Wrecked (5 page)

Captain Andrew Wentworth stood on the bow of his ship, The Mighty
Elizabeth, and peered through his naval telescope, hoping to see land even
though he knew America was at least another day’s sailing. He was desperate to
see his fiancée and marry her before her father had cause to delay… again.

It had been three years – three
long
years – since
he’d seen his Elizabeth, and they’d already been engaged for three years when
her father took her across the ocean to the city of Boston in America. For six
incredibly lengthy years Andrew had waited to make Elizabeth his wife. He’d
loved her since they were children and had always known that she would one day
be his wife, and that day was finally within reach.

Her father, Governor William Sherton, had not approved of
the match. After all, his daughter was a well-bred gentleman’s daughter. And
Andrew? Well, he was nothing more than an insignificant member of His Majesty’s
Royal Navy. For all he knew, Andrew did nothing more than scrub the decks while
at sea. No. His daughter could, and
would
, do better.

But Andrew had not given up and had promised his beloved’s
father that he would prove himself worthy of the fair Elizabeth. They had
secretly become engaged and Elizabeth had given him her purity the night before
he’d set sail for far-off lands. They were determined to be together. And
finally it was time. Captain Wentworth had indeed made his fortune and now
commanded his own ship, which he had christened The Mighty Elizabeth, in honor
of his love, and in just hours he would be with her again.

He tossed and turned in the comfort of his large bed in the
captain’s quarters. He was too excited to sleep… too anxious to demand the hand
of his beloved from her father, knowing full-well that he was not a preferred
suitor. Finally, in the early hours of the morning, sleep came and he dreamed
of being with his love and carrying her onto his ship where they would return
to England and the estate he had purchased for them to raise their family and
live a quiet and happy life together.

The wind howled and the waves washed over the deck of The
Mighty Elizabeth. Deck hands scrambled to keep the sails high and taut, while
other members of the crew double and triple checked the ropes securing cargo
and cannons. Captain Wentworth searched for land through his spy glass, unable
to make out anything in the darkness. The storm continued without any indication
of easing as the sun began to rise behind them. Andrew had already lost two men
to the angry ocean and had instructed the crew to tie ropes around their
waists, hoping that if they were washed overboard, a rescue would be imminent.

But the wind was unkind on that early October morning,
forcing the ship off course and unable to steer. It would take the Elizabeth
wherever it wanted, and into the protection of the bay was impossible with the
gusts forcing them further and further north until there was no option but to
abandon ship before the rocks smashed the ship to pieces.

Andrew refused to leave his post, standing squarely at the
bow, hoping and praying he would make it to his love… hoping and praying they
would be reunited.

“Everything looks good,” Dr. Ryder surmised as he reviewed Bess’s
latest test results. “I am really very pleased with your recovery.”

The incisions had healed and her nausea finally gone for
good. Bess was relieved and grateful for the care that she had received from
Ethan and Dr. Ryder. If she believed in fate, she might just have thought that
her arriving in Port Lincoln was destined. But Bess didn’t believe in such
frivolity. If life had taught her anything, it was that bad stuff happened to
good people and there was not a damn thing anyone could do about it. Fate,
destiny… it was all a load of shit in her opinion. However, she was glad that
if she was going to faint, she’d done it in Port Lincoln.

“Your restrictions have been officially lifted,” Dr. Ryder
smiled. “You are free to carry on with life as normal, although I don’t think
weight lifting or skiing should be in the near future,” he chuckled. “But
grocery shopping, light housework, short workouts should be just fine.”

“So I can look for a job then?”

“Yes. But once again, no heavy lifting, okay?”

Bess nodded and was eager to find some work to replenish her
meager savings. Miraculously, she still had a few dollars left, only because
Regina showed up regularly with prepared meals, and Ethan arrived with a trunk
full of groceries every few days. She’d told him to stop, that she couldn’t eat
that much, but he insisted he was just taking care of his patient.

She hadn’t driven her car since Ethan had brought it to the
house. If she did leave the house, she went with Ethan in his car. Bess liked
the way he opened the door for her and offered his hand to assist her getting
out of the car when they arrived at their destination. A real gentleman.

Dr. Ryder handed her another bottle of pills – a month’s
supply – and then she’d be back for another appointment, hopefully with more
good news.

Ethan rose to his feet as Bess entered the waiting room of
the doctor’s office. “How’d it go?” he asked.

“Good,” Bess smiled. “He said everything looks good.”

“Well that’s fabulous news. We should celebrate tonight.
Dinner?”

Her heart fluttered and she felt her cheeks warm. How she
wished he didn’t have this kind of effect on her. How she wished she was the
sort of girl that could fall in love with a handsome doctor… and that he’d fall
in love with her. But Bess knew better, despite her heart begging her to take a
chance. Men like Ethan James didn’t fall for girls like Elizabeth Williams. She
was considered white trash. She’d heard it before, many,
many
times.  

