After they were far enough away from the shore, one of the three men on the boat instructed them on strapping in. As Hunter sat next to Becca and they worked their way to being safely secured, he shot a glance her way. She hung on every word the man told her, nodding every so often at his instructions.
“Okay, you guys will be up in a few minutes,” the man said with a nod, checking one last time on their harnesses. “First time?”
“For her, yes. Me, I’ve done this many times,” Hunter responded. Becca’s bare feet dangled over the seat. Their shoes and her purse were under one of the seats for safe keeping. Excitement raced through his veins.
“Okay. Just hold on and have fun.”
After a few more instructions and steps, Hunter and Becca were in the air. They were low at first, then they went higher and higher.
“What do you think?” he yelled over the wind.
“It’s beautiful! A little scary, but not as bad as I thought!” she shouted back.
“I can’t wait to see what kind of painting you come up with for this view!”
The water seemed to sparkle in the sunlight below them. Hunter tipped his head back and let the wind blow through his hair. He closed his eyes and let the head rush begin.
Out of nowhere, the flashback hit. The same scene. The plane. The crash. A fire. Eight year old Becca crying as he held her. Hunter tensed. He was no longer in control of his thoughts.
*****
He couldn’t fall asleep. He was cold, in pain and time was running out. How many days had passed already? They were running out of options. There were only so many fruits they could eat from the trees before it wasn’t enough. Becca’s injuries needed to be looked at. She couldn’t walk and he wasn’t sure if he should have pulled that damn thing out of her leg or not. He had no idea what was right or wrong here. He just knew they needed to be found. Poor kid cried for her family at night, shouting and thrashing until Hunter crawled over to her and woke her up. They needed real shelter, food, blankets and dry clothes. There was nothing here on this little spot of land. They’d found a place to hide out from the weather in a small rock formation that had an opening, but it wasn’t enough. A few hours ago, as Hunter was cleaning off in the ocean, the body of the pilot came ashore. At least, that’s who it looked like. Didn’t bodies sink? He’d turned around, puking up all of his lunch before staggering away to get back to Becca.
What would happen to her after they were found? She told him she had no other family. Neither did he, but he could handle it. He’d be a man. Becca was a little girl who would need her mom, long for the affection from her dad, and need to be able to laugh and have fun with her sister.
That plane crash tore all that away from her. Maybe he could convince whoever would be finding them new families to let them stay together. She knew him, so it might be easier if she had someone.
If they were found.
Damn it! He had to stop thinking of if and get back to thinking when. Eventually little Becca would fear that they wouldn’t be found. He needed to give her hope. She needed something to gasp on to.
She’d been having a hard time talking. She would stutter or sometimes not be able to say anything at all. If they were to stand a chance, they both would need to be found.
He wasn’t sure where it came from, but water splashed all around him. Hunter sputtered, reaching for Becca. “No! Stay above the water!” he shouted. This made no sense. They were on land. There shouldn’t be this much water. All he knew was that he had to get to Becca and keep her safe.
“No!”
*****
Something was wrong with Hunter. He’d spaced out again on the ride and then when they came in for the landing and hit the water, he freaked, splashing and yelling. He sounded fearful. She understood nightmares, but this was during the day and he was awake! What happened?
The instructors pulled them in quick, obviously noticing Hunter’s flailing and yelling. Becca had unstrapped herself the moment their feet touched the boat and she reached for Hunter. He trembled. His eyes were open and he had a hollow look. The guys beside her asked a ton of questions, but Becca told them to back off. She unhooked all the straps keeping Hunter in, then reached to pull him into her arms. Her heart raced as she tried to calm him. “Hunter! Snap out of it. It’s okay. I’m here.” She ran her fingers through his wet hair, hoping he’d talk to her soon. What was that all about? She wanted to understand. She ignored the worried and strange stares from the other passengers as she focused on Hunter. He’d stopped trembling and after a few seconds he pulled away, his face red and sweaty. His eyes were full of terror. He breathed heavily as if he’d just come back from a run.
“I-I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” he said quietly, looking from Becca to the others. Hunter blinked and shook his head.
“You okay there, man?” the one who’d given them instructions earlier asked, his eyes narrowed as he kept watching Hunter.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m good.” Hunter brushed it off, then faced Becca again. “How did you feel?”
He was avoiding questions, but she was not about to let this go easily. She would find out later just what in the world happened, when they were alone and he hopefully would feel more comfortable talking.
“It was fantastic! I did exactly what you said. I closed my eyes, kicked my legs and let myself believe I was on a swing. It took away the fear right away. Then I checked out the view and it stole my breath.”
He leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek. “See, I knew you’d be okay.” He shot her a smile, but his eyes were still troubled.
As they headed for the dock, Hunter went quiet. He avoided looking at anyone and just stared out at the water. Becca squeezed his hand, but he didn’t respond. Her heart sank. What happened to him? He’d spaced out, then freaked. That wasn’t like him.
