Zane could see no way to avoid the truth. “No.”
The silence between them felt loud enough to break through the sound barrier.
“What do you mean—no?”
“I made a vow.” Carl of all people should appreciate the seriousness of his words. Dan and Dave had been brutally murdered by a madman. Zane had stood over their grave sites and vowed revenge.
Carl’s gaze narrowed slightly. “If you intend to find Schuyler…”
“I do.” Zane wanted no room for misunderstanding.
“Then, do you mind telling me what possessed you to marry Lesley?”
The question was hurled at him, a mixture of disbelief and anger. Carl’s gaze bore holes straight thought him.
“What’s between Lesley and me is my business.”
“Does she know what you’re planning?”
‘That’s none of your affair.”
Carl tossed the half-empty beer into the waste can. “I can’t believe this.” He plowed his fingers through his hair, “This is crazy.” He straddled the bench, and glared at Zane. “There comes a time in life when a man faces a bridge.”
“You’re beginning to sound like Mrs. Applegate,” Zane said, striving to look bored.
“Either you cross that bridge, or you burn it.”
“At the risk of repeating myself, let me remind you that what I do with my life is my business.”
Carl stood abruptly and studied Zane intently. “Lesley doesn’t know, does she? Of course she doesn’t,” he said, answering his own question. “You married her without her knowing you fully intend to get yourself killed.”
“Keep Lesley out of this.” Zane was fast losing his patience. He stood and clenched his fists at his sides. “I know what I’m doing.”
“You’re sacrificing your life.”
“I’m avenging Dan and Dave. They were like family to me, and I will not let their murders go unanswered.”
The two men scowled at one another.
“Zane.” Lesley’s sweet voice drifted from the hallway. She came into the exercise room. Zane tore his gaze away from Carl to greet his wife. Her happiness bubbled over as she hurried into his arms. Zane briefly held her against him and closed his eyes. Her smile was potent enough to brighten the darkest corners of his heart.
“I hope I’m not interrupting you?” Lesley glanced apologetically to Carl.
“Are you going to tell her?” Carl demanded, ignoring her question. “She has a right to know.”
Clearly confused by the aggression in Carl’s voice, Lesley hesitated. “Tell me what?”
Candy carried a load of groceries into the house and set the two bulky sacks on the kitchen counter. She’d purposely chosen to shop at a store where she wasn’t as well-known. The last thing she needed was for some clerk to announce to everyone in Sleepy Valley that she’d bought a home pregnancy test.
Candy didn’t know what to think. Generally she was regular as clockwork, but this time she was late. Later than she’d ever been. Closing her eyes, she flattened her hand over her stomach. A knot formed in her throat at the prospect of being pregnant.
It would be just like Carl to think she’d done this on purpose, as if he weren’t a contributing factor. She hadn’t talked to him in twelve days. It was the longest stretch of time they’d been apart since…since that fateful afternoon. He was ignoring her, or pretending to, but Candy knew otherwise.
Apparently, Carl didn’t understand what living in a small town meant. Every time he asked about her, the news made its way back to her. From all she was hearing, he was doing a lot of asking.
Mostly, his inquiries had to do with her seeing Dr. Kitsap. If the man had any brains in his head, he’d realize Eric Kitsap was a kid fresh out of veterinarian school.
It was true they’d gone to dinner a couple of times, but it was nothing serious, nor was it likely to develop into anything more than friendship.
Candy emptied the groceries onto the counter, then neatly tucked them inside her cupboards. The pregnancy test glared at her with accusing eyes until she finally took it into the bathroom and set it on the back of the toilet. She’d confront that issue later, when she’d built up her nerve.
She could be carrying Carl’s baby.
There was no need to worry about that now, she told herself, putting on a brave front. If she was pregnant, she’d deal with the matter the way she had with everything else in her life—straight on with no excuses.
In an effort to put some order to her troubled thoughts, Candy walked out front and reached for the green garden hose. Her rose bushes were beginning to look peaked. She often watered her flower beds when she needed to think matters through.
Because she was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn’t hear Carl until he spoke.
“Candy.”
She whirled around, shocked to find him standing on the sidewalk on the other side of her white picket fence. The first thing she noticed was how pale he looked, as though all the fight had gone out of him. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—agree to his terms, but she hadn’t the energy to fight him.
“Hello, Carl.”
“I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by.”
If ever she heard a lie, it was now, but she didn’t call him on it. Antagonizing him now would serve no useful purpose.
“Can I come in?” he asked, his eyes dark and serious.
She nodded, still too shocked to respond verbally. The garden hose continued to spew out water as she stood there transfixed by the man who’d occupied her thoughts day and night for weeks on end.
“You could invite me inside.”
“Of course…” Forgetting the hose was in her hand, she gestured toward the house and thoroughly doused the front of his shirt and pants.
Carl swore and leapt back.
Candy looked at him in shocked horror, then burst out laughing.
“This isn’t funny,” he growled, slapping his hand against his front in an effort to get rid of the excess moisture.
Candy hastily turned off the water and moved inside the house to provide him with a towel. She hadn’t wet him on purpose, but she couldn’t think of anyone who deserved it more.
