For Keeps Read online

  She tossed the book onto the floor beside her cot. Sleeping wasn’t easy to begin with, the last thing she needed was to make it impossible. Rolling over, she pulled up the light sheet and tucked it in the best she could, all the way around herself, not because she was cold, but because she didn’t want any visitors finding their way underneath.

  Phil had taught her to nap during the heat of the day. It saved energy. Over the years, her body had adapted to this odd schedule: up early, nap a few hours in the afternoon, then back to work throughout the evening. With Phil gone, there wasn’t any work to be done. I hope he returns soon.

  She had no idea how long she’d been sleeping when she heard the door creaking as it opened. Lisa knew it had to be Phil, or at least the person from one of the villages, coming to check on her. Right now it really didn’t matter. She missed human interaction more than she’d thought she would.

  Although she didn’t communicate with the natives, she had been there when Phil did. They spoke some English, just not very well. Maybe they’d like one of Phil’s books to read. She laughed softly to herself as she untangled herself from her cocoon and headed for the door to her room. When she opened it, she was stunned by what she saw. Oh heavens.

  A man stood with his back to her, no shirt, and he was in the process of dropping his jeans. There was no need to see his face to know that lean but muscular body didn’t belong to Phil or anyone else on this island. She needed to stop him before he continued stripping.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Lisa called out.

  The man spun around, apparently shocked to find her there. “Who are you?” he snapped.

  She crossed her arms as he zipped the fly on his pants. “I’m Lisa. I belong here. Now, who are you?”

  “Lisa?”

  “That’s what I said. Now start talking before I scream and—”

  “Trust me, I just spent hours hiking up this mountainside. No one is coming.” He pulled on his T-shirt and continued, “What the hell is a woman doing alone up here?”

  “I’m not usually alone and my…partner will be back shortly. So I suggest you move along.”

  “Partner? You mean Phil?”

  It was a good sign that this stranger knew who normally was here. But Phil couldn’t have sent him. He obviously had no idea the place wasn’t vacant. “Yes. How exactly do you know him?”

  “He’s my uncle.”

  “Phil Turner?”

  “Yes. He asked me to come here and watch over the place while he recoups from his—”

  Filled with concern, she blurted, “What happened to him?”

  “Slipped on ice and twisted his knee.”

  “That’s horrible. I’m sorry to hear that.” If she had a phone, she’d love to speak to him and find out for herself how he was doing. This was only going to give the university more ammunition to pull him out of the field.

  “He still believes he’ll be returning. I’m not so sure. You might have to complete the research without him.”

  Lisa laughed. “Me? I’m not a scientist.”

  “I thought you said you were his partn— Never mind. I don’t want to know what you two are.”

  Lisa arched a brow. She didn’t like the accusation. “You have no idea what we are. But I will tell you, I have nothing but the utmost respect for your uncle. I suggest you do the same.”

  Phil may have sent him here to keep an eye on her, but no way, family or not, was she going to let anyone assume Phil was anything but professional. He’s more like a father figure than…than anything else.

  “You’re right; my uncle has earned my respect. We might have gotten off on the wrong foot.” He extended his hand and said, “I’m Jett Turner.”

  She wasn’t about to let her guard down. There was something about him that left her feeling uneasy. Was it because she hadn’t been expecting him, or was it his arrogance? Either way, Lisa was going to keep her distance until Phil returned. If he returned. The fact that he might be gone for good scared the crap out of her. But she couldn’t let Jett see that. It’d open up a line of questions for which she had no answers.

  “Welcome to the tropics. You have the option of hot, very hot and sweat your ass off.”

  Jett shook his head. “I take it this is the sweat-your-ass-off time?”

  “Unfortunately not. It’s just very hot.”

  “Damn, I was afraid you were going to say that. Is there a place I can shower?”

  Lisa nodded. “We need to make them short. Although it rains almost daily, the storms are brief, so we don’t want to waste the water.”

