Thanksgiving Weekend Part Five

John ordered some food and took the tray back to the room. She was talking in her sleep. "Stop! Don't hurt Daniel! Please leave him alone, don't hurt my baby! Daniel!!"

"Beth? Beth, wake up. You are talking in your sleep," John said, thinking that the nightmares have started again."

Beth looked at him. She tried to smile but the pain was still vivid. Then she remembered that she had been kicked again. Her look made John put the food on the table. He climbed in bed and gently lifted her in his arms. She buried her face in his chest. He so wanted to call out he needed a favor. He needed them gone!

She looked up at him, "I lost another baby, haven't I?"


"Yes, he said quietly, "seven weeks." They both quietly counted back. John didn't know if it made it any easier knowing it was his baby or not. They laid there for awhile.

"Beth, we will find him and he will stay in jail this time," John said. He was thinking though only if he isn't 6 feet under first.

Beth smiled weakly. "I want some food now."

They ate quietly. Beth hoping not to fall asleep but wanting the pain to go away, physically and mentally. She looked over at John he was in another place.

"I would like to change out of this hospital gown. Would you help me?"

He nodded.

"My night gown is in the bag."

He retrieved it and untied her gown. She let it fall and he gasped, a full shoe mark bruise on her back. "Did they take a picture of your back?"

"Yes."

he helped her with the gown. She laid down again, "Does Nickie know to stay away from the lighthouse? He will keep coming back, he told me so when he was kicking me."

"Are you remembering? And I told Rand to tell her."

"Yes, I remember why my head didn't get bruised. He punched me in my stomach and knocked me down. I grabbed my head as he shoved me down to...to.. rape me. Oh, please tell me they gave me the stuff to kill a rapist chances of making a baby?

"I think so. They did a rape kit on you."

She turned and buried her face in her pillow. John laid beside her and stroked her face. She rolled over and looked at him.."How can you still look at me?"

"Oh, Beth, I love you so. What he did was awful but he did it to you. You have nothing to be ashamed of." He leaned down and kissed her passionately..


Meanwhile, Nickie woke up. It was a beautiful night. She could see the lighthouse from the condo. There seemed to be someone there. So she called security for the island and asked them to check it out. Then she went back to sleep.

Next morning Tyler had to go to the restaurant. He made plans with Nickie to meet him for lunch at the condo.. Nickie decided to go to the lighthouse to check it out. She was half way there when she finally turned her phone back on. She saw the message. She was listening to the message while she walked. She stopped dead in her tracks. The hair on her neck raised. The message was from Rand, "Stay away from the light! New info about the Light.. Please call me!!! Don't go towards the light!" She took the phone down and started walking towards the sea. There was someone walking from the lighthouse. Her heart was racing. How could she get back to the restaurant. She was too far away. She didn't know what to do. She put her hands in her coat jacket and prepped the pepper spray. The man kept walking past her towards the restaurant. He had a hat on and his face down so she couldn't see his face. Now what should she do, go back to the restaurant following him or go towards the lighthouse where the other new info might be. Rand had his reasons. She waited for the man to get ahead of her far enough that she could get away from him if she has to. She kept looking over her shoulder she just wanted to be in the condo. She went the back way and went up to the condo. Nickie locked all the doors and windows then called Rand.

"I got your message. Tell me what is new with the polar bears?"

"Hi there the slopes are nice. Can't wait until you get here! Very sad news about the polar bears. I will tell you when you get here. My friend really wants to talk to you. Something he wants checked out. But he was emphatic about staying away from the light."

"I saw a light last night and called security. I saw a man coming from the light and is here at the restaurant today. I will be there midweek. Thanks for the update."

Tyler came up after lunch. He brought some food with him. Nickie let him in after identifying him. She had told him about the man and the message from Rand.

He had a man that came in that was new to the island. He had taken off his coat and one of the waiters noticed prison tats on his arm. They were commenting about it in the kitchen. Tyler said he told them he was the new caretaker at the lighthouse. I think you need to tell Richard, Bailey and Chris to stay away.

Nickie gulped. She had not thought about them being in any danger. She called them from Tyler's land line. Richard was in shock. He asked how they were doing? Nickie was brief and said they were fine. Chris sounded concerned and really nice..Nickie asked him to spend Christmas with her, he jumped at the chance. Bailey was still at sea. He thanked her for the info. She could hear a woman in the background.

Tyler put the food down on the table. Nickie sat down. The food was delicious. The dessert was even better. Of course, it was Tyler. Nickie couldn't believe that here she was in the nude with a gorgeous man as the wind blew a cold winter storm in. Tyler did not want to leave her. He called to the restaurant to make sure the man went back to the lighthouse. He had. Nickie locked the condo behind him. Tyler had put more wood on the fire. Nickie grabbed the medical chart that Richard gave her when she took them to the airport. Richard had not been forthcoming. she called her brother and told him what she was reading. He told her he would find out what he could about her friend's past.

Nickie decided it would be okay to go down to the restaurant for dinner. She called Richard and invited him then called for reservations for a private table in the back. She didn't want to be overheard about what she was going to ask him.