by Stella Kelly
“Right,” Cole smirked. “I’ll drive the ladies in the SUV. You’ll have to take the extended van to carry everyone in one vehicle. Where do they want to go?”
“The Maritime Museum. Should be interesting, though I’ll be too busy protecting them to take in the exhibits. Maybe someday I’ll come back for my own enjoyment.”
“Hmm. Sounds good.” Cole internally chuckled at the man’s rigidity. He was so prickly. Agent Kensing hadn’t even gotten out of a full suit yet. Cole’s uniform of choice was now a white linen short-sleeved button-down and khaki pants. Yes, they were working and yes the letter had been suspicious, but this was Bermuda and it was supposed to be a little relaxed. Cole was convinced that the letter was intended for Mr. Winters, not Secretary Mitchell. No one would track a man down all the way to Bermuda unless he had clear-cut enemies. Something didn’t sit right.
Standing at the SUV, Cole waited patiently for Helene and Trudy to emerge from the house. He leaned a tanned arm casually against the vehicle. The van carrying the Secretary of State, The Deputy, and the boys had already left for the museum with Damien driving and Agent Prickly in the passenger seat.
As he stood waiting, Cole’s mind drifted back to his last discussion with Katrina. He couldn’t wrap his brain around her intentions. What had really brought her here? Although they’d shared a few conversations now, he still didn’t know much about her. He wanted to. Even though he was here on an assignment, even though he would only be here the week, and even though he had just met her a few days ago, Cole felt a deep need to know everything he could about her. That was a sign.
The sound of gentle laughter brought his attention around. Helene and Trudy emerged from the grand front door with their arms looped and heads close. The women were clearly overjoyed with the prospect of shopping.
“Good morning, Agent Nielsen. Are you our shopping buddy today?” Helene asked with a smile.
Cole grinned and nodded. He opened the back door for her and then walked around to do the same for Trudy.
“Thanks,” she said casually.
Clearly her role as Jimmy’s nanny had shifted since she didn’t even accompany him on his fieldtrip. Perhaps her being here was a way of acknowledging her efforts, a working holiday of sorts. Cole wondered why an eleven-year-old boy would require a nanny at all. Perhaps she was more a surrogate mother now than a nanny. Still, his call to Intel hadn’t revealed anything unusual about the woman; no glaring hidden secrets.
Cole got into the drivers seat and started the SUV. He was about to put it into gear when Helene leaned forward and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“Katrina is coming too. She’ll be out in a moment.”
“Alright then,” Cole replied calmly, though internally a tense ripple of heat traced through his body at the mention of her name. It was a good nervousness. This tidbit of information changed his entire outlook on the trip. As Cole got out of the vehicle again, he looked up and saw Katrina leave the front door over the roof of the SUV. He stared, unable to take his eyes off her. As she drew closer to the truck, Katrina looked up and met his eyes. Cole walked around the back and met her as she approached the passenger side.
“Here, let me,” he said opening the front door. Cole watched as she sat in the seat and then swiveled her toned, tanned legs in. She wore a simple black jersey dress that came to just above her knees and flat black sandals. The dress hugged her in all the right areas. Her simplicity spoke volumes. She was fluid elegance at it’s finest. Her dark hair was pulled back into a low knot and a sweep of bright lipstick finished off the look.
“Thanks.” She smiled coyly.
After talking with the ladies in the backseat about what shops were in the downtown core and the best places to buy shoes, Katrina looked forward again as the ladies in the back seat discussed a story about Jimmy, Zachary, and Noah. Katrina and Cole found themselves sitting in a bit of an awkward silence.
“I missed you this morning,” she finally said while looking out her side window.
Cole glanced over just as she turned to look at him. She held his gaze a little longer than he’d expected. “We had a bit of a situation last night. I’m running on fumes today.”
“Hmm, maybe I should be driving.”
“Don’t worry. I’m fine. Nothing a leisurely shopping trip won’t cure,” Cole said playfully and winked.
