Page 13 of Isla by Any Other Name

Isla smiled. It was impressive. “Is everything made of log around here? This is huge!”

“It’s got a lap pool in it,” said Mitch. “Come on, let’s go inside.” He unlocked the doors and they walked in.

The ceilings soared to over twenty feet in the center. A lap pool sat to the left surrounded by a glass wall. Ropes hung from the ceiling along with a rock wall. Huge curtains of netting you’d see on a ship went straight up walls for an extra climbing challenge. To the right, exercise machines stood like silent sentries in the darkness of the room.

“I’ll show you around.” Mitch walked to the light switches, and the lights popped on one at a time in each section. “Curt’s family comes from old money. They own one of the most respected law firms in the world. Curt didn’t want to be a lawyer. He’s not one to sit behind a desk. So he’s opening a security company and training facility. He’ll cater to specialized training for specialized services for national agencies and other security companies. He plans on opening as soon as this mission he’s on right now is completed and his retirement is approved. The guys you met the other day are his team of instructors. They’re the best of the best. Every one of them have relocated here with their families to work for Curt. Curt handpicked each one of them for their special talents.”

“Have you ever thought about joining his team?” Isla asked. “I mean, it’d keep you in one place more often.”

“I’ve thought about it,” Mitch said. “You never know, I might someday when this job starts getting old. Now, should we get started?”

Mitch and Isla headed toward the treadmills and other equipment. She stepped onto the treadmill while Mitch hopped onto the elliptical. Isla and Mitch worked out together comfortably, teasing banter passing between them. But neither of them mentioned the kiss.

Ninety minutes later, they headed back to the house. Isla wanted to take a quick shower and get started on lunch. They’d climbed the stairs to the back door when Isla turned and said, “Thank you…I really needed that. I had so much pent-up energy, I thought I was going to burst.”

Mitch smiled her way. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. Same time tomorrow?”

At last, Isla had something to look forward to.

Chapter seven

That afternoon, Isla was working on her painting when Mitch came in from outside. He sat at the table across from her. “Molly, I just got off the phone with headquarters. They found and arrested Hernandez yesterday. His case is going up in front of a grand jury next week.” Just the sound of Hernandez’s name made Isla panic. “We’ll leave on Tuesday morning at four a.m. and be at the courthouse just in time for you to testify. We won’t be staying at a hotel—it’s too dangerous. You’ll tell the court what you saw and we’ll be back on the road again.”

Isla felt fear racing through her body. She dropped her paintbrush into the water cup and tried to listen to Mitch’s words. Her body was numb. Fog seemed to swirl in front of her eyes.

“Molly, are you okay? Look at me.”

Isla rubbed her eyes with closed fists and looked up at him. “I’m okay,” she said breathlessly. “I’m just…really scared.”

“We’ll be with you the whole time,” Mitch said kindly. He put his hand on top of hers. It steadied her. He spoke slowly and calmly. “Molly, you’ll answer the questions the prosecutor and the defense lawyer ask you and we’ll be in and out and back here before you know it. I’m not going to lie to you, we’ll be the most vulnerable once we leave the compound. We’ll have to be diligent, especially when we get close to the courthouse. We’ll be taking three vehicles. You’ll be with me in the center vehicle with one in front and one behind. Once we hit the county line we’ll be escorted by local law enforcement to the courthouse. Your safety is of the utmost importance. You need to trust us. Can you do that?”

Isla shook her head. She couldn’t meet his eyes at first. Finally, she said, “Mitch, I trust you and everyone on your team. No witness, no case. I want to do what’s right—I really do. I’ll do what everyone says. I trust you all to keep me safe.”

Mitch squeezed her hand. He grinned at her, that lazy smile again. “How about we get your mind off all this? Let’s take the ATV out, clear the cobwebs a bit. The sun’s out. What do you say?”

Isla nodded. “I’d like that. But who’s going to make lunch?”

“You’re off duty today,” said Mitch. “We’ll have a picnic. I know a spot that’ll be perfect.”

Isla pulled on her helmet and settled behind Mitch, putting her hands around his waist. She could feel the taut muscles of his abdomen under her hands and she felt a flush run up her entire body. She wondered if Mitch felt the same. She felt an attraction to him, something she couldn’t explain.

Mitch revved the engine, and they headed into the woods. “Molly, you’re going to love this place. Curt showed it to me last year. We’ll be there in about five minutes.” They continued down the path through the fall foliage, surrounded by red, yellow, and orange hues with a bright blue cloudless sky overhead. It was indeed a perfect fall day, the air crisp and clear. Mitch pulled the ATV behind some shrubs, out of sight. “We’ll have to walk from here. There’s only a deer trail, too narrow for the ATV to get down.” He grabbed her hand and led the way. The warmth of his hand made Isla feel safe and protected. She knew this man would protect her with his own life.

God, she hoped it would never come to that.

They walked for a bit, until they came upon the prettiest spot she’d ever seen. A tall waterfall splashed into the creek bed below. Willows lined the banks, their branches dipping into the rippling water. Leaves of every color glistened in the sun. Birds called out their songs as they flitted from tree to tree. If heaven existed—this would be it.

The quiet beauty of the place calmed Isla. Her entire body absorbed its essence. All thoughts of what the future entailed were gone as she spun around in a complete circle, her arms outstretched and her head thrown back as she took full advantage of the caress of the sun and breeze on her face.

“Oh, Mitch, it’s beautiful! This is still Curt’s property?”

“It is. A hidden gem. He showed it to me last year when we were out hunting. Once he showed me, I didn’t want to leave. It’s just so…peaceful.”

“I almost expect to see fairies flitting around!” Isla laughed. Mitch grinned at her awe. He pulled a blanket out of the backpack and spread it on to a flat, rocky ledge just feet from the waterfall. He sat down and motioned for her to sit beside him. They sat in comfortable silence.

Isla realized then that her mind was completely void of the stress of the last week. Mitch had known this was exactly what she needed. Sometimes she felt he knew her better than she knew herself.

“Are you ready for lunch? I’m starving,” he said as he pulled out the picnic.