Chapter 13

As soon as I walked into the house, I pulled Grace to the side. "I know it'll be a little crowded," I said, "but I'd like to invite James and Deanna to join us at Lake Powell for the weekend. They can fly up with us tomorrow, and fly back with Pete and Mary on Sunday evening. That will give us a chance to talk about what we want to do about Lydia Bell, if anything. I don't think we should make that decision now. The ramifications are too serious to act without a lot of thought. Besides, I like James. I think he and I can be friends, and the cruise will give us a chance to get to know each other. Waddaya say?"

Grace smiled. "Fine by me, if Pete and I get the V-berth for the weekend."

I'd planned to make that offer anyway. "You've got a deal," I said with a grin.

"That won't leave an empty bunk for a boat mentor, whoever that is," she said.

"If we have to, we'll stay at our slip Friday night, hire someone at the lake to show us the ropes Saturday morning, and drop him back at Wahweap Marina that afternoon. We'll muddle through the learning process by ourselves if we have to."

When the doorbell rang, Mary let James and Deanna in the house, and Deanna jumped right into the Lydia topic.

"What's your plan?" she asked me.

"Don't have one. Considering the consequences, which according to Lydia could be as serious as getting maimed or killed, let's make sure whatever we do doesn't come back to haunt us."

"We could leave an anonymous tip on the Child Protective Services' hotline," Deanna said. "Anonymous or otherwise, CPS acts on every accusation of child abuse they receive, acting meaning some shoe leather hits the sidewalk. They'll visit Lydia's house, speak with her, as well as the stepfather, stepbrother, and little brother, and any servants in the house. If they suspect anything, they'll investigate further."

"Is that your recommendation?" I asked.

"No, I'd rather personally charge the brute with assault," she said, her eyes shining with sudden purpose.

"What about you, Mary?" I asked.

"I want to help her, but my first responsibility is to my baby." She dropped her eyes. "I'm passing. I'll do nothing that would put Little Bundle at risk. Sorry."

"There's no need for you to be sorry, Mary. Your baby's welfare should come first," I said. "Grace, do you have a recommendation?"

"Not right now. Lydia wasn't willing to help herself, or let us help her. Parts of her story are inconsistent. You thought she might be suicidal, Brent. Did you change your mind?"

"Yes, when I told you I believed she might be suicidal, I didn't know about her relationship with her little brother. She won't kill herself, not as long as her brother needs her protection."

Grace said, "Without a possible imminent suicide, I don't think we should rush to action. More information is needed. Was Lydia's entire story or crucial parts of it a lie? If she told the truth, how serious are the threats she mentioned, and if they're serious, how would we counter them? I've got more questions than answers."

My big sister made me proud. Mary, too, for that matter.

"James, do you have a recommendation?"

"Nope," he said.

"That's it?" Deanna asked him, sounding surprised.

"Yes."

She laughed. "Sometimes, baby, you can be maddening."

He smiled and shrugged. "I don't know the girl. We live in the fifth largest metro area in the country, so her story isn't unique, not in this city. There are tens of thousands of similar cases, and as Grace said, we don't even know if she told the truth or was lying through her perfect teeth. We saw the man hit her. That's assault, and that's against the law, but with his money and power, he won't spend a day in jail for the crime. If you filed charges, he'd be charged with assault, but the charges would be dropped, or he'd make a deal to do some community service. Perhaps the judge would force him to sit through some anger management classes, but even that much punishment would surprise me. Deanna, you're a big girl. If you feel compelled to file a complaint, have at it. But consider this before you take the plunge. If you file a complaint, and the stepfather hires some thugs to teach you a lesson, I'll be forced to stop them, and after I deal with his hired help, I'll go directly to the source to explain the consequences of his continuing need for vengeance. If I can't persuade him that vengeance isn't in his best interests, I will kill him." He smiled again. "That's definitely against the law."

Deanna stared at him. Finally she said, "I hear you, baby."

Mary looked at me. "If the stepfather comes after Grace, or me, or Little Bundle, you'd do the same, wouldn't you?"

I shrugged. "Kill him? Probably not, but the quality of his life would be seriously degraded. The word 'vegetable' comes to mind. If his hired help managed to maim or kill any of you, I'd kill him without a qualm or a thought for the consequences of my act of retribution."

"That's taking the law into your own hands," Grace said.

"Yep," I said. "Obviously, we need to think about and discuss this subject some more before any of us takes any action. James, Deanna, we're flying to Lake Powell tomorrow. Grace and I recently purchased a cabin cruiser. We're taking it out on the lake for the shakedown cruise on Friday or Saturday. We'd be pleased if the two of you would be our guests for the weekend. It'll give us time to hash out the Lydia problem and have some fun at the same time. Pete Turner, Grace's friend, will be joining us, and he plans to fly back to Phoenix Sunday afternoon. You can fly back with Mary and him. Waddaya say?"

They accepted enthusiastically.

"Pete, what do you know about boats?" I asked. We were in a chartered aircraft en route to Page and Lake Powell.

"They're a hole in the water in which you pour money," he said and laughed. "Why do you ask?"

