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“Hey, coach!” This from Elias, who’d come up behind him. “Taj says he can score on you.”
Doyle looked at Taj, standing with the ball at the goal. “Does he now?”
“Go play with the kids,” Tia said. “I’ll get dinner figured out with Rosa.” She gave him a tight smile.
And he couldn’t stop himself. “It’s going to be okay, Tia. We’ll figure it out.”
Her gaze stayed on him, as if letting his words sink in. “Thanks. Codirector.” And then she gave him a real smile. “See you at the beach.”
As she walked away, all he thought was... maybe he could resurrect this day after all.
* * *
She should stop trying so hard.
Doyle’s words from last night kept circling Tia’s head as she watched Rosa serve up the pig that had been buried and roasted in the sand. A delicacy even for the native islanders.
Tia chopped lemons for the infused-water containers, and behind her, Anita and Raj set the long rough-hewn tables with plates and cups. An island feast, with orchids and passionflowers as centerpieces, the fragrance of the beach, the hush of waves in the background, and the glorious sunset for entertainment. The perfect, right ending to this fundraiser week.
Despite all the chaos.
Anddespite the altercation with Ethan today. There went that donation. But maybe they didn’t need him. With the Scotts’ and the Tuckers’ promises, as well as a few others, they just might have enough to replace their equipment. And Declan’s private security team had arrived this afternoon, right after the game—three men who seemed like the types who could protect the clinic. At least until Sebold and his ilk were stopped.
Which apparently Declan was also working on, hopefully with the local police force. She’d heard a little of the conversation between Stein and Declan and the three security guys from an outfit in Minnesota. The very plain Jones, Inc. security team, according to their T-shirts.
So, yes, maybe she could calm down. Stop trying to fix all the problems herself. Work with her,ahem,codirector.
She looked at him now, talking with the Jamesons, smiling, nodding. Maybehisbrilliant idea had worked out, at least for a few of the kids so far. They would still have to have meetings with their Hope House social worker and confirm the home studies done on the families. And then meet before a judge in Mariposa.
But perhaps these children really could find homes.
She wanted to hug Doyle for that.
Okay, more than hug, probably. Because ever since he’d pulled her out of that cave, her heart pounding through her chest, she’d wanted to throw herself into his arms and...
Oh boy.
But Penny’s story about Doyle’s dead fiancée had sort of snuck inside that thought, and having her own dead sort-of fiancé, it felt a little too much like maybe she might tread on sacred ground.
Tia had broken up with her fiancé, Edward, before his murder, but Doyle had lost his on the morning of their happy ever after.
No, Tia couldn’t step into the shadow of what could have been and compete with a ghost.
So just partners, then. She would have to be okay with that.
Yep.
Uh-huh.
Doyle walked away from the Jamesons and ran to retrieve a soccer ball that went into the surf after a hard kick from one of the Parnell twins, Royce and Remy, who laughed as Jane and Perez Marquez played with them.
Lucia had made friends with the Scotts, who built a sandcastle with her. And Aliyah had found a friend in Jacey Tucker and her husband.
Doyle splashed back, having gotten his shorts wet as he retrieved the ball. He tossed the ball to Remy, who headed it and fell onto the sand, laughing.
Such a sweet sound, and along with the smells of barbecue pork and campfire, and the wash of the waves on the shore, the sun turning the foamy tops to fire, this was a beautiful evening.
“It’ll all work out.”