“Right.” Sam held out his hand to Victoria. “Well, it's been great seeing you again.”
Victoria ignored his hand and threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, I'm sure we'll see each other again soon.”
* * *
The air shimmered with heat, but Sam hardly noticed as he tried not to gawk at Molly in her red swimsuit. It was hardly revealing, with a modest scoop neck and a racer back, but it hugged her curves better than a Ferrari on a racetrack. He was glad for the dark sunglasses as he reclined on the Adirondack lounger and tracked her movements while appearing to be dozing. Molly had implored him to go in the water, but he'd resisted. The last time he'd gone swimming, it had been with his son. It didn't feel right to enjoy a swim. Not without Sean.
Molly hadn't pushed, but the sadness in her eyes forced him to pretend to find something fascinating on the far side of the lake. After a bit, Molly quit sending him concerned looks as she and Kelsie played in the water. He sighed and rested his head back. His muscles ached from last night's long drive and his eyes burned from lack of sleep. Closing them, he took a deep breath as the heat of the afternoon soaked into him.
As he relaxed, his pain eased and he recalled the sand castle he and Sean had built a year ago. It had been a doozy, complete with parapets and a moat. Sean had collected bits of wood along the water's edge to use as knights, planting them at intervals along the top of the castle. Sam had tossed pebbles at the castle in a barrage from the bad guys.
Sam smiled at the memory. Sean could have played that game for hours, but a late afternoon thunderstorm had cut it short and destroyed the castle. Sean hadn't minded though, and had already started planning the next one.
An infectious giggle drew him from his memories, and he smiled as Molly and Kelsie kicked water at each other before Molly ran at Kelsie and swept her up, spinning her in a tight circle. Kelsie's little legs flew out as she shrieked in delight while Molly nuzzled her neck. “I caught you, you little imp.” Molly faced Sam and held Kelsie at arm's length. “Look, Sam! I got the biggest fish in the lake!”
Sam grinned and played along. “Naw, I don't think so. I think you need to throw that little shrimp back.” He planted his feet on either side of the chair, pushed to a standing position and headed for the water line. He winked at Molly as he raised his arms as if he wanted to take the little girl. “Yep, gotta toss that one far out into the lake. Don't want it coming back and stealing my bait again.”
Kelsie tried to wriggle out of Molly's grasp as she eyed him in mock terror, but her shouts for help dissolved into laughter. The sound washed over him, as soothing as the cool water that lapped at his ankles.
Molly set Kelsie down and the little girl took off with her mother in pursuit. Sam watched them for a moment and then turned to look out at the lake. The play of sunlight on the waves seemed to tease him…to beckon him. Sean had loved the lake. They had enjoyed so many good times on this beach that he couldn’t help feeling some of that remembered joy. His throat tightened when it hit him that he would never have another perfect summer day on the beach with his son. His jaw tensed and he blinked hard before he took three running steps and dove under the water in an attempt to wash away the agony. The clear cool water closed over his head, and he opened his eyes a tiny bit as he glided along a foot above the lake bed. Sunlight cut through the water, reflecting off the sand beneath him, and making a few stones sparkle like diamonds. His lungs felt about to burst but held out as long as he could. Down here, it was as though a part of his son was with him again. He surfaced with a shake of his head. After swiping water from his eyes, he found Molly watching him, her lips curved into a smile.
An hour later, Sam left the two so he could do some laps between his pier, and the one fifty yards away in front of the neighbor's home. Swimming had always relaxed him, the rhythm almost hypnotizing as he had to concentrate on the strokes and when to take a breath. The motion tugged at the tape holding his wound together, but the heat and the water had loosened the muscles. He hadn't realized how much he missed swimming. He missed the control. For the last two years, first with his undercover work, and then after the fire, he'd felt like his whole life had been out of his control, but today, he'd taken the first steps toward regaining it.
