Waves of Solace

by Ariel Bonin

  Andrew gazed at his woman across the tidy, made-up bed. All he could think about was messing it up beneath the rise and fall of their desire-fueled bodies. Lindsey met his playful blue eyes and smiled intuitively. After checking to see that the hallway was clear, she crawled across the bed and stopped in front of him, rising up but remaining on her knees. Andrew wished he could ditch the sling and touch her with both hands, but accepted the situation for what it was. He put his hand on her cheek, sweeping back her long blonde strands. Lindsey returned the gesture by combing her slender fingers through his unruly hair. She brought his mouth down to settle over her own. The kiss was slow, yet deep, as their tongues intertwined. Andrew moved his hand to her chest, fondling one soft breast in the rough palm of his hand. Her nipple hardened and he could feel it through the thin material of her bra and t-shirt. Lindsey moaned into his mouth with pure wanton lust.

  The sound of advancing footsteps was lost on the impassioned couple until a squeak on the floorboards in their doorway alerted them to a new presence. Andrew raised his foggy head and saw Charlie slowly backing away. He'd expected to see his daughter, which would have been horribly awkward, but to know that it was just his friend made it almost somewhat comical. The uncomfortable look on Charlie's face solidified that.

  "Sorry, I, um, can see you guys are busy…" the man mumbled, averting his eyes even though there wasn't anything to see. They were both still fully clothed, but it was probably the intimate act itself that made him embarrassed.

  "It's okay, Charlie. Uh, what's up?" Andrew asked as he offered his hand to Lindsey and helped her down from the bed.

  "Wanted to see how y'all were settlin' in… Can see it's goin' just fine," he said to Andrew with narrowed eyes and a smirk. They relocated from the hallway to the front porch where Zoey was still reading. Lindsey sat down next to Jacob and showed the infant how to use the wooden spoons like drum sticks. The little boy let out an infectious laugh and reached for them so he could try it on his own. "Also, Caren was yappin' about havin' some kind of family dinner tonight—wanted me to extend the invitation."

  Andrew was pleased to hear that someone else had proposed the group meal; it meant they were still on the same page. The people on the island were wonderful, but he missed his tight knit group—his family.

  "That would be really nice," Lindsey said as she smoothed back a strand of Jacob's hair that wavered in the light wind. "I wonder when Thanksgiving is…"

  Charlie glanced at her. "It was the day before we got here. That's half the reason Caren wants to do this. Brian and some of the others said they'd help out, cook us some chicken and whatnot."

  Andrew sighed. "All of this seem too good to be true?"

  "I hear ya," Charlie replied. "Nobody's done anythin' to make me think otherwise, but I ain't droppin' my guard just yet."

  Zoey set down her book and looked between the adults. When she spoke, Andrew realized he'd forgotten that she was there.

  "Dad, do you remember when we were at The Factory and felt nervous about Grace, ya know, like if we could trust her?"

  Andrew nodded.

  "I think we can trust these guys. Why wouldn't they want this? They came up with a cure. They saved your life." She emphasized the last line to push her point home.

  "She's right," Lindsey echoed. "They have happy and healthy children here. You can't fake that. I'm not saying we should believe every word that comes out of their mouths, but they haven't wronged us yet. Let's give them some more time."

  "They can have all the time they want from me!" Zoey piped up. "This place is sweet!"

  Everyone broke into a smile and concurred—for everything they'd been through, it didn't get much better than this.

  _____

  Lindsey held Andrew's hand and supported Jacob in her opposite arm as they followed Zoey to the outdoor dining area. The girl carried a bowl of mashed potatoes, their contribution to the feast. When they reached the opening, they could see a handful of families using the grills and occupying the picnic tables. All the way to the left side, three tables were pushed together, forming one long table. As they drew near, Caren was in a flurry setting up plates, cloth napkins and glasses.

  "Damn, girl, aren't you tired? Why don't you sit down and let me do that?" Lindsey said as she lightly bounced Jacob on her hip.

