The Most Valuable Gift

Ed smiled at that. It was true. She is.

"I- I reacted badly when I saw you with her. I judged you harshly." The sad look was back.

"I'd like us to get past this. What can I do to make you believe that I forgive you?" Ed asked.

She snorted with a grin and looked at the table's surface. The waitress brought Ed's food and asked Tristan if she wanted anything. She just ordered a glass of water.

Once they were alone again Tristan looked at Ed with a mischievous smile. "You could give me some french fries. Then I'd know you've truly forgiven me."

"MY FRENCH FRIES!?! YOU ASK TOO MUCH!" Ed gasped in mock outrage.

Tristan burst into giggles and Ed pushed his plate towards her.

She took some and hummed happily as she ate the crispy fries. The waitress returned immediately with her water and Tristan thanked her.

Ed dug into the burger and smiled as his taste buds came alive. He made quick work of the burger and Tristan watched in awe.

"You must have really worked up an appetite-" she froze as she suddenly recalled what he and Rachel had been doing. "So where is Rachel?" she said then bit her traitorous tongue.

Ed blushed and looked at the woman across from him. "Taking a nap. Where is Dale?"

"Taking a nap- not because we had sex- I mean, he likes to take a nap in the afternoon. He says it helps him to be sharp at dinner." Tristan was beet red and had twisted the paper napkin into shreds.

"Not awkward. At all," Ed smiled.

Tristan burst into giggles once more and relaxed. "I'm really looking forward to meeting the rest of Rachel's friends. Can you tell me about them?"

"Sure! I think Angie is Rachel's best friend though she also hangs out with Zoe. The three of them can be pretty wild together I'm told. Angie's husband used to be a rock star but he got sick and died. She's a lovely woman. She has a daughter named Isabelle who was going to University but isn't right now. Zoe also has a daughter but she's in prison right now for kidnapping and assault & battery."

"Oh my god! Who did she kidnap?" Tristan gasped.

"Me."

"What?!?"

"It was for a sorority house or... something like that? She drugged me and put me in restraints so she could use me to frighten the new pledges. The drugs were really rough on me and I was off work for a week. I understand her father was a bad influence on her. He's serving a life sentence for murder I think. But Zoe isn't like that at all. She's... she's..." Ed's heart and mind were doing flips when he thought about Zoe. "I'm having trouble describing her but you'll like her. I hope I haven't frightened you off. Zoe's good people too!"

Tristan was staring at Ed in shock. He'd been tortured by the woman's daughter and he was still having a relationship with her. Her curiosity was going through the roof!

"Stephanie and Carolyn are best friends that live in the neighborhood and hang out with us. Stephanie has four wonderful kids but her husband cheated on her multiple times so she's divorced now. She's so full of life and fun! She really likes movies." Ed suddenly blushed as he thought he might have said too much. Tristan watched this with interest.

"Carolyn was an anthropologist and lived in the jungle with tribes when she was younger. She has an awesome tattoo on her back which is the only written record of a lost tribe's language. She writes books now. She has two kids and her husband recently died. He was badly beaten by the friends of the lady boys he was having sex with in Thailand. He died of his injuries. That means Carolyn is a widow. She's really smart and very nice because she never makes me feel dumb!"

Ed frowned in thought for a second then looked at Tristan once more. "Sometimes another neighbor hangs out with us. She owns the first home on the street. Mishka Shyamalan. She's a surgeon at the hospital. She told me she's the best one there. She's dating Grace's best friend Heather. They're a really cute couple!"

"Oh Ed, now I really want to meet them! They sound wonderful!" Tristan gushed with a big smile.

"There was another neighbor whose name is Victoria. I thought we'd be adding her to our group but her husband was a very bad man. He was a judge but he'd killed a man! He was apparently not very nice to her either. He was going to kill me as he thought I was having an affair with her. In the end Victoria shot him dead and now I think she's in prison too."

"You weren't in a relationship with her?" Tristan asked.

"No! She was married and had two daughters! I'd never break up a marriage." Ed said vehemently.

Tristan saw Ed had a strong moral compass even if it didn't always conform to societies rules. She snatched another fry from his plate and he fake scowled at her menacingly. She winked at him and thought about how he brightened up talking about the kids.

