by Bobbi Brattz
“Tara! Tara, I love you.” Shit! I didn’t mean to tell her.
She was too far gone to register it, thankfully, and kept moaning as he thrust harder, pushing both of them over the precipice until they burst together with waves of bliss rolling over them.
Piers felt like his life was full, like he’d lost all common sense. He feared what she’d say to him. They still hadn’t discussed her leaving the resort, but he was going to make sure she didn’t.
Collapsing, he lay down beside her, pulling her closer into his arms. She snuggled, fitting her body in perfect form to his. She was made for him.
There was a knock on the door that took them both out of their aftermath and brought cold reality back. Tara seemed to be hiding her face from him, but he turned her to face him.
“Why are you crying?”
The knock sounded again.
Tara pulled away, calling out, “Who is it?”
“It’s Mateo. We’re leaving in twenty minutes for the restaurant. We have reservations.”
So do I. Piers was sure she’d heard him tell her that he loved her, yet she said nothing.
“We’ll be out there. Thanks, Mateo. Come on, let’s shower and get dressed,” he murmured, kissing her shoulder. She’d not complained about pain for a few days now. Still, it must have hurt when they made love. Maybe that’s why she was crying.
Tara climbed out of bed and raced for the shower. She was in and washing up before he followed. He was concerned by her silence.
Was she going to reject him? Was she going to leave? It was unthinkable, but it could happen. When he stepped into the shower behind her, she handed him the soap and left him. She washed quickly, then was dressed before him. The problem that caused her to face him was the fact that the door was still locked. He had the key on the bed stand and she reached for it, but he was out of the shower and grabbed her wrist.
“Tara, we need to talk.”
“No, Piers. We need to get ready to go. I’m done. I’ll see you in the hall. Please unlock the door.”
For a moment he stared at her, trying to decide if her eyes were red because of the soap or because she’d been crying. He figured the latter and decided to give her some space, handing her the key. She turned and left him standing there, naked without clothing and with his heart on his sleeve.
The only thing he could do at that time was get dressed and follow her. His heart ached, expecting her to leave. He was lost.
* * * *
Dinner was a quiet affair. Mateo, Rae, and Piers kept up the chatter, but Tara remained quiet, picking at her food. She’d lost her appetite after hearing what Piers had said. How was she to tell him how she felt when she didn’t know herself? The flowers alarmed her because she felt they meant more than a simple gesture of kindness.
He kept glancing at her, trying to pull her into the conversation, yet she only murmured answers and kept quiet. Next in line was Rae, who asked questions to lure her into talking, but again, Tara didn’t speak more than a few words. She was dying inside. How had she allowed him to become so close when she knew…
“Tara? Tara, I asked you a question. Didn’t you hear me?” Piers said quietly.
“Oh, sorry. I was thinking about the luau. I’d love to see it.”
“I have concerns about you being out in the open like that. The killer–"
Tara cut him off quickly and snapped, “The killer will be there whether I am or not. I’m tired of hiding like a rabbit in a hole. I’m going to the luau, and that’s final.”
His eyes narrowed as though he was going to berate her, but he held his tongue.
Mateo spoke up. “Tara, Piers…we are all concerned for your safety. We’re not trying to hide you, just protect you.”
“Thanks anyway, Mateo, but I’ve made up my mind.”
Piers muttered something about the bedroom and punishment, but she didn’t hear it all. Frustrated, she stood and made her way to the washroom. Inside, she washed her face with cold water, trying to still the tears that threatened. She felt completely miserable, wanting what she couldn’t have.
“What’s bothering you, Tara?” Rae asked, standing beside her.
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
From the look in Rae’s eyes, she didn’t believe Tara for a minute. It was nearly impossible to lie to her best friend, so she jumped in with both feet.
“Rae, the cancer took my ability to have children away. What if he wants kids?”
“Tara! That doesn’t matter. Let Piers decide if he wants any.”
“It was something I didn’t want to tell anyone. I have a doctor’s appointment scheduled the week I get home. I’m so afraid that something will happen and it will come back. Piers doesn’t need to be tied down to me when I’m not a whole woman.” She looked into the mirror. “These braids are extensions. I only have enough hair grown to support them. If I take them out, I’m almost bald. I can’t live a lie with him.”
“But you love him, don’t you?” Touching one braid, Rae looked into her eyes. “He’s a doctor, Tara. He’s the best man to be with, because he’d understand. Don’t you see that?”
“It’s great in the bedroom, but what about outside it? I have to be honest with him, but what if he doesn’t want me when he finds out? If I don’t tell him, he might be hurt. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
“Piers will live on like any other person who can’t have children. Pain is part of living. Honesty is important to him. Give him a chance to choose for himself.”
“I’m afraid. I’m so afraid. It’s like living on the edge of a cliff and not knowing when the sand beneath your feet will give out. I’ve tried to help Piers get over you, but I’ve made it worse. He told me he loves me this afternoon. I pretended I didn’t hear it, but oh Rae, what have I done?”
Smiling, Rae lifted Tara’s chin with her fingers and looked right at her.
