Chapter One
Jessica held on to the rock jutting out while trying to pull her small flashlight from her pocket. The water was halfway to her knees and rising swiftly. She and George had decided to spend the day on the beach and a silly argument had her storming away from him. He told her earlier not to visit the caves because they weren't always accessible and they flooded quite often due to the whims of the tide. There were also Danger and Keep Out signs posted. Of course, when she stormed off, she decided to do just that and had traveled quite far inside when she realized she was lost.
She shone the light all around but did not discover an exit…wait! Up on top of the largest rock was another cave. There was a small plateau about eight feet below the cave and she tried to climb high enough to stand on it. The water continued to rise and by the time she reached the plateau the water was only three feet below the landing.
She considered trying to wait to see if the water continued to rise or maybe she could use the water to swim until it reached the floor of the cave. She was becoming desperate and worried about drowning, in the cave, alone. She stretched as high as she could and realized she was nearly two feet below the cave no matter how hard she reached. There was nowhere for a foothold either. She wanted to give way to tears but she was stubborn and refused. She would get out of this mess.
George looked around the beach one more time. Jessica was nowhere to be found. He called her cell phone but it was on the blanket next to him. She had walked off without her beach bag. He couldn't believe they had gotten upset over a book. A book he didn't even care about one bit. She wanted to read for a while and he wanted to get in the water with her. Afterall, she could read in her room at the hotel. They came to the beach to spend time together. Now he realized how stupid and nonsensical their argument was and he wanted to find her and apologize.
An hour later he was fighting off the panic he was feeling inside. He had gone back to the hotel but she wasn't in her room or his and hadn't left a message. No matter how angry she might be she would never try to worry him and it was nearly dinner time. He had dropped off their belongings and changed his clothes. When the sun went down it would be cooler. People were leaving the beach when he returned to the sands so it was easier to see she wasn't in the water or on the sand. He decided to walk toward the food establishments dotting the perimeter but she wasn't having a drink or sitting at a table eating either. Now he was very worried. His training at New Scotland Yard kicked in. Panic and worry wouldn't help. It was too soon to report her missing but he could do a methodical search for her.
Think, Sutherland, think. The only place he hadn't gone was to the cliffs where the caves were. Surely she wouldn't have gone there. Knowing how stubborn his lass could be he decided to have a look. He entered the caves on a run. Shining his flashlight he followed the current, keeping as dry as he could until he had no choice but to enter the water. Fortunately he had searched these very caves many times over the years and knew his way from start to finish. His worry was she could get stuck in an alcove or the water could sweep her away, bashing her body against the stone and rock on the sides of the caves.
He was more than halfway through when he started shouting her name. He would blink the lights on his flashlight several times and wait a minute before moving again. His prayers were automatic as he called out her name. He didn't know what he would do if something happened to her.
The water was up to her chest now. It was starting to move faster as well and she didn't know how long she could cling to the rock. She saw flickering light on occasion but shouting for help hadn't done anything. She had thought she would be able to swim to the cave entrance but the water would push her away instead of forward. She wished she was with George. She pulled out her flashlight again. She wondered if she could toss it into the cave entrance while the light was on. It might illuminate the entrance and with the water rising she wouldn't be able to hold it in her hand while clinging to the rock. She needed both hands most of the time now.
She put it on its brightest beam and swung the flashlight in an arc hoping it was visible to someone before she used an underhand throw and heard it land above her. She saw light! It was shining, although it might only last 30 minutes or so before the battery ran down.
She began calling for help again. The flashes of light returned and she screamed as loud as she could. She heard someone shouting her name! George!
George noticed a strong beam of light coming from below. The cave he was in ended with a ten foot drop so he carefully crawled forward until he was at the edge. Looking down, he saw Jessica up to her shoulders in the water. She was struggling to keep hold of the rock.
Thank goodness! He eased down as far as he could go before dropping the final four feet. He was prepared for the raging currents and was able to wrap his body around Jessica's.
"Let's get you up," He said while trying to lift her up. "Just float, Jessie, don't fight the current. I've got you, love."
Jessica tried to relax and float and she found herself rising until she could crawl forward into the cave. She turned around and looked down. George was slowly climbing upward by bracing his arms and legs on the rocks. He slipped several times but finally managed to reach her. They were breathing hard and she could see where he scraped his arms on the rocks.
"We aren't safe yet, let's go," George scrambled up to stand and helped Jessica to do the same. He was breathing heavily. He wrapped a bloody arm around her waist and helped her stay on her feet as they trudged through the cave until they reached a fork.
"Are you sure?" she asked as George turned to the left and upward.
"This will take us to the top of the cliffs," he answered. Ten minutes later they reached an opening and they were out.
