Winning Back His Wife (2 page)

Why was she not answering her damn phone? She was never this
late. “Something’s happened, Kevin. I can feel it,” Kaylee Robinson shrieked at
her husband.

 “Honey, I’m sure she’s fine. She probably stopped off at
the grocery,” he suggested, trying to comfort her. Kevin was a darling of a man
who never failed to express his love for his wife. Even now, she sensed it in
the way he worried about her health. Upsetting her husband was definitely not
on her agenda but she could not help but be worried about her best friend.

Sharing similar backgrounds Kaylee and Neela had been best
friends since they were kids, promising to never let their friendship suffer;
therefore, when Neela had showed up at her apartment five years ago, Kaylee had
not hesitated in taking her in.

She glimpsed at the little boy sitting on the sofa, his gaze
fixed on the latest episode of SpongeBob. Neela should have been home almost
three hours ago. She would never stay away this long from Adam.

“Listen, if you are so worried why don’t you try calling the
hospital? Maybe Melody came down with the same bug Adam has.”

 “But she would have called,” Kaylee lamented. Before Kevin
could respond, the phone in her hand rang. Kaylee looked at the display and
smiled, relieved because it was Neela’s number.

“Hey, where are you? I’ve been trying to call you for hours.
You had poor Kevin worried,” she said winking at her husband, a playful smile
tugging at her mouth trying to disguise the relief in her voice.

“Kaylee? This is Caleb Wilder, Neela’s husband…” The voice
on the other end responded to the parade of questions.

“Caleb?”Kaylee asked in confusion.

“What are you doing with Neela’s phone? Where is Neela?” She
belted out at the intruder on the other end. Her gaze glued to her husband, she
could not miss the puzzled look on his face. She was right - something was
wrong.

 “Kaylee, there’s been an accident…”  

“An accident? What do you mean an accident? Oh God, what
happened? Is Melody alright?” Panicking, the questions flew.

Kevin was at her side in a heartbeat, placing a protective
arm around his pregnant wife. She was shaking like a leaf, the phone
threatening to fall out of her trembling fingers.

“Kaylee, calm down! We are at Dayton General Hospital. The
girl is fine. She just has some minor cuts and bruises. Neela’s still in
surgery. I don’t know the extents of her injuries as yet, but Daphne said
nothing was broken. We have to wait until the doctors are finished,” Caleb
tried to reassure her.

Kaylee could feel a mixture of relief and worry surge
through her. He said Melody was fine, but how bad was Neela? 

“Okay, I’ll be there in about a half hour… Caleb?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for calling.”

Disconnecting the call, Kaylee looked at her husband, noting
the worry in his eyes. Somehow it gave her comfort to know her husband was as
scared as she was. Soft sobs broke through clamped lips as the weight of
Caleb’s words fully sunk in. He said Neela was in surgery. What did that mean?
Were her injuries extensive? Could she die? God, Neela couldn’t die. God would
not be that cruel.

 “Sweetheart, look at me!” Kevin prompted.

“I know you’re worried, but it’s not good for the baby.” He
placed a protective hand on her swollen belly.

“I’m sure she’ll be okay. Come on, let’s go.”  As brave as
he was trying to be for her, he could not hide the quiver in his voice. He too
was imagining the worst.

****

After their conversation, Caleb stood in the waiting room
staring at the phone in his hand.

Neela and Kaylee still kept in touch. That made sense.
Kaylee had always been her only true friend. Caleb could tell that she was
terribly shaken; he could hear it in her voice. She said Kevin was worried. Who
the hell was Kevin? Was he Neela’s boyfriend?

He refused to entertain the thought of Neela with another
man. Bastard he may be but Neela was still
his
wife and that was not
going to change anytime soon. “Kevin whatever” had better be prepared for a
fight because Caleb Wilder now had a daughter to consider.

Focusing on his daughter’s sleeping form, he thought about
what Kaylee had said. Melody….Kaylee had asked if Melody was alright. His
daughter’s name was Melody.

His little girl was so beautiful, just like her mother. Her
sun-kissed skin was a softer tone to her mother’s and a darker one to his. Her
hair was a mop of black curls like her mother’s but he could see streaks of
blonde hair like his, in between. She had her mother’s long lashes and full
lips. Her nose, a little nub still, was as straight as his and he awed at what
a perfect combination of him and Neela God had created. Unconsciously he
chuckled at the thought that twenty years from now, men would be falling at her
feet just as he did at her mother’s.

