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  When she became buoyant in the saltwater, she floated across the gentle ripples of the cove. Finally, she submerged as two aquarium staff members in kayaks observed her progress from a respectful distance. They followed as Chablis, guided by instinct, set a course for the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

  Dani wiped away tears and turned to see her mother doing the same. Others sniffled as they gazed out across the cove, including Monica, who stood with moisture streaming down her face.

  Rita surprised Dani by pulling her into a one-armed hug. “Thank you for bringing me today, honey. I can see how much all of you love these animals, and it warms my heart. I can’t wait to tell our neighbors back home about this. Maybe even your father. I’ll e-mail them some of the pictures I took.”

  “You’re welcome, Mom.” Dani felt a surge of tenderness and wrapped her arm around Rita’s waist. “I’m so glad I could share it with you.”

  Her mother pressed a kiss to Dani’s cheek. “I know it hasn’t been easy for you and Evan to have me underfoot for so long, and I want you to know how much this visit has meant to me. Being here has been so very good for my soul.”

  “I’m glad you agreed to come.” Dani blinked as a new round of tears threatened to fall. “I hadn’t realized how much I missed seeing you on a regular basis. I hope you’ll stay as long as you need to.”

  And this time she meant it.

  * * * *

  A few days later, Dani sat on the couch with her laptop and her phone, finalizing her wedding plans. Her mother had tried one final time to convince her to move the ceremony and reception to their hometown of Jefferson City, Missouri. But Dani remained adamant that she and Evan wanted to exchange vows with the setting sun over the aquarium’s cove as a backdrop and then eat, drink, and dance beneath GSA’s special events pavilion.

  She and her mother still hadn’t decided what to tell Dani’s grandmother. Elena Bingham remained in a rehabilitation center in Jefferson City recovering from a stroke that left her with impaired speech and paralysis on her right side. Traveling to Florida was out of the question, and it wasn’t a given that she’d be able to attend even if Dani spent her special day in Missouri.

  She’d just approved the menu and arranged for music for her reception when her cell phone rang. It surprised her to hear her father’s voice on the other end.

  “I thought you’d be at work this time of day. Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “Not really. I hurt my back lifting something two days ago and thought it was just a strained muscle or ligament. I left work early and spent the rest of the afternoon and night alternating cold packs and a heating pad, but I only felt worse the next morning.”

  “You poor thing. Have you been to a doctor? Where are you now?”

  “In the hospital. I had to call an ambulance to the house because I literally couldn’t get out of bed yesterday.”

  “The hospital? Oh, Daddy, why didn’t you say that to begin with? Are you there alone?”

  “Pete and Jean from next door were here earlier, and my boss and Father Muldoon have called and offered help with whatever I need.”

  “That’s good. What’s wrong with your back? And when will they let you go home?”

  “I have a herniated disc, and I’m expecting to get out of here tomorrow. Pete will pick me up. I’m not sure how long I’ll be out of work.”

  “You’ll obviously need someone there to help you with meals and stuff. Let me put Mom on the phone, and then I’ll book her a flight out of here as soon as possible.”

  * * * *

  Dani knew her mother wasn’t thrilled to be in the car, en route to the airport, but Rita’s strong sense of obligation wouldn’t allow her to stay in Florida when her husband needed her. And although Rita admittedly didn’t like him very much these days, Dani was convinced her mother still loved Sam Davidson and always would. She couldn’t bear to believe anything else.

  “Who knows. This could be just the incentive you need to fix what’s wrong with your marriage,” Dani commented. She glanced at her mother before returning her attention to the stretch of Suncoast Parkway ahead of her. The toll road would take them south to the Veterans Expressway and eventually to Tampa International Airport.

  “Either that or the neighbors will find us both dead as doorknobs with our hands around each other’s throats.”

  “Mother! Thanks so much for that visual.”

  “You know what a big baby your father is when he’s sick or hurt.”

  “Most men are.”

  “What about Evan?”

  “He’s more stoic than most, but he still wants to be spoiled when he’s not feeling well. On the flip side, he takes very good care of me, especially when I need TLC.”

  “I’m glad. Some men don’t have a nurturing bone in their bodies.”

  “If you ask me, that’s more a symptom of selfishness and laziness than anything else.”

  “Well, I do have to give your father credit for one thing. While he’s not one to help much with housework under normal circumstances, he has stepped up the few times I’ve been flat on my back with the flu or female troubles.”

  “You know, Mom, I’ll bet you can come up with plenty of other positive things about Daddy if you’d just open your mind and heart.”

  Rita peered at her daughter over the top of her sunglasses. “That’s not very subtle, Danielle, and not very fair, either.”

  She shrugged. “I’m expressing my opinion. Didn’t you say we should be more open and honest with each other?”

  “Yes, but I never once said your father’s a bad person. I just want him to be more considerate of my feelings, that’s all. He’s fallen into a rut where he thinks only of what he needs from me. A little balancing of the scales shouldn’t be too much to ask for.”

  “No, it shouldn’t. Maybe now that he’ll be at your mercy, so to speak, you two will find a way to work out your differences or at least realize how much you mean to each other.”

