Beach House Reunion (Beach House #5)(59)
“Thanks, Michelle,” Toy said, rising to shake her hand. “We’ll do right by her. Not too many organisms on her carapace. I don’t think she was out there floating long. I think she’ll make it. We got her in time. Or rather”—she turned to Linnea—“you got her in time. Good job.”
Linnea felt extraordinarily pleased at being singled out. She looked for John and smiled at him with gratitude.
Toy turned to her team members from the aquarium. “Let’s carry her up to the van.” She looked back at Michelle, a grin across her face. “I don’t need an ID to tell me that’s Big Girl. She was my first turtle rescue, the one that founded our hospital. I pulled this turtle out of the ocean myself. When was it?” She scratched her head. “Had to be more than ten years ago.” She shook her head with wonder. “We had to put her into a kiddie pool. There’s going to be a lot of people stoked to see this turtle come back.”
Michelle laughed. “If you’re right and that is Big Girl, that’s a huge success. The first drink’s on me.”
“You’re on!” Toy said. Then, tapping her belly, “As long as it’s juice.”
“Be sure to call Cara,” Flo said before she left. “She’ll want a full report.” Then, in a softer voice, she asked, “Do you really think it’s Big Girl?”
Toy’s eyes lit up. “I do.”
Flo shook her head in disbelief. “Big Girl back . . .”
“I know,” Toy said. “I’m sure she has lots of stories to tell us.”
CARA AND DAVID were enjoying a second cup of coffee while the children played at their feet. Rory was pushing a wooden train around the track, but Hope was more interested in the trees and people that stood around the tracks. When the phone call came from Toy, Cara bolted to her feet, electrified.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” she told Toy. She looked out at the commanding vista of marsh and sea from David’s window, her mind clicking fast.
“Is everything okay?” David asked. He’d set his mug on the table and stood beside her, his face etched with concern.
“Oh, yes,” she replied. “It’s actually great news. A turtle has been rescued and sent to the aquarium. Toy thinks it’s one we rescued years ago. A very special turtle. David,” she said, deciding. “I have to go.”
“Of course.”
“I’m sorry to cut our playdate short.” She looked at her watch. “But if I leave now, I can make the next ferry.”
“Cara . . .” He touched her sleeve, stalling her. “Before you go—I wanted to let you know I’ll miss our playdate next week. I have to go out of town on business.”
“Nothing bad, I hope?”
“Something came up. I have to fly to London. I’ll only be gone a week.”
“Goodness. You go to London on business?”
“I told you I have other business concerns. Some of them are in London. What I wanted to ask you . . .” he said, and his voice lowered. “When I get back, I’d like to take you out to dinner. Not a playdate. Just you and me and no distractions.”
Cara swallowed, feeling the force of his intent.
David misunderstood her hesitancy. “I know going out on a date is a major step for you. I’ve tried not to rush you. But”—he smiled at her—“we have been seeing each other a couple of times a week for over a month.”
She smiled then, too. “You’re right. It is a big deal. But I’d love to go out to dinner with you.”
His smile broadened, and his dark eyes lit up. “I’ll call you with the details. But for now, you’ve got a ferry to catch.”
A FEW HOURS later Cara reached the impressive steel and stone structure of the South Carolina Aquarium. She never failed to feel a deep flush of pleasure at seeing the harbor’s crown jewel beside the sea, a proud symbol of preservation, education, and conservation for all the marine creatures that called the ocean home. She walked at a brisk pace through the park leading to the aquarium’s front gate. It had been several hours since the turtle was rescued. She hoped they’d be finished with the intake procedure. The security officer checked her in, then notified Toy of her arrival.
“Take the elevator to your right to the third floor,” he instructed her. “She’ll have to buzz you in.”
Cara walked to the stainless steel doors of the private elevator, then decided instead to enter the aquarium through the public entrance. She made her way along the entrance walkway, then paused at the top veranda overlooking Charleston Harbor. From this high point, the wind gusted salt-tinged air and she heard the raucous cries of seagulls. This was a commanding view teeming with sailboats, pleasure cruisers, and great cargo ships heading to the world beyond. And just in view was Fort Sumter, a place rich in history. The harbor was the heart of this historic city, she thought. Where the past had been forged and the future promised. Not far from the docks she spied the quick arch of a dolphin, its gray skin gleaming in the sun. As quick as she saw it, the dolphin disappeared.
Entering the aquarium gave Cara a sense of déjà vu. Suddenly she was back at the Tennessee Aquarium as their public relations director. Seeing the bustle of visitors, hearing the buzz of excitement, witnessing the level of learning, she felt an unexpected, thus all the stronger, wave of longing to return. She looked around at the gleaming tanks filled with colorful fish and at the people watching, transfixed, and realized that she missed being involved with an aquarium. Every day presented new challenges, new opportunities. Each day was an exercise in giving back and bettering the lives of animals and the people who learned from them. She thought of Linnea’s comment about wanting to educate, and realized that she did, too.