Today was tea first, and lots of it. She headed into the kitchen and put on the kettle. Then she hurried into her bedroom and stripped out of her dress. The wet woolen material itched like hell. After towel drying her hair and running a brush through it, she chose a pair of chocolate brown slacks and a mustard-colored kaftan. Pressing her hands against her back, she stretched. Maybe she should apply a little make-up and lip…
Not for a stranger, you don’t!
Ah, it appeared her moral compass was alive and kicking. She grinned at herself in the mirror before leaving her bedroom.
Just in time because a car pulled up in front of the house. It must be Thea dropping Isabella home.
Claudia opened the front door and smiled. “Welcome to my two favorite girls.” When she spotted the man behind Thea and Isabella, she dipped her head. “And welcome to you too, Mark. Come in, please, before the rain washes you away.”
Once they were all inside, she helped her guests out of their raincoats. She bent down and hugged Isabella. The young girl wrapped her arms around her neck.
“Darling, I missed you so much.” She pulled the child to her and plastered little tiny kisses on her cheeks and face.
“We missed you too, Mum. Auntie Thea had a headache yesterday, and Uncle Mark said nobody can fix a headache as well as you.” The girl studied Claudia’s face. “You look sad. Do you have an ouchy?”
“No, sweetie. Mum’s just tired. There’s a man asleep in the living room who had an accident. He’s hurt, so I brought him back to the house.”
Mark’s head snapped around to her. “A man? You brought someone you don’t know into the house? I need to talk to you about strangers.” He took Claudia aside and said in a soft voice, “Remember my ex-colleague Pete? He thinks the Road Shark Gang might be after Izzy. They still want to recover their money.”
“The Road Sharks?” She’d almost forgotten about the gang who’d gone after Isabella’s dad and tried to get the money he owed them by threatening Thea. “You still think they’re looking for Isabella? I thought that was all over and done with.” Her voice shook.
Mark narrowed his eyes. “What’s wrong? Who’s in the living room? He could be a gang member.”
“I don’t think so. He has an American accent. He said his name’s Connor Anderson.”
“The Connor Anderson? Now this, I have to see.”
He marched across the hall, opened the living room door, and strode over to the couch. There, he stopped and stared down at the sleeping man. Turning his head to Claudia, he said with profound admiration in his voice, “You’re right. Connor Anderson’s sleeping on your couch. Whoa.”
“Not for long if you keep shouting like that. I fail to see how it’s a big deal.”
“You know, the actor! Connor Anderson!” Mark rolled his eyes.
“Leave her be, Mark. You know movies aren’t Claudia’s thing. Why don’t you go get Izzy’s bag from the car?” Thea squeezed past her husband. “Let me have a look.” She gazed down at the man on the couch and grinned.
“Remind me to get his autograph when he wakes up.”
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Preview of Tides of Love
“This is the final boarding call for Dr. Christine Barnard. Would Dr. Barnard please, proceed to the boarding gate immediately.”
It had only just begun, and already this vacation had all the signs of being a disaster!
A quick peek through the smudged airport window told Christine she was about to miss her flight. The small Island Hopper on the tarmac, dwarfed between the two commercial Airbuses of Air Pacific, trembled like an impatient child under the vibration of its propellers.
She dropped her heavy bags and stretched her sore back. It was sweltering hot; she couldn’t find a trolley; and to top it off, a clumsy waitress had poured beer all over her travel dress. She’d had to change clothes in an airport toilet the size of a postage stamp. This was not how she wanted to start her vacation.
She straightened her tan-colored Armani suit and dragged her heavy Louis Vuitton suitcases up to the boarding desk. Ignoring the tiny beads of sweat forming on her skin, she leaned against the counter.
“I’m looking for the plane to Vanu Eleile.”
The woman looked at her luggage and smiled. “Bula, they’re waiting for you. We thought you’d missed your flight and we’ve already closed the gate.” She picked up a phone and said something in Fijian that Christine couldn’t understand then, smiling again, pointed to a door a few meters to the right.
