New Beginnings

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Blake dropped anchor at one of the small bays around Motutawa, this was the maiden voyage for the new boat aptly named Second Chance by Jack. Alex emerged from the interior cabin, dressed in khaki cargo shorts and a navy-blue polo shirt, hell, if she didn’t make khaki the sexiest colour on the planet! With her sunglasses shielding her eyes from sun glare off the water, and her hair gathered into a loose ponytail, she would still rival any model on a catwalk. The trip from Orapiu, where the boat was moored across to Motutawa took less than twenty minutes even with the tide running against them and Blake was happy with the way the boat handled the open water.

“She’s a nice boat,” Alex remarked, “Can’t believe that guy didn’t want her. Still, his loss, your gain.”

“That’s right.” He leaned over the stern and pulled the dinghy in and stepped onto the platform, the water sloshing around his bare feet the launch rocked gently. With the dinghy secured up close he pulled lifted their backpacks, “If you get in, I’ll just load our gear onto the dinghy and secure the interior of the boat.”

“Already done!” She held up the keys, dropping them into his hand as she leaned over to get into the dinghy, a faint hint of her shampoo filling his senses as she did so. he caught After Jack had gone off to school they had showered together, taking turns to lather one another with soap before Alex demanded more than just soap, threatening to wash his hair with her shampoo! Stepping into the dinghy, he centered his weight and set the outboard going and headed for shore.

“Which way do you want to walk?” he asked once he’d pulled the dinghy well up onto the sand and handed Alex her backpack. His own weighed a ton, but he was only carrying it for a short distance. “We could go round the point that way, which will take us to the wharf area, or we can go up there,” he pointed to a grassy track leading to an area that housed several small chalets, accommodation left over from the island’s heyday as a holiday destination.

“Round towards the wharf because I think the tide will be on its way in when we’re coming back.”

“Good thinking.”

“What are you planning on doing with those chalets up on the ridge?” Alex asked, carefully picking her way over rocks and toward the headland.

“Apparently they can be dismantled, because that’s how they were brought out here when the island was first developed as a holiday destination.”

“You’re not thinking of dismantling them yourself, are you?”

He laughed, “Not a chance. No, the guy who sold me the boat asked the same question because he knows someone who might be interested in buying them.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. Although, I have to say, a building inspection would be needed because they’ve fallen into disrepair and probably need a lot of work. Also, there is the matter of transporting them, the cost of a barge is not cheap.”

“In the meantime?”

Blake shrugged, he’d been wondering that same thing on the way over, “To be honest I don’t know. I’d be happy to give them away, I don’t need them, and I don’t need the money.”

“It’s a pity they can’t be used for the homeless or as a shelter for victims of domestic violence, a women’s shelter, that sort of thing.”

Now that was a good idea setting his mind whirring with potential scenarios. He grabbed her hand and together they walked in silence, rounding the northern most point of the island then heading west, past the wharf and further accommodation which was not salvageable.  Since coming over to the island on a regular basis, the evidence that high tides had come all the way up into this area and what had been the reception area and general store, causing significant damage was becoming more and more obvious to him.

“Those signs look good,” Alex pointed to the warning signs rangers had put up around the island and on the wharf.

“Yeah, I hope they’re effective.”

They walked in the direction of the storage shed and he was relieved to see the new chain and padlock Dan Martin had installed was still in place. Cautious by nature however, Blake had a new heavy-duty chain and lock, with a planned return on the weekend with Xavier, Hunter, and the boys, bringing a new heavy-duty door, security door and deadbolt lock. Second Chance would be loaded up on Friday evening with an early start on Saturday. Together, they removed Dan’s chain and padlock and ventured into the shed for another look around, pushing open the sliding door as well to give them added light. Alex dug in her pack and pulled out the flashlight she’d packed, handing it to him.

“You’re reading my mind now, I like how you think, Porter. This will let us take a good look in those corners.” He pointed to the two furthest corners that, even with both doors open, remained in virtual darkness. Pulling her close he kissed her,

“Don’t think I mentioned it before, but you in khaki is a definite turn on.”

“Glad I’m able to keep the fire burning,” came her quick response.

He laughed, “It’s more than a fire, Alex, it’s a fricking inferno!”

