Chapter Seventeen. Janet saw Cody off at the airport

Janet saw Cody off at the airport. “Well, you can’t afford a taxi, can you? ” she joked innocently.

Cody held her close, “I love you.”

“Oh, Cody! ” Janet clutched her. “I hope everything works out.”

Cody squeezed back tight. “Me, too.” She handed Janet a tissue and waited for her to mop up, then bent to kiss her.

“I still can’t believe they bought that story about you not looking at the amount on the check.”

“Well, I guess they figured no one in accounts noticed, so why would I? ”

“You were dead lucky.” Janet slowly shook her head. “I don’t know what you were thinking. You could have gone to jail.”

“It seemed like a good idea at the time, ” Cody said.

“I’ll tell you what’s a good idea. Making your scum-sucking ex give you back the money she stole. It’s time you stopped being so damned nice. That woman would take the cane from a blind man.”

“I will. Honestly. As soon as I get back, ” Cody promised, entertained by her friend’s choice of phrase. Now that Margaret had proven herself to be a rat, the gloves were off. Janet could badmouth her as much as she liked.

“Be safe, and come home soon.” Janet gave her a long hard look, then smiled. “Bye for now.”

“Bye sweetie.” Cody planted a kiss on her cheek and walked through the departure gate without looking back.

Mopping sweat from her face, Cody slung her cabin bag over her shoulder and strolled toward the cargo hangers. Heat shimmered in waves across the tarmac. There was no sign of the Dominie. She checked her watch, surprised.

“You lookin’ for someone? ” A small weathered man in white overalls approached her.

“Yes, is Bevan Mitchell about? ” she asked politely.

“Not ’ere, ” she was told. “Lad’s gone ’ome. His mum passed on.” Catching Cody’s startled eyes, he added, “He didn’t take the Dominie. She’s still ’ere. I’m the mechanic.” He wiped a hand on his overalls and held it out. “Name’s Smith. Round ’ere they call me Smithy.”

Cody shook hands gingerly. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. er… Smithy.” She shot a quick uncertain look at the sky. “So, um...who’s flying the Moon Island shuttle? ”

“The lady ’erself. Miz Worth.”

Cody blanched. “Annabel? ” It came out more like a loud squeak than a question.

The mechanic nodded as though humoring the simple-minded. “Miz Worth’s been flying ’er the last few days. Cap’n Mitchell taught ’er. Says she’s a natural.”

“A natural, ” Cody repeated dumbly. Born to fly. And Bevan had taught her. Bastard. The thought of Annabel flying that dilapidated apology of a plane…

The old mechanic rambled on in his thick cockney English. “Nothin’ wrong with lady fliers—’Melia Earhart, Amy Johnson, Jean Batten. ’Course Cap’n Mitchell said she weren’t to fly on ’er own, but you know Miz Worth.” He seemed to laugh and cough all at once.

Cody ran a nervous hand over her hair. “Is she expected this afternoon? ”

“Guess so.” He glanced up toward the sun. “Due any time, I’d say. You can rest yer bones over there.” He indicated a small bench in the shade of the hanger.

Fanning herself, Cody gratefully occupied the seat. She could barely sit still knowing she would be seeing Annabel any minute. Her stomach rolled and fluttered with anticipation. Indelible images crowded her mind—Annabel on Kahlo, her hair streaming back from her face… Annabel lying asleep beside her, flushed with passion spent. This would be a whole new beginning. No secrets, no half-truths.

She didn’t have to wait long before she detected the familiar whine of Bevan Mitchell’s pride and joy. The little silver plane landed elegantly and taxied off the runway and over toward them. Cody watched the pilot jump out and her heart turned over. Annabel wore a thin silk shirt tucked into khaki pants and a battered bomber jacket. This she removed as the heat greeted her, but she kept on her dark glasses and thin leather flying gloves.

Cody could hear her talking to the English mechanic but couldn’t make out a word they were saying. Annabel appeared to be indicating something on one wing and Smithy was poring over the flap. She looked very assured, hands on hips, attention totally absorbed by the plane. Then, as if she sensed she was being watched, she turned around and stared toward the hanger.

“Annabel! ” Cody waved and hurried across the hot tarmac, overwhelmed. “Thank God. I mean—”

“Well, imagine seeing you here, ” Annabel drawled softly. “Coming over today? ”

Her tone was so cool and impersonal, Cody flinched. “Yes. If you’ll take me.”

“Sure. I’ve got to pick up a few supplies first. But I won’t be long.”

“I could give you a hand, ” Cody offered.

“Thanks, ” Annabel said cursorily. “But Smithy’s coming into Avarua with me. I’m sure we can manage between us.”

She sounded polite and disinterested. Small shock waves rippled through Cody. She wished she could see Annabel’s eyes but she hadn’t removed her glasses. In fact she had barely glanced at Cody.

“Let’s go, Smithy.” She signaled the mechanic as she peeled off her gloves and tossed them into the Dominie. “Sit in the plane, if you want, ” she told Cody in a flat tone. “But it’s probably cooler in the hangar.”