“I have to start looking for a job today. My activity
restrictions have been lifted, so it’s time to make some money so I can pay you
rent.”

“Bess,” he stepped forward as he spoke her name. “There is
no need for you to worry about that. I told you that you are doing me a big
favor by living there.”

“It’s not right that I should mooch off you,” Bess frowned.

“You are
not
mooching. But I do understand if you’d
like to fill your day with something productive. Idle hands and all,” he
winked. “But you can still have dinner with me, right?”

“Sure,” she replied, attempting to stifle that feeling of
longing for love deep in her core.

*****

Patient after patient was shuffled through the ER as Dr.
James worked quickly. He didn’t want anything to delay his date with Bess later
that evening. Fortunately, there was nothing more serious than a broken arm and
two seniors from the local retirement home with an STD. At precisely 6pm he
left the ER in the capable hands of Dr. Weller and Ethan headed home to quickly
shower and dress before he went to get Bess at seven.

As he stood in the bathroom, a damp towel wrapped around his
hips, the foggy mirror in front of him, Ethan knew he was in deep. As he saw
his big goofy grin appear before him, he shook his head in surrender. He was
falling for Bess and he didn’t mind one bit. In fact, the idea made him feel
happy and hopeful for the future. There had been days when he’d wondered if
he’d ever find someone in the sleepy old town of Port Lincoln. He might not
have to wonder much longer.

Seeing Bess when she opened the front door after he’d
knocked didn’t help either. She was dressed in a denim skirt that stopped just
above her knees, a pale yellow t-shirt, and a colorful cardigan. She looked
adorable.

“Love the sweater,” he said as she stepped onto the porch.

“Thanks,” she smiled. “I found it a couple of years ago at a
little second-hand store. I fell in love with it and it was cheap, so a
win-win.”

“The blue matches your eyes.”

Bess lowered her lashes and her cheeks pinked. Ethan had
noticed that she didn’t take compliments well. He wondered if there was
anything to it. He didn’t know much about her history – she didn’t like to talk
about her past – other than what Regina had told him. He vowed to continue
telling her how beautiful she was, both on the outside and the inside. He knew
enough to know she was indeed a kind and decent woman… one he wanted to know
much better.

“Where are we going?” Bess asked, pulling him from his
thoughts.

“I thought we’d go try this Indian place I’ve heard about.
It’s about twenty minutes down the highway.”

“I’ve never had Indian food,” Bess looked up at Ethan with
hesitation.

“Me either. Wanna try something new together?” His grin was
encouraging.

“Why not?” Bess shrugged. “It’ll be an adventure.”

And an adventure it was. Ethan thought he knew where he was
going, but road construction had them detouring off the highway and within a
couple of turns they were lost.

“Typical man,” Bess teased. “We’re lost and you haven’t
stopped and asked for directions.”

Ethan chuckled and at the first red light they came to,
punched in the address into his navigation system and found a route that would
take them right to the front door.

“Gotta love technology,” he smirked. “Who needs to ask
directions when I have this at my fingertips?”

“Any reason you didn’t do that before we left Port Lincoln?”
Bess shot back.

“I thought I knew where I was going,” he replied sheepishly.

That made Bess laugh out loud, which in turn made Ethan
laugh and by the time they reached the restaurant they were almost in tears.

“I love listening to you laugh,” Ethan said as he turned off
the car. “It makes me happy.”

“My laugh?” Bess asked incredulously? “Why?”

“It just does,” Ethan smiled. “There are lots of things
about you that make me happy,” he admitted and saw the instant discomfort in Bess’s
face. “You don’t like people giving you compliments, do you?”

She just shrugged and looked away.

Ethan had known Bess for a couple of months and felt they’d
developed a friendship that encouraged him to delve a little deeper.

“You are a very attractive woman, Bess. Don’t you know
that?”

“I am not,” she frowned.

“Have you not ever looked in a mirror?” Ethan scoffed.

“Yes!” Bess growled back.

“You’re gorgeous. No other way of saying it. Just say
thank
you
,” he chuckled.

“Thank you,” she grumbled.

Ethan laughed at her forced reply but took it as a win. He’d
take it.

“Come on,” he changed the subject. “Let’s go eat.”

Dinner was an experience. Bess had never had curry, which
she devoured in obvious enjoyment, much to Ethan’s delight. They enjoyed spiced
rice and traditional fry bread, lots of vegetables with herbs and spices, and
finished their meal with a sweet rice pudding that Ethan said was the best
thing he’d eaten all night.

As they drove home in comfortable silence, Ethan debated
whether it was the right time to kiss Bess goodnight. It wasn’t something that
he would normally have an internal debate over, but then Bess wasn’t like any
other woman he’d dated. She was fragile, even though her tough defenses always
seemed to be on high alert. He knew her past must have created some distrust of
men. How couldn’t it? And to top it all off, she’d just dealt with a serious
health scare that would leave any woman in a…
delicate
state. The fact
remained, however, that he desperately wanted to kiss her.

