The Dark Side of the Rainbow

by Rita Hogan

  After dinner the idea of dancing had come to her. She wanted to regain the feelings she had felt by the roaring water. In a matter of seconds she had convinced herself the invitation was also for the good of her plan. In retrospect, Olivia knew the offer had nothing to do with revenge. She had wanted to know what it felt like to be held by him. The touch of his lips on her hand hadn’t been enough. Olivia wanted to feel the solid strength of him, body to body.

  Standing up from her bed, she slipped on her shoes while donning her jacket. She needed the fresh air to help wash away all the conflicting emotions churning inside her. Desperate to flee the confines of her stateroom, she closed the door abruptly, and remembered the way Landon had kissed her. It had been everything she imagined it would be.

  * * *

  Unable to sleep, Landon heard the thump of something against the wall that stood between him and Brooke. Slightly concerned, he held his breath hoping to hear something, anything, to assure him that she was all right.

  Was she also awake, turning over in her mind all of the day’s events?

  He sat up in bed. If he couldn’t sleep, he should at least try to get some work done. Landon turned on the light and heard Brooke’s door opening and then closing with a sound thud. She must be leaving her room, he thought.

  Looking at the clock, he realized it was two in the morning. Concerned, he quickly threw on some dark grey sweats and a blue thermal t-shirt.

  A few minutes later, he found her standing on the bow of The Absolution, leaning against the rail. When he approached, she didn’t look toward him but continued to stare out over the water. Unsure of what to say, Landon watched the wave of currents shifting on the vast lake.

  Neither of them knew how much time had passed before Brooke finally spoke. “What are you doing here, Landon?” The sound of her voice was tense, but not harsh.

  “Making sure you were all right.”

  Only then did she turn to him with a questioning look.

  “Your room is next to mine,” he explained. “I couldn’t sleep and when I heard your door closing, I became a little concerned. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll leave and stay awake until I hear you return to your room.”

  Before Landon could push away from the rail, Brooke placed her hand on his. “Wait, please. I have one question to ask you before you go.”

  He leaned against the metal barrier choosing to look at Brooke instead of the water. Refusing to turn her gaze upon Landon, she asked him her question: “When I commented on the name of your ship and your inspiration for choosing it, you told me it was a story for another time. I want to know why you named your vessel The Absolution.”

  Landon took a deep shaky breath before speaking to her profile. “Have you ever done anything so tragic you were unable to forget?” He paused for a response, but she gave none, only continued to stare straight ahead. “Something so horrific that you had to live with it the rest of your life, unable to forget what happened, and unable to forgive yourself?” He could see Brooke’s hands on the cold metal of the rail. She was gripping the steel so hard her knuckles paled even more in the moon light. “I named my ship The Absolution because every time I set sail on her I’ll always hope to find the forgiveness that eludes me.”

  Brooke was gasping, her chest heaving from the effort. He saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. He wanted to reach for her, to take her in his arms, but he was afraid.

  Suddenly, she pushed herself from the rail, turned, and ran.

  “Brooke,” he called to her. “Please be care-”

  The early morning dew, which had already settled on the deck of his boat, was slick, causing her to slip. Not only was he helpless to prevent the fall, he was unable to catch her before she hit her head on a bitt used to secure mooring lines and ropes. The moment she connected with the cold steel, Brooke became lifeless.

  The metallic taste of fear filled Landon’s mouth as he called to her while walking as fast as he could. Afraid to move her, he gingerly felt for a pulse, and found a faint one. She’s alive! he thought wildly. For a moment, he panicked before he managed to pull himself together, quickly making his way to the wheel house. He needed to get help. Oh, God, please don’t let her die!

  * * *

  She heard the noise first. It was the sound of a thousand voices in one small place, echoing off the walls of her mind. Then she felt the throbbing, a hot searing pain that forced her eyes open as she gasped out loud.

  Light flooded her eyes, but her mind felt submerged in darkness. “I’m here,” she heard someone say. She was instantly drawn to the sound like a moth to a flame, seeking out its comfort.