  “I hope so, honey. Because even though I’ve enjoyed the chance to relax and escape the tension that’s been weighing me down, I must admit that being around you and Evan, seeing how healthy your relationship is, makes me yearn for the days when your dad and I got along that well. I know you think I don’t give you enough credit for making wise decisions, but I couldn’t have picked a better man for you than Evan.”

  Dani felt warmth spread through her body, and she glanced at her mother with her heart in her eyes.

  “Thank you. It means so much to hear you say that.”

  “I should’ve told you sooner, but I was afraid you two were rushing things. You know what worrywarts we mothers are.”

  “I’ll probably be the same way with my own kids. Rest assured that I’ve waited a long time for a guy like Evan and wasn’t convinced I’d ever find him. When something’s right, you just know it.”

  “I’m so glad I could spend time with him and see for myself how wonderful he treats you.”

  “I’m sure he feels the same way. Now, if we can only get Evan and Daddy in the same city, we’ll be all set.”

  “Maybe we’ll come down a little earlier for the wedding so the two of them can get acquainted.”

  “That’s a terrific idea. I hope you can talk Daddy into it.”

  “I don’t think it’ll be a problem if we both gang up on him. Besides, he needs to start slowing down at work, especially after this latest accident.”

  “Latest accident? This isn’t the first one?’

  Rita bit her lip. Her expression reminded Dani of a squirrel that can’t decide which way to scamper when it’s caught in the middle of the road with a car barreling toward it.

  “You might as well spill it, because you’re a terrible liar,” Dani urged.

  “I promised your father I wouldn’t say anything. He didn’t want to upset you.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake. I’m not a child. I can handle it, whatever it is.”

  “Do you tell us everything that happ
ens to you?”

  “Well, I…” Dani thought back to some of the stuff she’d done as a college student away from home for the first time. Nothing illegal or reckless, but she’d bet her parents, as conservative as they were, wouldn’t see it that way. “Okay, point taken. So how many other accidents has Daddy had at work?”

  “He strained his back last year and then tweaked it a couple times over the summer. His doctor warned him about lifting heavy objects and also recommended an exercise and weight-loss regimen. But did your father listen? Of course not. You know how bullheaded and set in his ways he is. It’s been a sore subject between us. And now this. What kind of quality of life will we have if this back problem becomes chronic? I’d like to have him in one piece when he’s finally able to retire.”

  “I don’t blame you for being peeved at him. Maybe this stay in the hospital will wake him up and make him realize he’s not thirty years old anymore.”

  “If it doesn’t, we’re having a come-to-Jesus discussion.”

  Dani couldn’t hide her surprise. “I’ve never heard you use that expression before.”

  “One of your friends said it at Bikini Barb’s during your girls’ night out. What is it you call it? Bitch and snitch?”

  Dani laughed. “It’s snipe and gripe. But I like your name better. You never know what will come out of those women’s mouths when they get going, especially after a pitcher or two of beer.”

  “Yes, well, some of those girls imbibe a little too much for my taste, but you young people have different standards than we did in my day.”

  “Seriously? You’re playing that card?”

  “What are you talking about? I’ve never been intoxicated in my life.”

  “Is that so? What about that New Year’s Eve when I stayed with Grandma while you and Daddy went to the big bash at the Moose lodge with the neighbors?”

  “You were just a little thing. How do you even remember that?”

  “I don’t, really. Grandma used you as an example years later in lecturing me about drinking too much at a party. She said you were a mess the day after and she’d never forget seeing you on your knees ‘praying to the porcelain god.’ Those were her exact words, as I recall.”

  “I never knew she told you about that. For heaven’s sake.”

  “It made an impression on me, let me tell you.”

  Rita shook her head, a slight scowl on her face, and Dani wondered what other secrets her grandmother had locked in her memory.

  They continued to chatter away like cherished friends instead of merely mother and daughter as the Veterans Expressway melded into State Road 60. Dani looked for the airport exit just east of the start of the Courtney Campbell Parkway. Evan usually drove when they came to Tampa, but she followed the signs easily enough and soon was headed to the terminal via the George J. Bean Parkway.

  “You’ve got your tickets, right?” she asked.

  “Yep, right here.” Rita patted her purse.

  “And you’ve got money to buy something to eat or drink during your layover?”

  “Yes, honey. If I run out of cash, I have my credit card.”

  “Okay, good.” She flashed her mother a tense smile.

  “Stop worrying. I’ll be fine. I’m an old hand at flying now.”

  Dani laughed, and her hands relaxed a little on the wheel. “Uh-huh. I hate to break it to you, but a one-way trip does not make you a seasoned traveler.”

  “No, but at least I know what to expect now. Who knows, I might even decide to have a cocktail once we’re in the air.”

  “If it lessens your stress, go for it. Just don’t get drunk and miss your connecting flight.”

  “I don’t think you have to worry about that. Although, it might be a grand adventure to wander onto another plane bound for someplace exotic.”

  “It doesn’t work that way, Mother. Now, help me watch for the signs. Do we need to follow blue or red for your airline?”