"Do you want kids of your own?" she asked.

"Yeah, one day. If Grace wants one," he answered.

"I think you'd make a great dad," she said honestly watching him accept the compliment with a shy nod and smile.

"What about you?" he asked.

Tristan winced and Ed immediately felt horrible for opening his mouth. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that."

"No, fair's fair. I asked you the same question," she said. "We tried a few years ago but... it didn't work."

He nodded and they both looked out at the beach.

"I've never been to a beach before today." Ed said quietly. He was thinking of Grace and wishing she was here to join them. He would have to bring her on a tropical vacation one day.

"Never?"

He shook his head. "We never had any money to travel and there are no beaches where I live. I've never flown anywhere. I've never been on an island before. This is the first time I've been away from home." Suddenly a wave of homesickness washed over him and he gasped as he gripped the edge of the table.

Tristan recognized what he was experiencing as she'd gone through the same thing when she and Dale first moved away from her friends and family. A sense of displacement. She reached across the table and took his hand. "It's OK, Ed. This feeling goes away. Home is still there and you will go back to it soon. You're just feeling a little disconnected. It happens. I've felt that way too. Listen to my voice. Concentrate on what I'm saying to you."

Ed's pale blue eyes fastened on hers and she suddenly felt his full attention locking on her. It was almost tangible. She needed him to come back to the now.

"Feel the breeze on your face. Feel the heat. The table feels smooth under your hand-"

"Your hand is strong but very soft. Your rings are hard and smooth. Your eyes are blue but flecked with gold..." he seemed to relax then he looked around like he was waking up. He glanced at his hand in hers and pulled his hand back with a blush. He looked at the time. "I think I'd better go wake up Rachel so she can get ready for the party. Are you and Dale going to be there?"

She smiled at him. "Yes, we'll be there. Don't let him trick you into drinking the hard stuff!" she teased.

He grinned. "I read they're serving punch. I should be safe with that."

"Oh boy," she thought.

They got up and went their own ways. Tristan walked slowly back to her room to give herself time to think. She really had been completely wrong about Ed. He was as innocent and genuine as Rachel said. She couldn't pin down what it was about him that made her immediately want to protect him. It was a ludicrous concept considering his size. That thought brought her back to that moment when she first hugged him by the beach. He was a large man in more than one way. Dale was also a large man so she knew what she was feeling. No doubt Rachel enjoyed his attentions. The old pang surfaced as she thought about Ed's question about children. While she kept it from her husband she really did want a child of her own. To feel it grow inside her. To bring it into the world.

She savagely pushed that thought aside. It wasn't meant to be.

-=-

The manager's rum punch party wasn't what Ed expected at all and the punch was strong! He'd had two already and his head felt funny.

He saw Dale and Tristan coming down the path and he smiled and waved, spilling some of his drink. They grinned back at him.

"I see he's found the rum punch." Tristan smiled at Rachel who was absolutely glowing tonight.

"Yes and he's stopping at two," she stated in her no-argument voice with a hint of a smile.

Ed bowed his head in fake shame. "They said it was punch!"

Tristan giggled and Rachel relaxed. Something had passed between her and Ed. The hesitation, the holding back was gone. She was open to Ed now and Rachel was able to relax. Dale was also relaxed and looked splendid in his black linen shirt and white linen pants. Very dapper for a manager's party. Ed was also very sharply dressed in his tan explorer's shirt and khaki pants. Rachel had on her gold cocktail dress which drew Ed's gaze frequently as well as other nearby eyes. Tristan looked splendid in her red cocktail dress as it showed off her shapely, long legs.

The new arrivals were handed their rum punches and Ed gracefully refused a replacement for his empty glass.

"What do people do at a Manager's Rum Punch Party?" Ed asked looking around at the other guests milling about. "Is this it?"

"It's a chance to mingle and meet new people. I believe the Manager actually makes an appearance and greets the guests." Dale replied.

Ed asked a passing waitress for a glass of water. She returned with one in moments and he thanked her.

Rachel gave him a smile and he winked back.

