Mine at Last (15 page)

Toward the end of the week, a stubborn tropical storm had settled along the Gulf Coast, unleashing heavy rains and thunderstorms. It ushered in the area’s official start to hurricane season. The past few days, the hospital E.R. had been packed with vacationers and Key West residents coming in with a barrage of simple and not-so-
simple ailments ranging from cuts and laceration to broken limbs, and panic and heart attacks.

In preparation for any possible weather-related scenario, Dominik met regularly with the city’s emergency-preparedness committee and focused his attention on additional supplies and evacuation protocols. He stocked up on antibiotics, inhalers, insulin and medication for eye infections, hypertension and seizure control with additional focus on dehydration and depression—two lesser-attended weather-related ailments.

Because the medical center had already seen a stark increase in common household ailments, Dominik extended his working hours even more. It seemed by the time he left to go home, it was time for him to come back in. By Friday the weather had settled into a routine of steady rain and passing thunderstorms. Friday evening he stayed later than usual and by chance stopped by the conference room hoping Shauna might still be there. She wasn’t. He went back to his office just as his cousin Stephen walked up to meet him. “Hey, what are you doing here?” he said. “Are you still on duty?”

“I had some official business to take care of here, and I thought I’d stop by and check on you when I finished.”

“How are Mia and the baby?”

“She’s good, getting big and looking sexier than ever, and the baby’s right on schedule. So, what’s going on?” Stephen asked, following him into the office.

Dominik shook his head. “It was a long day and a long week.”

“Yeah, I heard about the craziness here on Monday. Pretty rough.”

“It was bad, a DUI with three kids in the car—totally ridiculous. It didn’t have to happen. Three fatalities. What are people thinking?”

Stephen shook his head. “I see it all the time. And that’s just it—they’re not thinking,” Stephen said.

They both seemed to lapse into a quiet sadness, having seen way too much senseless death and thoughtless drama.

“So, Dom, what’s going on with you, my man?”

“What do you mean?”

“Just what I said, what’s going on with you?”

“I’m doing okay, tired, whipped, beat-down, you know the drill. Just working hard and getting the job done. Running this department is a lot more time-consuming that I thought.”

“Yeah, I’m sure it is, but that’s not it. Last week at the house you were totally out of it. I asked you a question twice and you heard me the third time. I’ve never seen you so distracted. So, do you want to tell me about her?”

Dominik shook his head and chuckled. His cousin always seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to troubled hearts. He connected with his Mia’s father and wound up falling in love with his daughter before he even met her. “She’s a consultant working for the Cura Medical Group. She’s only here for a few weeks, so I know nothing can really happen between us, but man, there’s something about her.” He shook his head steadily, then took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.

Stephen chuckled. “Man, don’t you know a few weeks, a few days or a few hours is sometimes all it takes to start a lifetime together? Believe me, I’ve learned that the hard way. Remember, Mia was here for only a few weeks, too.”

“Whoa, you make this sound like a love thing.”

“Isn’t it?” Stephen asked.

“No,” Dominik said quickly. Stephen chuckled softly. “No, no,” Dominik repeated. Stephen started laughing out loud. “All right, all right, truthfully, I don’t know what it is. I just know I can’t get her out of my mind. I saw her last week sitting in the E.R. waiting room. I looked over and she looked up. If I didn’t know it was medically impossible, I’d say my heart stopped beating, then jump-started again—no paddle, no charge, no nothing. I knew her or rather I remembered her from high school.”

“She went to school with us?” Stephen asked.

Dominik nodded. “She was there in our senior year. She was quiet and totally unassuming. When all the other girls were jumping in our faces, she didn’t. She stayed back. That’s what got my attention then. And her eyes are gorgeous. They’re cautious and guarded with a fundamental sadness, like she’s carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.”

“So, this is just the doctor in you wanting to heal her?”

“No, this is the man in me wanting to love her,” he said, then stopped short hearing the words that came out of his mouth.

“Yeah, you said that. You know I’ve never known you to be this enamored by a woman,” Stephen said, pulling out his notepad. “What’s her name?”

“No way, you’re not doing a workup on her.”

