Circumstance Read online

  2017

  Circumstance

  Copyright © 2017 Wicked Publishing.

  First Edition

  Published through Wicked Publishing LLC 2017

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance of actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission

  Credits

  Editor: Liz Borino

  Cover Design by Shiralyn Lee

  Dedication

  Circumstance is dedicated to the memory of David John Paull, my Blood Brother and best friend, always.

  1983 - 2015

  Acknowledgements

  This book came about when I became the unofficial cheerleader of Ronni Meyrick after I read her book, Hero. I loved the book so much, I pestered her, along with her publishers, to write a sequel. What I didn’t realise then, was that every action has a consequence, and after Ronni agreed to write her sequel, Shiralyn Lee challenged me to write a book of my own! Given that I’m not one to run from challenges, I immediately said yes, setting me on a wild and exciting road that led to Circumstance being born. I soon realised that I knew absolutely nothing about writing a book, but with the help of Dawn Carter and Shiralyn Lee of Wicked Publishing, and also, Ronni Meyrick (we are now known as the Terrible Twins!) I’ve learned quickly! Thank you for taking the chance on me and giving me the opportunity of a life time.

  Many thanks go to the friends, family and colleagues who’ve either egged me on or helped me with technical information. In no particular order, thank you to: WPC Claire Wilding for her expertise in police protocol and what would happen in certain legal situations Jackie Longdon for pointing me in the right direction on some aspects of mental health management. My good friend, Frank Horner, for being my biggest cheerleader when editing has threatened to overwhelm me, and my mother, Jean Charlton, the strongest and most inspiring woman I know. I wouldn’t be who I am if it wasn’t for you.

  Biggest thanks, as always, must go to my partner Karen, who takes everything in her stride and believes in me no matter what I take on. No one else would sit and trawl through the mental health act with me and roll around on the floor plotting fight scenes until we’re both bruised and battered, late into the night. I love you.

  CIRCUMSTANCE

  Chapter 1

  The wheels screeching against the tarmac as the plane landed pulled Helen Kennedy from the dark thoughts that had plagued her since she’d boarded. She took a deep breath I’ve finally made it, she thought, as the doors opened towards passport control. All she had to do was clear through security, pick up her luggage and she’d be on her way to begin the process of rebuilding her life after losing her wife to cancer.

  Throwing her carry-on bag over her shoulder, she made her way across the tarmac, the mix of jet fuel and the evening humidity made it hard for her to breathe. It was a relief to find the limo driver she’d hired was waiting just outside the glass door. Her journey was almost complete.

  Once in her suite, she opened the balcony door and stepped out. With each breath, she inhaled the salty air. She closed her eyes, and for the first time in months, she felt at peace. Her stomach rumbled, which reminded her she hadn’t eaten all day. Letting out a moan, she took a step backward and inhaled one last deep breath before closing the door. As much as she hated eating in hotel restaurants, she had no choice. It was that or grab a burger from a drive-through, and she’d worked too hard to maintain her athletic figure. One quick glance in the mirror, she combed her fingers through her short blonde waves. The corner of her mouth inched up slightly. Even at thirty-nine, I’m still a sexy bitch. Her mood instantly changed when she glanced at the urn on the bed and her hunger pains subsided. She had other important things to do than eat.

  Urn in hand, Helen walked along the shore. The reflection of the moon shimmered across the ocean. The breath-taking scene would normally have made her happy, but the circumstances of releasing her wife’s ashes along their favourite stretch of beach, made the reason for her being there sorrowful.

  Standing firm upon the boulders, she opened the lid and sprinkled some of the ashes in her hand, making it the final time she connected with her wife. This was it. Time to say goodbye, but she had no idea how. She’d lost everything that meant everything to her in a single moment. “I love you, Meg,” her words punched through her sob. She dropped to her knees, her tears mixed with the ashes as she cast them into the swelling waves. As the ashes flowed on the surface of the water, for brief second, it almost looked like the silhouette of Meg’s body with her hand in the air, waving farewell. Helen smiled until the form dissipated under the current.

  ****

  Helen woke with tears streaming down her face, the sheets tangled around her body as sweat drenched every inch of her. She fought to calm her breathing. Just a nightmare. Just the same damned nightmare that had tormented her for the past year. Throwing the sheets off her body, she climbed out of bed, crossed the room, and opened the mini bar fridge. Naked, she sat out on the balcony and sipped her whisky, letting the sounds of the ocean soothe her soul. The warm breeze brushed over her skin. She sighed deeply. Is this nightmare ever really end? All she wanted was normalcy back in her life.

  Chapter 2

  Helen loved nothing more than people watching, especially when they’re so engrossed in their own conversation. She stretched her tanned legs out in front of her, pursing her lips, she relaxed back and exhaled. This is the life! Year-round hot weather, the sea, an abundance of sand to walk through bare-footed, and well, who knows what else I’ll find when I embark on my solo adventure.

  She took a sip of her ice-cold ouzo and spotted a lone woman seated at a table toward the end of the patio. She looked tired and on edge with a glass of red wine in her hand and the remains of a small dinner pushed to one side in front of her.

