Yes, he was afraid. He should be, because deep in his gut he knew that this woman would be his downfall. When? Where? How? He didn’t know. For now, he would just ride the tide, and enjoy being near her, because after today he never planned on seeing her again.
Tilting his head, a smile creased his generous lips as he started to continue his teasing. “Listen, Reverend…”
The sentence was never completed as the sound of Nedra’s name being called drew their attention. A heavy set woman was rapidly approaching them. Nedra groaned. It was Esther Costello, with her grandson, Evan, firmly in tow.
“I was wondering if we would run into you,” Esther said, breathlessly, wiping her sweat drenched face with a white handkerchief. “Little Evan here threw such a fit about missing the trip, that I decided to bring the boy myself. After all...”
The sight of the man beside the Reverend stopped Esther in midsentence. Consciously, Nedra stepped in front of Sin, obscuring Esther’s unhampered view of him. Sin noticed the move, but stood rooted. By the change in Nedra’s demeanor he surmised that whoever this woman was, she meant trouble. He watched as a myriad of expressions crossed Esther’s round face. Admiration and curiosity won.
Nedra took over. “Hello, Esther. Nice seeing you. I’m glad that you decided to bring Evan. He earned this day.”
She bent down and hugged the little boy. “How are you doing, sweetheart?”
The boy replied shyly, “Fine.”
As Nedra greeted Evan, Esther’s eyes never left Sin’s face. “Uh, yes, and who do we have here?”
Nedra rose to face Esther. “Mrs. Costello, meet Sinclair Reasoner. Mrs. Costello is a member of Mount Peter. Mr. Reasoner is a friend of Colin and Trevor Johnson. He brought Trevor to the park for Mr. and Mrs. Simpson, and he’s serving as our fourth chaperone.”
Taking Esther’s fleshy hand into his, Sin flashed his most charming smile. “Nice meeting you, Mrs. Costello.”
Much to Nedra’s surprise, Esther blushed. “And you too, Mr. Reasoner. Are you here visiting the Simpsons?” She shot a glance at Sin’s bare ring finger.
“No, I’m not.” Sin offered no further information.
It didn’t stop Esther. “Oh? So you live in Oakland?”
“Yes.”
“And just where do you...”
“Esther,” Nedra halted the questions before the barrage began. “It’s nice seeing you, but the ride has stopped, and we have to meet the kids at the exit.”
She moved swiftly toward the ride, with Sin on her heels. Undeterred, Esther started to follow them, tugging Evan behind her. “But, Nedra, since you’re here and have four chaperones, I was wondering if—”
Nedra stepped up her pace. “Goodbye, Esther,” she said over her shoulder as she and Sin walked away.
Esther stood watching them until they faded from sight.
CHAPTER 4
It was the sound that startled Nedra awake—a low, mournful wail that vibrated throughout the room. Her eyes opened, slowly adjusting to the dimness and her unfamiliar surroundings. She squinted in an attempt to focus and heard the sound again. Nedra tensed. What was that?
Lifting her head from the pillow on which it was resting, she wondered where she was. There was the slightest of movement beside her. Startled, she looked down. The outline of a small body lay curled in the curve of her right arm. It was Trevor. Colin lay on the other side of him, his thin arm placed protectively across his sleeping brother. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she remembered. She was at the Simpson house, and she must have fallen asleep.
After the field trip they dropped the children off at the church parking lot where their parents picked them up. Since Jason had picked Nedra and Arnella up in the van, the ever manipulating Arnella, anxious to be alone with her prey, had slyly suggested that Sin take Nedra home. Neither Sin nor Nedra could come up with an excuse not to follow her plan.
Trevor was to be dropped off before Nedra. Both she and Sin dreaded the moment when they would be left alone. It was a prospect that didn’t appeal to either of them.
