Whispers of the Heart

by Woster, Barbara

  “Sounds good. So, while they’re hole up in the dining room, why don’t you go and speak with them. I’ve got something I want to take care of in here and then I’m going to check on Kat.

  Harvey slapped at his thigh and stood, “Sounds like a plan, and I’m looking forward to seeing the little lady up and about before too much longer.

  “You and me both, and thanks Harvey.”

  “For?”

  “For doing everything possible to help me out; for helping me keep my head on straight and for helping me with the guests.”

  “Not a problem. Oh, and I sent a deputy to sit outside Kat’s door until you can get up there to protect her yourself.”

  “Damn, I should have thought of that.”

  “It’s been a hell of a day. Cut yourself some slack.”

  Dalian nodded. When Harvey left him alone, Dalian reached for the phone and dialed Directory Assistance for Covington, Georgia, “I need the number for Janet Ackers, please. Thank you.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Dalian hung up the phone after a longer conversation than he intended, and then left his office. The dining room was on a direct line of sight to the staircase, so he veered off to watch his guests milling about, whispering among themselves. Some were seated with a police officer, answering questions and some were seated before the portable fingerprinting machine, which would digitally transport their information to the lab for identification. He shook his head in wonder, thinking that the next step in technological advancements would provide instantaneous results. Scan the prints, wait five minutes, and have a person’s rap sheet pop up on the screen.

  He spotted Chloe, the only woman in a room full of men, sitting and speaking with one of the state police officers. He felt for her. Partly because of the current circumstances, and partly because she wasn’t garnering the attention she was used to. Her interviewer was completely professional, Chloe’s beauty wholly unobserved. He wondered whether the knit in her brow was to do with that, or simply at having to be interrogated like a common criminal. He made a mental note to say something to her later; comment on how pretty she was looking. Lift her spirits a bit. Then he sighed and headed for the stairs.

  He hoped this latest disaster to strike at him didn’t affect the future of his ranch. He would need to make an appearance shortly to reassure his guests after checking on Kat. Despite his unease at having his guests stay disrupted, his primary concern was the woman who’d slept through the better part of the mayhem. Besides, he trusted that his friend and foreman would do his best to deter negative feelings and threats of lawsuits.

  He knocked softly on Kat’s door and was pleased when that charming lilt of a southern accent bade him enter. He pushed the door open and smiled widely. Kat was sitting up in bed and Mrs. Guthrie was beside her, coaxing her into eating some soup. “Mind if I intrude?”

  Both women smiled and shook their heads, “We were just finishing up a bite to eat,” Mrs. Guthrie said. She stood and collected the dishes and headed for the door. “Don’t tax her overly much,” she advised Dalian. “She’s recovering nicely from her ordeal, but I’m not certain any stress right now would be good for her.”

  “I’ll take good care of her, Mrs. Guthrie. I promise.”

  With a knowing grin, Mrs. Guthrie stepped into the foyer. “I’ll see to it you’re not disturbed,” she said, pulling the door closed. Dalian saw the hue in Kat’s cheeks brighten and laughed. He would never tire at how easily she blushed. He liked it.

  Kat lowered her gaze and then a moment later looked back at Dalian, invitation in her eyes. Dalian’s grin widened and he closed the distance rapidly. He sat down on the side of the bed, scooped Kat onto his lap, and kissed her thoroughly. When he broke the kiss, he started to say something, changed his mind, and resumed kissing her.

  Kat’s breathing was coming in gasps when he finally allowed her up for air the second time, “Wow! You certainly know how to take a woman’s breath away.”

  “I could say the same about you taking a man’s breath away, but,” he said with a devilish arch of his brow, “I’m far from finished with you. I intend to leave you panting a good long while, woman.”

  “I take it that I’m in a whole heap of trouble?” She giggled.

  “Damn straight!”

