Caught in the Net Page 12

  “That’s what Samantha said, too. I’m being silly, I’m sorry.”

  “Just don’t let her talk you into participating in any of her stunts. She’s a trouble-maker,” Michael grinned.

  Jen smiled back. “I had that feeling about her. I’ll bet she’s a hoot to live with.”

  “Life is certainly not boring with her around. She said you were a bio major. Do you dive?”

  “Yes, but I haven’t had much time since school started. I like surfing, too. ”

  “Me too. What about shopping?”

  “Shopping? I loathe shopping, sorry.”

  “That’s it. I’m keeping you,” Michael laughed. “My sister is terrible with shopping. Poor Rich hasn’t had to play that card yet. What else do you want to share about yourself?”

  “I know this sounds boring, but I’m an old-fashioned farm girl from Kentucky. I have twin eight year old brothers and my parents have been married for 24 years. I want to finish school, start my career and hopefully fall in love, get married and have a dozen kids. Silly, huh?”

  “A dozen?” Michael smiled, liking the girl even more.

  “Maybe not a dozen, but at least four or five would be good. How about you?”

  “If my children are anything like my sister, I’ll settle for two or three,” he laughed loudly. “Like my uncle says, her purpose in life is to keep us in good shape, while making us prematurely gray. She can’t have children, so I get to make up the difference.”

  “She can’t? Why not?” Jen asked gently.

  Michael shrugged. “Long story, but the bottom line is that she was in a severe accident almost a year ago that crushed several organs. That’s one reason I’m glad she met Rich. He doesn’t want kids either, so she doesn’t feel pressured.”

  “I really love how protective you are of her. It’s very noticeable. Is it because of the accident?”

  “No, because she was given to me by my parents as a birthday present. She’s always been my plaything and I never outgrew her. We do everything together and I love it. That is something that I will never allow to change,” he said, watching her reaction.

  “I envy you. My family is fairly close, but I couldn’t stand having the twins around me for more than an hour. They’ve gotten worse since they got older. I’ve always been a bit of a loner in order to keep my sanity. It must be wonderful to have a brother or sister so close to you.”

  “Having her around was really the only sense of normality we had,” Michael explained. “We were raised among hundreds of servicemen, but never with kids our own age. I didn’t even know how to begin thinking like a kid, let alone acting like one. Rich is the first real friend I’ve had in my age range.”

  “Was it hard growing up in that type of environment?”

  “It’s all we’ve ever known. My family is very loving, supportive and protective. We’ve never lacked for affection or discipline. My parents have provided a good balance of both and pushed us to never settle for second best. My mom passed when I was five and left my uncle Scott to take her place. It’s been harder on Sam, being the only female, but Scott raised my mom, so he really helped Dad. You’d like them. They are good people.”

  “They sound wonderful. I can’t wait for the chance to meet them,” Jen whispered, gazing into his eyes. She felt her heart pounding and blushed again.

  “You’re cute when you blush.”

  Jen made a face. “I do that a lot. It doesn’t take much. Sorry.”

  “Please stop apologizing. That’s the first thing we’ll work on, okay?”

  “Okay. Sorry, I mean…” She flushed again as his deep, warm laugh echoed in the room.

  Sam, hearing it, turned. She felt a warmth rise through her. “We’re connecting, I can sense him. He’s happy,” she whispered to Rich.

  “Do you physically sense his emotions or is it in response to his laughter?”

  “I physically sense it. It’s become pronounced since we were integrated. We haven’t found the origin of the synaptic link yet.”

  “Maybe it’s chemical instead of electric. Similar to the pheromones. Have you looked into that?’

  Sam stared at him. “Oh shit, you might be right! Come on!”

  “No, we are on a date. And your parents said no swearing. You’re in trouble.” Rich grabbed her hand, pulling her next to his body.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, looking up into his eyes. “Oh really? And what are you going to do about it?” she whispered, batting her lashes.

  Rich hummed, thinking, his arms wrapped around her snugly. “I think I might have to put you across my knee and give that gorgeous little bottom a good spanking,” he whispered back.