  Helen looked for signs of a companion, though everything about her and the props in front of her suggested she was alone. Interesting. Helen let her gaze wander over the full lips, bright eyes and aquiline nose that gave the perfect face a hint of lopsided character. The tanned, toned body also suggested this stranger took good care of herself.

  Listening to the hubbub of the other guests sitting around their tables, conversing in French, German, Swedish and a smattering of English, Helen took pleasure in trying to pick out words. Tonight, though, she kept finding her eyes drawn back to the brunette.

  Another scan of the room, she tapped cigarillo from the box on the table and popped it between her lips, not lighting it as she looked down at her the vintage Colibri lighter in her hand. It had been a gift from her father when she made partner in her first GP practise, almost twenty years ago. Practicing medicine gave her purpose, but she’d never thought about death until she lost Meg. It was a sudden realization she wasn’t invincible.

  •••

  The sun caressed Helen’s skin a she lounged in her patio chair, a cigarillo in one hand and a double espresso cooling in front of her. She loved the way the early morning sun shimmered on the swimming pool at this time of morning. It gave off an ethereal glow as it bounced off the tanned bodies of the die-hard sun worshippers already soaking up the rays at eight-thirty in the morning.

  Her peace was suddenly shattered as her chair was jarred sharply from behind and a cold glass of juice spilled over her shoulder and into her lap. Chaos ensued as she jumped up, trying to swipe off as much of the sticky liquid as she could. A husky female voice cut through her surprise, apologising repeatedly in a refined English accent. Helen broke into laughter and looked up into the green eyes that belonged to t
he dark-haired stranger she admired from afar the night before. The woman offered to help as Helen wiped her hands down on her soaked shorts.

  “Hey, it’s okay. It’s an accident, accidents happen,” Helen reassured, as she directed the still mute woman to sit. “Really it’s okay. The shorts cost me around a fiver and I think the top was about two quid, plus they’ll both wash and I have a case full of spares.”

  The brunette’s features finally softened, and the invisible marionette strings that had been holding her upright seemed to be magically cut as she slumped in her chair and covered her face with both hands.

  Helen couldn’t make out whether she was laughing or crying as she waited for the woman to speak. Slowly, the hands slid from her face and a small smile pulled at the corner of the full mouth. “Not the most perfect start to my day. I guess, I didn’t get anywhere near enough sleep last night. I hope you’ll let me pay for the laundry service to take care of those.” Her voice trailed when she looked into Helen’s eyes and quickly looked down. “Here I go being rude again. My name’s Kathy Harland and I’m so sorry for ruining your morning.”

  The woman’s modulated tones made Helen’s stomach flip flop in a way a stranger hadn’t in a hell of a long time. She coughed several times before you could speak, “Really, it’s fine. Drink your coffee, calm yourself down and join me for breakfast, yes? Unless you’re waiting for someone?” Helen knew it was a blatant probe but it was a good a way to learn a little more about her cool customer.

  Kathy pursed her lips, as though trying to formulate an answer that wouldn’t bring too many questions. “No, I’m not waiting for anyone.”

  Breakfast was long and relaxing as the two women made light conversation over courses of coffee, fruit and sweet Greek delicacies. They shared little details about themselves, how long they’d been on the island and how long they were planning on staying, though Kathy still appeared cool, reserved. Helen had never been one for women who played hard to get but something about this nervous ice queen made her want scratch the surface and see who the woman was under the tough exterior. Way to go, Kennedy, she thought as she regarded Kathy with a sideways glance. Pick the hardest woman in the place to focus your damned libido on.

  The only time Kathy seemed to open up is when she admitted that she had wanted to run and hide when her flip flop had caught on the leg of the chair, sending half of her beverage sailing through the air. She admitted how relieved she’d been when Helen had laughed, before guiding her into a spare chair and offering to top up the glass for her.

  ***.

  The day had went better than planned, it had been so long since she’d interacted with a stranger, much less held a full conversation with one. Kathy had no idea why, but she instantly liked Helen, and When Helen led the conversation, Kathy was grateful allowing her to lull into an easy silence between brief and unimportant chit chat. That gave her a chance to formulate topics, but her mind kept wondering back to why Helen was there alone, she seemed far too attractive to not have an admirer or partner on her arm.

  The intrusive thoughts alarmed Kathy. She had enough going on in her life, without finding a stranger sexually appealing. Besides, she didn’t even know if this woman was gay. She laughed inwardly. Who am I kidding? This woman set her gaydar off big time, the silver thumb ring and the hint of an interlocking female symbol tattoo poking out of the shoulder strap of a well-toned shoulder blade. She wondered if she was being subtle as she observed Helen’s profile. She had obvious crows’ feet around her eyes and mouth, but it appeared to add to her beauty, not detract from it. Her slightly crooked Roman nose and mole above her left eye made her face beautifully imperfect – a landscape that could be explored for hours.