Chapter Twelve
Hours later, she still hadn’t gotten anything out of him about what happened. Hunter did his usual change the subject quick thing and avoided it completely. They’d had lunch and walked around aimlessly until Becca stopped in her tracks and grabbed Hunter’s hands. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
“I need you to tell me what that was all about. I’m worried about you. Please don’t hide from me, Hunter.”
Eyes downcast, Hunter mumbled something.
“Hey,” she tried again. “You’re scaring me.”
“I think I’m losing my mind!” he practically yelled. Then he bit his lip. “Shit. I didn’t mean to yell.”
“You aren’t losing your mind,” she replied gently. “But something is going on.”
Hunter heaved a sigh. “I had another dream, flashback, whatever you call it. Yes, in the middle of the day. It’s not the first one. It was back from that five days out on the island. Then the two worlds collided. I was there in that little rock shelter with you, freaking out and then we were surrounded by water and I rushed to grab you. I think that’s where we landed in the water from the sailing. My dreams and reality mixed and I panicked. I don’t remember much because I was too far gone in the flashback. The next thing I remember was you holding me and saying I’m okay. See, tell me that’s not losing my mind!” He curled a trembling fist at his side.
“I will tell you. Look at me,” she commanded. When his eyes met hers, she spoke firmly. “You are not losing your mind. Got it? Whatever it is, we’ll figure out, but you’re not losing it.”
“It really, really feels like I am,” Hunter whispered. “They’ve been happening more and more lately. They really kicked up when I came back to the island. I almost … I kind of want to leave early. I’m restless and anxious. I have no idea why.”
“I have a few guesses. Your daughter, the letters…” And me. “If being here this year is too hard, then let’s leave early.”
“I don’t want to take away your time here,” he protested.
A bird flew overhead very low, which startled Becca. As she watched it gather it’s strength and stra
ighten out, she focused back on Hunter. “You aren’t taking anything from me. I don’t mind leaving early. I’ve had my peace and excitement. I still get to be with you, whether we’re on the island or in your house. That’s enough for me.”
“Promise?”
She wasn’t sure what he wanted her to promise, but her heart broke a little inside at his unsure sounding voice. She kissed his cheek. “I promise. How about we make a plan to leave tomorrow? Did you fly out on your plane?”
“No, I flew on a commercial plane. I didn’t feel like being the pilot on my way out here.” He shook his head, his eyes wide and searching her face. “I’m guessing you drove. Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. I suppose we can drive back to my apartment so I can get a few things, then finish the drive to your house.”
“That works. We can alternate so it doesn’t get tiresome for both of us. And that way your knee doesn’t act up too much. Thank you for understanding. You do know it’s more than a half a day’s trip to Virginia, plus we’re stopping in Vermont for you, so that might take longer.”
A million thoughts swarmed through her mind. What would it be like going home with Hunter? To see him on his own turf? He’d come out only a few times when she was growing up, but she’d never been able to go see him. Not until their yearly visits here did she see him on an annual basis. She’d be staying with him for a few months!
“Is that not okay?” she asked tentatively. Now she felt really bad for not having the courage to fly.
Hunter wrapped his arms around her. As he held her tight, he planted soft kisses in her hair. “I’m fine with it. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a road trip. I just wanted to let you know. That’s all. No worries.”
They were both on edge. Despite how close Hunter held her, she still felt a strange, unwanted distance. Just when they were becoming closer, something, she wasn’t sure what, was taking it’s toll and causing that distance. Maybe she was imagining it all, but she highly doubted it.
*****
They spent the rest of the day making preparations. Hunter went to talk to the people at the front desk at Range’s to let them know they were checking out early. The lady thought it had to do with the letters, but he assured her it had nothing to do with it. Really, it didn’t. Hunter was just ready to go.
They would take the ferry in the morning to the mainland, find Becca’s car and hit the road. He’d come here not only to find Becca, but to relax as well. That didn’t seem to be working. He felt more anxious than ever. And that freak out moment in the water earlier? Wow, what the hell was that all about? He knew Becca was worried about him. Hell, he worried about that shit himself. He had no explanation. The guys on the boat had given him strange looks, as if he were high on something. He’d wanted to smack the looks off their faces, but of course held back. He’d never had those kind of feelings before. It was only natural for anyone that didn’t know him to wonder what was wrong. He couldn’t really blame them.
He wished he had an idea of why this kept happening. Stress? Nerves? Could that have caused the nightmares and the flashbacks? He’d had them not too long after nearly crashing the plane when taking someone out about two months ago. The night had been stormy, cold and dangerous. His mind was on Eva, Sienna and the news that his ex-wife had full custody of her. That had shattered him, and he wasn’t thinking. Taking that spur of the moment flight had been a stupid move. He should have turned around and not tried for the landing, but he thought he could do it all. He could have gotten himself and the woman passenger killed in the process. He’d been shaken up, but no damage had been done, other than a little bit to the plane.
He wasn’t the same since. What a mess.
Becca was up in her room gathering the last of her things. They’d decided for her to just stay with him again tonight. Before he headed back up, he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Shara.
