A Trick of the Light

by Tina Wainscott

  Dylan surfaced right behind Teddy. Chloe kept him occupied and Dylan gently pushed him closer to the boat. Teddy was so involved with Chloe’s hand that he didn’t even notice.

  She went to the stern of the boat and started climbing up the ladder. Then she reached down for Teddy. It took a few minutes, but he finally reached one hand out to her. Then another. Dylan lifted him up, and Chloe helped him onto the boat.

  A spotlight slashed over the water as the Coast Guard drew up. “Is the boy all right?” one man asked.

  Dylan was kneeling in front of Teddy now, taking him in with eyes that showed love.

  “Yes,” she answered. “As far as we can tell.”

  “Everybody in the boat?”

  “Yes.”

  Two men came aboard, one with a medical kit. Chloe kept Teddy occupied while one of the men checked his blood pressure and other vitals. “How long has he been out here?” he asked.

  “We don’t know for sure,” Dylan answered. “He’s been missing for a week and a half, but he’s probably only been out here for a few days.” He ran his hand over his face, looking at Teddy. “It feels like it’s been a year.”

  “You’re a lucky man,” said the man checking Teddy. “He looks fine. Heck, my kid wouldn’t eat nothing but canned mac and cheese for three weeks. Kids are pretty tough. You’ll need to have him checked out at the hospital to be sure.”

  “My car’s at the city dock,” Chloe said. “My house isn’t far from here, but I’d have to borrow a car … from someone.”

  “Follow us,” one of the Coast Guard men said. “We’ll get you back to your car. I can have an ambulance waiting there too if you want.”

  Dylan looked at Teddy, who was now trying to wrestle out of the towel someone had put around him. “We’ll take him.”

  Once again, the press was already waiting at the emergency room entrance to catch the drama. Dylan carried Teddy into the hospital while flashes went off everywhere.

  “Was it Ms. Samms’s brave antics that got your boy found?”

  “Exactly who did find your son?”

  “Is he all right?”

  “He’s going to be all right,” Dylan told them as he walked through the doors. “And Chloe found him. Only Chloe.”

  “You found him too,” she said. “If you hadn’t come out —”

  He stopped for a moment and looked down at her. “You found him, Chloe. You’re my hero. Don’t take that away from yourself.”

  Then he walked up to the desk and told the nurse who he was. Chloe basked in his words for a moment before watching Dylan retreat into the emergency room. Only a week and a half ago she had been there. And Dylan had gone in to talk to her. It did feel like a year ago.

  With all the excitement and drama of the last few hours, everything seemed to come to a screeching stop. She was standing in the waiting area alone, wet and cold. She knew she didn’t belong with Dylan and Teddy, but she wanted to be with them anyway.

  The other people in the waiting room looked either anxious or somber. Chloe could only celebrate. Teddy was alive. Alive! She hugged herself. When she dropped down into one of the seats, the shivering began. The shock was wearing off, and reality was setting in.

  The good reality was that Teddy was okay. The rest wasn’t as good. She’d alienated the people who meant the most to her. She’d made a spectacle of herself, and even though it was for a good cause, who would want to be associated with her?

  And then there was Dylan. He was going to have his hands full, though he might not admit he needed help. Or her. And probably he didn’t. She was in love with the man, and now she wouldn’t have a reason to see him again.

  At the peak of the shivering, the tears started coming. She wasn’t sure what they were for exactly. Loss and gain, she guessed. Finding Teddy was worth any loss, including that of her heart. She hardly knew Teddy, yet he’d stolen her heart as surely as his father had done.

  Two hours later, Dylan and Teddy emerged. They didn’t look much alike, other than both being tired, gaunt and damp.

  Dylan’s face had taken on a calm she’d never seen before. Chloe pushed herself out of the chair and walked over.

