Unbroken

by Natalie Debrabandere

  The colour had started to return to her face. When she smiled her entire face lit up, and again Liz felt that unusual but not totally unpleasant little stab of attraction in the pit of her stomach.

  "You know me so well already," Kristan joked, "and we've only just met."

  Liz easily laughed along with her.

  "Will you be out all day?" she enquired.

  Kristan nodded.

  “Most of it.”

  "In this case, make sure you wear a hat and drink plenty of water."

  "I will. Thanks."

  There was no reason for her to stay put any longer, and yet she was finding it difficult to leave. There was something really oddly attractive about the way this woman seemed to be so comfortable issuing directives and telling her what to do.

  "So how come I haven't bumped into you around the Park?" she insisted.

  "Because I just did, remember?" Liz replied with a chuckle.

  She started toward the coffee machine in the back and Kristan stared after her thoughtfully, admiring her figure, biting her lower lip as she did. She jumped a little when Liz suddenly turned around and those amazing black eyes locked onto her face again with the intensity of a laser beam.

  Kristan felt her cheeks grow hot as she blushed. Busted, she thought briefly, but Liz apparently had not noticed her looking, or if she had she chose to ignore it.

  "I predict a killer headache later," she said. "If you need me, just come and get me. I'm the last camper before the pool."

  "Okay. Thanks doc."

  "No need to thank me. I'll see you later."

  Kristan burst out laughing.

  "Pretty confident, aren't you?" she called as Liz walked away.

  Chapter 2

  Five long hours later, and Kristan sighed as her kayaking group stopped paddling again to snap photos of one another. She glanced at her watch, then back in the general direction of the beach, disappointed to see that they were still quite far out. The day had gone very well, her clients were delighted, and it was not often that Kristan wanted to end a session early. But she was getting pretty desperate.

  Mike caught up with her, smiling at her from behind his sunglasses.

  "Hey mate. Got somewhere you need to be?" he asked.

  "Not really," Kristan muttered as she reached for her water. "A cool dark room would be nice though," she added as she took a sip and winced.

  "How come?"

  “Well…”

  When Mike glided closer to her and leaned against the side of her boat, Kristan lifted her sunglasses and gave him her eyes.

  "Shit, Kris, what happened to you?" he exclaimed.

  She felt guilty when she caught the worried look on his face.

  "Don't fret, it's nothing.”

  “Doesn’t look like nothing. Come on, what’s up?”

  “A woman slammed the cafe door in my face this morning."

  The concern in his eyes disappeared instantly, replaced by curiosity and a huge grin. Kristan knew she had just volunteered the wrong kind of information.

  “Don’t you start,” she muttered.

  He laughed.

  "Hey, I’m not starting anything,” he protested. “Just concerned for you is all. So, what did you do to that lady to deserve such harsh treatment Kris? Uh?”

  Kristan threw him a dark look.

  She put her sunglasses back on and grabbed her paddle.

  "It was an accident, not domestic violence."

  Mike snorted, looking amused.

  "If you say so. Whatever happened, it looks like you're in a whole lot of pain, mate."

  "Yeah," Kristan admitted. "My head is kind of killing me right now."

  "Then go back if you like," he offered immediately. "We're nearly there, I can finish without you."

  Kristan looked out toward the group, busy swapping cameras and yelling instructions at each other. Making wonderful screensavers for the work PCs back home, she thought.

  Good for them.

  "It will be fine if you don't finish with us," Mike offered again, catching her hesitation.

  "Really? You sure?"

  "What am I, a rookie?" he said roughly.

  The pounding between her eyes finally won the battle.

  "Okay, thank you," she said gratefully. "You've got your radio just in case, yeah?"

  He rolled his eyes, pretending to be offended.

  "Yep. Got it, Boss. Stop talking and go find yourself some shade."

  "Mike, I need to talk to you about James."

  He turned her kayak around and gave her a firm push.

  "Later. Call me if you need."

  Kristan nodded and got going.

  If she carried on a little farther beyond the beach she knew she could come to shore pretty much right in front of her cottage. So she concentrated on her paddling and tried to ignore the fierce hammering in her head, which was only getting worse as she got closer to shore. By the time she got there she was in serious pain and seeing stars. She dragged her boat out of the water and collapsed on the grass by the side of it, struggling to get out of her spray deck.

  “Damn it!” she muttered.

  "Hi there. Need any help?"

  Startled, Kristan squinted up at the sound of the now familiar voice. Liz's British accent was another thing that she was finding attractive… But not attractive enough that she would immediately accept the help.

  "I can manage," she mumbled, pulling on her spray deck as if she were trying to rip it open.

  "Are you always this stubborn?"

  Kristan opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything Liz was kneeling down in front of her. Kristan went still as the woman lifted her sunglasses carefully and leaned closer to scrutinise her face. She clearly made her own private assessment of Kristan's condition, and then she reached for her and as if by magic the wet skirt came off.

  Talented hands, Kristan reflected thoughtfully, and she almost laughed out loud, feeling a little drunk now. It was not a completely unwelcome feeling.

