by JL Redington
His lips were warm and inviting. She felt a hunger she hadn’t felt in a very long time as their kisses grew passionate, hot and wanting. She needed to feel loved again, she needed to feel the passion that was stolen from her, needed to know that passion was still there.
Her lips clung to his, her mouth wanting more and more. She pulled his shirt up, found his well muscled back. His hands wandered to the soft skin beneath her shirt---when suddenly his kisses abruptly stopped. Pulling himself from her embrace, he quickly stood beside the couch looking down at her. She could feel the heat from his eyes. He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair, as he softly whistled a labored sigh.
“I can’t, Alexa, not like this.”
She sat up slowly, heart pumping, trying to control her breathing.
“Alexa, you’re beautiful, you’re smart, you’re incredibly sexy, but right now, you’re vulnerable, and I can’t take advantage of that. I want you to want me when you’re free of this, when you’re well and you can know we are right for each other. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Alexa stood and put her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly.
“Thank-you,” she whispered. “Thank-you.”
“I want you, Alexa. You need to know that. It’s not that I don’t want you because I do. I…well… then changing the subject he said, “How are you feeling? Do you feel strong enough to go for a short walk? Get some fresh air?”
His arms were wrapped around her waist. They stood in the sunlight now streaming through the window.
Alexa accepted the change of subject, glad one of them had the good sense to keep the entanglements to a minimum.
“That sounds nice. I’ll get my shoes and coat.”
***
It was a beautiful day, with sun sparkling off the still wet leaves. They walked along hand in hand and enjoyed the quiet afternoon.
“What you did back there, at my flat,” she began, “thank you, again. I’ve never felt so uncertain, so alone, and so crazy. People must think I’m nuts to keep seeing my father, and have no proof of it. Sometimes I think I’m losing my mind. But I know what I saw, I know it.”
Cayman’s demeanor was pensive, quiet.
“Sometimes the right thing to do just plain sucks.” He laughed. “You said the pictures were taken in Arizona. Do you think you could find the place again?”
“I…I suppose so, what are you thinking?” she asked.
“I’m thinking we should take a road trip. Drive down to Arizona and find the place the picture was taken, see if we can find anything that might give you some answers. How would you feel about that?”
Her mind raced, fear mixed with excitement, mingled with uncertainty. She could feel the wheels spinning, her mind racing to find a reasonable excuse to stay and at the same time, a reason to go.
“I don’t know if I could leave the diner. I haven’t been out of Startup for a year. I…” Alexa stopped. She stood in the middle of the sidewalk staring up at Cayman, who had taken another step and turned back to her.
“Listen, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that of you. We’ll figure out another way.”
“You believe me,” she whispered staring at him.
She hadn’t had anyone break that trust barrier for more than a year. He actually believed her. She felt emotionally naked, afraid of this man, but still wanting more of him. She was wonderfully frightened, and then questioned if her reasoning made any sense at all.
“Yes, I do believe you. The guy who was trying to break into your flat wasn’t a figment of your imagination. I’m almost certain he was looking for those pictures. I know that sounds kind of lame, but it’s the only thing that makes any sense.”
Alexa took a deep breath, soaking in the sunshine and the day. She smiled.
“I know Tahleah will take great care of the diner, and she can hire someone to help her out until I can get back. I still have the house in Page, I…I just couldn’t sell it, so we could stay there.”
“So, you’ll go? You want to go?” Cayman asked hopefully.
“Yeah. Let’s go to Arizona.”
In a couple days the arrangements had been made for Tahleah to hire someone to help with the diner and for her to take over the managing of it while Alexa was away. Keith said he’d keep an eye on things, as well, and help out where he could. With all that settled they packed Caymans SUV and were on the road in a matter of hours.
Cayman asked how Alexa came to own a diner in Startup, Washington, and she explained about finding the ad and driving up to check it out.
“You drove all the way up here from Arizona, by yourself?” he asked incredulously.
“Uh, last time I checked I was an adult, you know,” she said smiling at him.
“Oh, well, yeah, I get that. It’s just a really long way from Arizona. You could have had a friend drive up with you or something. Road trips are way more fun when there’s more than one person.”
Cayman smiled at her and her stomach just about flew right out the window.
“It was a really difficult time in my life, you know?” she said gaining control again of her stomach. “I…I really needed some alone time, and road trips can be good for that, as well. It was a great trip, and I had lots of time to think, grieve and move on.”
Cayman shook his head. He had a faint smile, like he knew exactly what she was talking about.
They’d driven for a couple hours, but silent for only a few minutes, when she heard Cayman break into her thoughts.
“Hey, you still there?” He was smiling at her with a look of concern.
“Oh, yeah, sorry. I just get lost in thinking sometimes.”
“You know,” said Cayman with a smile, “I know nothing about you. How many brothers and sisters do you have?”
“Me? Oh, I was an only child, which made losing my dad even harder,” she said with a scowl.
“What? No siblings?” He was truly astounded. “I can’t even imagine not having any brothers. You don’t talk about your mother, were your parents divorced?”
