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There seemed to be nothing the man couldn’t do. I’d watched him spearing fish for almost an hour after we’d collected mangos and pineapples. He’d previously canned and stored a few vegetables, keeping them in the cellar he’d mentioned. When he’d mentioned the number of guns he had stored, I realized he was prepared to face a war if necessary. A one-man army, capable of killing with his bare hands. However, he’d refused to allow me inside the locked area where he kept the guns. I had a feeling the location housed more than just weapons.
The man held secrets of his own.
He’d taken his time cleaning the fish, preparing them with an array of spices. Now we were sitting at the table and chairs he’d crafted, a lantern as lighting, watching the sun dip down past the trees. I’d consider it a romantic setting except for the nagging feeling that this could all come crashing to a halt at any time.
“This is delicious,” I said casually, finally pushing the plate away. “You’re an excellent cook.”
His smile was the sweetest reward and as he tossed his napkin, leaning over the table, I wanted nothing more than to lose myself in the moment. “I get by. The key is the freshness of the food.”
“Just amazing what you whipped up.”
“You helped with the fruit.”
I laughed, the sound nervous, almost timid. I was still anxious around him. “You mean I cut the fruit.”
“Tomorrow I’ll make a trip to the farm. We’ll have steak for dinner.”
“Mmm… Sounds perfect. What did you do for the year after you built the house?”
It was another question he didn’t seem to want to answer. “I survived.”
“You mean you healed.”
“There isn’t a better place for it.”
“Does that mean you checked out of society?” He pulled his glass of wine to his lips, his collection in the cellar rivaling any wine shop.
“I did what I needed to do.”
“What happened?”
He tensed, pushing his plate away. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to.”
“Why is it so difficult for you to talk about your time in the military?”
“Because things happen that are often out of your control and no matter the circumstances, you can’t change the outcome.”
I didn’t push, although whatever he’d gone through had changed his personality. “How did you get the scar?”
“A big bear attack.” He growled like a bear then rose to his feet. “Let’s get this cleaned up.”
Another shutdown. I did as he asked, collecting my plate and glass, following him into the kitchen. “I’ll do this. You cooked. I’ll clean.” When I took the plate from his hand, our fingers touched, the crackle of electricity unlike anything I’d ever felt. The connection we shared was only growing stronger.
“Then I’ll grab some brandy.” As he started to turn away, he stopped. “By the way, alcohol is forbidden on the island.”
“My God. You’re a rule breaker.”
“You have no idea.”
As he walked away, I shuddered from the close contact. I washed the dishes, taking my time to dry and put them away. It felt almost normal, which was another surprise. My parents had never washed a dish in their lives, at least from the time I could remember. When I was finished, I wandered into the living room. He wasn’t there. After noticing him on the deck, I hesitated before going outside.
“You should go to bed. I know you’re exhausted,” he said as he cocked his head.
“I know, but I’m also antsy. I just don’t know if I can close my eyes.”
“You’ll be able to in time.”
“When I was locked in that room, every time I closed my eyes, I had the feeling I was being watched. I even searched to try and find a hidden camera. There wasn’t one, but I’d heard creaks at night, waking up in a cold sweat.”