“Of course I am. What’s the sense in having a cousin who’s a sheriff if you’re not gonna let me use my connections to cut through the red tape? You know I do it for Mikhail all the time.”

“With Mikhail, you’d have to. He lives his life on a high wire. He’s got women coming out of the woodwork after him.”

They laughed, then stopped when there was a knock on his door. “Come in,” Dominik called out.

The door opened and Shauna peeked in. “Oh, I’m sorry. You’re busy. I can come back another time.”

“No, come in,” Dominik said, standing and walking to the door. Stephen stood, as well. He smiled, already knowing who she was before even being introduced. “I want you to meet someone. Shauna Banks, this is my cousin Stephen Morales.”

“Hello, nice to meet you,” she said, extending her hand to shake.

“Shauna, it’s good meeting you,” Stephen said. He turned and smiled at his cousin. “All right, I gotta get home. Mia’s waiting for me.”

“Tell her I said hi and to take care of herself and the baby.”

“I will. Shauna, it was a pleasure meeting you. Hope to see you again soon.” He shook Dominik’s hand, then they hugged. “Take care.” Stephen left and Dominik walked back to where Shauna was standing. “I stopped by the conference room earlier. It was locked, so I thought you had already left.”

She shook her head. “I must have stepped out for a minute. I’m headed out now,” she said.

“Do you want to get something to eat?” he asked.

She nodded. “That sounds great, but actually, I have a better idea. I was going to stop by the Village. Would you like to join me?”

He smiled. “I’d love to. Shall I pick you up in—” he quickly glanced at his watch “—an hour and a half?”

“Sounds perfect. I’m in suite 1012.”

Chapter 13

The stormy, dreary, rainy weather was finally at bay for the moment. The streets were pumped up and crowded with vacationers and party revelers all out celebrating and enjoying the momentary weather reprieve. Still, the heavy overcast skies threatened, but for the time being, even that didn’t spoil anyone’s good time. The streets were packed as nightclub after nightclub churned out loud, laughing, smiling, happy customers who simply left one bar’s party and entered another’s just down the block.

Dominik and Shauna watched the street scene as they ate a late-night dinner at a small outdoor bistro just on the outskirts of the Village. She had salmon and he had crab cakes. While lingering over a huge slice of pie and a bottle of white wine, they sat leisurely and talked about their jobs and his family and his travels.

Shauna sighed. “I haven’t had this in years. I’d forgotten how good it can be,” she said, taking another sampling of the tart citrus dessert.

“It is pretty good here. They’re famous for key-lime pies.”

“So, is this where it was invented?” she asked.

“Actually, no one knows exactly who invented it. They say it just caught on and grew from there with the recipe being passed down from generation to generation. But I do know it was invented here on the island.”

“I used to think it was made with regular limes until my mother’s best friend, Pearl, showed me her key-lime tree.”

“Oh, yes, there are limes and there are key limes, two very different fruits. You need my sister Nikita to tell you about all that. She makes a key-lime tart that is pure heaven.”

Shauna took one more bite, then shook her head. “I’m stuffed.”

“Are you ready to go?” Dominik asked. He stood and held out his hand to her. She took it and smiled.

“Thank you. This was nice.”

“I hope you’re not ready to go in yet. The night’s just begun.”

“What do you have in mind?”

He wrapped his arm around her waist. “Let’s see where the evening takes us, shall we?”

“Okay. What first?”

“Let’s start with someplace quieter. This way to the docks.”

They strolled through the Village and continued toward the docks. They watched a cruise ship depart with the aid of a small tugboat. They waved and smiled as those gathered at the cruise ship’s railing called down their last farewells to Key West. “I wonder where they’re going next.”

“They’re probably going to Mexico or to one of the Caribbean islands. That’s the usual destination,” Dominik said.

“It sounds so incredible. I’ve never been,” she confessed.

“Where, on a cruise or to one of the islands?” he asked.

“Either, neither,” she said.

“But I thought you traveled extensively.”

“Yes, I do, for my job, and mostly up and down the East Coast. I’ve never been to the islands and I don’t usually take vacations. As a matter of fact, I’ve never taken a vacation.”

