by Sara Robbins
She carried a tray into the library and set it down on the table in front of him. He looked down at the heaping portion of casserole and thanked her for going to so much trouble.
“Nonsense,” she said, “it was no trouble at all. I didn’t even make the food, my neighbor did.”
He looked up from his plate and said with a twinkle in his eye, “I really like honesty in a woman.”
She felt herself blush. As a married man, he was paying entirely too much attention to another woman. She bustled around refilling his water glass and trying to avoid the amused gaze, he was sending her way.
After he finished the meal and repeated how much he appreciated it, she carried everything into the kitchen to clean up.
It was late, and Lacey was very aware that they were probably the only people awake in the Inn. She turned suddenly from the sink and found him close, too close. They were practically touching. His face was very near hers, and he looked directly into her eyes. He reached up his hand as if to touch her face but instead tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
She stepped back as if burned and blurted, “I won’t get involved with a married man!”
He looked puzzled for a moment and then followed her glance to his wedding band. “Ah...” he said, “I’m sorry. I thought you knew.”
“Knew what?” she barely breathed.
“My wife died five years ago. I loved her very much and never thought I would ever be interested in anyone else. I guess I never had a reason to take my ring off, until now. But I am interested in you Lacey, and right now I want to kiss you, may I?” he said so softly she wasn’t sure she had heard him correctly.
She stepped closer intending to ask him to repeat what he had said. He took her movement as permission. He closed the distance between them and took her into his arms. He looked steadily into her eyes as he moved his lips closer and closer to hers. As their lips met, he registered the surprise in her eyes and his lips were smiling as they brushed hers. The kiss was whisper soft at first, and then with a sigh he deepened the kiss.
She found herself matching the pressure of his lips on hers. It had been so long since she had kissed or even wanted to kiss anyone. He was an excellent kisser; she closed her eyes and leaned into him. They were both surprised that the kiss felt incredibly special. It seemed impossible to have such an attraction for someone you had just met.
He pulled just an inch away and took a deep breath, “Wow! That felt so good I think I want to do it again.”
It was probably the third ring of his cell phone that finally penetrated the shroud of blissful distraction that surrounded them. She felt cold as he withdrew with obvious regret and answered his phone. His hand played with a strand of her hair as he listened intently to what the caller was saying.
He hung up, then with a deep sigh pulled her completely against him, and held her there.
“I have to go,” he whispered close to her ear, “but we will talk. And we will continue this…” he gestured to her lips, “Okay?”
Pushing him gently away she murmured, “I promise.”
He gave her a quick hug and reached for his jacket. She walked him to the door. He kissed her again gently on the lips and then placed a quick peck on her forehead. She watched from the deck as he disappeared into the darkness.
As he pulled out of the circular driveway, he turned on the flashing lights and harsh siren of the cruiser and headed towards Elkville. That brought her back to the real world. What had happened? Why hadn’t she asked? She knew why, she hadn't because for the first time in years she was very interested in a man. Her lips still tingled from the thorough kisses they had received. Right now, she couldn’t even think straight. Oh, boy, this was going to make everything even more complicated.
She headed upstairs with no doubt it would be hours before her besotted brain could settle down for something as ordinary as sleeping.
Chapter 12
Even though she had not fallen asleep until the pale fingers of dawn were appearing outside her window, she rose at eight in the morning. First thought? Wyatt was not married and he kissed her.
Next thought, had they found Heather? Then she chided herself for the order her thoughts had come.
Some Innkeeper she was, she should have been up over two hours ago to get a decent breakfast together for her guests.
She dressed quickly in worn jeans and turquoise shirt. She paused in front of the full-length mirror on the back of her bedroom door. She was surprised that she did not look any different. She felt her entire world has shifted in the last thirty-six hours.
She looked closer, same medium height girl, same glossy brown hair with just the hint of red highlights peeking through. Same clear green eyes staring back at her. She was not thin; in fact, she was quite curvy. She accepted this and enjoyed dessert without guilt. Her face was a bit pale, making the dusting of freckles dancing across her nose more noticeable than usual. She looked a little tired, but nothing she saw on the outside gave a hint of the turmoil she was feeling on the inside. How can that be, she wondered.
She had found a murder victim and thought she was falling for the officer who was investigating the crime. She saw a secretive smile tilt the corners of her mouth. He was something special. She felt a definite tingle up her spine when she remembered the way he had said he had no reason to remove his wedding ring, until now.
She mentally shook herself and firmly said aloud, “Come on, get yourself together and get going. You are not in high school, Lacey!”
She hurried downstairs. Luckily, none of the guests had gotten up yet. As she moved around the giant kitchen, she hummed softly to herself.
Fortunately, during the long weeks of the renovation of the Inn, she had stored a few emergency meal items in the restaurant quality freezer. She removed a dozen blueberry oatmeal muffins and some steel cut oats she had cooked until they were creamy and delicious. She set these in the microwave to thaw slowly. She got out several small earthenware bowls. She chopped up some dates and strawberries. Then she added raw brown sugar and raisins to the others.
