A Walk In The Wilderness (5 page)

      “Don’t jump to conclusions.”  She counseled herself.  “Just put your guard up and you’ll soon find out.  There may be a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this.”

      Still, it stuck in her craw to be seen as ‘a woman on the road’.  That did not sit well with her, at all.  She went back to meet Skyler with a heavy sense of foreboding and a very thick, protective wall around her heart.

     Skyler did not explain about his telephone call, and Caitlin wasn’t sure she wanted to ask.  She was uneasy to the bone with this man all of a sudden, and she just wasn’t quite sure how to handle the situation.  He clearly sensed her withdrawal and didn’t pressure her, as he drove her home.  But he was watchful, and Caitlin almost felt that he might pounce if she lowered her guard for even a moment.

      When he parked the car in the motel lot, he did lean toward her and take her hand.  “Caitlin.  Can I see you tomorrow?” he asked with purpose.

     “Isn’t Jamie going into hospital?” she asked softly.  “Won’t it make Connie mad?”

     He sneered and dropped his head against his headrest in disgust.  “Who’s been filling your head with vile talk?” he demanded.

      “No one.  I overhear a good many things, though.”

      “Did you listen in on my phone call?” he asked incredulously.

      In that moment, Caitlin was almost afraid of him.  “Don’t be ridiculous.”  She snapped.  “I hear others talking.  I was there when the message came in.”

      “So what do I do to set this straight?” he growled angrily.

     Caitlin folded her arms protectively.  “You might just let me know the truth.  Who is Connie, and who is Jamie?”

     “Connie is someone I used to date.  She had a baby.  His name is Jamie.  She says he’s mine but she’s never been willing to get a blood test and prove it.  She just hangs him over my head all the time.”  He sighed.

      “Oh.”  Caitlin answered quietly.  Her heart had sunk to her stomach and lay there, like a heavy stone.

      “Caitlin, it has nothing to do with me, really.  I haven’t lied to you.”

    “That’s nice to know.  People were talking like Connie was going to come unglued if she found out you were dating someone else.”

      He shrugged.  “She generally pitches a fit.”  He admitted.

      “I see.”  Caitlin sighed.

     He looked at her, beseeching her to understand.  “I didn’t want to spring all this on you, on our first date.  Come on, Caitlin.  Surely you can understand why I didn’t tell you all this carry on right away.”

      “Of course I can.”  She admitted.

      “Can I see you tomorrow?” he asked doggedly.

      “Well; I do need to get some rest and pretty soon I need to get busy studying for my finals.  But perhaps tomorrow afternoon, for a short time.”  She agreed hesitantly.      

      “Great.  I’ll pick you up at three, if that’s all right.”

     “Sure.”  She answered immediately.  “I’ll see you then.”  She gave him a quick smile and darted out of the car.  She walked quickly to her door and let herself in.  Just as she was ready to close it, she turned her eyes and saw him standing in the parking lot, watching.

     She closed the door firmly and locked it immediately.  Then, she shivered.  She was quickly becoming very uncomfortable with this scenario.

CHAPTER TWO

     Skyler knocked on her door at precisely three o’clock the following afternoon.  He took her to the Botanical gardens on the outskirts of town.  He was congenial and affable, laid back and yet attentive.  Caitlin began to relax and enjoy herself when she realized that he was staying in his corner.  She found that Sky could be a very pleasant companion when he managed to control his impulses.

     Their conversation relaxed the atmosphere even further, and things looked much less stressful in the light of day.  Skyler even told her a bit about Jamie, and showed her a picture of the child.  He admitted that he saw the boy quite often, to give him a male presence in his life.  He said that he really didn’t care whether the boy was his or not, from that standpoint. 

     Caitlin actually thought highly of it, and told him so.  He was amazed by her attitude, and things got a bit better between them as a result.  Cait suspected that Skyler would still prefer to be moving ahead at lightning speed, but he was being very respectful of her wishes.  She appreciated it.

     The gardens were beautiful.  After spending a couple of hours enjoying the scenery, they bought corn dogs at a stand outside the park, and sat on a bench to eat.

     “Will you come to the concert tonight?” he asked hopefully.

