He groaned and fidgeted in his chair. “You’re making me hard.”
“I like—”
“Good morning, Saria.”
“Oh, Dr. Hika. I didn’t see you there.”
In casual tan pants and a crisp white button-down shirt, he leaned a hand on the back of her chair. “I booked a seat this morning on the chopper and discovered I’m heading out with you and your sister shortly.”
“That’s fantastic. You’ll get to meet Lydia.” She motioned toward Ben. “This is Ben Hammers, my bodyguard extraordinaire.”
“Nice to meet you, Ben. Saria mentioned you yesterday.” He shook Ben’s hand.
“It’s nice to meet you too.” Ben stretched, settled his arm across the back of her chair and curled his fingers around her nape. “I appreciate what you did for Saria, patching up her ankle.”
“You’re welcome, although it was all in the line of duty.” He dipped his head toward her. “I’ll let you two enjoy your breakfast. See you at nine.”
“Yes, see you then.” She patted Ben’s upper leg. “I’m ready to eat if you are.”
“I’m starving.” He stood and offered her his hand. “Let’s head to the chef preparing omelets first. One favorite breakfast coming up.”
They weaved around the tables of chattering holidaymakers. At the cooking station, Ben planted her in front of him as he placed his order, his body a solid wall of warmth at her back. She loved how he made her feel so protected. She’d miss this, his continual presence. Unable to stop herself, she leaned back against him, relishing the moment.
“What would you like?” His breath tickled her cheek.
“A two-egg omelet with diced capsicum, tomato, and lots of cheese.”
“Got it.” He placed her order, and while their food was being prepared, led her to the central servery. With a plate in hand, he nodded toward the fresh fruit. “Stack it up, and add a handful of those nuts and raisins for extra energy.”
“Good idea. I’ll need a ton of that to keep up with Lydia. With the freedom she’s about to experience, she’ll be hard to pin down.”
“You’ll be careful, right? Follow all the regular safety rules.” He tweaked her chin then frowned and slowly dropped his hand away. “Sorry, gotta stop touching you. Safety comes first, all right?”
“I won’t forget, and we’ll take good care of each other, as we always have.” Whenever Ben had taken them shopping, for clothing or other personal necessities, he’d ushered them around in their disguises and made certain they were aware of any possible dangers. Even those times when she’d had to fulfill her practical hospital rotations, Ben had drilled into her what she had to watch out for. Most of those assignments though had been set within a secured ward, and he’d remained close by. She wouldn’t have the safety blanket of having him on hand today, but everything he’d taught her was deeply ingrained and she’d never forget. “You have nothing to worry about.”
“I’ll worry nonetheless. It comes with the job.”
She selected slices of pineapple, watermelon, and pawpaw for them both. With all he’d asked for plated up, she chose two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice. “Lead the way to the table.”
“Stay right behind me, one step, no more.” Ben weaved ahead around the edge of the area and she followed through the throng. He hadn’t needed to say such a thing. Old habits obviously died hard, for both of them.
At their table, she sat and popped a cube of sweet pineapple in her mouth. “Mmm, this is delicious.”
“I’ll go and grab our hot food. No moving from this area.” He strode away to collect their order.
“Excuse me. Would you like a hot drink? Tea or coffee?” A dark-haired waitress held a teapot in one hand and a coffee pot in the other, her smile wide and welcoming.
“Two coffees please.” No sudden jumping that time. She’d be able to tell Henry he could stop whistling when he drew near.
The woman poured steaming coffee into the two white cups sitting in the center of the table next to a dainty milk jug and sugar pot. After dipping her head, the waitress strolled on toward the next table.
“I watched. You did great.” Ben set her plate in front of her, sat and picked up his knife and fork.
“I feel like a regular person. No more antagonizing fears for me.” She ate and enjoyed every delicious mouthful of her omelet while he consumed his own. Finished, she added milk and sugar to their coffees and nudged Ben’s cup toward him. “What will you tell Brigs and Tyler?”
