Parker's Island

by Kimberly Schwartzmiller

  “Wow, this is really beautiful,” I said, as I walked into the kitchen.

  “Thank you. How do you like your eggs?”

  “Um, any way is fine. I’m not picky. You don’t have to cook for me, though. You’ve done too much for me already. Where did you get the clothes?” I asked, curious.

  “They’re Martina’s,” he said, turning back to the stove.

  “Who’s Martina?” I asked.

  “She’s…my wife,” he said, refusing to look at me.

  “Oh, I totally blocked that out! Oh God, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t be here; I shouldn’t have asked you to hold…” I was almost ready to bolt out the door.

  “Delaney,” he said, sensing my urgency to leave, “it’s okay. She’s not here. We didn’t do anything to be ashamed of. I’ve broken no rules and neither have you.”

  “Where is she?” I asked, even more curious now as I slowly sat back down.

  “She stays at my house on the mainland. She hates the water, so she never comes here. So I stay here as much as possible,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “I don’t understand. You’re not...together?”

  “Not unless we have to be,” he said, and then filled my plate with scrambled eggs and a couple pieces of toast.

  “Thank you,” I said, not wanting to eat, but feeling like I should since he went to the trouble to cook for me.

  “The next ferry leaves at noon. Do you want to call Molly and let her know you’re okay?” He looked at me from across the table and then asked, “Are you okay?”

  “I guess I have to be.”

  “It’s not too late to go to the police.”

  “Yes, it is. It wouldn’t matter anyway. What’s done is done. No one can give me back…what I lost,” I said, tears betraying me once again by gliding down my cheeks without my permission.

  “You didn’t lose anything, Delaney. You didn’t give yourself to him willingly. He took what he wanted. He’s a coward. You are still exactly as you were before; young, beautiful and innocent.”

  The tears continued. He was so kind to me and although his words made sense, it didn’t change the fact that I wasn’t a virgin anymore. Everything was stolen from me, even my first kiss happened without my permission or even my knowledge.

  “Please don’t cry. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You did nothing wrong. HE DID! Would you please tell me who it was?”

  “I can’t. I can’t even say his name. Please understand.”

  Logan took a deep breath and picked up his fork. “I guess we should eat.”

  “Okay,” I said while wiping my eyes with the napkin he handed me.

  Chapter Four: The History of Parker’s Island

  We ate in silence and then I helped him with the dishes. I had to know more about his wife, so I took the direct approach, hoping I wouldn’t offend him. “Logan, do you love her?” I sensed he didn’t, but needed to know the truth.

  He stopped rinsing the plate and looked at me, “No, I don’t love her. I never have.”

  “Then why?”

  He thought about my question for a moment, and then said, “Did you know that this island was named after my great grandfather?”

  “No,” I said, listening intently.

  “Parker is my mother’s maiden name. This was my great grandfather’s island, then it was handed down to my grandfather, then my mother and now me and I’ll give it to my children…someday.”

  “You own the island?” I was shocked.

  “Yes.”

  “What does any of this have to do with…”

  “It’s a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?” he asked, looking like he needed to talk about it.

  “Yes, I want hear it, please.”

  “My mother was very wealthy when she married my father. She was madly in love with him. She did little to protect herself or her company when it came to him. She was foolish, but she was deeply in love. Before my grandfather died, he used to tell me stories about her. I wished I had known her.” He looked very sad.

  “What was her name?” I asked.

  “Elizabeth. Elizabeth Parker Barnett,” he said, and then continued.

  “She handed over the control of her company to my father when she found out she was pregnant with me. My grandfather was not happy, but he had given up his say in the company when he gave it to her. She wanted to be a mother, not an owner of a large corporation. She readily signed over most everything to him, with the exception of this island and a trust that she and my grandfather put together for me before I was born.

  “My father has since run the company into the ground. He borrowed from the wrong people, has terrible business sense and had all but lost everything when a man by the name of Arturo Bolivar offered him a merger with his own company in Venezuela. The merger was set, all ready to go and then Señor Bolivar backed out, sensing it was a bad business decision on his part.

  “In order to save my mother’s company, my father and I flew to Venezuela to meet with him, to try to change his mind. I put together another proposal; one where the benefits were more equally shared.

  “We sat down and met with Señor Bolivar and his daughter. She has a very good business sense, but refused our offer, at first. She asked us to stay a couple of days and said we could possibly work something out.

  “I desperately wanted to save my mother’s business. I felt I owed her that.”

  “Why? It wasn’t your fault that she died.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I couldn’t let her company die, too. Anyway, Señor Bolivar’s daughter came to our hotel and asked to speak to me alone. I thought maybe she had some sort of counter-offer, so I agreed to meet with her. Evidently, she was very used to getting everything she wanted and in order for her to agree to the merger, she wanted…”

  “You,” I said quietly, understanding that desire all too well.

