Nearby rested a small tray with a pitcher of iced tea and a bowl of fresh fruit. The slim silver-blonde woman paused again and selected a bit of melon, sucking on it as she considered her next stroke.

The sun splashed over her tanned skin and she idly watched the golden light, taking a moment to simply live, adoring the present and giving a silent thanks to the goddess for perhaps the thousandth time.

The boat rocked a little harder, and she looked up to see a pair of large hands clasping the lower railing, long fingers tightening on the metal then straining as the hands were followed by a large, wet, partially neoprene-covered body. Ceci smiled. “Hey there, sailor boy.

Find the problem?”

“I surely did.” Andrew pulled himself up and over the railing, then removed a bag slung at his waist and dumped its contents onto the white deck. “That there fish got stuck in the intake valve.”

“Ew.” Ceci grimaced. “Andy, if I wanted sushi on the boat, I’d have ordered out. Can you toss it overboard?”

The big ex-SEAL snorted, but scooped the messy item up and neatly chucked it over the railing. Then he squished over to where his wife was seated and peered at the painting, careful to avoid dripping murky salt-water on Ceci’s palette. “I do like that.”

Ceci tickled his exposed kneecap, then leaned over and kissed the spot, tasting the tang of the sea. “I do love you,” she told him. “I still think this has to be a dream.”

Andrew seated himself on the deck. “Seems that way sometimes, don’t it?” his deep voice rumbled quietly. “Been through a lot, you and I have. Maybe it’s just the good Lord’s way of saying we done all right.”

Ceci studied the scarred, weathered face next to her, its piercing blue eyes standing out with startling clarity. She traced a grizzled 174 Melissa Good eyebrow gently. “Maybe.”

The cell phone resting on the deck next to her warbled. They both glanced at it, then Ceci sighed and picked it up. “Yes?”

“Ceci.”

And then again, Ceci gazed plaintively up at the sky, the goddess has ways of reminding you just how easily karma can change. “Hello, Charles,”

she replied. “To what do I owe the honor of this call?”

Charles Bannersley was her older brother, the head of their family, and one of the largest ambulatory anal orifices Ceci knew. She was pissed at him, though she didn’t think he really understood why, and wanted to hear his voice about as much as she wanted a salt-water enema.

Andrew merely narrowed his eyes as he recognized the tinny voice coming from the phone Ceci was holding between them.

“I’d like to see you,” Charles answered. “Candy and I are here, in Miami.”

“Sorry,” Ceci replied crisply. “I’ve got plans tonight.”

“Fine. Have a drink with us first,” her brother came right back.

“Can’t you spare ten minutes for your family?”

Andrew rolled his eyes. “Lord.”

“My family?” Ceci decided to allow her spleen its moment. “My family’s sitting right here next to me. Of course I can spare any amount of time for Andrew.” She paused. “And Dar and Kerrison, of course.

Why do you ask?”

A sigh traveled through the cell phone’s speaker. “Cecilia, please.”

Andrew and Ceci exchanged looks. Andrew’s eyebrows lifted in amused surprise, giving him an expression very much like Dar’s would have been in the same situation.

Ceci considered, then shrugged. “Fine. There’s a tiki bar just off the marina here. Meet me in a half-hour. I can only stay a few minutes, though, Kerry’s picking us up for dinner after that.” Poke, poke. Ceci enjoyed the jab at her family’s straight-laced sensibilities.

“All right.” Charles hesitated. “Alone, Ceci.”

Andrew straightened in outrage and almost grabbed for the phone.

Ceci put a finger against his lips and held it out of range. “You’re joking, right?” she told her brother. “Did you really think I’d subject Andy to you two? Get real.” Her hand folded the phone shut, and she dropped it on the towel next to her. “Into every life, a little bird crap must fall, hmm?”

Andrew scowled. “Ah could go with you.”

“Nah.” Ceci ruffled his drying close-cropped hair affectionately.

“I’ll be safe. Charles is an idiot, but the last I checked, he wasn’t suicidal.” She tilted his chin up and kissed him. “Let me go toss on some scandalous clothing and find out what his problem is.”

Andrew watched her leave. He collected the tubes and other painting gear and tucked them away in the plastic bucket Ceci used and Red Sky At Morning 175

tidied the area, then stood and made his way aft to rid himself of his scuba equipment.

“A TIKI BAR.” Charles loosened his collar and glanced around.

“Figures.” He gave his twin sister a disgusted look. “I hate this place.

Always have.”

