Chapter 8
Amanda pulled a white sleeveless blouse over her one-piece sleek, black swimsuit, while she weighed the merits of using a cover-up. Maybe she'd just leave the shirt unbuttoned for the short walk to the waterfront.
To her chagrin, she felt a bit shy about wearing a bathing suit in front of Lee. It was ridiculous really because she was proud of her slim and toned body. In the company of anyone else this wouldn't be an issue at all. However, today under the watchful eye of her colleague, she couldn't quite shake the images of the voluptuous women Scarecrow often chose for his dates.
Looking in the mirror, she shook her head at the silly speculation. "Snap out of it, Amanda," she told the tall, pensive brunette who stared back. "Lee Stetson will never notice what you're wearing, much less care."
Thoughts of their recent cover kiss once again warmed her skin. While she couldn't put their steamy encounter out of her mind, she was certain he'd easily dismissed the entire episode without a second thought. Of course, it was nothing special to him. The man has probably been kissed more times than an Arabian sheik with forty wives.
Slipping on her sandals and sunglasses, she grabbed a beach towel and suntan lotion on her way out. The screen door banged behind her as she beckoned to the Kelly siblings who were waiting for her on the cabin stoop. "Ready?"
The bashful children nodded and quickly fell in step by her side.
The Kelly kids would be an interesting challenge, she surmised, noting the serious demeanor of ten year old Sean and nine year old Colleen. They seemed like ducks out-of-water in their coke bottle eye glasses and outdated swimwear. There were no funky tie-dye t-shirts or colorful sneakers for the Kelly kids.
The twosome were early-birds at Camp Harmony by virtue of their Uncle Pete's job. For whatever reason, they were spending the summer with the camp manager and his wife. As the children of staff they'd have many opportunities to participate in camp activities. Hopefully time spent in the wilds would bring them out of their shells.
Nearing the waterfront, Amanda felt her heart skip a beat. "Oh, no," she mumbled, catching sight of the ruckus on the boat dock. From the look of things, Lee and Bryce were losing the battle of kids versus boating safety.
"I don't need one," Brian insisted, taking off his life jacket just as fast as his father could put it on him.
Jamie shook his head and refused Lee's offer of help. "The jacket's too big. You gave Phillip the smaller one." The boy grabbed his brother's arm, trying to force a trade."
You can't have it, dork face," Phillip said, dangling the bright orange object out of reach.
Lee snagged the life jackets from both boys and neatly made the switch. "Phillip, don't call your brother, dork face."
In a hopeless effort to keep up with all their charges, Lee and Bryce turned their attention to the twins. Both girls tried to run, but were instantly caught by the two male trappers.
"It's scratchy," Jenny screamed, crying real tears when Bryce secured the life jacket to her torso. Unhappy, but compliant, she finally accepted the intrusive object with only a few more soft whimpers.
Julie was decidedly more difficult. She held her arms tightly against her body, so Lee couldn't secure the device around her tiny frame. "It's ugly," she wailed, as he wrestled the jacket over her head. Pulling away from his grasp, she fell with a thud on her backside. "Now look what you did. I'm telling Mommy."
"Go right ahead," Lee challenged, reaching to set the defiant child back on her feet.
Amanda rushed to intervene. "Here, let me," she offered, a hair too late.
"Ouch," Lee yelped as Julie's shoe made contact with his shin. "Damn it, you little monster.
"For a brief moment, time stood still. Then Bryce sucked in a breath, the boys laughed, and Amanda sighed. It took all of her strength to bite back a scathing reprimand for the errant adult.
"You said a bad word," Jenny scolded, shaking a small finger under his nose.
"Skip didn't mean it, did you Skip?" Amanda bent to inspect Lee's injured limb. "I think it's going to bruise," she said, running her fingers along his red shinbone."
"Amanda, please." He quickly backed away from her touch. "I'm fine."
"And?" Amanda nodded her head toward the children. "And, I'm, ah, sorry."
Suddenly a loud whistle blew, and Francine marched onto the dock, wearing a bright yellow sweat suit and a Martha's Vineyard baseball cap. "Freeze," she hollered, as if she was about to round up several enemy agents.
"Freeze?" Amanda rolled her eyes. "Francine, they're children."
"It doesn't matter." The blonde pointed to the boys. "You, you, you, and you get those floatation devices on, right this minute. Skip, you help them. None of the kids will go boating without life jackets. Got it?"
"Aye, aye, captain." Lee saluted and the boys followed suit. No one flinched as the assistant director slipped the jackets over heads and secured the straps in place.
