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  For Keeps

  Jeannette Winters

  An original work of Jeannette Winters, 2019.

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, places, events, business establishments or locales is entirely coincidental.

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  Jeannette Winters

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  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my friend, author Liz Scott. Nothing like a friend to crack the whip and keep you on task... Thanks for all you do!!!! Now onto the next book.

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  And also thank you to my editor Taryn Lawson, and to Jade Webb at https://meetcutecreative.com/ for another amazing cover!

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  And to my readers. You continue to challenge me and I love it. Please keep those emails coming!

  For Keeps

  Lisa had spent years haunted by nightmares that she couldn’t remember. As long as she remained secluded on the island, she felt safe, and that’s all that matter to her.

  * * *

  Jett was between assignments. He needed one thing right now and that was time alone. His uncle calls in a favor and Jett’s vacation comes to a halt.

  * * *

  When their paths cross, there’s more than chemistry in the air. He finds her mysterious, and his specialty is uncovering secrets. But nothing seems as it appears and soon he finds himself caught in the middle of the lie.

  * * *

  He’s never backed down from a challenge before. Pushing for the truth might be the right thing to do, but will the price be her life? There are some things that should remain buried. Is his love for her one of them or will it be what saves them both?

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Also by Jeannette Winters

  By Jeannette Winters & Lena Lane

  Chapter One

  No! No! No! She couldn’t catch her breath. Please…please… She twisted and moaned. Panting, she screamed again. No!

  Lisa’s eyes flew open. Once again, she’d woken with her T-shirt drenched in sweat. She struggled to remember what she’d been dreaming, but like always, it was nothing but a void. What is happening?

  She tossed off the sheet. A cool shower was exactly what she needed right now. Hot showers weren’t something that happened here, since you used rainwater captured in a barrel. The black tarp covering it helped keep it warmer than the alternative: the brook farther down the hill. The nights weren’t much cooler, either. Sometimes it felt like living in a sauna—one she couldn’t leave. But at other times, she was in love with being here. Things were pretty and lush in the tropics. Everywhere she turned there seemed to be a flower or creature she’d never seen before. But below all the beauty, danger was just waiting for the right time to make its move.

  She pulled off her T-shirt and stepped into the shower. After the initial shock, her body quickly adjusted and began to cool down. Lisa could’ve stood there forever, but what it didn’t wash away, was the emptiness within her.

  Turning off the water, Lisa stepped out and began to towel dry while avoiding looking at herself in the mirror. Any time she caught a glimpse, her head would start pounding, her heart raced, and dizziness followed. Whatever it was she couldn’t remember, it wanted to stay hidden.

  She quickly dressed in a pair of shorts and a clean T-shirt, then grabbed her hiking boots, tipped them upside down, and knocked them together forcefully. If anything had decided to make its way inside while she slept, it was time for them to vacate.

  Lisa was anxious to begin her day and she knew Phil Turner would have a pot of coffee on by now. He was an earlier riser. Sure enough, when she left her makeshift cabin, the aroma of coffee was all she cared about. Picking up a cup, she filled it to the rim and took a sip. It was strong, the only way Phil knew how to make it. It was an acquired taste, and one Lisa couldn’t get used too. She had tried several times to teach him about measuring before brewing. Each time he informed her he didn’t have time for such things, that it wasn’t about taste, it was about caffeine.

  For once couldn’t it be about both?

  Phil usually was off early on his studies, but this morning was different. He was standing in the clearing, staring off in the distance. She knew something wasn’t right. Putting her cup down, she strode through the tall grass and stood beside him. There was no doubt he was in deep thought, as he didn’t acknowledge her arrival. She hoped he wasn’t ill.

  Even though their living quarters were in somewhat close confines, she still couldn’t call him by his first name. “Dr. Turner, is everything okay?”

  He pulled out his cell phone, scrolled, then handed it to her. She felt funny reading an email to him, but obviously he couldn’t bring himself to tell her what it said. The first few words indicated it wasn’t good news. We regret to inform you… Shaking her head, she quickly scanned the rest of the email. There were so many technical terms that meant nothing to her, but she still got the gist of what it meant. Sadly, Phil’s funding had been pulled.

  As Lisa handed back the phone, Phil said, “I cannot believe they have done this. I’m so close. I must return to the university to contest this. All these years…and I’m so close.”

  She could hear the dismay and frustration in his voice. He was sixty-seven and from what she’d just read, the university decided someone of his age would be best suited to the classroom, as opposed to working in the field. Although Dr. Turner had some arthritis, he was far from feeble.