The Manager took that moment to arrive and he did give a short speech welcoming everyone to the resort and ran through a list of activities they would be offering. Ed perked up when they mentioned going on a cruise. There was a party boat and a catamaran cruise. Either appealed to Ed. He just liked the idea of going for a ride on a boat. Once the manager was done they decided to head over to the dining room. They got a table for four overlooking one of the pools. Very few people were in the pool at this hour. They looked over the menu and placed their orders. Ed decided to try some fish and Dale recommended the grouper.

Once the group was alone again Ed looked around the table. "Anyone interested in those cruises they offered?"

Rachel nodded as did Tristan. Rachel said the catamaran as Tristan said the party boat. They chuckled.

"OK, it's settled. We do both." Dale grinned and Ed's eyes lit up.

"Tomorrow we were thinking of renting a car and driving around to see some of the sights on the island. You're welcome to join us." Dale offered.

Rachel looked at Ed who nodded. "We'd be delighted," she said.

"I'd also like to poke around Bridgetown to do some shopping sometime this week." Tristan said.

"Ooo! Count me in!" Rachel grinned and Ed rolled his eyes.

Dale chuckled as he felt exactly how Ed did about that. He had a thought. "Maybe the ladies could go shopping and the men could try our hand at deep sea fishing."

"I've never fished before," Ed said.

Dale put on a tragic expression and looked at the ladies. "Now we have to go fishing!"

It was Tristen's turn to roll her eyes.

Dinner was delicious and Ed thanked Dale for the suggestion. He really enjoyed the grouper!

They went to the bar and ordered drinks. As it was almost time to turn in for the night Ed could have another drink. They did a little dancing and Rachel told Ed she was done after two. He went back out on the floor with Tristen as Dale wanted to sit out this one as well.

"Everything ok?" he asked when they were alone.

She glanced at his perceptive eyes and smiled. "Yes, we were just a little too enthusiastic this afternoon and I'm feeling it now."

He nodded with a sympathetic smile. Her eyebrows went up. "Oh! Not today but there have been times. They have more energy."

"Like kids." Rachel said absently.

"Do you have children?" he asked.

"No, I discovered early on that I wouldn't be able to have them. I think that's one of the reasons my ex married me. He didn't want any more kids. He had the one son. That was enough for him. I've always wanted one." Rachel said sadly.

"So does Tristan."

Rachel looked at his sad expression. "But..."

"I'm the same as you. Not able," he said looking away. "She says she is ok with it but I've seen the pain in her eyes when she thinks I'm not watching and someone walks by with a baby."

The song ended and the dancers returned to the table. Dale wiped his sad expression away and gave his wife a smile. "I'm pooped," she announced.

"Time to hit the hay?" he asked and she nodded.

"Well, we'll see you at breakfast. 8:30AM?" Dale asked and received nods.

-=-

After breakfast the following day the four sat in the lobby waiting for a man to bring them the rental car. They'd discussed what sites they'd visit and settled on a tour of the outer perimeter of the island and stopping along the way. The Animal Flower Cave was at the most northern tip of the island. The rock formations at Bathsheba were on the east coast. Harrison's cave was almost smack dab in the middle of the island so would require a diversion inwards. They just wanted to see the island and a drive through the country seemed to be the best way to do it.

A slim older man approached them with a clipboard and car keys and sat with them to fill out the paperwork. When they discovered the car was a right hand drive vehicle Dale was a little nervous so Ed offered to drive. They switched to Ed's license and Rachel's for the second day of the rental as she'd drive Tristan into Bridgetown tomorrow for their shopping day. Dale had already booked the fishing expedition the following day. The paperwork taken care of, they made their way out to see the small car they'd rented.

"It's cute." Tristan said and Dale looked at it with concern.

"I don't think I've ever been in a car this small," he grumbled.

There was a lot of glass so they'd certainly have an unobstructed view as they drove. They piled in, ladies taking the back seat to chat, and headed out. They'd agreed to avoid the larger highways as they wanted to take a slower pace and see the island more intimately.

Driving on the left felt a little weird at first but Ed was concentrating hard and it clicked into place. They used roundabouts instead of four way stops so that also took a little getting used to but once again Ed saw the pattern and slipped into it.

