Diving In Heart First

By Yvonne Rediger

After a nasty break up Maddie Windsor is getting on with her life. Bound for the island of Utila and determined to achieve one of her fondest wishes–to pass her PADI scuba diving basic level.

What Maddie doesn't know is Deke Ellis is also bound for the Utila Dive Lodge. He was ordered to track Maddie by his boss, as a favour for the RCMP. Seven million dollars is missing and so is Alan Greenway, Maddie's ex-boyfriend. If Alan shows his face in Utila, Deke has to stay focused, even if he finds Maddie unbelievably tempting.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Yvonne Rediger
• Release date: Aug 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781738795932

Yvonne Rediger

Yvonne Rediger was born in southern Saskatchewan. She lived and worked in northern Manitoba, New Brunswick, Alberta, and Vancouver Island. She now resides in central Saskatchewan with her husband. She has two grown children.

Book preview

Chapter One

A nswer your freaking phone, Chris, Deke Ellis said tersely. His patience was wearing thin with his old partner. You’d better call me on time. Deke put heat in the warning he left, and ended the voice mail.

Tucking the mobile phone into his shirt pocket Deke strode briskly through George W. Bush International Airport, outside of Houston, and headed to his gate.

Deke stopped short to let a trio of senior ladies precede him across the public space. They chirped away happily to one another like so many tropical birds in their bright clothing, as they toted their oversized carry-ons past him. One turned a sunny smile on him. She reminded him of his grandmother, so much so, his lips quirk up in an answering smile before continuing down the concourse to his gate.

His flight departed in less than thirty minutes, and he wanted to ensure Chris would play his part in the Op. Deke’s current assignment came to him directly from Miles Drayton, Chief of Operations, at Security, and Protection Services. Drayton wasn’t merely Deke’s boss. As head of Ops, Drayton was in charge of everyone SPS employed.

Chris Stanhope had been the one most concerned for the woman’s welfare, so he’d better call before the flight took off or this whole Op was going to be much harder than it needed to be. Deke wanted to confer with Chris to make sure they were both on the same page, before he met his target.

Deke reached his gate and placed his hard-sided camera case on the floor at his feet. He extracted his passport, and boarding pass from his right hip pocket. He never used his smartphone as his boarding pass. He was not handing the device over to anyone he didn’t trust. Besides, the paper copy never failed to scan.

As he waited his turn to board, he fished out his phone anyway, and brought up the photo of the woman that was part of his assignment. She was gorgeous–there was no other way to describe her. Maddie Windsor had red hair, pale skin, and a delicate chin that promised a petite bone structure, topped only by striking blue eyes. Her eyes reminded him of the Caribbean Sea, beautiful, fascinating, and yet contained hidden dangers if you weren’t careful.

In the photo, she looked angry, and a bit scared. One of the news agencies had taken the picture just as she was walking out of E Division, the RCMP headquarters in Vancouver. Not that any of this was her fault of course. That was the way the story went, but didn't it always?  

Deke glanced up, and moved forward in the line, pushing his case with one foot. He took a long look at Maddie Windsor, and knew without a doubt she was complicated, and so was this supposed cake-walk of an Op.

Resigned to deal with it in as professional a manner as possible, he swiped to the photo of Alan Greenway. He examined the photo of the criminal ex-boyfriend, and the reason Deke had been volun-told to take the assignment.

It was a stock photo, probably from the man’s personnel file from his former employer. Although Deke knew not to judge a criminal by their looks, it was hard not to, what with that smarmy grin on his smooth face, the two hundred dollar haircut, and thousand dollar suit, about said it all. If Deke had not known better he would think this guy sold Florida swampland time-shares.

He pushed his case ahead again, as the line moved forward, and tucked the phone away. Deke rubbed his tired eyes–two flights down, two more to go. He’d planned for some sleep on this flight, but first things first.

Meeting Maddie–she would be his seat mate on the flight down to Honduras. Henry, Deke’s handler, had arranged it already. Deke hoped he would find out what her story was, or at least more than he already knew. Hearing her side of it, firsthand, would tell him a lot–Deke could always smell a lie. And while he was willing to give this woman the benefit of the doubt, he was still skeptical about her innocence.

