by Hazel Taylor
We found no evidence of any creature that might have caused the blood and mess in the kitchen, nor did we figure out how they’d opened the door to get in or out. Jason reasoned he must have left the back door open somehow when he left.
While taking a walk the fourth morning of my stay on his island, I found a trail of food and wrappers I had somehow missed. Cautiously I followed it. Jason was working out in the house, and I would yell if something happened.
Sadly, much to my dismay, the trail of food ended in a circle of garbage hidden in some underbrush with some more spots of blood, but there was nothing and no one in sight. Later I showed Jason the spot, and he was just as confused as I was. It was becoming apparent we really needed to find this critter.
It was the most blessed time I’d had in my life and in some ways, it felt like we were already married. The connection, how well we worked, played and lived together. By the fourth day, I decided I would call Paige. As much as I didn’t want it to end, perhaps they had a boat or could send someone to collect us so we could get back to our life. I had work to do, as I was sure Jason did, and I felt triumphant that I had thought of it.
“Paige.”
“Hi, Tiffany, how are you?”
“Okay, I guess all things considered.”
“What are you talking about?”
I proceeded to tell her the story of how we’d stopped at his island and broke down, so we were stuck here until the part came in.
“Tiffany, honey, he has a fully stocked hangar. He’s a pilot. He’s prepared for such occurrences; besides, he has another plane in there too.”
“You’re kidding.” My hands shook. Why would he lie to me?
“Honey, my man isn’t even a pilot and he has everything we need and then some. Every man is prepared for World War Three. It's that warrior instinct."
“I don’t understand. Why would he do this? He knew I had work to do.”
“Just between you and me, I think he is in love with you.”
“No, that can’t be. What could I possibly offer a man like him except a few laughs and some fun?”
“Tiffany, he’s not like that. Did he tell you about his past yet?”
“No, and frankly if he couldn’t be honest with me about this, then I don’t care.” Nausea gripped me, I swallowed it down. “Paige, I have to go. I will call you in a few days.”
“Okay, Tiffany. We are flying home next week. I want you to come and help me work out. I don’t want to end up as big as a house.”
“I won’t let you.” By the time I got off the phone, I was extremely angry. Still shaky, I hurried back to the house to find him still asleep. We had been up all night. Silently I snuck through the trees and entered the unlocked hangar. There it stood, plain as day: every assortment of parts and plane items one could imagine along with another plane—a bit older, but a whole other plane.
Meandering around, I started to hear sounds which scared me, and I forgot my anger at Jason. Poking my head around the hangar, I found a spot of blood on the ground.
“Who’s there?” Nothing, no sound. “I know you’re there.”
There was a rustle amongst the bushes which startled me so much I ran to the house without looking back, deciding to let Jason deal with the critter.
I felt like I couldn’t breathe as my anger came back combined with the fear. How could one man be so arrogant, possessive and self-righteous? I had to get out of here, but how to do it? I couldn’t fly a plane and there didn’t appear to be a boat. Storming back to the house, I decided to get it over with. I slammed the door as I entered the bedroom.
12
Jason
Roused from sleep at the sound of thunder, I opened my eyes to find Tiffany standing in the doorway, cell phone in hand. "What's up, mi amor?"
"You tell me, Mr. Pilot. I visited that hangar of yours and found hundreds of parts, not to mention a whole other plane. Why have you been keeping me here?” The fury in her eyes was like nothing I had ever seen.
“Tiffany, I can explain.” Sitting up, I reached out for her, but she backed away, opening the door, exiting and slamming it behind her. The jig was up: I had to tell her.
By the time I got downstairs, the front door was wide open and I could see her storming through the trees to the other side of the island where the plane was. Hot on her heels, I finally caught up to her, but she sat stock still in the seat, buckled up and ready to go.
“Tiffany, I’m sorry,” I pleaded. “Please hear me out.”
“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. I am going to sit here until you take me home. Replace the part, go get the other plane, whatever you must do I want to go home. I’m done with this little game of yours. Take me home.” Despite her anger, she peered around the woods.
Frustration gripped me. I wasn’t ready to take her home. She had to come to her senses and let me explain first. “Fine, you sit here and wait. I am not taking you home until you at least let me explain. I’ll be at the house when you’re ready.” I turned and left her sitting there.
When several hours had passed and she still hadn't returned, I decided I would go back out to the plane. There was no way I was leaving her there after dark alone, even if the island was deserted except for us. To my surprise, she was gone. Then it hit me: today was Thursday. Every Thursday, Brad, my neighbor on a nearby island, always stopped by to drop supplies in the storage shed I had near the strip, It had electricity and boasted a storage freezer and fridge and pantry. In exchange, I offered the same when they were away.
Perhaps if I got there soon enough, he wouldn’t already have flown her out.
