Chapter Four
HUMMINGsoftly under his breath, Devin guided the little red moped through the streets of George Town, enjoying the late morning sunshine beating down from a sky of purest Caribbean blue. There was little traffic, even though the city was the capital of the Cayman Islands, and it didn’t take long to make his way to East-West Arterial Road, the main thoroughfare to the eastern side of the island. Paul Bailey rode behind him, with his hands lightly resting at Devin’s waist. When they left the ship that morning, Devin explained their options for getting around Grand Cayman. Paul had ruled out renting a car because he thought it would be too much of a hassle for a trip of just a few hours, and he hadn’t wanted to take the bus because he didn’t want to be crowded in with other people. That left either a moped or bicycles, and Devin had pointed out that a moped would be faster, and they wouldn’t get as tired and hot as they would on bikes.
By the time they’d made it to the rental place, however, there’d only been one moped left. Devin convinced Paul they’d be safe riding together for the thirty-minute trip to the other end of the island, and in the end Paul had agreed, albeit with obvious reluctance. He held himself stiffly away from Devin, but that was all right, as far as Devin was concerned. Paul just needed to relax and be comfortable with him, and hopefully by the time they were on their way back to the ship, Devin could make that happen.
Since Paul’s revelation of his amputation the previous day, Devin could read the signals of vulnerability and insecurity that Paul tried to mask with aloofness and stark professionalism. Devin didn’t pity Paul, because Paul didn’t need it—and obviously didn’t want it—but he did feel sympathy for how Paul must feel after losing a part of himself. Devin’s cousin Joel had been the same way at first, after returning home to Buffalo Lick from Afghanistan, having lost a leg to an IED while serving in the Army. Of course, Joel had had the support of the entire Walker clan in dealing with his loss, and he had also gone to therapy. It also helped that Joel’s family hadn’t treated him as though he was damaged, acting instead like they expected him to be the man he’d always been. As a result, in a relatively short time Joel was talking as much shit as ever, saying that just because his leg was artificial, it didn’t mean he couldn’t kick as much ass as any of the rest of them, and if they had any doubts, he’d be happy to prove it.
Devin could tell Paul hadn’t had that kind of support and still felt self-conscious and uncomfortable. He knew he wouldn’t be able to change Paul’s outlook much in the short time they’d have on the cruise, but he aimed to do as much as he could to help. Paul was a good man, and the misfortune he’d suffered didn’t have to limit his life unless he let it.
Once they were fully out of the city and headed down the coast, Devin leaned back and raised his voice to be heard above the roar of the engine. “Doing okay back there?”
Paul leaned forward but drew back when his chest brushed against Devin’s back. “I’m fine, thanks,” he said, pitching his voice louder as well.
“Good! Just give me a tap if you want to stop to look at anything!”
The road was bordered to the south by the pristine beaches of which the islanders were justifiably proud. Beyond the beaches, the ocean spread out over half the horizon in turquoise splendor, deepening to sapphire where the sea floor dropped away. Devin pointed out some of the popular spots on the island as they passed, including Bats Cave Beach and the Caybrew Brewery, and farther east, past Bodden Town, the Pirates’ Caves. He would have loved to take Paul into the Crystal Caves on the north side of the island, but they wouldn’t have time before the ship sailed that evening.
Thirty minutes after they’d departed, Devin left the road and took the moped onto an area of hard-packed sand and gravel where several cars were parked.
“Here we are. Miss Jo’s. It’s the best food on the island,” Devin said as he dismounted.
The house itself was a rambling, whitewashed structure with a blue roof. There were several parts to the house, as though it had been added on to over the years as the needs of the family dictated. It wasn’t much from an architectural standpoint, but it was located on a beautiful stretch of beach and surrounded by palm trees and tropical flowers that gave it a laid-back charm. The air was rich with the scent of the sea overlaid with spices.
Devin led Paul around to one side of the building, where a stone path circled the house to the back. Here a large concrete patio dotted with picnic tables offered a view of the beach, and there were at least twenty people seated at the tables, chatting and eating from paper baskets and disposable plastic bowls. But despite the informality, Devin had found the food to be the equivalent of anything he’d eaten at a fine restaurant.
Devin walked up to an open window with a wide ledge where the food was being served. He beckoned Paul forward to meet the middle-aged woman with caramel-colored skin and hazel eyes standing within. Her curly dark hair was held back from her face by a bright red–and-yellow scarf.
“Paul, this is Miss Jo,” Devin said. “Miss Jo, Paul is making his first visit to your beautiful island, and I bragged about your food to him so much that I had to prove I wasn’t making it all up.”
Miss Jo smiled at Paul in a friendly fashion. “I’m always happy to have new customers,” she said, her voice tinged with the musical accent native to the island. “Especially such a lovely man.”
“No one could hold a candle to you, though,” Paul said, returning her smile as he held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Devin couldn’t help but raise one eyebrow at the way Paul replied. Obviously Paul could turn on the charm when he wanted to, and Devin felt a brief and irrational flare of jealousy at the warmth Paul was displaying. True, his relationship to Paul was professional, but he wouldn’t have minded Paul relaxing enough to consider him a friend.
“Ooo, aren’t you the charming one?” Miss Jo replied, giving Devin a sideways glance. “Here I thought this one was the most flirtatious devil to visit me from the ships. Or are you here to try to steal all my recipes too?”
“I wouldn’t know what to do with them if I had them,” Paul said, chuckling quietly. “My culinary skills don’t extend far beyond salads and sandwiches.”
“A big man like you needs more than salads and sandwiches,” Miss Jo said. She pointed to the menu board hung by the window. “What can I get you? I have the freshest seafood and the rarest of spices. All guaranteed to put meat on your bones and set your blood to simmering.” She gave Devin a broad wink. She seemed to have a finely tuned sense of people, and she had guessed Devin’s orientation within minutes of meeting him. No doubt she thought Paul was his boyfriend.
Devin glanced at Paul, hoping Paul hadn’t caught the wink. “It really is all good. I’ve had everything she makes, so I know you won’t go wrong with whatever you choose.”
Paul shot Devin a questioning look, but he didn’t comment on the wink. Instead, he looked at the menu board and then back at Miss Jo. “I’ll defer to the chef. What do you think I should have?”
Miss Jo grinned and pointed toward the tables. “You boys go have a seat, and I’ll bring you something special.”
Devin wasn’t sure what she had in mind, but he’d visited her place every time the ship made port on the island, so he’d gotten to know Miss Jo well enough to realize she had a streak of mischief in her makeup. Yet he could hardly protest in front of Paul, after having raved about the place and strong-arming Paul into coming with him, so he crossed his fingers, hoping Miss Jo wouldn’t say anything too outrageous and make Paul uncomfortable.
“We’d better do as she says,” he told Paul as he headed toward the seating area. “Miss Jo is a force of nature, and I’m half-convinced she uses magic to conjure up some of the dishes she serves.” He led Paul to a small table with an umbrella and a beautiful view of the unspoiled beach and sapphire water. “Will this do?”
Paul sat down and shifted his chair so he could take in the view, his expression softening with admiration. “It’s great,” he said.
“And this is only the first stop,” Devin said, adjusting his own seat so he, too, could watch the water. “Every island has a different feel, different people and customs, different food. It’s amazing the variety you find, even though there isn’t a great deal of distance between them. I’ve loved getting to know so many of them over the past six months. Hopefully you will too.”
Paul glanced over at Devin and offered a smile that seemed more relaxed than any Devin had seen before. “I’m sure I will.”
Devin returned the smile, pleased to see the island was working its magic on Paul. “It’s definitely an adventure.”