  Desperate to reach the voice, she tried calling for help, but nothing came out of her mouth.

  “Brooke, sweetheart, it’s okay. Lie still. You’ve been in an accident.”

  Brooke? Who is she? Where am I? She attempted to voice the questions but nothing escaped her dry parched lips. Every bit of movement caused excruciating pain to fill her head until it felt ready to explode.

  Bleary-eyed, she tried making out the face with the voice. Soon, there were more faces, all a blur. Afraid, she struggled to be free from the pain and the bonds that held her. Within seconds she felt the agony begin to subside, calming her. She welcomed the darkness as it descended upon her.

  * * *

  “What did you give her?” Landon Gray asked the nurse with the syringe.

  “Something to relax her. She needs to regain consciousness slowly. She’s in a lot of pain, which will amp up her anxiety and cause her unnecessary stress. She needs to remain calm in order to heal properly.”

  “How long will it take for the pain to subside?”

  “It’s hard to say. You should get some sleep yourself. We can call you when she is awake.”

  “No,” he said with some force. Then more quietly, he added, “I won’t leave her.”

  “Very well. I will have a cot brought in so you can rest here in the room.”

  “Thank you.”

  The nurse nodded and turned to leave Landon alone with Brooke.

  Wearily, he sat in the chair next to the bed and looked at the woman who had ripped his vulnerability to shreds. He tried to get the image of her head hitting the bitt out of his mind. Landon had been certain the blow had been fatal.

  When he reached her limp lifeless body, blood was oozing from the side of her head where she connected with the cold steel. While he waited for the medivac helicopter to arrive, he realized that the wound was a hairsbreadth from her temple. Even now, he felt sick thinking about how close she had come to dying. All because of him. If he hadn’t followed her onto the deck, she wouldn’t have had a reason to run.

  Upon arriving at the hospital, Brooke was wheeled into the emergency room. When the nurse demanded he stay in the waiting room, it was one of the few times in his life that he had used his wealth and influence to get his way. He told the nurse who he was and that if they did not allow him to remain with Brooke, they would regret their decision. The staff acquiesced to his demands, allowing him to remain by her side every step of the way.

  After hours of tests, including a CT scan and an MRI, it was discovered that Brooke’s brain was suffering from intracranial pressure. Although slight, the pressure could prevent blood from flowing to her brain, depriving it of oxygen.

  After making a quick diagnosis, the neurologist immediately placed Brooke on oxygen therapy and administered drugs that would help to relieve the swelling. He also directed that a new CT scan and MRI be completed in two hours to monitor the effects of the treatment. If the pressure did not decrease after two hours, the doctor would have to perform a ventriculostomy. The procedure involved drilling a small hole in the skull so that a plastic tube could be inserted to drain cerebrospinal fluid. While significantly less invasive than brain surgery, the thought of a hole being bored into Brooke’s head made Landon physically ill.

  She was due for the next round of tests in ten minutes. He would be with her.

&nb
sp; * * *

  Gaston shut the door behind him, quietly placing his keys on the kitchen counter. It was close to ten in the evening, and the house was still. When his eyes searched the living room for Natasha, he saw her lying on the couch fast asleep.

  He made his way to his children’s bedroom to check on them before going to his wife. Softly, he kissed the foreheads of his sleeping son and daughter, happy that he was home.

  Back in the living room, he looked at Natasha, who was in her pajamas curled up on the sofa with a throw to keep her warm. Gaston hated to wake her, but he couldn’t resist touching her, nor could he simply leave her downstairs. Besides, if he didn’t wake her she would be upset with him.

  Sitting on the end of the sofa where her feet were, he began to rub her toes and the high arch of her left foot. He could feel her beginning to stir. Soon, she opened her eyes and blinked a few times, smiling her welcome to her husband.

  “You were fast asleep, mon amour, instead of pacing the floors in anticipation of my arrival home,” he teased.