By the time I reached his dock, I saw what I feared most: his plane was gone. Cindy, his wife, saw me from the window and came out to greet me. "Jason, Brad just took your friend home. Must have been some fight you two had. Come in, I'll make you some coffee."
My anger simmered barely beneath the surface. “I really am not up for coffee,” I said, trying to be as polite as possible. “Can I borrow the plane?”
“Don’t be rude now, Jason,” she said, unfazed. “I know you are anxious to get her, but I won’t tolerate any highhandedness. Sit.”
Like most the women of my mother’s generation, she commanded respect, to which I obliged. I needed that plane.
“What happened?”
“It’s a long story.”
“She was quite lovely, beautiful hair, nice smile, smart, nice woman.”
“I lied to her.”
“So, she said. I just wanted to hear it from your lips. What about?”
“About the plane being broken. We were at Donovan’s and I didn’t want her to go home yet, so I made up a story about the plane needing a part that would take a week to get, stating there wasn’t another way off the island.”
Cindy’s eyes just rolled in the back of her head. “Jason, why didn’t you just be honest with her? Invite her to stay, give her a choice, instead of acting like a male chauvinist.”
“I thought she wouldn’t stay.”
“I bet she would have. You’re quite a catch, Jason. Handsome, smart, successful, any woman would be happy to spend time with you.”
“I know I handled it all wrong. But I can’t change that now.”
“It might have helped if you’d thought of that sooner.” Just then a large hairy dog hobbled up, a bandage on his front paw.
“Probably.” I stirred more sugar into my coffee and tossed back some sugar cookies, offering one to the animal. “Nice dog.”
“He’s yours, you know. She said she found him in the woods not far from the airplane when my husband met her. Something about messing up the bottom cabinets in your house. Apparently he knows how to open them.” Like the mother she was, she sat beside me at the table and patted my hand.
As I rubbed the dog’s head, relief washed over me, I had been the fool who had left her there alone. Good thing it was only a dog. I couldn’t imagine how it had landed on my island, but I would investigate that another
day. “I need you to keep him for now.”
"Of course. Go find her, Brad took her to Miami. From there she will have to catch a flight home if there is one available at this hour. If you hurry, you can probably make it. The Cessna is out back."
Tossing back one more cookie and gulping down the coffee, I grabbed the keys she laid before me and took off to catch Tiffany.
13
Tiffany
Just when I had been ready to cry my eyes out at the situation, a kind older man pulled into the dock fully stocked with supplies for Jason. Once he unloaded them, I explained my situation and he offered to take me back to Miami if I went to the island where he and his wife Cindy lived year-round.
All happy to oblige, I went along, sharing my situation with them both over coffee. They sympathized, stating Jason could be highhanded at times, and told me they would inform Jason I had left. At ease now, I settled in for another flight, this time to Miami to catch another flight home.
My heart ached, despite being so angry with him I missed him so much, like I’d left a part of myself behind. Taking a deep breath, I buried that deep inside. It was for the best. A relationship that started with lies could never survive.
When we landed in Miami, I discovered there would be a direct flight home in the morning, but tonight the only way out was to take a flight to Charleston, then to Denver, and then finally home. It had layovers and would land two hours before the one I could catch at 6 am tomorrow.
Thanking Brad, I decided to grab a room at a lovely bed and breakfast, The Coastal Waters Inn. They offered me a room with a view that had its own private bathroom and offered to gather up some food since I had missed their famous dinner of stuffed flounder with pilaf rice and steamed vegetables with a house salad and key lime pie for dessert.
The food was delicious, and I grabbed a hot shower and settled in to watch TV as a knock sounded on the door.
Figuring it was the innkeepers, I answered and found Jason, looking frazzled and out of sorts. "Can I come in, please?"
Nodding, I silently moved to allow him in and sat down on the bed, waiting. He paced back and forth from bed to window silently for what seemed like forever.
“Tiffany, I am sorry I lied to you. From the moment I met you I KNEW without a doubt. I could feel it, see it, almost taste it in the air.” He stopped and kneeled before me.
“Knew what? What are you talking about?”
He didn't say another word, just leaned in and kissed me tenderly. I couldn't resist. I knew I would go home in the morning, but perhaps spending this last moment with him would bring us both closure and allow me to move on. It was at that moment I knew I was in love with him.
As he caressed my back through the silk of my robe, I lay back, melting into the soft covers, his body pressed down into mine. If this was to be our last moment together, I wanted to give us both something to remember.
Wrapping my arms tightly around his neck, I deepened the kiss. I poured every emotion, the anger, confusion, passion, love, need, want into it. Tears welled up in my eyes as I allowed his weight to crush me into the bed, engulfing me with every part of him.
His hands slipped into my hair as his lips tasted, tempted and awakened every part of my body. I felt like I was on fire deep within my core and it was just waiting to engulf us both. I couldn’t wait to touch his skin, feel its warmth, the ripple of his muscles, so I tugged at his shirt.
