Chapter 14 #3
“I’ve been on the run for over a year now, and I’ve lived mostly in the dark all this time,” she said quietly.
“I crossed the country sleeping in motels during the day and driving by night. When I waitressed I always chose the evening shift. In Seattle, too, I worked the evening shift and stayed inside during the day. And anyway, it rained most days. I haven’t gone for a walk in the sunshine in over a year. ”
She’d got out of bed at dawn to draw back the curtains and now she gestured to what she could see through the large French windows.
A blindingly white beach and an achingly blue sea that met a slightly lighter sky way off on the horizon.
Buttery sunshine from the sun that hadn’t crossed the rooftops yet cast a gentle glow over everything.
A soft gentle breeze moved the curtains slightly.
It was going to be a scorcher later, but right now the morning was fresh and cool.
It felt like the first morning in the history of the world.
Ellen actually ached to be outside, to feel the sun on her skin, warm wind against her face.
She kissed his cheek, his mouth, pulled back and looked at him. “This past year, I’ve been indoors, alone and afraid. Gerald has taken everything from me. My job, my home, my life. My freedom.”
She knew he’d spent the past year indoors, too, wounded and alone. Surely he’d understand.
“I’m not stupid. I understand there’s a slight risk he could have tracked me down though I can’t see how.
” Now for the big guns. She reached out, lightly placed her hand on his chest, right over his heart.
“Harry, if I have to spend the rest of my life in hiding, in the dark, it’s not a life.
Nicole told me a little about your past, and I think you understand what it’s like to feel deep despair.
To feel like you’re condemned to the darkness forever. ”
Her eyes grew wet. She wasn’t faking it, not much. Most of it was real.
Harry closed his eyes, swallowed convulsively, placed his big hand over hers. She could feel the strong steady beat of his heart under her palm, and the strength and warmth of his hand over hers. Strong and steady, the two attributes of Harry.
He swallowed again.
“Honey…I can’t stand the thought of you being hurt. And the thought of you falling into Montez’s hands…it drives me a little crazy.”
“Yes,” she said. She could see that. “I know what I’m asking you. But I need to feel the sun on my face. Even for just half an hour.”
His jaw muscles worked as he processed this.
Ellen simply waited. She had no way to make him do something.
If he wanted to keep her indoors, she certainly couldn’t wrestle him to the ground and escape, or trick him.
And she didn’t have any more words to sway him with, because they stuck in her throat, tight with longing.
She’d told him how she felt and now it was up to him.
Harry opened his eyes and looked down at her, his golden gaze fierce and penetrating. “You will never be more than a foot away from me at any time. You stick to my side like glue. Is that understood?”
Her heart took a delighted leap. “Yes, of course.”
“I’m taking Sam and Mike with me, and we’ll be armed. Is that clear?”
Oh God, she was going to wreck their Sunday. Was it worth it? She consulted her inner compass and decided yes, yes it was worth it. She felt starved of fresh air. Inside she was already pumping her fist in victory.
“We stay out half an hour, tops.”
Half an hour wasn’t much but it was better than nothing. His gaze never wavered from hers. There was only one possible answer.
“Yes, Harry.”
He reached across to the bedside table, keeping his eyes on hers as he grabbed his cell and dialled a number on speed dial.
“Harry, yeah. Listen, Ellen wants to walk on the beach. I’m against it, but the thing is she hasn’t had a walk in the sunshine for a year and I know exactly what that feels like.
I don’t like it, but I can understand it.
Half an hour. Can you and Mike—" He expelled a breath in relief as he listened. “Yeah, thanks. See you downstairs in a quarter of an hour.” He closed the connection, turning to her with a half smile. “So what are you waiting for? Get dressed. We’re going for a walk on the beach.”
Yes!
Ellen was waiting at the door two minutes later, hopping from one foot to another with excitement, waiting for Harry to get ready.
Downstairs, to her dismay, Nicole was waiting with Sam and Mike.
Ellen turned to Sam to protest Nicole’s presence but before she could speak, Nicole smiled at her and winked.
“Ellen, hi. What a great idea to go for a walk. It’s such a beautiful day, isn’t it, Sam?
Come on, let’s go.” She gave her husband a sharp look which told Ellen that they’d argued over this.