He shuddered when he realized that if fate had not
intervened, he may have never known for sure if he was a father.

He gathered her once more into his arm kissing the top of
her head.

“Daddy’s got you, Melody,” he whispered, “and I’m never
gonna let you go again.”

****

“Caleb….”

He jumped to the sound of someone calling his name. Wiping a
hand over his weary, unshaven face he focused on his sister sitting next to him.

 “Are you alright?” she had that concerned look in her eyes
again.

 “I’m fine. How is Neela?”

 “Nothing was broken but there seems to be some internal
bleeding. We managed to get to it before it was too late but we still need to
wait to see the outcome. Caleb, I want you to understand, this doesn’t mean
that there won’t be any complications. She took a hard hit. The wound to her
head could cause several things, including blindness or memory loss but we
won’t be able to tell until she wakes.”

Caleb listened intently to everything his sister was saying.
Neela was fine for now but be prepared for anything. Whatever the end results,
he would be here for her. He nodded, acknowledging his understanding.

Daphne studied the little girl in his hand.

“She’s beautiful. She looks just like Neela.”

Caleb followed her gaze.

“Her name’s Melody,” he offered.

She smiled. “That’s a beautiful name. KC’s bringing you a
change of clothes. She’s also going to get some stuff for her… for Melody.”

“I can’t thank you enough, Daphne. Can I see Neela now?”

“Sure, but just for a little while. You need to get this
little one home and you need to get some rest.”

He opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off.

“Caleb, I know what you’re going to say, but you need some
rest. We don’t know what to expect when Neela wakes and you will need your
strength.”

He knew she was making sense, but he wanted to be here when
she did wake up. He wouldn’t argue with her but he wasn’t leaving.

Melody stirred in his arm causing Caleb to hold his breath.
He didn’t know what to expect. Would she start crying again? God, he felt
irritated at the fact that he did not know how to care for his own daughter. He
had no one to blame but himself. He had been the one to mess up.

 He observed as her eyelids fluttered open. Those beautiful
blue eyes were staring straight at him and he felt his own eyes well up with
tears.

Her little forehead crinkled and the corners of her mouth
turned down. She started to whimper but Daphne quickly stepped in.

“Hi Melody.” The little girl turned at the sound of her
name.

“I’m Dr. O’Connor and this is my brother Caleb. I know you
are scared but you don’t need to be. We are at the hospital. You and your mummy
were in an accident. Caleb saved you. Do you remember?”

She looked at Caleb and then back at Daphne then nodded
shyly.

“Good. Your mummy is sleeping but Caleb will take you to see
her, okay?”

She nodded again.

Caleb sat quietly observing the way in which Daphne handled
the fragile child with such concern and care. There was no doubt that she would
make a great mother. Melody had caught him off guard when she looked him
straight in the eyes and for those few seconds he was lost for words. He
mouthed a silent thank you to his sister.

Melody was looking at him again, her round little eyes
boring into his.

“Hi.” he choked out.

She didn’t answer.

“What do you say we go see your mummy?” at least this time
she responded by nodding in agreement.

 She clasped her chubby little hand around his neck and
together they headed for Neela’s room.

****

At her bedside, Caleb looked on silently as Melody touched
her mother’s arm.

“Mummy, it’s me, Melody. Wake up! I want to go home.”

It was the first time she had spoken since he rescued her.
He marveled in the new sound of his daughter’s tiny voice.

“Honey, remember I told you she’s asleep,” Daphne
interrupted from behind. Mummy’s tired, she needs to rest. What do you say we
go get a soda from the machine and let Caleb say hello too?”

Melody went straight into Daphne’s outstretched arms.
Silently, she stepped out of the room and left Caleb alone with his wife.

She was here. Neela was actually here. Seeing her after five
years was like beholding a sliver of heaven. Gently, he stroked her face,
pushing a few strands of wayward hair away from her bruised face.

“Oh, baby, why did you leave me? Why didn’t you just wait
for me? I would have done anything to keep you with me,” his broken whisper was
the only sound other than her soft breathing that could be heard in the room.

Lowering himself, he kissed her cheek, inhaling the unique
scent that had always been Neela.

