Bunny Elder Adventure Series: Four Complete Novels: Hollow, Vain Pursuits, Seadrift, ...and Something Blue

by J. B. Hawker

  “So, no matter how sinful you are, you won’t go to hell? Just because you were dunked? Is that the magic? I think I was sprinkled as a baby, so I should be good to go, too, right?”

  “Don’t be so silly. You know, or you should know, it is accepting Christ as your Lord and savior and acknowledging he died for your sins that bring salvation. Baptism is just a ceremony showing the world your decision. Babies can’t make decisions.”

  “You’re giving me a headache. Come back to bed.”

  “No, dear. I don’t fear hell, but I want to avoid the wrath of Linda, if at all possible.”

  She leaned over and kissed him then, and reluctantly left the room.

  Thinking about it now, Bunny wondered how much more she was going to disappoint her Lord before she got her head and heart straight where Max was concerned.

  A little over two hours later, while Linda finished dressing, Bunny was sorting and repacking her things.

  They’d received a call from the consulate letting them know their flight home was booked for that evening.

  The tickets were waiting for them at the registration desk.

  Bunny wondered what time Max would be returning to his island paradise.

  “What time did you finally come up to the room last night, Bunny? I was so dead that I didn’t even hear you. I don’t think I moved a muscle all night.”

  “It was pretty late. I was too keyed up to sleep. I tried to be quiet. I’m glad I didn’t disturb you.”

  “I wonder what gastronomical delights await us at breakfast. I’ve loved all the Italian food we’ve eaten, but I think I could kill a plate of bacon and eggs, American style, this morning.”

  “And some of your homegrown hash browns, eh?” Bunny added.

  Taking a closer look at her sister, Linda looked concerned.

  “Your face is still quite a mess! Your eyes aren’t quite so swollen, but the bruises are much darker today. Your lips still seem puffy, too. It doesn’t look like you will need to resort to collagen injections anytime soon. You’re as pouty as Angelina Jolie.”

  “Thanks! I’d almost forgotten what a fright I am. Maybe I should just have my breakfast sent up to the room.”

  “Oh, don’t be so vain. No one will even notice you. Don’t forget we have both entered the Age of Invisibility for women.”

  When the sisters got to the elevator, they found Max waiting to go down to breakfast.

  “So, when does your flight home leave, Max?” Linda asked.

  “We got a call that our boarding passes would be waiting at the front desk. We fly back to safe and sane Idaho this evening.”

  “I’m headed to the airport after breakfast. My flight leaves around noon. I don’t have any baggage to check, but International security takes ages these days.”

  “Sometimes I think they should just have us all board stark naked and get it over with! We couldn’t feel much more violated than we do now,” Bunny remarked.

  She hated the nasty x-ray vision scanners the airports were using, but she wasn’t willing to risk a full-body pat-down by refusing to cooperate.

  Max chuckled and put his arm around her, giving her a quick squeeze.

  “How’s your back doing this morning, Hon? Do you need any of the bandages changed?”

  Bunny gave him a speaking look, rolling her eyes in Linda’s direction, before replying.

  “It’s just fine, thanks.”

  Linda looked at the two of them and was about to speak, when the elevator doors opened at the lobby.

  Bunny hurried ahead to the reception desk, forestalling an interrogation.

  They all collected their documents and went into the dining room.

  Linda was pleasantly surprised to find bacon and eggs on the menu. Bunny decided to eat sparingly in deference to the long flight ahead, so ordered fruit, yogurt and coffee. Max split the difference by selecting a scrambled egg and toast.

  Linda’s presence precluded the topic that was uppermost for Max and Bunny, and the minds of all three were shifting away from recent events and onto the logistics of returning home, so conversation was limited.

  As they were leaving the table, Max pulled Bunny aside.

  “Before I leave for the airport, we need to talk. Will you come to my room, now?”

  Bunny instinctively began to demur, then gave herself a mental shake and turned to her sister.

  “Oh, Linda. I’m going to Max’s room to help him pack. I’ll see you back in our room in a little while.”

  Without waiting for a response, she grabbed Max’s hand and led him to the stairs, leaving her sister standing at the elevator door looking surprised.

  

  Once in Max’s room, they kissed and then clung together for a moment before taking seats in the lounge area of the large room.

  “I didn’t want to leave without getting things settled with us.”

  “Settled?”

  “You know what I mean, Bunny! Are we going to be together or are we flying off into different directions for good?”

  “I’m sorry. I was just being coy. I knew what you meant. Only I don’t know the answer to the question. I don’t know if I can trust my feelings for you.”

  “Then, what do you want? What are these untrustworthy feelings?”

  “Right now, I think I want a life with you, but only if we are both on the same path. Is that even possible?”

  “Maybe. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

  “Even if you come to a decision for Christ, how can I know if my feelings are authentic love or just an emotional addiction?”

