Water Lily in July (6 page)

“But He's also the beacon that shows us the way through those storms.”

“
In each storm you're a beacon, leading me safely through the night,”
she sang.

Rob nodded. He stood, brushing the crumbs from his lap and hauled Kaylie to her feet. “How about we go climb Tower Bridge?”

“You can do that?”

He nodded. “Oh, yeah, and the view from the top is amazing.” He grinned. “Now that would be a selfie to beat all other selfies.”

6

Saturday dawned just as bright, hot and sunny. According to the weather forecast, it was meant to be the hottest day of the year so far and Rob decided it would be the perfect opportunity to go to Kew Gardens. It didn't take him much to persuade Tori and Darren to come along and, of course, Oliver was in raptures about going anywhere with him. Rob glanced at Kaylie. “Kew Gardens OK with you?”

Kaylie nodded. “I'm happy doing anything, so long as I spend the time with you.”

He nodded. “I'll take my car in case the others want to leave sooner than we do or we decide to go on somewhere else afterwards.”

Almost as soon as they arrived, Oliver demanded to go on the road train, which took them around the entire park. Having decided this was a good idea as they'd find out where everything was, they rode the train around once, before getting off at the Pagoda.

Rob hadn't let go of her hand since they'd got here, and Kaylie seemed content to be beside him. He'd missed her like crazy while he was away, and the previous day had just confirmed his growing thought that he and she were destined to be together. He would have to find out if that was what she wanted.

Maybe on the way back to Tori's, he would detour to Henley. They could walk along the river, sit on a bench and he could ask her then.

Oliver looked at them and tilted his head. “Uncle Rob, is Kaylie your girlfriend?”

Rob shook his head, his cheeks burning as Kaylie blushed. “No, but I'd like her to be.”

“Then you should ask her.”

Tori glared at Oliver. “Ollie, shh.”

Oliver ignored her and looked at Kaylie. “Would you like to be Uncle Rob's girlfriend?”

Kaylie's cheeks grew redder.

Rob ruffled Oliver's hair. “We'll let her think about that while you go and explore the playhouse for a bit. Then, we'll go find something to eat.”

Oliver ran off, with Darren in close pursuit. Tori looked at Kaylie. “I am so sorry.”

“It's OK. Kids say the darndest things at times.”

“And Ollie is notorious for that,” Rob said. “He once announced rather loudly in church that unless I changed my aftershave from Eau de Fish to something nicer, he wouldn't even sit in the same building as me.”

Tori smirked. “Only because you'd gotten straight off the boat after a five-day trip, driven up here for my birthday, and gone straight to church.”

He grinned. “We'll go around Kew Palace then we'll come and find you.” He tugged Kaylie closer as they headed off on their own. “I'd like you to be my girlfriend.” He paused. “In fact I'd like you to be more than my girlfriend.”

She glanced at him. “I don't understand.”

He hadn't planned on having this conversation until they were alone, later, but who was he to argue with God's timing? “I want to court you, the old-fashioned way. Long walks, really get to know you. I just hadn't worked out how to ask. But if this is too soon after Phil…”

Kaylie ran her left hand over his arm. “Phil died three years ago, and I took the ring off before my leave started. It seems strange not wearing it, but being with you just seems right. I would like to have you court me, to be your girlfriend.” She paused. “But the usual understanding…uh…” She tried to tease but faltered.

Rob raised her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. “Yes, it does. When the time is right I want you to be my wife.” He tucked her hair behind her ears. “But one step at a time. How about we take another selfie on that swish camera of yours?”

Kaylie laughed but leaned against him as she took a photograph. “It's rubbish.”

“We'll ask Tori or Darren to take one when we catch them up, but first there is something I want to do.”

“What's that?”

“This.” He lowered his face to hers and captured her lips. His arms slid around her as he deepened the kiss.

~*~

Kaylie walked on air as they headed into the climbers-and-creepers play area to find the others. Was she moving too fast? Was she letting her heart rule her head? Because the idea of being courted, romanced slowly, leading up to the inevitable conclusion of marriage, made every part of her sing.