  "I know, I know! I am tired, but this is too exciting," Caren responded with bright eyes and a soft glow, which Lindsey attributed more toward her pregnancy than excitement.

  "Fancy meeting you all here," Kat's sweet voice called out from a trail opening near them. The young woman held a bowl just like Zoey's, but a hint of orange showed through the top, most likely squash or carrots. She sat down next to the girl and gave her a warm smile. Nicholas wasn't far behind, followed closely by Tyler and Hannah.

  As Tyler struck up a conversation with Robert, Lindsey quietly asked, "Hannah, where's your father?"

  Her expression dropped a little bit, but Lindsey got the impression she was trying to shrug it off. "He stayed home…said he wasn't feeling up to it."

  Lindsey made eye contact with Andrew over Hannah's shoulder and knew he understood. He would have to make an effort to talk to the man later. Clearly Bill was still hurting from the loss of his friend, Hank—a violent death he had more and less caused—and it wouldn't do him any good to feel alone right now.

  She patted Hannah on the arm and said in what she hoped was a cheerful tone, "Try not to worry about him. We'll have a good time tonight."

  Before Lindsey could sit down, Charlie and Ana emerged from the tangled foliage. The twosome didn't appear to be talking, but she couldn't help but feel like something was going on between them. They parted ways and Lindsey casually approached the silent man.

  "You and Ana have been spending quite a bit of time together."

  Charlie instantly bristled, shrugging off her perceptive words. "We're sharin' a place now—that's it. Ain't nothin' goin' on. Just thought it was stupid for each of us to have our own place when mine has two bedrooms. All I need is a place to sleep. Gotta leave more room if everybody's gonna keep poppin' out babies."

  Lindsey stifled a giggle. "Okay…" she replied in a sing-song voice.

  Charlie ignored her disbelieving tone or possibly didn't even pick up on it as he took a seat at the table. Lindsey sat between Andrew and Caren and placed Jacob on her lap. The infant reached for her butter knife and she snatched it away. "I don't think so!" She turned to Andrew and said, "What's the point of this without any butter?" He nodded to a spot in the middle of the table where a small dish housed a pale lump. "Sweet baby Jesus, is that what I think it is?"

  "Sure is!" Brian piped up from behind her as he set a large platter of chicken in front of them. The smell was positively to die for. Between that and all the fixings, Lindsey was salivating like a fool.

  "I love you," she announced to Brian. "Seriously."

  The man let out an amused laugh and glanced at Andrew. "Did you hear that? She loves me."

  A handsome smirk adorned Andrew's face as he quipped, "Don't get too excited. I gave her stale Cheerios once and she said the same thing."

  Lindsey playfully swatted him on the arm, but then counteracted it by leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

  After having a brief moment of silence for their lost friends and family, everyone dug in. Lindsey was ecstatic to have such a big meal but knew that she needed to take it easy. The last thing she wanted to do was make herself sick.

  "Hey, have you guys been up to the bluff yet? It's quite a sight. You really need to check it out," Kat said to Lindsey and Andrew.

  As Lindsey took a bite of food, Andrew said, "No, we haven't. Maybe tomorrow?"

  "What about Jake?" Lindsey asked.

  "Oh, I'll watch him!" Kat volunteered cheerfully. "We'll have lots of fun, won't we, cutie?" she cooed across the table.

  Andrew smiled at the happy child and then looked to Lindsey. "What do you think—are you up for it?"

  "I should be ask
ing you that."

  "Oh, I'll be fine," he assured her.

  Lindsey sighed at his unwillingness to rest, but experienced a jolt of excitement at the idea of spending some time alone with him outside of their bedroom—not that she was complaining about that kind of alone time.

  "Okay, let's do it," she said finally.

  _____

  Once dinner was over, Andrew told Lindsey he wanted to check on Bill before settling in for the night. She slid him a look that promised what he was in for when he got back. He almost changed his mind on the spot but knew that this was, unfortunately, more important. After giving her a brief kiss on the lips, he watched her walk down the path to their bungalow, Zoey and Jake in tow. Warmth flooded his chest, gradually filling the holes that had turned cold over time. He truly understood now what it was like to have his heart on the outside of his body. It was in three pieces and currently walking away from him.

