This Heart Of Mine

by Susan Elizabeth Philips

  “This lake is too small for what you want,” Molly said desperately. “There’s a strict limit to how big an outboard motor you can use. You can’t even water-ski.”

  Kevin shot her a pointed look. “I don’t think Eddie plans to cater to the water-skiing crowd.”

  “Nah. Just fishermen. Roll out of bed in the morning, give everybody a coffee thermos, a bag of doughnuts, and some beer, then send ‘em out on the lake while the mist is still on the water. Come back after a coupla hours for brats and beer, take a nap, play some pool…”

  “I think we should put the pool table out there.” Larry pointed toward the front of the house. “Along with a big-screen TV. Once we tear down all the walls between the rooms, everything will be together—the pool table, TV, the bar, and the bait shop.”

  “Bait shop! You’re putting a bait shop in this house!”

  “Molly.” Kevin’s voice sounded a warning note, and Eddie tossed him a pitying look. Kevin narrowed his eyes at her. “Maybe you’d better go check on Amy.”

  Ignoring him, she zeroed in on Eddie. “People have been coming here for years. The campground needs to stay the way it is, and the bed-and-breakfast, too. The house is filled with antiques, and it’s in wonderful condition. It even runs at a profit.” Not much of one, but at least it paid for itself.

  Eddie gave an open-mouthed laugh that revealed too much of his salami sandwich. He jabbed his brother. “Hey, Larry, you want to run a bread-and-breakfast?”

  “Yeah, sure.” Larry snorted and reached for his beer. “As long as I can have a pool table, satellite TV, and no women.”

  “Molly… out. Right now.” Kevin jerked his head toward the door.

  Eddie chuckled as the little woman was finally put in her place.

  Molly clenched her teeth, then drew her lips into a stiff smile. “I’m leaving, darling. Just make sure you clean up after your friends. And last time you washed dishes, you splashed—so don’t forget to wear your apron.”

  Now that was pussy-whipping!

  After dinner Molly pleaded an upset stomach to the munchkins and told them they’d have to sleep in their own cottage. Since it was their last night here, she felt guilty, but she didn’t have any choice. She changed into jeans, turned out the lights, and curled up in the chair by the open window. Then she waited.

  She didn’t worry about Kevin dropping in. He’d gone to town with the Dillards, where, if there was any justice, he’d get drunk and end up with a world-class hangover. Also they hadn’t spoken all afternoon.

  During tea she could see right away that he was angry with her, but she didn’t care because she was angry right back. You duh man… You duh big dumb jerk! Selling the campground was bad enough, but selling it to somebody who intended to destroy it was unconscionable, and she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t at least try to put a stop to it.

  Lilies of the Field was too isolated for her to be able to see the men when they returned from town, but the campground was quiet enough that she knew she’d hear them. Sure enough, a little after one in the morning the sound of a car engine drifted through the window. As she straightened in the chair, she wished there weren’t so many loopholes in her plan, but it was the best she had.

  She pulled on her sneakers, grabbed the flashlight she’d swiped from the house, and left Roo behind so she could set to work. Forty-five minutes later she let herself inside Lamb of God, where Eddie and Larry were spending the night. She’d checked it out earlier, right after the men had left for town, to see which bedroom was Eddie’s. Now it smelled like stale liquor.

  Moving closer, she gazed down at the big, dumb, drunken lump under the covers. “Eddie?”

  The lump didn’t move.

  “Eddie,” she whispered again, hoping she didn’t wake up Larry, too, since it would be easier dealing with only one of them. “Eddie, wake up.”

  Fumes came off him as he stirred. Someone this gross shouldn’t be allowed in Nightingale Woods. “Yeah… yeah?” He wedged open his eyes. “Whatzu…”

  “It’s Molly,” she whispered. “Kevin’s estranged wife. I need to talk to you.”

  “Whadya… whatzabout?”

  “About the fishing camp. It’s very important.”

