by Sharon Ihle
Shylo blushed and averted her gaze. "I stayed the night in his bedroom and lived through it, if that's what you mean."
Giggling softly now, Cassie said, "If all you did was survive the night, how come when I mentioned you getting trapped in Dimitri's bedroom, your cheeks went all bright? You look like you rubbed pomegranate juice all over your own face for a change."
"I, ah—" Distinctly uncomfortable with this line of questioning, as well as with the role reversal between her and her sister, Shylo pressed her palms against her cheeks to cool them. "I'm a little sunburned is all. Nothing to worry about."
Wrapping her arms around her tummy and holding on, Cassie turned away from Shylo and fell onto her bed. Doubled up with laughter, she finally managed to say, "How in tarnation did you get sunburned? We haven't even seen the sun since we left Winslow."
"I just did, and that's all there is to it."
Finished with the ridiculous conversation, Shylo marched across the room, picked up the fallen chair, and positioned it next to the bed where Cassie lay, still howling. When her sister's chuckles ebbed enough for her to get a word in edgewise, Shylo said, "That's enough talk about last night. We've got troubles again."
Cassie wiped the tears from her eyes, and then rolled onto her side so she could see Shylo's face. "What kind of troubles?"
"The usual. Money. Dimitri told me this morning that he's as broke as we are."
Cassie sat bolt upright. "But I—I thought, I mean he looks as rich as any man we ever met. Are you sure he wasn't just kidding around with you?"
"I'm sure." Shylo leaned forward and touched the back of her sister's hand. Finally she managed to smile over the irony of the whole mess. "You're gonna love this part—Dimitri also admitted that he married me for—guess what—my money."
"You're kidding."
Shylo pressed her lips together and shook her head solemnly.
"Oh, shit." Cassie fell back on the bed. "What are we gonna do now?"
"We're going to have to do a little thinking, but first I'm going to ask you one more time to please stop cussing and saying words like 'shit.'" At the sound of the expletive coming from her own mouth, Shylo cringed. "It's not becoming on you."
Cassie's initial reaction was to defend herself, but she realized that Shylo hadn't been tossing orders about as usual, so she quietly agreed. "I'm sorry that I keep forgetting about that cussing business, and I promise to do better from now on. But what are we gonna do?"
"There isn't much we can do right now but sit tight and hope that our mother is on that packet this Saturday. If she isn't, and Dimitri runs out of money..."
The sisters regarded one another, each gripped with a panic of a different kind until a knock sounded at the door, breaking their trance.
"I'll get it," Cassie yelled.
Ever hopeful that Buck might have decided against rejoining the gang and caught the next train out of Winslow instead, Cassie was desperate to get to the door before Shylo. She rolled off the bed, caught her foot in the hem of the quilted coverlet, and fell to the floor. After quickly getting her feet under her again, she ran across the room, brushing past her sister.
Cassie opened the door a crack and peered out nervously into the hallway. "Oh... it's you."
Slightly offended by the young lady's odd reception, Dimitri still managed a warm smile. "Good afternoon. I hope I didn't disturb you. I'm looking for Shylo. Have you seen her?"
Cassie flung open the door and stepped out of his way. "She's in here."
Shylo had started toward the door, but when her husband walked into the room and her eyes met his, she froze.
"Shylo," he said as he closed the gap between them, "I've been looking all over for you."
The velvet caress of his voice, which had always been enough to upend her thoughts, seemed more intimate now, almost as if it had the power to make love to her on its own. At the thought, memories of their night together filled her mind and body, and Shylo shivered with sudden desire. When Dimitri reached her, took her gently by the shoulders, and then lightly kissed her forehead, those shivers became tremors. Unable to stand on her own any longer, Shylo leaned heavily against his chest. Had she ever before felt so helpless, so alive? Or so utterly and deliciously female?
"I've been worried about you," Dimitri murmured against the curls at her temple. And that much was true, in spite of the fact that she'd lied to him or, at the least, led him astray. Now he felt only relief over having found her unscathed. "When I came back to our room," he said, caressing her shoulders, "and you were gone, I thought I might have frightened you off—or made you so mad that you ran away."
