Hurricanes in Paradise by Denise Hildreth (web ebook reader .TXT) 📕

“Well, I’m sorry, Miss Tamyra, but I am not the woman to fill up his ‘lonely’ social calendar. I am a married . . .” She stopped herself.

No one spoke. Her words said it all. This wasn’t about Albert. This was about Winnie. About Winnie and Sam.

“How about you go put on that bathing suit of yours,” Laine said, taking Winnie by the arm and walking her toward the bathroom. “And let’s go see what the dolphins are doing this afternoon. It will get your mind off of everything.”

“I don’t want to go,” Winnie protested, her feet still moving.

“It will be good for you, Miss Winnie,” Tamyra assured her.

“Yeah, and we’ll even make Riley go.” Laine flitted a glance back to Riley.

Riley stammered. “Um . . . well, that’s really nice and all . . . but, um, I have to work.”

“I am your work,” Laine responded tersely, not turning back around.

Riley tried to temper her seething. Because it was apparent Laine still hadn’t called Max.

“So it’s settled; go get your bathing suit on and all four of us are going to swim with some dolphins.”

Winnie turned and looked at Tamyra and Riley. “Thank you, girls. . . . I don’t know how I found you, but thank you.” She waddled on into the bathroom.

The three of them plopped down on the foot of the bed onto the tropical coverlet.

“I don’t do dolphins,” Tamyra announced.

“You do now,” Laine informed her as she patted her leg. “You do now.”

* * *

The four of them walked silently to Dolphin Cay. Riley knew it was an incredible experience—she and Gabby had come before—but this wasn’t how she wanted or needed to spend her afternoon. And Laine had said nothing. Not one thing to her. She had just been her pompous self, dictating everyone’s day, and had apparently decided to blackmail Riley silently.

She went into tour-guide mode without thinking. “Dolphin Cay is one of the largest and most progressive facilities for dolphins in the world.”

Winnie lifted her eyebrows.

“Yeah, the lagoon itself is designed over fourteen acres and holds over seven million gallons of salt water.”

Winnie spoke. “Good grief, that’s a pile of water.”

Tamyra piped in. “I heard that sixteen of the dolphins actually survived Hurricane Katrina and were brought here after that.”

“Yes. We call them ‘Katrina dolphins.’ And now they have three calves here too. Those are Gabby’s favorite.” Riley missed her angel girl. Saying her name made her heart ache.

They walked into the wet-suit area, where their guide was waiting for them. Lines of lockers were placed throughout the open cabana. “Are you ladies ready?” a young girl asked, the top of her wet suit hanging at her waist, her black bikini top serving as her cover-up.

Riley noticed Tamyra’s face contort.

Laine rubbed her hands together. “Okay, Miss Winifred, it’s time to get you suited up.”

“Let’s see how you’re going to get all of this in not-so-much of that,” Winnie announced.

“You can pick up a wet suit here.” The guide motioned to two hanging rods that were lined with wet suits of all sizes. “Grab a bottled water from the bar over there. And put your belongings in any of the lockers we have here.”

Riley watched as Tamyra walked hesitantly behind them. “You okay?”

Sweat was beading on her forehead. “Yeah, yeah . . . fine, fine.”

Laine looked at Tamyra. “You sure? Because for a black girl, you have just lightened three shades.”

Tamyra gave a weak smile. “I’m fine. Really.”

Winnie’s voice boomed from the other side of the room by the wet suits. “I’m telling you, there isn’t one of these things big enough to stuff all of this into.”

“We’ll find one that suits you perfectly,” the young Bahamian guide assured.

Laine and Riley suited up while Tamyra thumbed through the wet suits like she was sorting through garbage from a Dumpster.

“Here’s one just right for you,” the young woman said to Tamyra as she extended a suit from her dark hand.

“Thank you.” It came out more as a whisper.

“She’s scared to death,” Laine whispered to Riley.

“She said she was fine.”

“That doesn’t look like the face of fine. That looks like the face of scared sh—” Laine stopped herself. “I’m just saying she’s scared.”

“This is insane.” Winnie puffed as she tugged at the rubber. The suit was stuck at midthigh.

“Here, let me help you,” Laine said. She came over to Winnie and tugged on the right side of her suit. She pulled up one time as hard as she could and all but tipped Winnie over on her side. That got Laine tickled. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“What are you doing? Trying to make me a roly-poly?”

Laine motioned to the other side. “Riley, grab that side and pull.”

Riley walked over to Winnie and grabbed the other side of her wet suit. “On three,” Laine said. “One, two, three.”

On three, both of them tugged on the sides of Winnie’s wet suit so hard they picked her slap up off of the ground. She let out a squeal as she rose. But at least the rubber scooted up around her waist. “My Lord have mercy, I cannot believe my behind is squeezed in this thing.” She waddled over to a mirror, her legs inches apart. “I look ridiculous.”

Laine finally zipped up the front of her own suit and looked at Tamyra, who was still standing there with her suit in her hand. “Are you sure you’re okay, Tamyra?”

“She’s fine.” Winnie swatted the air. “She’s going to enjoy every minute of this. If I’m squeezing my tub of lard into this thing, you can bet Miss Beauty Queen of the South over there is going to put her skinny butt into hers. She was the one who wanted me out of my room, so she got me out.” Winnie pulled up the top of her wet suit and dug her arms inside. She pushed at each breast until it was safely stuffed inside; then she zipped up her suit. Both arms stuck out from her sides, and Riley would never tell her, but she looked a whole lot like the Michelin Man.

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