Nowhere to Hide (Delos Series Book 1) Page 14

  In the past week, thanks to Cav’s influence, she had shed her white cotton long-sleeved shirt. Every day, she chose a colorful capped tee, trying to get used to allowing people to see her scars. To her surprise, most would look once but not stare or gawk. And once they saw them, they ignored them. That was amazing to Lia.

  What had changed? Maybe it was her attitude change, due to Cav’s influence. She admitted that having him with her was a boon, and he wasn’t smothering her or irritating her with his nearness. Everyone was treating her as if she was whole and had no scars.

  Cav was making her stronger by the day, whether he knew it or not. She glanced up at his rugged profile, smiling warmly. The man was always on guard, never resting and focusing on her every need. How could she dislike anything about him? In fact, Lia wanted to know him much more personally now that she’d had a taste of what he could bring to her life.

  “I can’t believe how far along the workers are on the school,” she confided to Cav.

  He glanced over at her. “I think the men from the village are making up the difference,” he ventured.

  Nodding, she watched the twenty plus men hard at work. “I’m amazed that the rebuilding is coming along so well. Paca, Juanita and Tomasa are doing a wonderful job of teaching, too. It really makes my day a lot easier.”

  “Things are moving nicely, thanks to you,” Cav quickly pointed out. “You’re the go-to-person when anyone needs guidance or direction.”

  “They’re catching on fast, though,” Lia said.

  “They sure are.” Cav looked across the dry, dusty plain and then down at Lia. He wanted to praise her courage for no longer wearing that long-sleeved blouse. She seemed less tense and he sensed it was because of him, and how he was treating her daily.

  Lia worked harder than anyone at the resort to maintain that seamless comfort level for the children, and she did it so well. All three teachers appreciated her and the children adored her like a second mother who lovingly spoiled them.

  He found himself smiling a little. “Tomorrow is Saturday,” he said, holding her upturned gaze. “I’d like to take you on a picnic of sorts.”

  She tilted her head, drowning in his green and gold gaze. “A picnic?”

  “Yeah, for the two of us. I found out from Dilara when I turned in my weekly report that you like to go caving. Is that true?”

  “Yes, my dad is a spelunker. He began teaching me the ropes, literally, when I was ten years old. I loved going with him. Caves are magical.”

  Hearing the excitement in her voice, Cav said, “Tomorrow morning after breakfast, I’d like to drive us over to the Venado Caves. As a SEAL, I was taught ropes, climbing and caving. I’m probably not as good as you, but I thought we might bring a lunch along and spend the day exploring. What do you think?”

  Never had Cav wanted Lia to say “yes” more than right now. He’d been wracking his brain to find a way to relieve her of her brutal daily schedule. And now that everything was working well, he knew she could afford a day off—with him.

  Lia’s heart bounded. “Oh, Cav, I’d LOVE to do that with you! In fact, before the school was burned down and Maria and Sophia were killed, we were planning an all day visit with the kids at the caves. I’ve been in them many times, and I’d chosen a beautiful spot that was easy for them to access.”

  Her cheeks became pinker, that mouth of hers so soft and tantalizing that his whole lower body ached. This was the first time he’d seen such radiance in her gray eyes, as if someone had offered her the world. Being able to share that kind of joy with her raced through him, and hope for more intimacy warmed his heart.

  Lia was always so serious, a hard, responsible worker. Oh, she would smile and even laugh and tease the children, but then, she’d return to wearing her serious mask.

  A grin tugged at his mouth. “Okay, you’re on. You have climbing gear?”

  “Oh,” she bubbled, “I do!”

  “I’d asked one of Tanner’s operators when he was down in San José to pick up some equipment. He’s bringing it back later today. We should have enough carabiners, ropes and other stuff to do some serious spelunking tomorrow.”

  “Indeed we do! I’ve got all my nylon ropes coiled and under my bed in a box,” she laughed. “Gosh, I haven’t gone caving in…well…a long time.”

  He wanted to reach out and slide his fingers through her hair, but resisted. “Okay, you’re on. I’ll make us some peanut butter sandwiches.”