“Really?” he said, surprised to hear it.

She nodded. “Really.”

“I’d say you were due.”

She shook her head. “I don’t have time.”

“Take the time.”

“I have a feeling I could probably say the same of you.”

He smiled and chuckled. “Okay, you have me there. No, I don’t take vacations as often as some, but I do get away from time to time. My family has a small place out there.” He pointed west into the sea.

She looked out at the darkness. “Out where, in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico?” she joked.

“Yeah, as a matter of fact, it is. We have a small island. It’s got a cabin that’s more like a tree house, but has every imaginable amenity. It even has its own electricity. It’s like an upgraded paradise.”

“Your family owns an island?”

He nodded. “Yep, ’fraid so,” he said.

“Why am I not surprised?”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her sweetly. “Maybe you’ll consider going over with me sometime.”

“Yeah, maybe,” she said, liking the sound of the invitation and the feel of his arms around her even more.

“Uh-oh, I think our luck’s about to run out. I just felt a drop of rain on my arm.”

Dominik looked up. There were dark clouds above. “You ready to head back?”

“No, not yet,” she said.

“Good.” They lingered awhile longer looking out at the dark water without speaking. After a while they headed back to the Village area where the lively street festivals were still going on.

Shauna looked around in awe at the huge differences in the area she once called home. “Wow, I can’t believe how different all this looks. It’s amazing.”

“Yes, there have been major changes in this area of the city, actually in most areas. A couple of bad hurricanes came through and messed up the island pretty badly. A lot of people left and didn’t come back. Those who did came back with a renewed vision of a better, stronger city. That vision has resonated and stayed. The city’s trying to change a lot of the notions from the past. I think they’re doing a good job.”

“They are. This area looks wonderful, magical, like a dream,” she said. “And I can’t believe it’s the same place. All the nightclubs and partying. It’s so different.”

“Yep, Key West is now the place to be to party, which is why the E.R. is always thriving.”

“I can imagine.”

“It comes in waves. We’re just finishing up spring break and now we’re into the beginning of the pre-summer season of cruise ships and vacationers. And of course there’s always an event or celebration going on here. There are a couple of festivals every month.”

He took her hand and guided her across the street. When they reached the other side, he protectively placed his hand at the base of her back. While walking down the street, he pulled her close and whispered in her ear, “Did I tell you how beautiful you look this evening?”

She smiled to herself and blushed. She’d chosen to wear a colorful body-hugging halter dress that flared at the hips. It was definitely sexy and flirty. She’d bought it and never wore it. “No, you didn’t.”

“Then I have been sorely remiss. You look stunning.”

“Thank you.”

“You didn’t grow up here or we would have met a long time ago. What brought your family here?”

“That’s a long, crazy, twisted story.”

“We have a long walk back to the car, so it looks like we have plenty of time.”

She shook her head. This was something she never talked about to anyone. It was painful. She stopped and looked in one of the storefront windows as they passed. It was an antiques shop. There were dozens of old-
fashioned trinkets. She looked each one over as she tried to decide what to say to him.

“Come on, let’s go inside,” Dominik said.

She looked around at the packed shelves full of antiques and collectibles jammed together. Cluttered and crowed, there were a thousand things to see with absolutely no order. Everything sat next to everything else. Irons, clocks, pots, records, books, small statues, coins, jewelry were all lined up to be viewed. She passed an old typewriter and couldn’t help pressing a few keys and shifting over the return lever.

She continued walking to the end of the row and found several stacks of books. She picked up a book, read the title and then skimmed the inside.

“Look at this,” Dominik said, pointing to coins in a glass case.

She walked over. “Wow, gold. I wonder if it’s real.”

“Oh, it’s very real,” the owner said. “Most of these silver and gold coins come from the
Santa Margarita
. And yes, I know it sounds like a drink, but actually it’s a Spanish galleon. In 1622 it and its convoy sank to the bottom of the Gulf during a hurricane. All hands were lost and millions of dollars in gold, silver and other treasures went with it. All lost to the deep blue sea. That is, until treasure hunting began. We have excursions weekly. You should come.”