  Kathy caught herself and a wave of panic rose in her belly. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t let herself fall blind into a situation that could let anyone get that close again. She stood fast, pushing her chair back with a loud scrape, threw her napkin down on the table and made a rambling excuse as she darted away from the table and towards the restaurant behind them.

  ***

  Helen sat stunned. The sudden and frantic departure of her breakfast companion left her scratching her head. This was the second time in a few hours that she had crashed in and out of interactions with her.

  ***

  Helen opened her eyes, a pool of sweat formed between the curves of her breasts. With a towel clung to her chest, she sat up and looked around. It had been two days and Kathy was still nowhere in sight. She had no idea what she’d done to chase her off, but there was no way that woman was going to ruin her vacation.

  Once changed into dry clothes, she threw on her cap and took herself out in the direction of the old town. She’d been visiting Rhodes for the past six years – always the same hotel, always the same faces. She loved the familiarity of the place, the friendliness of the locals and the gentle pace of life. It was a wonderful way of decompressing from her busy life as a GP back in Newcastle. She loved her job, but a busy medical practise made for a busy life.

  She ambled through the narrow-cobbled streets of the Medieval town, dancing around throngs of tourists who were desperate to spend their hard-earned euros in the myriad gift shops, clothes shops and bars that crammed the winding streets. She made her way towards the top of the walled town, to the café-bar that she’d frequented since she’d started to holiday here.

  Ianis stood as he always did, beside the chalk board that advertised beer for two euros and cocktails for three. He saw her approaching and held out his arms, a broad smile brightening his swarthy features. “Kalimera, my friend!” He pulled her into a warm bear hug, his damp shirt stretching across his ample stomach.

  Helen allowed herself to be led to a table and listened as Ianis shouted through into the back of the café for two double espressos and a plate of stuffed vine leaves. “You here alone this year, my friend?” he asked as he lit a cigarillo for her and a cigarette for herself.

  Helen inhaled deeply as she tapped the ash on the side of the ashtray. “I am, indeed. This is my thirty-ninth birthday gift to myself. I think it’s what Meg would have wanted.”

  Ianis’ thick black eyebrows knitted together in a frown. “My English may not be perfect, but, past tense, Helen?”

  Helen’s eyes clouded and sadness crept into her voice. “I lost her three weeks before Christmas, Ianis. The cancer came back. She died within two months of the diagnosis. I think she’d lost the will to fight it for a third time.”

  The big man reached across the table and squeezed her hand tightly as a tear slid down her cheek. Coming back alone was one of the hardest things she’d ever done.

  Chapter 3

  Silence occupied the space around Kathy, she didn’t know how secluded she’d been until spending the short time with Helen. She’d appeared rude, and most probably a little bit crazy when she ran off with no explanation. Even though she felt comfortable around her new friend, she found herself in a vulnerable position, and that was something she couldn’t deal with. The island had become an escape to her current situation, and because she’d not slept, and couldn’t eat, it had left her sick and unnerved. This had all been caused by an unknown stalker. Even though she’d changed her number, the threatening messages in the middle of the night continued, and the dark shadow stalking outside her bedroom window had become more frequent, but by the time the police arrived, the intruder was gone.

  Having foregone the lift, she’d taken the stairs, two at a time to get to her room on the fourth floor faster. It was times like this she struggled to breathe, nothing she’d done in the past calmed her, and today was no different. With her back against the door, she slid down and pulled her knees into her chest. Tears built and streamed down her face, leaving a trace where they’d stained her foundation.

  A tap on the door caused her to jump. “Room service,” a female voice called out.

  “Can you do it later?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” the voice replied.

  “Wait,
” Kathy called out. She needed to pull herself from the self-induced state she’d spiralled into, and this was the perfect opportunity to shake the dark mood. She stumbled to her feet, and opened the door. The woman was already on her way down the hall, but swiftly turned around. Kathy apologised and allowed the maid to enter her room. “I just need clean towels, that’s all.”

  The maid took two plush white towels from her cart and headed straight to the bathroom. She removed the used towels and when she left the room, threw them into the laundry hamper and made her way to the elevator.

  ***

  It had been sixteen months since she’d broken up with Anna, and Kathy didn’t know whether she found it liberating or terrifying.

  She relaxed on a floating air mattress, the water rippled around her, causing her to bob slightly, but her peace was broken when a man dived in, and a wave splashed over her. Coughing, and ready to give the idiot a piece of her mind, she pushed herself upright, and wiped the chlorine from her eyes. Then a firm hand took hold of her arm as she floundered in the water. Before she could speak, her gaze was drawn towards familiar blue eyes.

  Helen’s perfectly shaped eyebrow rose as she grinned at the slender woman before her. “No, but I am sorry. I should really pay attention when the signs say no diving, except I was in too much of a hurry to cool off. Anyway, water polo’s about to start, would you like to take part?”

  Before Kathy could answer, Helen pulled her into the centre of the pool.

  The game was fast and furious as the young German guys took the game seriously. Kathy was dunked under the water more than once and found it strangely liberating to scrabble with complete strangers, roughhousing in a way that she hadn’t since she was a kid.