  “He’s fine,” Dylan said, looking down at Teddy. Teddy was looking at Chloe’s soggy sweatpants. “They did a complete exam, took some blood. So far he looks great considering what he’s been through. I’ve got to keep an eye on him over the next few days. They wanted to keep him overnight for observation, but I want him to sleep in his own bed tonight. I’ll make an appointment with Dr. Jacobs in the morning.” He nodded toward the back area. “I thought you’d come back with us.”

  “I didn’t know if I was … if I should.”

  “I figured you were getting a change of clothes.”

  She looked down at her soggy clothes. “And give up this glamour look? No way.”

  They shared a laugh, and for a moment she imagined that in his eyes, she did look glamorous.

  He turned away and knelt down to Teddy’s level. “Hungry?”

  Teddy didn’t seem to understand. “Hungry?” he repeated, tilting his head.

  “I’ve got so much to learn about him,” Dylan said on a sigh, coming to his feet. “For now, I just want to get him to bed. Are you ready?”

  “My, yes.” She looked down at the little boy who had been her obsession. He was real. She wanted to hug him, but settled for just saying his name.

  “Teddy,” he repeated in the same soft tone of voice.

  Reporters were still outside when they emerged. Dylan had a hold on Teddy’s hand. When Teddy shrank back from the lights and noise, Chloe reached down and took his other hand. The boy looked at their joined hands and became intent on them.

  Dylan ignored the questions as he faced one of the cameras. “My son is going to be all right. I want to thank everyone who helped search for him. I want to thank everyone who prayed for him.” He reached over and slid his arm around Chloe’s neck. “Mostly I want to thank Chloe. She saved my son’s life.” He looked at her as though he was going to say more, then swallowed the words.

  She relished the warmth of his arm around her shoulder as he guided them through the crowd and the rain to her car.

  They were quiet on the drive back to his house. Chloe helped get Teddy out of the car. He was drooping fast, though he struggled to look at the house. She saw recognition, and maybe even a shadow of a smile before his eyes drifted shut. Dylan pulled him up into his arms. She felt just as tired and wished she could snuggle into his arms, too.

  “Why don’t you crash here tonight?” he said. “If you think you should,” he added with a tired smile, probably remembering how she wasn’t sure about going into the emergency room with them. “We’ve got an extra guest bedroom and I’m sure you can fit into Wanda’s clothes.”

  Chloe figured she probably shouldn’t, but she was too tired to resist. “Thanks, I will. I’d probably fall asleep on the drive home. Unless you think it’s a bad idea, what with the publicity and all.”

  He paused for a moment. “I want you to stay.”

  The decision was made, and she didn’t have the willpower to walk away from that.

  Teddy lay slack in Dylan’s arms, and all she could think about was that he could be dead. If they’d given up, he might have been. If they hadn’t found him tonight, he would have been out in the cold, pouring rain. She pulled back the blanket, and Dylan set his son down on the bed. Working together, they stripped off his dirty clothes and tucked him under the blankets.

  The only light in the room was a Snoopy night light. Even in the dim glow, she could see the sheen of moisture in Dylan’s eyes as he gazed down at his son. Chloe knew that it really didn’t matter that their blood didn’t match, that some other man had fathered Teddy. Just seeing that look of awe and gratitude in his eyes made tears spring to her own eyes. What a sap she was.

  “It’s a miracle,” he said.

  “God brought me back for a reason. I just knew it.”

  Dylan look
ed at her. “Yeah, He did.”

  Thinking she ought to give them a few minutes alone, she said, “I’ll go get him a glass of water in case he wakes up thirsty.”

  “Good idea,” he said in a thick voice, his gaze on Teddy again.

  She gave him ten minutes before, wandering through the house, watching the rain coat the windows and obliterate the pool and terrace area. Dylan was still sitting beside the bed, but he looked up when she entered.

  “I can’t believe he’s really back,” he said in a soft voice, running a finger down the boy’s arm. “I forgot how small he is.”

  “He’s beautiful,” she said. He looked like an angel, long brown lashes grazing his cheeks, mouth pink and relaxed.

  “I’ve missed out on a lot of his life. I worked a lot, and because Wanda didn’t want me to know that something was wrong with him, she kept him from me even when I was home. She always made excuses why I couldn’t see him. And I believed her.”