On their arrival at the Simpson house all else was forgotten at the sight of an ambulance at the front door. Mr. Simpson’s broken ankle had become so painful that he was writhing in pain as the paramedics rolled him past them. A tearful Mrs. Simpson was on their heels. Sin promised to stay with the boys while Nedra drove the hysterical woman to the hospital in the Simpson’s car.
It was midnight by the time Nedra returned to the Simpson house. Earlier, she had called Sin from the hospital and informed him that the boys’ foster father had a blood clot. An operation was scheduled for the next day. Mrs. Simpson refused to leave his side. Nedra promised to stay with the boys overnight and return to the hospital with them the next day.
Sin was watching television when she entered the house. The boys were upstairs in the bedroom they shared. They were supposed to be asleep, but she found them awake and anxious for news of Mr. Simpson. After the three of them said a prayer for his swift recovery, Nedra had lain with them until they fell asleep. She had joined them in slumber.
Sitting up, Nedra glanced at the clock on the night stand. It read three o’clock in the morning. Once again, the mournful wail echoed through the house.
Slipping from the bed, she closed the bedroom door behind her and cautiously crept down the dark hallway, following the sound into the lighted living room to the sleeping figure lying prostrate on the rug.
Sin lay stretched out with his legs spread apart, one arm flung across his eyes, the other one stretched across the carpet. He had fallen asleep while watching TV.
Nedra turned the television off and returned her attention to Sin. Drenched with sweat, he was sleeping heavily and in a state of agitation. He began to speak rapidly. The words were unintelligible, but the sounds that he made were so like those of a wounded animal that it broke her heart.
Bending down to where he lay, she shook his shoulder gently. “Mr. Reasoner... Sinclair, wake up. You’re having a bad dream.”
Unexpectedly, Sin sat erect and knocked her hand from his shoulder with such force that Nedra fell back against a coffee table, hitting her arm. She winced in pain.
Sin’s eyes were open, but they weren’t focused or aware. Leaning forward, he wiped the sweat from his forehead, closed his eyes and then sank back down to the carpet, mumbling, “No!” Rolling onto his side, facing Nedra, his head was mere inches from her body.
Hesitant at first, Nedra slowly eased his head onto her lap and began caressing his face. She ignored the tingle of excitement that shot through her body. She told herself that he was a tortured soul. It was her job to comfort those in need.
The soothing gesture quieted his restlessness. His labored breathing steadied. Nedra smiled, pleased at her boldness as she watched his features soften and he drifted into a peaceful sleep. Whatever the demons that had inhabited his dreams, her touch had made them disappear. She liked that. She liked that a lot.
****
It was the smell of coffee that awakened Sin. Unsure of his surroundings, he sat up cautiously, aware of every sight and sound until he remembered that he was at the Simpson house. The boys were asleep in their room. Nedra had come back to the house, went to check on them and then—
He looked down at the comforter covering him and at the pillow that had been placed under his head. When had he gotten those? He didn’t remember.
When he rose, his muscles were stiff and sore from having spent the night asleep on the floor. His clothes were wrinkled and damp with perspiration and he felt exhausted.
The lamp he had turned on earlier was still lit, but the television was off. A glance out the window through the sheer nylon curtains made him aware that it was still dark. His Rolex watch read four o’clock in the morning. His attention returned to the pillow and comforter and it was then that he heard movement in the kitchen located beyond the dining room. Nedra?
Stretching the kinks out of his body, he picked up the pillow, placed it on th
e sofa and then folded the comforter neatly and placed it on top of it. Silently, he moved toward the kitchen and peeked through the swinging door. Nedra was sitting at the kitchen table watching him in the doorway.
“Good morning. I thought I heard you get up.” Her voice was low, husky, sexy.
Sin’s body reacted as if she had made love to him. He nodded, unable to speak. His senses could only take so much this early in the morning.
“I boiled some water for both of us. I took the liberty of putting a couple of spoonfuls of instant coffee in your cup. Hope I didn’t put too many.”
“I’m sure it’s fine. Thank you.”
