finishing.
“Shane darling, I thought you’d forgotten all about me.”
Shane laughed at this. “C’mon, mommy.” He said swatting her playfully. “I promised to be back in time to help you with the plan. Plus, I’ve been playing for a long time and it’s almost my bedtime.”
Storm glanced at the mantle. “Yup, you’re right on-time. I knew I could count on you, but I thought that you loved Jamaica and your new friends so much that you had forgotten all about me.”
“I can’t forget you, mommy. I have to get Cairo for you remember?” Shane was a full and willing participant in their scheme.
“Yes, I remember. Look at me darling,” Storm said indicating her outfit. “Do I look like I’ve forgotten?”
Shane’s response was to grin. “I’ll go get Cairo.”
Storm nodded and then absently smoothed down her dress with shaking hands.
At the door, Shane stopped to look at her. “You’ll get him to be my daddy, won’t you mommy?”
Storm saw the apprehension in his face and said with more bravado than she felt,“Don’t worry munchkin,I promised you a daddy and you’re gonna get one.”
“Come on Shane; take your hands off my eyes. How do you expect me to see?” Cairo protested placing his feet carefully in the sand.
“You don’t have to see,” Shane said firmly. “Just keep walking and don’t drop me.”
Cairo sighed in exasperation. “Okay, you’re the boss, but if you go flying headlong into the sand don’t go crying to your mother.” He warned.
“My son never cries.” Storm said.
“Surprise!” Shane yelled removing his hands from Cairo’s eyes.
Despite his promise, Cairo almost dropped him. Wisely, Shane wiggled down from his embrace. His job done, the child turned and dashed away toward the waiting nanny.
Cairo stared disbelievinglyat the sight in front of him for several long moments. On the deserted beach, Storm stood in front of him. Around her bottle torches flickered against the twilight of the evening sky. There was a beautifully set table loaded with delicious local food, and soft music drifting across the beach. Jessica stood against this magnificence resplendent in a white dress that revealed far more than it concealed. In her hand, she held a rose.
“This is for you, Cairo.” She handed him the flower. “One should always bring their date flowers.”
Cairo wrapped his fist around the stem of the rose.
They were both silent as they stood in front of each other. Storm chewed her bottom lip and twisted the hem of her dress in her hands. She then pointed to the table.
“Come sit down. I was told these are you favorite Jamaican dishes: jerk chicken, rice and peas, steamed fish stuffed with okra, potato salad and fried plantain.”
The way his mouth watered, Cairo hated to refuse, but refuse he would. He had no intention of accepting anything from Storm.
“You obviously went to a lot of trouble, but I can’t stay.” He turned to leave but Storm grasped him by the shoulder and pushed him into a chair.
“Sorry Mr. Kane,” she said forcefully. “But you sir, aren’t going anywhere.”
Cairo shook his head. “I have a hotel to run; I can’t stay and play house with you.”
In response to this, Storm sat down on his lap. “Don’t worry about the hotel, I left Tyrone in charge.”
“You did what!” Cairo yelled, not quite sure he’d heard her correctly.
UnfazedStorm arched a delicate brow. “I said I left Tyrone in charge. I had a letter delivered to him apprising him of your whereabouts. Anything that needs to be done in your absence, Tyrone will take care of it.”
“You had no right!” Cairo objected.
“True.” Storm said smiling. “But when has that stopped me? Now stop bickering and eat. You know you want to.”
Cairo did. He really did. But accepting even the smallest morsel from her would be consenting to a lot more. Storm never did things by half measures.
Cairo watched the food for an agonized moment before Storm took the
“Shane darling, I thought you’d forgotten all about me.”
Shane laughed at this. “C’mon, mommy.” He said swatting her playfully. “I promised to be back in time to help you with the plan. Plus, I’ve been playing for a long time and it’s almost my bedtime.”
Storm glanced at the mantle. “Yup, you’re right on-time. I knew I could count on you, but I thought that you loved Jamaica and your new friends so much that you had forgotten all about me.”
“I can’t forget you, mommy. I have to get Cairo for you remember?” Shane was a full and willing participant in their scheme.
“Yes, I remember. Look at me darling,” Storm said indicating her outfit. “Do I look like I’ve forgotten?”
Shane’s response was to grin. “I’ll go get Cairo.”
Storm nodded and then absently smoothed down her dress with shaking hands.
At the door, Shane stopped to look at her. “You’ll get him to be my daddy, won’t you mommy?”
Storm saw the apprehension in his face and said with more bravado than she felt,“Don’t worry munchkin,I promised you a daddy and you’re gonna get one.”
“Come on Shane; take your hands off my eyes. How do you expect me to see?” Cairo protested placing his feet carefully in the sand.
“You don’t have to see,” Shane said firmly. “Just keep walking and don’t drop me.”
Cairo sighed in exasperation. “Okay, you’re the boss, but if you go flying headlong into the sand don’t go crying to your mother.” He warned.
“My son never cries.” Storm said.
“Surprise!” Shane yelled removing his hands from Cairo’s eyes.
Despite his promise, Cairo almost dropped him. Wisely, Shane wiggled down from his embrace. His job done, the child turned and dashed away toward the waiting nanny.
Cairo stared disbelievinglyat the sight in front of him for several long moments. On the deserted beach, Storm stood in front of him. Around her bottle torches flickered against the twilight of the evening sky. There was a beautifully set table loaded with delicious local food, and soft music drifting across the beach. Jessica stood against this magnificence resplendent in a white dress that revealed far more than it concealed. In her hand, she held a rose.
“This is for you, Cairo.” She handed him the flower. “One should always bring their date flowers.”
Cairo wrapped his fist around the stem of the rose.
They were both silent as they stood in front of each other. Storm chewed her bottom lip and twisted the hem of her dress in her hands. She then pointed to the table.
“Come sit down. I was told these are you favorite Jamaican dishes: jerk chicken, rice and peas, steamed fish stuffed with okra, potato salad and fried plantain.”
The way his mouth watered, Cairo hated to refuse, but refuse he would. He had no intention of accepting anything from Storm.
“You obviously went to a lot of trouble, but I can’t stay.” He turned to leave but Storm grasped him by the shoulder and pushed him into a chair.
“Sorry Mr. Kane,” she said forcefully. “But you sir, aren’t going anywhere.”
Cairo shook his head. “I have a hotel to run; I can’t stay and play house with you.”
In response to this, Storm sat down on his lap. “Don’t worry about the hotel, I left Tyrone in charge.”
“You did what!” Cairo yelled, not quite sure he’d heard her correctly.
UnfazedStorm arched a delicate brow. “I said I left Tyrone in charge. I had a letter delivered to him apprising him of your whereabouts. Anything that needs to be done in your absence, Tyrone will take care of it.”
“You had no right!” Cairo objected.
“True.” Storm said smiling. “But when has that stopped me? Now stop bickering and eat. You know you want to.”
Cairo did. He really did. But accepting even the smallest morsel from her would be consenting to a lot more. Storm never did things by half measures.
Cairo watched the food for an agonized moment before Storm took the
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