  “Why wouldn’t you? She was his mother.”

  “It’s still my fault. It was easier to stay at work than to come home to a place that never felt like home. It only looked like a home, and that’s all I thought I cared about.” After a moment, he said, “Come on. I’ll get you some clothes and show you to the shower. Then I’ve got some calls to make.”

  Chloe took a shower in the master bathroom. She noticed that none of Dylan’s things were in the bathroom, then remembered he’d moved into the guest bedroom. The bedroom was huge, with a sitting area and windows overlooking the bay. The bed was king-size with a large built-in headboard. She sat down on the edge of the bed to finish towel drying her hair, but ended up laying back for a moment. She imagined what it would be like to wake up next to Dylan in this room every morning. She wasn’t sure if she’d fallen asleep or not, but she sensed that something had changed. She opened her eyes to find Dylan standing beside her, a soft smile on his face. “Thought you’d fallen asleep.”

  “Nearly.” She quickly got up and smoothed out the wrinkles she’d created. “It’s a nice room,” she said, trying to cover her embarrassment.

  He shrugged. “I haven’t slept in here for months. I miss waking up to the view.”

  “Is that all you miss?” she asked, instantly wishing she could take back the words.

  He traced a drop of water from her cheek down her collarbone to the top of the towel she had wrapped around her. “I miss sex, of course, but not sex with Wanda, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m not sure she ever liked it. I think she endured it because she thought she had to fit protocol.”

  How awful, how terrible, she thought, but she held back any expression of sympathy. “But there must have been … others then. A man wouldn’t … couldn’t …”

  He was already shaking his head. “Cheating wasn’t an option. But to be honest, I never met anyone who tempted me. Or tempted me enough, anyway. And I didn’t have time to cheat. I didn’t want to develop a reputation for messing around with my clients either.”

  “I’ll bet you were a lady-killer in school, though.”

  His mouth tilted in a half-smile. “Yeah, all the girls loved the son of the crazy woman in town.” At her expression, he added, “I did okay in college.”

  “Ok, no details, please.” She didn’t want any details.

  His gaze swept slowly down her towel-clad body. “You’d better get dressed. I’m going to take a shower now, if you’ll keep an eye on Teddy.”

  “Did you make your calls?”

  “Some of them. I called Yochem and Camilla. I told my assistant Jodie that I wouldn’t be in for a few days. Do you want to call your aunts?”

  “I probably should.”

  Dylan handed her the portable phone and left. A few minutes later she heard his shower start. She changed into one of Wanda’s flannel nightgowns and a pair of socks. She wished she had her yellow silk jammies. The gown made her look like a tent sale, and wearing Dylan’s dead wife’s clothing wasn’t exactly on her top ten wardrobe fashion list.

  She headed back to Teddy’s room but paused outside the door to Dylan’s room. Placing her hand against the wood door, she caught herself picturing that magnificent body beneath the hot water. If only she knew where she stood with him. He probably didn’t know either. She had to keep in mind that he’d be grateful to her and not to mix that up with anything else.

  She continued down the hall and peeked in on Teddy. He’d turned on his side and curled up in the fetal position. She was still leaning in the doorway when Dylan returned. He was wearing white cotton pants and had a towel slung over his shoulders. He smelled like shampoo and freshly washed male, and Chloe had to stop herself from inhaling. He winced when he took in the nightgown.

  “Bring back bad memories?” she ventured.

  “Yes. She wore those things to bed from the day we got married.”

  She whispered, “I can take it off if you want.”

  His eyes got dark and liquid, and he tugged on the string tied at her neck. He trailed his finger from the hollow of her throat to her chin, tilting her head up. His hand cradled her face with one hand, and he rubbed his thumb up and down her cheek. All the while he looked at her as though savoring the sight of her. Like a blind man, he touched every curve on her face and then ran his fingers softly over her mouth. She could hardly breathe. All of her energy went into absorbing each touch. The chill vanished, leaving behind a misty heat.