  "I was on the beach painting when I saw you come out of the water," Liz explained. "You looked a bit unsteady on your feet so I thought I'd better come over to check on you. How is your head now?"

  Kristan considered fibbing, but she did not have the energy for it.

  "Not too good.”

  “No?”

  “No. Turns out you were right,” Kristan said slowly.

  Liz smiled in sympathy.

  "Killer headache, uh?"

  "You got it."

  "Well, I am sorry that I told you so. Are you allergic to anything?"

  "No."

  "Good. Take these. They'll help with the pain."

  Kristan stared at the tablets Liz offered and shook her head carefully.

  "Thanks," she said. "But I can’t… I don’t do pills.”

  Liz narrowed her eyes at her. She thought of a question, but when she noticed again the shadows under Kristan’s eyes, which had not been there in the morning, she decided to keep it for another time.

  “That’s fine,” she said gently. “We just need to get you lying down.”

  “I'm finding it a bit... difficult to talk."

  "I’m not surprised. Come on, let's get you inside."

  Kristan dropped her keys three times as she struggled to fit them into the lock, before Liz quietly took them from her and stepped forward.

  "May I?" she said with a brief glance at her.

  Kristan let her go first, wondering what it was about that woman that made her want to agree to everything she said or suggested. She was attractive, and of course that was a factor, even in Kristan's weakened state. But it was more than that, and if anything, trying to figure it out only made Kristan’s headache worse.

  Thankfully the cottage was cool inside, and it felt wonderful to escape the glare of the afternoon sun.

  Liz followed Kristan across the generous space, her eyes growing wide at the view of the mountains and the lake that seemed to fill the entire lounge. She st
ared out the open bay window for a moment before gazing around the rest of the room.

  There were thick and heavy rugs covering the gleaming wooden floors, green plants in dark pottery scattered at each corner of the room and a big wood burner tucked against the stone wall, which reminded Liz that even though this might be a rainforest, they were still in the middle of New Zealand's Alpine country and it would get cold in the winter.

  "Wow," she murmured, smiling. "This is a beautiful space."

  Kristan squinted toward the window.

  "Glad you like it," she said tiredly.

  She caught sight of her face in the mirror and attempted a joke.

  "I look like the lead in a horror movie."

  She glanced at Liz, who had come to stand very close to her, and tried to smile.

  "I’d say that’s definitely a huge exaggeration," the woman observed quietly. “More like an extra,” she added, when she realised she had probably come across as way too intense.

  Kristan just stared at her, and Liz held her gaze. There was no doubt in her mind what the doctor had meant by her comment. The way she was looking at her right now would have been enough to set the cottage on fire. And before Kristan could figure out what to say, Liz pointed behind her and hit her with yet another unexpected question.

  "Where’s your bedroom?” she asked. “This way?"

  Kristan blinked.

  "Excuse me?"

  Liz gave her a blank stare.

  "I want you to lie down. Right now."

  "Yeah, uh... Sure. Couch is fine. Thanks."

  Kristan turned around but immediately came to a sudden halt. She gritted her teeth as her stomach lurched and suddenly tried to turn itself inside out. She stopped moving and leaned against the wall for support.

  "It's okay," Liz murmured, standing right behind her. "Just keep breathing. That's it, deep and slow."

  Kristan felt her fingers wrap around her wrist and her other hand coming to rest on her forehead, and she closed her eyes in spite of herself.

  "You feel a little hot. Are you going to be sick?"

  Kristan would have laughed if she had not been feeling so terrible. What a wonderful impression she must be making on that woman.

  "No," she said firmly, hoping this was true.

  "Good. Let's get you lying down then. You'll feel better once you're flat on your back, I promise."

  Liz pulled the blind down on the bay window, plunging the room into soothing darkness.

  Kristan stretched out on the sofa, looking white as a sheet.

  "How's that?" Liz asked gently.

  "Yeah… Good."

  "Okay. Hold on one sec, I'll be right back."

  Liz disappeared off toward the kitchen and Kristan settled herself lower down against the pillows. She reflected she would have been in real trouble if this had happened when she was out on the lake on her own. She wondered how she was going to manage the concert later on. Perhaps Mike could take over for the night? It was becoming increasingly hard to think and she drifted a little.

  When she opened her eyes again Liz was sitting next to her, looking serious and armed with a fresh towel and an ice pack.

  "You've got a few of these in your freezer," the attractive doctor remarked. “Ice packs,” she added when Kristan looked at her blankly.

  "Yes... Sometimes need to ice my knee after a long run."

  Liz nodded as she wrapped the ice pack into the towel.

  "I like running," she offered. “How far is long for you?”

  “Twelve, fifteen miles.”

  "That’s impressive. Close your eyes, please..."

  She carefully applied the towel against the side of Kristan's face, brushing her hand away with a smile when Kristan tried to get a hold of it.

  "Let me do this," she said softly. "It's the least I can do for you, really."

  Kristan sighed a little.

  "Thank you… If only every woman was as nice as you..."

  Liz threw her a little questioning look.

  "Am I to conclude from this that I am not the first woman who ever slammed a door in your face?"

  Kristan did not notice the quick tightening of her mouth.