  He started to lever himself up, then fell back into the pillow.

  “I wouldn’t bother you if it weren’t important. I’ll just step outside while you put some clothes on. Oh, and you don’t need to wake Larry.”

  “Do we hafta talk now?”

  “I’m afraid so. Unless you want to make a terrible mistake.” She hurried from the room, hoping he’d get up.

  A few minutes later he stumbled out the front door. She put her fingers to her lips and gestured for him to follow. Sweeping her flashlight across the ground, she cut across the edge of the Common, then headed back toward Lilies of the Field. Before she got there, however, she turned into the woods and headed toward the lake.

  The wind had picked up. She felt a storm brewing and hoped it didn’t hit until she was done with this. He loomed next to her, a big, hulking shape.

  “What’s going on?”

  “There’s something you need to see.”

  “Couldn’t I see it in the morning?”

  “That’ll be too late.”

  He swiped at a branch. “Shit. Does Kev know about this?”

  “Kev doesn’t want to know.”

  He stopped walking. “What do you mean by that?”

  She kept her flashlight pointed at the ground. “I mean that he’s not deliberately deceiving you. He’s just ignored some things.”

  “Deceiving me? What the hell’re you talking about?”

  “I know you thought I was being silly today at lunch, but I was hoping you’d listen to me. Then we could have avoided this.” She started walking again.

  “Avoided what? You’d better tell me what’s going on here, lady.”

  “I’ll show you instead.”

  Eddie stumbled a few more times before they finally reached the water. The trees whipped in the wind, and she braced herself. “I hate being the one who has to show you this, but there’s a… problem with the lake.”

  “What kind of problem?”

  She slowly swept the flashlight beam along the edge of the water, just where it lapped the shore, until she found what she was looking for.

  Dead fish floating in the water.

  “What the hell… ?”

  She played the light over the silver bellies of the fish before turning the beam back onto the bank. “Eddie, I’m so sorry. I know you have your heart set on a fishing camp, but the fish in this lake are dying.”

  “Dying?”

  “We have an environmental disaster going on. Toxins are leaking into the water from a secret underground chemical dump. It’ll cost millions to fix the problem, and the town doesn’t have the money. Since the local economy depends on tourists, there’s a big cover-up going on, and no one will publicly admit there’s a problem.”

  “Fuck.” He grabbed the flashlight and shone it back on the floating fish. Then he snapped it off. “I can’t believe Kev would do this to me!”

  This was the most glaring loophole in her plan, and she tried to overcome it with dramatic presentation. “He’s in denial, Eddie. Terrible, terrible denial. This was his childhood home, his last link with his parents, and he simply can’t face the fact that the lake is dying, so he’s convinced himself it isn’t happening.”

  “How does he explain the damn dead fish!”

  A very good question, and she gave it her best shot. “He stays away from the water. It’s so sad. His denial is so deep that—” She gripped his arm and went into full Susan Lucci. “Oh, Eddie, I know it’s not fair to ask you to do this, but do you think… ? Could you just tell him you’ve changed your mind and not confront him about this? I swear he wasn’t deliberately trying to deceive you, and it’ll tear him apart if he thinks he’s destroyed your friendship.”

  “Yeah, well, I’d say he has.”
>
  “He’s not well, Eddie. It’s a mental problem. As soon as we get back to Chicago, I’ll make sure he gets psychotherapy.”

  “Shit.” He sucked in his breath. “This is gonna blow the hell out of his passing game.”

  “I’ll find a sports psychotherapist.”

  Eddie wasn’t a complete fool, and he asked her about the underground dump. She expanded her story to include as many buzz words from Erin Brockovich as she could still remember and made up the rest. When she was done, she dug her fingernails into her palms and waited.

  “You sure about all this?” he finally said.

  “I wish I weren’t.”

  He shuffled his feet and sighed. “Thanks, Maggie. I ‘preciate it. You’re all right.”