With that, she strolled off with the mechanic.

As they moved out of sight, Cody rounded on the hapless Dominie and delivered a swift kick to its undercarriage. “Shit, ” she muttered to herself. “Looks like you blew it, kid.”

“I didn’t know you could fly, ” Cody commented once they were safely off the ground and leveling off. Sitting next to Annabel, she was dazzled by her seemingly effortless control.

“Officially I can’t, but these are the Cook Islands. They see it as a form of driving. So long as you buy the local license and drive a cop from the police station to the roundabout and back, to prove you know the difference between the brakes and the accelerator, you’re legal. In my case Bevan vouched for me and voilà.”

“Remarkable.”

Annabel didn’t seem to notice the irony in her tone.

Cody tried again. “So how are you? ”

“I’m fine. You? ”

Cody’s throat felt tight. “I’ve had better weeks.” She stretched out a hand, resting it on the warmth of Annabel’s thigh. “You look stunning as a pilot, ” she told her truthfully.

Annabel didn’t reply and Cody became aware of a tension in the other woman’s body, a rejection of her touch. Self-consciously she withdrew her hand. “Is something wrong? ” she asked shakily.

“Let’s talk when we reach the island. I need to concentrate on getting us there in one piece.”

The next ninety minutes were spent in silence, Annabel intent on her task, Cody trying to control her rising panic. She only had limited time left on the island now, she thought with dismay, and she could not afford to extend her vacation. Maybe her letter hadn’t struck quite the right chord. Annabel was obviously still upset about her leaving the way she had. Cody could only hope they would be able to resolve their differences before she had to leave.

“Would you like to come up to Villa Luna for a coffee? ” Annabel asked as she secured the plane after a textbook landing.

She could have been talking to a stranger, Cody thought miserably. But she accepted anyway and, lugging a box of supplies, followed Annabel’s athletic figure through the banana palms. Annabel was obviously determined to keep her at a distance. What did it all mean?

“Annabel, ” she blurted the moment they entered the villa. “Is there someone else? ”

Annabel halted. “I don’t know. Is there? ”

“For me? ” Cody was confused. “Of course not! ”

“So what in hell was it that sent you rushing back to New Zealand so fast you couldn’t even say goodbye? ” She stalked into the sitting room, Cody hot on her heels.

“Didn’t you read my note? ”

“I would have. If you hadn’t used a damned fountain pen.”

Cody felt like some giant hand was squeezing her gut. “I don’t understand, ” she said unevenly.

“It got wet. I was riding along the beach and it was in my pocket and…” Annabel started to pour herself a drink then slammed the bottle down. “Oh, what’s the use? Even if I had read it, how do you think I would have felt having you disappear on me like that? ”

“It wasn’t my fault the bloody Dominie broke down and I couldn’t get back.”

“Oh, and I suppose if that hadn’t happened, you were planning to tell me all about Margaret.” She broke off, looking flushed.

“Margaret? ” Cody’s jaw dropped. “What are you talking about? ”

Annabel folded her arms. “I’m talking about your cozy reconciliation.”

“Jesus, Annabel! ” Cody flung herself onto the settee. “I haven’t laid eyes on Margaret since the day she walked out on me. Where the blazes did you get that idea? ”

Annabel crossed the room and located a sheet of paper. “Here.” She thrust it at Cody.

Cody scanned the flyer. “Where did this come from? ”

“The police. They told me ‘family’ were trying to get hold of you for a reconciliation. And when I asked, the family turned out to be one Margaret Redmond.”

Cody stared down at her own face and nearly cried with relief. A wanted poster. Her worst nightmare. And it had nothing to do with the money. She wiped a hand weakly across her forehead and willed her heart to slow down.

“I went back to New Zealand to sort out some urgent business, ” she said quietly. “But it had nothing to do with Margaret. I hope you believe me.” She reached out and took Annabel’s hand. “Oh, Annabel. I was so upset about not getting back to the island that day, and I have such a lot to tell you. I want us to spend every minute of this week together.”

Annabel stiffened. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible.” Her voice was tight and still a little distant. “You see, I’m flying back home tomorrow. I didn’t know what was going on with you and I needed to do this. I couldn’t delay any longer, so…”

“Home? ” Cody whispered. “Home, as in Boston? ”

“That’s right.” Annabel pulled free of Cody and moved across to the liquor cabinet. “Like you, I have some urgent business to attend to. But the difference is, I’m letting you know before I disappear.”

She sipped at a scotch and Cody watched her through narrowed eyes. She’d never seen Annabel drink in the afternoon, and as much as she tried to tell herself it was none of her affair, it bothered her. The “urgent business” was obviously a stressful subject and Cody sensed Annabel was in no mood to discuss it.

“When will you be back? ” she asked, trying not to sound like she was pressuring her.

“I don’t know. It depends on what happens. At this stage I haven’t booked a return.” She sounded off-hand, as though she couldn’t care less whether she came back at all.

