by Radclyffe
needed, especially if Leslie was leaving. With any luck, she could get back to
work without constantly seeing Leslie’s face in her mind or hearing her voice or
just…remembering.
“Thursday. Hell,” Natalie said. “I have to be in meetings almost all day. But I
can get someone else to run you out—”
“No problem. I’m pretty sure Paul Harris will be able to do it.”
Dev touched Natalie’s shoulder. “Believe me, you’ve been a huge help already.”
“It’s no hardship.” Natalie reached under the table and brushed her Þ ngers
along Dev’s thigh. “I told you that the Þ rst day. Remember?”
“I do seem to recall something like that.”
Natalie stopped her teasing caress just short of Dev’s crotch. She wasn’t usually
so blatant in her seduction tactics, but Dev got to her in ways that other women
didn’t. As much as Dev held back physically, she didn’t hide what she was
feeling. Or maybe she couldn’t. Natalie had seen the way Dev looked at Leslie
Harris, and watching Dev’s face when Leslie had disappeared out the front
door, she’d Þ nally understood the phrase wearing your heart on your sleeve.
Dev probably
• 92 •
WHEN DREAMS TREMBLE
didn’t realize it, but when she looked at Leslie, her eyes were Þ lled with
helpless longing.
“Were you out in high school?” Natalie asked, suddenly getting the picture. But
Dev couldn’t possibly be carrying a torch all these years, could she?
“No,” Dev said, her voice hoarse. “I didn’t know anyone who was gay. I didn’t
really understand myself, what I was feeling, not for sure until…” The night I
kissed her.
The pain in Dev’s face was so naked, Natalie ached. Obviously she’d been
wrong about the importance of whatever Dev had felt back then. Impulsively,
she covered Dev’s hand where it rested on the tablecloth. “Never mind. Water
under the bridge, right?”
“Absolutely,” Dev said, thinking that until a few days before, she’d believed that.
She drained her coffee and pushed her uneaten plate of food away. “Thanks for
last night. It was just what I needed.”
Natalie held Dev’s eyes and let Dev see what was in hers. Her interest. Her
desire. Last night had been great. What she might as well admit was that she
wanted more than kisses. She wanted more than a night or two of pleasure with
Dev’s great body. She wanted to be the one to erase the hurt in her eyes. And
that was dangerous thinking. But then, anything worth having was worth the risk
of a few bumps and bruises. “So let’s do it again soon and see what else you
might need.
Tonight? Tomorrow?”
Shaking her head, Dev pushed her chair back, her legs stretched out in front of
her. “I’ve got a couple of solid days’ work at the lab before I head out to the
islands. How about another rain check?”
Natalie let her eyes wander up and down Dev’s body, taking her time and not
bothering to hide exactly what she was thinking. “I’ll pray for storms.”
Laughing, Dev rose. “Don’t let the tourists hear you say that.”
On the way out, Dev waved to Eileen Harris, who stood in the doorway
between the kitchen and the dining room, watching them with a pensive
expression.
• 93 •
• 94 •
WHEN DREAMS TREMBLE
CHAPTER ELEVEN
At just after 6 p.m., Dev turned down the driveway to Lakeview.
She’d had a good day at the lab. Arno Rodriguez, her summer intern from
Oswego State College, had shown up and proved to be eager, if more likely to
be of use analyzing data than collecting it.
Arno’s practical expertise left a bit to be desired, but his computer skills were
excellent. Truthfully, she didn’t mind. She had always preferred to be out in the
Þ eld, but in the last few years more and more of her time had been consumed
by preparing reports for one government agency or another and presenting
recommendations at state and federal budgetary meetings. And lately, she’d had
another, even less pleasant job added to her résumé—testifying for the state as
an expert witness at trials involving EPA violations.
So this summer was almost like a sabbatical for her, and she welcomed the
opportunity to do the Þ eldwork. She’d been so absorbed all day she hadn’t
thought of anything personal until she’d reached the Lakeshore Road. Then she
couldn’t help but think of Leslie and wonder if she had left to return to New
York City. She told herself that was for the best, but it didn’t feel that way in the
pit of her stomach.
The heavy throbbing there felt almost as bad as losing her the Þ rst time.
When she rounded a curve in the narrow road that wound through the trees and
saw emergency vehicles with lights ß ashing parked haphazardly just below the
lodge, her heart lurched. Leslie! She stomped down on the gas and rocketed
into the parking lot, Þ shtailed to a stop, and jumped from the cab of the truck.
As she ran toward a small
• 95 •
RADCLY fFE
crowd at the verge of the long slope leading down to the boathouse, she
scanned the back porch where half a dozen guests were gathered. There was no
one there she recognized. Everyone appeared to be staring in the direction of
the lake and the docks below. She started down, and that was when she saw
EMTs guiding a stretcher up the grassy incline. She recognized Eileen Harris
hurrying along beside the clump of medical personnel, and her stomach tightened
into a cold knot.