  “Yes, that’s good fuel,” she agreed happily.

  “I bought some protein bars, too. They’re always good in a pinch.”

  “Excellent,” Lia said, rubbing her hands together. “Have you ever been in this cave system, Cav?”

  “No.”

  “It’s a glorious place for beginners up to professionals, just depending on which cave area you want to explore.”

  “Well,” he murmured, “how about some training wheels caves? I haven’t done it in a long time and I’m pretty rusty. I’m sure you can show me the ropes.”

  He was enjoying this so much, especially seeing Lia’s face light up like a child’s at Christmas. Her mantle of serious responsibility had suddenly disappeared, and she was showing him a part of himself he’d never seen before.

  Confidence radiated from her, and a spirit of competition was emerging, one he loved to see.

  “You’re on!”

  Lia could barely sit still at dinner that night. Cav had fried up some steaks he’d bought at the grocery store earlier. He tended to like diced up potatoes fried with onions and green peppers, and so did Lia. She enjoyed it all.

  When he made dinner at night, he always put a funny face on her salad bowl, telling her she had to eat all of it. Lia figured she’d gained five pounds in the last week, now that Cav insisted on cooking for them every night. He told her she was too tired do make dinner after her long days at the resort.

  While he cooked, she had pulled out her box of spelunking gear and dragged it into the living room. He’d zip back and forth from the kitchen, look through her gear, make comments, ask questions and then trade caving stories and experiences.

  It was after dinner when a knock came at the door. Instantly, Cav went into operator mode. He gestured for her to move away from the door and behind him. Looking through the peephole in the door, he said, “Relax. It’s Steve. He’s brought us our climbing gear.”

  A six-foot-tall man with red hair and green eyes, hauled in a huge cardboard box. Then, he went out to the Jeep and retrieved a second box. Both were put in the living room. After he left, Lia was itching to see what was in the boxes, and Cav sat down next to her. He pulled one box over. “I wasn’t sure you’d have gear, so I bought you some…go ahead. Open it.”

  Touched by his thoughtfulness, she opened it up and gasped. “Oh, my God!” and her hands flew to her mouth, he eyes widening.

  Cav opened up the other box that held his gear. “What? Is it all right?”

  She stared over at him. “This must have cost a fortune, Cav!”

  “You’re worth it.” He gestured toward the box. “Just take a look at the contents, okay? I know Venado is a wet, living cave system, so I guessed at some of the sizes of your footgear.”

  Stunned, she said, “This cost so much money…”

  “Don’t worry about it, okay? It looks like your gear is pretty complete, but if you find something in there that you could use and don’t have, just pull it out and put it with your box of stuff. I’ll have Steve take the rest back for a refund.”

  Lia was impressed with the equipment. “So, you’ve been studying up on Venado?”

  He grinned a little. “Yeah. When Dilara told me you caved, that got me excited. I like caving, too.”

  “Is that what she whispered to you that day before she left the hotel?”

  Cav had the good grace to blush a little. “Yeah, she said you knew caving. She knew I liked caving, so we put it together.”

  “She’s such a matchmaker!” Lia said, laug
hing. “Who knew?”

  He laughed with her and it felt damn good to be sharing something that brought her utter happiness. Since finding out they were going to go caving, her eyes were radiant with joy. Lia was like sunlight to his dark heart. “Yeah, I’ve watched her pull a few fast ones on friends of mine in the security area.”

  “What happened to them?” Lia asked, curious.

  “They’re all married now.”

  Chuckling, Lia said, “That’s Dilara. She has an amazing gift for pairing people up. They might not see it, but she does,” and she picked up a shiny new red helmet, lusting after it. Hers was a blue one, scraped, scratched and bearing many marks of rocks that she’d had to wriggle beneath to make it through narrow openings.

  “She’s dangerous,” Cav muttered, scowling.

  Hooting, Lia put the helmet aside, running her fingers over the ropes. They were strong and new, unlike hers. But hers were still sturdy and durable. “Well, you don’t have to worry. Robert said he’d chosen you. So, we’re safe.”