Jessica was soaked and chilled. Her bathing suit top was barely holding on so George took off his shirt and gave it to her. She stared at it dumbly so he put it over her head for her. He gave her a fierce hug and she clung to him. He had her sit on a boulder and told her to stay put before running off. He returned quickly and a few minutes later an ambulance drove up.
Aside from some bruises, there were no broken or injured bones. They warmed her up with blankets and told her she would have to spend the night but she balked. She was embarrassed about the whole ordeal and just wanted to go back to the hotel. George insisted she remain though and took the choice out of her hands. His face had been unyielding and she knew not to push it any further.
Jessica had to admit that she was happy she was in the hospital when she woke up. Her entire body was stiff and moving was painful. A nurse helped her shower and looking at her bruises made her sigh. She didn't even recall getting so many. George called to say he would be by to take her back to the hotel in the next hour and it took most of that time just to dress in the clothing the hospital provided. The pain reliever and muscle relaxers helped but she was warned she would be sore for some time.
She sat in the chair by the bed and thought about George. She owed him an apology and a huge thank you for saving her life. They hadn't spoken much about anything at the hospital due to all the bustling about and the emergency room doctor had insisted on looking over George as well. They cleaned his scrapes on his arms and put antiseptic on them. He, however, didn't have to stay the night.
George was grim faced when he arrived. He efficiently saw to her discharge and he drove her back to the hotel without comment other than to ask how she was feeling. Jessica chewed on her lip as she glanced at George. He was not happy and she had a gut feeling that he was not happy with her specifically.
They walked slowly to the elevator once they arrived at their hotel. All Jessica wanted to do was have a soak in a tub with the hottest water she could stand.
George filled the tub with water while she took another pain reliever and at his urging drank a glass of orange juice from the refrigerator in her room.
"Is there anything else you need?" he asked, coming from her bathroom.
"I'll be fine now," she answered. "George, thank you." She reached out slowly to touch his arm. "I'm so sorry I disregarded your advice. Can we talk after my bath?"
"Yes," he agreed. He urged her into the bathroom and left through the door adjoining their rooms. He was stiff and sore as well but he chose to stretch and followed it with a glass of scotch even if it wasn't noon yet.
The soak helped immensely and Jessica did some light stretching of her legs to help her poor muscles. Her arms were very painful from clinging to the rock for so long and she couldn't stretch them out. She tried to sit up to get out of the tub but her arms were like noodles and still so very sore. She didn't want to stay in the tub once the water cooled because she would stiffen even further. Groaning because this was sure to be embarrassing, she called out to George.
"Jessie? What is it?" He called from the other side of the door.
"I can't get out of the tub," she answered miserably. She crossed her arms over her chest and brought her knees up.
George opened the door and approached the tub. Grabbing a large towel, he unfolded it and tucked it under his neck. Reaching down he lifted her from under her arms, stood her, and wrapped the towel around her before helping her out. Her face was pink but he pretended not to notice.
"Do you need help walking? Are you steady?" he asked gently.
"I can manage," she stammered.
George arched an eyebrow. It was obvious to him that she would need help. "Normally, I would look around for another woman that could assist you but I think we can manage without one."
He went back into her room and opened one of the dresser drawers. He pulled out a cotton nightgown and returned to the bathroom. He put the gown over her head and helped her get her arms through. After it fell to her knees, he tugged on the towel and let it fall to the floor. He helped her to the sink and urged her to do what she wanted while he drained the tub. He heard her brushing her teeth and when the water was off he turned back to her. She was gripping the sink and he hurried over to support her. Her face was bright red now.
"Do you need the loo?" he asked. At her nod, he walked her over and left the room. She moaned quietly as she lowered herself, she couldn't help it. Finished, she flushed and tried to rise but she couldn't manage. She couldn't rise just using her legs and her arms were useless. There was no end to her embarrassment. She just wanted to get into bed. Events were catching up to her and she knew she would be in tears soon. She hoped George would leave her in peace for a while so she could get her emotions under control.
"George," she called softly.
He pushed the partially opened door and entered. She had managed to maintain her modesty so he only had to lift her up which he did without fuss. Skipping the hand washing he walked her over to her bed and helped her in. He adjusted her pillows for her and covered her with another blanket.
"I'm just going to nap," she said, laying her head on the pillow. She noticed he was wearing a pair of pajamas so he must have had the same idea. She was surprised when he walked over to the other side and got in. She grabbed at the blanket and held it to her neck.
"George?"
"I helped you out of the tub and off the loo, lass. There's no reason to let you cry alone when I can be here to hold you," he replied. He scooted close to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He heard her shuddering sigh before the floodgates opened. Rubbing her back, he let her cry herself to sleep. He was so very thankful he could hold her in his arms. He almost lost her and while he was able to sort through his feelings last night, he was still filled with unsettling emotions. He closed his eyes. He needed a nap as well.