Stunned by this confession, Shylo leaned back and looked into eyes darkened with passion. He cared. He really cared. Her heart in her throat, she took her share of the blame. "But you were so angry when you left, I thought you'd never come back. I didn't know where else to go but in here with Cassie."
"Your place is with me—never forget that, no matter how many mistakes I make along the way." Dimitri wrapped a possessive arm around her waist, and then traced the outline of her upper lip with the index finger of his free hand. "My bad temper is to blame for what happened between us this morning. I'll try to do better with it and you in the future."
The future. My God, she thought with alarm, he expects a future. And why shouldn't he? He believed they were man and wife by law, and as such, he was living his life with the future in mind—one that included her by his side. She hadn't considered this complication before, but now she saw that what she'd concocted here was much more than an elaborate plan to locate her missing mother. She'd figured on inventing a husband for herself, a convenience no more real than Cassie's fantasy prince riding up on a white horse. Now the truth hit her full in the face, and she finally saw Dimitri for what he was—a real live flesh-and-blood man. One who actually seemed to care about her. Shylo clung to him, and to that thought as well, and held him tight in an effort to muffle a sudden sob.
Dimitri heard the sound as he picked up a vague movement out of the corner of his eye. Too concerned over Shylo to investigate what he thought he saw, he said, "Please forgive me, if you can, for walking out on you this morning. I had a lot to think about, a lot of plans to make."
"Oh, of course I forgive you," she said, swallowing her tears along with her feelings of guilt. She thought back to Dimitri's proposal, to the businesslike proceedings and his declaration about not believing in marrying for love. What was there to feel guilty about? When this charade was over, the most her deceptions would cost him might be a bit of trouble and a little money. It wasn't as if she'd be breaking his heart.
That thought went a long way toward easing Shylo's conscience, but it also made her wonder if she'd taken enough steps to protect her own heart—if it wasn't already in jeopardy.
Something moved; maybe it was a shadow, but Shylo couldn't possibly look away from Dimitri. She had to let him know that she accepted at least part of the blame for the argument she'd had with him. If the truth were known, she was pretty sure he couldn't be held responsible for any of the blame. And she didn't want to feel guilty about that, either.
"I'm the one who's sorry, Dimitri. I shouldn't have cussed at you the way I did this morning. I guess I was just upset, you know, about all the things we talked about."
"Then you haven't run away from me, kouklitsa? We can start fresh?"
His dimples were like deep caves, his eyes the darkest raven color imaginable. And he was hers, at least for a short time. Hers anytime she wanted him. Another shiver coursed through her, and Shylo returned his smile tenfold. "I told you—I only came here to check on Cassie. We can start fresh any time you like." She hadn't thought his dimples could get any deeper, or his smile any wider, but she was wrong.
"In that case, my little kumquat..." Dimitri lowered his head. "What would you say if I were to suggest something like this?" He captured her mouth with his, and then whispered against her lips. "Or this..." And parted her teeth with his tongue.
"I'd say," came a loud, exasperated voice from nowhere, "that if you two don't stop carrying on this minute, I think I might have to throw up all over this pretty rug."
Dimitri and Shylo sprang apart, each of them horrified to realize they'd forgotten that Cassie was in the room. Shoving his hands in his pockets, Dimitri said, "Forgive my manners. I seem to have left them in the bar downstairs." Then he strolled toward the window, his back to the women, and willed his heated body to cool off.
Shylo, her cheeks aglow, gave her sister a wan smile. "I guess we kind of forgot about you."
"That's all right." Tears sprang into Cassie's eyes. "Everyone else has, too."
"Oh, honey—please don't cry." Shylo threw her arms around her sister, sure that her tears were prompted by thoughts of the woman who'd abandoned her as a newborn babe. "It's going to be all right. I promise. Everything will be all right."
