Erik grinned as he caught them. “Yes, Mother."
Leigh froze as she drew on her silk kimono; a hot flush traveled over her face. She turned to him and said quietly, “Don't ever call me ‘Mother’ again, Erik Haukeland."
Erik's carefree grin disappeared. “You are a real enigma,” he said. “One moment, you're laughing, warm, sexy. And the next, you draw on this cold mask and become untouchable. I can't get used to how quickly you change."
Leigh bent over to sweep up a damp towel from the floor. “Well, you don't need to get used to it, do you?” she said. “After all, we won't be seeing each other after next month.” She hurled the towel at him. “Why don't you just get out of here and go get dressed!"
Erik caught the towel and dropped it to the floor near the bed. His eyes had darkened ominously. “I don't really like you too much when you're like this. I guess you could say I feel like I'm being used. When we're in bed together, we're equals. But the minute the passion is over, you suddenly become an authority figure. Kayleigh, why can't you accept the fact that we are equals. A man and a woman. No more basic than that. It doesn't matter that you're older. You're too defensive about your age."
Trembling, she moved to the mirror and tried to comb the tangles out of her hair. “Erik, I know you're into psychology, but I don't appreciate being analyzed. And don't tell me I'm defensive about my age. I never was before I met you. Oh God, why can't you be older?"
Erik stared at her, a look of near pity in his eyes. “Why can't you be happy with what we have together? If I were older, would it make a difference? Would you come to Norway with me ... leave your husband and children?"
Leigh slammed down the comb. “No! I could never leave them!"
A stony mask settled over his face. “I didn't think so. I am such a fool to be in love with you. You're a very selfish woman, Kayleigh."
"Is that so? Then perhaps you should be spending your time with Dawn instead of me."
Erik stood up and began to pull on his clothes. “Well, at least I know where I stand with her."
"And I know where I stand with you! After all, you invited her down here for the weekend."
Erik stared at her, his blue eyes stormy. “I did not invite her down. She called and told me she was coming. What could I say? ‘Sorry, Dawn, but I'm sleeping with Kayleigh, and I don't think she'd like it.’ Anyway, we agreed I was to pretend to have a relationship with her."
Fresh fury flowed through her. “Is it a pretense? I find it very hard to believe you don't want anything to do with a girl who looks like Brooke Shields. And the entire world knows she's hot for you. Why don't you just admit you're glad she's coming up?"
A maddeningly cool look had stolen into Erik's eyes. His answer was not one she was prepared for. “Ja, I am glad she is coming up. It will be a nice change to have a woman around who will be giving me all of her time and attention. Not just a snatched moment in a fucking shower with her boy-toy!"
Unable to believe what she'd heard, Leigh stared at him. An agonizing pain stabbed up from her stomach into her chest, rendering her speechless for the moment. Erik stared back, his face expressionless. Oh, how she detested that smug Scandinavian stoicism! When her words finally came, they were the result of her desire to hurt him, to make him feel the same pain blistering inside her.
"I bet you just can't wait to fuck her, right, Erik? Maybe you can keep a scoreboard, and see how she measures up to me."
His face didn't change. “You're right. I can't wait to fuck her. How about this? Maybe you could join us. We could do a three-way in the shower. Hell! Dawn is so horny for me, I'll bet she'll go for it. Who knows?” He gave her a cold grin. “Maybe it'll open up a complete new world for you!"
Leigh felt the blood drain from her face. “You're disgusting..."
"Perhaps I am,” Erik went on. “But there's one thing you're wrong about. I won't be comparing her to you. I already know the difference. Dawn is warm all the way through, but you ... you're hot on the outside, but underneath it all, Kayleigh, you're just a cold bitch."
"Get out,” Leigh said, very quietly.
And he did.
* * * *
The wave crashed on the dark beach with unusual force. Too late, Leigh tried to move out of its path. The cold sea foamed around her legs, soaking her jeans and depositing great globs of sand into the folded cuffs. She gasped at the icy temperature and waited until the wave receded before moving on. Even the sand was cold beneath her bare feet. It had to be after ten o'clock, yet, she had no desire to go back to the beach house. She knew she couldn't face anyone and pretend everything was okay ... that her world hadn't fallen apart. Even worse than facing her children, she dreaded the inevitable meeting with Erik. She simply couldn't bear letting him know how the ugly words he'd hurled at her this afternoon had ripped her heart out.