He walked to the stove where the pot rested on the burner. He poured the water into the cup, picked up the spoon beside the cup, and stirred the steaming liquid. He didn’t drink coffee, but she didn’t know that. He was moved by her gesture of kindness. It wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. Picking the cup up, he turned to face her, letting the kitchen counter support his weight.
Nedra stole a glance at him to see if she could read his mood. She couldn’t. Concerned that his silence was the result of his restless dream, she wanted to ask what it was about, but she didn’t. Instead she asked, “Is something wrong?”
He took a sip from the coffee cup. “No, nothing’s wrong. I’m just tired.”
“I see. Must be some of that busy work you do that keeps you out of church.”
Sin chuckled. “Always the preacher, huh?”
“That’s what they tell me.” She stifled a yawn behind her hand.
“Looks like I’m not the only sleepy one. It’s been a busy day.”
Nedra nodded in agreement. “Yes, it has.”
Sin took another sip of the steaming brew. He wasn’t impressed with the taste. His eyes shifted back to Nedra. He was very impressed with her.
“It must be hard, being a minister, especially a woman minister.”
“It isn’t easy, but it’s been worth it.”
There was a moment of comfortable silence before he asked, “Do you ever have fun, Nedra?”
The question was one of concern, rather than curiosity. It was as though he really cared about her answer.
“Of course. I love what I do. I love people...helping them, guiding them....”
“But what do you do for yourself? Who helps you? Guides you? Who loves you?”
Her heartbeat began to pound in her ears as his words echoed through her. Who loves you? Her eyes met his.
“God.” She turned her attention to her cooling coffee. “And with his help I manage to do plenty for myself. As a matter of fact, I’m going on vacation soon, to Lake Tahoe.”
Sin grinned. “The gambling side?”
Too nervous to realize that he was teasing, she replied, “No. I don’t gamble. My friend Carla has a cabin off Burton Creek. I’ll be holing up there for a while, but it’s a secret. I don’t want my parishioners to know where I am. I really need to get away without interruptions.”
“Then I’m flattered you’re sharing your secret with me.” Sin pulled an imaginary zipper across his lips. “I won’t tell a soul.”
Silence fell over the kitchen as they both finished their coffee. Nedra’s nervousness gradually vanished. For a moment the stiffness between them slipped into a comfortable awareness. She was enjoying his company.
Sin stole a look at her sitting at the table staring into her cup. She looked so serene. His gaze slid out the window into the early morning darkness.
“I’d better get going.”
Nedra started out of her contemplation. He was right. It was four o’clock in the morning. What was she thinking? After all, the man must have a home, a life. He might even be married, have a family. He’d never said. She’d never asked.
“Yes, of course! You’ve done more than enough helping out in this crisis. It’s late and your family must be worried.”
Getting up from the table, she moved through the dining room, into the living room. The kitchen had suddenly felt small and her nervousness had returned.
He followed her, watching as she occupied herself gathering the linen he had placed on the sofa. Sin knew that she had been fishing with the family statement. She knew it too. She was interested in him. If only things were different.
Clutching the linen tightly to her chest, Nedra turned to him. “I’m going to take the boys with me to church tomorrow and then to the hospital. They’ll be a comfort to Mrs. Simpson. They don’t have any children, you know, and...”
Without a word, Sin took the linen from her hands, removing her protective barrier, stopping her in mid-sentence. A knowing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“Where do these belong?”
Nedra flushed with embarrassment. She was rambling, but couldn’t seem to help herself. Even while standing there with winkled clothes, mussed hair, and sleep in the corners of his eyes, the man’s essence was overwhelming. Mentally, she chastised herself. This was ridiculous. She was acting like a star struck school-girl. Taking the blanket and pillow from him, she placed them on the sofa. She was in control again.
“I’ll put them away. You’d better get going. Thank you for everything.”
Leading the way to the front door, she opened it and turned to see him out.
“Mr. Reasoner...Sin...Sinclair, you have been more than kind, helping those boys. I don’t know many men who would have done what you’ve done for them, and today has just been one more act of kindness to add to the list.”