  Kat grinned and lowered her gaze; however, unlike before, she wasn’t afraid. She was through running, was ready to love again. To be loved. She ran her hand along the nape of Dalian’s neck, her fingers fanning through his thick black hair. She gently tugged his face to hers and for the first time in her life, initiated a kiss.

  Dalian placed his hands beneath her knees and stood, without removing his lips from hers. He turned toward the bed, lowering Kat to its center, his body following until they were lying in each other’s embrace. Slowly, with near-reverence, his hand traversed along the side of Kat’s body, sliding across her breast and then down to her hip. Her body arched into his caress, her own hands beginning an exploration of the muscles rippling along his back.

  On the return trip from her hip, Dalian’s hand found the edge of Kat’s nightshirt and slowly edged beneath, his hand stopping when it encountered the warm flesh of her side. He broke the kiss and looked questioningly at her.

  “I’m ready,” she whispered.

  “You are my heart,” Dalian replied.

  Kat lowered her hand to his, and slid it upward, pressing it against her chest, just above her breast, “And you’re mine.”

  Dalian felt the rapid beat beneath his palm and looked at where the material had slid up, uncovering one of her breasts. He lowered his head and placed a tender kiss on it, and then skillfully shed their clothing and claimed her for his own.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  You saw him standing there at the door; knew that he was headed upstairs to check on Kat; and you just sat here talking to this cop.

  There was no way to counter the harsh reprimand; to object, speak – say anything in response, but the cop was saying something, posing more questions. Why did he have to pry; why be so thorough? Secrets weren’t meant to be revealed.

  Tread softly, answer the inane questions, and then go take care of business!

  “Okay. We’ve established your whereabouts, now just one more question, and then I’ll send you along to the fingerprint officer for a quick read, and you’ll be free to roam about unimpeded. Sound good?”

  “Yes.”

  Sounds peachy! Unimpeded, my eye! Someone is going to be watching your every move. You’ll have to be stealthy. No one can know that the culprit is you. They can’t know your motivations.

  “Is there anything in your past that we need to know about now that may show up in our records? Anything that you may want to reveal? Even if it’s just an overdue parking ticket.”

  You’re in the clear. Nothing can be tied to you, and no one is allowed access to your juvenile records. Just say ‘no’.

  “No.”

  “Very good then. Take a seat next to the man over there. You should be finished shortly. Next!”

  Knees knocking, the person stood and headed to the designated chair, but at least the hard part was over.

  I hate questions! Why is someone always asking questions!

  “Please be quiet!”

  “I haven’t said anything,” the man in the next chair said.

  “Sorry. I was talking to myself.”

  The man quirked a brow, then returned his attention to his iPad. He slipped on a pair of headphones, turning his back slightly.

  As soon as you’ve done fingerprinting, slip off to the bathroom, and find a way to get upstairs undetected. I’m here now, so we’ll take care of this together.

  “What if they’re together?” The reply was barely audible, but the worry of being overhead still great.

  Separate them. We don’t want them both harmed. We need the one alive, remember?

  “Can’t we just find someone else? Why this particular one?”

  Because I said so, that’s
why, and I always get what I’m after. You should know that by now.

  “Yeah, you’ve been getting what you want for over twenty years, can’t I have a say for once?”

  No, and lower your voice.

  The sigh that followed was one of defeat. Never getting what was wanted was beginning to wear thin; so was hoping for a longer-term relationship. A break was in order. The police officer summoned, and instructions issued on the steps required for obtaining fingerprints. “Just slip your hand flat on this screen and remain very still. We’ll repeat with the other hand, and you’ll be all done for the day.”

  About time.

  “Next hand.” The machine whirred for another minute and then, “All done.”

  Nonchalant, the person stood, slipped from the room, and ducked into the powder room downstairs.

  “Now what?” The person asked the reflection in the mirror, which would have raised the eyebrows of any onlooker; however, it had become a common occurrence for the person staring at the reflection; a reflection from whom there was seemingly no escape.