  She slowly released the breath she’d been holding. “You, too, Eddie. You, too.”

  The storm hit just after Molly collapsed in bed, but she was so tired she barely heard it. It wasn’t until the next morning when a series of thuds on the front steps awakened her that she forced open her eyes. She blinked and looked at her clock. It was after nine! She’d forgotten to set her alarm, and no one had awakened her. Who’d fixed breakfast?

  “Molly!”

  Uh-oh…

  Roo scampered into the room, and then Kevin appeared looking like a gorgeous storm cloud. So much for hoping the loopholes in her plan wouldn’t come back to haunt her. Eddie must have confronted Kevin after all, and now there was going to be hell to pay.

  She sat up in bed. Maybe she could distract him. “Just let me brush my teeth, soldier boy, and then I’ll take you to paradise.”

  “Molly…” His voice sounded a low warning note, the same note she’d heard on Nick at Nite when Desi confronted Lucy. Molly had some ‘splainin’ to do.

  “I have to pee!” She jumped up, flew past him to the bathroom, and shut the door.

  The flat of his hand smacked the panel. “Come out here!”

  “In a minute. Did you want something?”

  “Yeah, I want something, all right. I want an explanation!”

  “Oh?” She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the worst.

  “I want you to explain why there’s a frickin’ tuna in my lake!”

  Chapter 23

  It’s true. Guys don’t think the same way girls do, and this can lead to trouble.

  “When Guys Won’t Listen”

  for Chik

  Oh, boy… Molly stalled as long as she could—brushing her teeth, splashing water on her face, straightening her tank top, and retying the drawstring on her pajama bottoms. She half expected him to charge in after her, but apparently he didn’t see the need, since the window had been painted shut and the only other way out was through him.

  A bath was too much to hope for. Besides, it was way past time to face the music. She’d edged open the door and saw him leaning against the opposite wall ready to pounce. “Uh… what were you saying?”

  He carved out the words with his teeth. “Would you care to explain why, when I walked down to the beach after breakfast this morning, I found a dead tuna floating in the lake?”

  “A change in fish migration patterns?”

  He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the front room. Another bad sign. At least in the bedroom she’d have had a fighting chance.

  “I seriously doubt that migration patterns are going to change enough for a saltwater fish to end up in a freshwater lake!” He pushed her down onto the couch.

  She should have gone back to the lake last night and fished out the fish, but she’d assumed they’d stay where they were until they sank. They probably would have if it hadn’t been for the storm.

  Okay, enough messing around. Time for some righteous indignation. “Really, Kevin, just because I happen to be brighter than you doesn’t mean I know everything about fish.”

  Probably not her best strategy, because his words bristled with splinters. “Are you going to look me in the eye and tell me you don’t know anything about how a tuna got in that lake?”

  “Well…”

  “Or that you don’t know why Eddie Dillard came up to me this morning and told me he wasn’t going to buy the campground after all?”

  “He did?”

  “And what do you think he said to me before he drove away?”

  “Just a guess: ‘You duh man’?”

  His eyebrows shot up and his voice grew as soft as an assassin’s footsteps. “No, Molly, he didn’t say that. What he said was ‘Get some help, man!’ “

  She winced.

  “Now what do you suppose he meant?”

  “What was it he said again?” she croaked.

  “Exactly what did you tell him?”

  She fell back on the Calebow kids’ technique. “Why do you think I told him something? There are lots of people here who could have said something to him—Troy, Amy, Charlotte Long. It’s not fair, Kevin. Every time something happens around here, you blame me.”

  “And why do you think that might be?”

  “I have no idea.”

  He leaned down, braced both his hands on her knees, and brought his face inches from hers. “Because I’ve got your number. And I’ve got all day.”

  “Yes, well, I don’t.” She licked her lips and studied his earlobe, perfect just like the rest of him, except for a small red tooth mark she was fairly sure she’d put there. “Who fixed breakfast this morning?”