  As he followed her he said, “And I could be on the ocean right now…”

  She turned. “So why aren’t you?”

  He looked at her and said flatly, “When family needs you, you go.”

  Family. She wouldn’t know anything about that. For all she knew, she didn’t have one. If she did, then why didn’t they come looking for her? Maybe they’re the ones who had hurt me in the first place.

  “I’m glad Phil has people he can count on.” She hoped he considered her one of those people. “So are you a sailor?”

  “No. I work with computers.”

  “On a boat?” Lisa asked.

  “I have one of those jobs that you can do anywhere. At least, anywhere with electricity. If you don’t mind, can you show me where I can charge my laptop?”

  Why hadn’t she thought of that? Jett had a way to communicate with the outside world just like Phil. She could talk to Phil herself.

  “When it’s charged, do you think I can use it to talk to your uncle?”

  Jett cocked a brow. “Don’t you have your own?”

  “Phil needed to take the laptop back with him to meet with the university.”

  “And your phone?” Jett asked.

  “I lost it.” Along with my past.

  “How the hell were you going to keep in contact with your friends and family?”

  Lisa smiled. “Guess we didn’t plan that part out too well, now did we?”

  Jett shook his head. “It’ll take an hour or so to charge fully, but it’s all yours. All I ask is you let me know before you use it.”

  “Of course.” Phil never had such restrictions, then again, he also knew she wasn’t about to use it without asking. Damn I miss him. “You must be tired after that hike. You can use Phil’s room. It’s also where you can charge the laptop.”

  “It’s not even dark,” Jett said.

  “It takes some time to get used to, but trust me, you’ll be glad you slept through this. And we can talk tonight when it’s bearable.”

  She left him alone, heading back to her room and shutting the door. Was it her imagination, or had it just gotten a lot hotter?

  She really wanted to speak to Phil. She had so many questions, but none were more important than finding out if he was okay. Jett said it was just a sprain, but Phil was tough and she couldn’t imagine that stopping him from returning. The university must be giving him a more difficult time than he’d anticipated. That, however, didn’t explain why he hadn’t sent someone from the village like he told her he would.

  There really wasn’t a need for anyone to be here. There wasn’t anything for her to do, now there would be two of them sitting here…bored. Jett didn’t strike her as the type of guy who wanted to be entertained. If anything, he’d made it clear that he’d rather be on his boat.

  Lisa was always drawn to the ocean. If she had her way, she’d sit on the beach and never leave. It was calming and somehow familiar. Had she grown up around water? Is that why she yearned to be near it?

  As she lay back down on her bed, she closed her eyes and tried to picture the waves rolling in, the breeze blowing through her hair. A month on a boat sounded wonderful. And there wouldn’t be any bugs, either.

  She could want and dream anything, but that didn’t mean it was ever going to be a reality. Lisa reminded herself that she should be thankful for what she had, because her body told her, it was b
etter than where she’d come from.

  But that didn’t stop her heart from wanting more. Knowing it wasn’t possible just made the pain even deeper.

  * * *

  Jett looked around the room; it was filled with jars of bugs. This wasn’t a bedroom, it was a lab. He hated lying to Lisa about the laptop needing charging, but he had a few questions for dear Uncle Phil and didn’t want her listening.

  He placed it on the nightstand then pulled out his cell phone. Even though it was late back in the States, he had a feeling Phil was going to be expecting his call.

  “Hello Jett. I hope you arrived safely,” Phil said.

  “I did. And I’m confused. What exactly did you need me to watch here?” Jett had no idea why Phil had kept Lisa’s presence a secret. It wasn’t like he wouldn’t have noticed her here.

  “It’s…complicated.”

  “I’ve got time. Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”

  Phil paused and when he started talking, Jett could tell he wasn’t sharing everything. Not even close.

  “Uncle Phil, do you really want me to believe that all you know about her is she’s a good person?”

