“That’s lovely,” Chloe said. “Sally, you really feel all right now?”
“I do, and of course, I am so sorry to have frightened everyone and to have been such a bother!” Sally said.
Wes smiled at her. “Sally, you were absolutely not a bother. We’re just grateful that you’re all right. But how—”
“Oh! Thank you, thank you! I heard that it was the two of you who found my EpiPen and got me the care I needed. I can’t thank you enough!” Sally told him.
Wes shook his head. “Sally, I understand that you know about your allergy. How did you happen to—”
“Well, you see, I don’t really know!” Sally told him. “I’m so careful about what I eat. But there was a little welcome packet at my door, bars wrapped in a ribbon with a note, and I thought that it was plain chocolate, and it tasted like plain chocolate... It was only a little bit and I ate it all but, oh, silly me! I should have known better. I mean, the whole world doesn’t need to avoid nuts and I wouldn’t want othersto not have something that they enjoyed because of me... But, anyway, thanks to you and Chloe, I’m here and well. Again! You both pulled me up and out of that swimming pool! And now, well, I’m starting to think that you’re more than the perfect couple—you’re guardian angels!”
“Just in the right place at the right—or wrong—time,” Chloe said, glancing at Wes. “But I thought that the ship’s crew had been made aware—”
“Oh, I’ve mentioned my allergy—it’s on some paperwork somewhere. But not everyone reads everything and...” She broke off, shrugging. “Go eat! You people eat. You don’t have that much time!”
“I guess we should hurry a bit,” Gina said. Wes lowered his head, smiling. The young woman was stunning and did belong on a runway or magazine cover. And yet, he thought, she had nothing on Chloe, whether Chloe’s hair was dyed, short, long or... whatever!
She was probably good at what she did. And he’d overheard her talking to Chloe the day before; she wanted to be useful.
Giving to the right causes was extremely useful.
But she was with Daniel and...
Daniel just might be a greedy murderer.
“Interesting,” Broderick noted.
“What’s that?” Edward asked.
“Hail, hail, the gang’s all here, including you and George!” Broderick said. “But no Amelia!”
“Well, she said that she wasn’t going diving,” Celia told them with a shrug. “Maybe she’s sleeping in.”
“She was by this morning,” Sally said cheerfully.
“Edward stepped out for a minute so that she could step in. They’re very strict about no more than two people being in a room with a patient,” George told them.
“Well, that’s sweet and nice of her. Curious that she isn’t having breakfast with us,” Broderick said, and he laughed softly. “She is very serious about business!”
Chloe suddenly rose, excusing herself. “I’ll be right back! I left my brush in the room. I’ll look like a hedgehog if I don’t have it when I get out of the water!”
“Honey—” Wes began.
But he knew that something was bothering her; really bothering her.
“Well, I guess I’m done!” he said to the table. “Edward, Sally, George—see you later. Broderick, Celia, Jeff, Daniel—see you on the bus!”
They were due to exit the ship soon to make that bus to the diving station.
What was Chloe doing?
He followed after her and found that she was speaking with one of the gentlemen with security.
He hurried up in silence to find out what she was up to.
“I have the head cruise director on the line, Mrs. Douglas,” the officer was saying. “One second, he’s checking everything for me... Sir!”
He spoke into the phone and listened.
