by Various
“Then we’re part of your healing,” she told him, feeling emotional and misty-eyed. She wanted to be part of Daniel, to be his friend, his lover, his mate. But now wasn’t the time to tell him, not when he was still mourning the loss of his wife and child. “But the tree is for Clarissa and Parker, too. You can plant it for them.”
“Thank you,” he said, his voice quiet.
They both fell silent, the tiny blue spruce shimmering between them. Once again, Traci imagined it growing strong and tall, its silvery branches reaching for the heavens.
Daniel had surrounded himself with trees, she realized. A thick, dense forest wove an earthly pattern behind his house. Did the gray birches and the shadowy willows beckon him? Call out to him when he couldn’t sleep?
“Are the rumors about you true?” she asked. “Do you really go for walks in the moonlight?”
“Sometimes. The forest seems enchanted at night.”
Yes, she thought, picturing him shrouded in mist, moonlight glinting off his raven-colored hair. “What about this house, Daniel? Do you think it’s haunted?”
“Not the way people say it is.” He held out his hand. “Come with me, Traci. There’s something I want to show you.”
She stood and accepted his hand, knowing he was taking her to the second floor, to the mysterious room he kept locked.
They climbed the double-curved staircase and walked down the hall. He was still holding her hand, and she felt warm from his touch.
The second floor of Orchid House was decorated with turn-of-the-century antiques. They passed bedrooms with armoires and carved mahogany beds.
They stopped in front of the only door that remained closed. Daniel removed a key from his pocket, and Traci’s heartbeat quickened.
When they entered the expansive room, she noticed a workstation laden with art supplies and a tall easel draped with a white cloth.
She turned to Daniel. “Do you paint?”
He nodded. “I used to when I was younger, but I didn’t start up again until I came here.”
“Orchid House inspired you?”
He nodded again, his eyes intense. “And now I want you to see the ghosts.”
Daniel unveiled the painting, and Traci gasped.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
TRACI stared at the canvas. Angels.
Daniel had painted two breathtaking angels, their feathery wings gilded and glorious, their arms filled with white orchids.
“They’re beautiful.” So lifelike, so soft and ethereal. Both had long, flowing hair and eyes as blue as the sky.
“I bought this mansion because it reminded me of the house I owned with Clarissa. But I also wanted to brood with the ghosts. I wanted to be locked inside with them.”
“But the ghosts turned out to be angels.” Which meant he had been living with two heavenly creatures.
“I’ve never actually seen them,” he said. “But I feel them—their presence, their aura. I painted them the way I imagine they look.”
“I smelled orchids on the night we kissed,” she said. “The flowers called lady of the night. Is that what they’re holding?”
“Yes.”
Daniel covered the painting and reached for Traci’s hand. Without speaking, he led her into the hall, and then stopped to look at her.
She knew what this moment meant, how vital it was to the rest of her life. Either she and Daniel would part ways or they would become lovers. Their attraction was too strong to settle for something in between.
Moving closer, she skimmed his cheek, his warm, bronzed skin.
“I want you,” she said.
He searched her gaze, his voice rough. “If we do this, Traci, I can’t make any promises. I’m not ready to make a commitment.”
But soon he would be, she thought. The angels would heal his spirit. Daniel would be all right.
She unbuttoned her blouse, offering herself to the man she loved. He watched, his eyes dark and mesmerizing. And the instant she unhooked her bra, he sent her a slow, Southern smile.
“Will you come to my room, sweet Traci?”
“Yes.” Please, yes.
His four-poster bed was draped with an emerald-green comforter, and the balcony door invited a gust of the cool December air.
Daniel opened a dresser drawer and fisted a foil packet. “I bought these the day after I met you. It seemed wrong at the time, but you made me want again. I knew then that I couldn’t stay celibate forever. It was my way of telling myself that I needed to make love again.”
“I understand,” she said, pleased by his honesty. “I’m so glad it’s me you’re going to be with.”
They stood beside the mahogany bed and caressed each other. He stroked her back and lowered his head to taste her nipples. She delved into his hair and let the silky length spill over her.
She knew he was her destiny. The man she had been waiting for all of her life. She whispered his name as he finished undressing her.
When he dropped to his knees, she gripped the bedpost, stunned and aroused. Traci knew what he was going to do. Eagerly, she waited for his intimate kiss.
He licked and suckled and drove her to near madness. Desperate for more, she fell deeper into the moment, into the hot, wicked climax. It flooded her body with an urgent need, filling her until she staggered and swayed and fell bonelessly into his waiting arms.
He placed her on the bed and shed his clothes. She blinked and focused, drinking in the sight of him, the pure masculine beauty. Raw, ropey sinew and strong, firm muscles. She had to touch him—his chest, his belly, his sex.
She stroked his erection, and he dragged air into his lungs. “I need you,” he said. “So damn much.”
He braced himself above her, and she knew he couldn’t wait. Grasping the foil packet from the dresser, he tore it open.
As Traci lifted her hips, he entered her, fast and hard and deep.
So incredibly deep.
