right, I’ll be afraid. Very afraid.”
“Ben...”
“Beth, honestly, I’m not ignoring what you said. But don’t ignore what I said, either. I’m capable of watching out for my own family. I never forget that I have two teenagers in my care when I take the girls out. Okay, you got spooked and you remembered that missing couple. But I read the stories, too. They wanted to explore the world, take off by themselves. They planned on an endless trip, on going wherever they chose.”
“But still, they just...disappeared,” Beth said stubbornly.
“Beth, it’s legal for adults to disappear, if they want to.”
“Their friends were concerned.”
“Maybe they wanted an escape from their friends,” Ben suggested.
“Who would do that?” Beth demanded.
“Beth, please. This is a weekend. We’re here to have fun. Just let it go, okay?”
She exhaled loudly in exasperation, spinning away from him and heading toward the girls. The were studying a Hollywood-gossip magazine and seemed to have forgotten that they might have stumbled across human remains.
But Amber looked up when Beth hunched down and joined them in the little outer “room” of their tent.
“Was it a skull?” she asked.
“I don’t know. It wasn’t there anymore.”
A strange look filtered through Amber’s eyes.
“Do you think he took it?” Kim demanded.
“Shh,” Amber commanded. “He’s here.”
Beth’s head jerked around. The man who had introduced himself as Keith Henson was there—standing just outside the tents, where Ben had been building a small fire to cook their evening meal.
The other two were also there: the tall, lean, redhead and the darker man with the stockier, well-muscled build.
Beth overheard introductions and realized her brother was telling Keith that she had mentioned meeting him earlier.
Beth sprang into action, hurrying out. The girls followed her quickly. More introductions were made. The other two were Lee Gomez and Matt Albright.
Keith was still wearing the sunglasses, allowing no insight to his thoughts. He was smiling, however, and Beth had to admit that he was gorgeous, with classic bone structure that also offered a solidly sculpted strength. Lee Gomez was also striking, with his dark good looks, and Matt, though freckled, gave the initial impression of the charming boy next door.
“Keith was just saying that they brought a portable grill and have enough fresh fish to feed an army,” Ben said.
She stared at her brother. He wanted them to join these strangers?
“I’ve also made a mean potato salad,” Lee offered, grinning.
“We must have something to offer, don’t we?” Ben asked Beth.
“The salad,” Amber answered for her. “We have chips, too, tons of soda and some beer.”
“Sounds great. We’re right down the beach. Hopefully the alluring aromas will bring you right over,” Matt said.
“Well?” Ben asked her.
“Of course,” Beth said, seeing no graceful way out of it.
“We met some other people, down the beach on the other side,” Keith said. “They said they know you. They’ll be joining us, too.”
“Oh, the Masons,” Ben said.
“That’s right. The Masons are here,” Beth murmured. She could see Hank’s yacht, Southern Light, out on the water. She was a fine vessel, forty-five feet, forty years old, but her motor had been completely rebuilt and the interior redone. She was often referred to as the Grand Dame at the club.
“Actually, I’m not straight on exactly who’s who yet. Except for Amanda,” Keith said.
Of course he’d gotten Amanda right. She was five-five, shaped like an hourglass, with blue eyes and light blond hair. Few men ever missed Amanda.
“There’s an older man,” Lee said.
“Roger Mason, her dad,” Beth said.
“Hank has to be here,” Ben said. “Amanda’s cousin. The boat’s his.”
“Yes, right. Hank. And the other guy is...”
“Probably Gerald, another cousin,” Beth said. “He lives just up the coast from the rest of the family, in Boca Raton.”
“So...they’re all cousins?” Matt asked, a hopeful note in his voice.
“Hank, Amanda and Gerald are cousins—second cousins, I think,” Ben said.
He hadn’t seemed to notice the hope in the question. He wouldn’t, Beth thought. He was always too busy being a father.
“There’s a young couple camping just beyond them,” Keith said. Even though Beth couldn’t see his eyes, she knew he was staring straight at her. “Maybe you know them, too. Brad Shaw and a woman named Sandy Allison?”
She shook her head. “The names aren’t familiar.” Again she looked out to the water.
She had missed the fourth boat because it was anchored just beyond Hank’s Southern Light.
The last vessel was a small pleasure craft. She looked as if she needed paint, and she probably offered no more than a small head, galley, and perhaps room enough for two to sleep in the forward section. There were lots of small boats docked at the club, and some of those—especially the motorboats—were incredibly expensive.
On the other hand, some of them weren’t. One of the things Beth had always liked about working at the club was the fact that the people there were honestly dedicated to the water. They came from all life’s corners, just like their boats did. The initial membership fee was steep, but after that, the annual dues were reasonable, so people from all different social strata could afford to join, once they saved up the initial investment. She was also proud that the club specialized in lessons in sailing, swimming, diving and water safety.
At the club, though, no matter how inexpensive any of their boats might be, the members, even the broke ones, took pleasure in caring for them—unlike the sad little vessel out beyond Southern Light.
“Four boats,” Beth murmured.
“Anyway,” Keith said, “we’ve asked everyone over to our little patch of beach.”
“Great,” Ben said.
“Come on over whenever you feel like it,” Keith said. “We’re not far,” he said, indicating the short stretch of sand that separated the two camps.
“Want
