Mike's face had grown serious and his brown eyes had hardened.
"Just leave it," he said. "Get some sleep. I'll handle tonight."
He closed the door quietly as he left and Kristan sighed and buried her face into the ice pack.
Liz practically ran back to her camper and slammed the door shut after her. That guy had scared her half to death, banging on the cottage door like that. She had to remind herself that she had been careful and there had not been any sign of Robert behind her, at any point along the way.
She had got rid of her old credit cards and of anything else that might lead him to her. The staff at her old hospital in London thought she had gone to live in France. She was not on Facebook, Twitter or any other social media site. She was in a different country, on the other side of the world, moving a lot, and there was no way he would be able to find her.
She was being jumpy for no reason at all. Damn it!
Liz rubbed her face with both hands and untied her hair. Going to the fridge, she grabbed a beer and collapsed on the couch in front of the window. She realised with a start that she could just make out the edge of Kristan's cottage from her pitch. Watching, she took a deep breath and a sip of beer.
She relaxed.
It had been a surprise, her incredible physical reaction to the sexy kayak instructor.
Liz had never been much into sex before, and of course she knew it was because she had spent eight long years pretending to be somebody else, denying her own feelings and trying to ignore her inner voice. The one that told her that she liked women.
Prior to Robert there had been a few girls, of course, especially Eva, back in college. But she had been young then, and it had all been hesitant and rather clumsy. In her mind, Liz had always imagined that making love to another woman would someday be the most incredible experience of her life… and she was still waiting.
She smiled a little as she remembered the look Kristan had given her in the cafe. Liz knew what she had been looking at, and she knew she liked what she had seen.
Sighing, she settled more comfortably onto the couch as the sun started to disappear over the mountain tops.
She closed her eyes, breathing deep and slow.
She stood a little way back from the stage, leaning against a tree, smiling as she watched the band. It was late now and still warm, and Liz felt pleasantly drunk.
She grew still as she spotted Kristan walking toward her. The woman looked unlawfully sexy in a pair of low slung blue jeans and a loose flannel shirt. She was barefoot.
She slipped behind Liz and rested her hands on her waist.
“Hi.”
"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?"
"Sorry doc. I felt lonely."
Liz smiled as she felt Kristan's warm breath against her hair. When Kristan kissed the side of her neck, she stiffened.
"Stay still," Kristan whispered.
Liz nodded, but she was trembling. Kristan's hands sneaked under her t-shirt. She moved around to face Liz and hide her from view. She pushed her back into the shadows.
"You feel hot," Kristan murmured.
Her eyes were sparkling and burning with desire. Liz put her hands on the back of her neck and pulled her in for a searing kiss.
She opened her eyes again with a start, surprised to realise that she had drifted off. It was a lot darker now and a lot cooler as well. Liz let her right hand drift slowly between her thighs, astounded to realise that she was trembling. She glanced toward the forest, but she could not see Kristan’s cottage at all now, only darkness. She hoped that she was okay.
Music drifted softly through the night, and as Liz checked her watch she realised that it was only eight-thirty. Early. She needed to eat, and she knew there was a concert on tonight. No point staying in on her own and missing out, thinking about some woman she should not be.
She grabbed her wallet, her keys and a warm jacket, and she stepped resolutely out into the night.
Chapter 3
When Kristan showed up at the Activity Centre’s office just after six o'clock the next morning Mike was already there, sat at his favourite desk with a steaming mug of coffee and an open laptop in front of him.
"Good morning, Frankenstein," he greeted her with a wink. “You’re late."
She flashed him a brilliant smile and bent over to kiss him on the cheek.
"Morning buddy."
"What's that for?" he grunted.
"To say thank you for the plate of spinach lasagna you left in my kitchen," she said, amused at his reaction. “At least I assumed it was from you.”
He grinned.
"Ha. Don't mention it. I came to check up on you after the concert last night and you were out like a light. Snoring. Mouth open. Wasn’t a pretty sight...”
Kristan rolled her eyes and she laughed.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”
She sat on a corner of his desk and started flipping through some mail.
“So how're you feeling?” he asked, watching her. “Your eye doesn’t look so swollen today.”
“Yep.”
“That’s good. Don’t want to scare any of our clients off."
"I feel a whole lot better. Headache’s gone too, which is the main thing," Kristan commented, picking up a bunch of reservation forms off the desk. "Had your lasagna for breakfast which helped also."
"Did you? Was it okay?"
“Amazing. As usual.”
She nodded enthusiastically, looking at him, smiling at the serious look on his face.
Mike was 6'2 and 195 pounds. Full of muscle, and an absolute gem in the kitchen. It always surprised people when the big bearded helicopter pilot launched into animated conversations about organic vegetables and the best way to steam carrots. Kristan was a frequent recipient of his vegan culinary creations and always a very grateful customer.
“Thanks for taking care of things at the concert last night by the way,” she said. “Everything go okay?”
“100%. Everyone had a good time and the band were excellent. It was packed. Shame you missed it.”
“I’ll be there next time.”
Mike gave an approving nod.