"Maybe not for you, but for me thirty-four feet is a big boat. I don't know how to drive a boat that big. Grace and I need a boat mentor."

"Sorry, Charlie," he said, using an expression from the tuna commercial, I assumed. "I've never owned a boat. I'll never own a boat. I can't help you, and your admission that you don't know how to handle your boat just took my anxiety level to a new high."

Grace giggled and patted his cheek. "If you fall in the lake, big guy, I'll dive in and save you."

"Tell me about your boat," James said.

"It's a Sea Ray 340 Sundancer. It sleeps six, has a galley and a head. It's beautiful and sleek. I named her Sweet Rose, after my mother."

James hooted with laughter. "That tells me nothing. Stern drive or inboard engine?" he asked when he settled down.

"Inboard. Two of them. MerCruisers," I said.

"I can drive it, settle it against a dock with only a whisper, even back it into your slip," James said. "I can't fix anything that goes haywire, though. I'm mechanically challenged."

"I've driven a boat that big and bigger," Mary said. "Thirty-four feet is a small boat for the San Francisco area."

I grinned. "How about that, Grace? We invited two boat mentors for our shakedown cruise and didn't know it. What about fishing? Do either of you know anything about fishing?"

"I do," Deanna quipped. "Part of the luggage stowed in the belly of this airplane includes my fishing gear."

"When it comes to water sports," James said, "I'm partial to personal watercraft, and I get a kick out of water boarding."

"Argh," Pete complained. "I'm surrounded by a bunch of water babies."

In Page where the aircraft landed, I arranged for ground transportation, opting for two SUVs with drivers to deliver our supplies and the six of us to Wahweap Marina. Mary had left Little Bundle with her neighbor lady and planned to return with Pete, James and Deanna on Sunday. "My baby's too active to take boating," she'd said.

Deanna helped me buy the fishing gear I'd need, and Mary surprised me when she said she wanted to do some fishing, too. Grace passed on fishing but was enthusiastic about renting a jet ski, so we rented two for the weekend, agreeing that we'd take turns zipping around on the lake riding the personal watercraft. The dealer told us that he'd deliver them at Wahweap Marina at noon the next day, which would give us time to do some fishing or sightseeing on the lake Saturday morning. With James's help, I bought the equipment we'd need for water skiing and wake boarding, and after we hit a grocery store, we were good to go.

Two hours later, I sat in the captain's chair with Mary at my side directing me. When Sweet Rose planed flat as her engines roared, and we skimmed over the smooth surface of Wahweap Bay like a dragonfly, a curious thing happened to me, something that had never happened to me before. The tension from stress, the stress of the trip, my parents' death, Mary's problems, the Lydia situation, everything causing tension lost its grip, and I relaxed fully and completely. Skipping over the water in Sweet Rose, I discovered, was better than tai chi for finding my center. I was truly at peace for the first time since Mom and Dad were killed.

I grinned at Mary and said, "I love it."

She leaned and gave me a quick kiss. "Me, too. I have a present for you. I'll be right back." She returned a minute later with a hat. It was white with a shiny black brim, a gold-braid band, and an embroidered anchor medallion at the peak. "It's a skipper captain's hat," she said and set it on my head.

"Thanks," I said. The gesture pleased me immensely. With one hand on the wheel, I wrapped my other arm around Mary's waist and gave her an affectionate squeeze. She bent and kissed me again.

"Hey," Pete said, "watch the road."

"There ain't no road, silly," Grace said as she stepped up from below wearing a bikini. Deanna followed her. Her bikini was even smaller than my sister's.

"Hubba, hubba," I quipped and waggled my eyebrows.

"Pete," Grace said, "you need to relax."

"Easy for you to say," he said.

"Everybody listen up," Grace said. "Pete and I plan to have some private fun this weekend, if you get my drift, and I figure we won't be the only couple so inclined."

"Hear, hear," James said, raising his bottle of beer with a grin. Deanna slugged his shoulder playfully.

"Which means cooperation must be the byword if privacy is to be achieved. The V-berth belongs to Pete and me — at night. We'll loan it out during the day."

"In the spirit of cooperation, Mary and I will also make the mid-stateroom available during the day," I said.

"That'll help," Grace said. "The hideaway curtains will screen for visual privacy, but they won't dampen sound all that much." She blushed. "I've been known to be a little noisy..."

"A little!" Pete exclaimed. "Banshee comes to mind."

"Which makes my point," Grace said with a teasing pout at her lips. "Privacy includes not fearing insensitive remarks about the noises we make while enjoying privacy. Agreed?"

"You've got that right," Deanna said. "I've generated a few echoes during... ah, moments of passion."

"Notice, Pete," James said, "that I made no follow up remarks." He grinned. "That's because I'm a sensitive kind of guy."

Pete groaned and rattled the ice in his glass. "I need another drink."

"I'll make it for you," Grace said and took his glass.

"I'll be right back," Mary said. "I want to change clothes."

"I'll join you," I said. "James, would you drive?"

"You bet," he said. "Where are we headed?"

"We'll drop anchor in Padre Bay for the night," I said and showed him the map.