“You are beautiful, sweet, kind and loving. What more do you need to offer him? Give him a chance to choose, honey. He deserves it. He knows that you love him, too. It should be up to him to decide if he wants to give it a try or not. Just be truthful with him.”
Tara wiped at her tears, using a tissue to dry them up. She sniffled then nodded. “You’re right, Rae. I need to talk to him. Maybe I’ll wait until later and–"
“Tell him now. It’s important that you be honest with him.”
“I suppose you’re right. Okay, let’s go talk. I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t talked to me about it. I’m so miserable just thinking about being without him. I love him more than I’ve loved anyone in my life…excluding you of course,” she teased.
“Give me a hug and then let’s go see our men.”
The women hugged, laughing and crying together. When they finally cleaned up, they headed back to the table. Piers and Mateo stood waiting for them then seated them. Tara saw the love in Piers’s eyes and prayed he’d not turn her away. Fear snaked down her spine at the mere thought of going home without him in her life.
* * * *
After sitting down, Piers watched Tara carefully. She’d been crying again, and he had no idea why. He swallowed hard, feeling the small bulge in his jacket pocket and wondering if she’d accept.
“Before we go any further here, Tara has something to say. Don’t you, Tara?”
“Thanks a lot, Rae. You’re getting pushy in your old age, you know?”
Rae and Mateo laughed, but Piers sat there waiting for Tara to speak. His eyes never left her. She’d been acting strange all day, especially since he lowered the boom on her and confessed his heart. He knew she was about to say something that would make or break their relationship, and held his breath.
“Piers, I want you to know that I love you, too. Yes, I heard you earlier. I have a confession to make first before you say a word, and if you want me to leave for good, I’ll go.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Tara, just tell him and let him decide.”
He nodded slowly. “
Yes, tell me now.”
“I…I had cancer, Piers, and I don’t know if I’m clear yet or if I ever will be, and I can’t have children.” She let out a sob and waited, her eyes filling with tears.
Taking her hand in his, he smiled, a gentle curving of his lips.
“Tara. I love you and want you no matter what. You belong with me.”
When he got down on one knee and pulled out the ring box, she started crying again, her eyes wide with surprise. “Tara, will you be my wife for better or worse? I may not be a patient man, but I promise to love you through everything. I want to live with you today and not worry about what may come. What do you say?”
“I…are you sure? Piers, this is crazy. What if–"
“We’ll take it as it comes. I don’t want to live without you, sweetheart. I love you.”
He waited with his heart in his throat for her answer.
“What can I say? Yes, yes, yes!”
The other patrons in the restaurant cried out, clapping and congratulating them, but Piers was lost to it all as he took Tara into his arms and kissed her.
Chapter 21:
Luau
After they returned to the resort, Piers took Tara down to the luau. The beach swarmed with guests who sat on the sand around a huge campfire. There were guards and police officers scattered among them, watching over everyone. The sun was just setting, offering a beautiful, multicolored sky reflected on the calm ocean. It was a picture-perfect moment in Tara’s eyes.
“I’m so happy, Piers.”
Cupping her cheeks, he kissed her sweetly, then pulled her into his arms.
“So am I. Since the moment you came into my life, nothing has been the same.”
She laughed, hugging him back. “You’ve got that right.”
“Excuse me, Dr. Piers?”
Tara turned to see a young woman standing beside her. There was something innocent about her as she watched Piers with hero worship in her eyes.
“Hello, Cindy. I’d like to introduce you to Tara, my future wife.”
Tara felt his possessive hand on her lower back and shivered with pleasure.
“Oh. Congratulations,” she said, her eyes focused on Piers.
Kissing Tara gently on her forehead, Piers spoke loud enough that others heard him.
“We just got engaged at dinner. You’re the first to know.”
Soon word spread, and there were congratulations coming from all around. Cindy was lost in the crowd, but Piers barely noticed. Tara, however, saw the hurt look in the woman’s eyes when he announced their engagement. With so much going on, however, she forgot about the woman and began to enjoy herself.
Kona and Layla arrived, heading straight for the group.
“Whoa! What’s this I hear about you two? Damn, Piers, you beat me to the punch.”
“Kona, you had no intentions of getting married,” Tara cried, laughing aloud.
“That’s true, but I can still kiss the bride, can’t I?”
He swept Tara into his arms and gave her a hearty kiss, holding her close for a moment.
“Be happy, my friend.”
Tara hugged him tight. “I am. Desperately so.”
“Tonight, I dedicate the fire dance to you both.” Kona turned to his sister. “Did you hear that, Layla?”
“Everyone on the island heard you say that, silly boy.”
She was a beautiful islander, with silky black hair pulled back in a bun and enormous brown eyes that gave her a look of innocence. Tara found it hard to believe the woman could play with fire and not get burnt. She had a hard body, her abs well defined. The costume was made of leather, with flames on the halter top and shorts. She was stunning.
“Tara, I don’t know if you met Layla before, did you?”
“No, I haven’t. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I hope we can be friends since I’ll be living here on the island with Piers.”
“Hey, we haven’t talked about that yet. I’m glad I didn’t have to talk you into it.”