  “Red. No wait, blue. I’m so glad you’re driving, honey. I’d have ended up in Clearwater or Sarasota or maybe even Fort Myers by now.”

  “We still might if I miss the turnoff to short-term parking. Oh wait, it’s right up here.”

  Dani veered to the left and entered the garage, then ascended a couple levels until she found a parking spot near the elevators that would deliver them to the terminal. She hoisted her mother’s bags out of the trunk and they made their way to the appropriate airline ticket counter. Once Rita checked in, they rode the escalator up to the next floor, where passengers caught a people mover to their designated airside. This was as far as Dani could go without a ticket, so she pulled her mother into a fierce hug, kissed her cheek, and wished her safe travels.

  “Make sure you call me as soon as you land in Jefferson City, all right?”

  “I will,” Rita promised.

  “And tell Daddy I’m thinking of him and praying his back is better soon. And give him a kiss and a hug for me, okay?”

  Rita nodded as her eyes swam with tears.

  “Now don’t start that or we’ll both be bawling,” Dani scolded.

  They’d be together again in about six months for the wedding, but at this moment it felt like an eternity. With heavy steps, much like a condemned prisoner, Dani’s mother trudged the short distance to the station to board the people mover. When it pulled in minutes later, Rita looked back one last time and lifted her hand in a wave that Dani returned.

  The doors whooshed open, and Rita joined the herd of commuters jostling for a handhold on one of the floor-to-ceiling metal poles inside the shuttle. Then the doors slid closed and Dani’s mother was gone.

  Chapter 11

  Helen Holt of the Gulf Shore Messenger sat in a conference room at the aquarium with a notepad on her lap, a pen in her hand, and a frown on her pretty face. It matched the ones worn by Kenshin, Flipper, Kelsey, and Sitara. Helen had set up a one-on-one interview with GSA’s director, but Wesley pulled the other staff members in at the last minute without explaining why.

  Now, he probably wished he’d adhered to the original plan. Flipper certainly did.

  “Wesley, you seem to be the only one pushing for a permanent exhibition of whales,” the reporter noted as the others shifted in their seats and exchanged wary glances. “How is it that you’re so at odds with the rest of your team?”

  His face colored a little, and he smiled to cover his obvious pique.

  “Now, Helen, don’t go stirring up trouble,” Wesley admonished. “The word ‘pushing’ is a gross overstatement. We’re always brainstorming ways to give our visitors more for their money, but these decisions require a lot of thought and planning.”

  Flipper rolled his eyes when he was sure Wesley wasn’t looking and then winced when Kelsey kicked him under the table, which took up most of the room. She furrowed her brow, and he shrugged in return.

  Helen gave them both a speculative look, but they returned her scrutiny with blank expressions. Flipper sighed in relief when she let it go and turned back to Wesley. The last thing GSA needed was for the newspapers or TV stations to get wind of how much the director coveted a pair of whales to appear in presentations with the resident bottlenose dolphins. As if the animal activists already on our ass need any more ammunition. He hated to lump Tara into that discordant group, but he knew she’d oppose Wesley’s idea as much as the aquarium’s other critics.

  Flipper tuned back in to the conversation when Helen asked, “When do you think you’ll know whether the pilot whales you helped rescue are releasable?”

  Wesley deftly passed the buck. “Kelsey’s more qualified to answer that than I am.”

  Everyone’s focus shifted to her, and Flipper thought his friend did an admirable job of hiding her annoyance at having the matter dumped in her lap. When she addressed Helen, the vet’s usual affable demeanor was firmly in place.

  “Strict federal guidelines must be followed before any rehabilitated cetacean—that’s a dolphin, whale, or porpoise—can be returned to
the wild,” Kelsey began. “NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service requires an assessment by the attending veterinarian, in this case me, and her team representing the stranding network participant, Gulf Shore Aquarium. The team includes other vets, an animal care supervisor,” she indicated Kenshin, “and a biologist familiar with the behavior and life history of the species.” Sitara gave a little wave.

  “If the attending veterinarian states the animal is medically and behaviorally suitable for release according to various criteria,” Kelsey continued, “NOAA Fisheries either approves the recommendation and accompanying release plan, or directs another outcome.

  “To be considered nonreleasable, the animal must have a documented condition that would leave it with little chance of survival or make it a health risk to wild populations. Another acceptable reason would be if an appropriate release site or a plan to monitor the animal can’t be arranged.

  “An animal that can’t be released doesn’t automatically stay where it was rehabbed. Any facility with an exhibitors’ license that wants to adopt the animal would fill out an extensive questionnaire. A panel of experts including NOAA Fisheries then investigates thoroughly and considers the animals’ specific needs before deciding on a permanent home.”

  “Thanks for that excellent explanation, but you really didn’t answer my question,” Helen noted.

  “You noticed that, did you? Darn, I thought I could dazzle you with my grasp of the myriad government regulations involving marine mammals. It’s enough to make your head spin.”

  “I don’t mean to put you on the spot, Kelsey. I’m just trying to get an idea of when you might know something about the whales’ long-term future.”

  “Our first priority is getting them healthy,” Sitara interjected.

  “Has something happened since the last story I wrote about them?” Helen asked.