Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

***ARCHIE***

A rchie was still a bit stunned from his encounter with the woman on the dock as he made his way up the beach toward the village. It had been so long since he'd felt anything even close to desire, he'd almost forgotten what it was like. Looking into her blue eyes had woken something inside him that he'd been sure was dead, and he wasn't all that pleased by the discovery. Experience had taught him that it only led to problems. Being single was much simpler, and until a few minutes ago, he'd been sure that his body and mind agreed.

He was almost to the village when he realized that Max was nowhere to be seen, "Dr. Robinson, I'm Roger," a young man called, making his way toward him. "There was a little mix-up in the schedule, and Max couldn't be here to meet you, so he sent me instead. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," he said, smiling. "I'm just happy to be here."

"Great, then if you'll follow me, I'll take you to the village," Roger said. "Would you like me to take your bag?"

"I've got it," he said. "Lead the way."

Once in the village, he stood staring for a couple of seconds, then looked over at Roger, "This is amazing, and the food smells wonderful," he said, his stomach beginning to growl. "Maybe I'll get something to eat while I'm waiting."

"And it tastes even better; I'm getting spoiled working here," Roger said, smiling. "If you want my advice, start with the grill."

"Do you want to join me?" he asked. "It's almost lunchtime."

"I wish I could, but I still have a few things I need to do before I take a break," Roger said, clearly a bit surprised by the offer. "But thanks for the invitation." Max should be back in a little while. I'll take your bag and put it in your cabin. I'm sure you two will want to catch up."

"You don't have to go to all that trouble," he said. "I don't mind keeping it with me."

"It's no trouble," Roger said. "Besides, Max will have my head if I don't."

"Well, I wouldn't want to get you into trouble," he said, handing over the bag. "Thanks, Roger."

When the young man was gone, he took his time exploring the little village, then remembered Roger's advice and got lunch from the grill. Sitting down at one of the tables with his food, he looked around and let out a sigh of pleasure, pleased with the prospect of spending two weeks being spoiled. His plate was empty and he was sipping an iced coffee when Max came rushing back into the village, his eyes scanning the tables, a worrying look on his face.

It disappeared when Max saw him. "There you are. I'm sorry I wasn't here to greet you," his friend said, joining him. I try to be down at the dock when new guests arrive, but we had two boats come in at once."

"Roger got me all settled, and I just had one of the best meals I've ever had," he said, smiling. "You look good, my friend; island life must agree with you. "

"Running a resort on an island, especially this one, isn't easy, but I like the challenge. We've had a few bumps in the road recently, but I'm sure the problems are over now," Max said, shaking his head. "But we're not here to talk about my problems. This is your vacation; you should be resting and relaxing."

"And that's exactly what I intend to do, I want to thank you again for inviting me. I never could have afforded it on my own. Susan is bleeding me dry," he said, then groaned. "I promised myself I wouldn't think about her while I was here, but there I go again, letting her into my head."

"How long has it been now?" Max asked. "About a year, right?"

He nodded, "A year of hell. I thought being married to her was bad, but being divorced is worse," he said. "My alimony is so sky high I had to keep working for her father; once I pay for the expensive clothes and car, he insists I have to keep up appearances and write Susan a check every month; I barely have enough to support myself. I'm renting a crappy one-bedroom apartment in a bad neighborhood while she's living in luxury in our old house. I'm done with women. They're all just a bunch of leaches."

Max was speechless for a second, "I'm sorry, man, I didn't know it was that bad," he said. "Isn't there anything you can do? I mean, that doesn't sound fair. I can't believe the judge signed off on all that. You were only married for a couple of years."

"Susan's dad plays golf with the judge, and he refused to recuse himself from the case," he said. "I'd appeal, but I don't have money for an attorney, so I'm more or less stuck until Susan gets married again or I die. Even if I wanted another woman, I can't afford it. I couldn't even take her out to dinner. That's how bad it is."

"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" Max asked, his face full of concern. "I would have been there to help. I know a few really good divorce lawyers; it would have just taken a phone call."

He was silent for a second, "I thought about calling you, but I was too embarrassed," he finally admitted. "You all warned me about Susan, and I wouldn't listen. It didn't seem right to call you to help clean up the mess I made."