“Right, men and shopping are like oil and water.”
“I don’t mind shopping when you’re tagging along. Didn’t expect to see you on this trip.”
“Well, lets just say that when I heard you were coming with us, I had an urgent need to buy something, anything.”
“Wow, I have that much influence on you?”
Katrina merely smiled and looked out her window again.
As the conversation in the backseat quieted, Katrina and Cole stopped talking too. There was something intimate about their banter, private. It was as if they didn’t want to risk being overheard or discovered. They were walking a fine line of professionalism and they were both acutely aware that the line had been crossed. There was no denying their feelings for one another, but the nagging feelings hid beneath the surface. Cole got the sense Katrina still found it hard to open up, to trust.
As they rounded the final bend that brought them into the bustling capital of Hamilton, Katrina pointed out several cruise ships stationed in the ferry terminal and wondered aloud if those aboard were now shopping. Perhaps the posh streets would be packed with tourists. They’d be rubbing elbows with people from all over the world – but mostly North Americans escaping November’s cold grip.
“It’s not normally this packed. Let’s hope we can find a parking spot,” Katrina said as she directed him to a parking lot just down from the frenzy of the main road.
The tiny town overflowed with boutiques and restaurants. Narrow cobblestone streets offered all the charm and elegance that was expected from a British influenced island, and the ladies were quick to notice the lack of typical cookie-cutter chain stores they usually found in the United States.
The ladies started their shopping excursion on Front Street at a dress shop with high-end designer names. Cole leaned against a wall and waited, watching as the ladies scanned the racks in search of the perfect garment. They then clamored to the change room to try them on and critique each other. Cole found the entire process amusing, and frankly he’d never been shopping with a group of ladies like this before. He hadn’t realized how intricate and precise the act of choosing just the right dress entailed. He was glad to be a guy.
“What do you think, Agent Nielsen, will Edward like this one?” Helene called over.
Cole approached apprehensively, not quite sure he was allowed in this area of the store. “Um, yes. It looks great,” he said before returning to his previous spot on the wall.
“Okay, Agent Nielsen, you’re off the hook. I won’t ask again.” She reassured over a rack of clothes. He could hear them giggle at a distance.
Inconspicuously glancing over at Katrina, he noticed she was trying on a flattering white summer dress. He had to admit, he was enjoying watching her browse and shop. That he didn’t mind at all. And he especially enjoyed catching Katrina glancing over at him from time to time as if to gauge his reaction to a certain outfit. As if his approval meant something to her.
They wound their way down Reid Street, ducking into a few more quaint clothing shops, two high-end shoe stores, and finally a café to grab a latte. Sitting at a bistro table on the sidewalk, the four chatted casually enough. The fact that a male Secret Service agent accompanied them was irrelevant. Cole fit in effortlessly. He did, however, scan the surrounding crowd on occasion. He couldn’t forget his reason for being here in the first place and occasionally looked around the crowd with interest.
“I saw you buy something at that last shop, Agent Nielsen. What’d you get?” Helene asked.
Cole pulled a pair of bright Bermuda shorts out of a bag and the ladies ‘ouued’ and ‘ahhed’
. “I had to get something. I couldn’t walk away from my time here with nothing.” He grinned, feeling a little awkward but part of the group none-the-less. Katrina held his gaze a little longer than the other two, sipping her coffee slowly. Cole would rather leave Bermuda with Katrina on his arm instead, but he knew that was a fantasy.
“I love that dress you bought, Trudy. It’s a great color for your skin tones.”
“Thanks, Helene.”
The other two ladies broke into a discussion about hair color and which salons they use back in Washington. Cole seized his moment of privacy with Katrina and leaned in. “You know, they say that hotel over there was an intelligence headquarters for Secret Service agents during the Second World War,” he pointed.
“You mean the Fairmont?” Katrina asked. “Yes, I’ve actually heard that. But,” she added, leaning in even closer, “did you know that the real life Commander Bond once lived there temporarily? As in the character that Ian Fleming based his rogue 007 Agent on?”