I closed the privacy curtain behind us and took Mary into my arms. She melted against me, and our kiss drifted from romantic to passionate.

"I can be quiet," she said softly with a smile.

"I know."

We watched each other as we removed our clothes.

"Mary, you are a beautiful woman," I said as I pulled her to me. Her naked flesh felt hot against me, and her dainty hand went to my erection. She stroked it expertly.

"I want to fuck you," she said and pushed me onto the upholstered seating. "That way we won't need to make out the bed." She straddled my thighs with her knees on the seat.

I liked the fact that she was taking charge. Perhaps we could create some edges after all.

She giggled. "This will be what's called a quickie, huh?"

I chuckled. "Yep."

I heard the sounds of someone coming down the stairs from the deck. Two people, I deduced. Then I heard a sultry laugh. Grace.

"Come on, Pete," Grace said quietly. "I thought we'd be the first to seek some privacy, but I think my little brother and Mary beat us to the punch." She giggled. "So to speak."

Mary laughed, rose up on her knees, and waved the crown of my cock through her wet crease.

"Punch me," Mary whispered in my ear as her cunt engulfed my shaft. She moaned softly, but the sound of her moan carried.

"I heard them, so they heard you," Pete said quietly to Grace, his voice fading as he moved toward the V-berth at the bow.

"If they didn't and they hang around, they'll hear me for sure in a few minutes," Grace said.

"Let's hang around and listen," Mary whispered as her back arched and straightened producing a sexy sliding motion reminiscent of my wave. I threw my hips up to meet each of her falling slides.

Could I listen to Grace have sex without getting upset? I didn't know, and I decided I didn't want to find out. I wet my thumb in my mouth and pressed it to Mary's clitoris. Maybe I could turn our quickie into a lickety-split.

"Yes," Mary said with a gasp, but quietly, and adjusted her slide to include a little twist when her clit pressed against my thumb.

I kneaded her breast and pinched her nipple with my other hand, and then latched onto her other nipple with my mouth.

The volume of Mary's sounds of pleasure increased, but still she remained relatively quiet.

From all indications, Grace made no attempt to be quiet. Her yes, yeses sounded louder to my ears than Mary's. Would I lose my erection?

No. Grace's sexy verbal expressions excited me, probably because I imagined she was riding my shaft, not Mary. Hot! Maintaining an erection wasn't my problem anymore. Staying the course with Mary became the issue.

"Listening to your sister fuck excites you, doesn't it?" Mary said.

That dampened my libido enough to let me continue without coming.

"Fuck me, fuck me," Grace said, bringing me close to a peak again. I felt like I was on an arousal roller coaster, shooting straight up, and then plunging with a sinking feeling.

"Listening to her excites me, too," Mary whispered. Then Mary surprised me with a deeper insight than I'd believed her capable of having. "If she wasn't your sister, she'd fuck you."

I said nothing as I buried my shaft in Mary's wet heat and moaned.

"And if she wasn't your sister, you'd fuck her," Mary said. Her fingers replaced my thumb. "Open your eyes. Look at me," she said softly.

I lifted my eyelids and gazed at her exotic face. Her fingers weren't moving in a tight little circle; they were flashing back and forth like a hummingbird's wings.

"Think about it," Mary said. "Think about your sister riding your hard cock, fucking you like I'm fucking you right now."

"Fuck," I breathed.

"Don't close your eyes. Look at me."

"Yes!" Grace squealed. "Harder! Pound me, damn you. Pound me."

"She's talking to you, not Pete," Mary said. "Notice that she didn't say his name. She wants you to pound her, fuck her hard. Make some noise. That's what she wants. She wants to hear your voice. Give her what she wants."

"I'm coming!" I said.

"Louder," Mary whispered.

"Coming! Oh, fuck, I'm coming!" I shouted.

I let out an orgasmic bellow and stiffened, jerking Mary down around my ejaculating cock at the same time.

She climaxed with me without a sound except gasping small moans.

I recovered first and moved with her until her orgasm released her to collapse on my chest. I heard whimpers of pleasure from the V-berth. Grace must have climaxed with us.

"Fuck, that was intense," I said softly a minute later.

Mary giggled. "Fun, though."

I gave her a tender kiss. "You surprise me, sweet Mary."

She blushed. "Did I go too far?"

"No. You created an edge." My comment confused her. "Remind me later, and I'll tell you about my edge theory."

"All right."

Without city lights obscuring its brilliance, the firmament sparkled with a billion tiny stars. I'd never witnessed a night sky as glorious as the one above me, not in this life, and old memories couldn't compete with reality. I was in awe.

"It's a breathtaking world we occupy," I said. "Just look at that sky."

Mary squeezed my hand. "You see beauty everywhere you look, don't you?"

"I wish. What happened yesterday between Lydia and her stepfather was ugly."

"Are we going to get involved with that ugliness?" Grace said, opening the subject I wanted to talk about.

Since the incident, I'd had some new thoughts on the issue, and I wanted them included in the discussion. I sighed. "Unfortunately, we don't have an option. If we do nothing more, if we make every attempt to avoid further involvement, that option was removed when we allowed Lydia to return to her stepfather."