Francine lined the girls up in a row, frowning at the sniffling twins. "We'll have no crying here," she said as she fastened Julie's life jacket. "Boating isn't for babies. One more whimper and you're out of here."
Jenny wiped her tears and reached for her sister's hand. "Okay."
Without a word, Colleen inched away from the group and began to retreat from the dock.
"You, in the glasses," Francine snapped. "No one leaves without permission."
The child froze, and Amanda moved to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It will be fine, Colleen. You stay with me, okay?"
Bryce stepped next to Amanda. "Our lifeguard looks familiar. I believe we saw her at Chez Tayir. Wasn't she the one bossing everyone around after the restaurant shooting?"
"Oh, no, I don't think she's the same person." Amanda's heart sank. Leave it to Bryce to recognize Francine. He didn't get to be a top Washington D.C. lawyer from pure luck. God help them if he recognized Lee, too.
Francine blew her whistle again. "All eyes, front and center. Amanda, you and your friend can take the girls in rowboat number two. Skip, you get the boys in boat number three."
Lee appeared none too happy. "Hey, I could use another adult here." He shot Amanda an anxious look. "Maybe Mrs. King would like to ride along with her sons."
"Request denied," Francine said, slamming the door closed on further discussion. "I'll go with you. The boys will be on their best behavior. Right, boys?" They all nodded solemnly, fully cognizant that they had met their match in the female lifeguard.
Lee knelt on the dock and untied the boat, pulling it securely against the piling. Then, grabbing the bow with his large hand, he beckoned to Sean. In the midst of easing the boy onboard, immature male egos sprang to life. Three wiggly bodies pressed against the wide Stetson back, all vying to be next in line.
"Get back," Francine shouted to the King and Topping boys, but the warning was too late.
As Sean stepped down, he stumbled, and the boat began to rock. Lee lost his grip on the bow, and the little vessel began to drift.
"Oh, God." Lee leaned forward, stretching his body to the limit. In the nick of time, his hand again found purchase, and he somehow managed to steady the boat.
Amanda envisioned what was coming with the certainty of a clairvoyant. "Be careful," she called, with growing alarm.
Lee teetered in place, half his body on the dock and half hanging over the water. With impeccable timing, childish exuberance got the upper hand. At the worst possible second, a stampede ensued as eager boys leaped passed him, scrambling for coveted seats. In their wake, the boat pulled from Lee's hand, and he plunged off the dock into the drink.
"Aaaaah," came the gasp from the crowd. Everyone froze in place and held a collective breath.
Finally resurfacing, Lee stood-up in the shallow water, allowing his full six feet, two inches of height to loom over the boat like a monster from the deep. The dark scowl on his face was a testament to the Herculean effort he made to hold a string of expletives in check.
He was a sight to behold. With seaweed dangling from his ear and water dripping from the tip of his nose, he quickly won the delight of the crowd. The children clapped and laughed uproariously.
The dynamics made Amanda cringe. Clearly the kids were out-maneuvering the adults. Lee was glaring at the boys as he pulled the boat back to the dock. Francine was blowing her whistle like a tugboat lost in fog. Bryce was standing motionless, apparently rendered speechless by the comedy of errors.
Amanda was left as the lone voice of reason. She wanted to rush to Lee's aid, but he'd only be more humiliated. "Boys, you need to apologize to Skip," she admonished in her best parental tone. Her words floated on the wind, failing to penetrate the preoccupied minds of the four mischief makers.
The Stetson patience was sinking fast when Lee climbed the ladder and stomped across the dock. While wringing out his camp t-shirt and pouring water from his shoes, he was treated to the gallant heroics of the honorable Mr. Topping, who now seemed determined to one-up the assistant director.
Looking dapper in his beige Dockers, blue polo shirt, and deck shoes, Bryce poured on the charm for the fair ladies in his care. Using a voice, thick with an exaggerated southern drawl, he delighted the girls with syrupy compliments as he coaxed them toward the boat. The little darlings were soon behaving like beguiled females. Compared to the hooligans that Lee had to handle, they were sugar and spice and everything nice.
Amanda saw the green-eyed monster emerge from two flaring nostrils and intense hazel eyes. Lee's unhappiness was so evident that Francine poked him in the ribs with her elbow and said, "sit on it, Skip."
He huffed so loudly, even the boys nudged each other and snickered.
Bryce was the perfect gentleman as he deftly assisted Amanda into the boat and handed in each giggling girl. The group of females couldn't have looked more serene if they were rowing on Walden's pond in white eyelet dresses and matching sunbonnets, shaded by pink parasols. Bryce definitely came out the winner in this arrangement.