“Hope so. Your attacker was there by the way. She seemed to enjoy her evening.”
Kristan immediately lost interest in the booking forms.
“Liz? She was there?”
“Yeah.”
“On her own?”
He chuckled.
“Ha! See? You do like her. I knew it.”
Kristan shook her head a little, smiling.
“I don’t, I’m just curious.”
“Of course you are,” Mike said with a quick laugh. “And I guess it doesn’t hurt that she’s really good-looking too, uh?”
Kristan threw him a warning look and busied herself with more paperwork. She had no idea exactly what it was that she felt toward Liz, although she was intrigued by her and eager to find out more about her. But she knew if she left it to Mike to figure out he would have them married and growing old together in just under a minute.
Safer to focus on work for now.
“Looks like we’re fully booked today,” she observed.
“We are indeed. Will you be flying?"
"Absolutely.”
“Can you see okay?”
“Of course I can,” Kristan exclaimed, laughing.
Mike had a quick check of his laptop, grinning.
"Just making sure. Weather should be great. Hot and dry down here, cool and clear up there.”
It was perfect flying weather and the mountains would look gorgeous in the sunshine. Kristan was feeling great, and she was looking forward to a full day in the pilot’s seat.
“Hey, guys. Morning. How is everyone today?”
She looked up and smiled at the two young women who walked in, dressed for kayaking and carrying bags of food.
“Morning Pam. Hi Mel,” she said.
"Morning ladies," Mike greeted them loudly. "What’s your schedule looking like to
day? Out paddling on the lake for the duration?"
"Yes sir!" one of them confirmed in an exaggerated booming voice.
She had ultra short blond hair and a brilliant smile, and she winked at Kristan as she sent a quick salute in Mike’s direction.
He rolled his eyes.
"Don't call me sir, Mel," he complained. "Makes me feel old."
The two women laughed and the other one, who was tall and lean and looked like the climber that she was, patted him on the shoulder.
"You are old, mate," she pointed out, smiling.
“Not helpful, Pam,” Mike muttered. “Not helpful.”
Pam and Melissa were two of the kayak instructors who worked for Kristan full time. Pam also doubled as a mountain guide and she worked as a ski instructor during the winter months. They were a small team and at the height of the season regularly put in ten to fifteen hours of work each day. Yet nobody complained, and everybody always worked hard.
It was worth it.
Situated in between the mountains and the ocean on the edge of a blue-green lake, the Holiday Park was in a prize location and attracted tourists year round. Living at the Park and working for Kristan was a very attractive proposition for many students on a gap year who possessed the necessary outdoors skills. It was also a dream job for seasoned instructors the likes of Pam and Melissa.
After a quick chat, and after they collected some equipment from the office and left to go meet their clients, Mike turned to Kristan and handed her flying helmet to her.
"Ready to roll?" he asked, looking happy.
"All set; let's go," she replied.
She followed him out onto the tarmac at the back of the building and she took her time checking the big AS355 Twin Squirrel helicopter she would be flying.
With a cruise speed of 120 mph and a seating capacity of 5 passengers, the aircraft was ideal for passenger charter flights and also shorts hops up and down Fox glacier. People came from all over the world to enjoy the adventure, and Kristan enjoyed giving novices who had never flown before the experience of a lifetime.
Once on the glacier they were allowed a short walk around, plenty of time for photos, and on the way back Kristan always flew low and slow over the lake, giving everyone an extra thrill.
Learning to fly was one of the things that her old life in the States had made possible for her to do. In spite of the bad memories she was grateful for it, and appreciative of the money those crazy years had allowed her to earn. Without it her dream life in New Zealand would have taken a lot longer to achieve.
Sometimes when she went flying on her own, high over the peaks or following the jagged line of the ocean, she could not quite believe how incredibly lucky she was.
Mike often said that luck had nothing to do with it. It was hard work, he believed, and he was right. The money had bought the buildings and the Park, and all of the foundations of the business all right. But the main reason it was so successful was Kristan’s unrelenting desire to make it so.
She worked hard for it and so did her partner.
Once all the safety checks were done, Kristan settled into the right seat, put her helmet on and reached for her sunglasses. From out on the tarmac Mike gave her a smile and a thumbs up, and she returned the gesture.
Good to go.
An excited group of people were already queuing up to board, and as Kristan watched them take photos of her and the big bird waiting to take off she felt excited too. She started the engine, laughing a little when the guys outside gave her a round of applause.
"Okay, let's do this thing," she murmured with a smile.
It turned out to be another perfect day. Lots of good flying and lots of satisfied customers. Kristan was feeling on top of her game, and she enjoyed herself throughout.
Right before her last flight of the day she stood outside the office catching a quick break and a snack, whilst Mike was out on the tarmac refueling. As always when she had been up in the air in one her machines, she felt relaxed, happy and content. One more trip up Mount Fox and she would be done. No tourists this time, just a local mountain guide and her client requiring a lift up, ahead of a night on the glacier followed by a day's hike. Easy.
Kristan watched as her partner greeted the climbers and helped them load their equipment in the back, and out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Liz slowly approaching.