  “I’m not too sure I like being compared to a drug habit, but I know I’m not ready to write us off, Bunny. Are you?”

  Max stood up and pulled her into his arms and they held each other fiercely before Bunny backed away.

  “No. I’m not. Can we agree we will keep in touch and just see how it goes? You’ve got my email address, right? I’m going to spend a lot of time thinking and praying, trying to sort myself out. You do the same and God’s will be done. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Max kissed her, then gathered up his jacket and bag and left the room.

  “Goodbye, my love,” Bunny whispered, and began to pray.

  Chapter 27

  Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Lamentations 3:22

  Max ran the airport security obstacle course, re-donned his shoes and belt, stuffed his change back into his pocket, grabbed his bag off the rollers, and strode toward his departure gate.

  He smiled to himself, remembering Bunny’s remark about naked security screenings.

  Picturing her poor, bruised face and wounded back, he felt an urge to return to her side and protect her from any further harm.

  Who knew what predicaments she would get herself into? If past history was any indication, she badly needed a keeper.

  

  Bunny and Linda decided to take advantage of their unexpected day in a luxury hotel by indulging in a swim in the indoor pool followed by a spa treatment.

  They were served lunch while having first-ever pedicures.

  After being reassured that all the charges were being covered by the Italian government, they finished the afternoon with a massage and facial for Linda, and just a gentle massage for Bunny.

  The masseuse carefully rubbed healing ointment into Bunny’s back before re-bandaging the deeper gouges.

  The sisters returned to their room, much restored, to finish packing.

  A brief walk to the airport, followed by the unavoidable security screening, found them sitting in the first class lounge awaiting departure.

  “Well, we’ve had our share of firsts on this trip, haven’t we?” Bunny asked.

  “You mean first pedicure, first time in a First Class lounge, first time traveling to a foreign country and first time arrested? I was going to add first time kidnapped, but then I remembered your adventures back in
Clark’s Hallow. But, I agree, this will definitely be a trip to talk about for years to come.”

  “It’s too bad you never got a souvenir from your Italian adventure, Bunny. And mine took a bullet. We have no conversation starters, after all.”

  “Well, I did end up black and blue, although it’s not on my bottom,” Bunny chuckled, “and you will have your lovely presepio waiting for you at home.”

  “That’s right, and we will be home for Christmas, after all. For a while there, I feared we might never see another Christmas.”

  “You know, it’s funny, but I never really doubted we would be okay, eventually. I did wonder if we would ever be the same."

  

  Max was comfortably ensconced in the First Class cabin in one of Alitalia’s Magnifica-style fully reclining leather seats with built-in massage. It was more of a chaise than a seat and was even fitted with a privacy screen. Nighttime amenities would include a full-sized pillow and a very comfy duvet.

  Max often flew Business Class on long flights, but this was something special.

  As he sipped his excellent complementary wine and listened to a selection of Country Western music on the high-end headset, he wondered about Tenny Opijnen.

  The man had not proven to be a very trustworthy companion, but it was hard to believe he was a smuggler, or that he would entangle Max in such a scheme without telling him.

  If they ran into each other back on the islands, Max would have a few choice words with the Dutchman, for sure.

  Still, he would prefer to believe Tenny had sailed away without him, rather than think he was killed by the mobsters.

  With a deep sigh, Max decided to put the past few days out of his mind, as he settled down to watch one of the first-run movies offered on his private video screen.

  

  Tenny decided to avoid Sardinia and sail on to the Canaries before putting into port, just in case either the Italian authorities or the mobsters were looking for him.

  Once out of the Bay of Naples, he was undecided as to how to proceed.

  The cash entrusted to him by the Venezuelan buyer would have been enough to begin a new life somewhere, but after losing the duffel bag of cash, he could not return home with no shipment and only a fraction of the money.

  The buyer would never believe Tenny was forced to leave the rest of the money behind to save his own life.

  It just wasn’t fair! This was to have been the start of a new life, and now he was a man on the run, simply because Max and those women poked their noses where they didn’t belong.

  He hoped Parma had paid them back for their interference.

  He was pleased he thought to leave a portion of the money hidden on the boat as security, before going to the warehouse meeting.

  Opijnen fretted and fumed as he sailed southwest, growing fatigued from the day and night demands of single-handedly keeping the boat from drifting off course.

  After encountering an unusually strong Portugal Current on the way to Tenerife, where he hoped to hire a crewman, Opijnen was struggling to steer the sloop when Zeemeermin capsized.

  The Dutchman was thrown off balance, cracked his head on the railing, and pitched into the rough seas.

  Instinctively clawing to the surface, he thrashed briefly against the waves before losing consciousness and slowly sinking for the last time, to become part of the ocean he loved.

  

  This was more like it! Bunny thought.

