“I imagine you’re feeling...restless these days,” Ben said, leaning casually against the counter.
“Yeah, you could say Duke’s restless,” Ralph muttered, his elbows propped on the counter while he held his mug with both hands. His eyes seemed riveted straight ahead.
Duke’s jaw tightened. He and Ralph had argued just the other morning; Duke really couldn’t remember why. Over something trivial, no doubt.
He wasn’t accustomed to having this much free time. He’d thought he could work in the office during his convalescence, but all he seemed to do was get in the way. Mariah’s replacement had been trained, and everything was under control there. Sawyer took pity on him, now and then offering him some menial administrative task. On a good day he could count on killing an hour, maybe two, in the Midnight Sons office.
The rest of the time he was on his own. He’d read more books in the past couple of weeks than in the entire previous year. Television didn’t hold his attention; never had. So he’d been reduced to playing solitaire. He’d played for hours yesterday—then realized he was a card short.
That was what his argument with Ralph had been about, he recalled. Ralph had lent him the deck, and Duke had accused his friend of knowingly holding back that one card. Okay, so maybe he’d overreacted.
Duke remembered how Ralph and the other pilots had risked their own safety to search for his downed plane, and he felt an immediate surge of regret. Next time he was in Fairbanks, he’d pick up a new deck of cards for Ralph. No need to say anything; his friend would get the message.
“I hope this guy isn’t being too ornery, Ben,” Ted said as they paid their tab.
Again Duke held his tongue. He waited until the two pilots had left the café, then expelled his breath.
“So...you’ve been a bit out of sorts lately,” Ben said, grabbing the coffee pot. He pulled up a stool and sat on the opposite side of the counter.
“Maybe,” was all Duke would admit. “I’ve got too much time on my hands.”
“Know what you mean,” Ben said. “You’re talking to a man who’s spent the last month twiddling his thumbs. All I got to say is it’s no wonder our country has problems, with daytime TV as bad as it is.”
Even though Ben was half-serious, Duke couldn’t help laughing. He was still chuckling when the door opened and Sawyer strolled inside.
“Howdy, Ben,” Sawyer said, sliding onto the stool beside Duke’s. “How’s it going, Duke?” He turned over his mug.
Although he would’ve preferred a few more minutes alone with Ben, Duke smiled. Shrugging, he said, “Oh, not bad, considering.”
“Where’s Mrs. McMurphy?” Sawyer asked next.
Duke had been wondering the same thing.
“She decided to organize the storeroom,” Ben explained, reaching for the coffee pot and filling Sawyer’s mug. “I’ve been meaning to do that myself, but I kept putting it off. I feel guilty letting her do it by herself, but she insisted. I did make her promise to call me if she had any problems.”
“Leave it to a woman to get a person organized,” Sawyer said, with a year’s worth of marriage behind him. “Abbey and I hadn’t been married a month before she emptied every closet in the house. She found a few things that turned out to be worth a pretty penny, too.”
“Like what?” Ben asked just as Christian entered the café.
“A couple of old baseball cards I had as a kid. I gave them to Scott for his birthday, and you’d think I’d handed the boy a piece of gold. He loved them.”
“Trust me, the only thing Mary’s going to find in that storeroom has long expired,” Ben said. He looked at Christian, who’d joined the other two men at the counter. “What’s Mariah up to these days?”
“Organizing,” he said with a wide grin, “what else? She’s getting the house set up, but that shouldn’t take long. Last I heard, she was talking to Matt and Karen about capitalizing on the tourist business.”
Duke sipped his coffee. Who would’ve believed women would have such a strong impact on the community? From the first, he’d known there’d be changes when they arrived, but he hadn’t been sure they’d be positive changes. Now he had to acknowledge that they were.
“I imagine you’re getting fidgety,” Sawyer said to Duke.
That had to be the understatement of the century. “A little.”
“Personally I don’t know what you’re hanging around Hard Luck for,” Ben said.
“He’s right,” Sawyer put in. “You’ve got plenty of sick leave, plus your vacation time. Why don’t you do some traveling?”
“Good plan,” Christian murmured as Ben poured his coffee.
“Any idea where I should take this vacation?” Duke asked.
“Yeah,” Sawyer said slowly.
“I have a suggestion,” Ben added.
“Me, too,” Christian said.
“Well, let’s hear it.”
“Seattle,” all three of them said at the same moment.
They stared at each other, then laughed uproariously. They were still laughing as Duke hurried out.
* * *
As she sorted through the mail, Tracy noticed there was nothing from Duke. By her best estimate, he’d received her greeting card a week earlier. In that time she hadn’t heard a thing from him. Tracy sighed; she’d been a fool to send the card. He’d made it plain when she left that he didn’t want anything more to do with her.
Determinedly she pulled her gaze away from her desk calendar. With a court case coming to trial—and jury selection that morning—she had far more important subjects to occupy her mind.
She checked her watch and realized she was due in court in less than twenty minutes. She was never late, especially for court.
Just as she was about to place her file in her briefcase, Gloria buzzed her on the office intercom. “There’s a call for you on line two.”