  “That wasn’t what I wanted to hear.”

  “Of course not, but then did you think I would reward bad behavior with something else? Like a kiss?” he mumbled into her lips.

  “That would be much better, don’t you agree?”

  “Nope. Let’s get back.” He kissed her quickly before abruptly breaking away.

  She scowled. “And you call me a tease.”

  They returned to the table, noticing that Jen and Michael were sitting closer together. They looked up as the couple approached.

  “Are you two up for taking a walk on the beach? It’s nice outside,” Rich asked, holding the chair out for Sam.

  “That sounds great. Jen?” Michael asked.

  “Oh yes, please.”

  “Mike!” Sam tugged at his sleeve. “Rich thinks our connection might be chemical! We need to sample…”

  “On a date. Not working. Turn it off, sis.”

  “I can’t. Besides, you need to protect me. Rich is being mean.”

  “I doubt that. I’m not even going to ask what you did.” Michael smiled, kissing her forehead as he stood and helped Jen out of her chair. Sam stuck her lower lip out in a pout, which Michael pushed right back in. “A seagull is going to land and poop on that.”

  “Bite me,” she grumbled half-heartedly. Michael obliged, laughing as she yelped. Their play made both Jen and Rich laugh loudly and look at each other.

  “Is this typical of them?” Jen asked.

  “The whole family is bat crack crazy. You’ll have an easier time than I did when you meet their parents. All they could think of was ordering Sam not to grow up,” Rich snickered, reaching his hand for his girlfriend’s.

  She rubbed her neck where her brother had chomped. “That hurt. You wait, mister, I know where you sleep.”

  “Ooo, I’m scared. Actually,” he whispered to Rich and Jen, “I am. Lord knows what I’m going to wake up next to.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Jen asked.

  “Last time I received that threat, there was a baby skunk under my covers. Dad was not happy.”

  “Oh my…” Jen smiled, eyes twinkling as the bright, full moon shined on her face.

  The four got into Michael’s car to drive to the cove. Without hesitation, his sister tossed her shoes in the car and ran out to the water. The other three followed her slowly.

  “Isn’t it cold?” Jen asked, kicking off her shoes and sticking her toe in the surf.

  “It’s heaven. Rich, join me.”

  “I’m not getting wet tonight,” Rich said, watching Jen wade out to join the girl. The boys listened to them laughing.

  “I don’t think she’s ever had a female friend,” Michael stated, walking slowly along the sand.

  “It’s good for her. Uh oh, do you see what I see?” Rich said, pointing to the waves.

  Michael squinted then groaned. “Oh boy. Sam, bring Jen out. You have a visitor coming,” Michael ordered.

  Pausing, his sister turned to look at the water, and then grabbed Jen’s hand to pull her out of the surf. “Don’t worry, just stand back. He’ll soak you.”

  “What are you… OH!” Jen shrieked as Ton launched himself onto the beachhead, wiggling and snapping to ground himself. Sam waited for him to drop his fluke and approached him with a kiss. “Hi baby. Is everyth
ing okay?”

  Ton imaged a large mass of squid and some swirling. He had fed well and was content. He also imaged the new pod member standing fearfully next to Michael. Sam imaged a mate. Ton opened his mouth, snapping his jaws.

  “Don’t scare her. She’s not like Rich. I’ll see, okay? Jen? Ton wants to meet you.”

  Jen stood frozen in place, disbelieving what she was witnessing. She looked up at Michael, seeing the calm comfort in his eyes. “Are you kidding me?”

  “Welcome to our world, Miss Carter. I’ll go with you…”

  “NO!” was imaged sharply in his mind. He looked at Ton. “Did you just tell me ‘no’?” he asked his sister.

  She shook her head. “Not me. Ton. He wants to taste her. Jen, please trust me. Take my hand.”

  The girl was trembling as she reluctantly moved forward, accepting Sam’s outstretched palm. Holding her hand, she placed it on Ton’s smooth, rubbery skin. He squealed then snorted.

