Bullard's Beauty Page 3

  “Yes, and it has been for a very long time,” she replied.

  “Okay,” he said. “So, now that I’m getting better, I need to check in and find out what’s going on with my world.”

  “I was hoping you would find out through your own memories, before somebody came here and shocked you with some unpleasant truths,” she murmured.

  “But again, that’s assuming they are unpleasant. We don’t know that.”

  “True.” But she didn’t say anymore.

  He couldn’t tell much from her tone because it always had that touch of calm serenity. “Do you ever get angry?”

  “I hope not. I try not to anymore,” she said. “I spent what seemed like years being angry, and I’ve worked hard at letting that go.”

  “What happens if you go back to civilization?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe I’ll go back to being angry again.”

  “And that’s not what you want, is it?”

  “No, it’s not,” she said.

  “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me what brought you here, will you?”

  “Personal disaster,” she said quietly. “Profound personal loss gave me a reason to crawl into my skin and to stay there.”

  “I think I understand that,” he said.

  “I hope so,” she said, “and I hope that my need for privacy is something you also respect.” She got up and took his empty coffee cup. “Don’t stay out here too long, and, when you’re ready to come back, just let me know.” And, with that, she turned and walked away.

  Chapter 3

  It was hard for Leia to keep up a conversation when she knew that something traumatic was about to happen to him. He would leave and leave her here alone, and she had to decide whether she would do anything about it. His wasn’t a world she wanted to go back to. In her experience, it was a world filled with pain, loneliness, anger, and injustice. All aspects of life that she had done her best to leave permanently behind.

  But he was right in saying that she was hiding. She was hiding here when she’d first arrived. The island had welcomed her when they found out she had medical skills, and she’d spent a lot of time helping people manage various conditions and minor ailments. They looked at her with benevolence and generally let her live in peace. But it was definitely a hiding of sorts, and now, all these years later, she had to admit that fear prevented her from moving forward.

  It was a beautiful place to live but a very simple existence, though maybe that was okay too. Maybe she could go forward without having to do anything further with her education and her training. She didn’t want to retrain, and she highly doubted the last several years would be counted as additional medical experience for her. But it certainly had helped her get her head together.

  She just didn’t know what to think about Bullard and then his comment about somebody in the bushes. She put away the coffee cups, put on her sandals, and changed direction, coming up to where Bullard had said someone had been watching. She also understood his confusion because he’d had so many nightmares, even wide awake, where he couldn’t see that the monsters were in his dreams. They were his history, and it had taken her a lot of time and effort to calm him down and for him to see the difference.

  Even now she wasn’t sure if she believed him about being watched. But, as she wandered around to the far side where such a person would have been, she frowned at the sight of footprints in the sand. Clearly they had stood here for a while, shuffling their feet, churning up the sand as they watched Bullard. And that just creeped her out and changed the atmosphere entirely. Something about the peacefulness of the island was changing. And maybe not for the better.

  “Anybody there?” Bullard called out to her.

  Startled, she peered through the bushes at him. “No,” she said. “I found footprints though, so somebody was here.”

  “I saw them then,” he said, satisfied.

  She just smiled. Sitting off to the side, he was still pale and too lean for a man of his size and stature. But now he was gaining weight every day and beginning to use his wasting muscles. She was amazed at what a vibrant man he was and didn’t dare envision what he must have been like in his prime. Truly charismatic and larger-than-life in every way. She stepped down toward the pool. “Are you still doing okay over there?”

  “Better than I expected actually,” he said, and he gestured to the surroundings. “This is amazing, and I can feel myself getting stronger, as I soak it all in.”

  She nodded. “Agreed, but I don’t want you to overdo it.”

  “I will overdo it,” he said on a chuckle. “Just because I can.”

  Then she watched his countenance change completely, like a dark cloud blocking the sunlight. “How much of an issue is the person who was over there?”

  “Normally I would say not much,” she said. “Some of the islanders are curious about you, or maybe they’re just trying to see how you are doing. And I wasn’t kidding about the women.”

  “Maybe,” he said. “Or maybe it’s something else entirely.”

  She walked over to the water’s edge, then hopped across several of the rocks, navigating her way across the water toward where he sat. Wearing one of the long flowing dresses she preferred on the island, she held her skirts up, until she finally made it across and landed nearby. “Do you think somebody’s after you?” she asked, looking directly at him.

  “I think it’s a possibility,” he said. “How could it not be, given what you know?”

  “It’s not what I know,” she said quietly, “as much as what I’ve heard.” She sat down beside him. “I don’t know for sure that you are in danger.”

  “But you’re thinking that we are,” he said.

  “We? No,” she said, shaking her head at the thought. “You.”

  “Sweetie,” he said. “You’re the one who’s kept me safe, and that means you’re in danger too.” She stared at him in shock. “Had you not considered that?”

  “No, of course not.” Yet, after she thought about it for a moment, she shrugged. “And it doesn’t matter in the end, because I wouldn’t have done anything differently.”