Blake swept the light into the back corners of the shed and discovered a few power tools and gardening tools.

“These are good brands,” Alex noted, “Do you think the tide has come in here?”

“No. This is set back further than the store and reception area, plus it’s a little higher up, not much, but that has almost certainly helped.”

They moved closer and two rats darted out, blinded by the light, and scaring the living daylights out of them,

“Jesus, I hate rats!” Blake said, his skin covered in goosebumps.

“Me too. I suppose that was Ma and Pa rat and no doubt there are little rats?”

“Yeah, the rangers were worried about that. Boaties have been coming here, dropping anchor for the day, have a picnic, leave all their rubbish and the rats are dancing in the moonlight when they leave.”

“Solution?”

“Unfortunately, the rats can’t stay, not if we hope to repopulate the island with Kereru and other native species. While visitors will be encouraged to bring a picnic lunch, there won’t be any bins for rubbish, nor can they bring their household pets.”

“That’s the same for most of these islands, people can have a picnic, but they need to take their rubbish home with them. From memory I think Rangitoto has been pest free now for several years which in turn has led to larger numbers of seabirds calling it home.

They shifted some boxes, finding food items that would have been sold in the store,

“All of this will have to go because this has no doubt been a banquet for those bloody rats.” He let the flashlight beam probe in behind some of the boxes and Marron gasped because the floor was covered in open packets of rice, dried vegetables and other dry consumables, there were also more than a few cans of baked beans and canned vegetables.

“I can’t believe this wasn’t cleared out when the last venture failed, it looks as though they simply walked down to the wharf, took the last ferry and that was that.”

“Do you know when it finally went belly up?

Shaking her head, Alex said, “Not entirely sure, I think a guy bought it in the nineties and he lived on it and then it was sold again. A shame really, it was ahead of its time and as you know, New Zealand weathered some tough financial times in the eighties, I suppose it all coincided with international destinations were becoming more appealing.”

“It is a shame because this was a nice place to bring kids for a holiday, safe beaches, a swimming pool, loads of activities.”

“Did they bring you here?”

“Just the once, I was bored out of my head because I wasn’t allowed to mix with the regular kids. All I really wanted to do was take photos and eventually they got tired of me moping around and set me free for the last two days.”

Alex laughed, “Well now you own it, and you can have much fun here as you want!”

Blake stopped walking and stepped in front of her,

“We, Alex, we will have fun here. Whether it’s you and me or you, me and Jack or the whole gang for that matter, this will always be fun.”

“I’m guessing you have different interpretations of fun?”

“Correct. You and I for example, our fun will definitely be the private kind of fun.”

“Ooh, Mr Forrester, I like the sound of that.”

“Me too. But business first today. Do you want to stop here for a snack and a drink, or do you want to keep going?”

Alex beamed up at him, her eyes sparkling, “Why don’t we check out what else is in here, then have a break before we investigate the reception area.”

They walked to the other end where a tarpaulin covered something bulky, so Blake pulled it down to reveal another golf cart, outdoor tables and chairs, a billiard table, and items such as old telephones, radios, kitchen utensils and a mountain of crockery.

“I wonder if the Salvos or a similar organisation would like the crockery and kitchen stuff, I mean it’s kind of ugly, but they might be able to use it in their soup kitchens or drop-in centres.”

“It’s a good thing you’re with me because I wouldn’t have thought of that,” he replied, unable to peel his gaze of this woman who he’d come to -,” What? Come to what? His chest tightened. All this time he had been slowly sliding into uncharted territory. The one with love at its core. He loved Jack, that wasn’t in dispute and when he thought about it, the visceral response he had to Alex was so deep, almost a yearning to have her in his life. No doubt Tom would offer some sage advice on whether he was in love or simply lust, he would just have to wait. Did Alex love him? What if she didn’t? And remember what the two of you agreed, a little voice in his head reminded him. Friends first.

“Blake? Are you feeling alright, you seem a little pale?”

“Do I?  I’m good. In fact, I would go so far as to say I’m extremely good, healthy, well!”

He picked her up and twirled her around,

“Blake! Stop! What if you’re having a medical event?”