She moved on, away from the lights of a volleyball game and toward a darkened section of the beach. She needed darkness right now. A place where she didn't have to look at anyone or have them stare at her. She dropped to the ground, huddling against the stiff night breeze. Her fingers traced letters in the sand and angrily, she brushed them away, knowing she'd written his name. How she wished she could obliterate the pain from her heart as easily. Far away in the west, thunder rumbled and the breeze quickened. Her head dropped to her knees. If only she could cry, maybe then she could put it all behind her, start to rebuild her life.
She lifted her head to stare out at the lights of a ship on the black sea. A cold drop of rain splashed onto her cheek. Maybe it was all for the best. Perhaps now was the time to try to repair her damaged marriage ... if it could be repaired. Thank God, Bob had never found out about them. There was that, at least. Erik would soon return to Norway and she would only have to contend with his memory. Finally, a tear tracked down her face. Erik wouldn't be an easy man to forget.
Lightning veined the southwest sky and thunder rumbled again. The rain fell harder. Leigh reluctantly got to her feet and trudged back toward the volley-ball game. Two young men were scrambling to take down the nets while children gathered up balls. Leigh passed them and made her way up the steps leading to the boardwalk. Rain soaked through her light jacket and she shivered. A hot bath and a cup of spiced tea would make her feel better. That had been Great-Grandmother Kayleigh's remedy for everything. She wondered if it would work for a broken heart.
If only she could get through the house without encountering anyone. Little chance of that. She stepped onto the porch of the beach house and went to the front door. Inside the foyer, she slipped out of her wet jacket and hung it on the door knob. First, the tea. She'd make a pot and take it upstairs with her. As she went into the living room, she heard voices in the kitchen and stopped. That couldn't be Bob's voice. He was in Washington.
But it was him. He stood with his back to her, talking to someone on the phone.
"Mom!” Aaron jumped up from the kitchen table.
Mel, a coffee pot in hand, rushed to the door of the kitchen to stare in surprised relief. Bob ended his conversation, hung up the phone and turned to Leigh, his face a mask of anxiety.
"Leigh, are you all right?” he asked tersely. “It's almost midnight. Where've you been?"
Leigh ignored the edge of anger his voice carried. She saw the concern on his face and suddenly, he was the old Bob ... the one that had so infatuated her that first summer in Washington. He stood before her, tall, reassuring and protective. For the moment, it was exactly what she needed. Tears welled in her eyes. She went to him and wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm so glad you're home,” she murmured against his shirt.
* * * *
A violent clap of thunder woke Leigh early. Rain drummed on the roof of the beach house. She lay still, listening to it, dreading the thought of running into Erik downstairs. But she couldn't hide from him forever. Might as well face him and get it over with. Her stomach growled. When had she last eaten? Wearily, she drew herself out of bed and pulled on her rob
e. She reached for her glasses on the bedside table. Why bother with putting in her contacts? Who cared how she looked?
At the bottom of the stairs, she paused. Erik's door was closed. He'd had a late night, probably, and wouldn't be getting up for a long time. She went into the kitchen and headed straight for the coffee pot. As the coffee perked, she stood at the kitchen window, staring out past the blue gingham curtains at the rainy morning. How the weather suited her mood. With grim satisfaction, she thought of Dawn starting out her long drive to the beach in the pouring rain. Maybe it would rain all weekend. But then she thought of her lying in Erik's arms, oblivious to the weather outside. She whirled away from the window and reached for an iron skillet from the display on the wall. With a noisy clang, she dropped it on the burner and turned to the refrigerator for the bacon and eggs.
A sleepy Aaron entered the room just as she was scraping the scrambled eggs into a plate. “I'm hungry."