The microwave signaled the thaw cycle was complete. She placed the muffins in a pretty basket with a warming stone underneath. She carried these to the dining room. She set one table up with a chafing dish of hot oatmeal surrounded by the add-ins and then placed some fresh butter next to the now warm muffins. Everything looked good, she thought.
Charlotte came in the front door and joined her in the dining room. As she surveyed the mouth-watering spread, she nodded her approval and wordlessly began setting up another table so the guests could put their plates together and then sit by the window to eat.
Charlotte turned from her task and looked hard at Lacey. “Okay girl, you need to tell me what happened. You look like a cat that got a dish of cream,” she said curiously.
Lacey tried to brush off her scrutiny to no avail. Charlotte knew her sister wasn’t about to drop the subject.
Lacey recognized the stubborn glint in her sister’s eye.
“Okay, okay, Wyatt kissed me last night,” she practically giggled.
Charlotte looked stunned, “Oh hell no, my sister is not a home wrecker!”
For a moment, Lacey wasn’t sure what her sister meant. As comprehension dawned, she quickly corrected her sister’s belief that Wyatt was a married man.
“Are you sure?” she asked suspiciously, “He wouldn’t be the first man to tell a woman that.”
Lacey didn’t tell her everything that had transpired between them last night but enough that she understood he had said his wife was deceased. Charlotte narrowed her eyes, and Lacey knew that she would research and verify this before she would relax her protectiveness.
Lacey could understand and appreciate this, having felt the same way about protecting Charlotte a few years ago.
Charlotte had married her high school sweetheart right after graduation. Everything had been great until they lost a child five year
s ago. While a tragedy like that can draw some couples closer, that was not the case for her sister. They seemed unable to love each other through the crisis.
One of the hardest things Lacey had ever been through was watching her sister face the pain of that loss. Charlotte had even lost herself for a while. Charlotte would never quite be the same, but Lacey had supported and helped her through it. There would always be a hint of sadness hovering in Charlotte’s eyes, but that was just proof of how much she had loved both her husband and the sweet daughter they had lost.
Lacey had vowed during that horrible time that she would always be there for Charlotte and because of that bond; she could not be irritated that Charlotte was protective.
The love between these sisters was powerful. Real family love is able to overcome many obstacles. They had weathered some very tough times by simply holding on to each other. Lacey knew that they both only wanted the other to be happy.
This made Lacey think about her feelings. She felt more excited about life than she had in a long while. Was this because death had intruded and made her value life more or because she kissed a man that made her tingle all over. Probably a bit of both, she thought wryly.
Miranda and John Braverman appeared in the doorway holding hands and sniffing the air appreciatively. Lacey smiled in greeting and gestured to the food table. As they filled their plates with enthusiasm, Suzy and Joan also joined the group.
After everyone had settled themselves at the table, Lacey asked, “Well, how is everyone holding up?”
As she looked at each person at the table, she got the same reaction from each, a noncommittal shrug. She didn’t expect any real answers, after all, what can you say when you have been a witness to a murder.
The Braverman’s were scheduled to leave the day after tomorrow and the college students the day after that. Though the tragic events were not her fault, Lacey couldn’t help feeling horrible that her very first guests did not have the experience she had promised.
Joan cleared her throat and said, “Suzy and I have been talking, and we would like to join the search for Mrs. Mason. We are experienced hikers, and we want to help.”
Just as Lacey was saying that she thought that would be a great idea, Wyatt strode purposefully into the room interrupting their conversation. Lacey smiled shyly at him, but she could see he was all business.
“That won’t be necessary,” he said to the group, “we found her.”
Chapter 13
Everyone literally stopped mid-bite and looked at him in stunned silence. He seemed to realize how bluntly he had spoken and looked at them with an apologetic glance.
Lacey stood and asked, “How is she?”
His eyes softened as they rested on her as if he wanted to touch her but instead he informed them all, “Not good, she’s dead.”
There was a gasp around the table and Lacey sat back down quickly.
John Braverman asked what they were all wondering, “How?”
Wyatt answered simply, “We don’t know, but we will definitely find out. Lacey, can I speak to you privately, please?”
Wyatt nodded to everyone, laid his hand gently on Lacey’s arm, and led her into the library.
After closing the door behind them, he grasped her chin and turned her to him.
“How are you?” he asked gently.
Under his intense scrutiny, she felt her heart actually flutter a bit. This was silly she thought and focused on getting her thoughts together.
She straightened herself and answered firmly, “I’m fine. Now tell me what happened.”
“That’s my girl!” he said as he searched her face closely.
She had to put some distance between them so she could think. It was ridiculous that she was so distracted by her feelings for him; she should be paying more attention to the very serious things that were happening. For god’s sake, another person had died!
“She stammered, “Wh….wh... Was she murdered too?”
He shook his head and told her they would not know for several hours.
The search team had found Heather Mason’s crumpled body amongst the rocks in the area known as the devil’s playground. The medical examiner was trying to determine how she had died. She could have accidently fallen, someone could have pushed her or she may have even deliberately jumped over the edge.
