Page 6 of Hibiscus Heights

While Deb shook his hand, Teddy flung his slender arms around her waist and looked up at her. “I like you. You’re nice.”

She tapped his nose. “So are you. You two have fun today. And put on more sunscreen.” She reached into her bag, brought out a tube she always carried, and gave it to Mason.

She wiggled her fingers in a wave. “See you two around.”

“Bye,” Mason said shyly.

The two boys hurried off toward the beach. They were smiling now and looked like a huge weight had been lifted from their young shoulders.

“That was kind of you to do that,” Kelsey said.

“They’re just a couple of kids on vacation.” Deb was glad to help.

Still, thinking about the conversation, she drew her brow. “Did you see the look on the older brother’s face? He seemed genuinely frightened. And the younger one with his punching motions was scary. Who knows what their father might do if he were to find out. Removing that worry for them is well worth it to me.”

Kelsey pursed her lips. “That was a little shocking. I bet he’s a real ogre. You wouldn’t believe the parents I see here screaming at their kids. I know it’s tough to raise children, but some parents overreact to simple mistakes.”

“People come here because they need to unwind. Hopefully, they leave in better spirits.” Deb watched the boys on the beach, thinking about how embarrassed the older boy was. “I’ll bet Mason never forgets this.”

While Kelsey rang up a new charge, Deb wondered about their father. The more she thought about how the boys had reacted, the more disturbed she was.

She’d bet the parents were divorced, and the dad barely spent time with them. She’d known her share of men who paid little attention to their children.

That was always a huge red flag to her. She swiped them out of her life fast.

At least they had their aunt to look after them.

When Kelsey gave Deb the new bill to sign, she asked, “Out of curiosity, why did you think to do this? No one else was ready to step up to pay for a couple of kids.”

Deb signed for the charge. “I like to pay kindness forward. When they’re older, maybe they’ll remember and rescue someone else.”

Tucking the receipt away, Kelsey nodded. “I hope the universe works that way.”

“I like to think it does. Doing things for other people lifts my spirits, too. See you later.”

Deb glanced back at the boys and chuckled at their playful antics. She would keep an eye on them during their stay.

As she hurried through the hotel toward the delivery docks, she decided that if she ever met Mason and Teddy’s father, she’d have a few choice words for him.

2

Duke rushed ahead, wagging his tail, and thumped down by the side door. He cocked his head quizzically as if wondering why Deb wore a dress with heels instead of the shorts and sneakers she should be wearing for their morning beach run.

She bent to scratch the large dog’s neck. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I have an early meeting, boy. You’ll have to amuse yourself with birds and squirrels until I return.”

She let the shepherd-collie mix outside into the rear yard, where he immediately raced along the fence line, barking for her neighbor’s dog to join in the fun.

A terrier wiggled through the doggie door, and the pair of them lunged toward an old tree that spread its boughs across both yards.

“Good boys,” she said, smiling at their antics.

After locking the house and sliding on her sunglasses, she swung into the dusty silver Land Rover she used to haul items for her design business. She loved the old second-hand vehicle and how it kept running with minimal maintenance. As long as it did, it served her needs just fine.

Besides, who did she need to impress on Crown Island? Putting on airs here was a waste of energy.

When she arrived at the Majestic Hotel, she parked in the employee parking lot and hurried through the employee entrance and past the break room, saying quick greetings as she did.

Ryan was punctual, so she didn’t stop to chat.

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