“Take off your shirt and I’ll stick it in the dryer.”
He stripped it off and handed it to her. She realized her mistake the moment she saw how broad and muscular his shoulders were. His powerful chest was marked by a patchwork display of short curly hair.
They’d made love, may have even created a child together, but this was the first time she’d ever seen Carl without his shirt. The sight was something to behold.
Unfortunately, letting him know that would be a mistake. “It might be best if you kept your pants on,” she mumbled, and made her way to the laundry room.
“I disagree,” he said.
She was surprised to realize he’d followed her. Standing there next to the dryer, she dragged a deep breath though her lungs. Leave it to Carl to turn the tables on her. Generally, her wicked tongue got her out of embarrassing situations like this one, but at the moment she felt completely devoid of wit. Her heart hammered wildly, and she feared she would blurt out something stupid and he’d immediately guess she might be pregnant.
“What?” he asked her softly. “No witty reply.”
He was behind her, so close, she could feel his breath stir the soft hairs at the base of her neck.
“I…I…”
He braced his hands against the smooth skin of her shoulders. His touch was light and gentle. So very gentle. Shivers of awareness chased up her arms.
“You’ve missed me, haven’t you, sweetheart?”
Candy closed her eyes and bit her lower lip. She had missed him. Dreadfully so.
His voice was seductive and low as he slipped his hands from her arms and around her front, holding her backside against him. Candy was obliged to swallow an involuntary moan.
“I’ve missed you,” he whispered before he lowered his mouth to her neck. His ton
gue made moist circular movements against the highly sensitized area while his hands worked their magic.
Candy drew in a shaky breath and eased away from him.”No,” she gasped. “Not again…”
“Yes, sweetheart, yes.” Carl’s rasped voice sounded in her ear, separating the short distance between them.
Her breathing sputtered and her heart felt as though it were about to explode. This couldn’t be happening. Not here. Not in her laundry room with a man who only wanted one thing from her. Not with Carl who promised her nothing, and demanded her soul.
“Candy, for the love of heaven have mercy on me,” he pleaded as he twisted her around to face him.
With a sob, Candy buried her face in his shoulder. Oh how he tempted her.
“I need you, Candy.”
Not giving her time to think, he claimed her mouth in a bone-melting kiss.
“Let me show you how much I’ve missed you,” he managed between kisses, his lips tugging at hers.
It cost her the earth to break away from him.
His eyes revealed his shock.
Candy wiped the hair away from her face. She was confident her cheeks were candy apple red. “I can’t.”
He groaned and closed his eyes. “We’ve been all through that. I’ll be good to you, sweetheart.”
“Good? Define good. You’ll seduce me in the laundry room? Is that good?”
He looked bewildered and confused. “I never intended for this to happen. It just did, but it was great. It’s always great with us. You can’t deny that.”
As embarrassing as it was to admit, he was right.
“I want you to move in with me,” he ordered, leaving no room for argument. “I’m moving into the Gaudette place this weekend. We’ve talked about it so often, it’s only right that you be there with me.” He reached for her hand and kissed her knuckles. “The house needs a woman’s touch…Forget the house! I need you.”
He was offering her a place in his life, which was something she’d never thought he’d do. It was a step, but not in the right direction.
“I’ve never asked a woman to move in with me. I want you to know that.” He wrapped her in his arms. “If you don’t want that, then fine. But, sweetheart, I’ve got to have you. You’re driving me crazy. I don’t sleep nights. I’ve lost my appetite. If it bothers you that people will talk…well, we can be discreet. Only, I can’t play these games any longer…It’s not good for either of us.”
Candy braced her forehead against his shoulder. “What…what if I were to…you know…get pregnant? Would you be willing to marry me then?”
He broke away from her so abruptly, she nearly collapsed.
“Pregnant?” He said the word and gave a short laugh. “No way. Okay, okay, you want to talk about kids. Fine, we can do that, but not for a long time.”
“How long?”
“Years. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking you can convince me to marry you because you’re pregnant. That might work with another man, but not me.
All at once, Candy was so furious that it was impossible to see beyond the red haze of her anger. “You’re an idiot.” Her rage made the words nearly unintelligible. “Do you think I got pregnant on purpose?” she shouted. “It takes two, you know.”
He glared at her as if she were speaking in another language.
“Get out of my house.”
“You’re pregnant?”
She shoved his shoulders, steering him toward the front door.
Carl’s mouth hung halfway to his knees. “Are you telling me you’re already pregnant?”
“Get out before I phone the police, and don’t think I won’t, Carl Saks. Don’t make the mistake of believing I wouldn’t derive a great deal of pleasure throwing your sorry butt in jail.”
The front door was open and she gave him one last shove. His shoulders hit the screen door with enough force for him to wince.
She started to close the door, and would have taken a good deal of pleasure in slamming it in his face. But at the last moment, he moved.
The door shut hard enough to rattle the windows.
Candy leaned against the wood frame and wrapped her arms around herself. The only person who could reduce her to this was Carl Saks. The sooner he was completely out of her life, the better.