“Through there, please.”
She’d just about had enough of smiling faces. Tired, Christine made her way through the glass door onto the tarmac. Heat flickered up from the bituminous surface and slammed into her after a few paces. It took her breath away. She gasped to fill her lungs with air.
“Here goes nothing.” She straightened her shoulders and hurried over to the aircraft. The door opened, and the stairs unfolded with a loud rattle before coming to rest in front of her. A smiling Polynesian woman helped Christine onto the plane. She pitied the service personnel; their jaws must hurt after a day of constant smiling.
“Good morning, Madam. Please, take a seat and let me take your bags.” She lifted Christine’s suitcases and stored them at the back of the plane.
She was not alone on the flight. Five other passengers had already boarded and studied her with curiosity as she squeezed toward a free seat.
“Come and sit here, Christine.”
Her head snapped up, and she stared into the warm brown eyes and smiling face of one of the last people she would have expected to run into here.
“Russell? What on earth are you doing here?”
“I’m on my way home. I’ve been in Nadi for business.”
“Home? Shit, I’m on the wrong plane.” She was loosening her seat belt when Russell placed a hand on her arm.
“If you’re going to Vanu Eleile, you’re on the right plane.”
“But…”
He smiled as if he’d won the jackpot in the weekly lottery. “I’ve retired to Vanu Eleile. I live there now. Haven’t you heard?”
“No, I hadn’t. Retired? You? That’s hard to believe. I always thought you were only happy when stitching people up while surrounded by gorgeous nurses.”
“Not quite, my dear. I learned I couldn’t heal the world single-handedly. Getting older teaches you humility. I burned out and decided to let the younger doctors have a go at being indispensable.”
“But leave Auckland? You?”
“It was easy. I sold my house and bought my place at Shipbreak Inlet, and I’ve lived there ever since. Pristine beaches, clean water, no stress. Who wouldn’t? Though I have to admit, I am the on-call doctor there.”
She studied his tanned face and was about to say something when the plane began creaking and rattling as it sped over the tarmac. She grabbed her armrests. The plane made such a racket that they had to stop talking. He still looked dashing, his mahogany hair now streaked with silver. Although he’d kept fit and trim, he’d aged. She snorted. They both had.
Back in 2011, they’d worked together in Christchurch after the big earthquake. He as a doctor and she as a psychologist. They’d shared a tender romance that had lasted the whole three weeks of their deployment. She remembered the brief moments of blissful tenderness they’d carved out between aftershocks and human suffering. Sometimes they’d clung together just to get a brief respite from the traumatic scenes around them.
The memory made her smile. Russell had taken it like a gentleman when she’d told him she wasn’t looking for a husband. Since Stefan had died six years earlier, she’d had no room in her heart for another love, let alone another husband. He understood. Well, that’s what he’d said. He’d also said he wouldn’t be the on-call toy-boy and that he longed for a family and children. She’d listened inside her heart, but nothing had stirred when he’d said that. They’d parted as friends, and she’d wished him well. After that, they’d lost
touch.
The noise in the cabin lessened. They must have reached cruising altitude because the motors hummed reassuringly as they glided over the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean.
Russell caught her looking at him. “What?”
“I was thinking back to Christchurch.”
He met her eyes. “And?”
A soft smile settled in the corner of her mouth. “We had a good time.”
He released a breath he’d clearly been holding as if waiting for a revelation. He nodded. “Yes, we did. Where are you staying on Vanu? You should come visit me.”
“I’m staying at the Sululu Eco Resort for eight days. I’d love to see your place.”
“It’s a deal then. I’ll come and pick you up. I have to check with Mrs. Taylor about her schedule. Otherwise, I’m all yours.”
“Mrs. Taylor is…?”
“She’s a rep for a large hotel chain. They’re exploring the viability of building on Vanu Eleile. I promised I’d show her around.”