He'd had the official version from Henry, earlier in the day when he’d called to check-in at SPS, upon landing in Trenton. He received more information in an email from Chris, because he had a friendship with the woman as her dive instructor. In addition, some Inspector with the RCMP was calling in a favour with Deke’s boss, and Deke was the currency with which the debt would be repaid. That point had been made abundantly clear to him by a call from Miles Drayton, himself.

So much for this vacation, Deke thought. He took a deep breath, and let it out slowly through his teeth. Get over it, what’s done is done.

Besides, when had Chris ever asked him for anything? He owed his old partner, that was certain. They had been through some tough and scary deployments together over the years. They had dealt with some nasty situations when they had both been part of Joint Tactical Force 2. Easing his friends concerns was a small thing.

Stepping up to the kiosk, Deke's identification was examined, and his boarding pass scanned. He thanked the somnolent gate attendant, and continued on to the tunnel that led to the jet-way. Entering the wide-bodied aircraft, he knew his red, orange, blue, and green tropical shirt would grab the flight attendant’s attention. She was keeping tabs on the boarding passengers, and blinked at the shock of colours.

Good morning sir, and welcome aboard, she said automatically, her eyes flickered up, and away from his face and he knew she did not see past the tragic shirt to the man that wore it.

Thank you, he answered as he nodded at the attendant, and moved forward. The sun was penetrating the porthole windows, making for a bright cabin interior. Deke slipped his dark sunglasses out of his pocket, and slid the heavy black frames over his eyes before stiffly walking the short distance down the aisle. His muscles were still tight from the previous flight, and his left thigh, while recently healed, ached a bit.

He automatically scanned the seats in first class. His eyes noted, and discarded the few passengers as of no interest.

Deke spotted the petite, ginger-haired woman sitting in the window seat of the third row. Maddie Windsor looked a few inches over five feet he judged, and she was trim yet curvy in all the right places. She looked like the photo, except her long hair was a vivid copper and pulled back into a ponytail. Her skin had a creamier tone to it, and her jawline while delicate, hinted she was just this side of stubborn.

He almost smiled but remembered he had to keep it on a professional footing. It didn’t matter how she made him feel when he looked at her, he had a job to do.

Glancing to the left, Deke noted a blond-haired male opposite her. The man was pretending to read something on his phone, but he glanced toward the woman, twice in the few seconds Deke watched him.

Deke considered the man, pigeon-holing him; office type, well-manicured, preppy, and buttoned down, potential tourist, and looked nothing like Alan Greenway. Not an immediate problem then.

And yet, there was something off about him. The way the guy was focused on Maddie Windsor, made Deke file that observation away for future reference.

It could be, as a man, he was merely appreciating a beautiful woman. Deke knew he found the redhead strikingly attractive too. Not that he could do anything about that without breaking his promise.

When Deke looked back at the woman with the softly shifting rose-gold coloured hair, he realized her luminescent, aquamarine gaze was locked on him. Assessing him warily. She looked apprehensive as he came level with the seat row. There was definitely mistrust there, he’d have to work on that.

There was something about this woman, and her situation, that made him want to see what her eyes looked like when they danced with humour, or burned with passion. Maybe it was her vulnerability?

Deke blinked. Where the hell had that come from? He pushed the stray thoughts aside as he placed his carry-on in the overhead bin. No doubt he was more tired than he realized.

When he dropped into the seat beside the woman, her eyes opened wider in surprise. She had, no doubt, been hoping he would move on, Deke surmised.

Only a low partition that doubled as a table separated them–where the usual dreaded middle seat was located. He slid his dark glasses down his slightly crooked nose. Hello there.

Hi, she said a bit hesitantly, then looked away from him, and activated her iPad. Deke allowed a slight smile. He’d have to go slow with her.

I’m Deke, he said simply, and he offered her one large, rough hand.