He laughed, “I’m not. Come on, we can check this place out properly once we’ve had something to eat and drink. You did make coffee, didn’t you?”

“That I did.”

Sitting in the same spot Alex sat in a week or so earlier, Alex unwrapped sandwiches and poured coffee from a thermos, handing him a cup.

“A second golf cart will come in handy, as long as you can get the generator working.” Alex noted, clasping her hands around the cup from the top of the thermos, “Can we get into the reception area and the store?”

Blake dug in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys,

“Once we’ve finished eating, we can secure the new chain and look over the reception area.”

Blake lifted the new chain from his pack along with the padlock and laid them on the ground. He drank the last of his coffee, ate the last sandwich and put his cup out for a refill, their hands touching, sending what felt like a bolt of electricity through him. He was done, wasn’t he? That wasn’t a normal reaction to touching hands, that much he did know. Alex gathered the empty lunch boxes, dropping them into her backpack. Blake got to his feet, but he was too late getting to the chain because Alex lifted it and dropped it, shaking her hands.

“Yikes, that’s heavy!” How did you manage to carry that all the way round here?”

“I’m a strong boy although I’ll be happy not to have to carry it up the hill.”

Confident the shed was secure, they walked down to what had been the reception area and after trying several keys, eventually found the one that unlocked the door.

“This will be the information centre once it’s all up and running, visitors will be given maps to explore the trails we’re going to create and if they would rather explore the island on their own, that will be fine as well. The island is small, only sixty acres so the trails will be limited to a point. When they book their ticket, either online or at the Ferry Building, they will get information about the no rubbish rule and again, when they get their map, that will be reinforced.”

“Wow, you’ve really put a lot of work into this already.”

“Well, it’s not as though I’m a pioneer in Eco-tourism, the other islands nearby are offering similar experiences. I’m still tossing up whether to install a caretaker but something like that isn’t at the top of my things to do list.”

“I bet the to do list is pretty long?”

“Not really. However,” he dropped his voice, “The fantasy about having fun in private has definite potential in here,” he said, looking around the drab surroundings.

Alex burst out laughing, “Yes, well, Ma and Pa Rat will need to move on as will all of their offspring but,” she perched on the edge of a desk crossed her legs and batted her eyelids, “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to get down and dirty on a desk, or over a desk for that matter.”

Yeah, with Alex perched on that desk, the khaki cargo pants, and those delicious legs, it was so worth considering.

“Excellent idea and you’re correct about Ma and Pa because the children might be damaged for life if we were to have fun in here.”

“I’m not worried about Ma and Pa’s children, Blake, I’m concerned for our welfare because who knows what might happen if we were interrupted by the rat family.”

Their laughter filled the empty rooms, bouncing off the walls and Blake realised he had never been happier than he was in that moment.

Alex cracked two eggs into a bowl, eggs from the misbehaving hens she had rescued from Caroline Pugh and relocated at Marron’s. According to Marron, both hens were now laying so there were plenty of eggs. Blake had returned to Devonport for a couple of days, and she couldn’t escape the feeling he was holding something back from her. That one moment on Motutawa where he seemed to freeze, had her worried even though he’d assured her there was no health problem for her to be concerned about. Anyway, he was due back later so she was baking for him Afghans even though her mother will have made a box full. The last two weeks had been crazy with work starting in earnest on Motutawa and they had gone out to Deans Point to look at the site of the new winery. It was at the southernmost tip of the island, with no sealed road and as a result quite remote from the rest of the island community. Adjacent to the property was a conservation area, a bird habitat where little blue penguins were protected as well as a few other seabirds. But the task was huge, there was almost no native vegetation left and she had no idea how to save the olive trees. They weren’t in her area of expertise, so she reminded Xavier that the olive trees at St Lucia had been in bad shape when he first purchased the property and whatever he did to them had worked out fine in the long run.

When the security intercom buzzed, Alex frowned because nobody she knew used that thing Blake had insisted on installing following the attack. She peered at the screen and recoiled, her hand on her mouth. Arlene Winchester was at her front door! Think, Alex, think! Doing the only thing that made any sense to her, she grabbed her phone and hit Blake’s number.

“Hey, sexy lady, what’s up?”