  Giving her a sly look, Cav muttered, “Be careful. I’ve seen plenty of married people and it’s a foregone conclusion the woman runs the roost. Robert might have chosen me for this detail, but what makes you think Dilara didn’t put that idea into his ear, hmmm?” and he gloated as he grinned, watching her eyes widen beautifully, her lips parting.

  “Oh,” she said, “I hadn’t thought of that…” Dilara had told her Robert had specially chosen Cav for her. “She did say that he chose you because you were…well, less hard, I guess. Whatever that means,” and she held his amused gaze.

  “Hard?”

  “Well, you know? Not so withdrawn, maybe? Dilara said you were a natterer.”

  He tipped his head back and laughed heartily. Suddenly, he felt a deep rush of happiness, then teased, “I’m sure Dilara did not use that word. What did she really say?”

  “Caught red-handed,” Lia admitted, holding up her hands, smiling. “She said you were pretty decent at communication.”

  Grunting, Cav pulled the ropes aside, studying the flashlight, picking it up in his hands. “Some guys are pretty stoic,” he agreed.

  “Don’t they ever talk to the person they’re protecting?”

  “Only when necessary. They feel that being chatty is a distraction. And it can be at times.”

  “You never make me feel like that.”

  “I don’t want to,” Cav said, holding her curious gaze. “I run my detail differently than most. Educating my client is top of my list. If I can get him or her to fully trust me, that’s as good as it gets—especially if it’s a woman. She just naturally wants to know more than a male does.”

  “Then why not put women on details with women?”

  He liked the way she thought. “There are very few women operators out there. I’m sure, over time, there will be. I’ve met a few of them and they’re good at what they do.”

  “Do you like being put on a detail with a woman?” she wondered.

  “Makes no difference to me, Lia. I tend to get along with both sexes without any problems. Some of my operator friends won’t take on a female detail, though.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because women like to communicate and they don’t.”

  “It goes back to being distracted?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Then you must be special, Cav because you can focus and not be distracted and still talk to me.”

  “Dilara has accused me of being whole-brained,” he deadpanned, fighting a smile as he pulled up his rubber caving shoes.

  “Oh, she has a theory, Lia said, smiling, “that men are left-brain hemisphere dominant and women are right-brain dominant.”

  “Right, and her theory is that there’s a small percentage of humans of both sexes that are whole-brained, using both hemispheres instead of preferring one.”

  “Then she gave you a real compliment!”

  “Well,” he said lightly, “the proof is in the pudding, isn’t it? It’s how you feel about it, about our relationship, that counts.”

  Lia sighed and rubbed her hands on her jeans. “I thought,” she admitted hesitantly, giving him a guilty look, “that it would be awful to have you underfoot. Especially here in my little house.”

  “And?”

  “And, I actually like it. I’m happy that you’re here. I know this is a job for you, but for me…” she held his narrowing gaze, “…it makes me feel safe for the first time in a long time.”

  It took every ounce of his control for Cav to sit there looking relaxed, as if he were unaffected by her soft words. The look in her eyes, the gratitude, the relief, brought a lump to his throat. He tore his gaze from hers, afraid to say too much. “Well,” he said gruffly, “get used to it.”

  “You know,” Lia confided, “As a kid, I learned to be really self-reliant.” She swallowed hard. “And I was until…well…things happened. And since then, I’ve never been the same. I lack the confidence I used to have, and I really miss it. I want it back, but I don’t know how to retrieve it.”

  “Well,” Cav said, his voice rough with emotion, “maybe getting back into caving will help you find what you want.”

  “I guess I never lost my confidence there,” she laughed wryly. “I feel strong and good about that, no problem. Besides, it’s a passion of mine, Cav.”

  “Like riding your horse, Goldy?” he wondered.

  She gave him a sweet smile. “Especially riding Goldy full speed down the edge of my Dad’s beet fields, yes. I truly, truly miss that.”

  Maybe the idea of caving was the smartest thing he’d ever done. Thanks to Dilara, who had suggested it. He wondered what she had seen in the future for himself and Lia?