Francine lowered herself into the bow of the boys' boat. Looking like George Washington crossing the Delaware River with his troops, she pointed toward the peninsula. "We're headed for Shady Point," she directed. "Don't tip the boats."
"Race, you," Phillip yelled. "Come on, Skip, let's beat the girls." Lee's strong arms propelled them from the dock, and the boys cheered.
Bryce grumbled as he wrestled the oars into their locks. "Hey, some race. We aren't even out of the gate yet."
Amanda did her best to captain the crew. "Just a little to the left. No, not the right. Left."
"Would you rather row?" Bryce snapped, exhibiting a new unpleasant character trait. With an uneven stroke, his oar jerked upward and splashed the passengers with cold salty water.
The girls responded with screams and protests.
Blotting her face with a towel, Amanda tried to sooth his male pride. "Now you've got it. Just straighten it out a little. That's it. You're getting it."
"Are we almost there?" Julie asked in a grating petulant tone.
"I have to go to the bathroom," Jenny whined, with impeccable timing.
Even Colleen was mumbling quietly in the stern of the boat. "By the time we get to Shady Point, it will be time to come back."
"Have patience, girls," Amanda said, putting on a positive face. It was going to be a long morning. The Stetson rowing crew had definitely left them in their wake.
Better late then never, Bryce rowed the ladies ashore at Shady Point. By then, Lee had the boys swinging from a tree like a group of chimpanzees. A long rope, tied to the gnarled limb of an ancient oak tree, dangled over the bank. It was the perfect vehicle to launch the kids into the swimming hole.
With Francine supervising the ruckus from the deeper end, Lee manned the human missiles from the shore. First Phillip and then Brian took turns flying through the air. Imitating Tarzan, the ape-man, the boys bellowed a call of the jungle and dropped to the water with a huge splash.
"You're next," Lee said, beckoning to the reticent Sean. Plucking the glasses from the boy's face, he set them on a log and handed over the rope. "You can do it, pal." When no protest was forthcoming, the youngster was given a big push. With eyes wide open and legs flailing, he swung through the air and let go at just the right moment.
That left one timid boy on shore. "It's you're turn, sport," Lee said, as he boosted Jamie up on the rope and pulled him back over land. "Are you ready?" he called, before letting go. When the child shook his head, Lee didn't move. "It's okay," he said with calm control. "I'll do it with you." Grabbing on, he placed his hands above Jamie's, leaned his muscular frame behind the skinny torso, and pushed them off the bank. Sailing over water, Lee gave the signal. "Jump," he yelled, as first the man and then the child plunged below the surface.
Coming up for air, Jamie emerged spitting and sputtering. Lee was quickly beside him, engulfing the boy in his strong arms. "You okay, sport?"
Jamie coughed once more and then laughed. "Hey, that was fun. Let's do it again."
Amanda smiled to herself. What happened? Somewhere out on the bay, the tense Lee had embraced his lost youth and found camaraderie with the boys. She'd have loved to witness their male bonding. Whatever caused the transformation, she accepted it gladly. The day was certainly full of surprises.
Bryce interrupted her reverie. "The rope looks old. Do you think it's safe?"
"I hope so." She shook her head in wonder, giving Lee the benefit of the doubt. He'd have checked it out carefully. "I'd hate to be the one to spoil all the fun."
Right on cue, Chuck Harper's rowboat came into view. The waterfront director waved his arms and blew his whistle. Clearly he wanted the kids off the rope.
"Party's over," Lee said, as he moved the boys toward shore.
"Aaaaah," the kids protested, but they didn't have to be told twice. Obediently, they followed their leader.
Francine shrugged her shoulders and waded through the water. If she was afraid of being chastised by her superior, it certainly didn't show. At least not yet. When she reached the shallow end, it was evident her bathing suit left little to the imagination. While the top of her one-piece was within the margin of acceptability, the high leg effect of the bottom was definitely pushing the limits of decency.
More than ready to defend the camp's best interests, Amanda handed Francine her sweat suit and a towel. "You look cold," she said, managing to keep a straight face.
Francine glared at Amanda. "If you think I'm going to 'frump it up' for the rest of the week, you're sadly mistaken." Snagging the towel, she wrapped it around her trim waist, not even trying to appear innocent. "There, are you satisfied?"
"Good idea," Chuck said with a wink as he rowed ashore. "We have to keep our camp image up to standards." In all his hairy and muscular splendor, the tall, dark, and handsome lifeguard jumped from the boat and neatly pulled it ashore.
Amanda shook her head at the incongruity. On the one hand, she enjoyed the view of two bare-chested men - especially the smooth athletic build of her partner. On the other hand, she recognized that women were necessarily held to a higher standard of decency at a children's camp.