“Wheeling and dealing, huh?”
“Just a little. Trying to bring the island into the twenty-first century. I think it’s time for a change. You’ll see when you get there. We have a strong traditional movement trying to keep the island as it has been for the last hundred years.”
“And you’re against it?”
“I am.”
She looked down at the ocean rushing past underneath the plane. Waves, crested with white crowns, danced like sheep in a blue meadow. “I thought Vanu Eleile was one of the undiscovered gems of the Pacific.”
He frowned. “It is. Everyone on the island agrees on what we need. We only differ on how best to get there. You’ll see.”
“I can’t wait. Although, I’ve signed up for some major R&R. The past six months have been crazy.”
“You’re looking good. How’s life been treating you? Are you well?” He studied her face as if searching for signs of the crazy time she’d mentioned.
“I’m okay. Thank you. The last six years have been eventful. You remember my children, Kyra and Lucca? We put Lucca through law school and Kyra through medical school. My friend Anna married and moved to Italy, and my friend Thea married an ex-policeman and retired to the Waikato.”
“How interesting. The inseparable quadruplets are settling down and getting married. How about you? Have you found someone special? I was sure you’d hook up with Ethan Carmichael after we split. Everyone expected you two to marry. He’s rich and would have enjoyed treating you like a princess.”
Christine looked at him with surprise. “No. I would never give up my independence to be someone’s showpiece, no matter how rich he might be. I told you, I’m not in the market for a husband. My life is full and fulfilled.”
“I find that hard to believe, my dear. Very hard, indeed.”
“Well, you’d better believe it! Some people are destined to stay single, and I’m one of them. You too, by the looks of it. A good-looking, successful surgeon like you should have been married and divorced at least twice by now.”
“I’d forgotten how funny you are.”
“It’s my way of coping with my fear of flying.”
“You? Fear of flying? I don’t believe it.”
“Have you seen the contraption we’re in? I’m sure this plane is way past its use-by date and only kept in the Vanu Eleile fleet out of some sort of misguided pity. I would have preferred to paddle over to the island.”
“Don’t worry, darling, I’m here, and I’ll keep you safe. I’ll share my oxygen mask if worst comes to worst.”
The flight attendant came to check their seat belts. “If you could please remain seated. The captain says we are approaching turbulence.”
The aircraft rattled and jumped, toppling Christine’s handbag and throwing its contents over the floor.
“Dammit, my sunglasses.”
She leaned into the aisle to fetch them, but Russell was quicker. He picked up her glasses and studied them with a smirk.
“Gucci? And I suppose your suitcases are crammed with silk blouses and other fineries?”
When she saw him roll his eyes, she shrugged. “They’re only sunglasses, and the rest is just common sense. Nothing copes better with changing temperatures than silk. It’s cool in summer and warm in winter. You have a problem with that?”
He pulled his face into a crooked smile. “You know me. I’ve always admired you, both naked and with your fancy clothes. But others might think you’re out of place with your designer wardrobe. The eco-lodge is a bit of a hideaway for trampers and outdoor adventurers.”
“I don’t give a damn. I’m not here for the approval of others. Look at it this way: some people like peanut butter sandwiches—I like fashion. That’s all there is to it. I don’t—”
Christine stopped, thrown against the seat belt as turbulence shook the plane. She started, along with the other passengers. In the row in front of them, a woman cried out and turned to look at Russell. Her eyes wide with fear in her pale face.
“How much longer do we have to go?” Her voice trembled. “I hate flying like… like… I don’t know. No matter how much people explain the safety of airplanes, I still feel it’s an unnatural mode of transport. If God had wanted me to fly, he would’ve given me wings.”
Christine felt compassion for the woman, who looked distressed. Although, her feeble attempt at humor showed courage. Her face went paler still as the plane rattled again. She even yelped when it dropped a few meters.