It had been so obvious that Leslie was ill. Why hadn’t anyone said anything—
why hadn’t she? Because it wasn’t her place. Because Leslie’s prickly temper
and aloof manner kept everyone at arm’s length. Because she didn’t want to
risk Leslie shutting her out. When had she resorted to cowardice, or was that
just the way she’d always been around Leslie?
Racing downhill, half skidding on the damp grass, she called to Leslie’s mother.
“What happened? Is it Leslie? Is she hurt?”
“What?” Eileen, who looked confused and distracted, nevertheless seemed
relieved when she recognized Dev. “Oh. No, no. It’s Paul.”
Breathless, she grasped Dev’s arm and pulled her along. “One of the winches
pulled loose and the boat slipped…and, oh God—”
Devon grasped her hand. “Take your time. It’s okay. What did the EMTs say?”
“It looks like his leg is broken. They’re not sure what else,” Eileen said in a
calmer voice. “I can’t reach Leslie. I’ve called her, but I can’t reach her.”
“Cell reception is spotty up here,” Dev said. “Where are they taking him?”
“Glens Falls.”
They’d reached the ambulance, and Eileen bent down to murmur something to
her husband, whose face was covered with an oxygen mask. Dev couldn’t tell if
he answered or not. As the EMTs loaded him into the van, Eileen wrapped her
arms around her waist and shuddered.
“I need to go to the hospital, but the guests…” Eileen murmured.
“I should stay until Leslie—”
“No, you go. I’ll keep an ey
e on things,” Dev said, extracting a card from her
wallet. “Here’s my cell number. As soon as you’re settled, call me and tell me
where you are. I’ll give the message to Leslie so
• 96 •
WHEN DREAMS TREMBLE
she can meet you there. You can Þ ll me in on what to do here when you call.”
Eileen shook her head. “You’re a guest. You shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Hey, I used to be a neighbor. I’m not really a guest.”
“You’re very kind,” Eileen said with a faint smile. She squeezed Dev’s arm.
“Thank you. I have to go. I’ll call you. Leslie’s number—”
“I’ve got it. Remember, you gave it to me the day I picked her up at the train
station.”
Dev watched as Eileen climbed into the back of the ambulance, immeasurably
relieved that it wasn’t Leslie strapped to the gurney as the doors closed with a
resounding thud. When the emergency vehicles disappeared from sight, she
hurried off toward her cabin. She needed to shower, change, and get back to
the lodge. She needed to reach Leslie.
Twenty minutes later, after being routed directly to voicemail at least a dozen
times, she reached her.
“Les? It’s Dev.”
“Dev? Hi, what’s going on?”
“Where are you?”
“About Þ fteen minutes away on the Northway. Why?”
“Can you pull over for a minute so I don’t lose you?”
“Hold on…okay, go ahead.”
Leslie sounded composed, unrattled.
“Your dad’s had an accident—it looks like a broken leg, at least.
Your mother’s with him, and they’re on their way to Glens Falls Hospital right
now.”
“All right.” Leslie took a deep breath. “Is he in any danger?”
“I don’t know, Les. I don’t think so, but I got here just as the EMTs were
transporting him.”
“I’m headed there now, then. Thanks, Dev.”
“Call me if you need anything.” Dev heard the crackle of static.
“Les? Les?”
She disconnected, feeling impotent. Even though she knew Leslie didn’t need
her, she wished she could join her. She shook her head, wondering at the
strength of the ties that she’d once thought were irrevocably broken.
v
• 97 •
RADCLY fFE
Most of the lights were out in the lodge when Leslie pulled into the parking lot
shortly after 11 p.m. She was so tired she felt numb.
She contemplated going directly to her cabin, but she needed to make sure
everything was all right with the guests. Thankfully, it wasn’t yet the height of the
season and they weren’t full. She tossed her briefcase in the backseat of the
Jeep, locked the door, and made her way inside.
A single lamp burned on the walnut sideboard just inside the wide double doors.
The great room and the dining room beyond were empty. Light shone beneath
the swinging door from the kitchen and she headed that way. She stumbled to a
stop as she shouldered the door open and stepped into the next room. Dev, in a
navy T-shirt and blue jeans, stood at the long kitchen counter with a white
butcher’s apron tied around her waist, covering platters of food with plastic
wrap.
“Dev?” Leslie said in surprise.
Dev set aside the carving knife that she’d been using to slice ham.
“Hi. How’s your dad?”
“He’s sedated, but stable. What are you doing?”
“Cleaning up after dinner.” Dev walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a
bottle of Heineken. She held it up in Leslie’s direction.
“Want one?”
“God, yes.” Leslie slumped onto a stool at the central island.
“They’re going to operate on him early tomorrow morning. My mother wanted
to be close tonight and got a room at a motel across the street from the
hospital.”
Dev opened two bottles, handed one to Leslie, and pulled a chair around the
table so she could sit facing her. “What did they say, exactly?”
