Rum Punch Regrets (15 page)

I have a brother
, Abby thought.
Wow. If Leigh can keep a promise this serious, so can I. I have a brother. If I act like things are going to be okay, maybe he will, too. Oh my God, I have a brother?

As if he could hear her internal dialogue, Ben turned to Abby with a shell-shocked expression.

“I have a sister.”

“I know.”

“No, I mean . . . you. You’re my sister.”

“Yeah. Wow.” Abby’s faced reflected her mixed emotions. “You’ve been through a lot this year already. Look, I know I’m not supposed to know all of it, but I do. You can’t afford to have news like this interfere with your studies. You can’t fail.”

It seemed like he was already there as well. “I was thinking that, too. Wait, how do you know?”

Abby knew she needed to keep Tracey’s secret. Ben needed to trust those around him right now, no matter what.

“It’s not important. I just know that something like this could distract you.” Maria had placed some pretzels and chips on the table in front of them to snack on with their beer. “So, what I think is that maybe we should not say anything to anyone about the fact that we know right away. I feel like if we do that, your mom or Leigh may want to fly down here and deal with things. Sometimes, family can be more hindrance than help.” She chuckled as she realized her participation in the former. “And I’ve proven this. So, let’s deal with one milestone at a time, shall we?”

Ben played with the fabric of his shorts distractedly. “You’re right. My mum would come here, and she wouldn’t want to leave until I had put on a brave face. It sounds like Leigh is the same, and since you want to strangle her right now, I don’t think having the two of you fighting all over the property would help me study.”

“Pretty much my sentiments exactly.”

“Are you going to tell me who told you? About what happened before?” Ben queried.

“I could,” Abby said, “but then I may have to kill you.”

He laughed and toasted the air with his bottle. “Well, at least I know you can keep a secret.”

“Not as good as some people we’re related to,” she quipped.

“If you want,” Maria said as she bustled around the kitchen making dinner, “the two of you could make yourselves useful and set the table.”

“Chores?” the pair said in unison.

“Yes! It’s time for something normal. If that means I put you both to work, then so be it. Or, Ben, you could go study until it’s time for dinner, and Abby, you can help me set the table?” she offered.

Abby looked at Ben, who was watching Maria’s every move.

“I think I just want to sit here a little longer.”

Abby took Ben’s hand and smiled at him. “I think that’s a good idea. I can help you study after dinner if you want. And I’ll keep on helping you any way I can as long as I’m here, okay?”

Ben nodded and squeezed her hand back. “It’s weird. I already was starting to like you, now I’m confused.”

“Like maybe you should now hate me?”

“Not you. The situation. I don’t think I could hate you, Abby. Believe me, I tried.”

Abby stifled another laugh as she teased Ben. “I love your stale humor.”

“Most people would describe it as ‘dry,’ not ‘stale.’”

“Really? I’d go with stale. Like bread.”

“You really are full of yourself, aren’t you,” Ben snapped jokingly.

Their back-and-forth teasing was interrupted by Ziggy, who came in through the back door of the house. He took one look around the room and realized something was afoot.

“Mon, de air is heavy in here! Is it de humidity or did I miss somethin’?”

The trio in the kitchen all looked at one another, then filled the room with laughter. Big, good, from-the-gut laughs. The kind that you relish to break up an awkward emotional moment. Even though the news was intense, something deep down told Abby it was going to be okay.

More than okay,
she thought.
Once we muddle through this, it’s going to be awesome. I have a brother. His name is Ben. Cool.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The days settled into a pattern that the duo adjusted to with ease. Abby would get up early to start breakfast for Ben and they would chat for a few minutes in the early part of the day before he made his way to school. Maria and Ziggy would watch the pair as they sat by the pool with Ben’s two cats prowling around their legs. It made Maria happy to see that they were making an effort to get to know each other before informing the rest of their family about their find.