She gave him her breakfast and fried more bacon. As she sat down to eat, Erik walked into the room. She pushed away her plate, her appetite vanishing. She knew he'd never seen her look so awful. The remnants of yesterday's make-up streaked her face and her eyes were red-rimmed and smudged with mascara. Her hair had been damp when she'd gone to bed and now it was flattened and unruly, probably sticking up in all the wrong places. Feeling his stare, she raised her chin defiantly and gazed back at him. Let him see the real Leigh Fallon for once.
He glanced quickly at Aaron and then back at her. “We have to talk."
Leigh shook her head. “Not now."
"When?"
Leigh glanced at Aaron who was engrossed in the morning comics. “I think you said it all yesterday."
"When, Kayleigh?” he demanded, his voice rough with emotion.
Leigh turned to Aaron. “Sweetheart, could you go wake up your father? Tell him I'm making breakfast for him."
She waited until Aaron left the room before turning back to Erik. He looked haggard, his face unshaven and his eyes bloodshot from last night's drinking.
Leigh took a deep breath. “I've decided I have to try and make a go of this marriage with Bob. We both knew it would end between us, Erik. The only thing you can do now is accept it ... and go back to Norway as soon as possible.” She felt tears come to her eyes. Quickly, she stood up and turned away from him, hoping he hadn't seen them.
"I can never accept it.” His hands grasped her shoulders and whirled her to face him. He stared at her, his eyes like blue ice chips. “I know you love me."
Leigh tore away from him. “I was infatuated with you. Nothing more. We had some good times, that's all.” Her eyes refused to meet his.
"You are the world's worst liar, Kayleigh,” he said softly, his face twisted in a bitter smile. “But let me tell you this. I'm sorry for hurting you yesterday. I feel nothing for Dawn. I lashed out at you because your attitude hurt me. Kayleigh,” His hand fastened on her chin as he forced her to look at him. “I love you. You will remember that.” Softly, his fingers caressed her jaw.
The warm look on his face was too much for her to take. A tear tracked down her cheek, falling wetly onto his finger. “Go away,” she said, shakily.
His hand slid down her neck onto her shoulder as he continued to stare at her. Finally, he drew away. “Ja ... if that is what you want.” He turned and went out the screen door. Leigh dropped to the chair, her breakfast forgotten. The pain she felt was worse than anything she'd ever experienced. It was even too deep for tears.
Chapter 12
It was after four o'clock in the afternoon when Leigh came downstairs, dressed in her silk kimono. Her resolve to make her marriage work had led to a humiliating, and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to arouse Bob, and it had ended with him pulling away from her and declaring he wasn't in the mood. As if that hadn't been painfully obvious. Leigh had silently gotten out of bed and filled the bathtub with hot water and bubble bath, trying to soak away her depression. It hadn't worked.
The rain had finally stopped, but the clouds hung low in the sky, gray and sullen. She found Aaron fast asleep on the sofa and the TV blaring. She switched it off and went into the kitchen. A note from Mel lay on the table amidst the remains of someone's half-eaten lunch. “Gone for a walk. M.” Gone to see if she could find the lifeguard she'd been mooning over, Leigh translated. She had no idea where Mark was ... or Erik...
A knock came at the front door.
"Hi there, Leigh.” Dawn stood on the porch, smiling brightly and looking ravishing in tight jeans and a slinky lavender top. “I didn't think I was ever gonna get here. Do you know it rained on me almost all the way from Washington?"
"No kidding?” Leigh said. “Well, come on in."
"I guess I'll just leave my stuff in the car,” Dawn said. “Erik said something about gettin’ me a room at the Atlantic Sands."
And will he share it with you? Immediately, Leigh felt guilty as she thought of Erik's earnest expression that morning. Deep inside, she'd known he couldn't mean what he'd said. The only reason she hadn't returned to his arms was because he'd hurt her so intentionally, aiming his barbs at a place where he knew she was vulnerable. Her age—and her shaky self-confidence where Dawn was concerned. Besides, their relationship had had to end sooner or later. She'd done the right thing in ending it now.
"Where's Erik?” Dawn asked, glancing around the living room. Her shiny golden brown bob cradled her perfect oval face. Looks like a model for a Pantene commercial, thought Leigh, gritting her teeth. Could the woman ever look less than perfect?