Immediately she pushed up off the wall and stood a little straighter.
The doctor had not seen her yet. She was dressed in a pair of walking trousers, boots and a red tank top. She was carrying a rucksack and a pair of sunglasses, and she looked like she had been out in the sun all day. Her skin was glowing, she had a little smile on her lips as she walked, and Kristan's stomach did a nice double flip as she watched her approach.
"Hey doc," she called out from the doorway.
Liz shielded her eyes from the sun, blinking.
She smiled when she spotted Kristan standing in the shade, and immediately looked pleased to see her.
"Hey," she said softly. "Didn't see you there. How are you?"
Kristan threw the rest of her apple in the bin and stepped forward, drawn to Liz as if by a powerful magnet.
"I’m fine, thanks. Just taking a quick break before I go up again," she explained, gesturing toward the helicopter. "How're you doing, Liz?"
Her voice was low, a little bit husky, just that little bit intimate. Her eyes locked on to Liz, so blue they looked unreal. Unable to take her gaze off her, Liz’s smile widened and everything else around her kind of just disappeared.
“Are you all right?” Kristan asked, smiling as well when Liz just stood there, watching her with a happy look on her face.
"Yeah. Great," Liz replied, suddenly remembering that Kristan had asked her a question. "I had a wonderful time hiking around the lake today."
"Well, it’s a fantastic day for it. Which trail were you on?"
“Oh, uh, a mix of purple and green I think.”
“You must have been out a while then,” Kristan stated, interested to notice that Liz had probably walked an average of ten to twelve miles.
Liz nodded, and she glanced toward the helicopter with an enquiring look on her face.
"Was that you going over the lake?" she asked. "I caught sight of a helicopter a few times."
"Yes, it was me. Sorry about the noise."
Liz chuckled, and she was interested in the helicopter but she could not keep her eyes off Kristan for very long.
She stepped a little closer to her and lifted her hand.
"May I?" she asked.
Kristan did not understand what she meant at first, and for a wild second she wondered if Liz were asking for permission to kiss her. Then she remembered and felt like a total idiot.
“Oh… Yeah, sure," she said. “It’s much better today.”
Liz gently brushed her fingers over her temple, pleased that the swelling had gone down completely.
"It is looking better,” she agreed. “But that is one hell of a bruise.”
"Just cosmetics," Kristan joked.
"I'm assuming you wouldn't be flying if you were not feeling okay," Liz remarked, and once again the comment sounded a little bit sharp, but Kristan was beginning to understand that Liz tended to sound that way when she was concerned.
If the beautiful doctor was concerned about her, hopefully it meant that she liked her, and Kristan had no problem with that whatsoever.
"I feel brand new, doc," she assured her. "It's amazing what twelve hours in bed can do for you."
Liz smiled at that. She nodded and quickly averted her eyes. She did not really want Kristan to know what imagining her in bed did to her.
"I'm glad you're okay," she said simply.
"Hey Kris," Mike yelled toward them. "Ready when you are, mate!"
"You’re working. I'd better let you go," Liz stated, and she started to walk away but Kristan caught her wrist lightly.
"Would you like to come up with me?" she asked, her
eyes sparkling with sudden expectation.
“What, in the helicopter?”
“Yes.”
“Right now?”
“Right now.”
Liz hesitated, but Kristan noticed the way she glanced toward the machine.
"Have you flown in one of these before?" she asked.
"No, never," Liz replied quietly.
“Would you like to?”
Liz met Kristan's eyes and gave her an almost shy look.
"Yeah…” she said with a smile. “I've always wanted to."
Once again her eyes drifted toward the helicopter, and Kristan smiled at the excitement in her voice.
"I'd love to take you up, doc," she offered. "Come on; what do you say? Keep me company?"
When Liz turned back to her she was beaming.
"Okay. Great!" she exclaimed.
Her smile was contagious, and for a couple of seconds the two women just stared into each other's eyes. It took Mike's booming voice in her ear to bring Kristan back to reality.
"Clients are A-waiting, matey," he said loudly, pretending to be annoyed. "Are you going up or are you waiting for the glacier to melt?"
He glanced at Liz as he said that, curiosity getting the better of him.
"I do apologise on behalf of my friend here, she’s very rude. I’m Mike. Mike Anderson, nice to meet you.”
Kristan shook her head at him, and she was laughing.
"Sorry, big man. Liz, this very annoying guy is my very good friend and business partner, Mike Anderson.”
“Like I just said,” Mike pointed out, grinning.
“Mike, this is Liz..."
"Liz Jackson," Liz finished for her.
She shook Mike's hand and she was friendly with him, but she could not help herself and her eyes were quickly back on Kristan.
"I don't even know your last name," she laughed.
"Sorry. It’s Holt. Kristan Holt."
"Right. Hello, Kris."
Kristan nodded happily, her eyes on Liz, and once more the two women got lost in each other.
Mike rolled his eyes, amused at the mushy smile on Kristan's lips. It was nice to see really, and when he glanced toward Liz again and saw the very same expression on her face he was really glad.
Unbroken Page 3