She frowned uncertainly at this gesture. Introductions were more than most strangers did on an airplane. Usually seat mates tolerated one another, and if they made conversation, it was rare to exchange names, unless there was a secondary agenda.

Politeness got the better of her though, and she briefly placed her smaller, paler hand in his to shake. I’m Maddie.

He closed his hand around hers. Deke liked the feel of her hand in his, too much. She had no fancy manicure, short nails, yet well maintained, and a firm grip. These facts disappeared from his conscious thought when her pink lips parted slightly at his touch.

Had she felt the chemistry they shared as well? He let go of her hand, and Maddie turned away from him again, though she glanced at him briefly from under her thick, dark lashes, as if he either intrigued, or worried her.

Stay detached Deke. You aren’t here to steal her heart or anything else for that matter.

It was good she didn't want to get chatty, at least right at the moment. He would wait for the call to come in before saying anything further to her.

Turning off the complimentary television, Deke eased back in his seat. He would grab a few minutes sleep if he could. The Service Flight he had come in on from Frankfurt had been rough. Returning with the fallen was hard on everyone involved; the escorts, the wounded, and even those like him, heading away for some overdue time off. The only ones it wasn't difficult for were those at rest, draped in the maple leaf flag.

Every open space was leveraged on a service flight. As SPS was a contractor for the military, Henry had arranged a seat for him. So he had sat next to a corporal who was bringing her fire-team partner back to CFB Trenton, for the last time. Deke didn’t care that he’d gotten no sleep on the flight. The kid needed someone to talk out her pain with. Someone who knew where she was coming from and what she was going through. As a former member of the Forces, he’d known all too well. The corporal would receive some counselling at home and he encouraged her to use every resource offered by the CF. When she was met at the plane, he’d stepped back, and let her be surrounded by family, and friends, while the casket was unloaded.

Deke had grabbed a ride to Toronto, and then the WestJet direct flight to Houston. There had been almost no time between landing, and this connecting flight.

He was ready for something much less demanding now, but he wasn’t sure he was going to get it. No rest for the wicked came to mind. Probably because he should have stopped at home first, but he’d see his parents after this vacation. Show them he was indeed in one piece, and whole again.

As he buckled his seat belt he reflected on how this particular assignment could turn out. Deke sincerely hoped the RCMP inspector was worried for nothing, and Maddie Windsor wasn’t in any real danger. He had to credit Chris’s opinion though, and his old friend had thought there was substance to what the Inspector had said.

Deke rubbed his face, and slid his sunglasses back into place. Tipping his head back against the head-rest with a sigh, he closed his eyes.  

MADDIE WINDSOR WAS relieved her row mate had gone to sleep. She hoped he’d stay that way until they reached Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport, in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. She admitted to herself that he was intriguing and more than a little attractive with his blue-black hair, cut severely short on the sides, and left thick and unruly on top.

The slight tilt of his almond-shaped eyes, and bronze skin hinted at Asian blood in his ancestry. She ran her eyes over him, and couldn’t help but compare this man to Alan. The five o'clock shadow emphasized the man’s strong jawline where with Alan; it had given him an unkempt air. Tropical Shirt Guy–Deke? He also looked very fit.

Nonetheless, she wasn’t interested, and just wanted to be left alone. She was going on this vacation to complete her own goals, not to meet men.

She’d already obtained the theoretical part of her PADI basic scuba diving certification from Selkie Aquatics, and dive master Chris Stanhope back in Vancouver. She had passed the written part of the certification, and done the pool work, leaving the open water test dives.

All that was left was to perform the same skills, with an instructor, in the actual ocean. If she passed, she then would have her full certification as a basic scuba diver. Something she had dreamed of doing since she had gone snorkelling for the first time, on a family vacation in Florida years ago.

Other members of Maddie’s dive course had opted to do the testing in much warmer waters too. Her classmates were all single, and looking for an adventure. The idea had sounded like a fun winter getaway when the plan had been formulated. Winter diving in the Pacific north-west, off the coast of British Columbia, was not exactly warm. And while they all had plans to explore their home waters later, in the summer, no one was up for getting the open water certification in winter.