  The First Class section, costing triple the price of economy, was infinitely more comfortable.

  If only all passengers could be treated with such care. It wasn’t just the extra space and luxurious touches which made the difference.

  There was a tacit acknowledgement here that each passenger was a fellow human being and worthy of respect for their needs, both physical and emotional, which was totally lacking in Economy Class.

  On the other side of the privacy screen, Linda was deep into a stack of paperbacks from the airport bookstore.

  At the moment, all the first class perks were wasted on her, but Bunny was certain her sister would appreciate them when the meals arrived.

  They might both actually be able to sleep through some of the night hours, as well, when they converted their seats into mini-beds, after dinner.

  Bunny spent the first couple of hours in the air bringing her travel journal up to date.

  As she made a diary of the past few days, there was plenty of interesting material to submit to periodicals back home.

  Contemplating a possible career as a freelance writer was exciting and had her looking eagerly to the future, with all its possibilities.

  When she thought of the plans she and Linda made for their retirement, the excitement faded.

  Bunny knew she did not want to live with her older sister for the rest of her life.

  Perhaps most of Bunny’s days were behind her, but she hoped the years remaining might still hold excitement and a few surprises.

  So much of her past had been dull, like a faded sepia print. She wanted to live out the rest of her life in intense High Definition color.

  Before they left the hotel, an email was delivered to Linda from her son in Australia. He told his mother he was coming home to Idaho to be close to her.

  Linda’s grandson, Loman, would be managing the sheep station, but Tim, Sharon and their daughter, Ellery, were moving to Boise, shortly after the first of the year.

  Linda was thrilled when she read the message.

  Bunny’s first reaction was, “I’m free!” but she hadn’t known quite how to say that to her sister.

  Linda was so generous to offer Bunny a home and she didn’t want to hurt her by rejecting those plans.

  She would find the right time and place, once they were back in their temporary apartment in Boise.

  Bunny would need to broach the subject before they started looking for that perfect retirement home Linda was already decorating in her imagination.

  If her future wasn’t going to be spent with Linda in Boise, then where did she want to go?

  Not back to Clark’s Hallow with all those memories. Jean had responded to word of her sisters’ Italian adventures with an offer for Bunny to come live with her and Nick, where they "could keep an eye on her."

  Bunny gratefully declined their offer.

  Bunny remembered how much she loved the coast of northern Oregon when her late husband’s ministry had taken them there.

  Maybe now was a good time to return and see how much more she would like the area without Eustace’s dampening presence.

  Would Max like it there? Would they have a future together in Oregon, or anywhere? If Bunny could overcome her school girl crush, would she still think of Max as her ideal life partner?

  So many unknowns were awaiting her back home.

  As she pondered the things Max told her about their past relationship, Bunny began to recall more of the details of their marriage and the various things Max had done in his efforts to get Bunny to see him more realistically.

  Because of her emotional fixation, she refused to recognize the brutality of some of his actions, instead glossing over his obvious attempts to cause her pain, and simply forgiving everything as a matter of course.

  She was unable to accept the Max of her romantic vision could ever mean to be cruel.

  Looking back, now Max had lifted the veil and forced her to see herself with a critical eye, Bunny was seeing him more clearly, as well.

  She had forgiven both Max and herself for their youthful indiscretions, but, now she was presented with an entirely new perspective on the kind of man Max was, and might still be.

  Becoming uncomfortable with these new ideas, Bunny briefly asked God for clarity and discernment, gave herself a mental shake and went resolutely back to writing in her journal.

  Chapter 28

  Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified …for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.


  Deuteronomy 31:6

  The phone was ringing as Bunny entered the apartment, her arms laden with groceries and mail.

  By the time she unburdened herself, the ringing stopped.

  How frustrating! Oh well, if it’s important they will call back.

  Bunny sorted through the mail before putting away her shopping.

  There was a letter from a magazine!

  Tearing it open, her excitement grew as she read the wonderful news of another of her articles on the Italy trip being accepted for publication.

  This was fantastic. Two of her articles and a short story had been picked up, so far.

  She also received a few rejections, but after reworking it, one of those was being reconsidered.

  Was it possible she could actually make a living with her writing?

  Their late mother’s estate had finally gone through probate and each of the sisters received a small bequest. It wasn’t much, but along with her recent earnings, Bunny thought it just might provide the safety net she needed to begin her new life.

  Linda found the cottage she wanted shortly after the New Year.

  It was near the Nampa dairy her son purchased.

  She was having a ball decorating, settling in and getting closer to her son and granddaughter, while keeping a safe distance from her daughter-in-law.

  The rent on this apartment was paid for the next two months, so Bunny was staying on.

  She was fearful about striking out on her own as a freelance writer, but this latest acceptance gave her just the reassurance she needed.

  Opening her laptop, Bunny sent an email to Max, sharing her good news.