by Kate James
Emma retrieved her laptop from her office, made herself a cup of tea and took both out to the back deck that overlooked the lake. The property dropped off steeply from the north end of the cottage, toward the shoreline. More gardens were visible from here, each boasting a dazzling array of colors of her late blooming perennials. Sipping her tea, she watched a great blue heron skim gracefully above the lake’s mirrored surface to alight delicately in its marshy end. With keen eyesight, speed and agility, it plucked its dinner of fingerlings out of the shallow waters.
Emma heard the mournful call of a loon and its mate’s answering cry, followed by the jarring ring of her phone inside the cottage.
Putting her mug aside, she went in with Max following.
“Emma, this is Daniel Leighton,” the caller introduced himself as soon as she answered. “You’ll remember—”
“Yes. I remember.” Just hearing his voice caused Emma’s palms to sweat. “But I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”
“I understand how you must feel, Emma, but I need to tell you something. Morgan knows about the information I have.”
Exasperated, Emma strode across the room. “The information? I believed you. My fiancé didn’t. But I believed you, and I tried to get Richard—Richard Peterson, he was my fiancé—to resign his contract, too. He wouldn’t and our relationship consequently fell apart. And you’ve not used that so-called information in an article. At this point, do you really think I care what Morgan knows and whether you deceived me or not?”
There was a short pause. “I was entirely truthful with you.” His voice was low and earnest.
“Then why didn’t you run your story? It’s been months.”
“Morgan’s attorney pressured the paper. Threatened, actually. That attorney was your ex-fiancé. Our lawyers were concerned about how I’d gotten the copies of those checks for the payments to Morgan. The Advocate’s editor refused to run my story.”
Emma dragged her fingers through her hair and wished she hadn’t answered the phone. “Then what do you want from me?” she asked, deflated.
“Morgan’s aware I haven’t dropped the story. He also knows I’ve been approached by other papers. Through some convoluted legal channels, he recently learned what I have on him, although they couldn’t force us to turn over copies of our records.
“You’re probably aware that Morgan has formally declared his interest in seeking the nomination to be the Democratic candidate in the next presidential election. If the story does break, it will be a huge hit to Morgan’s chances, perhaps enough to derail his candidacy.
“I’ve given the police everything I’m able to, and they’re investigating. Although I doubt Morgan realizes that yet.”
Emma moved to the sofa and sat down. Max followed and settled next to her. “I’m sorry, but what does that have to do with me?”
“Up until now, Morgan and his people would only have suspected what I have on him, but now they’re certain. Knowing I met with you and when, they more than likely deduced that I shared some, if not all, of the information with you. I suspect Richard would have corroborated it, if you told him.”
Emma couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I don’t have anything to do with any of that now.”
“Granted, but they might also think you gave me information. I know you didn’t, but they don’t know that. Depending on how much they shared with you while you were under contract to Morgan, they might be worried about it. My understanding is you’re not one of their favorite people. I also suspect I’ve been followed at times. Probably to keep an eye on me, to avoid surprises for them. All I’m saying is, be careful.”
“I’m sorry to sound harsh, but aren’t you overreacting, Daniel? What Morgan might or might not have done, wouldn’t he be better off leaving matters alone? Especially since he was able to quash your article? If what you’re suggesting is true and he gets caught, wouldn’t it make matters worse for him?”
“A valid point, but there’s more at stake here than even I suspected. I’ve reported it to the police, even though there’s not much they can do about it. Just stay alert. If anything odd happens, call the police.”
The police?
“And speaking of the police, they will probably want to talk to you.”
“Me? Why?” She was horrified.
“Because you worked for Morgan at a crucial time. You were part of his inner circle.”
“That’s ridiculous and you know it! I didn’t have any information. That was part of the problem. That he wasn’t transparent with me.”
“I just wanted to give you a heads-up so you wouldn’t be surprised if the police contact you.”
Emma thanked Daniel for the call, although the last thing she was feeling was thankful.
It was late evening when Emma poured herself a glass of wine and took it out to the deck. Max stretched out at her feet as she sat at the table. The sun had dipped below the tree line on the opposite side of the lake, staining the lower sky a blazing crimson, and radiating streaks of vivid color above. The lake’s surface shimmered iridescent red and orange.
The sorrowful call of a loon reverberated across the lake again, this time without response. Emma wondered where his mate was and sipped the last of her wine as the final smudges of color bled from the night sky.
Later still, with only the moon and stars to light her way, she gathered up her things and headed inside, Max trailing behind her.
After cleaning up the dishes, Emma climbed the stairs to the top floor. Her bedroom was a spacious room with a high, peaked ceiling and large, soaring windows overlooking the lake. There were smaller casement windows on each end wall, and she opened these to invite in the cool night air, along with the trilling of the cicadas.
She changed into a sleep shirt and climbed into bed. As she stared out a window, she realized that for the first time in weeks it wasn’t regret, despair or anger she was feeling. Rather, a sense of calm and even hopefulness filled her—despite Daniel’s warning—as she drifted into sleep.