Unfortunately, Maddie had been the only one on the course that had stayed committed. Even her best friend, and dive buddy, Sharon Murray had bailed on her.

Maddie had steadfastly remained motivated. Once she committed herself to something, she stayed with it. Even with everything that had happened to her lately, or maybe because of it, Maddie had held on tight to her goal.

She had to admit traveling to Central America on her own was a bit intimidating, but she’d done the research. The Utila Dive Lodge was one of the best recommended resorts. It also helped that Chris had backed up her choice. He had contacted the dive college affiliated with the Lodge, and ensured she could take her open water certification with them. He’d even helped arrange for a dive master for her.

Maddie had everything planned including contingencies, it was the analyst in her that dictated she took the adventure one step at a time, and so far, everything was working out.

Even if she hadn’t been going after her dive certification, she needed a break. Maddie looked forward to enjoying the benefits of an all-inclusive dive resort, but she had to get there first.

More passengers were boarding, and trickling down the aisle to their seats. A tall, svelte woman, impeccably dressed in a white linen suit, took the outside seat across from Maddie, and Tropical Shirt Guy.

The woman’s suit was the perfect foil for her dark complexion, and black curls. The burgundy lipstick and finger nails went well with her flawless makeup, like a model. The woman's row companion, Blondie, as Maddie thought of him now, smiled warmly at the new arrival, and immediately tried to strike up a conversation with the other woman.

Maddie had noticed the tall, blond man staring at her earlier, and had avoided eye contact. She smiled to herself, glad that Blondie had no further interest in her.

A male flight attendant came through, and delivered welcome drinks to all those in first class, that were awake. He effortlessly wove his way through the stream of new passengers, and Maddie accepted an iced glass of orange juice, smiling her thanks.

As a soft snore competed with the cello solo over Maddie's headphones, she glanced right. She let her eyes linger longer than she should have on the sculpted chest that slowly rose and fell.

Maddie studied Tropical Shirt Guy beside her, as she took a sip of her juice. He’d said his name was Deke? He hadn’t stirred an inch, although his nose had twitched at the floral perfume that wafted through the plane from the latest arrival.

A slight frown marred his deeply tanned face, and she could imagine the man could be quite stern, and severe if the occasion called for it. Right now, a lock of his rich, black hair brushed his forehead, and softened his features. Maddie freely surveyed his large frame, sprawled out in the next seat. It occurred to her that it was a good thing he was seated in the front section of the plane, with the extra leg-room, and wide seats to accommodate his broad shoulders.

The man had on the most god-awful shirt she had ever seen, the clash of colour made her wince. He wore the eye-watering shirt with khaki shorts, and brown sport sandals, and she noted he had well-muscled legs, and were as tanned as the rest of him. He wasn’t as tall as Blondie–but then again, he was much more muscular than the other man was. She had noted that he carried himself with a physical confidence as if he knew what his body could do, and that attitude along with the haircut, Maddie was willing to bet he was in the military.

His feet were on the large side too, she immediately halted that train of thought.

Stop it Maddie, you are not on the rebound. She was not going to have a vacation fling. The disaster that had developed from her last impulsive relationship should be enough to kill the whim.

Maddie sighed when she thought of her last caprice, she had been intrigued by Alan Greenway too, the manipulative scum bag. She had allowed him into her life, however briefly. It was a mistake she had paid dearly for over the past few weeks.

Thinking about her mistake put a damper on any further exploratory glances of the man next to her. It didn't matter how she’d felt when she had touched him.

Chapter Two

Deke was awakened out of a dead sleep by the buzz of his cell phone. He straightened his frame in the seat as he looked around him.

Maddie was still seated beside him, good. Other than the Honduran Minister of Tourism located across the aisle, nothing had changed. The same people were in the same positions as more passengers inched by to get to their seats.

He glanced at the heavy stainless steel watch on his left wrist as he fished his phone out of his shirt pocket. They were due to be taking off soon; it was good the