  “I did.” He spoke softly, but the pressure on her knees didn’t ease. He definitely wasn’t letting her up. “Then Amy came in and helped me. Are you done stalling?”

  “No… yes—I don’t know!” She tried to move her legs, but they weren’t going anywhere. “I didn’t want you to sell the campground, that’s all.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “Eddie Dillard is a fool.”

  “I know that, too.” He stood up, but he didn’t back away. “What else have you got?”

  She tried to stand herself so she could let him have it, but she was pinned in by his body. It made her so agitated she wanted to scream. “If you know that, how could you have done this in the first place? How could you have stood there and let him talk about painting the cottages brown? About tearing down this cottage—the cottage you’re standing in right now!—and then turning the B&B into a bait shop?”

  “He could only do those things if I sold the campground to him.”

  “If you—” She whipped her legs around him and jumped up. “What are you saying? Omigod, Kevin, what do you mean?”

  “First I want to hear about the tuna.”

  She gulped. The moment she’d conceived her plan, she’d known she’d have to tell him the truth. She’d just hoped it wouldn’t be quite so soon. “All right.” She backed away a few steps. “Yesterday I bought some fish at the market, and last night I put them in the lake, and then I woke up Eddie and took him to see them.”

  A pause. “And you told him what exactly?”

  She made eye contact with his elbow and talked as fast as she could. “That an underground chemical dump was leaking into the lake and killing all the fish.”

  “An underground chemical dump?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “An underground chemical dump!”

  She took another quick step backward. “Could we talk about something else?”

  Oh, jeez, that made his eyes flash fourteen different shades of mad. “Eddie didn’t happen to notice that some of those fish shouldn’t have been in a freshwater lake?”

  “It was dark, and I didn’t let him have a really good look.” Another quick step backward.

  Countered by a quick step forward from him. “And how did you explain away my trying to sell him a fishing camp on a contaminated lake?”

  Her nerves snapped. “Stop looking at me like that!”

  “Like I might wrap my hands around your neck and squeeze?”

  “Except you can’t, because I’m your boss’s sister.”

  “Which only means I need to co
me up with something that doesn’t leave marks.”

  “Sex! There are couples who think that having sex when they get really angry with each other is a turn-on.”

  “And you know this how? Never mind, I’m going to take your word for it.” He reached out and snared the front of her top.

  “Uh… Kev…” She licked her lips and gazed up into those glittering green eyes.

  He splayed his hand across her bottom. “I seriously suggest you don’t call me that. And I seriously suggest you don’t try to stop this either, because I really, really need to do something physical to you.” He shoved himself against her. “And everything else I’m thinking about will put me in jail.”

  “O-okay. That’s fair.” As soon as she was naked, she’d let him know what else she’d said to Eddie.

  But then his mouth crushed hers, and she stopped thinking altogether.

  He didn’t have the patience to take off his own clothes, but he stripped her, then slammed and locked the bedroom door in case any little Calebows decided to come visit their Auntie M.

  “On that bed. Right now.”

  Oh, yes. As fast as she could get there.

  “Open your legs.”

  Yes, sir.

  “Wider.”

  She gave him a couple of inches.

  “Don’t make me have to ask you again.”

  She slid up her knees. It would never be like this for her again. Never again would she feel so absolutely safe with a dangerous man.

  She heard the sound of his zipper. A rough growl. “How do you want it?”

  “Oh, shut up.” She reached out and opened her arms. “Shut up and come here.”

  Seconds later she felt his weight settling over her. He was still angry, she knew that, but it didn’t stop him from touching her in all the places she loved to be touched.

  His voice was low and husky, and his breath stirred a lock of hair near her ear. “You’re making me crazy, you know that, don’t you?”

  She pressed her cheek to his hard jaw. “I know. I’m sorry.”

  His voice grew softer and tighter. “It can’t—we can’t keep…”

  She bit her lip and held him tight. “I know that, too.”