“You were in the Army?”
“Six years,” he answered vaguely, neat printing answering questions and watching her face. “You lost someone,” he knew instantly at the shadows in her eyes.
“My little brother…in the first Gulf war. He was infantry…always wanted to be an Army guy,” she said in wistful memory, turning away at the hint of heat behind thick lashes.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly.
“Thanks,” she looked down at the page. He’d skipped over the address part and was filling in other portions. It wasn’t unusual for people to be homeless, she thought. Maybe he lived on his bike? “Umm…we can’t leave that part blank…” She had viewed the past positions and skills, frowning thoughtfully.
“We can’t?” He said, the ever present crooked grin watching her pace the small cubicle.
“We’ll put in my mother’s address,” she hastily wrote out the address. “Do you have a phone number? We have to be able to reach you,” she searched his face, blinking at the intensity that flared there for a moment.
“Your mother?” Cade almost laughed. He watched her shrug. He printed his cell number in the blank.
“Yeah, well…it’s all I got…I’ve just moved here. She’s lived here for ages,” Abigal went back to her pacing. Delicate. How to be delicate, her mind churned over the words. “You do have more…appropriate…attire…should I be able to get you an interview, right?”
“I come prepared, ma’am,” Cade assured her with a wink. He swore a tint of pink strike her cheeks.
“Oh, good…that’s good…” He looked healthy, she mused. So he’d probably easily pass the lab check. She was going to have a chat with the guards that let him jump the line, though.
Cade looked up after completing the form, signing it and handing it back to her. “Don’t take your temper out on the guards, please. They’re old Army friends who knew I’d be here early. I just wasn’t in the line.” He adlibbed casually.
Abigal frowned slightly, taking the form and moving to the copier. She handed him back a copy. She had seen the motorcycle when she first arrived, but didn’t think about it. It had been there for the last few days.
“Well…I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Rollins,” she gestured to the side. “If you’ll follow me…”
He almost said something decidedly Army but caught himself in time. The definitely feminine twitch to her behind as she walked was enough to make him forget his name. He had wanted to know what the process was for hiring. Abigal Murray had come very highly recommended and judging by the organization and speed her people were conducting the processing, they had been right.
He folded the paper and slid it into the back pocket. A wink offered when she gestured to the lab tent.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Murray,” he took her hand, carrying it to his lips with a kiss that had those expressive eyes widening considerably. “Until next time.”
Abigal backed up with a nod, long legs taking her back to the gates, watching people come and go for the next several hours. She had large piles of applications on her desk, her head bent and the end of her pen between her white teeth. She waved a careless set of fingers at the departing employees shortly after four, all applications taken that day on her desk for review.
She had things in neat bundles, clipped and filled with written notes. Now she’d wait for the security forms to return. She slid everything into a locking cabinet before grabbing her purse and keys. Abigal dropped the simple black heels onto the seat of her car, her feet welcoming the comfortably flat slip-ons before she got into the car.
Chapter Eight
It was a nice but short drive to her mother’s house. A place she had bought a long time ago on the coastline at the southern end of Puget Sound. Shrouded with trees and ferns, she felt like she was slipping into another time.
She inhaled the scent of tide as she wandered along the walk to the house, her bag and keys falling to the small table by the front door.
“Mom…I’m home,” Abigal looked through the mail, taking what was hers and setting it on her purse.
“How did the first day go? I saw the news…you looked beautiful and extremely professional,” Janet Murray complimented as she came out of the kitchen, a towel between her fingers. “There was a long line there.”
“It only got longer,” Abigal said with a sigh.
“There are a lot of people out of work…and a lot of military returning looking for jobs,” Janet said with a shrug. “I’m going to be off in a little bit…my class starts in an hour. Sure you won’t come along?”
Abigal wrinkled her nose. “I could never get into the clay under the fingernails thing, mom…but you’re a great teacher,” she added when her mother laughed. “I think I’ll take a walk and kind of unwind. See you later…”
“Be careful…it rained and the trails are a bit slick.”
“Will do…”
She had to admit it was nice living next to a state park. She could hear cars and people; kids and dogs and the sound of the ocean. A small grimace creased her lips when she glanced at her feet. She wasn’t overly fond of mud, but it was obviously part of living in the area. The shoes could be rinsed. There was a slight grade down to the beach, a long stretch of smooth sand leading into the cold waters of the Sound.
****
Janet Murray answered her front door with a smile, her gaze sweeping the motorcycle and the man who had come from it. He wore black jeans and a simple tee shirt. His hair was a pale blond and cut close to his head.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for Abigal Murray? I hope I have the right address,” Cade asked politely, his palm up. “Cade Rollins.”
“You’re a friend of my daughter’s?” Surprise flickered and was quickly shaken off. “How nice…I worry that girl doesn’t socialize enough. There’s a path that way,” she pointed toward the state bark. “She went for a walk toward the beach. There’s only one path, you can’t miss it. I’m off…got class to teach,” she told him, closing the door behind her and striding to the small compact. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Rollins.”