Cody felt cold. It couldn’t be true. She knew it wasn’t. Maybe Annabel was applying for a job, she speculated. Or was there a woman in her life, after all? Cody got to her feet. “Annabel, last week you said you wanted something more than a holiday fling with me. I want that, too. That’s why I did what I did. To clear up a few problems back home so I could concentrate on us.”

She stood in front of Annabel and deliberately took the drink out of her hand. Annabel raised shuttered eyes, and Cody had the impression she had somehow walled herself round with glass. Her body exuded control, tension. Her face was a cool, detached mask.

Cody trailed a finger down her cheek and across her mouth, feeling an involuntary response there. She stretched her hand around the back of Annabel’s neck and soothed the taut muscles with gentle fingers. “Please don’t be angry with me any more, ” she begged. “I made a mistake and I’m sorry. If I had known the plane was going to break down, I would never have gone without talking to you.”

“You were planning to talk to me that day? ”

“Yes! ”

She could still feel resistance in Annabel’s body and tried not to be hurt by it. She couldn’t believe Annabel had gone cold on her over a silly poster and a misunderstanding. There had to be something else going on. Whatever it was, it had deeply disturbed her. Wanting to comfort her—and also just plain wanting her—Cody slid her arms around Annabel’s waist and pulled her close, shivering at the memory of her body.

“Cody, I—” Annabel began, but Cody claimed her mouth, kissing her into silence. She could feel the resistance draining from Annabel’s limbs, and smiled against her mouth. “Relax, ” she whispered. “We can talk later.”

She kissed her again, this time moving from her mouth to her throat, losing herself in the scented expanse of her skin, wanting to take her time. Annabel felt ripe and smooth beneath the silk of her shirt. Cody unfastened the buttons and slowly eased the garment out of the way, quickly following it with her lace bra. Stepping back a little, she absorbed Annabel’s milky tautness, the hollows above her collarbones, the womanly fullness of her breasts.

Pink stained the skin where Cody’s mouth had been, reminding her of the first time they had made love. She had discovered then that Annabel’s skin could be tinted by the slightest pressure. Her kisses caused tiny clouds of pale rose, her bites, dark crimson pools. Where her fingers traveled, color washed a blushing trail.

The memories brought with them a surge of desire and Cody felt a slow sinking in her belly. When their lips met she tasted salt and saw that Annabel was crying.

“Annabel, honey, what’s wrong? I wish you would tell me.”

Annabel shook her head and stretched her arms up around Cody’s neck to pull her closer. As Cody grazed a nipple with her teeth, she felt Annabel’s hands in her hair, guiding her steadily downward to the firm flesh of her stomach.

“You like this? ” Cody murmured between bites, and proceeded to divest her expertly of her khaki pants.

Sighing, Annabel twisted Cody’s T-shirt impatiently, then gasped as fingers slid under the silk of her French knickers to tease their way along her labia. She snatched Cody’s hand away and pulled her toward the bedroom, dragged off her T-shirt with impatient hands and threw it on the floor.

“God, I missed you, ” she said thickly, squirming as Cody’s fingers found her clitoris through the damp silk. Cody discarded the rest of her clothes, and Annabel opened her eyes to take in her nakedness; the well-defined muscles in her arms and shoulders, her dark tan, the hollows and curves that were still so new to her.

A sudden rush of feeling made her mouth tremble and her heart race. She wanted to hold Cody and never let her go. Cody eased them both back onto the bed, her fingers sliding Annabel’s knickers out of the way, her mouth making sweet demands.

They lay facing each other for a long moment, Cody’ face oddly serious as she read the wanting in Annabel’s. “We don’t have to make this so hard for ourselves, ” she murmured. “I’m crazy about you. Don’t you know that? ”

Taking one of Annabel’s hands, she caressed the palm, the fingertips, the wrist with delicate kisses then she guided it down to the wetness between Annabel’s legs. “You’re so wet, ” she whispered. “You feel exquisite.” She pulled the hand back to her mouth, slowly licked the juices off Annabel’s fingers and gathered her close. “I hate that you’re going away.”

“Me, too.” Annabel sighed.

“Then stay, ” Cody urged between kisses. “Please.”

“I can’t. This can’t wait.” She seemed very naked then, her eyes asking more from Cody than the fleeting mirage of intimacy lovemaking would confer.

Cody relaxed her weight onto Annabel, separating her thighs. Feeling Annabel’s legs lock around hers, she said, “If you ask me to wait for you, I will.”

She felt Annabel’s fingers slide through her hair to cup her face on either side. “I’m asking.”

There was an undisguised vulnerability about her Cody had not seen before. She felt a rush of protectiveness. Annabel’s sophistication could be misleading, she had discovered. Like everyone, she had her insecurities. Cody sensed that in some way she was confronting these right now. “I’ll be here, I promise, ” she said.

“And I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

As the minutes went by, a breeze stirred the palms like the rustle of a ball gown, and the late sun filtered through the crystals in Annabel’s window to cast rainbows across them. Shadows deepened, birds returned home and, as night fell, the moon turned the ocean silver.

Cody stirred in Annabel’s arms, but was too soundly asleep to hear the stifled sound of her weeping.