  “You’re tickling him.”

  “You act like you two really talk,” Jen said, relaxing as she stroked him harder.

  “We do. Okay, he’s happy. One more thing…”

  “Samantha! Don’t you dare!” both Michael and Rich ordered, as the whale opened his mouth. She ignored them as she placed her hand on his tongue and rubbed the length of it.

  “Look at those teeth… I don’t know.”

  “I’ll keep my hand here. Go on. Just the tip where his taste buds are,” Sam urged. Jen squatted, closing her eyes, and inserted her hand into his mouth. Ton whistled, wiggling happily. He liked her. Sam smiled. “He thinks you’re tasty. That means he likes you. I need to get him back into the water; he’s drying a bit. Let’s go, my friend.”

  The sand pocket was smooth and easy for the whale to return to open sea. Jen stood ankle deep in the surf, just staring. She turned to Michael, awed. She suddenly grew aware of the other onlookers at the beach and blushed furiously. “I, uh… Michael, take me home please.”

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, putting his arm around her shoulders. It felt good, safe. She suddenly understood how his sister felt with him.

  “I hate being the center of attention. I want to hide.”

  “Do you really want to go home, or just disappear from these people?” he asked with concern, seeing the observers flood Sam and Rich with questions.

  “Disappear. I like being with you.”

  “Okay, let me take care of this. Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m Lt. Quimby of the National Mammal Research Division. This is a military training exercise and we would appreciate it, if you would please disperse so that we may continue our work. Thank you.” His voice boomed. Jen shrunk into his arm, stunned by his confidence. Without a sound, the people scattered. He squeezed her gently. “Better?”

  “Yes, thank you. Can you tell me what just happened? Does she have a PET killer whale?”

  “Ton is nobody’s pet. He is a wild animal with more intelligence than we can begin to understand. I can’t go into details with you because of security, but you have to believe me when I tell you, she has this weird natural affinity with cetaceans. This is part of her research. Rich and I have the job of trying to make it more accessible.”

  “I put my hand in its mouth. All I could think of is that it would bite my arm off.” She shuddered.

  “Think of how we feel when my crazy sister lies across his jaws. He’s a giant killing machine with sharp teeth and she treats him like a hammock. We have to trust her when she says he will not harm anyone in her pod. That means her family and friends.”

  “I just can’t believe your dad lets her do it.”

  “He doesn’t care for it, but it’s impossible to stop her. You’ll see soon enough if you hang around with us. I told you she was a handful. Let’s walk a bit,” he said, picking up her shoes for her and taking her hand. He glanced back at his sister, she was arguing with Rich.

  “You need to stop doing that to people. You scared the hell out of that poor girl,” Rich said, frowning.

  Sam put her hands on her hips. “I did what Ton asked me to do. It guaranteed her safety. And you can’t tell me what to do.”

  “Don’t get stubborn with me, short stuff. I know how it feels to have my hand in that mouth. You’re gonna mess things up with Mike.”

  “I am not. They really like each other. And who are you calling short stuff?” She glared up into his face.

  “Do you see anyone else around who barely touches the 5’2” mark? Are you even tall enough to go on a roller coaster?”

  “I hate roller coasters. They scare me.”

  “They what? Is this coming from the girl who dives 500 feet into canyons and flies helos like they were stunt planes? Who puts her whole body in a killer whale’s mouth? Roller coasters scare you?” Rich started laughing.

  She scowled. “I have no control when I’m in them. Don’t laugh at me or I’ll forget I’m a lady and kick your ass right here and now.”

  “That sounds like a challenge. Think you have a chance?”

  “Yes.” She lifted her chin with the tilt she inherited from her father.

  Rich put his finger on her nose. “Are you aware of my background in hand to hand?”

  “Does it matter? I’m a Special Forces officer. I have multiple black belt ratings.”

  “You need to take a look at my records before you go there. I think I could very easily give you a run for your money. And don’t think I would hold back because you’re a girl.”