  “It’s all you need to know. I’m counting on you to take care of her until I return.”

  “She doesn’t seem like the type of person who needs caring for.”

  “Oh trust me, she’s a lot more fragile than she lets on. But call me if you have any questions.”

  Jett had a million of them, but he knew Phil wasn’t about to answer. Whoever this woman was, Jett was going to need to find out the truth for himself. Whatever trouble she’s in, I’m not going to allow it to affect Phil. For all he knew, she was the reason Phil was having issues with the university.

  She thought it was hot here, but Jett was about to turn up the heat. He flipped open his laptop and added a few codes to a program he’d been working on. Now when he allowed her to use his laptop, it would record every keystroke and video call she made. Of course, Lisa wouldn’t have a clue. Was it illegal? Yes. Did he care? Only if she is as sweet and innocent as Uncle Phil makes her out to be.

  It wasn’t as though he had anything to go on to start looking into her background. Lisa hadn’t been forthcoming, even with a last name. And neither was Phil.

  Jett had no idea why he was so suspicious of what was going on. It was none of his business and really, Lisa hadn’t given him any reason to feel this way. Maybe it was because Phil hadn’t been upfront about Lisa’s presence in the first place. Would that have made a difference? Yeah. I wouldn’t be here now.

  Jett didn’t like being manipulated into doing anything, even if it was his uncle doing it. Phil was normally a straight shooter, all the Turners were. So what was different now, that Phil felt he couldn’t tell anyone a woman—a very young, beautiful one at that—was staying with him on the island?

  Probably ’cause some ass like me would jump to the conclusion that they were lovers. The expression on Lisa’s face was enough to tell Jett that wasn’t the truth. This wasn’t between him and Lisa, it was something he needed to talk to his uncle about. He was going to be here for a month, no longer, just to keep an eye on Phil’s equipment. Except now he’d be keeping an eye on Lisa too. For a man who was seeking some solitude to get work done, this sucked. He had a feeling Lisa was going to be more of a distraction than he wanted, or could afford.

  One month. What can go wrong in that time? Jett hoped he wasn’t about to find out.

  Closing his laptop, he decided to take Lisa’s advice and sleep through the heat. As he lay down and closed his eyes, he noticed how quiet it was there. The only thing he was missing right now was the rocking of the sailboat and the ocean breeze.

  Whether it was the heat or exhaustion from the hike, he practically passed out. That didn’t mean he wasn’t filled with questions.

  I wonder if she likes boats.

  Chapter Three

  Lisa checked on Jett a few times yesterday, but he was sleeping so deeply that she wasn’t about to wake him. Besides, there was no need. It wasn’t as though he was stepping into Phil’s shoes and going to continue his work. He was here as some damn glorified babysitter. One I don’t need. But it was funny, waking and being the early riser.

  She headed outside and prepared the coffee the way she enjoyed it. She was used to this place, had explored every day with Phil. She knew it like the back of her hand, but that only did her any good when out to check the traps with Phil. Today, however, it also came in handy for gathering fresh fruit to eat. As it brewed, she headed down the path to grab some fresh mangos. Coffee was enough for her, but she wasn’t sure of Jett’s routine. He struck her as someone who’d prefer steak and eggs with his morning brew. It was more of a treat here, but with a lot of effort, one could obtain those things. If Phil was here, she was positive he’d already be in the process of making such arrangements. Lisa didn’t have those types of connections. Heck, I don’t have any.

  Each time any of the villagers came up to speak to Phil, she hid herself away in her room. Not because Phil asked her too, actually he’d tried many times to get her to come out. It’d been her choice. Everything was. But she thought if she expanded her horizons, then she’d want to reach for the stars. She couldn’t afford to dream. It’d only end in more heartache. That was something she was going to avoid at all costs.

  Lisa made her way back up to the cabin. If Jett wasn’t awake by now, she was going to start to worry. When she got to the pathway, she found Jett carrying two huge burlap bags.