“Now that I didn’t know. Very interesting.” Cole studied her, impressed. Helene and Trudy watched as Cole and Katrina began a slew of interesting fact exchanges and commentary about this and that. The two ladies looked at each other with a knowing expression. The chemistry between the Pilates instructor and the Secret Service agent was undeniable. Eventually looking up toward the other two women, Cole realized how he and Katrina had monopolized the conversation. He cleared his throat and took a sip of his coffee, allowing a lull.
<><><>
“Are you going back for those shoes, Katrina? You should. You’ll kick yourself if you don’t. But I guess you can come back any time,” Trudy asked.
“You know, I think I just might.” Katrina finished the last drop of her latte and rose from the table. Cole rose too, a polite gesture that the ladies noticed and smiled at. Katrina bit her bottom lip and suppressed a slight giggle. “Thank you, Agent Nielsen.”
“Will you be okay going alone?” he inquired.
Helene and Trudy glanced at each other sideways.
“Um, I think I’ll survive. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Weaving her way through the crowd toward Reid Street, Katrina stopped for the red light. Waiting at the corner, she gawked around at the shops on the opposite side of the street, biding her time. Looking to the right of the intersection, her eyes locked onto a man standing on the opposite sidewalk, his hands in his pockets, feet shoulder-width apart. He stood staring – at her. He had sandy hair and his mouth was in a straight, sinister smile. A feeling of sheer dread overpowered Katrina. The light turned green and people streamed past her, yet she remained planted on the spot, unable to move. A second later, a large delivery truck blocked her view of him. When it finally passed by, the man was gone. Katrina strained to get a better look, her heart palpitating at break-neck speed. Was her mind playing some cruel, sadistic trick or had her ex really been there, sizing her up form across the street? Feeling her breath catch and hyperventilation creeping in, she turned and ran back to the café.
“That was fast,” Helene said. “Where’s the bag?”
“Did someone already buy them?” Trudy asked with disappointment.
“Yes,” Katrina managed to grunt a one-syllable answer through her shock.
Cole watched Katrina as she slid into her chair again. It didn’t take a genius to see that something had shaken her, and she knew he could tell right away. Glancing at the others, she realized they were none the wiser to her stress and she was grateful.
“We’d better get going now,” Katrina announced.
“Yes, the boys should be getting back from the museum. I hope your fellow agent had a nice time.” Helene half joked to Cole. “Something tells me he’s a real barrel of laughs.”
“The life of the party,” Cole offered, still watching Katrina.
She felt his eyes burn into her with curiosity as she quickly got up and gathered her bags, all the while scanning the crowd in complete distraction. As if picking up on her hypersensitivity to the surroundings, she noticed Agent Nielsen scan the crowd more too.
As they rounded the corner, she stayed as close to him as possible, like his shadow with their shoulders practically touching.
“Is everything okay, Katrina?” he whispered so the other women couldn’t hear.
Looking up and meeting his eyes, she couldn’t tell him the truth. She just couldn’t find the words to describe the deep horror and sense of confusion she was feeling. It was a feeling of smothering, sobering doom. “No, nothing. I’m fine.” He seemed to get the hint and dropped the subject, though she could tell by his grimace that he wasn’t convinced.
The rain came down in sheets that evening. In her room, Katrina hunkered down in her bed with a book, but focus and relaxation eluded her. She’d read the same page over and over again, and each time her mind wandered back to the street in Hamilton, to her ex’s face. Fear gripped every inch of her and she felt vulnerable, exposed. There was no one who could help her. Once he set his mind on something, he went after it with everything he had. It was part of what attracted her to him in the first place. Who knew it would someday be her demise?
He was here. She was certain.