After overhearing the last part of Shylo's conversation, and feeling in control of himself again, Dimitri turned toward the ladies. "She's right, Miss McBride," he said. "Once we get a few things straightened out between us, everything will be just fine."
He glanced around the small room, looking for a suitable spot for a quiet discussion. The narrow bed and a vanity with a matching stool tucked beneath it were the only items of furniture other than a large dresser and the Queen Anne chair. He pulled the stool out for himself, offered the chair to Shylo, and said to Cassie, "Why don't you have a seat on your bed for a minute. We might as well get this over with now."
As Dimitri straddled the stool directly across from her, a suddenly suspicious Shylo sank onto the thick cushion of her chair. She didn't like his tone or the fact that he thought he had to "get something over with." And she had a pretty good idea what "it" might be.
Narrowing her eyes, she asked him, "What's going on? And leave out the flowery words and phrases. I'd like to hear this straight."
"Then straight you shall have it." Dimitri shifted his gaze from Shylo to her traveling companion—a much safer place. "Ari and I had a long talk about finances this morning. We've decided that we must leave San Diego on the next eastbound train."
Both women leapt to their feet, shouting in unison, "No!"
Surprised to learn that her sister was every bit as determined about the matter as she was, Shylo didn't follow up her refusal with an explanation. She just stood there, pleased beyond measure, and listened to Cassie plead their case.
"I ain't leaving San Diego—not now, and maybe never. You might think you can toss Shylo over your shoulder and drag her off anywhere you want, but you got no rights with me. You can't make me do nothing I don't want to, neither."
Which was fine with Dimitri. Cassie could stay here, pink hair and all, for the rest of her life as far as he was concerned. But for Shylo's sake, he had to at least offer to keep her in their employ. He gave her a magnanimous grin. "I have no wish to force you into doing anything, Miss McBride. You're free to come with us or to stay here. The choice is entirely yours."
That was good enough for Cassie. "Thank you. I'll be staying, in that case." Then she sat back down on the bed.
Shylo dropped back onto her chair. "I'm staying here, too."
Dimitri took a deep breath and directed his comments to his wife. "As I already said, we're very low on money and can't afford to remain in San Diego another day, much less another week. Miss McBride will have to welcome her mother on her own. You've accompanied her this far—surely that's enough to show your appreciation for all she's done for you."
"No, it isn't."
"But I told you in New York that I only had time for a quick trip out west. I have wasted enough time in this country—I must get back to Greece immediately."
Tears blurred her vision, and although she knew her reaction might stir Dimitri's suspicions, Shylo went on, "I'm sorry about that, but I'm not leaving San Diego until Colleen arrives. I've got to see Cassie through this thing. I promised I would, and I will. She needs me." She turned to her sister. "Isn't that right?"
Knowing how much the reunion with their mother meant to Shylo, and knowing too how it would break her heart to have come this close and not seen her, Cassie turned to Dimitri, tears rolling down her cheeks, and said defiantly, "That's right. I'm counting on her to be with me when Ma gets here."
Both women turned on Dimitri then, a couple of stubbornly set chins and two pairs of flashing blue eyes brooking no argument from him. For a moment he thought his wife and her friend looked enough alike to be twins—or, at the least, sisters. He would have laughed over the idea if not for the gravity of the situation, and he worked up an extra-vicious scowl to make certain that he didn't. His expression must have been fierce indeed, Dimitri decided, because when he turned it on them, Cassie and Shylo fell into each other's arms, effectively freezing him out as they sought consolation from each other.
Since he was so new—and obviously inept—at handling one woman, Dimitri knew he could never manage two. He threw his hands up in air, rose from the stool, and ambled over to the small window. Pulling aside the curtain, Dimitri stared out at the horse- drawn street cars trudging down the center of the dirt road, then glanced up to the row of tall arch-light towers lining the avenue. False-front stores, boardwalks, and saloons littered this section of town, yet the area was illuminated by electric lighting. The old enhanced by the new, the future edging out the past.
