by J. D. Robb
They were both laughing. But moments later their laughter died as they came together in a long, slow kiss.
Inside her mouth he whispered, “Want to go for seconds?”
“Umm.” It was all the invitation she needed. She wrapped herself around him.
With soft sighs and languid kisses they took each other once more to that place that only lovers know.
Nine
Josh pressed kisses over Grace’s eyelids. “Think Barnaby gave up on us and went back home?”
They’d lost track of the time, but earlier he’d carried her to the sofa, where they now lay in a tangle of arms and legs, with only the army blanket for cover.
Grace sighed, too content to move. “I hope so. It must be dark by now.”
Josh lifted his head to gaze at the window. “Not quite. The sun is just sinking. Want to go watch the sunset?”
She nodded, and he helped her up before slipping into his denims, drying in front of the fire.
Grace ignored her own clothes and merely wrapped the blanket around her shoulders for cover.
Hand in hand they walked outside. At once Barnaby came trotting over, looking happy to see them.
“Oh, look at you. You’ve been swimming in the lake.” Grace paused to scratch behind the dog’s ears. She was rewarded with a few quick licks of his tongue.
“And look at this.” Josh pointed toward the trees that ringed the lake. The countryside was alive with the most amazing palette. Deep red maples and bright yellow cottonwoods. Flaming orange oaks and gold willows, and purple sumac so rich they looked like velvet.
As they made their way along the dock, they lifted their heads to the sky, painted with waving ribbons of pink and mauve and purple. To the west, the sun was a fiery globe just beginning to sink below the waves. The placid water was no longer dark, but like a looking glass, alive with a reflection of all the magnificent autumn colors.
Grace turned to Josh with a puzzled expression. “Is it possible that this was here all along, and I never noticed?”
Josh’s voice was hushed. “If it was, I was as blind to it as you. But then, ever since I had my first glimpse of you, I’ve been blind to everything else.” He brushed a kiss to her cheek. “Maybe it takes the two of us, looking through the rosy glow of love, to see what’s really here.”
His words had her going very still. Was that it? Had love cast some sort of spell over everything around them?
They stood together on the end of the dock, watching the spectacular sunset. For the longest time after the sun disappeared, leaving a sky washed with unbelievable color, they remained there, arms around each other, savoring the beauty of the moment. Neither of them seemed willing to break the spell.
It was the dog’s barking that finally roused them. Barnaby brushed past them and raced to the door of the cabin, where he stood waiting for them to catch up.
Josh gave a laugh. “I’d say that’s a very broad hint that one of us is hungry.”
They were still laughing as they opened the door. Barnaby was the first one inside. He moved about the room, sniffing, pausing, then standing patiently by the fire, watching as Josh tossed a log on the hot coals. Within minutes a cozy fire was burning.
“Make yourself at home.” Josh knelt to run a hand along the dog’s coat before walking across the room. He picked up a knife and began to fillet the fish.
“Let’s see what I can find to go with that.” Grace began rummaging through the cupboard.
Josh winked. “We could always eat a salad made of weeds, as you called them.”
“Very tasty weeds, by the way. Or we could drink this.” Grace held up a dusty bottle of pale amber wine.
“Good thing it’s white wine.” At her arched brow, Josh added dryly, “I figured a city girl like you would realize that red wine just doesn’t go with fish.”
“Well then, the one who left this here had very good taste.” While Josh set the fish over the fire, Grace washed out two old, elegant stem glasses that had been hidden in the back of the cupboard. When they were sparkling, she filled them with wine and crossed the room to hand one to Josh.
He touched his glass to hers. “What will we drink to?”
Grace thought a moment before saying softly, “To strangers meeting in the most unlikely places.”
“And to lucky plane crashes.” Josh’s gaze locked on hers as he sipped.
When the fish was perfectly browned, Josh divided it into three portions. While he and Grace settled themselves at the scarred old coffee table, Barnaby noisily polished off his food in several quick bites before flopping down in front of the fire.
Josh nodded toward the dog. “Looks like he’s ready to stay the night.”
Grace chuckled. “I was thinking the same thing. I hope Wyatt won’t mind.”
“We’ll take him back first thing in the morning.” He continued to study the dog before turning to Grace with a strange look.
She placed a hand over his. “What were you just thinking?”
“How right everything is. Us. This cabin. A cozy fire. Even a dog. This is the exact homecoming I’ve been picturing in my mind for years. It’s been my secret wish.”
His words had Grace’s eyes widening. “Now that you mention it, that’s true for me, too. Except that in my secret wish, along with love I’d find my mother.”
“You have.” He motioned toward the packet of letters. “In a manner of speaking.”
She sighed. “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but you’re right. I guess I’ll have to be satisfied with her letters to tell me what she was like, until I can ask Wyatt for more information. And at least now I know what she looked like.”
Josh seemed startled. “You didn’t know what your own mother looked like?”
Grace shook her head. “My father was so furious when she left, he tore every picture of her from his albums. There were no photos of my mother holding me or feeding me. My father destroyed all of them. He even tore their wedding picture in two. All I ever saw was my father in a tuxedo, gazing solemnly at an empty space beside him.”