Candice fiddled with the table tent before her. She was of medium height, with reddish bronze hair and green eyes, like her brother, though his hair was thinning almost to invisibility. “Yes, well, what the hell did you expect, Charles? You knew what it would be like.”

He snorted and took a sip of his whiskey, his eyes wandering over the scantily clad bodies and diverse ethnicity of the bar. Candice poked him. “What?”

“Here she comes,” Candice told him. They both turned to watch as their younger sister made her way up the wooden boardwalk toward them. “Well, she looks healthy.”

Charles didn’t answer. His eyes studied the relaxed, self-assured person approaching, unable to refute the positive changes since the last time he’d seen Ceci. She’d let her hair grow out a little, and it was bleached even lighter from the sun, contrasting with the sun-darkened shade of her previously very pale skin.

She was no longer a ghost, eyes tensed in a remembered pain that never left her.

No longer lost.

She’d come home, and even Charles, who hated this place—and hated her choice—had to admit the truth of that. “Ceci.” He stood and greeted her as she joined their table. “Thanks for coming over.”

“Charles.” Ceci greeted him with wary cordiality. “Hello, Candy.”

Her sister smiled. “Hi, Cec. You look great.” She leaned forward.

“Did you color your hair, or is that a new lipstick or..?”

“No.” Ceci took a seat next to her older sister. “I’ve just been outside more than inside and put on ten pounds since you last saw me.

But thanks for noticing.” She caught the eye of the waiter. “Kahlua milkshake, please.”

“That’s different for you,” Candy commented.

“I picked up some new bad habits from Dar.” Ceci assumed a pleasant smile. “What do you two want?”

Her siblings exchanged glances. “Can’t we just want to see you?”

Charles asked.

“No.” Ceci looked directly at him. “Andrew told me what you did, Charles.” She referred to her brother’s refusal to pass on the Navy’s notification of Andrew’s rescue to her. “It’s a good thing you waited this long to contact me, because otherwise I’d have killed you for that.”

“Cecilia.”

“How dare you.” Ceci slapped the table with her hand, making the 176 Melissa Good silverware jump. Her brother and sister jerked in startled surprise. “You pretentious little son of a bitch.”

Charles took a breath, clearly caught off guard. “I did what I thought was best for you,” he finally answered stiffly.

“Bullshit,” Ceci snapped, looking up as the waiter brought her milkshake and hurriedly left, seeing the angry faces. “Do you have any idea how badly I was hurting, Charles? How many days of pain you could have taken away from me with that damn piece of paper?” She slapped the table again. “Do you know just how ironic it is that my estranged daughter had to come back into my life to bring me back my Andy?”

Candy leaned forward and took her hand. “Cec, what Charles did was wrong. But he didn’t do it to hurt you.” She searched her sister’s angry eyes.

“There is no way you can convince me of that,” Ceci said, after a moment. “As much as you both hate Andrew, you knew how I felt about him.”

A silence fell. Charles looked down at his hands, his fingers twisted together. Candice took several slow, even breaths. “Yes, we knew,” she finally said. “We never understood why, but we...” She glanced at her twin. “I knew.” Another breath. “I’m sorry, Ceci.”

Charles refused to look up.

“I don’t want it to be like it was,” Candice continued, filling the awkward silence. “I don’t want to lose my sister and not have you be part of my life.”

“This is ridiculous.” Charles suddenly looked up. “We shouldn’t have to sit here and beg.”

“Charles!” Candice cut him off.

“No, I’m not going to shut up.” He stood angrily, then paused as someone gently cleared their throat next to him.

“Hi.” Kerry folded her hands in front of her. “Thought I recognized you. Mr. Bannersley, wasn’t it?”

Ceci let her chin rest on her fist, watching her daughter-in-law in action. Kerry had a sweet, engaging smile that totally didn’t match the fiery sparks visible in her pale green eyes. Her sense of presence was almost as significant as Dar’s, and it was obvious Kerry had been taking lessons from Ceci’s tempestuous and intimidating offspring.

Charles gave her a cursory stare. “What?”

“Kerrison Stuart.” Kerry stuck her hand out. “Dar’s partner? We met at the funeral.”

Charles gave her hand a perfunctory press. “Yes, well, you’ll excuse us, please. I’m having a discussion with my sister, and I suggest you leave us alone.”

Candice opened her mouth in outrage.

“You’re yelling at my mother-in-law, and I suggest you sit down and lower your voice before I shove you into Biscayne Bay,” Kerry told Red Sky At Morning 177