Sensation slid over sensation, flesh over flesh. They moved in the same wondrous rhythm, kissing and touching, hands and mouths questing.
He thrust full tilt, and she rose to meet him.
The wind swirled around the room, and they locked hands and held tight. They were immersed, steeped in the feel of each other.
Lost in the moment, Traci closed her eyes. Had this joining, this beautiful mating, this mind-spinning climax made them one?
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
TRACI smiled. Being naked in the middle of the afternoon felt wonderful. She trailed a finger down Daniel’s chest and was rewarded with a smile from him. He looked dark and sexy and sated.
“How did you end up in Pennsylvania?” she asked. In her tiny hometown. It seemed too good to be true.
“I was just passing through, and I saw this house. I never really intended to settle in the East, but then, I hadn’t intended to settle anywhere. I was drifting, going from state to state.”
He stretched, his body long and fluid. The sheet was draped just below his navel. Traci wanted him again, but she decided to behave herself. “You’re an incredible artist.” And an incredible lover, she thought.
“Thanks.” He shifted his weight, stirring the mattress. “My mom used to paint. I guess it’s in the blood.”
“Do you ever think about the reservation, Daniel? There must have been something you liked about it.”
He glanced at the balcony. The door was closed now, the room still. “It’s beautiful there, especially in October. It’s the most colorful time of year. And the most cultural, I suppose. There’s a festival every fall.”
She detected a sense of longing in his voice. “Do you miss your dad at all?”
“I—” Daniel paused to push his hair away from his face, frowning a little. “Yeah, I do.” The frown tilted into a small, reminiscent smile. “He used to call me Gv-he. Wildcat. I was such a restless kid. And then I grew up to be so big. Even as a teenager, I was taller and broader than my dad.”
“You should visit him. Sixteen years is a lon
g time to stay away. Just think about going home,” she said, hoping to persuade him. “Family is important.”
“I know. And it isn’t as if I haven’t tried to contact him. I’ve been sending him money, but he returns the checks.”
Traci skimmed Daniel’s cheek. “Maybe it’s you he wants and not your money.”
“And maybe he’s just stubborn.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Like his wildcat son?”
“All right, smart aleck, I’ll think about it.”
She smiled. “Good.”
After a moment of silence, he caught her hand and moved it down his body, his eyes filled with sudden mischief. “So, sweet Traci, are we done talking now?”
She laughed and closed her fingers around him. Yes, she thought. Being naked in the middle of the afternoon felt wonderful.
Three days later, Daniel stopped by Traci’s house. She answered the door, wishing she looked prettier. She was dressed for the diner, wearing the pink-and-white uniform that conflicted with the color of her hair.
“Hi. I wasn’t expecting you. I have to work today.” She felt for the curls falling out of her hastily twisted bun. It was foolish, she knew, to be self-conscious around him. In the past few days, they had seen and touched every inch of each other. They had even showered together, kissing and caressing through the soap-scented steam.
“Do you have a minute? I’d like to talk.”
“Sure.” His expression seemed a little too serious. Concerned, she invited him in.
They sat beside each other on the printed sofa. “Is everything okay?” she asked.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said. About the importance of family.” He tunneled his fingers through his hair. “I’m going back to North Carolina, Traci. I’m going to see my dad.”
Now she understood why he looked so serious. “So you’re going home for Christmas?” Traci wanted Daniel to spend the holidays with her, but she was glad he had decided to make peace with his father. It was, she thought, the last phase of his emotional healing. “How long will you be gone?”
“I’m not sure. If my dad wants me to stay, I might end up moving back there.”
Suddenly she couldn’t breathe.
He took her hand, and she willed herself not to cry. She couldn’t fault Daniel for trying to do the right thing, but she couldn’t stop her heart from breaking, either. She still hadn’t told him that she loved him, and now she knew she couldn’t.
“You’ve done so much for me,” he said. “Made me feel whole and alive again. But you can’t make things better between my dad and me. Only I can do that.”
Traci clung to his hand. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too. You and Parker are like family to me.”
But they weren’t, she thought. They had only been a part of Daniel’s life for a few short weeks. And that wasn’t nearly long enough to keep him.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
DANIEL and his father sat across from each other in a steak house located in the Cherokee Pavilion. The pavilion was new, and so was Harrah’s—a casino featuring 60,000 square feet of gaming space. Vegas-style entertainment, Daniel thought, on his homeland.
He gazed at the man he had abandoned sixteen years ago. George Crow had aged, but the lines around his eyes and the gray in his hair managed to strengthen his appeal.
“So what do you think of all this?” Daniel asked, gesturing to their surroundings.
George looked up from his meal. “It’s good for the Real People,” he said, using a traditional term for the Cherokee. “They share in the gaming profits.”
Daniel smiled. His father was still an old-fashioned man, but apparently he had accepted the growth of his people and their plunge into the modern world. He seemed wise to Daniel now, a proud Cherokee warrior.
“You’ve changed, Dad.”
“So have you, Gv-he. But you’ve lost so much.”