  Forcing himself to do this, he started down the adjacent path that led to Bill and Hannah's bungalow. He passed Nicholas and Kat, who were going up the steps to their own place, and gave them a wave, happy to see that the young woman had found someone to share her time with after she'd made a pass at him on Charlie's ranch.

  At the end of the row, he located lot number twenty and ascended the bowed steps. He knocked lightly on the screen door and heard a rustle inside. Hannah's round face appeared in the shadowy doorway. She'd left the dinner early, claiming she wanted to get back to her dad.

  "Hey, is your father here?" Andrew asked.

  "Yeah…he's in his room…been in there since I left."

  "Do you mind if I talk to him?"

  She sighed and opened the screen door for him. "Be my guest…you're probably wasting your breath though."

  Andrew frowned at her choice of words as he stepped into the dim interior. She pointed to a door on the right side of the hallway and he went to knock on it, but it was already ajar. He rapped his knuckles against it anyway as he pushed it open. It took his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the swallowing darkness, but eventually he could see Bill's solid form occupying a chair in the corner. An empty bottle was tipped over at the man's feet, and when Andrew took a step forward he heard the crunch of broken glass underfoot.

  "Here to check up on me, Captain Flynn?" Bill asked in a nasty tone, the words somewhat garbled.

  Andrew acknowledged the potent smell of scotch as he leaned against the doorjamb. "I'm here as a friend."

  "Well don't come too close…I have a tendency to get my friends killed," the man slurred.

  "I can relate," Andrew began, "I know what you're goin' through."

  "You don't know a fucking thing about me, so don't act like you do."

  Taken aback by the man's unusual attitude, Andrew decided to try a different approach. "I know that your daughter needs you."

  "Don't start lecturing me about how to be a parent. You have enough fucking kids to worry about. Just mind your own goddamn business!"

  Andrew bit his tongue to hold back the crude reply that threatened to escape. Somehow he found enough patience to say instead, "We've all lost people that we care about, Bill. Just remember that there are people here, alive, who still care about you."

  Suddenly, Bill launched up from his chair and stalked across the room. Andrew took a step back, not letting this to turn into a physical altercation—it wasn't worth it.

  "Get the fuck out of my house," Bill spat, his breath reeking of alcohol in the short gap between them. And with that, he slammed the door in Andrew's face.

  Before Andrew allowed himself to storm out, he stopped to speak with Hannah. Leveling his gaze with her, he said, "You need anything, anything at all, come and find Lindsey or myself—day or night. I don't care what time it is, you come right over… Okay?"

  The girl nodded sadly and then watched Andrew go. He fumed all the way home, heading directly to his bedroom as soon as he stepped inside. Lindsey's slim figure was outlined under the thin blanket. Throwing aside the sling, he immediately stripped off his clothes and slid in next to her. She rolled over as his rough hands came in contact with her smooth skin.

  "I take it things didn't go well," she whispered.

  "No, and I don't want to talk about it."

  He silenced her with a fiery kiss, slanting his hungry mouth over her soft lips. And just as he'd requested, they didn't talk for the rest of the night.

  _____

  After breakfast the next morning, Lindsey and Andrew walked Zoey to Brian and Tommy's bungalow. The girl settled in quickly, leaving the two adults to go on their way. Before they headed out, they delivered Jacob to Kat and Nicholas. The young woman encouraged them to have a good time and told them not to worry. Lindsey seemed a little bit reluctant to go, almost like a new mother on her first outing, and Andrew thought it was downright adorable. Finally, he urged her out the door and down the sandy trail.

  "Do you realize that this is like our first real date?" she said as he grasped her hand, their shoulders gently bumping on the narrow path.

  "I thought the night we took watch at the school was our first."

  She shrugged. "I suppose. This one should be more fun, though."