“I don’t have time for it now. I’ve got to get over to the courthouse,” she said. “Would you take a message, Gloria?” This case was an important one, and Tracy had thought long and hard about the best way to approach the jury.
“I’ll get Mr. Porter’s number and—”
Tracy dropped her file. “I’ll take the call,” she said. She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath before she reached for the receiver. “This is Tracy Santiago.”
“Hello, Tracy.”
He sounded wonderful, vibrant, healthy. Close. As if he was in the room next door, instead of several thousand miles north.
“Duke.” She kept her eyes fixed on the small Waterford crystal clock on the corner of her desk. “It’s so good to hear from you.” She knew she sounded thrilled; it didn’t matter. She couldn’t hide her feelings from him, and she wasn’t even going to try.
“I thought I’d call to thank you for the card.”
“My pleasure. Listen, Duke, I really am pleased to hear from you. I don’t want you to think I’m giving you the brush-off, but I have to be in court in a few minutes. If you’ll give me your phone number, I’ll call you back as soon as I’m free.”
He hesitated.
“Duke? Your phone number?”
“I’ve always been taught that the man should call the woman.”
She groaned out loud. “I don’t have time to debate protocol. Just give me your number.”
“I’ll call you. Now hurry up or you’ll be late.”
“Duke, you’re being unreasonable!”
He chuckled. “Give ’em hell, sweetheart.”
Before she could respond, the line went dead.
“Duke,” she cried in frustration. Weeks, she’d waited weeks to hear his voice, and now she still had to wait. And all because of some archaic rule he’d learned as a boy!
Well, she didn’t have time to worry about it now.
Grabbing her briefcase, she hurried out the door. When she returned, though, she’d move heaven and earth to find that man’s number.
* * *
Duke sat on the bed in the fancy Seattle hotel room and sighed. He’d come a long way, and even now he wasn’t sure he’d done the right thing.
Oh, he’d found plenty of reasons to visit Seattle. None of which had anything to do with Tracy. But he wasn’t going to kid himself.
The purpose of this trip wasn’t to take a vacation. It wasn’t even to look over house plans or arrange for building materials to be shipped to Hard Luck. It didn’t have to do with the list of plane parts Sawyer had asked him to look into, either.
The reason he was sitting on a bed costing him a hundred and fifty bucks a night was Tracy Santiago. He’d come to see her because he hadn’t been able to stay away.
“Court,” Duke repeated. She was a career woman, he reminded himself. She wasn’t going to drop everything just because he was in town for a few days. She didn’t even know he was in town. He hadn’t gotten around to telling her he was in Seattle. She’d find out soon enough.
But he wasn’t staying long. Not at these prices.
He walked over to the desk and picked up the room-service menu. One glance assured him he’d prefer to dine out.
Tucking the room key securely in his pocket, he left the hotel and walked onto the street outside. More people occupied the sidewalk in this one square block of Seattle than walked through Hard Luck in a year.
All the activity made Duke nervous. He didn’t know how people could ever get used to this kind of racket. Cars, buses, horns and sirens...
The noise level didn’t improve as Duke walked downhill toward the Seattle waterfront and Pike Place Market. If anything, it got worse. Even Anchorage wasn’t this crowded.
Realizing he was hungry, Duke waited in line for ten minutes to order some fish and chips from one of the stands that dotted the piers. The deep-fried fish was tasty, and he enjoyed it so much he got back in line to buy a second order.
As he ate he gazed around him. The snow-capped mountaintops of the Olympics appeared in the distance. The scenery was very nice, he observed, but nothing he couldn’t see in his own state.
When he passed the aquarium, he decided to go in. It was well worth the fee, and he wandered around for an hour or so. He figured that should be enough time for Tracy to finish at court and be back in her office.
He pulled out her business card, located Fourth Avenue on his map and walked down the street until he came to her building.
He stood across the street and counted the floors until he found the twenty-first. He wondered if she had an office with a window and suspected she did. She wasn’t a partner yet, but he didn’t doubt she’d become one in time. She was ambitious and dedicated.
He felt a sense of pride—and a kind of fear. Their lives, their careers, couldn’t possibly coexist. There was no common ground. Except...love? But love, no matter how strong, wasn’t enough to wipe out the differences. Damn, he wanted to see her, though.
The fact that he happened to spot her on the crowded Seattle sidewalk could be nothing less than fate. All at once she was on the other side of the street, walking at a clipped pace, presumably back from her lunch break. Checking his watch, he saw that it was almost one. She must be heading over to the courthouse. Her briefcase was in her hand and her steps were filled with purpose.
“Tracy,” he shouted, but she didn’t hear.
He tried again, running down the sidewalk.
She paused and glanced over her shoulder, not realizing he was on the other side of the street.
She looked good. Her hair bounced ever so slightly as she walked. He’d forgotten what a beautiful woman she was. He must have been blind earlier. Long shapely legs, a tiny waist and hips that—
He walked straight into a little old lady who glared at him as if she was sure she recognized his picture from a post-office “wanted” poster.
