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“I think you mentioned wanting to do something here with the girls. Tell me more.” She drank her wine. “How will they get here is my first question, though.”
“I was thinking about a treasure hunt of sorts. Didn’t you say something about that big guy, what’s his name?” I stopped myself midway to ask. “I need him to come here and figure a way across this island and help plan a hunt, or maybe call it a race with clues.”
“I recall, we spoke about this briefly, so I had a chat with Mr. Bond and he said he could come tomorrow afternoon,” Aunt Victoria smiled. “Is that soon enough?”
“That brain of yours works way faster than all of ours. What else have you already scheduled?” I sat back to relax a minute from eating too fast. “What did you already fix about the three girls cancelling?”
“Actually, I was able to get back two of the girls that I originally picked, so now we have four. But Sienna is working on a fifth.” She leaned back as well. “Does it have to be five?”
“No, it doesn’t have to be any amount. Again, I should have done this the way you did it for Parker, and just picked yourself,” I conceded. “Will you be able to come and help me pick when the girls are here?”
“I can’t stay, but I’ll stop in every week, assuming it’ll be several weeks long.” She poured more wine. “Some of the family want to come visit your island, but I’m telling them they need to wait until the party.”
“Agreed, I don’t need everyone’s opinion.” I shook my head, laughing. “Can you imagine that?”
“Last thing to decide on is when.” Aunt Victoria returned to eating her salad. “Will you be ready next weekend?”
“Next weekend? What, that’s like ten days away?” I asked, a little surprised it was going to happen so soon. “I guess that’ll work. My new seaplane comes in tomorrow, which brings me to telling you that you no longer have to boat over.”
“I rather enjoy Jade’s company. She’s a very interesting young lady. Did I tell you she’s a marine biologist, which means she’s Dr. Campbell?”
“You may have told me along the way but, if you did, I forgot. That’s pretty impressive. I wonder why she works at the marina?”
“She left her job to help her father. I think that’s why she’s so tense,” she said.
“Me and Asher throwing around money probably doesn’t help when she’s struggling to keep the marina running,” I said. “I paid the electric bill so the marina wouldn’t be dark, but don’t tell her.”
“I had a feeling you would do that. Good job.” She leaned forward and patted my arm. “So, next weekend?”
Chapter 51
Jade
When I got to my dad’s room last night, the enormous bouquet of flowers on his side table was the prettiest I’d ever seen. There wasn’t a note, but I knew without a doubt who they were from.
Great, now I’ll have to thank him for something again. This bouquet had to cost a lot of money.
Before I could spend another minute thinking about that, Dad started shaking and sweating. I hit the buzzer to the nurse’s station.
“Hi, Dad is having sweats and shaking.”
“I’ll be right in.” She clicked off.
“Hey Dad, I’m here.” I held his hand and continued speaking to him until the nurse came in. “Is there anything we can do for him during this?”
“Yes, I’m adding meds to his IV and more sedative. He should settle down shortly,” the nurse assured me. “Dr. Johnson said to tell you he’d be in early in the morning.”
“Okay, thanks.” I stepped back to Dad’s bedside and took his hand.
“Beautiful flowers,” the nurse said from the doorway. “I didn’t even know we had a florist here that could make something as extravagant as that.”
“They’re nice. Dad will think they’re girlie, though.” I laughed at that idea. “He’s the Admiral, after all.”
“Well, if he hates them, you can bring them to the nurse’s station. We won’t hate looking at them.” The nurse turned to leave. “Get some rest, Jade. This is far from over, so rest while you can.”
I pulled the reclining chair next to the bed and sat looking at my dad in the dimly lit room. The next thing I knew, I was waking up with a stiff neck and back and Tommy standing over Dad.
“Good morning. Take a minute to wake up, I’ll be right back.” Tommy wrapped his stethoscope back around his neck.