“Now that’s what I call bitter.” Josh rounded the table and drew her close to press kisses to her eyes, her cheeks, the tip of her nose. Against her mouth he whispered, “That’s a lot of pain to carry around for a lifetime. I wish I could do something to erase it.”
“You have, Josh. Just being here with you has brought me so much peace.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.
He trailed nibbling kisses along her jaw until he heard her sigh. It pleased him to pleasure her. He loved the expressive look on her face, as the shadows in her eyes lifted and her little frown turned into the languid look of a lover. Her eyes were open, and focused on him. Only him. It was as erotic as anything he could have imagined. Far more exciting than the thrill of adventure. And so much more rewarding than hearing the cheers from his adoring fans. With Grace this adventure had become deeply personal and intimate. There was something about this quiet woman that touched his very soul.
Forcing aside the need to take her quickly, he ran soft, feathery kisses across her shoulder, down her throat, burying his lips in the sensitive little hollow. When he moved lower still, her sigh became a moan. Still, he kept his touch light, his kisses soft as butterfly wings, as he ever-so-slowly took her.
“What’s this?” Grace sat up, shoving hair out of her eyes.
“Nourishment. After the amount of energy we’ve consumed, I thought we needed sustenance.”
“Very thoughtful of you.” She eyed the sandwich, cut into quarters. “Peanut butter and jelly?”
“And the last of the wine. Can’t have P, B, and J without wine.”
“Of course not.” She laughed. “Makes perfect sense to me.”
“I’ve been waiting a lifetime to hear a woman say that. Now I know we’re compatible. Will you marry me?” He settled himself beside her on the sofa, completely unconcerned about his nakedness.
“Only if you promise to make me this for a midnight snack at least once a
month for the rest of my life.” She bit into the sandwich and made little humming sounds as she devoured it.
“That will depend on just how you plan to express your . . . gratitude for this extravagance.”
“I intend to be . . . extremely grateful.”
“I love it when you purr like that.” He set down his glass of wine and leaned over for a quick kiss. “I wasn’t joking when I asked if you’d marry me.”
She pulled away and sucked in a breath. “Josh . . .”
“I know. You told me you’re no good at relationships. Neither am I. But it’s different with us, Grace. There’s something special here that I don’t want to lose.”
“I feel it, too. But . . .” The question she was about to ask died abruptly on her lips when she saw the fierce look in his eyes. “Oh, hold me, Josh.”
Suddenly the midnight snack was forgotten as they took each other with all the force of a hurricane.
Grace’s head was pillowed on Josh’s chest. She awoke to the strong, steady beat of his heart and thought it the most wonderful music in the world. When she opened her eyes, she found him watching her with a look of such intensity, it had her breath hitching in her throat.
“Good morning.”
He brushed a hand over her cheek. “Morning, sleepyhead.”
She actually felt herself blushing. “Have you been watching me sleep?”
“Yeah. Did you know that you wiggle your nose while you’re sleeping?”
“I do not.” She started to sit up but his arm was around her, holding her close.
“I know what I saw. Don’t worry. You looked sweet while you were doing it. And I promise to tell no one. It’ll be our little secret.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “In fact, I consider it a real turn-on.”
“After the night we’ve put in, you probably consider breathing a turn-on.”
“Depends on who’s doing the breathing.” There was that grin again, sending her heart into a series of somersaults. “There’s a fantastic sunrise outside our window. Want to walk to the dock and watch it?”
Even before she could respond, Barnaby walked to the door and stood waiting.
“Is he a mind reader?” Josh held out his hand and helped Grace to her feet.
Within minutes they’d dressed and were padding barefoot along the dock, with Barnaby racing ahead.
“Oh, look at that.” Grace pointed to the bright orange ball of sun on the horizon that seemed to be rising directly out of the lake.
“I wonder what the ancient people thought of that?” Josh kept her hand tucked firmly in his.
“It would be easy to believe the sun slept in the lake after dark.”
He nodded. “Along with the spirits.”
Her head swiveled to study him closely. “Does this mean you’ve decided not to believe Wyatt Eagle’s tale?”
He shrugged. “I’m sure he believes it. But now that I’ve had some time to think it through, I’m not so sure.”
“What about the ghost you saw?”
He grinned. “Ghost? You mean that wisp of fog that blew in and spooked me?”
“Do you honestly believe it was fog?”
“I don’t know what I believe anymore. Not that it matters.”
“It matters to me. What about my photo shoot of the dancing light?”
“You came here hoping to find something mystical. I think what we’ve found together is mystical enough. No harm in getting some shots of starlight on the water though. Now that the countryside is alive with color, at least you’ll have some breathtaking pictures.”
While Grace mulled his words, they stood watching until the sun had completely risen above the water. Then, almost reluctantly they turned toward the cabin.
“Time to return Barnaby to his owner.” Josh pointed toward their jackets. “We’d better bring those along, just in case there’s another sudden change in the weather.”
“Good idea.” Grace picked up her jacket and followed him out the door.
Once outside, the big yellow dog trotted eagerly ahead of them, leading the way along a well-worn path through the forest.
