“Morgan, for short. They like to work with quick, short names,” Katie said.
She set the car into Park and headed across the stone parking area to the front door. A woman at the counter told them that Betty Garcia, director of animal management, was in, and she would call and see if she was available.
While they waited, Kelsey bought Avery several Tshirts with dolphin emblems and sayings. She smiled as she did so.
Bartholomew groaned softly at a few of her choices, but she ignored him.
Betty Garcia appeared to be about sixty; she had a sprightly step, a beautiful smile and sparkling blue eyes. Kelsey didn’t remember her.
She remembered Kelsey.
“How lovely to see you, Kelsey! You’ve grown up just beautifully. Your mother would be so very proud of you!” She held Kelsey’s hands for a moment, and then turned to Katie, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I’m so glad you drove up. Of course, I heard about Cutter, dear. Were you able to see him at all before he died?”
Kelsey swallowed and shook her head.
“Well, well, he led a good life. So, how can I help you?”
“Betty, I think that Captain Morgan might be down by Kelsey’s place again,” Katie said.
Betty smiled. “I think you might be right. He is out. But we don’t worry about him. He’s one of the dolphins we let swim when a storm is approaching, and he always comes back. And once every two or three years, he takes an outing.” Her beautiful smile faded. “He’s all right?”
“Oh, yes,” Kelsey said quickly. “My friend is convinced that a dolphin saved his life.”
“He fell into the water with a conk on his head,” Katie explained briefly.
“Well, look who you’re giving this information!” Betty said. “Are you asking me if I think it’s possible? Yes. Dolphins have been known to go so far as to push drowning victims to shore. They’ve been trained for the military, which, of course, doesn’t thrill me. I always try to weigh human life against animal life, but…well! There are those who think we’re wrong to keep dolphins in captivity, but we have all manner of animals in captivity, don’t we? Many of ours wouldn’t survive in the wild, but to some, that’s not the point. In my mind, God gave the world to all creatures. Man rose above the rest. He eats cows, makes glue from horses’ hooves and does many a deed far more evil than rescuing and learning about wonderful mammals like dolphins.” She laughed softly. “Did you two want a tour? I’ll send someone down in a few days if Morgan doesn’t come back up. I’m not surprised that he’s at your place, though, Kelsey. That animal loved your mother. He was in your little lagoon there right after he was rescued. Don’t you remember?”
“Vaguely,” Kelsey said. “I—I’ve been away a long time. A really long time. I forget.”
“Well, your mother loved that dolphin, and that dolphin loved your mother. If you go in the water, he’ll swim alongside you. He’s very friendly. I just worry about him because he is so friendly. We’ll take a drive down soon.”
“That’s great. Thank you, Betty,” Kelsey said.
“Now, really, how about a tour? It’s been so long since you’ve been here,” Betty said.
“We’ll come back,” Katie promised. “I just wanted…I just wanted Kelsey to have a chance to see you and ask about Captain Morgan.”
“Anytime, girls. And we’d love to have you back as volunteers.”
“I actually live in California now,” Kelsey said.
“Ah, well, this will always be home though, won’t it?” Betty asked. She gave them a wave. “I’ve got to get back to work! Therapy session with some of my best girls and some autistic children this afternoon. Now, that’s something so enjoyable! If everyone just saw those children with the dolphins… Ah, well, it takes all kinds to make a world, right?”
Back in the car, Katie smiled at Kelsey. “Okay, so I couldn’t give you the ghost of your mom, but…I don’t know. Maybe Captain Morgan came back as her representative?”
Kelsey felt Bartholomew’s hand on the back of her head, a gentle stroke.
“Love never dies, Kelsey. Maybe that is her way.”
“And that from a ghost,” Kelsey said. “I’ll take it. Thank you. Thank you both.”
Liam took the short drive to Stock Island by himself.
The last key before Key West, it had been so named because, for years, it was where all the stock had been kept.
Now, of course, it still had much more land for animal facilities, but it also had its own share of bars and restaurants and hotels, a theater and much more.
He was at the third farm that sold goats when he met with success.
“Yes, we sold a goat just yesterday,” the clerk in the farm’s office told them. “Henry. He was a three-year-old, sold to a man with a preserve up in the middle Keys.”
“How do you know that?” Liam asked.
“Because the man told me!” she said.
“Please tell me that it was a credit-card sale,” Liam said.