  “Thank you, Chloe,” he whispered. “For not giving up. I don’t know what I could ever do to repay you.”

  “You don’t have to repay me.” Just love me, a voice urged. But she didn’t want his love as repayment. “You don’t owe me anything.”

  He took a step back and tugged on her gown. She followed his lead, moving toward him again. He kissed her, and then his mouth parted, and he deepened the kiss. His breathing quickened, but he pulled away to undo the ribbons. He paused to kiss her again, as though he couldn’t go for more than a few seconds without his mouth on hers.

  They did this through the doorway of the room next to Teddy’s, all the way to the bed. This was where Dylan slept, Chloe thought. Maybe Wanda had never slept with him in here.

  The cascading sound of thunder matched the booming of her heartbeat. The light spilled in from the adjacent bathroom which still smelled of soap. The bed wasn’t as large as the one in his master bedroom, but it was big enough.

  He undid the tiny buttons down the front of her maidenly gown, building the anticipation with each one. Then he slid it off her shoulders, leaving his hands on her bare skin as the gown slid to the floor. She wore nothing beneath it, and he took in her body as a hungry man takes in food.

  She knew hungry. She felt it down to her core. Only this man stirred her so. She pulled the towel from his shoulders and dropped it on the floor. Then she untied the string at his waist and pulled down his cotton pants.

  He kissed her as though he were savoring her. Her body was alive with fire, and she arched to feel his skin against hers and the slight fuzz of his hair. He made a growling sound deep in his throat before nibbling her throat and ear. She shivered, feeling the impact of that nibbling right down to her curled toes. His fingers slid up into her hair, and his other hand roamed down the side of her breasts.

  He touched her everywhere. Not like some men who only touched the parts that they thought mattered. His palm skimmed down her ribs and over her stomach. It didn’t seem to matter that it wasn’t hard and flat. His fingers swirled over the soft flesh as though she were perfect. He trailed down to the ridge between her thigh and pubic area, and then grazed the soft skin of her inner thighs.

  She touched him, when she wasn’t too distracted by his touches. He was perfect, hard and firm. Even if he was the man she could never have, he felt so right. Her hands hungrily roamed over his shoulders and across his chest. Smooth skin, defined muscles. She ran her fingers over his ridged stomach, brushing against his maleness. He sucked in a breath and slid his hands up into her wet hair, tilting her head
back and sating some of his hunger with her mouth.

  He inched them backward until the back of her knees touched the bed. With his arms around her, he lowered her to the plum bedspread. And then he started kissing her all over. Not just the erotic zones, but odd places that sent a jolt of electricity through her, like beneath her breast, her belly button, and the inside of her elbow. Then he concentrated on the erotic zones, and oh, boy, she couldn’t think about anything. All it took was a touch of his finger, and she was gone. She tangled her fingers in his hair and arched her body toward him. But he didn’t stop. He kept teasing her until, to her amazement, she went over the edge again.

  When she came back down to earth, he was leaving a trail of moist kisses across her stomach. When she could breathe again, she whispered, “Oh, my …”

  He leaned to the side and opened one of the nightstand drawers. “I apologize for forgetting my manners last time,” he said with a sheepish expression on his face, holding up a condom package. “I wasn’t in my right mind. This time I want everything to be right.”

  Her heart leapt at that. Last time he needed her, though he wouldn’t admit that. This time he wanted her. To celebrate Teddy’s return.

  “Everything is right,” she whispered. “It’s perfect. Here, let me,” she said, taking it from him. She hadn’t done this often, but she tore open the packet with her teeth and pulled out the condom. She rather liked the way he sucked in a breath every time she ran her finger over that sensitive ridge at the top.

  “I’ll never make it if you keep doing that,” he said on a ragged breath, taking the condom from her and rolling it down over the length of him.

  In one quick move, he was hovering over her again, kissing her mouth crazy. She slid her legs up and around him, then guided him inside. When he filled her, she felt complete for the first time in her life. More confirmation that this was where she belonged.