Dimitri couldn't help but liken the changes this wild town was undergoing to the reorganization of his own life. How had his goals gotten so turned around after his arrival on American soil? His return to Greece and his life's work were paramount and always had been—enough so that those goals had cost him the respect and friendship, if not the love, of his father. He hated the idea of anything getting in the way of those interests now that he'd invested so much in them both emotionally and financially, but Dimitri did see that as a married man he might have to alter his plans just a little.
Besides, he thought, finally able to see a bright spot, if he went along with Shylo's quest to bring about a reunion between Cassie and her long-lost mother for just a little bit longer, he stood at least a slim chance of finding Niko and maybe even getting back some of the funds that had been stolen from the business in the bargain.
As Dimitri turned back toward the women to offer a new version of his plan, he could hear them whispering—plotting, he imagined, the many ways in which they might coerce him into agreeing with them. He couldn't help but wonder then how much of himself he could surrender to Shylo and her schemes and still remain true to himself.
His voice shadowed with this new worry, he broke into their murmured conversation. "Ladies, I've thought your problem over, and have come up with another solution." Once he had their full attention he proceeded. "I've decided that we can stay in San Diego until the packet arrives this Saturday."
Shylo leapt up from the bed. "Oh, Dimitri. That's wonderful news. You won't be sorry you changed your mind. I promise you won't."
"I promise you I won't, either." He winked at her, then spelled out the terms of his compromise. "Make no mistake about what happens after Saturday, however. If the woman you're looking for is not on that ship, we'll leave for New York immediately."
Cassie opened her mouth to protest, but Shylo silenced her with a sharp glance. If Colleen hadn't returned from Mexico by Saturday, they would just have to figure a way to stay another week in San Diego. There was no sense in dealing with another problem before it even existed.
Shylo gave her husband a broad grin. "Thanks for understanding, Dimitri. I—we really do appreciate it."
He strode over to her, took her by the hand, and said, "Then maybe you ought to show me a little of that appreciation. On the way upstairs earlier, I ordered some food to be sent up to our room: a little bread, some cheese, a few strawberries in thick, sweetened cream. Interested?"
Shylo glanced up at him. "Strawberries in... cream?"
Dimitri licked his lips and rolled his eyes.
<
br /> "See you later, Cassie." said Shylo as her husband pulled her toward the door.
After they stepped into the hallway, both Dimitri and Shylo glanced back inside the room and said in one voice, "And this time, don't forget to lock the door."
Chapter 14
Saturday morning dawned bright and clear, the first fog-and mist-free day since they had arrived in the little seaside town. Between the beautiful weather and sparkling sapphire-blue bay, Shylo couldn't help but get her hopes up as she strolled arm in arm with Dimitri along the steamship wharf at the foot of Fifth Avenue. Today, if all went as expected, she would see her mother again at long last.
Briefly indulging in the scenario she'd envisioned over and over through the years, Shylo pictured the look on her mother's face as she gazed upon her fully grown and very successful daughter. Colleen would be overwhelmed with joy at first, then would welcome her with open arms, crying buckets of tears over all the time they'd been apart and promising never to let her out of her sight again.
Today, Shylo thought, barely able to contain her excitement, that dream would finally come true. Nothing would go wrong this time, nothing. How could it after all she'd been through to bring about the reunion?
She and Cassie had planned this moment down to the last detail—including the fact that Shylo would greet their mother alone. The reasons were twofold: first, they figured if they were to shove two daughters at the poor woman instead of one, the shock might send her scurrying in the opposite direction—again. Second, and more important to Shylo, was the fact that she wanted desperately to welcome the mother she remembered so well with nothing to distract them or intrude on the moment. There would be plenty of time later for Cassie to become acquainted with the mother she'd never known.
The fact that both Dimitri and Ari had accompanied her to the dock wouldn't be a problem—Shylo would make sure that Colleen didn't take any notice of them until she was good and ready to introduce her mother to her "rich" husband. As for extracting herself from such a blatant lie—both the rich and the husband parts—she would simply have to worry about that after she and Colleen had become close enough that nothing could tear them apart.