  Something told him that Dilara had urged the General to pair him up with Lia. And he was damned pleased she had. The woman was such a wily matchmaker!

  CHAPTER 12

  Lia tried to contain her delight as Cav drove the black SUV toward El Tanque. She knew the way well, and as the asphalt two-lane road threaded through the jungle, she told him to turn north to Monterrey. From there, it would be a short hop to the town of Jicarito. That morning, Cav had made them a full breakfast of bacon and pancakes, and she’d stuffed herself, knowing that she’d need food for energy this morning.

  Always thinking ahead, he’d also made an extra pot of coffee and poured it into a large thermos so they could drink some on the way to the Venado Cave complex. Above them, the sky was cottony with clouds drifting across the Monte Verde forest. Slivers of pale blue sky were above them, and it was a typical beautiful morning in the dry season.

  There were few cars on the road at 7 A.M., which was exactly what they wanted. Lia was eager to be first to arrive at the caves.

  “You think there’ll be many early birds at the caves?” Cav asked.

  “No. Generally, the tourists are brought up around 10 A.M. in buses from the resorts near La Fortuna.” She smiled in anticipation. “We should have three hours of caving without a lot of chatter from tourists.”

  “Suits me,” Cav agreed. He looked in his rearview mirror out of habit and saw a white Toyota pick-up following them at a distance. It had been with them since they’d left the village. Of course, there were a lot of white pickups all around La Fortuna and most of the workers at the resorts drove them. He didn’t think it was unusual, but he’d still keep an eye on it.

  He looked over at Lia. She had surprised him this morning. Normally she wore pants to cover her legs and the scars on her calves. Today, when she’d emerged from her shower, she had on black, body-hugging caving pants that revealed her lower legs to just below her knees. The scars were clearly visible, but he made no mention of them.

  Silently applauding Lia’s courage to stop hiding, he found himself wanting to pick her up, twirl her around, and celebrate her courage.

  Deep in thought, he came back to the present and made a turn at the sign that said “Jicarito.”

  “It takes about forty-five minutes to make t
his trip one way,” Lia said.

  “Have you come up here often?” Cav wanted to know.

  “About every five or six weeks,” she admitted. “The silence, the beauty and the awe I feel in caves keeps calling me back to them.”

  “Is it kind of like a place of healing?” he surprised her by asking.

  “Yes, for me, it is,” Lia admitted. “I always feel better after caving for a few hours. Renewed, even.” Her heart expanded she felt his eyes on her—it was the look of a man wanting his woman. They’d never spoken about it, but it was clear to both of them that the feeling was mutual.

  She could taste the yearning within herself to kiss this man—really kiss him. And this morning, when she’d boldly swapped out her jeans for her nylon caving trousers that clearly showed the long scars on her calves, he’d never flinched. Nor had he stared at her legs. Instead, Cav treated her as he always did—as if she were a normal, whole woman, not a damaged one.

  And again, she’d breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad her idealistic nature, long buried, was still alive and well. Now, Lia sat in the car, completely happy to be in Cav’s company and on her way to one of her favorite places.

  “Your trousers,” he said, “look like a combo of good, heavy canvas and spandex.”

  She touched her black pants. “Well, the cave is wet, and I’d rather risk some scrapes on my lower legs than have them encased in material. I usually cave with these pants, my rubber boots and my black tee.”

  “They look good on you, Lia. Nice fit.”

  Lia said nothing, but secretly she was thrilled. “Thanks,” she said, trying to sound casual.

  Cav wore a set of coveralls, and Lia knew that experienced cavers often wore them with waterproof nylon clothing. The coveralls were made of heavy tough cotton that could stand up to the abrasions from crawling through caves. Cav also wore a bright red t-shirt beneath the coveralls. He looked absolutely perfect.

  Slowing as they entered the sleepy town of Jicarito, Lia pointed to a dirt road on the left. “We’ll go about three kilometers down this dirt road,” she told him. “And the place is located on a farmer’s land. It’s not protected by the national park. The farmer will charge us for our caving, but he’s a very nice man.”