Pulling back slightly, he obliged by tearing it from his body, along with pulling my silken robe down to my waist, leaving me exposed for his hands to explore. His deep eyes held mine as he slowly but deliberately ran his fingers from my shoulder across my collar bone and down to my breast, shivers of delight and need rippling through me.
His hands moved slowly as they built the already growing fire within me. He smiled, tasting and teasing the skin of each breast, keeping his focus upon my face. I couldn't look away, a lifeline between us. Each sigh he brought to my lips was like a whisper in the dimly lit room that only we could hear.
He stripped me of the robe, leaving me naked for his eyes to admire. I should have felt strange in such a vulnerable state. No man had seen me this way ever, but I didn’t miss the way the look of hunger in his eyes seemed to burn my skin as he looked me over from head to toe.
I delighted in the feel of those eyes caressing me and lingering long in certain areas, and, like a delicate flower, my passion blossomed.
When he removed his jeans, my heart beat fast as the evidence of his own need and want for me was made clear. Opening my arms, I welcomed him back to my embrace. His kisses were more feverish now, almost desperate as I opened myself to him.
His fingers danced across my moist skin, which moved of its own will. Everywhere my fingers roamed I kissed, from his ear to his shoulder, the bend of his elbow, his chest. To taste, smell, feel him was pure bliss.
“Mi amor, eres mi vida sangre. Te quiero.” His voice, the words I didn’t know, intoxicated my brain.
“I don’t know what you are saying.” I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist in surrender, in love.
"My love, you are my lifeblood, I love you." The huskiness of his voice, his words melted every resolve I had for the future as he spoke them amid kisses across my neck.
"Please." I was never one to plead, but at this moment there were so many emotions, so much to feel, I felt out of control.
Taking my lips with his own, he entered me slowly with a moan of surrender. The world tilted on its side. Nothing else mattered but this moment, this man, loving him. Exerting my feminine wiles, I caressed his stomach and arms as he took us from one plateau to the next, a slow climb to the edge of that cliff.
Hearts beating wildly, skin sweaty, our breathing fast and heavy, we fell off that cliff together, entwined in each other’s arms. I clung to him, never feeling so alive in all my life, every nerve in my body responding convulsively in unison with his as we held each other tight.
Jason
The love we had just shared was like none I had ever experienced in all my life. It was all-encompassing, completing me like nothing else ever had. The memory of her soft cries of delight, the way her body moved, the feel of her, I wanted to stay wrapped in her arms forever.
Realizing I was crushing her, I shifted to the side, caging her in my arms, the scent of her bouncy curls tickling my nose. I must have fallen asleep, for when I woke it was morning and she was dressing, her luggage on the chair ready to go.
Sitting up abruptly, I realized what was happening. Confusion and anger gripped me. “What are you doing?”
She was dressed in a white blouse and leopard print shorts. “I’m packing my stuff for the flight home. Did you find the dog?”
“Yes, and no, you are not going.”
“What do you mean no? Jason, I have a life back home, and so do you. As much as I have enjoyed our time, I have to get home.”
Controlling the beast, I got up and wrapped my arms around her waist. She wasn’t going home—not yet, not without me. “I won’t let you go, no.”
“You can’t just force me to stay. I won’t tolerate being treated as a possession.” Her hand caressed my cheek as she turned to hold me. “What’s going on, Jason?”
I sat down, pulling her onto my lap. I ran my hands through her hair, kissing her neck. “I know, I know, I don’t mean to be such a jerk. I know I have been acting like one. I’m sorry.” Her smile made me laugh. “Am I that bad?”
“Sometimes, but not too bad." Her lips touched my forehead.
"People have been telling me this my whole life. My father is the same way; must be in the genetics." Running my fingers over her full bottom lip, I was getting sidetracked again. "I love you, Tiffany. I know it's fast, but I KNOW what I feel.”
Tears welled in her eyes, and for once I knew I had said the right thing at the right time. "I love you too, Jason, and yes, it is fast, but it doesn’t matter to me.” Wrapping her arms tight around me, she kissed my lips tenderly. I could taste
the salt of her tears on them.
“Then stay.”
“I can’t. I have to get home.” Her determination was commendable, but I was only going to allow her some say, this woman of my heart and soul.
“Fine, but I am the pilot. If you think I’m letting some rookie pilot from some crazy airline fly you with 200 or so other passengers home on one of those bullets, you are mistaken. It's me or no one." I released her and grabbed her bags, only to receive a tap on the backside.
“Only if you teach me how to fly a plane.” She headed out the door before me, her round hips swaying.
“Oh no you don’t. After that number you did on my car, I don’t think so.”
"I bet I can persuade you." In a blink, she stopped, turned, and wrapped her arms around me for a devastating kiss that had me rethinking that very quickly.
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