  “Yes. And, she wanted U.S. citizenship.”

  “So, she got what she wanted, as usual,” I said, catching on quickly.

  “My father thought it was a great idea and practically ordered me to do it. They both assured me that it would only be for six months, then she would have her green card and we could divorce. I was foolish enough to believe them. She did get her green card six months after we were married, but in order to keep her citizenship she needs to remain married…for three years!

  “I was furious when I found out, but what could I do? She and her father still had all the power. They could pull the rug out from under our merger at any time. I tried talking to her, reasoning with her, but she wouldn’t budge. She was angry with me when I didn’t fall all over her and do just as she ordered.

  “I finally had enough and told her that I was through. She could do whatever she wanted, but I wanted out.”

  “That’s great. So, you’re free, then?” I asked, sensing I was wrong, yet hopeful, nonetheless.

  “No.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Delaney, she’s…pregnant.”

  I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. “Oh, I see.”

  “No, you don’t. We never…” he sighed and continued, “I’ve never touched her, not once! One mandatory kiss at the stupid ceremony. That’s it!”

  “Well if the baby isn’t yours, then you have the perfect out.”

  “Señor Bolivar is very old fashioned and he idolizes his daughter. She put together a party two weeks ago, and she told me I had to attend because it was for business, as per one of our stipulations to the contract. When I walked in, I noticed that it was a party alright, and my home was full of all of our friends and family. Her father had even flown in for it. She announced to everyone, all of our friends and family that ‘we’ were having a baby. My father even toasted us, even though I think he knew the truth.

  “She knew I wouldn’t reveal to everyone that she had cheated on me. She knew it! I should have done it, but I just stood there listening to one congratulation after the next. Everyone was patting me on th
e back, wishing us well. She smiled at me from across the room, knowing she had won and that I was stuck.”

  “There must be something you can do.”

  “I don’t know what. If I force her to have a paternity test and her father finds out, it will destroy not only him, but my mother’s company. So, I’ve agreed to stay married, for now, as long as she doesn’t set one foot on my island.”

  “You’d think she’d want to be with the baby’s father.”

  “She wants to save face.”

  “Do you know who he is?” I asked.

  “I know a few of them, but I’m not exactly sure which one of them is the father.”

  “There’s more than one?”

  “Yes, but I don’t care. She can do what she wants as long as she stays away from me.”

  “I don’t understand why she would cheat on you. You kept your end of the bargain. Why would she even want to stray? You’re so…perfect,” I admitted, and then blushed.

  “I’m not perfect, Delaney, not by a long shot. If I were, then I wouldn’t be in this mess.”

  “I still don’t understand why she would cheat on you?” I asked again.

  “Because I could never bring myself to…”

  “To what?” I asked naively.

  “To sleep with her.”

  “You don’t find her attractive?”

  “No, that’s not it. She’s a beautiful woman.”

  “Then, why?”

  “Because…she’s not you.”

  I blushed again, stunned by his confession.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you. You had to know how I feel about you. I’ve never been able to keep my eyes off of you.”

  “I honestly didn’t know.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I refuse to get you involved in my mess and it’s not fair to ask you to wait.”

  “I will, though. I’ll wait for as long as it takes.”

  “No! No, you won’t! You’re going home today to start your life and if by some miracle at the end of the three years, if some man hasn’t won your heart, then I’ll do everything in my power to win it.”

  “You already have! It’s yours. It’s been yours. Don’t you know that?” I asked, shocked that he hadn’t seen right through me.

  “Delaney, I’m a married man. You can’t waste your life waiting for me. Please, I couldn’t live with myself if I thought you were missing out on life because of me.”

  “I tried to go on without you last night. That certainly didn’t go very well.” Tears sprung to my eyes as the pain renewed itself.

  “I still wish you’d tell me who it was,” he said, touching my cheek, and sending that same electric shock through my entire body.

  “I just want to forget about it.”

  “I don’t think it’s going to be that easy,” he said, anticipating the pain I didn’t know was coming. “Is there someone you can talk to about this, Molly, maybe?”

  “NO! She can never know! She will never leave me alone about it until she knows who…” chills ran down my spine as Chad’s image ran through my mind, and I shivered in response.

  “But you need to talk to someone about what happened, if you won’t tell me.”

  “Logan, please understand that I have to let this go. I have to.”

  “Okay,” he said, but his face betrayed what his emotions were telling him.

  “Logan, please don’t! Whatever you’re planning, just don’t!”

  “I’m not planning anything.”

  “Now who’s lying? I can see it. Please, just drop it. For me?” I asked, touching the side of his face.

  “I would do anything for you, but he has to pay.”

  “What good would it do?”

  “What if he tries it again?”

  “He won’t get that chance!” I said with absolute certainty.

  “What if he tries it with someone else?” he asked, almost apologetically, as if he didn’t want me to have to suffer that burden.