When it came time to walk her to the front door, indecision
still loomed. But as Bess stopped and turned to him on the front porch, he
pulled her to him and held her close, the scent of her filling him with desire.
He held her for several seconds until he felt her begin to pull away. Releasing
her from his embrace was almost painful, but he did so anyway.

“I really had a great evening,” she began. “The food was
delicious and the company was great, as always,” she added, slightly blushing
as she lowered her eyes.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Ethan whispered. He lowered his
head and kissed her on the cheek. “Good night, Bess. Sleep well.”

*****

Instinctively, Bess lifted her hand to her cheek. Ethan had
walked back to the car and driven the short distance to his house. It was too
dark to see him walk from his car to his door, but still she watched, her hand
still on her cheek. The moon was barely visible high in the sky, the breeze
cool and slight. The evening with Ethan had been all a date should be.

A date! The idea was unreal.

The first date Bess went on was many years before. She was
fifteen and she’d been asked to a school dance - Homecoming. She accepted with
eagerness and she and her girlfriends giggled and planned hair styles and
matched dress possibilities with shoes. It should have been a memory filled
with happiness and fun. Instead, Bess just remembered how awkward she felt in
her cousin’s bridesmaid dress because her step-father refused to shell out for
a new dress of her own. Her best friend, Allison, had told her she looked
beautiful and helped her to do her hair and make-up, even letting her borrow a
pair of shoes. No, the bastard wouldn’t buy her new shoes either.

The actual dance was fine. Four couples had gone as a group
and she enjoyed being with her friends most of the night. But when it was over,
her date had wanted her to be
grateful
for taking her. Bess had yanked
his hand from out of her cleavage and demanded to be taken home. Scared to
death, she was barely fifteen and wasn’t ready for anything more than a
goodnight kiss at the end of the evening. He called her a
fucking tease
and took her home, not even opening the door of the car for her… not even
waiting for her to reach the front door before he drove away, squealing tires
as he went. There was no kiss.

Bess’s second date was
much
better. She’d left home
by the time she met Bryce. She was staying with her great aunt for the summer
and he worked at the same restaurant as she did and they went to the movies a
couple of times before he moved on to someone else. He didn’t, however, call
her names or demand sex because he’d bought her a bucket of popcorn and a Coke.

After that, Bess didn’t have the time or the energy to think
about boys and dating. She’d worked at least two jobs up until she was hired at
the daycare center, needing all the money she could earn to pay for rent, food
and gas for her car. That’s not to say she
never
went out, but it wasn’t
often, and not memorable.

Dinner with Ethan was a completely different experience.
Yes, she was older, and he was unlike any man she’d ever known, but it was more
than that. It went deep – it affected every part of her being. Fluttering
butterflies remained in her stomach as her hand still rested on her cheek.
Tingles had raced down her spine as his lips had gently touched her skin, and
her legs felt as though she’d just climbed fifty flights of stairs. Her heart
pounded against her ribs and her fists clenched, so as to
not
wrap
themselves around his torso. It was an entirely new ball game, one she was unprepared
to play.

The kettle boiled and Bess made herself a cup of tea. She’d
stood outside for several minutes thinking about Ethan and trying to decipher
the myriad of feelings she had. There were far too many to deal with, so a cup
and tea and sleep sounded like a better plan, although she doubted sleep would
come easily.

She was right. By two o’clock she gave up and threw back the
covers. The bed was warm and comfortable but all she did was toss and turn and
become frustrated with her inability to make her brain turn off long enough to experience
slumber. She pulled a sweatshirt over her head and wandered back to the family
room and the large window overlooking the cliffs and the ocean below. It was
still pitch black outside but Bess could hear the waves crashing angrily
against the rocks below. She kneeled on the sofa, crossed her arms over the
back and leaned her chin on her forearms as she heard gulls cawing overhead.

It was unimaginable how different her life was than just a
few short weeks ago. How things had turned upside down. Regina had suggested
she apply for a job at the hospital. When Bess went in earlier in the
afternoon, she was fully prepared to be hired on as a housekeeper or a dishwasher,
but at the very moment she was being given a card with the web address and
instructions how to apply online, a new job was being posted: receptionist in
the Emergency Department. Requirements were a high school diploma, or
equivalent. Check. Able to work with a computer. Check. Previous experience
working with the public. Check. Available to work swing shifts, if necessary.
Check. Bess had gone straight back to the house, pulled out her aging laptop,
and immediately applied.

She hadn’t mentioned anything to Ethan at dinner, even
though he’d asked about her job search. It could be perceived that she was
trying to get closer to him, but that wasn’t anywhere near the truth. Bess
actually considered the proximity to Ethan, both at home and possibly at work,
a negative. He had her feeling things that made her uncomfortable and unsure of
herself. She didn’t need
more
of that. But the only other place that
anyone knew was hiring was the diner. Yes,
that
diner, and Bess sure as
hell wasn’t that desperate… yet!