Dale was a nervous passenger but Ed's natural calm and lack of aggression put him at ease. Ed was a safe driver seemingly lacking the recklessness of youth. Soon Dale was able to ignore the driving entirely and just enjoy the view though he was chief navigator with a crappy map.

The resort was on the southern end of the island and they'd decided to travel clockwise so their first challenge was navigating through Bridgetown. The capital was large and busy but they made their way through it with only a few wrong turns. Ed never lost his cool when the directions he was given pointed him the wrong way and he got them back on the route smoothly each time. Everyone relaxed and there was a lot of giggling going on in the back seat.

Finally they exited out the northern side of the city and were on their way. The waters on the western side of the island were flat and calm contrasting to the waves they had on the southern edge. It looked so serene. Ed preferred the waves.

They reached the point where they had to move onto smaller side roads to make their way further north. Eventually they pulled into a large gravel parking lot. They saw the sign for the Animal Flower Cave. Getting out of the car they heard the crash of the surf against the rocks and they made their way forward to see the rough seas. Dale pointed out that heading north from here you'd only find the open waters of the Atlantic until you reached the east coast of Canada. That was a very large expanse of water. Heading straight east you wouldn't see land until you reached Africa. Barbados stood alone, well east of the curving arc of Caribbean islands.

They paid their admission and followed the guide down the steps into a cave which was open to the northern exposure. Ed helped Rachel and Dale helped his wife move around in the cave. Trish had a small camera and their guide took pictures of the group for them.

Once back up at the car they looked at the map again and worked out a way to reach Bathsheba through the smaller byways. The east coast of the island bore the brunt of the wind and waves and its rugged beauty brought smiles to their faces. They stopped along the way so Tristan could take pictures.

Bathsheba was lovely. They parked and walked along the beach and took pictures of the huge rock rising out of the surf. Everyone was feeling a little hungry by this point so it was back to the car to map out their next target. They decided to aim for Crane Beach as there was a resort nearby where they could buy lunch.

The drive was scenic and the beach was lovely but Ed's stomach was impatient for lunch. They found the restaurant and once more ordered some amazing seafood. Ed was wondering if he'd be able to make meals like this at home.

Dale and Tristan were feeling very good about the day so far. Rachel and Ed were excellent travel companions. Easy going, fun, with enough intelligence and wit to make conversations interesting. They also seemed to hold the same values as them. They were hopeful that they'd found the beginnings of a new social circle.

Harrison's Caves was going to take some serious navigating from Crane beach so they got out the map while they ate ice cream for dessert and went over possible routes. Rachel dripped ice cream on the map and Dale and Ed shrieked in mock outrage at the difficulty of reading their impossibly poor map now that it had ice cream stains on it. Much giggling ensued from the ladies. Once they settled on a few possible routes, knowing they'd get lost a few times, they headed out.

They were right. They did get lost but that only added an additional thirty minutes to the trip. They eventually found the tourist spot and parked the car. There was a fair amount of other tourists on the tour which was amazing as the caves were cool and beautifully lit. They rode in a trolley from level to level on a smooth road underground. Water dripped on them from the ceiling adding to the ambiance.

Once they were back on the surface they decided to head back to the resort. Now it was ok to take the faster highway to return but they had a drive through the scenic countryside first to reach it. It didn't take long to get back once they were on the highway and bypassing the city.

Ed parked the car and handed the keys to Rachel as she'd be the next driver. She was feeling more confident now that they'd driven through Bridgetown and she'd seen where the public parking was located.

They agreed to meet for dinner and went their separate ways. Ed told Rachel he'd meet her at the room as he wanted to check out the gym first. He gave her a kiss then made his way over to the building where the equipment was located. They had a good number of machines and he tried some of them out. Thirty minutes later he felt a little better having gotten in a workout. He was sweaty but he'd take a shower when he got to the room. He pulled off his shirt as it was clinging uncomfortably to him and walked across the property. He saw Tristan walking towards him.

"What happened to you? You're... wet? Did you go swimming?" she asked taking in his red face and wet muscles.

"I just did a little working out in the gym," he said, pointing back over his shoulder.

She saw how pumped his muscles looked and smiled. "Driving all over the island wasn't enough of a workout?"

He snorted. "Hardly! I'm going to go take a shower. See you at dinner?"