She’d sat through dinner with her mind elsewhere, her thin smile a mask for everyone’s benefit. She could sense that Cole kept looking over at her. He knew something was bothering her, she could tell. At least he was decent enough not to ask about it. Katrina feared that if someone questioned her disposition, she would fall like a house of cards and admit that her ex-boyfriend was here, on the island, ready to drag her back to hell against her will.
After dinner she quickly excused herself and found refuge away from the people she now considered family; people who knew nothing about her past – and she planned to keep it that way. The thought of them knowing how weak she’d been, how victimized, was too humiliating to consider. And she didn’t want to put anyone else at risk either.
Katrina locked the door and drew the curtains. The room was her bubble, her cocoon of solitude and pseudo-safety. But deep down, she knew he would stop at nothing to make contact. He’d come this far, why would he stop now? She felt her body grow numb as she wondered where he was at this very moment. In a hotel or maybe watching her window in the darkness, waiting for his opportunity to steal back her dignity, her freedom. The uncertainty drove her to the brink. A long sleepless night of worrying inevitably lay ahead.
Chapter Eight
The tropical air was heavy and seemed to hang with the scent of oleander and hibiscus after the recent rainfall. Katrina loved that. After a restless few hours, she’d finally fallen asleep only to dream about her life now and her wonderful prospects for the future. She awoke with a new sense of certainty that things would be okay.
With the sunlight came an acceptance that perhaps the man she’d seen yesterday had only reminded her of someone else. Maybe he was simply a figment of her paranoid imagination. As she convinced herself of this, her fears began to wane. Pulling open the curtains, the rising sun made her room glow with a yellow brilliance, chasing away any trace of last nights sorrow. Katrina felt invincible and defiant of any misery the thought of him conjured.
Wandering down the narrow, Katrina breathed deeply, letting the smells and sights of her stunning surroundings invade her. The winding paths were flanked by lush hedges and dotted with colorful flowering plants like morning glory, poinsettia, and passionflower, Mr. and Mrs. Winters had held nothing back with the landscaping. Only the finest would do and in abundance. This place was a veritable paradise on earth.
In the rising dawn, Katrina’s tranquility was scarred momentarily when she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. Pivoting defensively and wearing a look of terror, she immediately softened when she realized it was Agent Nielsen.
“Oh, thank God!” she blurted, putting a hand against her chest.
“Who did you think I was, a mass-murderer or something?” He came closer.
“You just scared me
, that’s all.”
“I thought since I was unavailable yesterday, today may be the day.”
“The day for what?”
“Pilates. Does the offer still stand?”
“Sure, of course. But I’m going to sit and meditate for a while beforehand. Would you like to run and then meet me on the beach in twenty minutes?”
“Actually, I’d love to join you for that too if you don’t mind.”
Side by side, they made their way to the beach and plunked themselves down in the soft, cool sand. They looked out over the water, watching as the sun slowly rose in the horizon. Within a matter of minutes, the water turned from a dark grey shadow to a brilliant opal of shiny blues with the sun’s full arrival.
<><><>
Cole was struck by how much the water resembled Katrina’s eyes – a harmony of emerald green and blue – the perfect jade. Leaning back on his hands, he took in the scene all around him, wanting to remember this moment. The dunes behind him skirted the horseshoe-shaped alcove of dark, rocky cliff. The mansion’s beach was like a pocket of privacy.
Cole looked over and watched as Katrina sat tall with a straight back, her face focused on the water ahead. She was thinking about something important, something that was preoccupying her every thought. How could someone so achingly beautiful, so full of bright life hide a darkness? He couldn’t get within her invisible walls of defense. He sensed she wanted him to, but she fought her own desires. An easy tension had fallen between them since yesterday at the café in Hamilton. It was only a mild tension, but it was there all the same. Cole felt it, her new internal distance coupled with her need to be physically close. She was an absolute contradiction. He wanted so desperately to make her confide in him, but he was realistic. In due time he hoped she would, but he would never force it. Still, he was only here for a week and their time together was of the essence. Cole felt the urgency like a weight on his conscience.