Sam swam at a steady pace and allowed his mind to work on the problem of Johnny and his entanglement with the Ravens. When Sam had planned his own revenge on Howard, he hadn’t counted on anyone else being involved in his plan to exact justice from Howard, only now Johnny was smack dab in the middle of it. For the last year, Sam had been assigned minor cases—the same level he had been assigned when he had first become an ATF agent. He had been told it was for his own safety until they had Howard in custody, but Sam suspected they didn’t trust him anymore. Last month he had confronted his boss, and demanded to be reassigned—to be allowed to track down Howard, but his demand was denied. They said someone else was working on it. With that, Sam tendered his resignation. His boss hadn’t accepted it. At least, not yet. He insisted that Sam take a month and maybe he would feel differently. Sam had grudgingly complied, but he had no intention of changing his mind, just his plan. Since it seemed nobody was interested in bringing Howard to justice, Sam planned to exact his own vengeance. With no family left, he had no reason to be cautious and when he finally found Howard, he planned to be judge, jury and executioner all in one.
At the end of his second round trip between the dock on his property and the next one, about fifty yards away, Sam held onto the piling and caught his breath. A speedboat zipped across the lake, and farther out, a small sailboat skimmed the surface. He should take his boat out of storage. Kelsie would probably love to go for a ride. He made a mental note to take a look at it. One of the neighbors had taken care of pulling it off the lake last fall and winterizing it. It wasn’t a fancy boat, but it had a big enough engine to tow a water skier.
He was in his home territory. It would be hard for the Ravens to find them here. The house was set back from the road and didn't have a house number. Any mail went to a P.O box in town. The Northwoods were dotted with small towns like his, and there were dozens of small lakes surrounding the town.
Outsiders had a hard time finding their way through the winding forest roads. Some roads cut between lakes, then circled one lake before branching off to encompass another lake. It all looked the same. Sam counted on that to help keep them safe.
Done with his swim, he slogged through the shallow water and caught his breath at the sight of Molly stretched out on the other Adirondack chair, her ankles crossed. Sunglasses hid her eyes, but he knew she was awake since Kelsie still played on the water's edge. He felt her gaze on him even through the glasses. His heart rate, already fast after his swim, sped up as she watched him cross to the other chair. He grabbed his towel and swiped his face and chest before sitting on the end of the lounger. Molly's lounger angled so the foot of it almost touched the foot of his. Hot pink nail color decorated her toenails.
“How was the swim?”
“Huh?” He swallowed hard and tore his gaze from her delicate feet, only to slide it up her lightly tanned legs that seemed miles long. Toned and trim, she had the legs of a runner or bicyclist. When his gaze finally made it to her face, she had her head cocked, one eyebrow visible above the rim of the glasses a smile parting her lips. “Oh. It was good. Real good.” He drew his shoulders back to work out a kink in his back.
“Is your back sore?”
“Just a little.”
“Here, let me take a look at your wound.” She scooted to the end of the chair and motioned for him to turn his back towards her. “The steri-strips are starting to peel, but that's okay as long as the skin is healing.”
He couldn't suppress the shiver that shook him as her fingers traced along his back and a groan escaped when one fingernail lightly scratched him.
“Oh! I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you? I was trying to make the tape stick again.” Her hands ran up to his shoulders as she turned him to face her again.
It hadn't been a groan of pain, but embarrassed, he shrugged and then winced as the movement pulled at his sore muscles. “Forget it.”
“Here, allow me.” Her hands felt warm and soft against his water-cooled skin as she kneaded the base of his neck.
If she was trying to relax him, her method wasn't working. He tensed, every nerve attuned to her touch. He wanted her to stop before he lost control, but at the same time, he never wanted her to stop.
“Sam? Relax. Jeez, you're so stiff!”
That did it. He burst out laughing. He couldn't help it. The tension drained right out of him as he bent over in another wave of laughter.
Molly giggled and when he straightened to wipe tears out of his eyes, he grinned at her.
She bit her lip, her face flushing a deep red. “That came out wrong.”
He hadn't laughed like that in a long time. It felt good. It felt better than good. It felt fantastic. Their faces were only inches apart and he reached out, cupping the back of her head and leaned in, brushing her lips with his.