"That's what friends are for, Archie," Max said, shaking his head. "What good is all my money and influence if I can't use it to help a friend? I want you to get me a copy of your divorce decree. I want to see what's in there, and then I'll send it off to a friend of mine. There's nothing he loves more than busting corrupt judges and lawyers, and this sounds just like the kind of thing he'd get his teeth into."

***Felicity***

The sound of Felicity's feet pounding on the wet sand and her breath whooshing in and out of her lungs was all that she was aware of as she ran down the beach. The hypnotic rhythm soon lulled her into a runner's trance, and she welcomed the break from her thoughts. Running had been her salvation over the last few months; not just because of the calm that it brought her. She relished the burn of her muscles as she pushed them, and was acutely aware that there had been a time when the doctors weren't even sure that she would walk, let alone run again.

Feeling herself reaching her limit for the day, she turned around and headed back down the beach, already slowing her pace, planning to enjoy the view of the ocean as she cooled down. The sun was already starting to climb into the sky, but the temperature hadn't started to rise yet, and the beach was still deserted, so early in the morning, giving her the space she needed to truly enjoy herself without worrying about people's reaction to her scar.

Still, about half a mile from the path that would lead her back to the cabin, she stopped running and began to walk, taking deep breaths to slow her breathing and heart rate. The sound of the waves washing up on shore and the gentle breeze that brought the smell of the jungle and the sea to her simultaneously filled her with a sense of well-being. Sure, that for the first time in years that she was beginning to heal both on the outside and the inside, she walked down the beach looking forward to spending the day having fun with Brittany.

The feeling didn't last long, though, when she heard feet pounding down the beach behind her; it disappeared in a flash of panic that took her by surprise as the steps got closer. Unbidden, the memory of the night Joe had chased her down the street came to life in her mind, and for a second, her body thought she was back there. Her heart began to race, her breath came in short gasps, and the urge to run washed over her, but when she tried to make her feet go faster, they wouldn't cooperate.

The footsteps were almost upon her, but her feet were tangled together and she tumbled onto the hard-packed sand, landing on her hands and knees. Before she could get to her feet, a pair of tennis shoes appeared on the sand next to her, and without thinking, she curled into a ball and covered her head with her arms, bracing herself for the blows to come. It was a few seconds before she realized where she was and a couple more before she calmed down enough to realize that there wasn't a threat.

"Are you okay?" a familiar voice asked, penetrating the fear still coursing through her. "Do you need some help?"

Forcing herself to relax, she pulled her arms away from her head, already feeling a blush rising on her cheeks when she looked into those same warm brown eyes from the dock. "I'm okay, you just startled me. I thought I was out here all alone," she said, sitting up. "I guess I tripped or something."

The man studied her for a second, his face full of concern, "I'm sorry I scared you; I wasn't paying attention. I get that way when I run sometimes," he said, holding out his hand. "Let me help you up."

Reminding herself that this man wasn't a threat, she put her hand in his, then nearly pulled it back when a bolt of electricity traveled up her arm and filled her entire body with warmth. Shaken by the feeling, she stumbled a bit as she got to her feet, and the man reached out to steady her, this time sending thrills shooting through her.

"Are you sure that you're, okay?" he asked, his hand still on her back, making it very hard to think. "You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"

She shook her head and forced herself to step away from him, relieved when the desire slowly began to fade away. "I'm okay," she said, letting out a sigh of relief. "It's probably just time for breakfast."

"There's nothing better after a long morning run," the man said, then held out his hand again and smiled at her. "If we're going to keep running into each other this way, I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Archie Robinson."

She hesitated just a second, remembering what happened the last time she touched him, but finally took his hand. "I'm Felicity Russell," she said, feeling only a tingle this time. It's nice to meet you. Maybe next time we see each other, I won't be making a fool of myself."

Archie laughed, "We all do that from time to time," he said, smiling at her. "I promise not to hold it against you."

"Thanks, I appreciate that," she said, then looked up at the sun. "It's getting late. I probably should get back to my cabin, my sister will be getting worried about me. "

"I'm heading that way, too," Archie said. "Would you mind if I walked with you?"

"I guess not," she said, suddenly off balance again, wondering why he was paying so much attention to her. "But you don't have to. I'm sure I can make it back without falling down again."

Archie laughed, "Maybe I'm worried that I'll fall down," he said, then grinned at her. "Then you could save me for a change."

With a start, she realized that he was flirting with her, "I guess I do owe you," she managed to say, hoping her voice wasn't shaking, then decided it was time to change the subject. "Do you run every morning?"