Mistaken Identity

Mistaken Identity - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The drive to the cabin was uneventful. Duncan drove and kept his eyes on the road and his mind on the woman sitting next to him. He’d heard of love at first sight, but never really believed in it. And if it was real, he never expected to experience it. He’d had several girlfriends in the past, even one that he thought he might marry. Bought the ring and everything.

But what he felt for Addie was much more than anything he felt for those other women. He didn’t want her just physically, although it was evident this morning that he did want her that way as well. He wanted to protect her, love her, cherish her.

Yet he had this stupid, and right now that was what he called it, that stupid Bodyguard Syndrome. Was he falling for someone that was just grateful to be protected? What did she feel for him? After that kiss in the meadow last night, he thought she wanted him too. And then this morning, waking up with her in his arms, he was sure she kissed him, he felt the brush of her soft lips for a split second. But then she quickly moved away from him, it was like she didn’t want to be close to him. Then she said she wanted all ‘this’ over? Was she talking about the madman after her or did she want to be away from him and get back to her life? Her life without him?

Snap oot o’ it man! He told himself! It had only been forty-eight hours since meeting this woman and he did not want her to leave. But he would not make the first move. What if this was not real and only because of the situation? He could not get close to her and then face rejection at the end of the day, week or month when all of this was behind them.

No! He had a job to do and that job came first. He would protect Addie and Beth. He could control his feelings for her. As long as his body did not give him away... damn traitor! Maybe after all of this he could become a monk and never think about Addie again. Because that would be the only way he could keep his hands off her... a vow of celibacy!

******

Addie sat watching the beautiful fall colors fly by outside the car window. This was the time of year she missed when she lived in Guatemala. They had two seasons there, Hot and Hotter. At night, it would get cool in the mountains. But nothing like Autumn in north Georgia.

Thinking about Guatemala brought the thoughts of Sam and his betrayal to her mind. As soon as she arrived he began hitting on her. Changing his schedule to work when she worked and have his days off match hers, rare as they were. It was common to see them in each others company. They worked well together, she even enjoyed spending time with him. But, now looking back she couldn’t figure out why? He was cocky and full of himself. She was eager to learn and even more eager to please. Please Dr. Huntington the lead doctor at the clinic, please her patients, please her parents and even please Sam.
It took him six months to kiss her. It was good, but nothing like she had experienced in the kiss she shared with Duncan last night in the meadow. They hung out and everyone thought they were sleeping together. It was just a comfortable friendship that other people thought was more. They had made out only a few times. He wanted more, but Addie always put the brakes on. It was the night before he left when she walked in and found him in bed with another woman. The new nurse that had arrived a week ago.

It was in that moment that she realized she would have been a notch on his bedpost. That he would have used her and left her with a smile on his face and no regrets. Would Duncan do that too? Duncan had made it perfectly clear that he doesn’t want her. She was a job and he needed to stay close to protect her. Yet this morning, waking up in his arms seemed like it was the most natural thing in the world.

The car slowed down and Duncan pulled onto a dirt path that Addie had to look twice to see, hidden in the trees. The grass that he drove on didn’t show signs of tire marks or divots in the ground where cars had once traveled. “This leads to the cabin?”