  Lisa wasn’t as much help as Phil probably needed. At times she was positive she was more of a hindrance than anything else. Bugs weren’t her thing, and the more legs one had, the more it freaked her out. But Phil was an entomologist, and his life was dedicated to studying the effects the changes in the rainforest were having on the behaviors and life cycles of the insect population. No matter how she tried, Lisa would rather grab a swatter and squish every creepy crawly, slithering thing she crossed. But that wouldn’t be any way to say thank you. Phil was kind and took her under his wing, putting a roof over her head, food in her stomach, and offering a safe place to call home when she had none. She appreciated everything he’d done for her, but being his assistant wasn’t in her long-term plans. Of course, she couldn’t voice her true desires, not even to herself.

  This wasn’t about her. If it were, they’d be having an entirely different conversation, and she didn’t even know where to start that one. Although Lisa love
d this place, it was all she had. No phone, not that she had anyone to call, and no computer, except for Phil’s, which he used for documentation. There was a world out there that she was dying to see. Who knows, maybe I’ve already seen it and can’t remember that either. Thoughts like that were what kept her feet planted. That and no way out.

  “I’m sure there is some…misunderstanding. Maybe if you wrote them back and explained”

  “No. I must go to them. Tomorrow I leave for the States.”

  “You’re leaving? You can’t go,” Lisa said as panic filled her. She knew no one here, except for the doctor. If he left, what would happen to her?

  He must’ve sensed her unease and said, “You should come with me.”

  “Dr. Turner, you know I can’t. There’ll be things required which I can’t produce.” To travel to the States, she’d need a passport and visa. She had nothing she’d need to even begin the process of obtaining those. The only thing she had was a name: Melissa. Was it hers? She didn’t know, so she shortened it and called herself Lisa. No date of birth, hell, not even a real name. I’m not going anywhere. This island is my home, whether I like it or not.

  She’d been on this island with Phil for four years. Before that, there was…nothing. Her first memory was waking up screaming in pain, wrapped in bandages, with Phil there, nursing her back to health. He did so for months, until she was able to take care of herself. When she was strong enough, Lisa asked him what had happened, and either he really didn’t know, or he wouldn’t tell her. From the number of scars scattered across her body, she wasn’t sure she wanted him to tell her anyway.

  “Lisa, I can’t stay. One way or another, I have to go and…fix this,” Phil said in a gentle tone, as though he knew the fear wheeling up within her.

  Did she consider Phil a friend? More like a security blanket. He was always there and if she needed anything, he did his best to make sure she got it. Thankfully, her needs were small. If she begged him, Lisa knew he’d stay. But what a selfish thing to do to the man who had saved her life. A life that must’ve been horrendous. Mustering all the inner strength she had, Lisa said, “I know. You need to fight this. This is where you belong, not behind some desk. I just wish…wish I could help in some way.”

  “Your understanding is help. I’m not sure what I would’ve done if you hadn’t been so…”

  Lisa reached out and touched his arm. “Would you expect anything less from your assistant?” she teased

  Phil shook his head. “I really wish you could come with me. There are people at the university who are doing studies on memory loss. Maybe they could help you remember.”

  “Not yet. I’m not ready.” Right now, she was only haunted by dreams, and even those were too foggy to reveal anything. Lisa knew this life she was living with Phil really wasn’t hers, but it beat the heck out of what some of the options were. “You go and I’ll be here when you return.” I just hope you do.

  Somehow, she knew this day would eventually come. Phil didn’t live here. No matter how much she hated the thought of being here alone, she figured it would’ve happened long ago.

  “I will send someone to come and stay with you. It’ll take a few days. Do you think you can manage on your own until then?” Phil asked.

  “I’m not a child. There is no reason to send someone to babysit me. Trust me, I’ll be okay,” Lisa said, not sure who she was trying to convince.

  Phil looked at her long and hard, then said, “You’re a very strong woman Lisa. If not, you wouldn’t be here now. But I’d feel better knowing you’re not alone. And besides, someone needs to continue with my research while I’m gone. I can’t picture you emptying the traps and actually touching the specimens.”

  Lisa laughed. “You know I only do the paperwork. I’m not hands-on.”

  “Exactly. Now let’s get this day started and you can document everything while I’m gone.”

  As they went farther from camp, she had one wish. I should’ve drank that awful coffee when I had the chance.

  * * *

  “Uncle Phil, there’s no way I can drop everything and go babysit your bugs,” Jett Turner said.

  “You said you needed a vacation. This might be exactly what you need. Besides, I’m not asking you to do my job for me, just keep an eye on things there while I’m…recovering,” Phil pleaded.