  "No... Women are normally nice to me," she said, and she was in pain and really, absolutely, categorically did not mean anything funny by it.

  But Liz did manage to read something into the careless comment.

  "Oh yeah, I can imagine," she murmured, as if to herself.

  "Imagine what?" Kristan asked, surprised at the unexpected sliver of bitterness she heard in her voice.

  Liz shifted the towel to the other side of her face, not making eye contact.

  "Nothing,” she said. “I can imagine women wanting to be nice to you, that’s all.”

  Once again she rested her hand on Kristan's forehead, the gentleness of her touch in sharp contrast with the harshness of her comment. Kristan stared at her for a few seconds, trying to figure out what the woman was really thinking.

  "So… was that a compliment then, doc?" she tried eventually.

  Looking into Kristan's limpid blue eyes, catching the pain in them and just a little hint of vulnerability, Liz suddenly felt herself on the edge of tears.

  She had been on the go for a few weeks now, always keeping on the alert, not stopping anywhere for long, not trusting anyone she met along the way. She was feeling tired and stressed out and this kayak instructor, with her incredible looks and friendly manner, was getting under her skin.

  "Sorry," she said softly. "Yes, I definitely meant that as a compliment. You look... Well. Beautiful. And I am really sorry that you're hurting now because of me."

  Kristan watched her as sadness drifted into her eyes. Suddenly, the beautiful doctor looked as if she was the one who needed comforting. It surprised her, because up until this very moment Liz had been nothing but take charge and efficiency.

  "So what were you painting out on the beach?" she asked, keen to bring a smile back onto the woman's lips.

  Liz appeared grateful for the question.

  "The lake and the forest in the background," she said.

  "Yeah? Can I see it?"

  "Nice try, but you're not getting up just yet."

  "I mean when the headache's gone."

  "Sure."

  Once again Liz sounded evasive.

  "Just concentrate on your breathing," she repeated.

  Kristan grew quiet, doing just that, almost drifting off to sleep.

  She probably would have done if there had not been a loud bang on the door and if Liz had not practically jumped out of her skin in reaction, startling her awake.

  "Yo, Kristan," a booming male voice called out.

  Kristan reached for Liz’s hand as she stood up and missed.

  “That’s okay,” she said quickly. “It’s just my friend Mike.”

  Liz nodded, her eyes darting toward the door, her face suddenly pale.

  “Don’t get up,” she ordered as Kristan started to move. “I'll get it.”

  There was no doubt in her mind when she saw the expression on the man’s face that he thought he had interrupted something juicy. Or was she just imagining things?

  “Hey, is Kris in?” he asked. “She decent?”

  So yes, not imagining anything, Liz concluded.

  “She’s resting,” she informed him coolly. “Come in and be quiet.”

  He snorted and walked past her without another word. He seemed at ease as he did so, looking at home in the cottage and comfortable with the surroundings.

  “Hey,” Kristan greeted him weakly when he walked into the lounge.

  Her eyes drifted to Liz, and she felt very disappointed when she realised that the woman was not going to stay any longer. It felt like too soon, too harsh, her leaving now. But the woman was all business once more, and when she met Kristan’s gaze this time she was clearly back into doctor mode.

  “Get some sleep, if you can,” she said with a pointed glance toward Mike. “Call me if you need anything. By
e.”

  She turned around and left so quickly that Kristan did not even have time to say a word. She fell back onto the pillows and sighed.

  “Wow,” Mike commented.

  He sat on the low table facing the couch and grinned.

  “What?” Kristan asked.

  “She’s hot. And bossy. And hot.”

  “Shut up,” Kristan said flatly.

  “Is she new?”

  “Think so."

  "You know her?"

  "No. Only met her this morning.”

  He chuckled and his eyes lit up.

  "Oh, I see. She’s the one who slammed the door in your face in the cafe, am I right?"

  "Yeah."

  “And you like her. I can tell.”

  Kristan closed her eyes and pressed the icy towel against her eyes. She winced. Mike seemed to realise that she was not in any mood for banter, because he lowered his voice immediately.

  “Sorry, Kris. How’re you feeling, mate?” he asked her gently.

  “Pretty rough just now.”

  “You think you'll be okay for tonight? ‘Cos it’s not a problem if you’re not, you know? I can take care of it.”

  Kristan opened her eyes and squinted at him.

  “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “Right now I feel like I’m going to throw up every time I move. Or pass out, or something delightful like that.”

  “How about I set up then? You get some sleep, see how you feel later.”

  “You sure you don’t mind?”

  He shook his head emphatically.

  “Of course I don’t mind, Kris. We’re partners, you don’t always have to do all the work yourself, you know? And the guys will help anyway. You should get some sleep, get better.”

  “Okay then. I think I will take you up on that. Thank you.”

  He leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek.

  “No problem.”

  Kristan held him back with a finger.

  “How was James when you talked to him?” she asked.

  Mike stood up and a muscle in his jaw clenched.

  "Don't worry about James."

  Kristan noticed the annoyance in his eyes.

  "What's going on?" she insisted. "What happened between you two?"

  "He's gone, Kristan, okay? Forget about the guy."

  "But what..."

  "I mean it, Kristan."