Max’s growl woke her. Groggy with sleep, she glanced at her bedside clock. It was nearing midnight. She spotted Max, his front paws braced on the windowsill, his body tense. She listened intently for what might have disturbed him, but heard only the usual nighttime noises.
“Come on, Max. Go lie down.”
Max ceased his throaty growl and glanced back at her. “Off the windowsill,” Emma instructed, and motioned toward his bed. Max pushed off and turned in a circle, but then rose up to rest his paws on the ledge again.
“Max, it was just an animal. Go back to sleep.”
As Max wouldn’t budge, with a sigh Emma got up and coaxed him back to his bed. Just as she was drifting off again, she thought she heard a car engine start but knew she was imagining it. She’d locked the gate at the foot of the drive and there was no possible reason for someone to have parked along Otter Creek Road in the middle of the night.
CHAPTER SIX
IT WAS A glorious fall day, with just a hint of a gentle breeze to flutter flower petals and blades of grass, and sunlight streaming down from a cloudless, clear-blue sky. It emboldened Emma and she took what she considered a daring move—visiting the clinic midday. She’d tried to rationalize it in a number of ways, but if she was honest with herself, it was because she’d hoped to see Josh. She felt an odd mixture of relief and disappointment to learn from Sherri that Josh had been called by another veterinary clinic to assist with a complicated surgery and wasn’t expected back until late afternoon.
Wasn’t that just her luck?
On the plus side, Theo was coming along nicely. Emma suspected, and Sherri agreed, that since they hadn’t already found Theo’s owner, it was unlikely they would.
After her visit with Theo, Emma spent much of the afternoon starting the fall cleanup of her ga
rdens. In the evening, she finished off a speech she was working on for the CEO of a mining company.
The telephone had rung once while she’d been working, but she’d been on a roll and had ignored it. She felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment as she clicked on Save, satisfied with her first draft.
It was near bedtime, but her stomach reminded her that she’d skipped dinner...again. She ate leftovers while standing in the kitchen, her thoughts still on her assignment. When she finally remembered to retrieve the message from her voice mail, a pleasant male voice greeted her. She’d only spoken to Josh on the telephone a couple of times, weeks before, but she recognized his voice immediately.
“Sherri mentioned you asked about me when you visited the clinic today. I’m sorry I missed you. As you could see for yourself, Theo’s recovery continues to progress well. So well, in fact,” his message went on, “he’s ready to leave here and go home. Emma...”
Home? Did they find his owner? Emma’s heart started to beat painfully at the thought of not seeing Theo again.
Then Josh continued. “Why don’t you give me a call and we can discuss your taking him, if you’re still interested.” There was another moment of silence. “Theo’s been through a lot. I want to make sure it’s the right thing—for him and for you.” Emma smiled.
If all went well, Theo could be home with her and Max by tomorrow afternoon. The thought of that made for a positive end to an already good day.
One day at a time, she reminded herself...
* * *
MIDMORNING THE NEXT DAY, Emma spread a blanket in the back of her X5. She and Josh had agreed she should bring Max with her to pick up Theo. Although Max got along well with all creatures—two-or four-legged—both she and Josh wanted to ensure the dogs’ first meeting went smoothly. Neutral territory would help. Calling Max, she patted the back deck of the SUV. Max trotted over and leaped in effortlessly. She got him settled and rewarded him with a dog biscuit.
Emma drove to Josh’s clinic with her window open, enjoying the sunshine and comfortable temperature. She hummed softly with a Tim McGraw song on the radio. She turned into the drive leading to Josh’s house and clinic. A blur of motion to her left had her glancing toward the side yard. She stopped the vehicle and grinned as she watched Josh try to coax Theo into a game of fetch. A yellow Lab was with them, and he was clearly an old master at the game. Emma surmised that the Lab was Josh’s dog rather than a patient, as he appeared to be in excellent health. The little guy did an energetic happy dance as Josh held the ball, bulleting after it when Josh sent it flying.
Theo, by comparison, wasn’t quite certain what was expected. He sniffed the ball as Josh held it, but shied away from taking it. The Lab watched the interplay patiently and raced off as Josh sent the ball soaring once more.
Emma focused her attention on Josh. He wore a faded blue denim shirt, the sleeves rolled to his elbows, navy jeans and well-worn hiking boots. His movements were fluid and agile. A gust of wind swept his bangs forward, and he ran a hand through his hair, the thick, dark strands falling back in disarray. He paused, as if sensing she was there. He turned, his gaze settling on her, and he smiled and waved to her to join them. Emma’s heart did a little skip and a jump.
She got out of her X5 and opened the back. Max hopped out and ran to greet the other two dogs. By the time Josh and Emma caught up with them, they were getting well acquainted.
Theo had been groomed and sported a new, bright-blue collar. All cleaned up, he looked very handsome and more dog than wolf, Emma thought. He was only slightly bigger than Max. The larger dogs seemed to instinctively know to be gentle with the Lab.