  “I get close to beating Mike when we spar,” came the stubborn answer.

  Rich shrugged. “I like healthy competition. However, we need to put a wager on this. If you win, what do you want?”

  “You need to take me shopping. For shoes.”

  Rich groaned. Michael had warned him. “Very well. And if I win?”

  “What do you want?”

  “Well, I can’t have what I really want just yet, and that’s to ravage your body. So I’ll settle for the next best thing. You will submit yourself and be obedient to my command for an entire day. Failure to do so will result in immediate punishment.”

  “You kinky bastard,” the girl grinned.

  Rich shook his finger at her. “Next time you swear I’ll tell your uncle. Well? Is it a deal?”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Are you backing down?”

  “No. I’m just surprised that you’re so kinky.” She was smiling, liking the idea.

  “You have no idea,” Rich smiled back. “I’ll give you 24 hours to think about it and look at my background. We’ll decide on Sunday.”

  “Okay. You still can’t tell me what to do,” she giggled, grabbing his arm.

  Rich kissed the top of her head. “Watch me.”

  Chapter 9

  Sam giggled, watching her brother kiss Jen good night. The girl positively melted in his strong arms. She elbowed Rich. “Looks like they have some chemistry too. He’s going to owe me big time for this.”

  “Just don’t scare her off. He’d never forgive you.”

  “If I did that, then they weren’t meant for each other. Hey, bro! So, I gather I did well.”

  “You, my dearest baby sister, did great. I really like that lady. She wants to double again. No fucking killer whales next time!” he added sternly, starting his car to take Rich back to base.

  “I didn’t call him and you know it. Tell Rich I didn’t make up Ton’s requests. He thinks I was just trying to scare her.”

  “Not this time. This was Ton’s doing. But you could have explained her fear to him. She wanted to leave after that. Plus all those people really intimidated her. Sam, I really like this girl. Help me, okay?”

  “I can only be who I am. But, if it makes you feel better, I like her too. Unless she gives me a good reason, I won’t chase her off or have Ton eat her.”

  “I guess I should thank you for that. Do you guys want to take the boat out Sunday? Maybe have a picnic on one of the islands?”

  “I think that�
��s asking for trouble, Mike. You know damn well SOMEONE will pull a doozy, and it might involve more than a killer whale,” Rich warned. “Speaking of trouble, would you believe that same little someone is challenging ME to a sparring match?” He told him of the wager as well.

  “What? Samantha, are you nuts? So you have any idea what this man can do?”

  “I guess not,” she answered, hearing the tone in her brother’s voice that meant business. “Would you care to enlighten me?”

  “He can beat me in the ring. Even with your cheating and your speed, I don’t think you stand a chance. I’ve started training with him. I think that would be a good idea for you too.”

  “Oh shit.”

  “Mike, that’s the third time she’s sworn tonight. I told her I was going to tell your uncle if I heard it again. He specifically charged me to watch her for that.”

  “I have a better solution. Deal with her yourself since you heard it. Make her think twice,” Michael commented.

  His sister hissed. “I don’t need you telling my boyfriend to start dealing with me, Michael Scott! And I don’t need a boyfriend who thinks he can boss me around.”

  “Oh my, got your Irish up, didn’t we? Samantha, I love you, but that is exactly what you need. Now sit back and be quiet,” Michael ordered. “So back to Sunday, any ideas?”

  “I do have one. Do you have access to a plane?”

  “Of course. I’m licensed, too.”

  “Me too. Let’s take the girls somewhere special. We can talk later about where.” Rich said, glancing in the back seat at his pouting girlfriend.

  “Good idea. I need to go check on some things in engineering. I’ll be back in a few minutes. You,” he said to his sister, as he parked in Rich’s driveway on base, “Stay here and behave.”

  “Fine,” she pouted, getting out of the car and following Rich into the house. They heard Michael drive away as Rich turned on the lights.

  “What’s gotten into you tonight?” he asked, handing her a glass of iced tea.

  She perched on a chair and shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m sorry. I can be bratty at times.”