River Road

by JoAnn Ross

He flashed a grin down at Julia. "That's sure no hardship."

  Julia smiled back up at him, wishing just a little that if she had to fall for one of the Callahan brothers, it would've been this friendly, uncomplex one.

  Chapter 21

  I've never met a man quite like your brother," Julia said to Nate as she watched Finn walk away. "Has he always considered himself responsible for the entire world?"

  "Pretty much," Nate said. "Even before our dad was killed."

  "He was killed?" She remembered Finn telling her his parents had died, but when he'd refused to offer specifics, she'd opted not to push. "In an accident?"

  "No." For the first time since she'd met him, his expression turned sober. When his eyes shadowed and his mouth grew into an uncharacteristically tight line, Julia sensed that there was more to Nate Callahan than the easygoing, smooth talking Southern male she'd first taken him for.

  "He was murdered. I was twelve, Jack was thirteen, and Finn was sixteen when it happened. Dad was Blue Bayou's sheriff."

  "Finn said you'd moved here from Chicago."

  "Yeah. The ironic thing was, Dad had brought us here because he thought it'd be safer than Chicago. Even before that day, Finn was the big brother Jack and I could always depend on.

  "I couldn't count the number of kites he retrieved from trees or fishing lines he untangled. He was also the one with the stash of Playboy magazines that pretty much defined our adolescence."

  She smiled at that, as he'd meant her to, then watched Finn disappear around the corner of the house.

  "He'll be okay," Nate promised, picking up on her tension. "If there's one guy who can take care of himself, it's Finn. Like I said, he was probably born responsible, but after Dad was gone, he stepped into the role of man of the house as if it were the most natural thing in the world."

  "It must have been difficult for him."

  "Probably was. But he's never uttered a word of complaint. Not then, or anytime since. At the time, I'm not sure any of us realized how hard it must have been on him, trying to become a father when he was still really a boy himself, he."

  His Cajun accent had deepened and the subtle, seemingly unconscious change in syntax told Julia it was an emotional topic for him. Which was probably why Finn, who was the least open individual she'd ever met, had refused to discuss it.

  Julia's heart ached for the boy Finn had been as she pictured him doing his best to fill what must have been an enormous void in the Callahan family.

  "What happened? How was your father killed?"

  "Oh, mon Dieu, that was a bad day." He dragged a nicked and calloused hand through his sun-tipped hair. His gaze momentarily grew distant, giving her the impression he was reliving it. Then he sighed and shook his head, as if to rid it of painful old memories. "He was at the courthouse testifying in a domestic abuse case, when this crazed, drunk swamp dweller with a beef about his family situation came storming into the courthouse to murder the judge.

  "Dad threw himself in front of the bullet. The judge lived. Dad died. And our lives changed forever."

  She couldn't imagine how she'd feel if it had been her own father. She'd certainly watched Freedom put himself in danger enough times, including that occasion he and a group of Greenpeace activists had piloted their small boats back and forth in front of a Japanese fishing fleet working the waters outside San Diego. Two boats had been swamped. The Coast Guard, called in to rescue the protestors, had not been at all pleased.

  "That must have been horrendously hard on all of you."

  "Mais, yeah. At least I had two big brothers I could talk to and count on, but Finn, who'd always been steady as a rock, just seemed to get tougher. And quieter.

  "I'm not tellin' tales, since everyone 'round here knows it, but Jack started rebelling pretty bad then; these days they'd probably call it acting out. In some ways he had it the roughest since he'd been there when it happened, and while it doesn't make a lick of sense, I've always had the feeling he blamedmhimself for not having done something to stop it."

  "That's sad. That a boy would think such a thing."

  "Even sadder that he'd continue to think it as a man. He's moved on these days, though. Looking back on it, I guess I was pretty much in denial. Maman, who'd never worked a day in her life for wages, went to work as the judge's housekeeper right after Dad's death.

  "It's his daughter Jack married. They had a fling one summer when they were kids, her father and my mother broke them up, then they got back together this year after her marriage fell apart and her husband died. Anyone can see they belong together."