Obviously the camp policy annoyed Francine, but it was perfectly acceptable to the modest suburban mom. Whatever sexual freedoms women won in the Sixties' decade of change and upheaval, they seemed of little consequence to Amanda. By choice, she'd missed the revolution.
"Okay, folks," Chuck called, motioning everyone toward a circle of logs. "It's time for a short session on rules and regulations."
Standing in front of his captive audience, Chuck Harper was definitely in charge as he laid out the boundaries. He flung the rope out of reach in a high limb, assigned each child a swimming buddy, and pointed out the trail to the lighthouse on the bluff. "The building is locked, except for the bathrooms. You can explore around the outside, but don't go out on the rocks. If you stand by the grove of trees, you can take some great pictures."
"No one brought cameras," Brian said, shooting his dad a dejected look.
The shyest of the group managed to raise her hand. "Sean and I have a camera." Colleen took an out-dated box camera from her rolled up beach towel and held it up for all to see.
Suddenly the quiet twosome were the most popular kids in town. "Hey, way to go," Phillip shouted, pumping his arm with enthusiasm. "Maybe you can take pictures and send us copies."
"Let's go," Brian yelled, jumping to his feet and prompting the other children to race after him.
"Stay in sight," Chuck cautioned the group.
Amanda didn't hesitate. "I'd better keep an eye on the kids."
Lee and Bryce rose together. "I'll go with you," they said in perfect harmony. Each one gave the other a wry look, but nobody backed off.
"The more the merrier," Amanda offered, wondering if babysitting the children might work better alone. From the way the two men were behaving, they would end up being more hindrance than help.
The little party broke through the trees to the sudden spectacle of the immense lighthouse. Immediately everyone stopped in their tracks and craned their necks as they studied the cylindrical black and white edifice with the red glassed-in lantern room at the very top. The sheer majesty of the building rendered the group mute as they gazed up in awe.
Amanda couldn't help but smile. She felt like one of the six inch tall Lilliputians who discovered the shipwrecked Gulliver on their island, in the book "Gulliver's Travels." "Okay, gang," she announced. "Look around, but stay off the rocks."
Amanda, Lee, and Bryce held court at the foot of the lighthouse, while the children used the rest rooms, took pictures and played tag. Listening to the two strong-willed men volley for alpha male status, Amanda remained quietly neutral, keeping a watchful eye on the kids.
"So, tell me Skip, are you in law enforcement?" Seemingly out of the blue, Bryce's question blindsided his companions. Immediately he commandeered their full attention.
The muscle in Lee's jaw twitched, but he kept his cool. "Law enforcement?"
Amanda studied her feet. She should have warned Lee of Bryce' suspicions, even though she didn't see this coming.
"Well," Bryce continued, "you and Francine Redmond look familiar. I could have sworn the two of you were at Chez Tayir the night some guy riddled the place with an automatic weapon."
"An automatic weapon?" Lee managed to appear appropriately horrified. "You've got to be kidding."
"No, in fact, one of my clients told me there were feds all over the restaurant that night. Seeing you and Francine together today brought back memories."
"That's quite a leap," Lee protested. "We come from entirely different backgrounds. . . ."
Suddenly a commotion from above interrupted the interrogation, and three heads jerked upward.
"Hey, everyone, look at us." Jamie and Sean waved from a window, about halfway up the lighthouse tower.
"What the devil?" Lee caught Amanda's eye. "Damn it, they shouldn't be up there."
"I thought it was locked." Amanda beckoned to the boys, leaving no doubt to her intent. "Come down from there, right this minute."
They ignored her. No sooner did the two disappear from view when three more heads appeared in the window. "Hello, Mrs. King," shouted Colleen, Jenny and Julie, in their sweet, high pitch voices.
Lee moved directly under the window and cupped his hands. "Girls, turn around and start back down."
Without an answer, the children ducked back inside.
Things immediately went from bad to worse. Suddenly, Phillip and Brian waved from the top catwalk. The eldest King boy hollered a greeting. "Hi, Mom. Hi, Skip. Hi, Mr. Topping."
"Boys, get off of there." Amanda tried to keep the panic out of her voice.
"Brian, you're treading on thin ice," his father warned, in a tone that brooked no foolishness.
Phillip dangled a long cylindrical object in his hand. "Mom, we found flares."
"I think they're firecrackers," Brian called. "There's a lighter, too. Can we set them off?"
"No," Bryce shouted, visibly shaken.
"Oh, my God." Lee was off and running, and Amanda was right behind him. Rushing into the lighthouse, they took the spiral staircase at a breathless pace.
