Chapter 13

The next morning, Bailey woke up irrationally angry. She dressed quickly and left the house. She didn't know that John was coming to visit her and as she burned rubber out of her driveway, he spotted her and followed. Bailey drove as fast as she could to Nick's shop where he lived in a small cabin in the rear. She parked and walked with quick steps to his cabin. John spotted her marching behind the shop and parked. Bailey ran up the stairs to the cabin and started beating on the door. "Open up, you pile of shit!" Bailey screamed. "You can't hide forever, you might as well come on out!"

Nick opened the door, his curly hair standing up around his head. Bailey paused, and with fire in her eyes, started swinging at Nick. Pushing him through the living room and punching where she could while he blocked and ducked. Someone behind Bailey grabbed her around the waist and picked her up with ease. Bailey, kicking and screaming and cursing the day Nick was born was promptly carried out of the cabin. She was set on the ground and without hesitating she whirled on her captor. John backed away slightly and grabbed Bailey by the wrists. The questions and frustration swimming in his eyes disarmed her slightly. She then turned her anger on John. "What the hell…" John said as he struggled with Bailey and the last of her adrenaline filled rage. "Stop Bailey, you are going to hurt your ribs worse than before." With one last try, the fight in Bailey drained. Numbness and pain flashed through her. With dead eyes, she looked at John and told him what happened. "He took advantage of me in a weak moment! He kissed me!" Bailey exclaimed.

John dropped Bailey's wrists and went after Nick. Growling, he landed a punch to Nick's eye. They start rolling on the ground throwing punches and cursing. Bailey stood back and watched for a few minutes and just when it looked like Nick was losing, she went in search of the closest water hose. She turned on the valve and stretched the hose from the side of the cabin. Bailey pointed the nozzle at the men and sprayed them with as much force as the hose would allow. The cold water broke them apart and they lay on the ground gasping. "Now guys, I am leaving. Don't start again unless you want the police called on you." Bailey threw over her shoulder as she dropped the hose and walked back to her car.

1

Walking into Bailey's house, all was quiet. The woman never locks her door. That will be her downfall. The mysterious person walked from room to room looking for any and all weapons that Bailey may have handy at any point. Knives in the kitchen…check. Rifle propped up by the door…check. Handgun she had placed in the bedside table…check. Aside from those, there was nothing else the person could see. From out side, the person could hear the rumble of Bailey's engine. As Bailey entered the house, the person exited the house from the back window in the master bath. "I will come back some other time. I have all the time in the world."

2

Bailey entered her house and stopped short. Something was wrong. Some one was here or still here. Ignoring the pain that was finally rearing its ugly head, Bailey reached for the rifle and went through the house room by room. She reached her room and found her bathroom curtain open. "Funny, I never open that curtain." Bailey thought as she closed the curtain. Shrugging, she searched the house. Something didn't seem right. The flowers on her foyer table were off by three inches, her side table drawer was slightly open and her gun had been moved. She entered the kitchen and noticed the knife block was crooked and one of the knives had been laid on the counter. Bailey felt uneasy suddenly. Someone was in her house touching her things, but maybe it was the girls. She stopped long enough to take her medicine while musing over the things that have been moved.

Suddenly, Bailey heard someone outside. The knock on the door almost had Bailey come undone.

She screamed from the kitchen, "Who is it?"

"It's me." Came John's raspy voice. "We need to talk."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Bailey rushes to the door, replaces the rifle in its place by the door, and opens the door for him to come in. Bailey relieved John was here wrapped her arms around his neck and gives him a quick kiss on his lips.

John pulls away and goes to sit on the couch. "Bailey, did you want to kiss Nick?"

"No, of course not. John, I was hurt by what you said at the bar, so yes I did let him kiss me. Trust me, I would not have acted the way I did this morning if I wanted him to kiss me." Bailey said hoping he would see that she was vulnerable and not in her right mind.

"Well, I don't know what to think. You won't tell me anything about your past and he knows everything. Bailey, I need to know. I am falling for you. I don't want to go in blind to a relationship. That shit never works."

Bailey sighed and sat down beside John. "I will only tell you a little bit about my past. Only the stuff I can emotionally handle right now. Two men abused me in my life that should have meant a lot to me in my early years. Then my ex treated me like I was nothing but poop under his shoe." Bailey's eyes were filled with tears threatening to spill over. The pain in her eyes melted the steel walls he had built up around him as she spoke. The pain in her eyes increased and melted John's heart. He grabbed Bailey as she began to sob.