  “What the…”

  “Good morning,” he said.

  Her arms were full of mangos, but she couldn’t let him carry the load all by himself. “Good morning. Let me help you,” she said.

  “I’ve got it, but let’s keep moving. Don’t want to slow my pace.”

  At least he was smart enough to go early in the day. That trek up the hillside two days in a row in the afternoon would’ve been too much, even for someone as fit as he appeared to be. She opted not to push, and with her mangos in hand she led the way. As they huffed their way to the top, she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to the village?”

  “I didn’t want to wake you.”

  Lisa chuckled. “Funny, I snuck out for mangos because I didn’t want to wake you.”

  “Guess we’re both early risers. Besides, my internal clock needs some time to adjust.”

  “From how much you’re sweating, I think it’s more than just your clock. Where are you from?” Lisa asked. She had no idea why she was asking him questions. It was stupid. Surely, he’d do the same. What then?

  “I’m from Boston. Sounds like a Rhode Island accent you got there.”

  Rhode Island? “I don’t know. I think I sound more like a New Yorker.” Then in a southern drawl she added, “Ya’ll just keep guessing, cause I ain’t gonna tell.”

  Jett laughed. “Somehow you don’t strike me as the Southern-belle type.”

  She shot a look over her shoulder. “What does that mean?”

  “First off, you talk fast. So I’d give you New York, if not Rhode Island. And I thought Southern girls were more…welcoming.”

  She huffed and added, “I think I was more than kind. I mean, if you think about it, you were a complete stranger showing up in my cabin half naked and I didn’t shoot you.”

  Jett stopped dead. “You have a gun?”

  The look on his face said he was filled with concern. “Do I look like someone who could shoot another person?”

  “My question was if you had a gun or not. But to answer your question, anybody under the right circumstances could shoot another person.”

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure I agree with that. But no, I don’t have a gun. Your uncle isn’t the type of person who would have one here either. He won’t even kill a poisonous insect, never mind another person. So I guess your theory is incorrect.”

  She turned around and continued up the path. The cabin was in view and she was finished t
alking about violence. Had she been a victim? Was her attacker still out there, hurting others? Did she fight back? Lisa would like to think that she’d inflicted in return at least some of what had been done to her.

  “I didn’t mean to upset you,” Jett said.

  “You didn’t,” she said flatly. Changing the subject, she asked, “What did you need in the village?”

  “My uncle doesn’t need much. He’s happy with his bugs and a jar. I, on the other hand, enjoy a few comforts.”

  Lisa adjusted the mangos so she could open the door while asking, “Like what?”

  “His bed felt like a blanket on rocks. One night might be okay, but a month would be hell.”

  Her bed was well-padded and actually comfortable. But she’d never been inside of Phil’s room. He always kept the door shut and she never invaded his privacy. “You should’ve wakened me. I have an extra blanket you could’ve put down.”

  “Or I could just solve the problem by grabbing the supplies I’m going to need.”

  Was this his way of saying he didn’t want or need her opinion or help? Lisa was used to working as a team with Phil, at least on certain things. Everyone wanted to feel…needed.

  “I’m glad you’re making yourself comfortable. I wouldn’t want your stay here to be an inconvenience.”

  As he put the bags on the table, he said, “No way for it to be anything but. But with these things, it will be less so.”

  As he began pulling items out of the bags, she started to agree. Not only had he brought a new rolled bed for himself, but one for her also. Jett also pulled out new sheets of cotton, woven so tight they felt like silk against her skin. “You got these for me?”

  “For us.”

  She wasn’t sure what it was she felt. All she knew was Phil, and now here was Jett, also thinking of her needs. Lisa didn’t know why either of them had chosen to be so…kind to her. All she knew was, she was grateful they had.

  “Thank you, Jett. I really appreciate this. I’m not sure how I can repay you.”