“Does that mean I can get into heaven, even if I don’t go to church?”
“It might help open negotiations.”
Sin laughed. She was quick. He dug his hands deep inside his pockets to keep from hugging her to him. He wanted to, badly. “Well, that’s a start.”
He moved through the door onto the porch, but he didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay, talk to her, joke with her. He made it down the steps before turning back.
“Hope everything goes okay with Mr. Simpson.”
He made no promises this time. He wouldn’t call to check on how things were going. He wouldn’t contact the boys again. This was it, the final act.
Standing in the darkened doorway, a mere shadow against the dimly lit interior of the house, she nodded as she sensed the finality of this departure. Sin continued to the end of the walkway before turning back to her once again. His voice was hardly audible as he spoke. Nedra could barely hear his words. She moved to the edge of the porch, down one step, closer, aware that voices carried. The neighbors might awaken. Neighbors talked. If only things were different.
Her own voice was barely above a whisper. “What did you say?”
His voice was clear this time, strong and plaintive. “I said that I don’t have a family. I’m alone.”
Climbing into his expensive sports car, he drove away into the night.
CHAPTER 5
Sin was alone, and he was lonely. It seemed that it had always been that way. There was no one who loved him, no one whom he loved. Except—
All the way home, he forced all thoughts of Nedra from his mind. He would not see her again. This was it!
As he drove into the hills of Oakland, the brilliant lights of the San Francisco Bay Area twinkled in the distance. Before him stood the house in which he lived, a stunning tribute to the artistry of architecture. Contemporary in design, it boasted lots of windows looking out onto the magnificent view of the Bay. Built of yellow stucco, framed by towering pine and fruit trees, the house’s unique angles and curves were complemented by second and third floor balconies. It was a dream house anyone would covet. Too bad it wasn’t a home.
Avoiding the three-car garage, he parked in the driveway and wearily climbed the stone stairway leading to the house. Unlocking the door, he disarmed the alarm and turned on the light switch at the entrance. The interior was as impressive as the exterior.
The floor plan was circular. To the right of the entrance was the living room, long, sunken, highlighted by a free standin
g stone fireplace in the center. A large dining area adjoined the living room and opened onto a huge patio. The gourmet kitchen was gleaming with stainless steel accessories and the family room, which also sported a fireplace, was cozily decorated and led back into the entranceway. It was from there that Sin took the winding staircase to the second of the three floors, which held five bedrooms between them, including the master bedroom suite into which he stepped.
Shedding his clothing and shoes in the massive walk-in closet, he entered the master bathroom, resplendent in beige marble. After a hot shower, he climbed into his king-size bed, pulled the covers over his naked body and released all thoughts from his restless mind.
It seemed that his head had just hit the pillow when the sound of the telephone ringing jerked him awake. Sitting up, he looked at the bedside clock. It was noon. The telephone rang again. He picked up the receiver.
“Yeah?”
“I heard that you had something special for me.”
He recognized the voice. It was Eddie Carter. He didn’t like the man. Sin’s voice hardened.
“I’ve told you not to call me at home.”
“Yeah, I know, but....”
“There are no buts. I’ll be in the Bayland office on Monday. Meet me there at ten a.m.”
“Okay.” There was a pause. Sin knew he was not going to like whatever was coming next. He was right.
“Lynn’s coming with me.”
Sin gave a heavy sigh. He could hear the ring of Eddie’s laughter as he disconnected the call.
Bayland Imports was located on the Embarcadero in Oakland, a group of renovated buildings on the waterfront, built in an effort to revitalize a dying area. The building occupied by Bayland was unobtrusive. Painted in muted colors, its offices occupied the entire first floor. Sin had opened this West Coast branch of his thriving import business a little over a year ago. The location was perfect, and the contacts that his East coast connections had provided in the Bay Area proved to be invaluable. Eddie had been one of them.
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