“About…” He sipped his drink. “Ah, do you mean what I told you last night?”
“Yes. They’d both understand, and neither would pass judgment on you.” They were best mates. He needed to open up to them, share some of his feelings.
“I’ll think about it. Guys aren’t the same as girls. We don’t need to discuss every little thing. We have boundaries we don’t cross.”
“That’s silly. Boundaries are meant to be crossed, and discussion is good for the soul. Where are your parents these days?” The subject would be a touchy one, but unless she kept pushing him to talk, he’d never open up on his own. She squeezed his hand. “Tell me.”
“The man who fathered me passed away while serving time for the double rape. I never met him, just received the notification through the system he’d died of a heart attack. Mary Hammers lives in England. Three months after I was born, she left the country and never returned.”
The pain of his mother’s abandonment had to have hurt, no matter the reason. She cupped his cheek. “You were an innocent child, and if I have to tell you that a million times, I will.”
“And you deserve the very best. One day you’ll find the right man.” He gulped his coffee down and scraped his chair back. “Come on. Time’s marching on. You can’t miss your flight.”
Their conversation wasn’t finished, but she did need to leave.
* * * *
In her room, she changed into a long, cap-sleeved cream dress with a lacy yellow waist panel while he dressed in black chinos and a dark blue cotton t-shirt.
She snuck into the bathroom, combed her hair and brushed her teeth as Ben edged in behind her, collected his toiletries from the vanity drawer then returned to the bedroom. She trailed him, then propped one hip against the bathroom doorjamb. She’d hate not being able to see him first thing in the morning like this after sleeping beside him for two long months. Even now, every inch of her ached to go to him. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll only be down the passageway.” With a determined hand, he shoved the rest of his belongings into his duffel and slung it over his shoulder. Gaze on hers, he drummed his fingers on his leg. “Do you have your cell phone?”
“Yes, but it’ll be flat by now.” It still sat on the coffee table in front of the couch where she’d last left it. She picked it up and popped it onto the charger. “Lydia will have hers.”
“You have to call. Every two hours, okay?” He dragged her to him, tucked her head under his chin and held her. A long goodbye hug, and not nearly what she wanted. Gently, he pulled away. “Travel safely.”
“Sure. Enjoy Brigs’s spare bunk.”
“I will,” he grumbled and shut the door behind him.
Gone. Her heart heaved. The one man she wanted was the only one she could never have.
* * * *
Ben tossed his bag onto the top bed in Brigs’s cabin. It was a small, efficient space with two bunks bolted to a blue painted wall. White furnishings and a built-in set of drawers completed the room. “You there, Brigs?”
“Yo.” Brushing his teeth, he opened the bathroom door. “Did you get tossed out of Saria’s room already?”
“No, I bailed.” He squeezed past Brigs and slid his toiletries into the second drawer. The compact area included a shower cubicle, toilet and vanity, all in basic white. No frills like Saria’s stateroom, but he didn’t need any. “I’m ready to haul in a prize catch.”
“Are you
talking about a fish or some other kind of catch?”
“A damn fish.” He stalked back into the cabin and plunked into the corner wicker chair.
“What’s put you in such a foul mood?” Wiping his face with a washcloth, Brigs followed him. “You wanna talk about it?”
“No. Yes. I opened up to Saria last night.” He slumped forward, elbows on his knees. “About my childhood.”
“You? Opened up? I don’t believe it.” Brigs let out a low whistle. “You know you can always talk to me too. I have sisters. I’m used to the whole ‘gotta talk things out stuff’ that chicks dig.”
“I’m not a chick.” Still, Brigs and Tyler were his right hand men. The three of them had been together for more years and untold scrapes than he could count. Saria hadn’t condemned him for the details surrounding his unfortunate birth, and maybe both his best mates wouldn’t either. “My father was one of the dirtiest scumbags on the planet.” The words tumbled from him. No holding back now. “At forty-five, he got out of jail after serving time for one count of rape, only to turn around two days later and rape two eighteen-year-old women. One was to be my mother.”