“I wish I knew what it was you and Carl argued about,” Lesley told her husband. They sat in the study, drinking coffee. Lesley noticed that Zane seemed less communicative this evening. She suspected it had something to do with the confrontation with his friend.
“Zane?” she probed when he didn’t immediately respond.
“That’s between me and Carl.”
Lesley felt a tightness take hold of her chest at his words. Zane shared so little of himself with her.
“I heard Carl tell Mrs. Applegate he’s moving this weekend.”
Again Zane acted as though he hadn’t heard her speak.
“I hope it’s not because of your argument.”
“It isn’t.”
Lesley couldn’t stand it. She tossed the newspaper aside and leapt to her feet. “Stop it, Zane.”
He blinked up at her. “Stop what?”
“Freezing me out of your life.” She stood directly in front of him, her hands braced against her hips. “I won’t stand for it.”
“Good.” He leaned forward and caught her by the hips. Before she could stop him, he managed to send her tumbling into his lap. She didn’t resist, but worried that her weight was too much for his leg. He gave no indication that she hurt him.
His eyes were level with her own and she saw the laughter drain out of them.
“I mean it, Zane.” She tried to make her words stern, but by the time they left her lips, they were soft and malleable. Against her will, her anger crumbled into a lazy grin as her husband brought her mouth to his.
“You’re so beautiful,” Zane whispered. He wove his fingers into her hair, wadding the thickness into his fists. “So incredibly beautiful.” He sealed his words with another deep, soul-reaching kiss.
“Why is it,” she asked, her breath low and wispy, “that you can make me want you this quickly? I should be furious with you.”
“Don’t be,” he pleaded. He made love to her with his kiss.
“You never told me…”
“That I could make you want me?” he teased, unfastening several buttons of her blouse. He folded back the warm blue silk to expose bare skin.
Lesley had trouble keeping her mind on track. “Carl seemed to think you needed to tell me something.”
“It’s not important.” He started to press his moist mouth over hers when she broke away.
“Zane…” She came halfway off his lap but not before he reached for her. Their laughter and giggling nearly prevented them from hearing the knock against the door. “Who is it?” Zane called.
Lesley tried to fasten her buttons, but Zane wouldn’t let her.
“Mrs. Applegate. I’m sorry to disrupt you, but Mr. Larabee’s on the phone. He wants to talk to Mrs. Ackerman.”
“Jordan, oh, my. I forgot…I was supposed to call him after dinner.” She hurried toward the phone. “I’ll take the call in here. Thank you, Mrs. Applegate.” She was forever grateful the housekeeper hadn’t opened the library door.
Lesley had righted her clothes by the time she reached the phone. She took a couple of seconds to compose herself before she reached for the receiver. “Hello, Jordan.”
He’d called for additional information on an estimate he was preparing. As the conversation progressed, Lesley watched as Zane impatiently stood and walked over to the fireplace. His back was to her for several moments. When he turned, she didn’t recognize his expression.
There was a time when he’d been able to hide his feelings from her, but she knew him too well now. She’d seen him in pain, and anger. She’d seen him laugh and smile. She’d seen his face in ecstasy when she had the presence of mind herself to study him as they made love. In the weeks since their
marriage, she’d witnessed everything in between, but not this. His eyes had narrowed, his nostrils flared slightly and he looked to be waging war with himself.
As best she could, Lesley cut the conversation short and replaced the telephone receiver.
“Zane,” she asked softly, “what is it?”
“What’s what?” The look was gone; his eyes revealed a detached, dispassionate expression.
“Just now while I was on the phone with Jordan…” She paused, unable to explain with words what she’d seen in him.
“It’s nothing,” he snapped.
But it was and they both knew it. He walked over to the desk and she placed her hand on his arm. He stared pointedly at her fingers as if he wanted nothing to do with her touch.
Hurt and feeling dejected, Lesley slowly removed her hand.
“Tell me something,” he said in a tight whisper. “Do you still love him?”
Him? This made no sense to Lesley. “Jordan?”
“Of course I mean Jordan. You were almost engaged to marry him, or have you conveniently forgotten?”
The question took her by such surprise that Lesley didn’t immediately answer. A cold feeling invaded her heart, extending out in ripples until it reached the very tips of her toes.
“You think I’m in love with Jordan Larabee?” She didn’t honestly expect him to answer. The very ridiculousness of the question was lost on him.
“Yes,” he responded tautly.
“I see.” She wrapped her arms around her middle and stiffened. With a dignity she wasn’t feeling, she straightened her shoulders and headed toward the library door.
“Answer me,” he demanded. “You’re the one who’s so fond of asking questions, aren’t you? Not more than five minutes ago it was of utmost importance to know the reason Carl and I had argued.”
She paused, facing the door. After a prolonged moment she turned around. “Do you honestly believe I’m the type of woman who would allow another man to make love to me night after night if I cared for someone else?”
Zane opened his mouth, but said nothing.
“Only a fool wouldn’t recognize how much I love you, Zane.” Having said that, she opened the door and walked out.
Two hours later, Zane wandered outside, breathing in the fresh night air in an effort to clear his thoughts. He owed Lesley an apology. He’d behaved like a jealous idiot and she had every right to be angry with him.
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