“Blake, the security intercom buzzed and when I checked the screen, Arlene Winchester is at the door.”

“f**k!” He exclaimed and she sensed the anger and fear in him. “Alex, make sure the ranchsliders around the deck are secure, pull those gauzy curtains, that will make it difficult for her to see in if she manages to get through the security gate at the side.”

With her phone to her ear, she quickly checked the ranchsliders, panic filling her when she found one that was unlocked, then she pulled the curtains across.

“Alex?”

“I’m here, I’ve secured the ranchsliders and drawn the curtain. I was baking so I’ll turn the oven off and put the dough in the fridge.”

“Good thinking. I’m going to call Xavier and Hunter, okay? Don’t worry, babe, you’re safe.”

The endearment caught her by surprise because she’d come to realise in their “friends first” zone, she at least had tried not to use endearments in case Blake caught on to how she felt about him.

 “Right,” she murmured, peering at the screen again, Arlene was still there, and Alex jumped when the buzzer sounded again.

“What happened?” he asked.

“She’s still there, I got a fright when she pushed the intercom again.”

“I’m making that call to Xav and Hunter and then I’ll call you back. Put your phone on mute.”

“Will do.”

Alex made her way tentatively to her bedroom which, being on the third level of the house had a good view of the lawn area and down onto the shoreline. Blake had sailed down to Devonport and Second Chance was currently at Motutawa, so the bay was empty of either the yacht or the motor launch, making it look as though nobody was home. She might have relaxed a little at that thought if a small motorboat hadn’t cruised into the bay, making Alex sear with rage at the same time she caught sight of Arlene on the deck, trying all the ranchsliders.

“b***h!” Alex muttered, why the hell couldn’t these people leave Blake alone?

She watched as Arlene sauntered down to the sand and waited for a Zodiac launched from the other boat to reach the shoreline. Two men jumped out and had a conversation with Arlene who was pointing and waving, her voice becoming louder and louder. Her phone vibrated in her hand.

“Alex?”

“She got through the gate, tried all the ranchsliders and now she’s down on the beach. I’ll tell you something else, Blake. I think the guys who attacked you are here; they came in a Zodiac.”

“Bastards,” he spat out, “Xav and Hunter ought to be with you any minute. Just hang in there.”

“I am. I won’t lie, I was freaking spooked to begin with but I’m calming down now. Now that I hear your voice.”

“That’s my girl. Can you see the guys?”

Alex craned her neck and when she saw Hunter approaching from the track which ran between the vineyard and her place. relief washed over her. But her relief was short-lived when Arlene’s thugs and Arlene herself confronted him, their intent was clear and that made her heart pound heavily. Would Hunter be able to take both of those guys on? She didn’t want him to put himself in a situation where he would be injured.

“Hunter has arrived. But those guys are getting aggressive toward Hunter. Oh, thank God! Xavier’s here!” she told Blake, “You won’t believe it, but Arlene is acting like some sort of femme fatale, it’s laughable.

“Have those thugs backed down?”

“Not yet. Should I take some photos of this?”

“Absolutely! We can press charges now the order is broken.”

Switching her phone to camera mode, Alex took a series of photos, zooming in on Arlene and getting two good snaps of the thugs. She went downstairs to the basement and from the small window she was able to take a few more photos before returning upstairs.

“I got quite a few, including a nice close up of Heckle and Jekyll.”

“Good work. Do you have an update on what’s happening?”

“Xavier is getting mad; believe me they do not want to piss Xavier off! Oh, now Hunter and Xavier are taking photos of their boat, the Zodiac and of Arlene who has reverted to true character and is spewing out the most unladylike language. Imagine that!”

She heard Blake laugh softly, “Yeah, if we can prove she’s a lying, conniving b***h, all the better.”

“Hunter’s waiting on the beach, making sure those guys leave and Xavier is escorting Arlene to the drive.”

Alex moved toward the front door, Arlene’s voice was loud,

“I know that witch lives here! Tell her to get outside, I’ve got plenty to say!”

“Just keep moving, lady,” Xavier instructed, “To the best of my knowledge, you’ve broken the intervention order these people have.”

“Bullshit!” she screamed, and Alex slumped against the wall. That woman truly was batshit crazy.