so nervous!”

“You look wonderful,” Kelly assured her, patting a stray strand into place. “Tan. Fit—as fit as a woman five months pregnant can be, that is. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you just came back from a trip to some expensive spa.”

“You look lovely,” Zach confirmed. “That hairstyle suits you, and the sun has added lighter streaks to it. Very becoming.”

“Hey, you guys!” Gavin called for their attention. “We can go now.”

Kelly took a deep breath, held it, and exhaled heavily. “Okay, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I just wish I didn’t have to meet the press wearing these stained, wrinkled clothes.”

“Is it the press or Brad you want to impress?” Zach asked with a frown.

“Don’t be an ass. I wouldn’t walk across the street to
impress that jerk, and that was before I fell head over heels in love with you.”

Zach grabbed both her arms and turned her toward him. “Prove it. Kiss me, Kelly. Right here, right now, in front of God, Brad, and everybody.”

“I wouldn’t insult God by pronouncing his name and Brad’s in the same breath, if I were you,” she warned. Then, “What about your family, Zach? Your daughter? They’re watching us.”

“I don’t care. They’re going to find out about us sooner or later, anyway. I guess we might just as well give them a preview of what’s to come. Besides, it could be a while , before I get to kiss you again. I need one to tide me over.”

“One for the road?” she teased. She stood on tip
-
toe,
arching her body and lips toward his. “Me, too. Make it good, Zach. Nice and sweet and hot. Make me burn for you.”

His mouth slanted over hers, his lips nudging hers open to make way for his invading tongue. His arms closed around her, holding her so close their heartbeats seemed to merge. Her arms locked around his neck, anchoring his mouth to hers. Her fingers speared through the hair at his nape—clutching
, caressing. Throughout the pro
longed embrace, they were oblivious to all else around them—Ga
v
in and Blair leav
ing them behind, camera bulbs
flashing, cheers and whistle
s from the sailors, the mixed
reactions from those in the crowd below.

When, at last, they drew apart, Zach turned his back and surreptitiously adjusted his pants. “Darn things are going to cut off my circulation. I should have known that, even i
n
public, you’d turn me on w
ith more voltage than a power
plant.”

She gave a self-conscious l
augh, her face flushed. “Come
to my room tonight, if you can get away, and I’ll take care of that problem for you.”

“What am I supposed to do in the meantime? It’s a rather obvious condition, you know.”

She laughed harder. “Hunch over and limp. Maybe you can make them believe it’s an injury from the plane crash.” She bent down and retrieved the huge turtle shell and slapped in against his groin, “Better yet, hold this in front of you. If they ask, tell them it’s the latest in Polynesian loin cloths!”

T
hey walked down together, but the minute they reached the pier, their individual families claimed their immediate attention. Zach’s daughter, Becky, flew into his arms—a sixty-pound human missile with braces on her teeth. Clinging like a barnacle, she sobbed, “Oh, Daddy! Daddy! I thought you’d left me forever, just like Mommy did! Don’t ever go away again!”

He held her tightly, reveling in the feel of her, the sound of her voice. Tears stung his own eyes. “Oh, pumpkin! I’m sorry, so very sorry. I thought about you every minute. It broke my heart not to be able to let you know I was okay.” Finally, when she calmed a bit, he set her down gently, though he kept hold of her hand. “Let me say hello to Gramma and Grandpa, sweetie.”

He enveloped his mother in a one-armed hug and kissed her tear-stained cheek. “Mom.” His voice cracked on the word.

Sarah’s palm came up to cradle his jaw. “It’s a miracle, our very own miracle. We thought we’d lost you. It nearly killed your Dad.”

“Now, Sarah, don’t load the poor boy with guilt. I’m here, aren’t I?” Ike admonished gruffly. “Dave. Pete.” He gestured impatiently to his two sons-in-law. “Help me up out of this contraption. I want up on my own two feet when I greet my son.”

They helped him rise, and Zach was there before the older man could take more than a single step away from the wheelchair. “Dad.” They embraced, thumping one another on the back.

“It’s good to have you back,” Ike said, his voice quavering with emotion. “You’ll never know how good. It’s the answer to our most fervent prayer.”

“I know, Dad. Mine, too.” Zach urged his father back into the chair. “But now we’ve got to get you taken care of. I heard about the tests.”

Ike waved that comment away. “We’ll talk about it later.”