  "That's sweet. I suppose, in a small town like this, people's lives are probably pretty connected." Not so unlike Rainbow's End Farm, she thought.

  "They tend to be."

  "I imagine Finn has a lot of old friends who still Live here."

  "Sure." He shrugged, then got her drift. "Finn never dated anyone seriously, Jules. At least none that I know about. And I sure as hell never saw him get as close to any other woman the way he is with you."

  "Perhaps no one else in Blue Bayou has needed a bodyguard."

  "I don't have to tell you that it's more than that."

  "Perhaps." It was going too fast, she thought. Too fast and to where? That was the question she couldn't answer. "It's complicated."

  "Now you sound just like Finn. It doesn't have to be complicated, chère. Not unless you let it." He linked their fingers together in a casual, friendly sort of way. "You like him, he likes you, neither one of you is married, or engaged, or even going steady." He paused. "You're not, are you?"

  "No."

  "Then there's no reason for you not to just quit fighting it and pass a good time."

  He made it sound so easy, Julia thought, and a rush of relief flooded through her as she watched Finn walking back toward them.

  "She's gone."

  "Gone?"

  "Yeah." Frustration was etched onto the rugged planes of his face. "Like into thin air. There's something else."

  Julia was almost afraid to ask. "What?"

  "Kendall's going to check more carefully, but she doesn't appear to be on payroll."

  * * *

  "I don't like this," Finn muttered as he and Nate watched Julia climb into the black, single-horse carriage.

  Today's dress was rich green and trimmed in dark gold. It might not be made of drapes from the plantation house, it might be satin rather than velvet, but it would be hard for anyone watching not to think of Gone With the Wind. Despite Warren Hyatt's denials, even Finn could tell they were trying to tap into that viewer ship.

  Like the scarlet ball gown, the low, round neckline displayed the crest of her creamy breasts; the upsweep the hairdresser had spent nearly an hour creating, only to cover it with a forest green bonnet, showed off a long, slender neck adorned with an emerald ribbon.

  As clouds, pregnant with rain began to darken the sky, Finn dragged his hand down his cheek and realized he'd forgotten to shave. What the hell was the woman doing to his mind?

  "They're going to get a stunt woman to do the actual driving," Nate reminded him. "And you're going to be right here. What could happen?"

  "If there's one thing I've learned over the past thirteen years, it's that anything can happen." Thunder rumbled; lightning forked on the horizon. "And usually does."

  He'd no sooner spoken when another thunderclap shook the air with the roar of a cannon. The dappled gray gelding suddenly reared up, front hooves pawing at the air. Before the wrangler could grab the bridle, the horse took off like a bullet, dragging the carriage behind him.

  "I knew it!" The reins were dragging ineffectually on the ground. Wishing he'd gone with his gut, which had been screaming that the new scene was not a good idea, Finn took off running, Nate right behind him.

  Hoping to cut the horse off before he got to the bayou, Finn caught up with the carriage about fifty yards from the water. Lunging forward, powered by a mighty burst of adrenaline he managed—just barely— to grab the st
reaming mane. Using every bit of strength he possessed, he pulled himself up onto the horse's back just as the sky overhead opened up.

  "Whoa, dammit!" Mindless of his own safety, he leaned down and gathered up the dragging reins, then yanked on them. Hard.

  The damn horse, tearing toward the still water as if trying to outrun the devil himself, didn't stop.

  More adrenaline flooded Finn's mind, causing time to seem to crawl to the speed of a televised NFL replay. Hooves hammered into the ground, throwing up clods of soggy turf.

  "Goddammit, I said whoa!" No longer caring whether he broke the damn animal's neck, Finn yanked on the reins even harder.

  They were less than a yard from the edge of the bayou. An alligator began moving with surprising speed out of the way, sliding into the water like a log that had rolled down the slope.

  Two feet.

  One.