“My pleasure, ma’am,” Cade tipped his head and headed toward the path. He caught sight of deep, dark blue skies as he wandered beneath the canopy of trees. Somewhere in the distance, he was positive he heard a sweep of thunder over the water. He’d just passed the sign that announced he was on state property when the scream pierced the early evening peace.
Instinct took over, his boots hitting the dirt in long pounding steps.
Abigal was convinced things could not get any worse. Both hands clung to the thick root, her feet trying to get some leverage on the side of the hill. The tide was only just coming in and she doubted she could hold on long enough to wait for water to be below her. She let her head fall against her straining arms, groaning and trying to tighten her fingers. They hurt.
She had been looking at the ground. At least twenty feet below her. She didn’t see the boots of the man who paused only long enough to know he wouldn’t be on stable enough ground to lift her from the top.
“Abby…let go of the root…” He ordered from below her a few seconds after coming off the path.
“You?” She heard the familiar voice. “YOU? What are you doing here? How’d you get down there?” She demanded testily.
“The conventional way,” he answered dryly. “Let go…I’ll catch you.”
“Let…I can’t…it’s too high…can you kinda maybe…lift me…” She kicked out at the side of the hill, yelping when her shoe went tumbling to the ground.
“Will you just let go, damn it,” Cade felt a cross between laughter and frustration bubbling inside him.
“Catching only happens in really tacky movies…” Abigal closed her eyes. “I eat enough calcium…I shouldn’t break too bad if I hit the sand on my side…I’m young…I’ll heal quickly…maybe…”
“Abby…let go…” he was fighting laughing or yelling.
“I…I am trying….my fing
ers don’t want to listen to me…give me a minute…”
“Damn it, let go of the branch!” He bellowed the order with as much threat as he could muster. He was relieved when it was enough to catch her off guard, her fingers loosened and her body falling.
Abigal yelped and closed her eyes, bracing for the thump against the packed sand. But it never happened. She peeked through the fingers she’d plastered to her face.
Cade managed to position one arm where her knees would be and braced her back against him.
“You can look now,” Cade said from very close to her ear. “Tacky movie part over.” He watched the thick dark lashes open very cautiously from behind her palms. “Hi.”
Abigal blinked and looked from his face to the offending root she had been clinging to. It was a long way up now.
“Oh…hi…you could…the ground…” Her head bobbed as she felt the ground beneath her toes. “Thank you…eeww…” her foot immediately lifted like a flamingo.
Cade laughed, bent down and retrieved her shoe. “Your slipper, Cinderella.”
“I…well...thank you…what are you doing here?” She took a wobbly step back, looking around at the beach. A huge cave stretched beneath the portion of the hill she had been hanging over. In front of it was a long expanse of smooth gray sand.
“I came to see you,” he answered simply. “Just in the nick of time, as they say in tacky movies.”
“Me? What in the world for? How did you find me?” Abigal demanded suspiciously and stepped onto the sand. She removed the other shoe and brushed the mud from the bottom before sliding her shoe back in place.
“Your mother pointed me in the right direction.” He walked beside her.
“My…my mother? Why…how did you know…”
“You gave me your address, remember?” Cade offered a palm she ignored when she stepped over a large, weathered log.
“I…hmm…I guess I did…well…thank you…for…you know…saving me…catching me,” she said disjointedly. “I had no idea the dirt was that slippery,” she dropped to her heels, her hands sweeping in the cold waters.
“Did you hurt yourself?”
She shrugged. “It’s a bit sore…it’ll be fine…I’m sure salt water is a great cure.”
“Abigal, I think we should head back…now,” Cade took one of her damp, cold palms, his gaze sweeping the squall he saw headed their way.
“I don’t want to…oh, fraggle…” Abigal gripped his fingers and tried getting traction, moving over the sand at the same time lightning brightened the area.
A startled yelp broke free when the cold water began pouring down, their direction changed and suddenly they were dry again. Abigal looked around and then up, the unsolicited sound from deep inside her far from happy.
“Fraggle?” Cade repeated curiously.
Abigal waved a palm in the air. “An old TV show…mom felt it was a better use than some of the words I had been hearing around me. It kind of stuck now and then.”
Cade watched her eyes widen and sweep the ceiling and sides of the large cave. She took a tentative step back the way she had come, only to retreat from the deluge of water, positioning herself a safe distance from the walls. He gestured to one of the large stones.
“Might as well have a seat…at least we’re dry…for the most part,” he sat down, knees parted and elbows on them. He leaned forward hands clasped as he watched her pace.
“I…I don’t think…” Abigal shuddered slightly. Probably from the cold, she thought. “I really don’t like caves…and dirt…”
“Then why were you in the park?”
“A walk in the park does not mean a…a bunch of dirt and mud…” She swiped at something small flying around. “And bugs…”
“Uh…usually it does…at least around here,” Cade said calmly, working hard not to laugh.
“I suppose so. Probably pretty much the same everywhere. It is very different than New Mexico,” she mumbled, continuing to pace and watch the rain, jumping now and then when the lightning struck. It sounded like it was right over her head.