Ben and Abby became closer by the day, spending their free time quizzing each other about likes, dislikes, favorite colors, favorite movies and TV shows, and foods they both enjoyed. Ben asked Abby lots of questions about their dad and Leigh, as well as the rest of the family. She was getting confused explaining to him the connections, so one day while he was at school she made him a family tree. He was touched by the effort she was making. In fact, she even included his mom on the tree so she wasn’t left out. They talked about games they played as children and compared notes on things like dental visits and ear infections. They both noted that they had had emergency appendix surgery in their early teens, both having the scars to prove it.

The repairs were coming along, with Buddy more than keeping up his end of the bargain. The chimney stack was quickly repaired, thanks to Abby jumping in and helping the Kittians when they wanted to sit and chat, and the roof and ceiling were both well on their way to finalization despite Ziggy’s best efforts to thwart them. Buddy pulled Abby aside one morning, saying, “Fingers crossed, girl, and dat roof may be done in de next day or two!” He had made his point by slapping her on the back so hard it pushed her forward a good five feet.

Most evenings Ben needed to study, so he made a permanent study date with Tracey and her group. Ben was to be at Ricky’s around six almost every night to meet them for a three-hour study session. Abby, not wanting to be left out, would tag along some nights to sit and play cards or a random board game with Cutty and Ziggy.

It was on one of these evenings that Cutty made a comment under his breath to Abby about her closeness with Ben.

“What did you just say?” she asked Cutty, who was standing on a chair hanging up an old license plate he’d found. He liked to add treasures he’d collected to the walls at Ricky’s.

He took a long drag off the Salem 100 hanging out of his mouth and repeated, “I said, I think you and Ben make a nice little couple. Seems to me that you can’t get enough of each other these days, huh?”

Abby laughed out loud, so loud she had to throw her hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t disturb the other folks studying and chatting at the surrounding tables.

“A nice couple? Really, Cutty. You’re assuming things.”

“No, I’m not,” he countered, almost defiantly.

“Really? You’ve seen Ben and me together all this time and now you decide we’re a couple? What if I saw that Salem 100 hanging out of your mouth and went to get you a carton of those cigarettes? We both know you wouldn’t be happy. You really like Camel. I would be in the wrong because I made an assumption you liked those kinds of smokes. Kind of like how you’re wrong right now.”

He took another drag off his cigarette and looked down at Abby, who was handing him another one of his “treasures” to add to the wall: a baseball cap.

“You make a good point. But I know what I see.”

“What is that, Cutty?”

“Two people that are doing it.”

Those last words made Abby literally wretch out loud.

“Cutty! We’re not . . . Ugh. Get down off the chair before I pull you off. I’ll tell you what’s going on.”

“You’re gonna tell me that you’re pregnant?”

Abby shook her head at the old guy. “Please, just get down. I’ll get you another beer if you will listen to me.”

Cutty was already smiling, even wider than he was before.

“Ziggy and Maria are as close to best friends as I’m gonna get. I know, Abby,” he said quietly as he was getting off the chair.

“About Ben and me?” she whispered back to him.

“Yep. Known for a long time. That sister of yours has a big mouth once she gets about four drinks in her. Spilled it all to me one night when we were all down here having some cocktails. Never told anyone, just knew that Ziggy and Maria were on top of things, and they respected that I knew and I respected that it wasn’t my business to tell.”

Cutty began gathering his tools and putting chairs back where they were meant to be. He continued multitasking as he took a swig of his beer before stubbing out his cigarette. He finished getting everything in order before he joined Abby at the table.

“We’ve been waiting for that boy to get to know his family. It’s like watching a miniseries come to life. There’s suspense, treason, espionage . . . ”

“You are truly insane, you know that?”

“Pretty much,” he said as he leaned in closer to Abby. “It’s safe here. Your secret, that is. I won’t tell anyone.”