They traveled for more than a mile before spotting a rustic cabin up ahead, almost hidden under a canopy of lush forest.
“There it is.” Grace pointed, and they hurried to catch up with the dog, bounding ahead of them.
Josh caught her hand and helped her over a fallen log. “Looks like Barnaby is aware that he’s almost home.”
As they stepped into a clearing, they stared in surprise. Instead of the snug retreat they’d been expecting to see, this cabin looked deserted. The door was hanging by one rusted hinge. As they climbed the steps, Josh held up a hand.
“Watch out, or you could fall through that hole in the wood.”
Stepping gingerly around the crumbling step, Grace trailed him inside, only to stare around in dismay. The interior was even worse than what they’d already seen. Cobwebs hung from rotting beams. The sparse furnishings appeared to have been chewed by creatures from the wild; the stuffing tossed about, the cushions of an ancient mattress damp and moldy from the elements.
“This can’t belong to Wyatt.” Grace couldn’t control a shudder.
When the dog trotted out the open back door, they followed, then stopped in midstride at the sight of a grave marker.
Josh knelt to read the inscription before looking up at Grace. “It has Wyatt’s name. But the date is all wrong. According to this, he’s been dead for years.”
Grace dropped down beside him to trace the name and date that had been carved into the marker. The color drained from her face. “What’s going on here, Josh?”
His eyes narrowed. “That’s what I’d like to know. If someone’s trying to play a trick on us, they’ve got a really warped sense of humor.”
“The grave certainly looks old.” Grace studied the earth, overgrown with vegetation. “I don’t think anybody could fake the condition of that cabin.”
Josh looked around, then got to his feet and helped her to stand. Drawing an arm protectively around her shoulders, he whistled to the dog.
She looked alarmed. “Where are we going?”
“Back to our cabin. Whatever’s going on here, I’d feel a lot safer in familiar surroundings.”
They started back along the path toward their own cabin, with Barnaby happily running ahead. Once there the dog flopped down in front of the fireplace and was soon dozing.
For the first time since his arrival, Josh made certain that the cabin door was secured before tossing a log on the fire. Seeing it, Grace was grateful that she wasn’t alone.
She touched a hand to his. “The supply plane will be here in a couple of days.”
He looked at their joined hands, then up into her eyes. “We’re not waiting for the supply plane. First thing in the morning, we’re leaving.”
“How?”
“The way I’d planned to leave in the first place. We’ll hike out. That is, if you’re willing to trust me to lead us both to safety.”
She lifted a hand to his cheek. “I trust you completely, Josh.”
He drew her close and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Whatever’s going on here, we’ll get through it together.”
“Together.” She drew a little away and smiled. “I can’t think of a nicer word than that.”
“Neither can I.” He gathered her close and covered her mouth with his. “Come to think of it, it’s a word neither of us has ever been able to say before. Together.” He spoke the word inside her mouth as he took the kiss deeper.
And then there was no time for words as they came together to offer comfort in the only way they could.
Ten
“Listen to this.” Darkness had settled over the land, but inside the cabin, with a cozy fire burning, Josh and Grace sipped coffee while she shared with him some words from one of her mother’s letters. “My darling Grace, one of my greatest fears is that, without a mother’s love, you will spend a lifetime just passing through . . .�
�
She sucked in a breath. “It’s what I’ve been doing, Josh. Don’t you see? All this time, I’ve just been passing through.” She lowered her head and continued reading: “. . . instead of living your life to the fullest. Remember this, my darling. Each moment should be savored, for each moment we’re on this earth is a treasure. And the richest treasure of all is having someone to share the moments.”
“A wise woman, your mother.” Josh topped off Grace’s cup and his own, before settling on the sofa beside her.
Grace reached into the manila envelope and withdrew a stack of photos. “It’s such a thrill to finally be able to see what my mother looked like.”
As she sorted through them, Josh had quick glimpses of baby Grace in a young woman’s arms, of a laughing baby in a bathing suit at the beach, of a happy baby clapping her hands and reaching out for the string of a balloon.
Finally Grace came to the one she’d been looking for. “This is my favorite. The one in my father’s album had been torn in half. Always, I’d only been able to see him looking at an empty space. But now I can understand the intense look on his face. Isn’t she beautiful?”
Josh stared at the photograph of the gorgeous golden-haired woman in a fairy-tale wedding gown, standing beside a stern-looking man in a morning coat and tails. But it wasn’t the scene that captured his interest; it was the woman.
“This is your mother?”
At the sharp edge of his tone, Grace glanced over. “What’s wrong?”
He tapped a finger on the photo. “That’s my passenger.”
She couldn’t seem to absorb his meaning. “I don’t understand.”
“That’s the woman who mysteriously showed up just before my plane went down.”
“You mean she resembles the woman in this photo.”
“I know what I saw, Grace.” He snatched the photograph from her hand to study it more carefully. “It doesn’t just look like her. It was this woman. This hair. Even this dress. She was all in white. Dazzling as the sun.”
Grace was instantly on her feet, backing away from him. “Why are you saying this?”
“Do you think I’m making it up? I’d never do that. I’m telling you that my passenger was this woman.”
