Authors: Lindsay McKenna
She sat at the table, her mind moving ahead to today’s business lunch with her boss. Lia was sure Dilara, a woman dynamo, who never sat still long, had created a long list for them to go over after lunch. There was so much to be done. Lia knew the five rooms at the new location were probably already set up for the classrooms. Tomorrow, three new teachers would arrive. Lia was glad that some of her responsibilities were removed because she didn’t feel as strong as before.
In fact, she felt weaker, which wasn’t like her at all. But she had felt that way after her assault, too. The doctors had called it “shock.” Of course it was, and Cav seemed sensitive to that. He certainly knew she didn’t want him close by if she had a nightmare.
She felt a bit of relief now because at least she’d warned Cav that she might wake up screaming. As he was there to protect her, she didn’t want him thinking she was screaming because someone had broken into her bedroom. Now, he would know it was only a nightmare.
The sound of dishes clinking, the smell of soapsuds, made her relax. In a way, it was nice having Cav here. He’d gone out of his way to make her breakfast and had offered to help her during times of stress. Lia knew she was tired, but the long night’s sleep made her feel far better than she had all week.
Wandering through the kitchen after pouring herself another cup of coffee, Lia felt decidedly decadent. She had never had such an enjoyable time-out, thanks to Cav and Dilara. She deeply appreciated not having to rush through her morning, as usual. She loved the fact that she could actually dawdle. She could actually make her bed and smooth out the cover and fluff the pillows. These were little things, but Lia was used to being neat as a pin. Even this morning, she’d noticed that the place looked neater than ever. Cav had definitely been at work.
She closed the door to her bedroom, treasuring the quiet time alone. Her life had been filled with children and their demands and needs. Now, Cav was giving her time that she hadn’t realized she needed. And she did.
At her desk, she opened her laptop and downloaded five days’ worth of emails. Lia would take some of her newfound time to email her worried parents and reassure them. She knew both of them would be relieved to hear from her. Even more, they’d be happy to hear she had someone to protect her.
It took forty-five minutes for her to get the bulk of her emails sent. There were several from Dilara, who had penned them regarding the names, backgrounds, and arrival times of the new teachers.
As fast as the assault had been, Robert and Dilara and the Delos team were responding with equal swiftness. For a moment, Lia felt as if her world had taken a major change in direction.
Maria and Sophia had been murdered, and their families must be grieving deeply for them. And yet, the children of La Fortuna would continue being taught from the same books, just by different teachers.
It all felt surreal to Lia as she shut off her laptop and closed the lid. She stood and went to her small closet, pulling out a long-sleeved white cotton shirt to hide the bulk of her scars on her arms. She didn’t want people staring at her.
Why wasn’t she as sensitive about Cav seeing them? Normally, Lia never left the house without wearing a long-sleeved blouse and jeans. He had to have seen her arm scars, but if he did, he wasn’t saying anything. Even more hopeful, he hadn’t stared at her arms like so many others did.
She pulled a comb through her curly brown hair, touched the silky strands, looking at herself in the dresser mirror. It was such a mannish cut. Lia decided she wanted her hair to grow longer and look more feminine.
Suddenly, Lia was facing the fact that before and since the slaughter of her friends, she had lived her life for others. Now, she was standing on the brink of living a life that would bring her happiness, too. What an incredible turn of events that would be!
D
ilara beamed at
Lia as they finished up four hours’ work in the rented office space at the resort. “Tomorrow, the teachers arrive,” she announced. “They will be driven up here in a van by Tanner and his men.”
“Where are you going to put them? We only have two houses available near the new school,” Lia asked, closing the large notebook.
“For now, we’ll use Maria’s home, which has two bedrooms. We can bunk two of them there.” Dilara reached out and touched Lia’s hand. “You stay where you are. You are happy in your place, aren’t you?”
“I love my little house,” Lia said, her voice rising with emotion. She was well aware that Cav was standing outside the room on guard. There was only one way in and out of the room, and it had no windows that posed a potential threat.
Dilara nodded and removed her hand. “And are you getting along with Cav?” she asked innocently.
“Yes, he’s very nice.”
“Robert handpicked him for you. Did you know that?”