“She’s gone quiet again,” Shara answered.
Hunter blinked. Well that was a nice way to say hello. “Eva?” Stupid to ask. He knew the answer to that, but she’d caught him off-guard.
“Yup. Probably planning her next attack with how she wants to take everything from you.”
He hated the tone in her voice, but decided against saying anything about it.
“Damn her,” Hunter swore, pacing in the hall. He didn’t realize he’d been doing that until one of the housekeepers cleared her throat and shot him a pointed look.
He nodded and turned away. Maybe he should go outside for a few. This conversation could get interesting.
“I told you from the start she was bad news,” Shara continued.
“I don’t need the I told you so’s thrown in my face, thank you very much!” Hunter snapped. What the hell was her problem anyway?
“Wasn’t this trip supposed to calm you down? You sound just as intense as you were when you left.”
Hunter sighed. “Yeah, this trip had it’s moments, but I haven’t been able to relax. In fact, I’m coming home early.”
“You are? When? That’s good!”
“Shara, please let me finish.” It was almost like talking to a child at that point. “I’m bringing someone with me. That’s one of the reasons I called. I wanted to see if you could get a few things ordered and to the house for me.”
“Someone with? Who could you be-” she huffed. Then a long stretch of silence. “It’s Becca, isn’t it? The woman you go see every year and whose artwork is all over the house?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact. I’m bringing Becca home with me. I’m really excited to introduce her to everyone. I think you’ll like her. She’s amazing.”
That silence came back.
“Are you in love with her, Hunter?”
He blanched. In love? With Becca? He loved her, no denying that. He had strong feelings for her that he’d never noticed or paid attention to before, but to go as far as saying in love? That one he didn’t know. “I think I am. I never realized how much I missed her and really needed her in my life until I saw her again.” She gets me, deep inside. Like no one else. Again, he kept that to himself. Shara already sounded jealous. He’d never felt for her that way, no matter how much she tried. And she had certainly tried.
“I see.” She tapped her nails against something. He knew that sound. She always did that when she gathered her thoughts. “So what is it you want me to do?”
“I want art supplies. Lots of them. Paints, paintbrushes. I don’t know a lot about all the materials, but whatever you can get your hands on. Put it on the card. Oh, and a swing. If you can find a wooden swing that hangs from a tree, I’d love that.”
“Those are some odd requests,” Shara commented.
“They’re for Becca. I want to surprise her. I want her to feel at home.”
“The art supplies are probably manageable. I don’t know about that swing though. Not the kind you’re looking for.”
“Please, Shara? See what you can do?” he pleaded. He hated pleading with her.
Damn, he really did have it bad for Becca, didn’t he?
“Fine, fine. When should we expect you two?”
“We’re leaving tomorrow morning, making a stop in Vermont for a few things and then we’ll be on our way. Tomorrow night maybe? I’ll keep you updated. I don’t know how much our plans will stick. We might want to stop for various reasons.”
“Okay. Oh, and Hunter? I hope you know what you’re doing with her. She’s a woman from your past. I don’t see what good the two of you would be for each other.”
“I appreciate your concern.” He held his tongue. Shara was the second person to make that kind of comment. Vince had said something similar. It could be because Vince had feelings for Becca and Shara had some for him. “Just because two people were brought together because of something horrible doesn’t mean they can’t make it work.”
“I’m just trying to look out for you. Eva hurt you and now you have a child with her that she holds over your head. I don’t want
to see anything else happen to you. I hate that you’re hurt.”
“Becca is nothing like Eva and she never would be! You’ll see. Wait until you meet her. You’ll know exactly what I do. Anyway, I’m going to go, I’ve got a few things to wrap up and then call it an early night. Thanks Shara.” He hung up before she had a chance to make another comment.
He made his way back to Becca with one thought on his mind. Was this the right thing to do? Could he and Becca work?
He needed to stop with the doubting. All they could do was give it a chance. He wasn’t about to give up. His feelings were too strong. Everyone else, they just didn’t know. That was all.
Now in front of Becca’s door, he pulled out her keycard she gave him to come back in. He slid it through the slot and once the light turned green, he pushed open the door. Becca had all of her things piled up by the bed. Her bag of art supplies and a second suitcase was all she had left.
“Hey. Everything go okay?” She smiled at the sight of him. She’d pulled her long black hair up in a ponytail and as she walked to check something in the bathroom, it swayed back and forth.
“Yep. We’re all set. It looks like you have everything.” Through the patio door, the rays of gold from the setting sun cast brilliant shades of color across the sky and filtered through the room. Another night coming. They both needed a good night’s rest so they could head out early in the morning when the first ferry took off.
“Yes. I didn’t pack much and there’s already a few things in your room.” Becca turned, giving her room one last check.
“Want to order room service and watch the sunset from my balcony?” Hunter grinned. “One last amazing view before we leave.”
Passionate Kisses 2 Boxed Set: Love in Bloom Page 91
