CHAPTER 12: THE TALK

Cait woke up the next morning feeling more rested than she had in a long time. String had stayed with her all night sleeping in her spare bedroom. He had fixed her a small dinner and saw to it that she ate. She fell asleep again after that and no more was mentioned about their earlier discussion. She put on her robe and slippers that had magically appeared by her bed and smiled wondering when he had laid them out for her. She made her way into the living room expecting to see String, instead she spotted a note on the kitchen counter by the coffee pot that he knew she would head to first. Her heart sank, she was wondering when he would leave putting distance between them even though he said he wasn't going to leave her alone. As she read the note she smiled, it read "Cait, caffeine is not good for a concussion. I took your coffee with me. I put some orange juice in the refrigerator and a bag of your favorite croissants from the bakery are on the table. I'm at the hanger if you need me. I'll be back later."

She sat the note down feeling bad that she had doubted his word. She had been very hard on him since he returned. She wasn't excusing what he did but she understood what he had been going through. Just as she finished her juice the doorbell rang. Looking through the peep hole she saw Dom standing there with a bag from the doughnut shop.

"Hey sweetheart, how ya feelin?" He asked as he stepped inside. Holding up the bag he grinned. "I figured String has you on a healthy diet and you could use something good to eat."

Cait laughed, "Well he has turned into quite the prison guard, even stole my coffee this morning so I couldn't drink it." Dom laughed out loud.

Cait took the doughnuts and went to the kitchen to pour Dom a glass of juice to go with his. He really wasn't supposed to be eating them but he had been getting good reports from his doctor so one doughnut was not going to kill him. She knew Dom was really there to see how she was and ask about yesterday. He had been in San Diego yesterday when it happened. Dom took the juice and sat at the small dining room table in the living room. He patted an empty seat. "Sit down Cait, I want to talk to you." Cait wasn't upset, she knew he was worried and he was entitled to know what had happened.

"String told me about yesterday before he left the hanger this morning. Cait you could have been killed. Now before you say anything, I want you to hear me out and hear me out good." Cait smiled. "Yes Dom I'm listening."

"What happened yesterday was my fault." Cait looked up surprised as she attempted to disagree. "Dom" was all she got out.

"Cait just listen to me for once without arguing." "For the last year you've been like my own daughter and I love you like you were. You have been taking care of me and Santini Air and helping Doc. The problem is you haven't been taking care of you. I should have seen that. I was so wrapped up in the business and String leaving that I didn't see what it was doing to you."

Cait reached over and put her hand on his. "Don't forget that you also lost Saint John, I think sometimes we all forget that he was also your son the same as String." Dom heaved back a big sigh as tears trickled down his face. Neither one said anything for a minute. He patted Cait's hand.

"Thanks for that Cait, you're right, I don't think even String knows how Sinj's death affected me. I lost two son's the day we got the news. But that doesn't excuse neglecting you."

Cait got up from the table to pour Dom another glass of juice. "Dom, now it's your turn to listen to me. I stayed and did what I did because I wanted to and most importantly because I love you. Neither one of us really knew how to handle what happened. We both did the best we could. And If I may say so myself, I think we both did a good job."

Dom held up the glass of juice. "Here, here, I'll drink to that. Now back to you young lady. I'm letting you know that I am grounding you for more than the week that the Doctor said, I want you taking it easy for a month."

"Oh" was all she could say not making eye contact. Then she spoke, "Dom are you in trouble with the studio over this?"

Dom took her hand and spoke to her as sincerely as he could. "This has nothing to do with the accident Cait. This is one hundred percent about you needing to take a break for a while. The studio's only concern was your wellbeing. We still have the contract for the stunt. The director called this morning and said the shoot could wait another month."

Cait felt relief. It had been worrying her since the accident that she had cost Dom the business. Dom wanting to lighten the mood abruptly changed the subject. "So, it seems to me that String has been pretty attentive to you the past week" he said as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

Cait's smile left her face. "Don't read anything into it Dom. It's just his protective nature kicking in."

Dom disagreed. "Oh, I don't know about that Cait. I think there is more to it than that."

Cait got up from the table taking the glasses from the table. She returned with a sponge wiping up the crumbs. "Dom, I don't want to let myself go there. My heart wouldn't survive being hurt by him again. When he left, I promised myself I would get over him. I may still love him but I have moved on. No more hoping he will one day love me the way I loved him."

Dom noticed she said "loved him" instead of love. He hoped he was right about the change in String and also hoped he did something about it and soon before Cait fully shut her heart off to him for good.

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String pulled up to Doc's house. He was going to head back to check on Cait but Dom had told him he was heading over there so he decided now was a good time to talk to Doc about Cait. He figured if anyone could help her it would be the man she loved and trusted. A pang of hurt hit his belly when he thought about it. She was in love with his friend but he loved her enough to let her go. That is what she had done for him. Before he knocked on the door it opened.

"Hawke, what are you doing here? Making sure I'm still alive and kickin? Come on in, I was just making me some lunch. Lucky for you it's tuna salad."

String stepped in the house looking around. "The place still looks the same and I don't mean that in a good way."

Doc laughed, "yeah I know, it could use a woman's touch." Doc regretted the comment as soon as he said it. String was good at hiding his emotions but he could tell that one hurt. He knew String falsely believed that Cait was in love with him. He needed to set things straight but thought maybe some competition would put a fire under his stubborn butt when it came to Cait.

The two sat eating their lunch in between bites catching up on small talk. Doc figured his visit wasn't about small talk. "String you want to tell me why you're really here?"

String was glad he got to the point of the visit. He didn't know how to approach Doc about Cait.

"I'm worried about Cait."

Doc figured as much. "How is she doing? I wanted to stop by and see her when she was feeling up to it. Did you find out why the accident happened?"

Thirty minutes later Doc sat speechless. He couldn't believe that Cait was almost raped by their captures and she said nothing to him about it. He was also feeling guilty over contributing to her exhaustion. After all she had been helping him the past six months and then she stayed with him in Mexico until they released him from the hospital.

String saw that Doc was deep in thought trying to digest what he just told him. He knew he was probably feeing guilt the same as he did over Cait. "Doc, it won't' do her any good worrying over what you could have done differently, she needs you now. That's the only reason I betrayed her confidence and told you what happened."

Doc snapped out of his thoughts. "What I can do for her now? What makes you think I'm the one she needs?"

String was taken back by his outburst and confused as well. "Because she's in love with you, didn't you know it?"

Doc put both hands on his head. "Hawke, I swear sometimes I think when it comes to love you are the dumbest man on earth. Cait's not in love with me and believe me it's not because I didn't try with her, Lord knows I tried. Though not at first. I knew she was hurt over you leaving with Caroline so I wanted to make sure she was over you before I made my move."

String was in disbelief as he listened to Doc. Cait was not in love with Doc. "What happened, I mean when you let her know how you felt?"

Doc shrugged his shoulders. "She said the one thing that every guy hates to hear, let's not ruin our friendship."

String felt bad for him but could not help the grin. "Ouch, that must have hurt."

Picking up their lunch plates and depositing them in the sink Doc replied, "Hey I had a choice. I could run off and lick my wounds or keep the best friend a man could have. Now what I want to know from you String, do you want her as a best friend or something more. And if it's something more then you are asking the wrong guy for help. It's you Cait needs right now."

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Caroline tried to adjust herself in the seat. Even in first class a flight this long was not comfortable no matter where you sat. It would all be worth it once she was with String again she thought. One thing she had learned since he left, Stringfellow Hawke was not the kind of Man you soon forget. No matter what it took she would get him back.