  “Uncle Phil, I thought you wanted to come and stay with me to recoup. Sending me half way around the world to some island that I’ve never even heard of wasn’t part of the original conversation.” The Turner family was close and always had each other’s back. Did that include this? Jett didn’t think so, however, his father disagreed.

  “Your father said—”

  “I know what he said. But damn, I was thinking my vacation would be on a sailboat somewhere.”

  Phil grinned. “This is just as peaceful. You don’t have to do anything but stay there and…relax.”

  Jett had a feeling there was more to it than either Phil or his father was letting on. If he hadn’t opened his big mouth and informed everyone he was taking a month off, they probably never would’ve asked him. Yes, Phil slipped on the ice and sprained his knee but it wasn’t like he’d broken his leg. And something like that never would’ve kept his uncle down a few years ago. Maybe that’s it. He’s getting too old to do this shit.

  Jett had been tempted to have a chat with the university and let them know that at sixty-seven, Phil shouldn’t be alone in the tropics. Anyone could see it was a bad idea. If anything happened to Phil out there, who’d call for help? The one thing he and Phil had in common was enjoying seclusion. How they did it was a major difference. Phil liked the outdoors, and Jett enjoyed developing computer software for security systems. There were a few things he had put on the back burner, and this vacation was going to give him plenty of alone time to work out the issues.

  “Do you even have electricity there?” Jett asked.

  Phil nodded. “Of course I do. It’s solar powered so you can charge your devices. But trust me, when you see the view, you’re not going to want to open that laptop.”

  “Clean water?”

  “Right off the mountain. Best tasting ever.”

  “And I don’t have to touch your stuff?” Jett wasn’t bothered by insects, it’s just he didn’t seek them out like his uncle. Every chance he got, Jett spent it on his sailboat. Maybe a change was in order. He could get lost staring off into the vast ocean and forget what he was supposed to be working on. If it was in fact as quiet as Phil said, then it might not be so bad.

  “Trust me, you’ll find more than you expected there,” Phil replied. “So you can do this and leave tomorrow?”

  Jett couldn’t believe he was about to blow off his month at sea for this. But the weather hadn’t been great. In fact Phil never would’ve slipped on ice if Boston wasn’t experiencing an unusual cold front. Normally in April people were thinking about wearing shorts and t-shirts again, not hat and gloves. Maybe a tropical island wouldn’t be so bad. And when he returned in a few weeks, the miserable white snow and ice would be all gone. If not, I might need to think about moving.

  “Yes, I can go tomorrow. But if you’re back on your feet before then, I’m out of there.” He wasn’t about to push Phil past his limitations, but he also wanted to remind him this wasn’t long term. If he wasn’t able to do it after a month, then Phil would need to come up with another game plan. Yet, Phil had been the one to pay for Jett’s college and had always looked out for him. It hadn’t been easy growing up dirt poor, but Uncle Phil always ensured they had everything they needed. Just not everything we wanted. When Jett became financially stable, Phil refused to let him repay him for his kindness. Since the man wouldn’t take money, Jett was going to do the only thing he could. Pay back some of my debt by staying in the tropics.

  “You have no idea what this means to me. Everything you need is there. And as soon as I’m able, I’ll return.”

  “Uncle Phil, why did you come back to Boston an
yway? You hate the cold. So why now?”

  Phil answered. “I have some things to attend to at the university.”

  “Are you thinking about retiring?” As soon as Jett said it, he knew it was a mistake.

  “I can still run circles around you and don’t you forget it. This sprained ankle isn’t about to stop me, and neither is anything the university has to say either.”

  He was right. Phil hadn’t come back just for a quick visit. The university was putting pressure on him as well. That might just change things. He might not be returning to the field. Although Jett might agree with the university, he knew Phil wasn’t one who could be held down. Being forced into retirement would kill him. “If there’s anything you need me to do while I’m there, just let me know.” If it meant saving Phil’s job, he’d do it.

  “Thanks Jett. I appreciate the offer. But I’ll handle the research, you just make sure everything I left is in one piece when I return.”

  It sounded awful easy to Jett. One thing he’d learn over the years was, if it looked too good to be true, it probably was. Guess I’ll find out tomorrow.

  Chapter Two

  It had been five days since Phil left for the States. Lisa had become so bored that she found herself reading some of Phil’s books. Not one of them was anything that would’ve appealed to her, but when desperate for some form of entertainment, she made do. It wasn’t a total waste of her time; it reinforced her dislike for insects. She’d first thought the bigger, the more deadly, but that wasn’t the case at all.