“No, but Cav was definitely the right choice,” Lia agreed. Curious, she wondered where this was going.
“My husband has formed many alliances in the black ops community over the last twenty years,” she said. “He’s used Cav on other jobs, and felt he was a good fit for you.”
Lia loved Dilara’s honesty and warmth. She certainly knew how to dress! Today, Dilara wore a cream-colored silk pantsuit that brought out her Turkish skin tones. With her red hair bound up by two gold combs, she was beautiful and perfect.
Unlike me
, Lia thought with a touch of envy.
“Dilara, can I ask you something? Did Robert give Cav a file on me?”
“Just your personnel file. Not the other file that gives in-depth on each employee. Usually he does, but this attack threw all of us into fast-forward. Why?”
“I was just wondering.”
Lia knew that Dilara was a well-known matchmaker. She had hired Maria and Sophia four years ago when both were single, and had later hired two young men from San José to come up to the Home School Charity and live in La Fortuna. A year later, Maria and Sophia had each married one of them!
“You aren’t thinking what I’m thinking, are you?” Lia demanded, giving Dilara a wary look.
Giggling, Dilara rose and smoothed down her pantsuit trousers with her slender hands. “Robert did the picking, Lia. Not me.”
“Hmmph.” Lia stood up, preparing to head out.
“I know Cav,” Dilara said, now serious.
Lia sat down again.
“I’ve worked with him before on details,” she said. “He’s a lot less hard-nosed than a lot of operators, and Robert felt that, under the circumstances, you needed someone like him. Some of these black ops guys are like icebergs. They never communicate with their charges.”
“Cav certainly talks,” Lia admitted, smiling to herself. She scooped up the notebook.
“Even more important,” continued Dilara, “He’s trustworthy, Lia, in every way. I hope he’s making you feel safe.”
“Yes, he is. Very.”
No doubt about that
, Lia agreed.
Dilara smiled. “Do I sense you like him just a little bit? You do know he’s single?”
Squirming, Lia admitted, “Yes, I like him. And yes, I know he’s single.”
Reaching out, Dilara brushed Lia’s cheek. “You’re so beautiful, Lia. I wish you’d see that in yourself. I know what happened to you, but darling girl, you are such a catch for the right man.”
Instantly, Lia froze. “I don’t think I have the energy or heart to try again,” she whispered.
Dilara’s gaze softened and she slid her arm around Lia’s shoulders. “Now, you listen to me,” she whispered, squeezing Lia gently. “I feel strongly that you and Cav share a lot in common, and he has many more scars than you do. And frankly, human beings were not meant to live their lives alone, which you’ve been doing since that assault five years ago.”
Her eyes glimmered with tears. “You’re a beautiful young woman with such heart and soul. Both Robert and I would love to see you happily married. To the right guy, of course.”
“I wanted all of that once, Dilara,” Lia agreed, pulling away from the woman’s embrace, then giving her an apologetic look. “I’m not whole anymore. I never will be. Who wants a broken woman with scars inside and out, when there are so many more women who are whole?”
Dilara gave her a cool look as she put the papers in her eel skin brief case. “No one is perfect, Lia. They may look like they are, but they aren’t. We’re all imperfect and we carry a number of scars. Some are just more obvious than others. Cav has his share of scars believe me. You need to realize that your scars don’t make you who you are, and they never will.”
Lia had heard this speech from Dilara before. She knew her boss believed in what she was saying, but it simply didn’t affect Lia the same way.
“Maybe I just need more time.”
Closing her briefcase, Dilara smiled a little. “Cav is good for you. Let him be there for you, Lia. He might be able to show you a way to consider your scars secondary, not primary, in your life.”
“I wish,” Lia said, giving Dilara a quick hug. She could smell the spicy scent of the perfume Dilara always wore. It wasn’t strong, but Lia had always loved that faint fragrance. “Thanks,” Lia murmured, kissing her friend’s cheek. “I know you care….”
“We always will,” Dilara told her, giving her a stern look. “Robert and I consider you part of our global family. You’re like our daughter, did you know that?”
Indeed she did. “I love that you’re like a cosmic mother to all of us,” Lia said, grateful for her friend’s love and caring.