“No, my mom died in childbirth, so I never knew her. My dad talked about her a lot and there were always pictures around the house. He never married again so it was always just the two of us, plus our housekeeper, Gina. What about you?”
“Well,” he said with a smile, “I have two great younger brothers, but don’t ever tell them I told you they were great. They’d never let me forget it. My folks are both still living and all of us boys are grown and living on our own now. I stay with Mom and Dad when I have a few days off, like now. You’ll have to meet them. They’re really something.”
“Sounds like you are all very close. That must be nice.” Alexa looked out the window as they sped down the highway. She hadn’t meant for that to sound so wistful, but it did, and it felt wistful. She often wondered how it would feel to be part of a large family.
“Hey,” said Cayman softly, “we’re going to find out what this is all about. We’ll figure it out.” Cayman’s window was down and the rush of fresh air into the car felt wonderful.
“I know,” Alexa smiled back, “I just wish I could know right now. It’s so hard to wait, to wade through it all---
Suddenly there was the sound of screeching tires coming from behind as a car sped around them, swerving into place alongside the SUV.
Everything happened at once as Cayman pulled a gun from the back of his jeans and began firing at the car beside them.
“Get down!”
They fired back as Cayman took the back of Alexa’s head and forced her down out of harm’s way.
He hit the brakes and the other car sped by, disappearing around the corner ahead.
Cayman quickly pulled over, holding his upper left arm as blood began dripping from the wound.
Chapter Four
Alexa sat up when the car stopped and gasped at the sight of blood running down Cayman’s arm.
“You’ve been shot!”
She could hear the fear in he
r own voice, feel it welling up inside her.
She quickly grabbed her shirt, ripping the buttons off the front as she tore it open and stripped it off. She worked her way around the console and reached across him, so intent on his injury she was completely unaware she was placing her breasts right in front of his face as she frantically wrapped the cloth around his arm to slow the bleeding. Her hands trembled as she worked, adrenaline coursed through her veins.
Once finished she worked her way back over the console to the passenger seat and leaned her back against the dashboard. Alexa’s rapid breathing caused her now completely exposed chest to rise and fall rapidly, making her red lacey bra move with each labored breath. She leaned toward Cayman and checked his pupils.
“Wow…” he said smiling faintly. “I wonder…if… if they could… come back and…and shoot the other arm; drastically…improved the view…around here.”
Suddenly she realized she was sitting there with no shirt. She let out a cry of embarrassment and grabbed her coat, pulling it on quickly and zipping it up.
“I…I…I’m sorry,” she began, “I just – we need to get you to a hospital. I’ll drive. Do you feel strong enough to walk around the car to the passenger side? I could help you into the back seat if you need me to.” The whole thought of the shooters coming back served only to escalate her anxiety level and raise her desire to get the car moving again.
Cayman was still smiling.
“I vote we wait…and see if they come back and…shoot my other arm. But if they do, you’ll have to…use that coat,” he pointed weakly to the coat she was wearing, not lifting his hand, “and I want you…to come around this side,” he said, nodding his head toward the driver’s side, “so you have to…to…lean over me like you did only…only on the other side. I think it may have…have…made the bleeding worse, though…getting the heart… pumping…like that.”
“Oh, would you stop?”
Still feeling the heat of her own embarrassment, she forced herself to focus on the situation at hand.
“You’re really bleeding badly, Cayman. I need to get you to a hospital. Where are we? How far is the next town?”
Cayman didn’t answer. She could see him drifting out of consciousness, getting weaker by the minute. She quickly jumped out of the car and as gently as she could, pulled him over to the passenger seat. This was no small feat considering they were separate seats and he was a lot bigger than she was. When she saw the blood still soaking his arm, the adrenalin kicked in and with one final pull he was on the passenger side. She buckled him in, ran around to the driver’s side, and slid into the seat. She pulled out her phone, pushed a button as she gunned the engine, pulling out onto the road and said, “Find me the nearest hospital.”
The antiseptic voice answered calmly, “There is a hospital 6.25 miles from where you are. Would you like directions to it?”
“Yes! Of course I want-?”
Realizing she was arguing with a cell phone, she said simply “Yes.”
She sped down the road using the directions from the phone and nervously glancing back and forth from the road to Cayman, making sure he was still breathing. The bleeding had not stopped and she was worried he was losing too much blood too fast.
In minutes they were at the hospital. She pulled into the emergency entrance, tires squealing as she came to a stop. She ran into the ER yelling that her friend had been shot, was bleeding badly and she needed help. Instantly there were emergency personnel rushing to the car with a gurney between them.
A male nurse was asking her how it happened and as she began to tell him how the incident unfolded, so did her nerves. She began to cry and couldn’t seem to get any words out.
“Miss, let’s get you sat down. You’re in shock. Don’t worry about your friend. He’s in good hands and we’ll take care of him. His injuries are not life threatening. Now, deep breaths, that’s right. Just sit back and keep breathing. You’ll be okay.”