  Time to head upstairs and finish what we started, and try not to let anyone see you.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Kat lay nestled in Dalian’s embrace, feeling drowsy and sated. She smiled at the small ache in her abdomen, as she lifted her leg and laid it over his; snuggling closer. Her hand slid from his chest, down by his side, and she hugged him slightly, a sigh of contentment escaping. Dalian instinctively drew her nearer, nuzzling his chin on top of her head. He placed a kiss on her hair and released his own sigh.

  “Think anyone would mind if we didn’t make an appearance until tomorrow? I’m beat,” Dalian said, and Kat laughed.

  “It may take me that long to be able to walk again,” she admitted sheepishly.

  Dalian laughed and hugged her tight, then relaxed his grip and kissed her hair again.

  “Dalian?”

  “Yes, darling.”

  Kat closed her eyes and savored the endearment, even more reluctant to broach the topic of their assailant. She felt compelled to know what was transpiring; yet, at the same time, wanted to keep that part of the world shut out of their bedroom and their world forever. Wishful thinking, she knew.

  “I know it may not seem the best time to talk about this, but I won’t be truly satisfied until I know what’s going on with the sheriff’s investigation. Do they have any leads?”

  “I meant to talk to you about it earlier, but you were too inviting by far, and I completely lost my senses.” Dalian shifted to a sitting position, and Kat reached over to grab her nightshirt from the floor. He sighed, “You don’t have to get dressed, you know.”

  “I do if we’re going to have a conversation, and you put a shirt on too. Talk about a distraction,” she declared, gazing lustfully at his bare chest.

  Dalian laughed, “Fine, we’ll get dressed first. I suppose it does seem absurd to have a serious conversation in the nude.” Kat laughed and shimmied into her nightclothes, watching with increasing desire a naked Dalian slowly don his own attire. She smiled and then shook the lustful thoughts away. She had a lifetime to lust over her man, she mused, and then the smile vanished altogether when reality intruded. She could only hope right now that they would have a lifetime together. Until the sheriff apprehended the assailant, there were no certainties.

  When they were clothed, they repositioned themselves against the headboard and Dalian filled her in on his visit to the sheriff’s office early that morning.

  “So, you and the sheriff are now one-hundred-percent convinced that the Cantons had nothing to do with the assault on us. So now what?” Kat asked, trying to keep the worry from her tone.

  “Well, while we’ve been busy up here, about a dozen officers have been busy downstairs, questioning and fingerprinting my guests and my ranch hands.”

  “Oh my stars! Could it really be someone that we’ve spent the better part of three weeks with?”

  Dalian shook his head, “There’s really no way to know. A disgruntled former employee could be hanging about the place unseen; or a current employee could have a beef to grind. I can only speculate, which is not a good thing to do if I want peace of mind. The best thing we can do is let the sheriff do his job and never go anywhere unattended. If I can’t be with you, one of the sheriff’s men should be.” Dalian sighed heavily.

  “We’ll get through this, Dalian,” Kat assured, placing her hand on his.

  “Damn straight,” Dalian said quietly, “and when we do, I’m marrying you.”

  Kat looked into Dalian’s gaze, startled. He grinned, and leaned forward until his face was mere inches from hers, “That’s what I said. Any objection?”

  Kat shook her head, barely perceptible, and Dalian placed a kiss on her lips.

  “Sorry it wasn’t the most romantic of proposals, but there doesn’t seem to be much normal about our entire time together to date.”

  Kat laughed shortly and had to agree. From the time she arrived at his ranch, life had been a whirlwind of activity, good and bad, so for him to bend formally on one knee to propose marriage seemed contrary somehow; and if she were honest with herself, she was just thrilled that he proposed. She was a novelist who lived and breathed romance; so to her, his proposing the way he did was more significant than the romantic accoutrements of a fairytale proposal. But it did give her an idea.

  “Once we get through this, I think I’m going to turn our story into a novel,” she said, smiling widely. “I mean, if you think about it, what’s been happening to us sounds like it came straight from a book anyway, doesn’t it?”