     Caitlin smiled and shook her head regretfully.  “I’m sorry.  I really can’t.  I have to work on my paper or I’ll never get it done in time.  And I do have to study for a test.  It’s imperative.”

     “But, Caitlin.  You’re not going to need that degree.”  He objected.

     “What makes you say that?” she asked warily.

    “When we are married, you’ll never have to work a day in your life.  I promise.”

    She shook her head in disbelief.  “First of all, Skyler, I am light years away from making any decisions about marriage.  Second, I don’t know you well enough to even consider such a relationship.  Third, it would be ridiculous for me to throw away a degree I’ve worked toward for years, at the last moment -- simply because you want to get married and you’d rather I skip my studies to come to your concert.  And last but not least, I will always make my own decisions about whether or not I work, regardless of my marital status.”

     He laughed, undaunted.  “That’s fine with me, Caitlin.  You’ll always be free to call the shots.  You can finish that degree and any others you'd like to have.  However, there will be times when it’s impossible for you to work.”

     “Oh?  Why is that?” she baited.  She couldn’t help herself.

    “When you are heavy, carrying my child.  When you are holding my baby at your breast.”  He suggested softly.  He put his hand on her thigh and rubbed it suggestively.

     She pushed his hand off her leg firmly.  “Please do not do that.”  She hissed.  He had made her very angry, and frightened her to her core.

     He sighed.  “Caitlin, you’re so very … skittish.  What do I have to do to earn your trust?”

    She shrugged and spoke carefully.  “Trust takes time, Skyler.  I am not enjoying the steamroller treatment.”

     “Steamroller treatment?” he snapped in frustration.  “Caitlin, do you realize that I am going to be leaving very soon?” he asked bitterly. “Time is the one thing I don’t have much of.”

     She shook her head doggedly.  “I’m sorry to disagree, Skyler, but you are also sadly lacking in patience.  I am not concerned about your impending departure.  I hate to be blunt, but I guess I can’t help it.”

     “The distance between us won’t stop me from courting you, you know.”  He advised confidently.

     “Then you can back off and stop this nonsense.”  She snapped.

     He laughed.  “Nothing will stop me, Caitlin.  I love you too much.”

   “You don’t know that.  You don’t even know me.”  She argued.  He was frightening her, again.

     “I know that I want you, and I always get what I want, eventually.”  He said quietly.

     She looked at him and shuddered at the determination that she saw in his eyes.  “Well, Skyler.  This is all very flattering, but I think I need to get back to my studies.”

     He nodded.  “Okay.  No problem.”  He agreed.  “I don’t want to push you away.  I’ll do my very best to give you time and space.”

     “Thank you.”  She said tersely.

     Caitlin heaved a sigh of relief when she’d said goodbye and locked her door behind her.  She felt certain now that she wanted nothing more to do with this.  He was needy and never hesitated to pressure her for what he wanted.  Caitlin was not interested in that kind of relationship, no matter how rich, famous or handsome the man. 

     She continued to feel uneasy even after Skyler was gone.  She just couldn’t shake the feeling. 

    She managed to get some studying done, and then she got a call to go to work.  It was a fill-in because Vicky had called in sick.  She found herself feeling nervous and even jumpy in anticipation of Skyler’s arrival at the motel after his performance that evening. 

     He didn’t keep her waiting very long.  He smiled as he walked in, and she tried to return it.

     “How was your evening?” he asked tightly.

     “Fine, thanks.  And the concert?” she asked brightly.

     “It was all right.”  He said flatly. “Though terribly dissatisfying, without you.”

     Caitlin looked at the invoices in her hand, pretending to be a bit busy.  “I am sorry, Skyler.”  She answered coolly.

     “Can I see you tomorrow?” he asked wistfully.  But his eyes looked dark and stormy.

     She smiled.  “I do have to get some sleep, and I have school all day.  If I see you, I won’t get any rest at all.  I’m sorry, but it’s just not possible every day.”

     “All right.”  He conceded shortly.  “Wednesday is my last concert here.  Then I’m going on to the next destination.  I’d like to see you before I go.”

     Caitlin shrugged.  “I’ll have to see what happens.  I wasn’t scheduled to work tonight, so I’m already behind the gun.”