"I don't know.” Leigh led her out to the porch. “I haven't seen him since this morning. Have a seat. I'll get us a couple of Cokes."
When Leigh stepped out onto the porch with their drinks, she saw that Dawn had made herself comfortable in a lounge chair. Her eyes were closed, but they opened the minute she heard Leigh's footsteps.
She reached for the soda. “Oh, thanks. I'm dyin’ of thirst.” Dawn finished a long draw of the soda and sighed deeply. “Oh, yeah, that's good. You say you don't know where Erik is? But I know he's expectin’ me. He should be here. I told him I'd get in about four or five."
Leigh shrugged. “Maybe he forgot."
A peal of laughter greeted this suggestion. “Oh, come on, Leigh. He forgot!” More laughter. “What a sense of humor you have. Seriously, I hope he gets here soon. This is the big weekend, you know. A room at the Atlantic Sands. Once I get him to stay with me, he'll forget all about that little Norwegian girl who's kept him so chaste."
Leigh felt an immediate sense of relief. So, he'd been telling her the truth all along. He hadn't slept with Dawn. Yet. Leigh looked at the girl's pretty face, hating her smugness.
"Why don't you leave Erik alone?” Her words were barely audible.
But Dawn heard them. “What on earth do you mean?"
"Leave him alone.” Her eyes met Dawn's shocked ones. “Please ... he's in love with the girl in Norway. He ... he's very vulnerable right now. He doesn't need you to confuse him."
With a scornful laugh, Dawn placed her empty glass on a table nearby. “You talk as if he's your son. Leigh, Erik is a grown man. I think he's intelligent enough to make his own decisions. I doubt very much if he'd welcome your concern. Besides, if he's so in love with some girl in Norway, why didn't he go home at the end of the college term?” Her eyes suddenly grew hard. “Why did he come here to the beach with you?” Her carefully cultivated southern accent had disappeared.
Leigh recognized the trap and struggled for a logical explanation. “Maybe he needed time to think out his feelings."
With a cat-like smile, Dawn said, “Why don't we quit playing these silly games, Leigh. I guessed the truth about you and Erik a long time ago.” Her eyes were like chips of blue ice, but the smile remained on her pouty lips. “How long has it been going on?"
Leigh felt the blood drain from her face. It took her a moment to catch her breath so she could speak. “What are you talking about?"
Dawn didn't answe
r. She just smiled. The silence was broken by the slam of the screen door.
"Dawn! How you doing?"
Leigh looked up to see Mark standing in the doorway.
"Hey, there, Mark,” Dawn said. The accent was back and in fine form. “You're nice and tanned, I see. Have you seen any gorgeous Norwegians runnin’ around lately?"
A tremor had invaded Leigh's body. She felt nauseous. God, the bitch knew, but what was she going to do about it? Dawn was like a patient cat batting a defenseless mouse back and forth, careful not to dig in her claws too viciously, but savoring the moment of kill. Leigh stood up abruptly.
"I'll go down to Louie's for pizza,” she said to Mark. Before he could reply, she whirled around and hurried upstairs to get dressed.
Five minutes later, she raced out of the house, a rising tide of panic threatening to erupt inside her. She struggled against it; her only hope now was to remain calm. But no matter how she tried, she couldn't escape the dark feeling of foreboding descending upon her.
* * * *
Leigh walked into the front door of the house. The trip to the pizza parlor had calmed her. What could Dawn do with her suspicions? She had no proof, and Leigh hadn't admitted anything. Besides, the affair was over. Past-tense.
Aaron jumped up from the TV, his eyes on the pizza box. “It's about time! I'm starving!"
"Did you remember to get mushrooms on half of it?” Bob asked, glancing up from papers he was studying at the dining room table.
Leigh nodded. “Isn't Mel home yet? And where are Mark and Dawn?"
"Mel has a date with that lifeguard and Mark and Dawn went out to look for Erik. How about something to drink with the pizza?"
A half-hour later, Mark and Dawn returned.
"I just can't understand where he is,” Dawn said plaintively as she came into the room. “It isn't like him to disappear, especially when he knew I was comin’ today."
East of the Sun, West of the Moon Page 12