  Natasha stretched. “I fell asleep to help pass the time.” She looked at him with such happiness. “I want to get up and kiss you, but I am enjoying your foot rub too much.”

  In a flash, Gaston reached for his wife’s arms, and pulled her to a sitting position. He took her mouth, hungry for every part of her. He had missed her. After several long moments, he withdrew. “Now, how was that compared to your feet being rubbed?”

  Natasha gave him a thoughtful look. “I’m a bit indecisive at the moment and might need a little more of both to help me decide.”

  “Oh, how you vex me!” He laughed. “I will do a lot more than kiss you and rub your feet in a moment, but I must tell you what has happened first.”

  The change in her husband’s tone caused her to sit up straighter. “Has something happened with Landon?”

  “Depends on how you look at things. Your brother is in love with Brooke Johnson.”

  “How can you be sure? I know you said things seemed to be intense between them, but what else has happened to make you believe he’s in love?”

  “They spent all of yesterday together. I saw them in the dining room for breakfast. We spoke briefly, and Landon told me they were going into Villa La Angostura for the day. He took her to the waterfall.”

  “He took her there!” Natasha exclaimed with surprise in her eyes. “He never takes anyone there, not even me.”

  The waterfall in the Arrayanes National Park was Landon’s sacred place. Most everyone had one and this had been his upon discovering it four years ago.

  “Did anything else happen?” she asked, realizing that what her husband was telling her was quite possibly true; her brother may be falling in love with someone else besides Olivia Nelson.

  Gaston nodded his head. “He didn’t come down for dinner last night. I called his room to see if he was all right and he didn’t answer. When I asked the employees if they had seen him, Carlos told me he was having dinner with a guest on her balcony. He had delivered the meal personally.”

  “Wow!” Natasha exclaimed. “I think you’re right, and if you like her, I feel like this could be a great thing, if Landon doesn’t push her away.”

  “If he doesn’t push her away, and she survives. Landon is at the hospital with her at the moment.”

  “Oh, no! What happened?”

  “Around two o’clock this morning Brooke was on deck. She turned to leave faster than she should have on a slippery ship and hit her head on a bitt. After a shipman called for a medivac helicopter, Landon ordered him to call my room. He asked me to retrieve Brooke’s purse for her identification. I stayed with both of them until the air transport arrived. I spoke to him right before we docked. She is stable, but has swelling of the brain. The pressure wasn’t coming down fast enough so they had to put a tube in her head to drain the fluid. She’s recovering in ICU, and Landon hasn’t left her side.”

  “What was she doing on the deck that early in the morning? Was Landon with her?”

  “Apparently, her room was next to his. He heard her leaving and became concerned and followed her. They were standing on the bow talking when she became visibly distraught, pushing away from the rails. Landon didn’t say why she was upset.”

  Natasha was concerned. Would her brother tell her what was going on between the two of them? It was too late to call. When she eventually spoke with him, she wouldn’t pry, but she did want to know how both he and Brooke were doing. She would call first thing in the morning to see if there was anything she could do to help.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “I had forgotten how beautiful the waterfall is, Landon,” Brooke exclaimed with a sigh as she gazed down toward the cascading water, watching as it crashed into the blue lake below them. “How fortunate we are to see something as magnificent as this.”

  She turned her gaze toward Landon who was standing beside her. Gently, she reached out to touch his arm. “Everything is going to be all right.”

  At the sound of her words, he turned his attention from the view below to her beautiful face. His spirit felt heavy with emotion.

  “Don’t be afraid, Landon. There is nothing more to fear. Do you believe me?” There was absolute certainty in her voice.

  He nodded.

  “Good,” Brooke whispered, moving closer to him. There was a glimmer of hope in her eyes as she reached out to caress his face. When the contact was made, he reached up with his hand to cover hers as it rested against his cheek. Turning his head, he kissed the palm of her hand, tasting the saltiness of her skin.