  Dalian grinned and nodded, “It sure doesn’t sound real life. Hey! Can I name it?”

  “The book? I haven’t even written it yet.” Kat laughed at his enthusiasm; felt a deep sense of pride that he wanted to be a part of her world, as she wanted to be a part of his.

  “I know, but if you’re going to write about our time together, I think I have the perfect title.”

  “Okay. Tell me this perfect title.”

  “Whispers of the Heart,” Dalian said softly, placing her hand on his chest.

  Kat’s eyes glistened with tears and she smiled softly. “I get it, and it is perfect.”

  “I love you, Kat.” Dalian leaned over to kiss her when a knock sounded at the door. “Well, that’s poor timing.”

  Kat laughed, and gave him a quick peck, “Come in,” she called.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  “Did you have to invite them in?” Dalian whispered, as the doorknob turned. “I had plans to ravish you again.” Kat laughed as the door swung open.

  “Good to see someone’s having a nice time,” Harvey said, stepping into the room, followed closely by the sheriff, Chloe, Mrs. Guthrie, and Cal Withers.

  Dalian saw them file in. He brushed their intrusion aside, his brow knitted in concern. He was suddenly glad they’d determined to converse clothed, as it would have been embarrassing to be caught in a compromising position. “Something happen?” He asked, addressing the sheriff. When no one replied immediately, Dalian snapped, “Why are you all standing in our bedroom if nothing is wrong?”

  They looked at each other and then shrugged simultaneously. “Nothing really wrong,” Harvey replied. “We just encountered each other heading in this direction, so thought we’d come see you all together.”

  Chloe stepped from the pack and headed over to the bedside. She sat down beside Kat, “How are you feeling?” She asked softly. “I feel horribly guilty that I couldn’t come see you sooner.”

  “That’s okay, Chloe, I was...um...preoccupied earlier,” Kat’s ears tinted pink, and Dalian laughed.

  “Completely my fault, Miss Chloe, I assure you. So, what’s up everybody? Cal? I guess I should ask you first, since you’re a guest here. Then again, so are you, Chloe. Unless you came up here for another reason other than to check on Kat?”

  “No, no other reason,” Chloe said and settled into a chair next to the bed. Dalian turned his atte
ntion back to Cal.

  Cal’s face was flushed and Kat could tell it was taking a monumental effort to keep his temper in check at seeing her and Dalian in bed together. At least she read his demeanor, and his expression, that way. He was also avoiding eye contact – a sure sign of discomfort. When he finally spoke, it was in a barely polite and completely insincere tone of voice. “I’m sorry to intrude, Dalian, but I didn’t really come up here to see you or Kat. I just happen to see the sheriff headed this way and wanted to ask his permission to leave.

  “I’m sorry sir, but I can’t allow anyone...”

  “I don’t mean to return home,” Cal interrupted. “I just mean to take a motel room in town, until this blows over. I’d be mighty grateful, since the thought of staying under the same roof as a killer . . . well, it just doesn’t sit well with me. In fact, it’s making me downright nauseous,” he concluded with a quick glance at the bed.

  Dalian looked at the sheriff and then at his foreman. He missed the contempt aimed in Kat’s and his direction, because his mind was on the potential fallout to his ranch. This was just the concern he had earlier – that people would try to bolt out of fear and the reputation of his ranch would suffer. Still, while he was doing everything possible to resume and maintain some sort of normalcy, that didn’t mean his guests were willing to do the same.

  “I can’t allow anyone to leave until cleared. Even if cleared, there may still be questions I need to ask, so it isn’t likely anyone will be free to return to their homes for a few days at least. Have you had your fingerprints taken?” The sheriff asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Okay. Good. We should know something before tomorrow afternoon. If we don’t find anything that implicates you in this attack, I’ll let you leave, but only in so far as I’ll permit you to take a motel room in town. That’s the best I can do.”