Lacey had seen pictures of the area he described. It was a very desolate basin landscaped with massive jagged rocks near the summit of Pike’s Peak. The spot had earned the name the Devil’s Playground because it was famous for lightning striking more often than any other area of the mountain. She had thought the name whimsical when she first heard it. She had pictured the lightning bouncing around the rocks. Now the picture in her brain took on an ominous shadow. For just a moment, she felt overwhelmed by all that was happening.
He seemed to sense her despair and quickly crossed the room to take her into his arms. His embrace was strong and protective and yes, loving. She buried her face in his shoulder as he stroked her hair and murmured soft, soothing words. She melted into him and just let herself draw from his strength for just a moment.
He led her over to the couch and sank down onto the cushions cradling her in his arms.
As much as she wanted to surrender to this coddling, she would not be Lacey if she didn’t push herself up straight and look directly into his eyes. She was no weak female who had to have a man and she wasn’t going to change now.
“Tell me what you know,” she said her voice stronger now.
He straightened his body and did his best to hide the slightly amused smile that crossed his face at her sudden bravado.
He told her that Heather’s body was understandably bruised and broken. They had found no evidence of a struggle or the presence of another person. If it was a suicide, there had been no note left at the scene.
He also filled her in on the results of the autopsy of the body found at the bottom of her stairs. The DNA and fingerprints had proved that the victim was indeed Adam Mason.
The same Adam Mason the Kansas court system had decided must be dead after seven years without a body or any indication that he was alive. The accidental death for which, Heather Mason had collected double on the life insurance. The two deaths had to be connected. Lacey remembered the stricken look on Heather’s face when she looked at the body at the bottom of the stairs. She had seemed truly shocked.
Lacey voiced her thoughts about this.
Wyatt nodded and agreed that he too thought she had looked devastated that morning.
They also spoke about how sad it was that there seemed to be no one to notify of their deaths. These two people had lived out their lives and had left no one behind to grieve their loss. They both grew silent as they thought about how unusual this entire scenario had become.
Wyatt broke the silence by saying, “I don’t think it’s safe to leave you here alone. I would like to stay here at the Inn until we determine who and what are behind these deaths. I can’t stand the thought of something happening to you now after I have finally found someone that makes me feel like this. Besides, it will be fun to spend the entire night together,” he waggled his eyebrow suggestively as he said this last comment.
She answered with her usual spunkiness, “Oh yeah? Well, mister, you’ll be staying in the remaining guest room if that is what you are insisting on doing. I’m not that easy!”
They both burst into laughter, but he knew she was serious about exactly where he would be sleeping. He was a bit disappointed, but then again he was interested in building a relationship with her because she was special and different.
He found himself thinking even more highly of her; after all, they had only just met. They both felt that they were heading in the direction of something, but they would take their time and enjoy the journey. They had guarded their hearts for too long to jump too soon, and too far.
They kissed almost reverently and then reluctantly left th
e library in an attempt to surround themselves with distractions that would prevent them from acting on the physical attraction that was definitely between the two of them. As they went through the doorway, Wyatt pulled her to his side and squeezed her shoulder briefly before letting her go ahead of him out to the hallway.
Chapter 14
Charlotte looked at both of them studiously as they returned to the dining room where everyone lingered talking casually.
They all turned toward the front door as they heard a simultaneous knock and someone shouting, “Yoo hoo!”
Lacey hurried to greet the tall middle-aged woman with striking red hair who was already standing in the reception hall.
“Hi,” she stuck out her hand, “I’m Tricia Moore; I work at the Elkville Café. I meant to get here before your grand opening to bring these for your guests.”
Lacey shook her hand and took the envelope she held out. She opened the packet and discovered several free meal coupons.
“Why, thank you!” she said, “I know my guests will appreciate these. I’ve heard good things about the menu at the café.”
Tricia smiled broadly and said “Well thank you. We are always happy to welcome a business that will send patron’s our way.”
Lacey asked her if she would like the fifty-cent tour. Tricia nodded enthusiastically. She seemed very interested and her bright eyes darted back and forth trying to take in everything at once.
Lacey showed her through the Inn, of course, skipping the occupied rooms. Tricia seemed pleased with everything and oohed and ahhed in the appropriate places. Then she said she needed to get back to the café before the lunch rush hit. She waved gaily to everyone and took her leave.
Wyatt looked after her thoughtfully.
Lacey intercepted the look and wondered what was behind it. Was there something between them? Tricia looked quite a bit older than Wyatt was, but hey, cougars were very in right now. Lacey dismissed the tiny bit of jealousy and decided she was not going to be “that” girl. In light of recent events, Wyatt was probably taking a second look at anyone who interacted with her or the Inn.
Charlotte watched the interchange between them closely. Her sister radar was up, was it justified? She felt happy about the possibility of Lacey building a lasting relationship. Wyatt impressed her as a quality person who was worthy of her sister.