With Theo distracted, his gait was steady and his limp nearly imperceptible. “He looks good,” Emma observed.
Josh’s gaze skimmed over her. “So do you. It’s nice to see you.”
She immediately felt self-conscious, but playful yips had both of them shifting their attention to the dogs.
Josh whistled and all three dogs bounded over. Reaching into his shirt pocket, he pulled out dog treats and offered one to each dog.
“Emma, I’d like you to meet Winston,” he said, stroking the yellow Lab’s head. “He’s mine. Or I suppose it would be fair to say, we’re each other’s.”
She crouched down in front of Winston and laughed when the dog licked her face exuberantly.
She rose and Josh sent the dogs off to play again. “Do you have time for coffee?” he asked.
Emma almost declined on instinct, but after a moment’s hesitation, nodded. She wanted to get to know him. “Sure. Thanks. No appointments at the clinic this morning?” she asked as they walked toward his house.
“Not today. The clinic is closed.” He flashed his heart-stopping grin. “Being the boss has its advantages.”
As they reached the back deck, the dogs suddenly bolted in the direction they’d just come from. Josh and Emma followed to see what had captured their interest. All three dogs were running down the gravel drive chasing a cloud of dust.
Emma grabbed Josh’s arm in alarm. “The road! They’re heading for the road.” There wasn’t a lot of traffic, but the thought of one of the dogs getting hit terrified her. “Max, Theo, come!” she called, as Josh whistled.
It appeared the dogs had tired of the chase anyway, and headed back. “What was that all about?” she asked, once they were safely with them.
Josh shook his head. “I don’t know. Could have been someone coming to the clinic, then realizing it was closed. Whoever it was apparently changed their mind and left in a hurry.”
They walked to the back again, the dogs at their heels. Josh opened a gate to a fenced enclosure and let in the dogs. “They’ll be fine there,” he assured her.
Following Josh inside, Emma looked around the bright, airy kitchen. He motioned for her to make herself comfortable at one of the stools at the large center island, and he went about preparing the coffee. While the coffee brewed, Josh placed a basket of muffins on the island, along with plates and napkins. “They’re fresh. Help yourself,” he insisted.
“You baked these?”
“If my life depended on it, yeah, I could. But these are from Chadwick’s,” he said, referring to the local grocer. “I picked them up this morning.”
They smelled delicious. She selected a blueberry muffin and placed it on her plate. Elbows on the counter, she rested her chin on her fists.
Josh was obviously at home in the kitchen. When she felt a flutter in her belly again, she looked for a distraction.
She was impressed with the open space, the big windows that allowed the sunlight to flood in and spill across the glistening hardwood floors.
“This is a wonderful space. It seems large for one person.”
He chuckled. “Sometimes I forget just how large it is until I have to clean it. The house has been in my family since I was a kid. My parents first built it when I was a toddler and gradually expanded it, either because our family grew or simply on a whim.” Turning, he smiled at her. “I’m responsible only for the final expansion. I added the clinic when I decided to set up my practice here.”
“But you didn’t grow up here?”
Josh shook his head. “We spent weekends and most of the summers here. It wasn’t our family’s primary residence, though. We lived in Westchester County. My father had his practice there.” Josh placed two steaming mugs of coffee, sugar, milk and a spoon for her on the island counter.
“Your father is a veterinarian, too?” she asked as she mixed sugar and milk into her coffee.
Josh took a cautious sip of his own black coffee. “No. He was a surgeon. I disappointed him when I didn’t follow in his footsteps.”
“How could he be disappointed when you do such wonderful work?” she asked with a touch of defensiveness that surprised her.
“Oh, he never woul
d have said so to me, but I expect he was for a short time, when he first realized my mind was made up. Fortunately, my sister stepped up to the plate so the pressure was off me.”
Emma sensed there was no resentment and was happy for it. “What type of surgeon is he?”
“Was,” Josh said, correcting her again. “He’s retired. He was a neurosurgeon. One of the best in his field. He was the head of neuroscience at the Westchester Medical Center up until his retirement a few years ago.”
“Impressive. And your mother? What did she do?”
“She studied to be a nurse. That’s how they met, though she had a short-lived career. She stayed home with us—me, my brother and sister—when we were young. The plan was she would work again when we were all in school. By the time Angie, the youngest of us, made it to that stage, my mother was heavily involved in charitable work and decided to keep with that rather than go back into nursing. She’d been away from it too long anyway. She ran a number of charities before my father retired.”
Emma was intrigued. “Where are your parents now?”
Josh rose to retrieve the coffeepot and topped up their mugs. “Right now, Europe. In the summers they travel a lot. The winters they tend to spend in Palm Beach.”
“Quite the lifestyle.”
“It is, but they’ve earned it. My dad worked hard during his career. It’s great they’re able to enjoy themselves now.”
“How often do you see them?”
“Not nearly enough,” Josh said with a wistful smile.
His obvious closeness to his family touched Emma. She took a bite of her muffin and washed it down with coffee.
“What about you?”
Emma glanced up at Josh. “What about me?”