Leslie shrugged. “What do they ever say? His leg is shattered and there’s a
hairline fracture of his pelvis. There might be some nerve damage.” Leslie’s
voice cracked and she covered her eyes. Her Þ ngers trembled.
“Hey,” Dev said gently, resting her hand on Leslie’s knee. “You look beat. Why
don’t I walk you down to your cabin so you can turn in.”
“No. I need to get some things together for my mother. I promised her I’d bring
them Þ rst thing tomorrow.” She scanned the kitchen.
• 98 •
WHEN DREAMS TREMBLE
“Besides, you need some help in here. God. You shouldn’t even be doing this.”
“Why not?” Dev said, feigning affront. She pointed to a row of typed pages afÞ
xed to the refrigerator with multicolored magnets shaped like Þ sh. “Your
mother has the menu laid out for every meal, every day of the week, and she
cooks ahead. It was easy enough to Þ nd everything and put it together.” She
grinned. “At least, no one complained. Yet.”
“There’s only, what, eight guests? In another week, there’ll be thirty. Are you
planning to give up your day job?” Hearing the sharp edge to her voice, Leslie
covered Dev’s hand and squeezed. “But thanks. If you hadn’t been here, my
mother would have had to stay, and she’d be out of her mind with worry.”
“It was no problem,” Dev said. “And I’m not volunteering for permanent KP.
I’m only good until we run out of the semi-prepared stuff. But your mother’s not
going to be able to manage by herself.”
“I know. I’m going to have to get some temporary help in here for her right
away.” Leslie set her beer aside and started to pace. “A cook, for sure. And
someone to run the boats and look after maintenance, because my father’s not
going to be able to do much for the rest of the season. And that damn truck has
to go. I had to stop twice to let the engine cool off.”
Dev sipped her beer and watched Leslie slide effortlessly from exhaustion and
distress into sharply focused control. It was impressive.
It was probably costly too, she imagined, physically and emotionally.
She wasn’t surprised that Leslie had a blood pressure problem.
“All that’s going to take more than a few days,” Dev pointed out.
“I can stay another week or two,” Leslie said, her expression distant as she
calculated what needed to be done and how she would manage that and the
work she wanted to do. “I was planning on being up here a few weeks anyhow.
If I need a little longer, I can keep working out of the local ofÞ ce while I get
things squared away here.”
“Uh,” Dev said carefully, “I sort of got the impression you were supposed to be
taking it easy while you were here. Not taking on another job.”
Leslie waved a hand impatiently. “I’m Þ ne. I haven’t had any problems since
I’ve been here.”
• 99 •
RADCLY fFE
“You did the day you arrived.”
“I’d just gotten out of the hospital and hadn’t had any sleep at all.” Leslie Þ xed
Dev with a pointed stare. “Not that it’s any of your business, Devon, but I
arranged for the damn tests they wante
d me to have.”
Dev grinned. “Good.”
“Of course,” Leslie said, searching through the utility drawer for paper and a
pen, “I’ll have to reschedule those now.”
“Why?”
Leslie started making a list. “Because I’m supposed to get most of them
tomorrow afternoon, and that’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“You know, I don’t remember you being such a pain in the ass,”
Leslie muttered.
“Neither were you.”
Leslie gave her a sidelong glare, but she smiled. “My father’s going to be
operated on tomorrow and I’ll need to stay with my mother in the morning.
Then I have to deal with this place.”
“My schedule’s ß exible. I can keep an eye on things here.”
“You must have your own work to do.”
“I was going out to the islands the day after tomorrow, but I can postpone that a
few days. I’ve got plenty of work to do around here.”
Dev got up to Þ nish slicing the leftover ham. “At least until things are more
settled with your dad. I don’t mind, really.”
Leslie sighed. “It would help a lot.”
“One stipulation.”
“I don’t usually make deals.” Leslie folded her arms and regarded Dev
appraisingly. “But I suppose you can try.”
Dev leaned against the counter and met Leslie’s gaze steadily.
Seeing the calculation and unmistakable power in Leslie’s eyes, Dev
appreciated for the Þ rst time that this was not the woman of her memories.
Like Dev, Leslie had changed. Every now and then Dev caught a glimpse of the
girl she had known, when a little bit of humor broke through her steely control or
when compassion softened her unyielding reserve. When they’d been young,
Dev had been attracted to Leslie’s softness and her gentle innocence. Now she
found her strength every bit as appealing, if quite a bit more irritating.
“You get the tests tomorrow,” Dev said.
• 100 •
WHEN DREAMS TREMBLE
“Dev—” Leslie started to protest, exasperated, then considered how much help
Dev had been. And how much her concern touched her.
“Okay, look. If I can, I will.”
“Good enough.” Dev opened the refrigerator and slid the tray of sliced meat
onto the bottom shelf. “I was thinking of scrambled eggs and the rest of this ham
for breakfast. What do you think?”