  “Exactly,” he said, “that’s because of who you are.”

  She looked at him, then smiled. “I’m just me.”

  “Yep. An angel in disguise,” he said, returning her smile.

  She rolled her eyes at that, then noticed the sun beating down on his shoulders, already turning pinkish. “You need to move into the shade at least or back to bed. You must be worn out by now.”

  “Yeah, I am, and back to bed is what I need to do,” he said, “but it’s hard to leave this place. It’s so amazing out here, so beautiful and serene that I just want to stay out here.”

  “You can come back later on tonight or tomorrow morning,” she said.

  “I hope so,” he said, and, with her assistance, he got to his feet and grabbed his crutches. Slowly they walked back to the hut that he called his own. It wasn’t much more than a rough platform, a simple padding for a bed, and some netting above. He stood there for a long moment, looking at her. “I don’t know how I came to be here really,” he said, “but I am delighted that you found me.”

  “I am too.” She smiled.

  “Did I ever say, Thank you?”

  “Hmm, I don’t know that you did,” she said, “but that isn’t necessary.”

  “Maybe not,” he replied, “but it does feel like I need to acknowledge the fact that you kept me alive all this time, when a lot of other people would have turned me over to somebody else or wouldn’t have gotten involved at all.”

  “You’re just lucky that I had the training to fix you up.”

  “That’s another thing,” he said. “You have advanced medical training, don’t you?”

  “I do,” she said.

  “And yet you’re out here,” he said, the unspoken question lingering in the air.

  “That world is over for me.”

  “Does it have to be?” he
asked.

  “I wouldn’t say that it has to be,” she said, “but it’s that way because I choose it to be so.” And, with that, it was clear she wouldn’t say any more.

  With a nod, he said, “Okay. You’re entitled to your secrets, but, anytime you want to share, I’m happy to listen.”

  She looked up at him. “Maybe I’ll share more of mine when you discover yours and get them out in the open.”

  “I wonder if that will ever happen?” he said. “Sometimes it feels like my brain will never work right and won’t let me put all these random pieces together.”

  “It will,” she said. “Just maybe not today.”

  At that, he hobbled around and got settled on his bed, suddenly looking weary. He was asleep almost instantly.

  *

  Leia left Bullard to return to where she had seen the footprints. It bothered her to realize someone had been watching Bullard. If it was anybody from the island who knew her, they would have come and said something. They hadn’t made the visit seem more sinister, and she didn’t like that at all. There was no need for it, but, despite a thorough study of the site, she couldn’t find anything to identify who it may have been. She then made the quick trip across the island, hoping that Bullard would sleep long enough.

  The old medicine woman looked up at Leia with a smile when she arrived. “Good,” she said. “Terk left another message.”

  “And what is it this time?” Leia asked, looking sideways at the seer, not wanting to hear the message.

  “He said, He’s coming.”

  At that, her breath was gone, and it was a moment before she could breathe again. Slowly she nodded and took a deep breath.

  “Good, you understand,” the medicine woman said. “How is he?”

  “He’s getting much better.”

  “But not good enough yet, is he?”

  “No,” she said. “He’s also not sure what’s going on.”

  “We’ll have to find out,” the old woman said.

  “It’ll be the outsiders.”

  “Yes, it will. Like it or not, change is coming. Danger is coming,” the old woman said.

  “I’m not ready for change,” Leia said.

  “I know, and that’s too bad because it’s happening anyway.”

  Leia nodded slowly, knowing that the old woman knew things that Leia did not. Finally, when no other messages came to the old woman, Leia turned and headed back, moving quickly toward the hut where Bullard slept. If nothing else, she needed to get him as strong as possible before things changed. She knew that whatever was coming would bring an element of danger, and neither of them were prepared for it.

  No way they were even slightly prepared for the kind of danger she suspected that Bullard might be used to. And despite his rapidly improving physical condition, they still needed several more weeks. She could only hope they got them.

  When she got home, she made a note on her calendar of the old woman’s words regarding Bullard’s progress and kept a careful watch for another full week. There were no incidents, no further sightings of strangers in the brush. She felt like they were waiting, and something intense was going on in the background. It was almost as if Bullard realized that things had shifted because every day now he was doing exercises to build back some muscle. He was walking more, doing push-ups, also some kind of martial arts that she didn’t recognize.

  Never asking him about it, she sat quietly, watching him go through the disciplined motions. What began as stilted awkward movements had transformed over ten days and now resembled something more like velvet in motion. She smiled when he finally stopped, the sweat on his skin now thick and glistening in the sun. “Ready for a swim?”

  Straightening, he looked at her, still breathing hard as he nodded. “Absolutely.” He looked at the crutches and looked at her. The worn-out splint had fallen away, and he was now on his own. “Do you think we’re good without that?”

  “Why don’t we go find out?” she said. She hopped up and grabbed several towels.

  He looked at her, puzzled, and said, “Don’t you need to get on a bathing suit?”