“I met our daughter. She’s so beautiful. She looks just like
us. Guess I did something right,” he chuckled nervously.

He took her hand where it rested at her side and laid his
forehead on it, desperately needing to be close to her.

He remembered all the little things he loved about her and
how much he missed them. The feel of her hand, the smell of her skin, the taste
of her lips, things he had been deprived of for so long. 

The past five years felt like an eternity to be without the
woman he loved but he had no one to blame but himself.

If he had only paid more attention to his wife and tried to
be more understanding, things would have been so different. Instead he had
played the role of dictator demanding she become the ideal wife.

In the end his need for dominance had hurt Neela and
eventually driven her away. Memories from the past came in a flood threatening
to drown him in the process.

Having Neela here was forcing him to come face to face with
the mistakes of his past - a past he would give anything to erase, but Caleb
had no choice. If he was to have any hope at all for the future he would have
to face the past.

****

FIVE YEARS TEN MONTHS EARLIER

The airplane touched down at the Piarco International
Airport at 10:29AM. Caleb was definitely going to get some much-needed rest.
That was the reason he had chosen these almost unheard of twin Caribbean
islands nestled in the West Indies - Trinidad and Tobago! He hoped these islands
were everything Blake described; otherwise there would be hell to pay.

Known in the business world as the home of the Pitch Lake,
most countries bought asphalt from Trinidad for road paving. But to the average
American it was just another third world country, somewhere in the West Indies.
Blake had assured him that it was nothing but. He promised him all the sun,
sand and sea he could imagine, and women so “sweet” he would not want to return
home.

Blake Granger, an old high school friend, was always travelling
and looking for places to invest. Trinidad and Tobago was his latest venture.

According to Blake, the women here were so beautiful one
would even be tempted to take a bride.

Yeah, right! Caleb could have his choice of beautiful women
back home in Washington. This vacation was strictly for relaxing.

After clearing his luggage through customs, he exited the
building only to be greeted by the scorching midday sun. God, was it always
going to be this hot?

“Caleb!” Blake called out waving to Caleb.

“You made it. Great to see you man,” he embraced his old
friend.

“Nothing was going to change my mind about this. I need this
vacation more than you know.” Caleb returned the enthusiasm.

His friend was the same age as he was, and at twenty-nine
Blake still looked like a teenage jock whereas Caleb had matured into a very
masculine specimen. Blake’s red hair and freckled face made him the subject of
attention almost anywhere he went. His skin, usually a milky tone, was now
tanned from spending the last six months in the Caribbean.

“Come on; let’s get you out of this heat.” he was ushered to
the waiting green Toyota Corolla.

While seated in the air-conditioned car speeding through the
city, heading to the beach house, Caleb could not help but admire the old buildings
that lined the streets. This was nothing like the hustle and bustle of
Washington; not like the busy cab and bus-lined streets with loud city noises.
He was immediately wrapped in a sense of tranquil. It felt like somewhere one
could make a home.

“How was your flight?” Blake asked halfheartedly.

“Long!” he complained. “I need a bath and some sleep. Damn,
Blake, is it always this hot here?” Caleb asked. He tried pulling his polo
shirt from his sweat clad body.

“Most of the times,” he was answered with a chuckle, “but
once you get accustomed to it, you barely even notice it.” with a wink, he
added, “It helps if you wear less…um…uncomfortable clothes.”

Caleb snorted. “You could have at least warned me.”

“Don’t worry man. I promise once you get settled in, you’ll
love it here.”

Caleb darted him an I-doubt-it-very-much look.

“Before we get to the beach house there is something I need
to tell you.”

There was a long pause. Caleb waited for him to continue.

“I met someone. Her name is Adria; she’s from here — on the
island.”

“Now why doesn’t that surprise me? You always had a way with
the ladies. I don’t know what, but they always see something in you,” Caleb
joked.

Blake didn’t return his smile.

“Hey man, I’m only joking. I’m happy for you. So when do I
get to meet her?”

“Today! She’s waiting for us at the house. I think she’s the
one, Caleb. I’m going to ask her to marry me.”

“What? Are you crazy, man? How long have you known this
woman? A couple of months and you’re talking marriage? You have got to be kidding
me.”