"Oh Bailey. I am so sorry. Take your time to tell me. I promise I won't push anymore." John said as he held Bailey and gently stroked her back.

Bailey pushed away to try to gain some composure. "That's enough for one day. How about we do something else." With a twinkle in her eye, she climbed on John's lap and started kissing his neck. John growled and grabbed her by the waist, stood up and carried her off to the bed. Wrapping her legs around John, she breathed in his scent and sighed. She loved his scent. She loved how she touched him. She loved him. She loved him more than she loved any one she ever claimed to love. The thought made her tense and pause long enough for John to notice.

"You alright?" John asked. "Your ribs, I'm sorry. I almost forgot."

"Yeah, I overdid things a little bit today." Bailey lied. Her pain medicine she took had already kicked in. Her revelation had her panicking. Every man in her life proved her that she couldn't trust a man. First her father verbally, mentally, and at times physically abusing her; then her brother…no, she didn't want to think about it. Her husband even made her feel inadequate and stupid almost every day. Why would she trust another man? Why would she put her heart on the line again for another man who could potentially ruin her? He had to go before she had a full on panic attack.

"I will be fine. Can we save this for another day? I am suddenly very tired. I want to take my medicine and curl up in bed. Do you mind?" Bailey asked, panic was rising in her body like a wildfire.

John took a deep breath and released her and she slid down his body to the floor. "Sure. You must be very mentally drained after this morning and on top of that not feeling well. I will come back later." John leaned in for one last lingering kiss and turned to go. "I will see you tomorrow."

3

John went out to his truck to leave when he felt it. Someone was watching him. He quickly looked around, but didn't see anyone. John shrugged it off and left Bailey's driveway. "Probably some nosy neighbor" John thought. He headed towards the boat to help with the last leg of the transformation of the boat from tendering to crabbing. He arrived in record time, but all work was done. He saw Andy in the wheelhouse and decided to check in.

"Hey brotha! You working on the paper work for the journey south?" John asked as he climbed the stairs to the wheelhouse.

"Hey! Yeah. Where you been?" Andy asked. "Wait, I don't want to know!" He said as he wrinkled his nose.

"HA!" John laughed. "Nah, nothing like that. Just some last minute details before we leave next week."

"Ah, ok. We are going to grandmas tonight so we can visit with her a little early. I am behind on some paperwork and I need to concentrate on that before we shove off." Andy said sounding a little distracted.

"Like always, John doesn't notice. He goes about his day only catering to himself." Andy thought as John slapped him on the back and left the wheelhouse.

"I'll see you later, I am going to get ready to go to grandmas." John called as he exited out on to the deck. He didn't hear what Andy might have said. He was going to take a drive and clear his mind. Bailey's reaction and Andy's sullen mood was bothering him. "Andy doesn't think I notice, I'm sure. I don't want to get in to it. That's all." John thought as he turned on to the Sterling Highway headed towards Anchorage.

4

That night, John seemed in his head like usual. Andy was distracted and Scotty, who finally showed his face, was the only talkative one. John sat back and drank his coffee and listened to his grandmother tell them to be careful and be good. She always told them that. After Andy and Scotty left for a night out, John stuck around to have as private talk with grandma.

"Grandma, can I ask you a question?" John asked.

"Sure, baby. Ask away." Grandma smiled and settled in.

"I have a lady friend who really likes me. I really like her too. In fact, I think I may love her. She keeps pushing me away and acting scared every time I try to build an emotional bond. I know she was abused by the men that should have loved her the most, but do you think that I could over come that?" John asked, looking like a lost puppy dog.

"Well Johnny, I can tell you that this is going to be a tough one. You will need a lot of patience with her and maybe try to understand why she is pushing away. You say she was abused. I am thinking father? Husband?" Grandma asked as she was thinking.

"Both. Her brother as well." John sighed.

"Oh my…" Grandma said. "Take this one slow and patiently." Advised Grandma.

"Thanks, Grandma. I have to go. I will see you when we return from fishing." John said as he pressed a kiss to his grandmother's cheek.

"Alright Johnny. You be safe and be good!" Grandma called after John. She shook her head and sighed. "What am I going to do with him?" She said as she locked her doors and turned out the lights.