“Serious?” He blew out a long breath. “I’m so sorry.”
“He was convicted and imprisoned again. Then not long before I left the foster system, I received word he’d died.”
“What about your mother? Is she still alive?”
“She gave me up and never looked back. I had her searched though and sometimes check in on what she’s up to. She has a husband and a couple of teenagers. They seem to be doing all right, all four of them.”
“So you’ve never made contact?”
“No, and I never will. A nice woman like that doesn’t need her past coming back to haunt her.”
“That explains a lot, why you’re as dedicated to protecting others as you are. You had no one to protect you as a kid.”
“What?” He’d never let Brigs get away with glorifying his job like that. “So, you’re not fazed by my past at all?”
“No, but you clearly are. You’ve got to let it go, Ben.”
“Telling you is a step in the right direction.” Saria was right, and telling Brigs had helped. Except now he needed to tell Tyler the truth.
He scrubbed his face then groaned as overhead, the whop-whop of the chopper’s blades buzzed then faded out toward sea. That aircraft held the one person he wanted to keep at his side, and every instinct urged him to fight for her, to get her back and plead for her to give him some time to work through his issues. If only life really worked that way. Sure, she’d accepted his past, but that didn’t change the fact his future was set in stone. No commitment. No relationships. He was a loner, and always would be.
“She’d be good for you.” Brigs opened the door and jerked his head toward the passageway. “If you let Saria get away, I’m certain you’ll come to regret it.”
“She might be good for me, but I’ve got too much baggage for it to ever work.” He stomped past Brigs and down the corridor.
“Nothing she couldn’t handle though. She’s a tough cookie.”
“Give it up, Brigs.” He jogged upstairs and onto the deck. “We’ve a job to do. Best we both focus on that.”
“Are you calling me a job?” Tyler, leaning against the stern rail, eyed them as they approached.
“Never.” Ben clapped him on the back. “It’s distraction time. Show me the fish.”
Chapter 6
With the sky and ocean an endless shade of blue along the horizon, Saria’s flight to Nadi should have been awe-inspiring. Instead, every mile away from Ben had her heart aching, harder and heavier. It wasn’t right, leaving him when they still had so much to talk about.
“You okay, sis?” Lydia nudged her arm. “We’re almost at the mainland and you haven’t said a word the entire trip.”
“Sorry, I don’t mean to be bad company.”
In the seat opposite them, Dr. Hika stopped rummaging through his briefcase and glanced at her. “You do look pale. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“If you can fix my bodyguard that’d be great.”
“You can speak freely to me whenever you’d like to, and so can Ben. I minored in psychology, and I love a good sit-down session. I also have my mother’s nosy-nose.” He tapped said nose.
She smiled. “I’d love an outsider’s perspective on my situation, but I’m afraid I can’t go into the details of Ben’s difficult childhood, not when he told me in confidence.”
“I understand, and it’s not easy when we can see someone else needs help and they don’t.” He locked his briefcase and set it by his feet. “Maybe in time he will, or if he’s given a little push. What of yourself?”
“My world is changing. I need to start looking for a job and a place to live.” She also wanted to be there for the one man who needed her. If only he’d let her.
“Yes, you’re a nurse.” A glitter lit his eyes. “And if you’re truly after a job, maybe I can help. I have a proposition for you.”
“I love propositions. Fire away.” This certainly sounded intriguing, and she needed the distraction.
“Another reason I’m heading to the mainland, other than to collect some necessary supplies, is to search for a new nurse for the island. With over three-thousand tourists at any one time, I require additional aid.”
“What happened to your nurse?”
“She was called away a week ago. A family emergency. Which means I need to temporarily fill the position until she returns. About another four weeks.”