“Long enough to know she’s different. I know it may sound
cliché but it’s the truth. Adria’s beautiful and smart. She makes me laugh and
when I’m with her I feel as if nothing else in the world matters. Not the
business, not the money…just being with her. I know it sounds crazy but I know
what I feel. I love her and she loves me.”

Blake had met a beautiful island girl, fallen in love and
was going to marry her. Blake - who in college swore he would never get married,
and swore that he would be a bachelor for life? The heat of this sun must have
made him mad.

“If you’re sure, man, and if she makes you happy then I’m
happy for you,” Caleb responded halfheartedly. This woman probably only wanted
him for his money. Maybe she wanted to get her US citizenship— lots of these
local women hooked up with American men like them for that reason. He’d be damned
if he allowed his best friend to make that mistake.

****

They arrived at the beach house what seemed like hours later.
It was a part of Blake’s business venture here. He owned the resort, renting it
out on a long term visit to tourists and local alike. The structure had seen
better days and the design was similar to most of the houses that lined the
beach. It was two stories high, with a huge porch that faced the ocean. Glass
windows made up most of the top floor of the house. Caleb took the stairs two
at a time, determined to get out of the heat. Inside, the floor was covered in
large ceramic tiles and furniture made of bamboo. The large fan with blades shaped
like leaves, which hung from the ceiling was being slowly propelled by the
ocean breeze.

The bare windows and doors were open wide with no drapes
obstructing the wide expanse of white sandy beach and turquoise waters that
seemed to go on forever. Tall coconut trees were scattered across the beach
front and where the water lapped gently onto the shore, the sand was like
millions of little golden gems. The afternoon sun had retreated behind the
large patches of clouds and Caleb no longer had to strain his eyes to see. The
view was breathtaking! The cool, salty sea air was refreshing, like a cool
spring morning in Washington. This was a scene that only existed in books or
movies.

Down below on the beach, he could see Blake calling out to a
woman standing at the water’s edge. She turned and must have recognized him,
because she went hurtling into his arms knocking him clear off his feet. Caleb
watched as she proceeded to kiss the daylight out of his friend. That must be
Adria. He would meet her soon enough. Giving them some privacy, he headed
inside.

****

He was surprisingly cooler now from the ocean breeze that
circulated through the house, so he opted to lounge on one of the living room
chairs. Approaching laughter forewarned him of Blake and his female companion’s
arrival.

When they both rounded the front door which led to the
porch, Caleb began to understand why his friend wanted to marry this woman. It
wasn’t the sun that had driven his friend mad; it was the intoxicating beauty
of the woman that stood before him.

Adria looked like a princess from a children’s fairytale.
Her complexion was a rich chocolate brown; her waist-length, silky, dark brown
hair glistened in the afternoon sun.

“Caleb, close your mouth,” Blake said amused. “This is Adria
Moses. Adria, the man with the drool at the corner of his mouth, is my dearest
friend, Caleb Wilder.”

Quickly pulling himself together he rose to shake her
outstretched hand.

Her lips though thin, curved in a seductive smile.

“I’m sorry, pleased to meet you,” he said. Caleb couldn’t
believe any woman could be this beautiful.

“Same here, I’ve heard a lot about you. Let me get you
something to drink. I’m sure you two have a lot of catching up to do,” she
added, her eyes twinkling mischievously. She was obviously accustomed to this
kind of reaction.

 He stared at the disappearing, curvy hips of Blake’s
girlfriend, swaying like coconut trees in the wind.

 “Don’t take this the wrong way Blake, but your girlfriend
is hot.”

“I know - just remember, she’s
my
girlfriend.”

“Now I see why you decided to stay here. You are certainly
not going to leave her to come back to Washington. Hell, if she was my girl, I
may not go back to home either.” Caleb still wasn’t sure about marriage though,
but he had time. Who knew? Maybe he could help his friend to realize that
marriage was optional.

****

If Caleb had any doubts about Adria, the next couple of days
in her company, quickly cleared that up. She would often be caught staring at
his friend, heart in her eyes when she thought no one was looking. She adored
Blake and he seemed to be truly happy. That made Caleb quite content. It also
made him wonder if there was an “Adria” out there for him too.

It was the middle of the tourist season, so Blake was pretty
busy most of the time but that didn’t stop Caleb from making the most of his
vacation.