The scent of sunscreen, sand and sun filled his nose. She made a small sound in her throat as the kiss deepened. He steadied her with his other arm around her waist, his hand resting on her bare skin.
“Mommy?”
Sam tore his mouth away as Molly pushed against his chest. Her breath came in short gasps as she turned to Kelsie. “Yes, honey?”
“What are you doing? Did Mr. Sam drown?” Her little face pinched in concern.
Molly shot a startled glance at Sam before turning back to Kelsie. “No. Sam's fine. Why would you think he drowned?”
“Cause that's what you do when someone drowns. You breathe into them.”
“You are so smart, Kels! Where did you learn that?”
Sam bit back a grin and mumbled out of the side of his mouth, “Nice re-direct.”
He stood and held out his hand to Kelsie. “Why don't we go inside and see if your Uncle Johnny is still sleeping? Then maybe we can have a little cookout. How does that sound?”
“Can we roast marshmallows?” She put her hand in his without hesitation and they headed back to the house.
“Absolutely.” He smiled down at her. “We might even have the makings of S'mores.”
Her eyes grew huge and it was all he could do not to sweep her into a hug.
Molly caught up to them, the bucket and shovel that Kelsie had been playing with dangling from her hand. “Talk about me redirecting…”
Sam winked at her.
As they reached the house, he heard the grind of gravel from a car turning into the drive. He froze and held out his arm, blocking Molly's way. “Listen up. Wait here until I see who it is. If it's okay, I'll be back in a second. If I'm not right back, take Kelsie to that third cabin, the one that borders the woods.”
Molly's eyes widened as she nodded. With a glance towards the sound of a door slamming, she took Kelsie's hand and went down on one knee, whispering into the little girl's ear.
CHAPTER SIX
Sam took a deep breath and rounded the corner, wishing he hadn't left his gun in the house. Just because he was home didn't make them safe. Footsteps sounded on the wooden steps up to the porch. They sounded too light for a man. From his vantage point on the side of the house, he could see the car. A maroon Ford Explorer with Wisconsin plates. At least it wasn't a motorcycle.
A knock rattled the screen door.
Sam eased around the corner and glanced into the vehicle as he passed it. A large red bag lay carelessly on the front seat. Victoria's bag.
Relief swept him. Since she hadn't seen him yet, he ducked back around the house and motioned for Molly.
“Just Victoria. Come on.”
Molly looked relieved, but rolled her eyes. “Does she have a tracking device on you or what?”
Sam laughed and said, “Oh come on, it's only the second time we've seen her.”
Molly's eyebrow quirked, but she didn't say anything as they turned the corner.
Victoria stepped down the stairs, her feet encased in impossibly high sandals and she wore the tiniest pair of white shorts Sam had ever seen. They set off her tan very well, but she had the look of a woman trying too hard. The skimpy tank top completed the picture.
“Well, there you guys are. I just knocked and nobody answered.” She put her hands on her hips and pouted as if she'd been stood up.
“Hello, Victoria. We were on the beach.” That fact should have been obvious considering their attire, but Sam doubted Victoria noticed.
“Hello…again.” Molly wore a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. He was sure Victoria wouldn't notice that either.
Victoria nodded to Molly, but she won a point when she grinned at Kelsie. “Hi again, sugar. You're just the cutest thing in that little swimsuit.”
“So, Victoria, is there something you needed?” Time to cut to the chase.
She turned from the child. “Well, I was just at a friend's house up the road, and since I was in the area, I thought I'd stop by. I was feeling nostalgic.” She smiled and stepped closer to Sam. “Remember when we were kids and we used to just run into each other's houses all the time? You practically lived at our cabin that one summer.”
“Yeah, I did. By the way, how is Tony doing? Your brother and I lost touch with each other.” Victoria made it sound like he'd been there to see her instead of hanging out with her brother, Dave. Sam had barely noticed Victoria, who'd been four years younger than Sam.
“Well, if you two will excuse us, it sounds like you have some catching up to do.” Molly brushed sand off Kelsie's shoulder. “Come on, sweetie, let's get you into a bath. You have sand everywhere.”