Abby was listening to Cutty, but watching Ben across the patio. She felt a renewed sense of protection for her little brother. Something that had just come innately when she’d found out who he was. The same feeling was growing on a daily basis as she discovered more and more about him.

Abby acknowledged Cutty with a smile and then, as if changing her mind, got stone-faced as she turned to him.

“I know you can be perverted, but I want you to know that I’m going to hug you now.”

Cutty was taken aback. “Really?”

“Yes. We need ground rules, though. No groping, no fondling, no whispering in my ear. I just want to hug you in a nice, ‘Thank you for being so good to me’ kind of way. Nothing more. Got it?”

Cutty was already standing with his arms wide open.

“I’m glad I took a shower today,” he said almost jokingly.

Abby giggled as she stood up and embraced the weathered old coot. He kept to her ground rules, and when she sat back down she noticed his face was red.

“Are you embarrassed I hugged you?”

Cutty pinched his lips together. “No. But I don’t want that J.D. to see me hugging you. May get jealous.”

Abby looked at Cutty accusingly when she heard his name. “How do you know about J.D.?” She couldn’t escape the pang of guilt she felt at the fact that since their lunch she hadn’t tried to reach him. With everything going on at the inn and it being the day Ziggy was hurt, she hadn’t found time. But then again he hadn’t tried to find her either, as he had promised.

“I know he asked me if I’d seen you and what your deal was.” Cutty lit another cigarette and looked at her with such an intense stare she thought he was trying to make her catch on fire.

“And? What did you say?”

He shrugged. “Nothing. Told him you were here doing your thing and I’d tell you when I saw you that he was askin’ for ya. So I did and it’s done. End of story.”

Abby was dumbstruck. “That’s it? He didn’t say anything else?”

Cutty thought for a moment before he answered, “He did say he’d be on Nevis for a few days to meet someone named Callie. But other than that . . . nope.”

Abby half-laughed to herself, deciding that the mysterious playboy from London who seemed interesting and different was actually already off and running into someone else’s waiting arms.

Of course,
she thought.
Don’t they all?

“Abby, don’t look so sad. You got a good heart, and you’re honest. That speaks volumes. Ben’s lucky he’s got a sister like you.”

It was Abby’s turn for her face to change color.

“That was one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me,” she leaned in and said softly to Cutty. “And the fact that it came from you makes it even better.”

The two shared a secret smile together before sitting back to make themselves comfortable while watching the sun set over the island of Nevis. Cutty was sharing an old story with Abby about how the ferry that used to go between Nevis and St. Kitts had sunk many years ago, while she was trying to not let her disappointment show.

“Abby, you look like someone popped your favorite balloon. Is this about that J.D. character?”

Abby was kind of embarrassed to admit even to herself that it was about him. She looked sheepishly at Cutty, shrugging her shoulders. “I guess it is.”

The weather-beaten old captain shook his head. “You know, I think there’s something you should know about him.”

Abby snorted. “Trust me, I think I know. He’s a playboy with money to burn hopping island to island. Oh well.”

Cutty looked as if he wanted to say something more, but they were interrupted by Ben and Tracey.

“You two telling secrets over here?” Tracey asked in her charming Southern way.

“Nah. Abby’s trying to cuddle with me.”

Abby made a face at Cutty. “How’s studying going?”

Ben nodded his head. “Good, actually. These cram sessions are helping to keep me focused.”

“Good. Just keep it up. And any quizzing you want me to do I’ll be glad to. We can do it over dinner tonight.”

“Actually,” Tracey interjected, “Ben and I were talking about taking you out to dinner at one of the local restaurants here. There’s a nice Italian place right by the beaches, then maybe we could go screw around in the casino for a bit?”

Abby sat on the invitation for a heartbeat before responding “Yes!” to Tracey’s invite. It felt like all she had done lately was eat at the house with Ben, help Maria with the inn or hang out at Ricky’s so she got some human contact besides her immediate island “family.” She needed a night out.

“Cutty, you can come, too, if you want,” Tracey offered.