"Do you think they found the dynamite?" Amanda asked, panting with every word.
"Hell, yes." Lee grabbed for her hand. Pulling her behind him, he led their ascent, round and round the dark passageway, as they made their way to the top of the tower. By the time they emerged onto the cat-walk, all the children were leaning on the railing.
"Stay calm," Amanda whispered to his back.
Lee nodded and took a breath. "Okay, gang. I want everyone to step away from the railing and put your backs against the wall of the lighthouse."
"Why?" Always the first to object, Phillip didn't budge and neither did anyone else. He crossed his arms against his chest, still clutching his dangerous discovery.
Amanda stood next to Lee. "Sweetheart, just do what Skip told you." She swallowed hard, recognizing the objects in Phillip's hand as two of the missing sticks of dynamite.
Lee inched forward, securing each child against the lighthouse wall. "Phillip, I need you to hand me your 'flares' very carefully."
"Okay." More timid now, the eldest in the group did as he was told.
"And where is the lighter?" Lee asked, motioning toward the Topping boy.
Brian jerked it from behind his back, flicking it open perilously close to the dynamite.
"No," Lee shouted, immediately pulling back. In a flash, he whirled around, cocked his arm and threw the sticks of dynamite out to sea, not even checking to see if Brian had managed to light a fuse. Thankfully, they dropped harmlessly into the water.
The children's eyes grew wide with surprise as Amanda sagged against the wall in relief. Seeing Lee struggling to rein in his emotions, she confronted the boys. "Never, never try to light a fuse to anything," she said with a firm but even tone. "Firecrackers, flares, whatever - they're all dangerous. Do you understand?"
Phillip and Brian nodded mutely, still not clearly grasping the danger they had inflicted on everyone.
Sean seemed to catch on first. "They weren't flares, were they?"
"Just playing it safe, pal." Lee blew out a breath and bent in front of Phillip and Brian. "Now, I need to know where you found the 'flares'."
"They're at the top of the tower, near the signal light," Brian said, pointing with his finger. "There's a whole bag of them."
"I'll show you." Phillip made a move to go, but Lee stopped him with a firm tug on his arm.
"No, chief." He locked eyes with Amanda, and they exchanged a shared sentiment. "First, we get you kids down to the ground."
Suddenly Bryce appeared in the doorway, his face a mask of worry. "What's going on?" he demanded, with too much bluster.
The twins started to cry. "I'm scared," Jenny sobbed, moving away from the wall.
Lee intercepted her and scoped her up in his arms. "Bryce, would you carry Julie?"
"Sure," he said, picking up the other pixie. Putting a hand on his son's shoulder, his stern look gave the boy fair warning. "There are consequences for your actions, young man."
"Bryce, not now," Amanda whispered, dismayed that the cool-under-fire lawyer took such an inopportune time to discipline his son.
Lee motioned to the boys. "Guys, get in line behind Mr. Topping. He'll lead you down the stairs."
"Mom," Jamie whimpered. Pulling away from the others, he leaned into his mother. "Is the stuff going to explode?"
"Shush," she said, wrapping an arm around him. "Everything is fine. We just want you off the catwalk."
Amanda reached for Colleen's hand, but the child seemed frozen in place. "Let's go, sweetie," she coaxed, but there was still no response. She sighed and looked at Lee. "How are we going to get her down?"
"Colleen," he called, but there was still no answer. The girl was too terrified to move. Lee knelt and shifted Jenny to his back. "Hang on tight," he said, as she wrapped her legs around his torso and held his neck with a death grip. Placing a hand on the older girl's shoulder, he nudged her toward the door. "Colleen, both of us will hold onto you, okay?"
The girl remained mute, but she set her feet in motion. With Jamie in the lead, and Lee bringing up the rear, Amanda clutched the child's hand and guided her down the narrow metal staircase. She announced each step in the painstakingly slow process.
"Step down."
"Step down."
"Step down."
The sound of their footsteps echoed noisily through the damp tower, as they carefully made their way to the bottom.
Finally setting their feet on land, they were met by Francine and Chuck, running up the path to the lighthouse. Apparently the two lifeguards had already been alerted by Bryce and the others.
"What's going on?" Chuck demanded, his dark features contorted with concern and anger. "I thought all of you knew the lighthouse was off limits."
"Save it, buddy." Lee set the squirming Jenny on her feet and pulled the traumatized Colleen against his side. "Our biggest concern is getting the kids back to camp."
Francine was immediately elbowing Amanda, silently searching for some kind of explanation.
"The children found the stash of dynamite," Amanda whispered in a raspy voice. "They nearly got themselves killed."
To be continued