The gurney with Cayman aboard sailed through the doors into the hallway. Alexa and the nurse were left sitting in the sterile waiting room. The breathing helped and she could finally talk again, explaining what had happened through worry about Cayman and her own frazzled nerves.
“I’m going to have to call the police, it’s standard procedure with injuries of this kind. You understand?”
The nurse touched her shoulder as he spoke.
“Yes, yes, I understand,” she said, her mind coming back into focus.
“Will you be okay here while I make the call?”
“I want to be with my friend. I don’t want to wait out here. I need to be with him.”
“No, Miss. I’m sorry. You’ll have to wait here, but I will tell them to come and get you as soon as he is stabilized. Try not to worry. Like I said, he’s in good hands in there, the best in the county.”
As the nurse walked away, Alexa was finally able to think through the events of the afternoon. She remembered the car coming up alongside the SUV. But, what had happened next? It was Cayman. He’d reached behind him and pulled out a gun! A gun? It was a smooth reflex, like he’d done it a hundred times. Who was this man? He didn’t even know what was going to happen and he was already drawing his gun when the car came up alongside. He fired the first shot!
Alexa’s head began to spin. She didn’t know what to think, or what to believe. Cayman shows up on the exact same day as the sightings of her father. Why? Was the man she saw really her father? Was he some plant Cayman was using to manipulate her?
The most important thing she’d learned from her dad growing up was to listen to her instincts. She knew in order to do that she had to calm herself down. She had to think and think clearly. Why was this happening? What happened that day out in the desert with her father? What did he see? Did he see anything?
The more questions she asked, the fewer answers she had and she definitely wasn’t calming down. She wondered if she could truly trust anyone. She could feel the paranoia climbing up her throat and into her brain. Paranoia was not logical thinking. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, reaching inside herself to find that place of clear, logical processing. What had the nurse said? Breathe, deep breaths, relax. She sat back in the hard chair, leaned her head against the wall and forced her muscles to relax, first the toes and then on up the legs. She remembered the procedure from a relaxation video she used occasionally. She continued breathing deeply. It was helping.
The biggest question she had to ask herself right now was could she trust Cayman? Why did he have a gun? Raised in a houseful of boys…makes sense he would hunt and fish. Did she have any other choice but to trust him? No. She didn’t. She couldn’t steal his car and leave him stuck….here…wherever ‘here’ was.
She picked up her phone, “What city am I currently in?”
The sterile voice responded, “You are in Ellensburg, Washington.”
Alexa stood and walked to the doors leading into the ER from outside. She looked to the parking lot where Cayman’s SUV was parked and wondered how far she could get before she was pulled over. She wanted to run, anywhere, somewhere, nowhere, to be in another place, any place other than here, even if she had to walk. She put her hand on the door to push it open when she heard a voice behind her.
“Miss?” It was the nurse that had been sitting with her. “He’s ready to see you now.”
She quickly took her hand off the door and turned. She smiled at the nurse and let him lead the way to Cayman, or, whoever he was.
Alexa was led into his room where he lay partially awake, and very drugged.
“He’ll have surgery to remove the bullet from his arm today. He’d lost enough blood that he’ll need a transfusion and because of that they’ll keep him here for a couple of days. Just until they’re sure he’s strong enough to go home. Push the red button on his bed controls if you need anything.”
Alexa thanked him and watched him walk out the door. She sat by Cayman, watching him with different eyes than she had before. She di
dn’t know how long she had been staring at him when he moaned and moved his head on the pillow.
“Alexa…” he whispered. “Alexa…”
She leaned over him and a flood of emotion filled her.
“I’m here, Cayman, I’m here.”
His eyes opened slowly and he smiled weakly up at her.
“I wasn’t…sure…you’d still be here…when I woke up.” He said hoarsely.
“Why would you think that?” she asked.
“Well,” he swallowed and looked around for some water.
Alexa grabbed the plastic pitcher and filled the small cup with water. She put it to his mouth and held his head with her other hand. Once he’d had enough he nodded. She gently laid his head back down on the pillow.
“I thought you’d think it was pretty crazy that I had a gun on me, and that I actually used it.”
She looked deeply into his eyes as if searching for…something.
“Truthfully, I almost left.” She stood up and looked away. “I mean, who are you? Where did you learn to shoot like that and why were you carrying a gun in the first place?”
Cayman closed his eyes for a moment, heaved a sigh and opened them again.
His voice was still dry and hoarse, but sounded a little stronger.
“I usually always carry a gun, and one of the few times I wasn’t carrying was the night that guy pushed you down the stairs. We did a lot of hunting and target shooting as a kid and when we got older my dad told us to always keep a concealed weapons permit. So, I always have. I’m a good shot because my dad taught me how to shoot.”
He looked at her face, hopeful. At that moment, she felt the same old feelings returning. She was comfortable with him, she could trust him to always protect her, that he was being honest with her. She bent over and kissed him gently.
“I believe you,” she whispered. “Now go to sleep and get better so we can get back on the road.”
He smiled as he shut his eyes and fell quickly under the control of the pain pills. He was out in seconds.