“Piers, I’ll go anywhere with you, and what better place to live than in paradise?”
“Paradise is you, sweetheart.”
“Aw, I want one like you, Piers. I haven’t found anyone that comes even close to the way you treat your lady.”
Laughing, Piers tweaked Layla’s nose. “I’ll see if I can whip one up for you.”
“Do that. For now, we have a show to do. Come on, Kona. Leave Tara alone and let’s get to work.”
“What a bossy gal my sister is,” he murmured in Tara’s ear.
“I heard that!” Layla tugged on his arm and pulled him to where they stored their equipment.
Mateo stood on a stump and called out, “The show is about to start! Get yourselves settled and we’ll begin.” He waited until everyone was seated then announced, “Elemental Bliss, along with Kona and Layla, will be doing their fire show. Let’s welcome them.”
On cue, the guests clapped and shouted encouragement.
Piers pulled Tara closer and whispered in her ear. “I want you to enjoy every minute of the show, and then I’m going to take you back to bed and really give you a show.”
Leaning back on him, her head resting on his shoulder, she smiled up at him.
“I can’t wait.” Tara had never felt so happy and loved. She reached up and stroked his cheek. “I love you so much.”
“Let’s keep it that way.”
Van came up and excused himself. “Sorry to break up this celebration, but Piers, we need to talk.”
“All business and no fun, Van?” she teased.
“That’s for sure. Congratulations, you two.”
“Thank you. Go on with him, Piers. I’ll be fine as long as you plan on coming back.”
“Try and keep me away.” He gave her a sweet kiss of promise and left with Van.
Tara watched as Kona began spinning batons with both ends aflame. He threw one up in the air, then two, then three, juggling the flames. As he continued, Layla began her routine, doing the same thing, but with flair. She spun around as she caught the batons then spun again, throwing them up as well and catching them without issue. They made it look easy.
Layla then ran the flame over her arms one at a time and didn’t burn herself. Rae leaned in close. “Tara, I’d be willing to bet she doesn’t have to shave her legs. The fire would take care of that, wouldn’t it?”
Tara laughed, enjoying the show and feeling on top of the world. Life was getting better by the minute. She had new friends, was able to spend time with Rae, and was getting married to the man of her dreams. What could go wrong?
As famous last words would have it, she felt a tug on her arm and looked over to see that Cindy was back. “Hello. Are you enjoying the show?”
“Yes, they are wonderful, aren’t they?”
“I agree. Tara, would you mind helping me with something?”
“Sure. What do you need?”
“I tore my shorts on some branches and have to go change. I’m afraid to go alone because of the killer. Would you mind walking with me?” Cindy shifted the bag she carried on her shoulder.
“Sure, but the show–"
“It won’t take long. I have to go to my room and throw on another pair of shorts. It shouldn’t take five minutes.”
“Piers will be back in a minute. Why don’t we wait for him?”
“We could, but I’m so embarrassed. My butt is showing and I’m wearing skimpy panties.” She turned and showed Tara the large rip.
“Oh, my. Sure, let’s go. We’d better hurry though.”
“You are so sweet! Thank you.”
“Rae, I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Okay, but hurry. You won’t want to miss Kona’s fire-breathing act. He’s really hot!”
“Pun intended?” Tara laughed, then turned to leave with Cindy.
The farther they got from the luau, the more nervous Tara got. She felt something was wrong, but she couldn’t see anything that seemed out of place. Cindy didn’t say
a word as they walked along, so Tara asked a few questions to hide her nervousness.
“Where are you from, Cindy?”
“Florida.”
The one word was curt, as though she resented being forced to speak. She seemed different from the way she was when she’d talked to Tara at the campfire. The sweet, innocent look on her face was replaced with a cold grimace, her eyes narrowed. Tara was about to suggest they head back to the fire when suddenly, they arrived at the auditorium building.
“What are we doing here?” Tara asked, fear zapping through up her veins.
“We have to stop here. It will just take a minute,” Cindy said, opening the door. She let Tara go in first, then closed and locked the door behind her.
* * * *
When Piers finished his conversation with Van and returned to the fire, he looked for Tara but couldn’t see her in the crowd. Panic set in when he saw Rae and Mateo standing next to each other, but Tara was missing. Cold fear shuddered up his spine, the hairs on his neck standing on end. He felt that something was seriously wrong.
“Rae? Where is Tara?”
“Oh, she went with Cindy so the girl could change her shorts. She ripped them.”
“Cindy? Why didn’t she wait for me?”
“The girl insisted Tara accompany her to her room. She was so embarrassed that Tara agreed.”
“Shit! Mateo, I’m going after Tara. I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Tara is alone with Cindy.”
“She seems like a nice girl,” Mateo said, frowning.
“We don’t know her. How do we know she isn’t the one?”
Mateo cursed under his breath. “I’ll get Van and a few others and follow you.”
“Piers, are you sure there’s a problem?”
“Rae, I have no idea, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
He took off at a run, knowing which hut was Cindy’s. When he got there and it was locked with no light on, he pounded on the door, but there wasn’t anyone there.
“Where the hell are they?”
Van and two officers came running with Mateo in the lead.