  "What about the party at the school? We danced…we kissed," he suggested with a grin.

  Lindsey smirked. "And then you gave me the cold shoulder."

  "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I came around though!"

  "I was so worried that you never would." She fell silent and he wondered what she was thinking about.

  "I guess the cabin doesn't really count as a date either…" he said, hoping to pull Lindsey out of her sudden silence.

  She let out a short laugh. "No, it doesn't, but when we were in that closet I really wanted to kiss you."

  He pinned her with a loving glance and whispered, "I always want to kiss you." To prove his point, he leaned in and pressed a firm kiss to her lips.

  The trail came to a head and she gestured to their left. "Kat said that it's this way."

  Sand gave way to tiny rocks, then larger rocks as the path took on a dramatic slant. Andrew had told her that he felt good enough to go for a hike, but hadn't expected something so intense.

  She peeked at him over her shoulder and asked, "How're you doing?"

  "Fine," he answered on an exhale. With only one arm free, he did his best to keep his balance on the loose rocks. It would kind of ruin their romantic getaway if he fell and ripped out his stitches, he mused.

  They crested the final pile of rocks and were greeted by a flat ledge. Andrew said a silent prayer of thanks. They walked to the edge and gasped at the sight before them. The wide open gulf stretched out as far as their eyes could see, changing from a sapphire blue to light turquoise where it met the white, sandy beach below. A few adults were stretched out on brightly colored blankets as they watched their children play. Shrieks of happiness carried on the salty breeze, reaching Andrew and Lindsey where they stood on the cliff.

  "Oh, my God." Lindsey breathed. "It's so beautiful."

  Andrew instantly thought back to the moment when they'd been standing by the lake at the cabin and she'd said the same thing. So badly he'd wanted to repeat those words back to her and now he finally could, whispering, "Just like you."

  Lindsey turned her head to gaze at him, her wild blonde hair fluttering about as she gave him a coy smile.

  Staring at her now and realizing just how much he truly loved her, Andrew felt a pang of excitement and nervousness in his chest. He willed himself to spit out the words and overcome his pounding heart.

  "I noticed yesterday that you introduced yourself as Lindsey Richardson."

  She slowly nodded and Andrew took a deep breath.

  "How would you like to be Lindsey Flynn?"

  The woman's eyes widened as her lips parted on a gasp.

  Feeling more confident now, he said, "Marry me, Linds."

  Chapter 3

  Lindsey stood rigid with shock. She didn't move a single muscle as her brain tried to r
egister the words Andrew had just spoken to her. Stupidly, the first thought that came into her head was Am I still married? Her vows said that she wasn't, but she continued to be overwhelmed with apprehension.

  Is this the right thing to do? Am I ready for this again?

  Andrew was still waiting for an answer, sweat glinting on his brow. "Please, say something, Lindsey." She continued to stare at him, her expression troubled. "Would this help?" he asked as he took her hand in his own and got down onto one knee.

  Finally, the traditional image triggered some part of her to react. She started to smile and stammered, "Y-yes…yes!"

  Andrew sprung to his feet and wrapped his arm around her, loving her and cursing his sling at the same time. She threw her arms around his neck and their lips collided in a passionate kiss that left both of them breathless.

  "When do you want to do this?" she asked with an elated laugh.

  "Soon…next week?"

  "Next week? I don't want anything extravagant, but don't we need more time than that?"

  "All I need is you," he said, the beautiful declaration melting her heart. "I'll let you make the call though. No pressure."

  He was right. All they needed was each other—everything else was just a bonus. "Next week it is."

  "There is one thing I need to do first…" Andrew's smile wavered and his shoulders tensed under her hands.

  Lindsey's brows drew together. His sudden change in body language was disconcerting. "What's that?"

  "Tell Zoey."

  The couple remained in an awkward yet understanding silence as they attempted to gauge what kind of reaction the girl would have to the sudden news.

  "When are you going to do that?" Lindsey asked as she tried to gently rub the tension out of his shoulders.