  Brooke reached for him, drawing Landon toward her in an embrace, kissing him softly on the lips. Her touch brought forth an ache that nearly consumed him. He wanted her, so much he couldn’t think. As he deepened the kiss, his heart began to race, his blood pounding in his ears.

  The groan that escaped from Brooke’s mouth beckoned to him. She moaned again, more forcefully, the sound invading his senses.

  Landon awoke with a gasp on his lips, feeling disoriented and unfocused. He blinked his eyes several times. It took him a moment to realize he was in the hospital and that he had been dreaming. The groaning had been real, he realized as he heard the sound coming from Brooke’s sleeping form.

  Quickly, he stood and pressed the call button. When the nurse’s voice came over the intercom, he informed her that she was waking.

  Within minutes, her nurse entered the room. She immediately went to Brooke’s side to check the equipment monitoring her vitals.

  Brooke groaned again.

  “It’s all right, Ms. Johnson. You are in the hospital recovering from a head injury.”

  The nursed continued talking to the waking patient while she checked her IV fluids.

  Soon, Brooke came to; her eyes were wide open in fear. Landon was standing by the bed. Quickly, he reached for her hand. “Brooke, it’s me, Landon. Can you hear me?”

  It was obvious the young woman was frightened. “What happened? Where am I?”

  “You’re in good hands, sweetheart. After you fell on the ship and hit your head, you were medivacked to the nearest hospital. They have been taking great care of you. There was swelling on your brain, but they’ve managed to relieve the pressure. You’re going to be fine.”

  She tried to sit upright. Wincing in pain, she fell back to the pillow. Agony creased her forehead. She attempted to lift her arms to her head, but couldn’t because they were in restraints.

  “Please remove the straps,” he demanded of the nurse, more forcefully than he intended.

  Once Brooke’s hands were free she lifted them to her head, cradling it with both hands as she groaned in agony.

  “Is there anything you can give her?” he asked.

  “I need to call the doctor to let him know she is awake. He will tell me what medicine she is able to receive. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” The nurse left, leaving the two of them alone.

  “I’m sorry you’re in such pain, Brooke.” The thought of
her hurting caused him to feel helpless.

  From the time they arrived at the hospital, Landon felt as if he had been walking on pins and needles waiting for every test result, praying for the best. After the tube was placed in her skull to drain the fluid, he continued to feel anxious, waiting for the next set of tests to be done. When the results showed a dramatic reduction in the swelling and the tube was removed, only then did he begin to feel some semblance of hope.

  With the prospect of a full recovery, his exhaustion took over, causing him to fall asleep. The dream had felt unusually real, her words so comforting, the desire he felt for her was earth shattering. He thought of her words, a promise that everything would be all right. Would it really? he thought, almost afraid to believe.

  The nurse returned with a syringe and a pitcher of ice water. “This will deal with the pain and help her to relax, Mr. Gray. The doctor will be here in about thirty minutes. He has to finish with another patient. I’ve also brought some ice water. She’ll realize how thirsty she is once the sharp edge of pain begins to diminish. Call me if she isn’t calmer in about fifteen minutes.”

  Landon nodded to the older woman before she left the room.

  Standing by her side he watched as she continued to moan, helpless to do anything about it, wishing the medicine would hurry and do its work. Soon, the intensity of Brooke’s moaning decreased. She tried opening her eyes a few times before closing them again in pain. The room was dark and the blinds were closed. He felt concerned by her reaction to such a limited amount of light.

  “Brooke, are you beginning to feel better?”

  She moaned in response, but Landon could tell she was wincing less and the cries of pains were less intense. The medicine was working. She was no longer cradling her head.

  Landon reached for her hand. Using her line from the dream, he said, “Everything is going to be all right.”

  “Why do you keep calling me Brooke?” she asked in a weak quiet voice. The words startled him.

  “I’m very thirsty. Water, please.”

  Reaching for the pitcher and cup, Landon poured the ice cold water and held the straw to her mouth. She winced in obvious pain as she sucked in the cool liquid, but continued to drink until she was too exhausted to take another sip, laying her head back in fatigue.