“I beg your pardon, ma’am.”
“You might look where you’re walking, young man,” she scolded.
“Please forgive me,” he said, but his gaze followed Tracy. She was going up a flight of steps into the King County Courthouse.
“Don’t let it happen again,” the woman said.
“I won’t,” Duke promised, sidling over to the curb. He looked both ways, then quickly jogged across the street. A horn blared a warning, which he ignored.
“Tracy!” He tried calling her again, hurrying into the building just as she stepped into an empty elevator. Because he had to walk through the metal detector, he missed it and was forced to wait. Not knowing which floor she was going to, he waited until her elevator stopped and noted it was the fifth.
As soon as the next elevator returned to the lobby, he stepped inside and pushed the button for five.
The fifth-floor hallway seemed even busier than the street. Duke edged his way into the courtroom and looked around. Apparently this was a high-interest case, judging by the media coverage.
Duke slipped into a row near the back and sat down.
Within a couple of minutes, the bailiff instructed everyone in the courtroom to rise. The judge, dressed in flowing black robes, entered the room and took his position. The jury was already seated.
“Are you ready for your opening statement, Ms. Santiago?” Judge Kingsley asked Tracy.
She stood. “Yes, Your Honor, I am.”
Duke strained to see her client. He appeared to be a man in his thirties, perhaps younger. For no reason he cared to examine, Duke experienced a twinge of jealousy. No doubt Tracy was a popular attorney. She was sharp, decisive, thorough. And beautiful. What jury could refuse her? If he was the prosecutor, Duke knew he’d be worried.
Tracy stood slowly and walked toward the jury box. She smiled at the twelve men and women, her pose relaxed.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” she began confidently, “I’m here today to prove to you beyond a shadow of a doubt that my client is not guilty. As this case unfolds, you will be assured that Jack Makepeace acted purely in self-defense. He—”
She turned and faced the courtroom, and by some fluke her gaze landed on Duke.
She stopped, and faltered slightly.
Her arms dropped. Her eyes widened. Duke could see the muscles work in her throat.
“Ms. Santiago,” the judge asked, “are you all right?”
She walked over to the table and poured herself a glass of water. “I’m fine, Your Honor,” she said, glaring at Duke.
Maybe she wasn’t as pleased to see him as he’d hoped.
Seven
Tracy took another swallow of water and waited for her heart to stop pounding. Duke was in Seattle. A small matter he hadn’t bothered to disclose when they spoke earlier.
She looked at him a second time and frowned openly, letting him know she was furious. How dared he do this to her in the middle of her opening statement?
“Ms. Santiago, is there a problem?” the judge asked a little impatiently.
“I beg the court’s indulgence,” Tracy said. “I...needed a sip of water.” She made an effort to compose herself and walked toward the jury box, hoping the twelve men and women were more forgiving than the judge.
Through sheer willpower and years of practice, Tracy was able to finish her presentation without further incident. She dared not look at the court observers again, for fear Duke would distract her. Nevertheless, she was aware of his scrutiny as she spoke. She could almost hear him tell her to “give ’em hell.” She might have done it, too, if she hadn’t been so shaken by his unexpected appearance. Because of it, she was afraid she hadn’t made any substantial progress in proving her client’s innocence.
When the trial recessed at four, Tracy spoke briefly with her client, then reeled around t
o confront Duke. The minute they were alone, she fully intended to give him hell.
He was gone.
Had he been a figment of her overactive imagination? Perhaps the phone call had been responsible for making her think she’d seen him when she hadn’t. Maybe, just maybe, she was losing whatever sanity she still possessed.
Taking her briefcase, she headed out of the courtroom and back to her office. The minute she got there, she’d phone Hard Luck to get the name of his hotel. She was in the hallway walking toward the elevator when she saw him leaning indolently against the wall. He flashed her an easy smile.
The color remained high in Tracy’s cheeks, and she scowled at him with the full force of her annoyance, which by this time was considerable. But despite her outrage, simmering just below the surface, was joy. Absolute joy.
“You might have told me you were in Seattle,” she snapped, not knowing which emotion to express first.
“You were on your way to court,” he reminded her.
“But you might have said something,” she returned.
He looked healthy and vital. Whole. His left arm, cast and all, was supported by a sling, but it didn’t distract from his strong masculine appeal. Almost against her will, she felt herself moving toward him. Tracy wasn’t sure if she should slap him silly or hurl herself into his arms and kiss him silly.
Duke made the decision for her. Without saying a word, he stretched out his right arm, inviting her into his embrace.
Nothing could have kept her away. She bolted across the corridor and wrapped both her arms around his waist. A small cry emerged from her throat as she buried her head in his shoulder.
Duke’s good arm came around her, and Tracy felt a sense of peace, a happiness she’d never experienced before.
His cheek moved against her hair, as if he savored the feel of her in his arms. “You’re right,” he whispered, and his voice didn’t sound anything like normal. “I should’ve told you.”
“I nearly had a heart attack when I turned around and saw you in the room.”
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