Sam called after Molly, “I'll get the grill going.”
“Grill? You're having a cook-out?”
The hopeful look in Victoria's eyes pushed him to offer, “Not really, just some burgers, but you're welcome to stay.”
She beamed. “I'd love to.”
Damn. Before he could say anything more, Johnny stepped onto the porch.
“Molly wanted to know if you need charcoal or if it's a gas—” The poor guy almost stepped on his tongue when he caught sight of Victoria.
Sam could almost hear it snap back like a tape measure retracting as Johnny took the steps in one bound and was beside Victoria. He stuck out his hand. “Hi. I'm Johnny Flynn.”
Victoria smiled and took his hand. “Victoria Matlock. “ Her head cocked to the side. “Flynn? Are you Molly's husband?”
Johnny laughed. “Oh god, no. She's my sister.”
“Ah, now I see the resemblance.”
“You're going to stay and eat with us, right?” Johnny touched her arm and motioned to the porch. “We have plenty.”
Apparently enjoying the worship in Johnny's eyes, Victoria's voice dropped a notch and she smiled coyly. “Yes, Sam has invited me. I was going to say no, but now that I've met you, I think I'd love to stay.”
Johnny's chest puffed up and Sam wanted to gag. Instead, he pushed between them. “Excuse me, I need to start the grill.”
“Oh my heavens, Sam! What happened to your back?”
He turned at the top of the steps and shook his head. “It's nothing. A little accident.”
“Poor baby! It must have hurt.” Victoria's brow furrowed in concern, and at least that emotion looked genuine.
Sam waved his hands. “Nah, it's fine. Why don't you two sit on the porch and get to know each other?”
“Can't you sit with us?”
Johnny scowled at him and it was all Sam could do not to laugh. “Sorry, if we're going to eat tonight, I have to the grill going, but talk to Johnny. He's a fascinating guy.”
Victoria pouted, but then smiled at Johnny. “I'm sure he is.”
Sam escaped into the house and into the kitchen, thankful when Victoria didn't follow him. He sorted through their grocery bags and found the small bag of charcoal, and paused in the hallway, warmed by the giggles that came from the bathroom.
&n
bsp; After starting the grill, he returned to the kitchen and washed his hands. Molly stood at the counter rolling balls of hamburger and smashing them into patties. She didn't speak to him and he knew his next comment probably wouldn't go over well, but he stepped behind her and slid his hands around her waist. She had showered and wore a soft pink t-shirt and cut-offs. Her hair was still damp and pulled into a ponytail. He pulled her close and nuzzled the back of her neck.
A shiver shook her, so he knew she wasn't immune, but she tried to shrug him off. “I'm busy, Sam.”
“Yes, I see that. Um…could you make sure there's enough for five?”
She tilted her head back to glance up at him. “Five?” A meat patty slapped against the wax paper she'd spread on the counter as she dropped it. “You invited her?” Her nose wrinkled in distaste, then she scraped up the patty and re-shaped it. It joined a stack already on a tray.
“I did. What was I going to do? Just stand there after she asked if we were having a cookout?”
He couldn't see her roll her eyes, but he was sure she did. He felt it in her stiff posture. With a lift of one shoulder, she shook her head. “I suppose not, and it's your house. Sorry I said anything. It's none of my business who you want over for dinner.”
Sam applied light pressure against the right side of her abdomen, urging her to turn towards him. She resisted for a few seconds, then twisted to face him, one eyebrow raised, her hands held out to her side so as not to touch him.
“Don't worry about her. Her brother was my best friend, but she was just the kid sister who bugged us. From what I can tell, she hasn't changed much.” He grinned. “Besides, I think your brother caught her eye,” Sam added, hoping to ease her mind.
Molly shot a look towards the porch. “You don't have to explain your actions. It's not like what happened last night can ever happen again.”
Sam stepped back in surprise. “What do you mean?” He hoped the kiss on the beach had meant something, but she had already warned him this morning that they didn’t have a future. In the heat of the moment, he had forgotten. Damn it.
Seeking Vengeance Page 9