Excitement thrummed through her. This could be exactly what she needed, even though it meant a short time away from Lydia. Oh, and the islands. A magical place to work, even if only for a month. Her spirits lifted. “Tell me more.”
“The position comes with free accommodation at the resort as well as meals and laundry. The hours are nine to five weekdays, but you’d need to remain on-call at night and on weekends, the same as I do.”
“Keep going.” This was a dream come true.
“The patients I see are generally relaxed, and their ailments minor. If anyone requires surgery, they’re flown to the mainland, so your duties would be more similar to those required in a general practitioner’s office.”
“I can’t believe you’re offering me a job and a place to live.” She jiggled in her seat. “You’re not worried about my recent fears?”
“As far as I can see, there’re almost nonexistent. Certainly if you experience any problems, I’ll be right on hand. It’s also very rare for me to have a runaway cleaner’s trolley or a stampeding crowd in the office.” He grinned. “Would you consider the position?”
“I’d love to consider it.” She clasped Lydia’s hand. “Do you have any problem with me saying yes?”
“I think it sounds perfect, and I’ll only be a phone call away.” Lydia hugged her. “We’re not running or in hiding anymore. It’s time for us to live again.”
“Then that’s what I’ll do.” She extended her hand to the doctor. “You’ve got yourself a new nurse. When would you like me to start?”
* * * *
The wooden dinghy rocked as Ben leaned over the side and tossed his line. So far, he’d caught three massive sea slugs, a starfish and more seaweed than could possibly be floating at the bottom of all that crystalline blue. His level of frustration at having Saria so far from him had also escalated to the point where he was ready to blow.
Brigs wasn’t helping any either lying sprawled asleep across the center seat. Ben lifted his foot and tapped Brigs’s dangling leg. With his cap pulled low over his face and his springy black hair poking out from underneath, Brigs snorted but didn’t wake. How could the man snooze when the girls weren’t here?
“We should toss him overboard.” Tyler held his rod in one hand and his cell phone in the other. He stared at the device then gave it a shake as if that would make it miraculously ring.
Ben wanted to shak
e the phone as well. “When Lydia calls, I want to speak to Saria, and I won’t accept any more of her excuses about saying she can’t talk to me.” Every time Lydia had rung, she’d told him Saria was busy trying on one dress or another, and as yet he hadn’t spoken to her. It was almost four in the afternoon, seven horrendously long hours since she’d flown out.
“It’s crappy not being in control, right?” Tyler blew out a long breath.
“From now on, you don’t agree to any shopping excursions for those girls without my direct authorization.”
“I didn’t exactly agree. This was Lydia’s idea.”
“You agreed when you didn’t disagree.” The girls were both on their own. Without a guard. Ben should’ve ignored their request to go it alone and hopped on board the chopper with them. “I’m going to go crazy if I don’t hear from Saria soon.”
“I’ll make sure Lydia puts her on.” Tyler shoved a hand through his hair. “Hell, even your news this morning about your sleaze of a father didn’t manage to distract me nearly long enough.” Tyler hadn’t condemned him either, not even for all the years he’d withheld the information. “Maybe you shouldn’t have ended things yet with Saria.” Tyler fiddled with his rod. “You’re clearly uncomfortable letting her go.”
“It would never work.”
“Did Saria say that?”
“No, I said that. Sleepyhead there”—he jabbed a finger at Brigs—“tried to convince me letting her go would be wrong too, but that’s what I’ve done, and I’m sticking to that decision.” He held out his hand. “Pass me that damn phone. I’ve had enough of waiting.”
Tyler handed it over and Ben punched in Lydia’s number.
“Hello, honey.” Lydia’s voice, as sweet as sugar, resonated down the line. “I still had one more minute before I had to call you.”
“It’s not your honey. It’s Ben. Put Saria on, and I don’t want to hear any more excuses. Not one.”
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