His friend had arranged for him to have a driver who also
served as a guide. Krishna was probably no older than twenty-two. He shared the
same chocolate brown complexion as most of the locals.

As the days turned into weeks, Caleb learned so much about
the heritage of the island people. Other than the Africans and East Indians,
there was also a mix of the both. They were a unique race known as Douglas.
Their hair texture varied from very curly, to almost straight. Their skin tone
ranged from that familiar chocolate brown, to a tender sun-kissed one. Krishna
said that because of the various ethnic backgrounds Trinidad and Tobago was
often referred to as ‘The Rainbow Country.’ Africans, East Indians, Chinese,
Syrian, Spanish, and even Caucasians made their homes here.

The islands were bewitching. They would be something he
would take with him when he left. He had spent a weekend in Tobago with Blake
and Adria and fallen in love with the little sister island. He visited Bucco
Reef, where he walked on the coral bed and went diving. He saw the ‘Mystery
Tomb’ and was fascinated by the history of the tomb that bore the words,
'Beneath
these walls are deposited the body of Mrs. Betty Stiven and her child. She was
the beloved wife of Alex B Stiven. To the end of his days will deplore her
death, which happened upon the 25th November 1783 in the 23rd year of her age.
What was remarkable of her, she was a mother without knowing it, and a wife
without letting her husband know it, except by her kind indulgence to him
.'

Adria took the time to explain the link between the words
and the African heritage of the country.

Several cannons were stabilized around the compound, many
facing the sea. One of the buildings at Fort King George, namely the former
guardhouse, was transformed into a wonderful museum. The Fort rested at an
altitude of 425 feet above sea level and the views from this vantage point were
spectacular.

Blake had also chosen that time to propose to Adria. By the
Monday of that week, she was planning her wedding.

One Saturday afternoon, about a month into his vacation
Caleb opted for a walk along the shoreline. He had been meaning to explore the
place behind the large rock that partially blocked off his view from the beach
house. Now was a good time as ever.

Dressed in cut-off jeans, a sleeveless T-shirt, and flip
flops, he headed down the beach. At the foot of the magnificent, protruding
rock were smaller rocks and pools, creating homes for various species of small,
colorful fishes. They were breathtaking.

Cautiously, he navigated his way over the rocks, his flip
flops making the task a little difficult.

Taking the corner slowly he climbed down the rock and landed
with a thud on the sand. How was this for adventure?

Behind the rock, there was a hidden alcove. On the sand
there were three short coconut trees all curved at the trunk, the branches like
huge arms reaching for the sun. It looked like a picture from a brochure. There
was a rickety sign that said “Private Beach” a little distance away.

Entranced by the beauty of his surroundings, Caleb almost
didn’t see the figure in the water. His eye barely caught the movement but when
he did he stared in amazement as the figure emerged from the water. At first he
thought her to be an illusion, but quickly realized that no illusion could be
this alluring.

She came closer, oblivious to his presence. Her tendrils of
hair swung loosely midway down her back, the ringlets of curls heavy with sea
water. She ran her hands over her head, pressing the excess water from her
hair. Her stomach was flat, her full breasts were barely hidden by the tiny
scrap of cloth, and her slim waist flowed perfectly to meet her hips, wide and
perfect. Her legs were long and they seemed to go on forever. Her cinnamon-colored
skin radiated like the rays of sun setting on the horizon. He couldn’t see her
face clearly, but he would bet anything she was beautiful.

Still unaware of his presence, she headed straight for the
alcove and reached for a towel. Caleb knew he should walk away but for
unexplained reasons his flip flop seemed to be molded to the sand.

He gawked at the island beauty and his mouth fell open when
he realized what she was doing. She reached behind for the knot that held the
bikini top together and gently tugged. His mouth went dry.

Damn it, Caleb, say something or she’s going to strip right
here in front of you.

He awkwardly cleared his throat in an effort to make his
presence known. Gasping, the woman tried to hold the lose garment to her breast
with one arm as she brought up the towel with the other. Caleb recovered
quickly enough to turn his head away.

“What are you doing? How long have you been standing there?”
she demanded in that rich Trinidadian accent he had become familiar with over
the past couple of weeks.

Turning back to her, he noticed that she wrapped the big
beach towel around her slender body. She glared at him, no doubt upset about
the intrusion. He was wrong - she wasn’t beautiful, she was bewitching.