Five Stars (Desire Island 5)

“I don’t think I belong on Desire Island,” she finally continued. “Not anymore. I made some truly wonderful friends there, but I can’t imagine scening with the island guests—with strangers who mean nothing to me, and to whom I mean nothing. Not when I know you exist in the world.”

A crazy, wild joy propelled Adam from the car. Racing around to the passenger side, he pulled open the door and held out his hands.

Shani released her seatbelt and reached for him, allowing him to pull her up and out of her seat. He smiled down at her radiant face. “I love you,” he repeated, happiness nearly lifting him off his feet. Then he took her in his arms and kissed her.Chapter 13Nina sat in the rocker on the front porch, shelling peas into a large bowl on her lap. She looked up and smiled as Adam pulled the car into the dirt driveway beside the tract house. Nina’s ancient pickup truck sat in the driveway, one of its tires clearly flat. No one else had arrived yet, which pleased Shani. While she was looking forward to another of Nina’s home-cooked meals with all the family in attendance, she wanted a little time alone with her mom.

As they climbed up the porch steps, Shani saw her little niece, Naira, sitting near Nina’s feet, a small red ball and some shiny metal jacks in front of her. Since she had retired from nursing, Mama often watched her girls’ children when she was needed. Maybe someday Shani would have a little girl of her own to add to the brood. Would she have Adam’s brilliant green eyes?

Nina set her bowl aside and rose to her feet, holding out her arms. Shani stepped into them, inhaling Mama’s special scent—a mixture of fresh bread, the rich earth she loved to garden and the rose water she always dabbed behind her ears.

When they parted, Adam, who had hung back a little, stepped forward and took Nina’s hand. “Nice to see you again, Nina.” He glanced over at Nina’s truck. “I see you’ve got a flat tire. If you have a spare, I’d be glad to change that for you.”

“Thank you, but my son-in-law, Jacy, is a mechanic. He’s bringing me a new tire. He’ll take care of it after the meal.”

Shani turned to Naira. “Hi, baby,” she said, smiling down at the little girl. “Remember us from yesterday? I’m your Aunt Shani and this is my friend, Adam.”

“I got jacks,” Naira said in her high, piping voice. She bounced the ball and scooped a handful of jacks into her tiny hand.

“Those are so shiny and pretty,” Adam said enthusiastically. “Can you show me how to play?”

“Okay,” Naira said, a shy smile on her face.

Adam crouched down and sat cross-legged across from Naira. Shani cast him a grateful look. She had told him as they neared the reservation that she wanted to tell Nina, finally, the real reason she’d fled from home. With Adam watching Naira, it was the perfect opportunity.

“Mama,” she said now, “will you show me your vegetable garden? I didn’t get a chance to see it yesterday.” She looked over where Adam and Naira sat, heads bent over the game. “These two should be fine for a few minutes.”

“I’d be glad to,” Nina said, getting to her feet. She placed the bowl on the seat of the rocking chair and regarded the pair playing together. Adam appeared totally absorbed as little Naira gravely explained rules. Shani’s heart clutched at the sweetness of the scene.

They walked together around to the side of the small house, where Nina’s vegetable garden was planted. There were tomatoes, peas, lettuce, corn, beans and squash laid out in rows and carefully screened-in to keep out animals looking for a tasty snack. A couple of chickens scrabbled and pecked in the dirt in their nearby pen.

Shani admired Nina’s garden, listening as her mother detailed the successes and failures of her yield this year. After a few minutes, Nina said, “Tell me what’s on your mind, daughter. If I stuck a pin in you right now, I think you’d burst from whatever it is you’ve got to say.”

Shani laughed. “You could always tell.” She glanced back toward the house. They could see the pair through the slats of the porch railing, still engaged with their game. “Is Naira okay with Adam a while longer? I was thinking we could walk down to the quiet bench for a few minutes.”

Nina followed her gaze. “She doesn’t usually cotton to strangers, especially men. But Adam’s got that child spark kids intuitively recognize. He’ll be a good father someday.”

Shani smiled, delighted at Nina’s approval. It would make her confession a little easier, now that she was back on the right path in her life.

They walked the few yards of Nina’s tiny backyard to the creek that marked the end of her property. The quiet bench, as it had always been called since Shani could remember, was a simple straight-backed structure built from salvaged wooden planks her father had built when the sisters were small. It faced the creek, and was supposed to be a spot for quiet contemplation.