“Nah. That casino is no good for someone like me. I like to gamble too much.” He lit another cigarette and jerked his head in Abby’s direction. “This one needs a night out without me. I’m the only person she ever sees, besides you guys.”

Abby stood up and began gathering her things together.

“If you change your mind, Cutty, text my cell. We can come get you. Otherwise, I’ll see you tomorrow around the same time?”

He nodded and stood abruptly as well. He grunted good night and then began his walk back to his room. He got halfway across the patio when he turned around.

“Abby,” he called out, “do me a favor?”

Abby rolled her eyes, waiting for some grotesque suggestion. “Yes?”

“Bet twenty U.S. for me. On black. Got it?”

“Twenty dollars on black?”

He nodded. “That’s the roulette table.”

“I get it.”

Cutty rolled his eyes at her. “Making sure.”

“Consider it done.”

Cutty smiled, throwing his hand in the air to say good-bye one more time, disappearing around the corner into the night.

Abby turned to the other two.

“I’m heading home to freshen up. Pick me up there?” she queried.

Ben nodded as he and Tracey made their way back to the study group.

Abby couldn’t help but feel giddy with excitement, her tummy filling with butterflies as she thought about going out to the casino for the night. She quickened her pace so she could get back and grab a shower before Ben arrived to pick her up.

#

When the horn honked in the driveway, Abby was finishing up her hair. “Finishing” meant pulling it back into a secure ponytail, since the humidity was killing her hair at the moment, making it unmanageable.

Abby emerged from the pool house looking absolutely charming, so charming that even Tracey whistled at her as she approached the car. She had thrown on a beige tank top and a flowy skirt she had picked up one day while shopping at the Port. She grabbed her flip-flops and raced barefoot to the car.

If I were home, I would never think of going out in this kind of outfit or even fathom running barefoot anywhere,
Abby thought as she climbed into the backseat.

Once settled at Tiramisu Ristorante, the trio ordered a bottle of red wine, cozying in for some good food and conversation. Not to disappoint, Ben shared with the girls, over their Caesar salad and calamari appetizers, stories about his friend Andrew, who was due in a few days for a visit that week.

Andrew and Ben had met at a rugby camp in London one summer. It was during one of these trips that he and Andrew had been roommates, and not quite the kind that get along right away. In the first few days there, they both ended up falling for the same girl, who worked at a local pub where they liked to have lunch. Andrew had actually punched Ben in the nose in an argument over her. It didn’t take long for them to realize that the girl was playing both of them. They decided then and there that they were supposed to be friends, making a pact to never let anyone come between them again. They were roommates every summer after that, taking turns visiting each other as they got older. Andrew was originally from Cape Town, South Africa, but had relocated in recent years to London upon completion of his degree in architecture.

As luck would have it, Andrew had actually been in the Caribbean a lot in recent months. One of his clients had hired him for a series of projects on islands such as St. Maarten, Antigua, Dominica, and even on Nevis, so he was prone to making quick visits to St. Kitts when he could sneak them in. More often than not, he combined his work trips with pleasure, this trip being no exception.

After a dinner ripe with stories that were shared over fettuccini Alfredo, pasta Bolognese and a chicken Parmesan, Tracey announced over coffee that it was “time.”

“Time for what?” Abby asked, already knowing what she meant.

“To get our gamble on!” she announced to the room, as if sharing a New Year’s resolution.

Ben was already in his wallet counting his cash. “I may need to stop at the ATM . . . ”

He didn’t get to finish that sentence, as Tracey was already getting geared up.

“Oh, boo on the ATM. My mom taught me to just play with what you got. Don’t take out any extra ’cause you’re gonna spend it.” She peered across the table to get a good look in his wallet. “How much?”

“About eighty dollars.”

Tracey nodded with authority. “Then you’ll be just fine. If you lose that eighty, stop. It’s just to play. It’s kind of like will power,” she said.