  The muscles in Finn's arms and shoulders were burning. They were down to mere inches when the horse attempted to jump a fallen snag. He cleared it with room to spare, but the axle broke as the carriage bumped jerkily over it. When one of the front yellow wheels fell off, both horse and carriage came to a sudden, bone-rattling stop.

  "Thank God." Finn threw the reins to Nate—who'd amazingly stayed right behind them, revealing the lightning speed that had once made him one helluva base stealer. He slid off the broad back and pulled himself into the carriage.

  "It's okay," he assured Julia, who had somehow stayed on the seat. Her fingers were gripping the sides of the carriage with such strength Finn had trouble uncurling her fingers. "You're okay."

  She was trembling as Finn drew her into his arms.

  Nate whistled. "Well, that was certainly close."

  "Too damn close." Finn ran his hands, which were none too steady, over her shoulders, down her arms.

  "Would you do me a favor?" Julia asked in a ragged voice.

  "Anything." With his blood pounding furiously in his ears and his lungs feeling as if they were on fire, Finn would have moved heaven and earth to get her anything her heart desired.

  "When I get my voice back enough to grovel, would you please not rub in the fact that I ever complained about you being here in the first place?"

  "I won't say a word about it. But I am going to tell Hogan that you're through for the day."

  "Oh, you can't do that!" Color returned to her too-pale cheeks, like red roses blooming in a field of snow. "We're already so behind schedule. If we break off shooting, it'll add at least another day before we can wrap."

  "In case you didn't notice, you were nearly killed." The bonnet had fallen off during her wild ride. Finn pushed her tumbled hair back from her face, which he framed between his hands. "I'd say that calls for an afternoon off."

  "He's right," Randy, who'd caught up to them, said. "You've got a real emotional rape scene coming up, Jules. I need you in top form."

  "I'm a professional." She lifted her chin in that way Finn was deciding was more effective than the loudest shout. "I'm not going to fall apart just because of a little accident. Just give me some time to get my hair redone and—"

  "Dammit, Julia. We all know you're a bloody trooper," the director complained. "So I'm ordering you to take the rest of the day off."

  "My flight leaves for Kathmandu in less than a week, and I intend to be on it. I also intend to complete all my scenes. Which means there's no time for any days off."

  They both looked at Kendall for confirmation.

  "We'll resume shooting first thing tomorrow morning," he decreed.

  "You realize, of course," Finn muttered as he helped Julia into the Suburban, "that you're all flat out nuts."

  "And your point is?"

  He shook his head, then touched his fingers to her cheek, skimming them along her jaw, down her throat, and over her shoulders. "You're all scratched up."

  "I suppose it's from the tree branches the horse ran beneath."

  "Probably." She flinched as he lightly pressed a deepening bruise at the soft flesh where her shoulder connected with her neck. "We should have the ER doc check you out."

  "I don't want to go to the hospital."

  "Dammit, I don't want to argue with you about this."

  "I don't want to argue, either. Because quite honestly, I don't think I have the strength for it. It'll take twenty minutes to get to town, but news travels a lot faster and I'm really not up to running the gauntlet of reporters who'd show up at the ER. Besides, I'm sure all I've got is a few scratches."

  He turned the key in the ignition. "I didn't realize you had a medical license."

  "I'm not a doctor," Julia allowed: "But I did play one on TV. A guest spot on ER last season," she elaborated at his sideways glance.

  Concerned for her well-being, he refused to smile. "Cute. Real cute."

  "Please? Surely you learned basic first aid training in the FBI?"

  "That was Boy Scouts."

  "Let me guess. You were an Eagle Scout."

  "Yeah, I was. Want to come up to my place and see my merit badges?"

  Her light laughter at one of his rare attempts at humor was warm and rich. He owed Nate big time for bringing her into his life, if only for this brief, fleeting time.

  "Unless we try sneaking in through the kitchen, we're not going to get past any reporters staking out the inn," she pointed out as they drove away from Beau Soleil.

  Hell. And she really didn't seem all that badly injured.

  "You've got a point. I'll take you out to the camp."

  "The camp?"