Sam grumbled something and Nicole ignored him, taking Ellen by the arm and walking out.
The men scrambled to create a security cordon around them. Ellen and Nicole strolled down the walkway to the beach like two Hollywood divas surrounded by bodyguards.
Ellen would have felt shame but oh God, it felt so good to be outdoors! She lifted her face into the sunshine and inhaled deeply, eyes closed. So many scents, all of them good. The brine of the ocean, traces of the juniper that lined the walkway, a whiff of Nicole’s perfume.
The sun was so blinding that for a moment she felt like a bat, blinking against the bright light.
The men were walking grimly by their sides, narrowed gazes darting this way and that, on super high alert.
On a rota basis, they even checked their backs, what Harry called his ‘six’.
He was holding her elbow with his left hand and his right hand was held free at his side, fingers flexing.
Sam was so close to Nicole, her breezy dress floated against him.
Mike wasn’t holding on to anyone, both big hands down at his sides, fingers slightly curled.
She had no doubt that wherever their guns were hidden, they could access them fast.
Harry had told her a number of stories about Mike’s prowess with guns. One of the best shots in the Marines, he’d said. And the way he said it was in exactly the same tone he’d use to say that Mike walked on water.
They headed down to the sand in a phalanx.
Ellen forgot about the peculiarity of her little tribe and simply soaked in the sun and the sea, the smells, the feel of the terracotta walkway under her feet.
She felt like a cocker spaniel that had slipped the leash.
Sensations bombarded her skin, like little bomblets of delight.
The silkiness of the wind, balmy and perfumed, the warmth of the air that heated up her muscles, relaxing her, the luscious deep blue of the ocean.
Oh God, she needed this so badly. A year hiding alone in the dark had broken something inside…walking in the open air and sunshine made her feel as if her very soul were unfurling.
Once they reached the beach, Ellen stooped and slipped off her shoes.
Her toes sank into the fine, silky white sand and she shivered with delight.
She chanced a glance up at Harry. True to his word, he stayed within a hand’s span of her and she didn’t even try to move away from him.
Being this close to him was part of the joy of this little outing.
Though he was glancing out to sea, checking the four boats that were way out on the ocean, she knew he was perfectly aware of everything she was doing. One side of his mouth was curled upward, which was Harryspeak for hysterical joy. He was happy that she was happy.
“Thanks,” she said softly.
His eyes slanted down to her, then off to the right side of the beach, then the left. “My pleasure.”
And though what she’d really have liked to have done was run down to the water and dive into the dappled water, she sedately moved down to the wet packed sand, her little retinue following. Ducklings following mother duck.
“Oh man,” Nicole sighed. She’d taken her sandals off too.
They dangled from her hands as she walked into the water.
They watched their feet as a tiny gentle baby wave curled over their feet, then was sucked back into the ocean, taking sand with it.
It was like a gentle foot massage. “Did I need this. Thanks for thinking of it.”
“No problem.” Ellen leaned into Nicole and lowered her voice. “Frankly, I’m surprised Sam let you come, seeing as how he’s so, ah, protective.”
Ferocious would have been a good word, too, but Ellen didn’t want to belabour the point.
Nicole smiled down at her feet. The breeze blew her light loose linen shift against her body and the swell of her belly was evident. “Surprising what a little wheedling can get you.”
Ellen knew precisely why Nicole had insisted on coming. So that this would have the flavour of an outing. So it wouldn’t be a forced march along the beach with three armed men who couldn’t wait to get her back under wraps.
“Thanks,” Ellen said softly. “Can’t have been easy to convince him.”
“No it wasn’t.” Nicole’s foot dabbled in the clear water. “But I figured if you could convince Harry and you’ve only been together for a few days, I wouldn’t be worthy of the name woman if I couldn’t get my husband to let me go on this little walk, too.”
Nicole joining them put her at risk—okay, minimal risk, but Sam seemed like the type of man to whom even a slight risk to Nicole was too much to wrap his head around—simply to make Ellen more comfortable.
Ellen’s eyes swept the horizon—only three boats now—and the beach. Families with kids and sun worshippers as far as the eye could see. “You up for a little stroll?”
“Oh yeah.”
They moved off, shoes dangling from their fingers, at an easy pace. After a while, they stopped talking. The day was talking to them. A little siren song about enjoying life.