  “I have one on,” she said, with a laugh, then led the way to the pool. At the water, she carefully dropped her dress of the day. She had ten of them in a variety of bright fabrics that she rotated. She washed them in the water when she bathed, and let them dry in the air. Today’s selection was a deep fuchsia with purple accents and bright yellow flowers. She had only walked down a few steps when she felt an odd gaze. Turning, she looked at Bullard. “What?”

  He shook his head. “I think this is the first time I’ve seen you swimming. At least close up.”

  “Does that mean you’ve been watching me from a distance?” she teased.

  He grinned and said, “You are dynamite, so anybody would take notice.”

  “Well, if it helps you heal, go ahead and look,” she said, with a laugh, then stepped into the water and let her body sink under the waves. The water was moving beautifully today. The waves were backing out from the collision that occurred where the river poured into the ocean. It was truly a wondrous experience, and she floated, letting her body relax and let go of the stress she had felt ever since hearing the latest words from the medicine woman.

  Knowing that this peace would come to an end, she’d felt herself tense, uneasy, waiting for an attack. Yet she had no justification for it and no reason to suspect such an attack, except that it was out there and that it wasn’t going away.

  When she heard a heavy splash, and her body roiled from the waves Bullard created, she smiled to see him pop up in the water beside her.

  “It’s hard to float out here,” he said. “It’s a lot rougher where the river pours into the ocean.”

  “That is true,” she said, “but it also helps you train. Look over here.” She pointed. “If you stick close to these rocks, there is almost no current.”

  Nodding, he grabbed onto a rock and said, “There was a hard rain as well, and I gather it has quite an effect here.”

  “It also depends on the tide,” she said, “and today the ocean is just rough.” They stayed out here, floating and swimming until they were tired, then got out to sit on the rocky ledge.

  “How long will you hide here?” he asked, then he winced. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t exactly the best way to say it.”

  “I came here to hide,” she said, “but I don’t know that I’m still hiding.”

  “But you’re not back to normal life.”

  “No,” she said, “I’m not. But I’m not sure how much of that is because I’m still hiding or if I’ve just not gotten around to changing it.”

  “It’s really gorgeous here,” he said, “and I can see being here for a holiday, but I’m not sure how I would feel living here full-time.”

  She wondered at that. “I guess that’s true. But I came here for a very different reason, and my recovery, although slow, is definitely completed.”

  “And you still won’t tell me why?” he asked.

  “I don’t think it’s important,” she said.

  “Maybe not,” he said. “Unless whoever is hiding in the bushes all the time is here because of you.”

  She turned to look at him, suddenly pale. “Have you seen him again?”

  “Every couple days,” he said. “One of these days I’ll be strong enough to drag him out and find out what the hell he’s up to.”

  She frowned at that. “I did talk to several people on the island, and nobody knows who would do that.”

  “Well, the other thing to consider is the fact that you’re a stunningly beautiful woman, and you live here alone.”

  “Yes,” she said, “there is that, and thank you for the compliment, but I don’t really see that it’s made any difference. I’ve been here for years alone, and the islanders know me well.”

  “Maybe this isn’t someone from the island,” he said.

  “And that’s possible.” She pondered the idea, then shook her head. “I still don
’t see why though.”

  “Maybe we’re not supposed to know the why of everything,” he said, “but there’s been a definite change in the atmosphere.”

  “I’ve felt it.” She sighed. “And I was looking for a way to change it back.”

  “That won’t happen,” he said. “Whatever’s happening in the outside world has arrived here.”

  “But is it because of you or because of me?” she asked.

  “It could be both,” he said, with a shrug. “One of the difficulties in any of our missions is finding out what truly is going on behind something like this.”

  Missions? She looked at him, her mouth open in surprise. “You’ve remembered?”

  He gave her a gentle smile. “I’ve remembered a lot of it, yes.”

  Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “So, is it good or bad?”

  “It’s both,” he said.

  “When are you leaving?” she asked, taking another deep breath.

  “I’m not sure, but it needs to be soon.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I can’t be sure that whoever blew my plane out of the air won’t come here after you.”

  “Why me?” she asked.

  “Because you’ve been looking after me,” he said. “The men I hunt in this world are ugly, and they won’t rest until they know for sure I’m gone.”

  “And if you’re not gone?”

  “They’ll do their best to make sure I am,” he said.

  “Great. So violence is on the way to my sanctuary, huh?”

  “But you already knew that,” he said.

  “I suspected as much and have been waiting for that kind of a change. But I was hoping I was wrong.”

  “You’re not wrong,” he said. “So the sooner I can get out of here, the better.”

  “Do you want to contact your team?”

  “Yes, so how will I do that from here?”

  “Not easily,” she noted, “but I might get a cell phone.”

  Looking at her, he said, “I know you don’t want that kind of intrusion here, but the sooner I can contact my team, the sooner I’ll be out of your hair.”

  Instantly she felt a cold chill rippling down her spine. “It will be very strange,” she said, her voice smooth and even, as always.