“Is that where you lived before?”
“Yes…it was air conditioned and…and chemicaled…bugs stayed in their world and humans in their world…” she swiped again.
“We did kind of wander into their world, Abigal,” he pointed out, easily weathering the scowl she sent at him. “You’ll get used to it. We don’t need much air conditioning here.”
“I grew up here. It’s just been awhile since I lived here,” she paced thoughtfully. “Well, this is certainly one for the list,” she grumbled, carefully avoiding the walls as she paced.
“List?”
“Yes…list. The ‘you did what?’ list? You know…things that are outside the realm of normal good girl things to do,” she waved a palm dismissively.
“You have a list for that?” Cade asked, curious. “So what’s on it?”
Abigal glared at him for a long minute. “Holding onto a root, falling twenty feet to be caught by a stranger and…and being holed up in a cave while it rains.” She ignored his laughter. “So it’s a short list…but it’ll get bigger,” she declared firmly.
“What’s wrong with being a good girl? Not that I’m sure exactly what that is…” He added carefully.
“There’s nothing…it isn’t that it’s wrong…exactly…it’s hard to explain…”
“We got nothing but time,” he pointed out with a nod at the pouring rain.
“Yeah, well…” she frowned and spun to face him. “I bet an Army guy’s done lots of things that wouldn’t be approved of…things that…risks…it isn’t so much about the risks,” she continued through her rant. “It’s about taking a path…a choice that other people believe is insane.”
“What’s wrong with approval? And usually if you have friends who think something is…insane…there’s a good reason.” He mentioned cautiously.
“It isn’t about the approval. It’s…it’s about doing things because you want to, not because someone else says it’s okay. It’s about…about not getting permission,” she told him, yelping and swiping when she felt something touch her face.
Cade moved quickly, caught the offending web weaver and disposed of it before she noticed. “It’s okay, Abigal…it’s gone…”
“Thank you…I really don’t like spiders…”
“Not too many people do. So who says you need permission for anything?”
“I…” She stared at him for a long minute. “You just do…sometimes…it’s how you grew up…it’s what you learned to think…it’s about stepping outside your comfort zone.” She looked around and found a solid, thick stick, smoothing the dirt out. She drew a circle in the top left. And another in the bottom far right. “This circle indicates the question. The action, if you will. Then you have…people you talk to…opinions that matter to you…but at some point, those opinions that matter somehow take over when you’re not looking. So you have opinions that matter and opinions you have to listen to because it’s the polite thing to do. Then you have others where you just want to tell them to please go away and leave me alone and then you have the, it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, I’m doing it anyway! And finally, the answer,” she pointed to the other circle.
“I’m guessing there’s not a lot in that last column,” Cade met the dark eyes.
“That’s the problem,” she announced. “I am tired of…of doing what others think is right. Safe.” She sighed thickly. “But then you have the issue that the advice you received wasn't really bad advice and you did receive decent guidance and insight…it just gets so darned…grey…”
“Have you always been like that?”
Abigal looked at the large stone at his side, perching carefully on it with a sigh. “Like I said…it’s how you were raised to think. Somehow I think it can be worse in girls.”
“So what’s the plan for breaking out?”
“You’re amused by this, aren’t you?” She glared at him, chin in her palms an
d elbows on her knees. “I don’t even know why I’m talking about this with you. I don’t know you.”
“I’d guess that might be why. Don’t talk to your friends about this issue?”
“No…yes…sometimes…they have things they’re busy with…and that’s okay…it’s interesting how people grow up so different…what gets trapped in their brain…in their life…”
“Are you unhappy with your life?”
“No…it’s nice…pleasant…peaceful…” She straightened up sharply. “That’s the problem. Shouldn’t there be some…some experiences…some…”
“Drama?”
“Oh god no…no drama…just…risk…adventures,” she breathed huskily, her eyes on the water about thirty feet from them. “Some waves…” Abigal stood up and looked at him. She shrugged out of her jacket and held it out to him. “Yes. Exactly. Waves. Hold this, please.”
“I…what are you…” Cade watched her movements, her feet stepped out of her shoes and she opened the button on the side of her skirt. “Abigal…”
She held up her palm and one finger. The look on her face stern.
“Not a word. I do not want opinions. I do not want in-sight, I do not want advice or even suggestions. Just hold these for me,” She reached up to her hair, pulled two pens free with a little frown and handed them to him.
Cade stared at the curves betrayed by only a vest and pair of briefs. His eyes went from the bare feet, over the long length of feminine leg and onto the long hair that had suddenly been freed and curled around her face and shoulders.
“Abby, seriously…” Cade drew out the words, both eyebrows arched when she flung a palm up at him for silence.
“Not a word,” she ordered firmly. “I’ll be right back.”
Before he could make a grab or utter another word, she took off at a long legged run, down the sand and plunging in a long dive into the swirling gray waters. She surfaced not far from the beach, a bright smile on her face and looking amazingly pleased with herself.
WindSwept Narrows: #2 Cassidy, Abby & Mia Page 7