  “I hadn’t thought of that.” A sudden chill ran down my spine again.

  “Tell me who it was and I’ll take care of it!”

  “What does that mean?” I asked, fearful, not for Chad, but for Logan.

  “It means that I won’t let him hurt you, or anyone else again.”

  Neither of us spoke for a moment and then I said, “I think I need to call Molly now. She’s probably beside herself with panic.”

  “Fine,” he said, looking angry, but got the phone for me anyway.

  “Where the hell have you been?” Molly yelled into the phone. “Are you okay?” she asked, calmed a bit now that I had called and she knew I wasn’t dead.

  “I’m fine. I’m still on the island.”

  “What happened? Where did you go?”

  “I…got sick.”

  “We looked for you all night. Brian is still there looking for you. I came home just in case you were here. I thought maybe you couldn’t handle the party and came home,” she said, obviously upset.

  “I’m fine, really. I’m taking the 12:00 ferry home. Can you pick me up?” I asked. “You haven’t talked to my parents, have you?”

  “Are you crazy? Why would I do that?”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Molly.”

  “Don’t ‘Thanks Molly me’. You owe me big for putting me through that,” she threatened, sounding more like herself.

  “Okay, just don’t tell anyone anything, and pick me up…please.”

  “How can I tell anyone anything when I don’t know anything? You owe me and Brian an explanation!”

  “Brian, right.” I had blocked him out of my mind along with so many other things. “Did you say he was still here, looking for me?”

  “Yeah! He’s checking every ferry for you. He searched the island all night. We both did. He’s worried sick. We all were!”

  “I’m so sorry. I’ll explain everything when I see you,” I said, not exactly sure what the explanation was going to be.

  “Where are you?” she asked.

  Not wanting to get into that, I said, “I’m at a house on the island. Someone took me in and took care of me,” I said, looking at Logan with sincere gratitude.

  “Who?”

  “I can’t explain it right now.”

  “Well, Brian is due to call me to check in. Can I give him this number?”

  “Um, I guess so.”

  “Fine, I’ll give it to him. You be on that Ferry!” she ordered.

  “I promise, I will,” I said sadly, realizing my time with Logan was almost over.

  “I’ll see you soon.”

  “Okay. Thanks Molly.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. You still have a lot of explaining to do!”

  “I know, Bye.”

  “I’ll bet she was happy to hear from you,” Logan said, as I put the phone down.

  “I don’t think ‘happy’ is the right word. She’s really angry with me.”

  “She was worried, and she has a right to know the truth.”

  “Please don’t start this again. I have to leave soon, so can’t we just talk about something else?”

  “What would you like to talk about?”

  Just then the phone rang, and before I could tell Logan that it would probably be Brian, he answered it.

  “Hello.”

  “Hello, who is this?” Brian asked, expecting me to answer the phone.

  “I think it’s for me,” I whispered.

  “Who are you calling for?” Logan asked.

  “Delaney Miller,” Brian said.

  “She’s right here.”

  “Brian?”

  “Where are you? Are you okay?” he asked, sounding frantic.

  “I’m fine. I’m sorry I scared you.”

  “Where are you? I’ll come get you,” he said.

  “Um, I’ll meet you at the Ferry at noon, okay?”

  “Not this time. I want to know where you are! I think you owe me that much!”

  “Brian, I�
�ll meet you at the ferry and I’ll explain everything.”

  Knowing I wasn’t going to tell him where I was, he said, “Fine,” and hung up the phone.

  “I’m sorry I answered it. It’s a habit,” Logan said.

  “It’s your phone. I should have told you he was going to call. I didn’t think it would be quite so soon.”

  “What are you going to tell him?” Logan asked, looking at me strangely.

  “I don’t know. He’s such a nice guy. I’ve put him through so much.”

  “It wasn’t your fault. None of it! He’s definitely going to know something happened, maybe you should tell him, then.”

  “We’ve been through this, I’m not telling anyone!”

  “Then what are you going to say, and how are you going to explain me?”

  “I don’t think he knew it was you,” I said.

  “And when I drop you off at the Ferry?”

  “I guess I’ll just have to say that you were the one that took care of me. That part at least will be the truth. He knew I was sick. I think Ch…Brian was given something to make him sick, too,” I said, almost saying Chad’s name, and hoping I had covered my tracks well enough.”

  Logan looked at me funny. I could see him thinking about it, so I added, “Brian knows how I feel about you. He won’t be surprised.”

  “I guess we should get going,” he said, obviously still thinking about my slip of the tongue.

  “Is it that late?” I asked, suddenly upset that my time with him was almost over.

  “I think Brian has probably been through enough.”

  I glanced at the clock above his head and said, “The ferry doesn’t leave for over an hour. Don’t make me go yet, please.”

  “I don’t ever want you to go, but we both know you have to.”

  “Not yet. I don’t know when I’ll see you again,” I said, hoping it wouldn’t be too long.