Adrian's Eagles: Book Four (Life After War) by Angela White Page A

close and warm, Kendle leaned in to place a soft kiss on his jaw. “Thank you.”
    He let the worry out a little, gruff tone covering his response to her action.   “Stay close.”
    Kendle watched him move back and tie the other end of the rope around his own waist, leaving them about four foot of space. She laughed, “Like I could get far in this setup.”
    Luke didn’t grin back. If not for them being out of so much, he’d put his foot down and stay here. This was a two day trek and funny things were happening on the island. Besides the missing women and fruitless searches, there were also rumors of townspeople seeing non-residents in the jungle that fled when spotted. There had also been two people who swore they had heard boat engines over the last week.
    He and Kendle had only been in town for a little while, but there had been more of the residents there at one time than Luke had ever seen. Each of the small rooms the shopkeepers sometimes rented out were full of their neighbors who lived in the more isolated areas. Bad times had found their way to Pitcairn Island after all, he thought.
    Luke set an easy pace and for a while, there were only the sounds of the island around them. Kendle let her mind wander. She was still so grateful to be on land that it was common to find her staring at the sand or trees for long minutes. Being surrounded by nature was a sedative to her nerves that increased when they continued to get further from the roar of the ocean. She was looking forward to the liquid death not being the first thing she heard upon waking for once and her steps were light. She’d survived and she wasn’t alone. It was still enough to make her happy and she followed contentedly, enjoying the sights and smells.
    Luke was glad to be able to give her something she wanted, but he still wished he could have left her at the cabin. The searches for the missing women had only taken him away for a few hours of whacking and insult ducking, but there was no way he could stand to leave her unprotected for two entire days. Now that they were out here though, the feeling of danger was only getting stronger. Even so many years out of action couldn’t dull the instincts he had once trusted his life to and LJ sped them up a little, hand staying close to the sheath on his belt.
    In his hurry to get her someplace safer, Luke stepped over the very shallow grave without recognizing it for what it was. Whoever had put it there hadn’t been concerned with the body staying buried.
     
     
    2
    An hour later, the feeling of menace had faded and the afternoon started with a sudden brightness that lifted Luke’s spirits. He loved being in the jungle again. Before, when he’d been so alone, the greenness had been suffered through. Now, because of Kendle’s love of nature, he’d begun to make peace with his past. She finally knew his full story. He’d told her while she was sequestered in bed last week, and he was still stunned by her easy acceptance of the mistake he had made. Adamant it hadn’t been his fault, her comforting arms had seemed to break the shroud his secret had built around him.
    The enemy had purposely held the POW’s below that Laos village, hoping the innocent civilians would provide a cover. When he and Frank had gotten the others clear and called in that they were alive, the small town had been firebombed despite their attempts to convince HQ to handle it from the ground. Luke had carried the guilt all his life until finding Kendle on the beach. She’d gotten through the wall and her needs were now more important than his. When she’d said she wanted to start hiking, he’d had to force himself to agree, but once out here, the beauty had returned for him, bringing peace. Because of Kendle.
    Who’s probably hungry , he thought, able to hear her quiet footsteps behind him, but no sounds of her being winded yet. Their hiking was helping her body, returning her strength and he was glad her cold had been only