Rob was so different from Phil and what she felt for him was different too, but still love. She was sure it was. Or was it infatuation and she was simply leading him on? She prayed that wasn't so, that what she felt was the real thing and that God would confirm that within her. Preferably sooner rather than later.

Tori took a couple of photos after they'd eaten, and Rob pulled all kinds of silly faces alongside the statues outside the Palm House, before they all headed inside.

The path wove its way around the beds containing huge ferns. Kaylie wasn't sure if the birds she could hear were real or recorded. Huge sprinklers shot water mist high into the air, and combined with the heat, made her almost convinced she was in a rainforest.

As they exited into the blazing sunlight her mobile rang. She pulled it from her bag. “Hello.”

“Sorry to bother ye, lassie.” Angus sounded worried and apologetic all in one go.

“Hi, Angus. What's up?”

“Crispin's wee one, Mickey, has been took real sick and medevac'd to the hospital. Is there any chance ye can get back here to cover?”

“Oh, no.” Kaylie sat on the bench, her hand going to her stomach. “Yeah, I can do that. We're in…I'm in London right now. Umm an hour and a half to get back to get my stuff and a five hour trip back to Wolf Point.” She glanced at her watch. “It's a little after one now, so the earliest I can get back is eight.”

“We can manage until you get here. Crispin left as soon as he got the message. The chopper is standing by to bring you here.”

Great…
She hid her consternation at that phrase. “OK. See you as soon as I can.”

Rob sat beside her. “Kaylie?”

“Crispin's son is really sick,” she said putting her phone away. “He's had to leave work to be with him and his wife. They need me back at the lighthouse tonight to cover his shifts until he gets back.” She paused. “They need me as soon as possible.”

Regret crossed his face, though he soon hid it. “It's fine. I'll take you back.”

“I'm really sorry.”

His arms folded around her, holding her tightly. “It's all right. It's fine.”

“It should only be a few days until Crispin is back.” Tears burned her eyes, and she blinked, angry for allowing herself to be so disappointed.

He kissed the top of her head. “We'll have the radio. What more do we need?”

She looked at him.
A lot more
. “At least we came in separate cars.”

“We just need to go into the shop first.”

“What for?”

“Water lilies for that pond you have at the lighthouse.”

7

They arrived back at the base just before nine, having done a brief stop at the keepers' cottage to pick up the rest of Kaylie's gear.

The chopper stood on the helipad ready to go as soon as she exited the car.

“I can't believe I forgot my camera,” she said.

“I'll pick it up,” Rob said rubbing the back of her hand.

“I can't ask you to go all the way back to your sister's house now,” she said.

He'd said he would go back to work since he'd returned with her.

Their plans for the week were put on hold.

“OK. I'll ring Tori and tell her you left it behind and get her to put it some place safe where Oliver won't find it. When Crispin gets back, we'll go back and finish our stay.”

“Thank you. I really am sorry.”

Rob cradled her face in his hands and stared at her. “Stop apologizing.” He kissed her, a mind-blowing deep kiss that she hoped would last her over the next few days. “Now go.”

She opened the car door and looked worriedly at the helicopter.

Rob got her bags from the boot of the car. He took her hand. “It'll be fine. Tell you what, let's pray first, and then you can go.”

“OK.”

Despite his prayer, Kaylie was terrified as she stowed her bags and leaned back in the seat, doing the restraints up as tightly as she could get away with.

Even with the headset on, the blades of the helicopter made it difficult to hear what the pilot was saying. Since the accident that took Phil's life, Kaylie hated flying. There were too many things that could go wrong. Her nails pushed deeper into the palms of her hands. Telegram prayers were never ideal, but in this case, they were the only thing keeping her sane. She looked out of the window until Rob had become nothing more than a tiny speck, and felt as though she were leaving part of herself behind.