  "Where I was staying before Nate brought me back to town to be with you. It's been in my family for generations. It won't be easy for anyone unfamiliar with the area to find, so I doubt we'll be bothered by the press. But if you've got any wound that can't be cleaned with soap and water, the deal's off."

  "That sounds wonderful."

  Better than wonderful, Julia thought. The chance to be alone with Finn all night long was sublime.

  Understanding why Sweet Nell fell in love with Mountie Dudley Do-Right, she leaned her head against the back of the seat, closed her eyes, listened to the rain pinging on the roof, the swish, swish, swish of the windshield wipers, and smiled with anticipation.

  Chapter 22

  Because her velvet carriage shoes were too impractical for walking across the boggy land, Finn carried her to the cabin, the full satin skirt flowing over his arms. Although it was only a few yards from the oyster gravel driveway to the door, they got drenched again on the dash from the Suburban.

  He carried her into the bathroom. "Give me a call when you're out of those wet clothes and we'll take care of any cuts."

  After he'd left her alone, she'd managed to strip out of the heavy green dress before being stymied.

  "Finn?"

  "Ready?" He opened the door.

  "Almost. But I could use some help again with the wet laces."

  Julia was accustomed to wearing far less than the corset and lacy white pantaloons on a set surrounded by men. But this was so, so different. The way Finn was looking at her caused her breath to back up in her lungs.

  She had the feeling the same desire was written all over her face. He'd changed into a gray T-shirt and jeans and looked so good. Better than good. He looked big and tough and sexy as hell. If he'd chosen to be an actor instead of an FBI Special Agent, he would have had producers willing to run over their grandmothers to cast him in their films.

  "So you do own something else besides that suit."

  "It's a little hard to drown worms while wearing a suit."

  "Why do I have trouble picturing you fishing?" she murmured with a half smile, proving yet again that she could hit pretty close with those characterisations of hers. "Why did you let me drag you shopping?"

  He shrugged. "You'd been working damn hard. So far, Hyatt's written you into every scene. I figured you deserved a break. An evening on the town."

  "Our first date."

  "I guess you might call it that."
/>   At least it wasn't a total denial. He didn't smile enough, she mused. She'd have to work on that.

  "You've taken over my mind." His voice was rough and husky with need, a shared need she felt all the way to the marrow of her bones. He began plucking the pins from her hair, allowing the curls that hadn't escaped during her wild ride to tumble over her shoulders. "I can't stop thinking about all the things I want to do with you."

  "I'm having trouble coming up with a reason why that isn't a good thing." She drew in a quick, unsteady breath that revealed he wasn't the only one unsettled by all this.

  "That makes two of us." Finn's stomach was tying itself into tight knots. "I want to give you fair warning before this goes any further."

  "This?" Seeming amused, she arched a brow.

  "You. And me." He put his arms on her shoulders and turned her around, giving him access to the corset ribbons. "And sex."

  "Ah. Well, that's certainly laying your cards on the table."

  "I'm a straight-talking guy. If you want hearts and flowers and pretty speeches, you'd be better off with Nate." Though if his silver-tongued playboy brother laid one of his clever hands on this woman, he'd have to shoot him.

  "I like Nate. He's probably the most naturally charming man I've ever met, but nice, too—which is a bit of a surprise, since most men who are women-magnets are insufferably egotistical" She glanced back over her shoulder, her eyes as green as a tropical lagoon and just as inviting. "But I don't want Nate. I want his big brother."

  "It can't go anywhere."

  "You think not?"

  "I know not."

  "Because we're too different?"

  "Yeah. For starters."

  "Sounds as if I've got a lot of strikes against me," she murmured.

  "Not you." How could she think that? "Us. Together."

  "You may be right." She sighed. "I've always thought the reason my parents get along so well is that they're so much alike. They share so many things in common."

  "Which we don't."

  "No, we don't." She brushed some wayward curls away from her face with an uncharacteristically nervous hand. Her breath hitched. "But it doesn't seem to matter all that much right now, does it?"