Zach’s sister, Leah, stepped forward to give him quick squeeze. “I told them you were okay, that they were grieving for no reason. But would they listen to me? No.” Next came Beth, his second sister. “I’ll admit it. Leah’s right. And I couldn’t be happier. Now, tell me, brother dear, who’s the chickie who was trying to suck the fillings out of your teeth?”

Zach laughed. “That’s Kelly, the woman I intend to marry as soon as her divorce is final.”

A stunned silence ensued, broken only when Sarah frowned and murmured, “Kelly? That sounds like an Irish name to me.”

“It is, and before you ask, no, she’s not Jewish. And it doesn’t matter to me. I love her. So will you, when you get to know her.”

K
elly was dealing with the same issue, a few feet away. The first person to reach her was Brad, who grabbed her arm in a tight grip and hissed, “You’ve made a spectacle of yourself, as usual. Who is that guy, and why were you allowing him to kiss you like that?”

Kelly stared pointedly at his hand, but Brad didn’t take
the hint and release her. “His name is Zach Goldstein. He’s my
fiancé
.”

Brad’s plastic smile, the one he presented to the public and the media, slipped briefly. “It’s not appropriate to have a husband and a
fiancé
at the same time, darlin’.”

She sent him a saccharine smile of her own. “Maybe not, but since our divorce will be final soon, it hardly matters, does it?”

“That’s what you think. Once you were assumed dead, the divorce was dropped, honey,” he informed her in that smooth Texas drawl she’d once found so charming. “They don’t schedule court
ti
me for a corpse.”

“Then I’ll get it reinstated,” she declared, her eyes shooting green flames. “Retroactively. Now, let go of my arm, or I’ll knee you in the groin, and you can watch it replayed on the evening news, coast to coast.”

He released her, and Kelly swiftly retreated the short distance into her mother’s waiting arms. “Mom! Oh, I missed you so much!”

“My sweet Kelly! We were so worried! So stricken! I can’t believe I’m holding you again!” Eileen Kennedy’s joyous tears dampened both of them.

Ryan Kennedy approached, to envelop them both in a warm, hard embrace. “Kelly, lass, you’re a glorious sight for these poor sore eyes! Here we were, grieving ourselves sick, and you were
off
growing more beautiful than ever!”

“Yeah, Dad, it was a real picnic,” Kelly muttered. “But we can discuss all that later. The main thing is, I’m back now, and you can cancel plans for my wake.”

“Too late,” her brother Collin, more familiarly known as Cole, piped up. He wedged his way to her side for a quick kiss. “It’s already been held, and you should have seen the grand turnout. Dad even sang ‘Danny Boy,’ though he revised it to ‘Kelly Girl.’ He had us all cryin’ in our beer.”

“Most likely because he accosted your ears with his off-key singing,” Kelly joked. In truth her father had a wonderful tenor, and they all loved to hear him perform. “Still, I’m sorry I missed it. I think.”

“It was lovely, and very touching,” Cole’s wife, Kathy assured her. “Now, we’re dying to hear about that handsome devil who was kissing you on deck. From a distance, he resembles Mel Gibson.”

“Really? I’ll have to tell him that. He’ll get a kick out of it.”

“So, who is he?” Eileen prompted.

“Zach Goldstein. He’s an architectural engineer and your future son-in-law—as soon as I can unload the dud you’ve got, that is.”

Kathy and Cole’s eight-year-old twins finally managed to pop through the circle of adults. “Aunt Kelly!” they shouted in tandem, throwing themselves forward and grabbing hold of her from each side. “We missed you! Did you bring us something?”

Kelly laughed, and clutched at her brother’s arm for support. “Just look at you two! Shane, you’ve sprouted up at least two inches since I’ve been gone. Shannon! You’re wearing your hair like mine now. Are we twins now, too?”

“Did you bring us something?” they asked again.

Kelly stooped down to their level. “Well, the present I bought for you in Australia got burned up in the crash, but I brought you something else you might like.”

“What? What?” they chorused eagerly.

Kelly patted her still-flat stomach. “I’ve got a baby in here. In a few months, you’re going to have a brand new cousin.”

Shane frowned, evidently preferring a toy of some type. Shannon was fascinated. “Really?” she cooed. “Will
I
get to play with it?”

Kelly nodded. “When it’s big enough.” She looked up
to see the adults gaping at her in stunned silence. She wondered if Brad, hanging back on the fringes of the family gathering, had heard her news, and what his reaction might be to this revelation.