   He nodded and looked past her, obviously unhappy.  “Perhaps when I come back here, I’ll have a weekend or something.  We’ll see if we can’t work ahead and get you some free time.”

     She smiled.  She wasn’t even slightly interested in committing to anything.  She thought that she saw a glitter of anger in his eyes when she didn’t respond. 

     “Well, I am probably too tired to be good company.  I suppose I ought to catch up on some rest, myself.”  He said tersely.

     Caitlin smiled.  ”Goodnight, then.”  She said, trying to sound natural.  She knew that her face was taut and strained.

     He nodded and left.  Caitlin sighed in relief.  How bizarre everything had suddenly become!

     Her uncle William came out to the desk almost as soon as Skyler had gone.  “Hello, Cait.  How are you, my dear?”

     “Fine, uncle.” 

     He looked at her quizzically.  “You seem a bit distraught.”

     She sighed.  “Oh, it’s nothing really.  There’s just this gentleman staying here at the motel who seems to have taken quite a shine to me.  I’m not comfortable with it, at all.”

    He lifted an eyebrow.  “That can be the very devil.  I wondered how long it would take before someone noticed my lovely niece.”

     Caitlin smiled.

     “When does the Romeo leave?”

    ”Wednesday, but he’s not planning to let that deter him any.”  She answered dryly.

     Uncle William grinned.  “Would you like a few nights off, to duck him?”

    “No.  I’m sure it will be fine.”  She assured him with more certainty than she felt.

     “I’ll do a few extra runs through the lobby, then.”  He reassured gently.

    She looked so relieved by his offer that he was a bit taken back.  “Thank you so much, Uncle William.”  She said with so much appreciation that he felt alarmed.  “That would be splendid.  He usually comes in between one and one-thirty.”

     He smiled.  “Very well.  Don‘t you fret then, we’ll take care of you.  Goodnight, my dear.”

     School work was impossible to concentrate on, the following day.  Caitlin was stressed, and she couldn’t seem to unwind.  At least, Patricia was not in class to talk about Skyler.  He had quickly become one of Patricia’s favorite subjects, and Caitlin had not mentioned her friendship with him, in order to avoid the possible complications.

     She rode the transit home and with a heavy sigh, locked herself in her room with the curtains tightly drawn.  She simply had to study.

     There was a knock on her door not long after her arrival.  She didn’t answer.  She held her breath as the knocking came again, more insistently.  She sat very still and waited for whoever it was to go away.  They tried a third time, and then at last there was silence.

     She had a few moments’ respite, and then her telephone began to ring.  She didn’t answer it, either.  Yet it continued to ring in spells throughout the afternoon.  She was almost certain it had to be Skyler.  How was she ever to get anything done?

     Finally, she took her phone off the hook and buried it in a pillow.  Then she put in ear plugs and went to bed.  Studying was a loss under the circumstances.  She was exhausted, and sleep finally came.  Still, she awoke in time for work feeling very haggard.  The situation with Skyler was weighing very heavily upon her heart.

     He came in after midnight, looking a bit like a thundercloud.  “Hello, Cait.”  He said a mite shortly.  “How are you?”

     “Extremely tired, actually.  Someone kept knocking and calling all afternoon while I was trying to study and sleep.  It nearly drove me to distraction.”  She complained.  “It was dreadful!”

     “Really?” he drawled tensely.

     “Yes.”  She confirmed.  She couldn't help showing a bit of irritation.

     “Well, I’m all in, myself.  I’ll just say goodnight.” He said stiffly.

    “Goodnight, Skyler.” She answered softly.  She couldn’t help feeling like just a little bit of a heel as he walked away, but then he wasn’t leaving her all too many choices.  He’d been so terribly invasive and determined.

     Caitlin was so worn out that she simply could not go to class the following morning.  She slept instead, all day long.  She woke up in time to do some studying, and made herself a quick sandwich. 

     She felt ever so much better, and went to work with a will on her term paper for several hours. 

     That evening when Skyler came in after the concert, he seemed to be on a more even keel, as well.  He stayed and talked with her for an hour or so, but he seemed more respectful and more distant than he had been, and so Caitlin didn’t mind so much.