Dilara opened the door. “I’m leaving now for San José. I’ll be there the rest of the week. You have my hotel and my satellite phone number if you need anything.” She touched Lia’s shoulder. “Don’t try to do it all. Let these new teachers and the mothers from the village help you as we start up the classes at the other resort, promise?”
“I promise,” Lia said, catching sight of Cav down the hall. He was standing near the wall, his hands in front of him in a “parade rest” position. Her heart soared when his eyes met hers, and his warm smile sent waves of happiness through her. She could get used to the tender looks he gave her sometimes. It was the closest thing to feeling whole she’d had in a long time.
Lia walked with Dilara to where Cav stood.
“We’re done, Cav,” Dilara told him. “Can you ask one of the operators to bring the SUV around to the front of the hotel for me?”
Nodding, Cav spoke into his mouthpiece and then said, “Done. Come on, I’ll escort you out to the car.”
Lia luxuriated in the safety shield Cav surrounded her with, and wondered if Dilara felt it, too. By the time they arrived at the glass doors, a driver had pulled up in a black SUV. Lia saw another operator dismount from the passenger side seat and open the door of the car for Dilara.
Dilara turned, threw her arm around Cav’s broad shoulders and drew him against her, whispering something in his ear as she did so. Lia thought it unusual that she’d treat one of her contractors that way, but now she knew there was a deeper connection between them.
Lia was interested in Cav’s reaction to Dilara’s warm gesture. He didn’t seem surprised by it, but curved an arm gently around her waist and hugged her back. Whatever she whispered in his ear made Cav flush, a loose grin tugging at his mouth as he released her.
“I’ll see what I can do,” he told Dilara in a low, deep voice.
She beamed and pinched his cheek. “You do that, Cav. I’ll be watching.”
Cav was blushing furiously, and Lia thought it made him look very young and very approachable. Now, she wished she had the courage to do what Dilara had just done: throw her arms around his capable, solid shoulders.
Lia wasn’t jealous. She just wished she had the courage to show how she really felt about Cav and his personal style of protecting her.
The gold highlights in his eyes told her he was happy. Dilara had the ability to lift everyone and make them feel good about themselves, know that they were important, and reinforce that they were a part of her and Robert’s huge global family.
The sunlight was hot and in the west, the breeze erratic. Cav stood at Lia’s shoulder, allowing the team to get Dilara into the SUV. He slid his hand beneath Lia’s elbow, guiding her to one side of the entrance, out of the way of people checking in or leaving. Groups of children stood by their parents at this resort all ages.
He saw that Lia’s face was still relaxed, as she stood so close that their arms almost grazed one another. Did she know how much he wanted her in his arms, with her body against his? Every day.
At odd moments when he could relax, he’d dream of them together in bed, loving one another. He wasn’t going to let go of that dream, no matter how impossible it appeared to be. There was just something, like a seed within his soul that knew they were made for one another. All he had to do was prove it to Lia.
Lia lifted her hand, smiling, as Dilara waved good-bye to them. She loved this woman. She loved Robert, too. They cared. And Lia knew not everyone did. Right now, she could feel Cav caring for her, and she melted into his nearness. As Dilara’s SUV drove around the circle and out toward the main road, she turned to Cav.
“What did Dilara whisper to you?”
He eyed her. “It’s top secret. Can’t tell.”
“You were blushing.”
Cav grinned down at her. “I guess I was. Dilara has a way of getting to everyone. But you know that already, don’t you?” He cupped her elbow. “Come on, we’ll go through the parking lot, get the SUV and I’ll take you home.”
Lia didn’t want to be influenced by his gritty words, but she was.
Home. With Cav.
Already she was comfortable with his presence, wanting him nearby, but not just as a guard dog. Rather, she needed the emotional support he effortlessly gave her.
As he drove them out of the massive asphalt parking lot, she saw Arenal, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, not far away. The Spanish name meant ‘sandy areas,’ and during the day she would often hear what sounded like a low-level jet roaring over the area. In truth, it was a glop of lava being thrown out of the throat of the active volcano. Luckily, the volcano’s footprint and direction was southwest and all the resorts were northeast of the volcano and out of harm’s way.