Daniel’s smile faded. In spite of his monetary success, he couldn’t deny the years of turmoil and pain that had come with it. He’d told his father about Clarissa and the baby, praying they were at peace in the Nightland.
Reaching for his coffee, he glanced out the window.
Frost fogged the glass, a reminder that Christmas was just days away.
Christmas. Now the holiday season made him think of Traci and Parker, of their smiles and laughter. He missed them terribly. He’d sent Parker a passel of books and toys from one of the reservation gift shops, but he couldn’t find an appropriate gift for Traci.
There was nothing he could give her that would express how he felt. She had changed his life, encouraging him to face his past.
“Did I make you sad?” George asked.
Daniel turned away from the window and met his father’s gaze. He shook his head, hoping he didn’t look as lonely as he felt. “No. I’m fine.”
“You don’t seem fine.”
“No, really, I am. It just feels strange to be back here.”
“It’s good to have you home.”
They stared at each other, man to man. Daniel felt a lump forming in his throat. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too.”
Before he embarrassed himself with watery eyes, Daniel cut into his steak. His emotions teetered, tipping his heart. He could feel it tumbling in his chest, struggling for balance.
He couldn’t remember the last time he had dined in a restaurant with his dad. But then, money had been tight years ago. Frowning, he sipped his coffee. George Crow still lived in the same modest home, the same tiny, hilltop dwelling. “Why did you return the checks?”
“What would I do with all that money? I have everything I need. The tourists come in the summer, and the winters are quiet and serene. That’s enough for me.”
“Do you want me to stay, Dad? To move back?”
“Is that what you want?”
“I want to be part of your life, and I want to be Cherokee again.”
“You can be one of the Real People without living here. I didn’t used to think so, but I know better now.” He set his fork down. “You and I, we’re from different generations, but we’re both still Cherokee. Still father and son.”
Feeling shamed, Daniel leaned against the table, his voice quiet. “How can you say that after I denounced my heritage?”
“Because you struggled with it. You knew it was wrong, and it affected everything you did.”
“It’s been a long, hard road.” And it amazed him that his dad could forgive him so easily.
“I shouldn’t have been so tough on you. I should have encouraged you to spread your wings.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
“And you coming back means a lot to me.” Although George smiled, it faded quickly. “But I can tell you’re confused. Who is she, son? Who walks in your soul?”
Daniel caught his breath. “You think I’m in love?”
His father looked him square in the eye. “It can happen more than once. Your wife and child have been gone a long time, and now your heart is beating for someone new. Isn’t it?”
CHAPTER TWENTY
DANIEL’S heart was beating, thumping wildly in his chest. He stood at Traci’s door, his father beside him.
Traci stared at both of them. “Oh, my.”
She wore a burgundy dress, and her hair was fixed in a loose topknot, red curls framing her face. Daniel wanted to draw her into his arms and never let go.
“Hi,” he said instead. “Merry Christmas.”
“Hi.” She blinked, and Daniel introduced his father.
George smiled and took her hand. “You’re pretty,” he told her.
Her eyes misted. “Thank you. Come in, please.”
The mouthwatering aroma of holiday food filled the house. A turkey was roasting in the oven, and a pumpkin pie cooled on the counter.
They entered the living room where lights twinkled on a tall evergreen. Wads of colorful paper and strings of shiny ribbon were
strewn all over the floor. Parker and Tom sat on the sofa, inspecting one of Parker’s new toys.
Tom smiled, and Parker leaped up and ran toward Daniel. He lifted the boy and held tight, smoothing the child’s cowlick. This is what Christmas is about, he thought. Family, friends and a warm feeling inside.
Tom and George took to each other immediately, chatting like old army buddies. Or possibly newfound relatives. They were two wise old men who appreciated the simple things life had to offer.
Traci slipped into the kitchen to check on dinner, and Daniel followed her. She leaned against the counter and released a shaky breath.
“I’m so surprised you’re here,” she said. “And with your father.”
“He wanted to meet you.”
“Really? Why?”
“Because I told him about you and Parker and how much you helped me.” Daniel realized he was nervous. Traci seemed a little wary, and he prayed she would accept the gift he brought her.
“Are you moving to North Carolina after the holidays?” she asked.
“No. My dad is going back, but I’m staying here.”
She twisted a strand of her unruly hair. “You are?”
“Yes.” He moved closer. “And I—” He paused and reached into the suit jacket he wore. Handing her a tiny wrapped package, he waited for her to open it, too anxious to finish his speech.
She fumbled with the paper, and when she uncovered the gift, she met his gaze, her bright green eyes searching his.
Hours later, Traci and Daniel sat on the porch swing. Snow had begun to fall, but Traci wasn’t cold. The man she loved had proposed, and the ring on her finger glittered like a falling star.
Wishes, she thought, do come true.
“When did you know?” she asked.
“That I loved you?” His hair blew in the breeze, like silk against midnight. “I’m not sure. It might have happened the moment I saw you. Of course, I was in denial. I didn’t think I was capable of loving again.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder and watched snowflakes flutter to the ground. “Where are we going to live?”