“We dropped…”
“Yes. That’s normal though. It happens all the time.” Christine could see the woman was gripping the armrests, her knuckles white. “Soon you can swim in a stunning lagoon, sunbathe the afternoon away, and forget all about flying and turbulence.”
Russell leaned forward, trying to catch the woman’s attention. “Christine’s right, Patricia, soon you’ll only see the beauty of Vanu Eleile. May I introduce you to my good friend Christine Barnard? We used to work together. Patricia Taylor is visiting Vanu Eleile, looking for locations for a hotel complex.”
“Great meeting you, Patricia.”
“And you. So, have you been friends for a long time?”
“We have. Though it feels like another lifetime.”
“I always wondered if we could breathe new life into it,” said Russell. “Meeting on this plane may be a sign that fate wants us to be together.” A hint of a smile crossed his face, quickly turning into a warm beam.
Christine didn’t want to hurt an old friend, but he seemed determined to stay on this flirtatious path. It would be much better to tell him once and for all she was not interested, rather than fobbing him off over the next eight days. “I’m here for a peaceful, relaxing time, Russell, not for a vacation fling. You’ll have to look elsewhere for such entertainment.”
He shrugged. “One day you’ll wake up, and all your friends will be married. You said two already are. Soon, they will all have their full lives, and all that you’ll be left with will be the memory of Stefan.”
Christine stopped herself from responding, and they sat in silence. That had been a close call. She’d almost told him she’d escaped on this vacation because she couldn’t stand watching her friends’ marital bliss. She was happy for them, but it felt like a terrible loss. What used to be four single women standing by each other throughout life, had turned into three happy families, and she felt like a fifth wheel.
She looked out the window, amazed by the stunning blue and turquoise colors of the reef. She had forgotten how beautiful the islands were. Judging by the reef, they weren’t far from land.
The plane began to descend. She turned to the flight attendant.
“I see an island in the distance. Is that where we’re going?”
The flight attendant looked out the window and smiled.
“Yes, that’s Vanu Eleile. We’ll be there in ten minutes.”
* * *
“I don’t think we’re going to make it.”
“That
was only the second attempt, Mrs. Taylor. We’ll be fine.” Christine leaned over her bag and looked out the window. Below her, Vanu Eleile looked like a magnificent gem, set in the turquoise water of the beautiful reef.
From up here, she could see far over the whole island. At the southern tip, the cone of a volcano reigned, puffing white clouds into the air. Surrounding it lay areas of dense bush in all shades of green, followed by vast stretches of farmland. Their plane circled for the third time above a mere grass field that, apparently, was the airport. It more resembled someone’s front lawn. She wasn’t an expert, but that was one hell of a short landing strip. A prayer wouldn’t go amiss. Maybe even two to be on the safe side.
The pilot opened the throttle and pulled the plane up again. Christine refused to allow fear to take over, focusing instead on the calm flight attendant. The pilot made another turn and approached again. This time, the wheels touched down. The plane slowed at the end of the field and turned before they reached the beach, then taxied back, stopping at the midway point of the landing strip.
The arrivals and departure hall consisted of a wooden structure, not much larger than a simple garden pergola and covered in vibrant green palm fronds, bright red hibiscus flowers, and succulent white frangipani blossoms. A wooden sign with the words Welcome to Vanu Eleile dangled from the top of the building. A handful of people rushed toward the airplane after it stopped. The flight attendant opened the back door and threw the luggage out onto the grass.
Christine peeled out of her seat and reached for her bags.
“Do you need a hand?” Russell carried a large backpack and another oversized sports bag. He looked at her array of bags. Was he suppressing a grin?
“Thank you, but I don’t need your help. I got my stuff this far, and I’ll be fine getting it to my hotel.” She slung her computer bag over one shoulder and her cabin bag over the other. Clutching her handbag and toiletry bag, she navigated through the narrow cabin door and down the equally narrow steps. It was a minor mission, but she managed. She always did.
Falling in Love Page 11