She gasped as the chopper hit an air pocket and dropped a foot before the pilot compensated.
Don't let us crash. Please, don't let us crash
. If there was another way to get there in a hurry, she'd take it in a heartbeat. They needed her now, well, hours ago, and the launch wasn't scheduled until Monday or Tuesday.

The majesty of the view never ceased to amaze her as the lighthouse came into view. Tall, with its bright gleaming lantern room at the top, it stood proud and alone on the rocks of Wolf Point. It guarded one of the most treacherous parts of England's coast line and was one of the few remaining manned lighthouses in the country.

Something hissed in her ear again. “…and…old…ad…py.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't catch that.” She had to yell into the radio microphone.

“I said we're coming in to land, Mrs. Wells. You might want to hold onto something. It'll be more than a tad bumpy.”

“All right.”
Not sure how much bumpier it could get, Kaylie hung onto the overhead straps.

Touchdown was almost imperceptible despite the warning—anything was preferable to that awful turbulence and flying in a death trap. Grateful to be on solid ground again—even if that phrase could be used to describe what was little more than a line of rocks twelve miles off the coastline—Kaylie grinned at the pilot. “Wasn't so bad. See you later.”

Privately, she hoped she'd never see him again, because she would be returning to the mainland on the launch.

Jumping down onto the helipad, Kaylie pulled out her bag and waved a thank you to the pilot before ducking down and running clear.

She put her bags at the base of the tower and headed out along the rocks to her pond. Lucas had teased her mercilessly about her “rock pool” but she didn't care. She had a few fish who loved salt water and the water lilies would finish it off perfectly. As would the gnome Rob had also bought her.

The sun was just starting to slide behind the horizon as she went back to the tower and tied her bags to the pulley.

She grinned at the waiting man by the door as she climbed the ladder towards him. “OK, pull them up, Angus. We need to stop meeting like this.”

Angus hugged her as she came inside. “Aye, tha' we do, lassie. Thanks for coming back. Sorry to have cut yer leave short like tha'.”

Kaylie returned the hug. “It's fine.”

“We saved yer dinner.” He grabbed one of her bags, heading up the stairs with them. “By the way, he has nae asked after yer once.”

“Who hasn't?”

He laid a finger aside his nose and winked. “Your secret admirer. Apparently we are no worth speaking tae.”

Kaylie shook her head and followed him up the stairs. She tossed her bag onto her bed in the bunkroom before going up one level to find the others.

Lucas smiled as she came into the kitchen. “Well, look what the cat dragged in.” He moved over to hug her. “How are you? What did you get up to? London's a fair way to go.”

She hugged him back. “I'm good. And I was only gone a week. We…I had barely two days anywhere near London.”

“We? You and who's army went to London?” Lucas grinned at Angus. “Come on, we want all the gossip, and don't go leaving out any of the juicy bits. Angus filled me in about the radio romance between you and the fisherman. Was it him?”

She shook her head in despair. “The house is on the market, and if it's God's will, then it'll sell. The estate agent will call, assuming I can get a signal out here, that is. I didn't have chance to tell him I wasn't going to be at home.”

“That's all well and good,” Lucas said, “but it doesn't answer my question as to who you went to London with. Don't make me ask a third time.”

“Ask what a third time?” she asked. “You only asked once by my count.”

“Picky, picky. Who's we? And that is three.”

Kaylie sighed. “Rob.”

Both men wolf whistled.

“Oh, give it a rest.” she groaned. “Where's my dinner?” She took the plate from Lucas and sat down. “How's Mickey? What happened to make a medevac necessary?”

“The wee laddie complained of a headache. Laura put him to bed, but he woke in the middle o'the night with a fever and a rash,” Angus filled her in as she began to eat. “She called the doctor who diagnosed meningitis. He called for the air ambulance and flew them to Exeter. They sent the chopper for Crispin about five this morning. He said he'd call but we have no heard from him yet.”

“He'll have other things on his mind,” she said in between mouthfuls. “On the bright side, you don't have to come and track me down to say goodbye when you leave, assuming I'm still here. And I get to train your replacement.”