by Rita Herron
She inhaled sharply, snow crystals melting on her russet colored eyelashes as she nodded.
“Stay down low until we reach the edge.”
She did as he instructed, the two of them hunkering along the cliff until he spotted the ledge below. Around thirty feet. They could skid down it. Then another thirty feet or more into the water.
He secured Schyler on his chest. “Hold on tight.”
He met her gaze, offered her silent reassurance and a quick kiss, then they both took a deep breath. Together they slid down the ledge. Holly clung to Night while he propelled them toward the ledge, bracing himself to catch her in case she missed it. He landed first, and caught her coming down. Her right foot hit the edge and she flailed for her balance, teetering on the brink.
He clutched her fingers, dragging her onto the narrow stoop. Gasping for air, she collapsed, then crawled to her knees. He gave her a minute to steady her nerves, then helped her stand.
“Night…” She trapped his hand, kissed the baby. “Promise me that if I don’t make it, you’ll take Sky—”
“You asked me that once before.” He kissed her one last time. “We will all make it, Holly. Trust. That’s all you need to do. Trust and swim like the devil.”
She nodded an okay, took his hand, and closed her eyes. Footsteps pounded the snowpacked ground above, sending rocks and snow clumps raining down off the side. Another shot hit the rocks, this one so close, Night pushed Holly into the wall of the ledge to avoid it, shielding her with his body.
“On the count of three,” he said in a husky voice. “One, two, three!”
They soared off the ledge together, falling, falling, falling…
THE FRIGID WATER enveloped Holly, the raging current robbing her of breath as she sank beneath the powerful force. She screamed and flailed her arms, gulping in huge mouthfuls of water as the undercurrent dragged her into its clutches. Her feet felt heavy, and the eddies were so strong, the frigid temperature numbed her lips and skin, seeping to her bones. But Night’s words echoed in her head. Trust. And swim. He had their baby. Schyler was c, but at least he was alive.
She wanted to hold them both again.
Forcing her panic away, she focused on not fighting and relaxed her limbs so that she could float, giving in to the current. It swept her downstream. She used her arms and legs to paddle, but the jagged rocks beat her skin, nailed her in the back and side. She bit her lip, and tasted blood. But she’d lost sight of Night. Was Schyler okay?
She squinted through the blinding water, spotted Night’s head bobbing up and down with the current a few feet away. Her son’s head matched the same rhythm, his cry echoing in the wind. Night was searching for her, too. He paddled toward her, then reached back to grab her.
She crawled forward, letting the force of the water propel her.
“Take my hand,” Night yelled.
She reached out and missed, the current sucking her sideways.
“There’s a clearing down there!” Night yelled over the loud gush of the river. He pointed to an underhang. “Try to swim to the right.”
Her arms ached. Exhaustion and the cold suffocated her. But she couldn’t give up. The rocks tore at her legs and arms, but she finally managed to swim to the edge. Gasping for air, she latched onto a tangled vine draped from one of the massive trees at the edge of the river. Night had climbed out, was on his knees on the ground, reaching for her. She pulled herself toward the shore, yanking herself along with the vine until she touched his hand. Then he dragged her onto the ground. She spit out water, her legs and feet completely numb. Sky was still crying, flailing his arms and legs.
“Let’s get him warm,” Holly said. She took the baby and began to rub his arms and legs.
“He’s a natural born swimmer.” Night helped her warm their son, took dry clothes from the waterproof backpack and redressed him.
“Thank you for saving us,” Holly whispered as Sky quieted. Night circled his arms around them both. “I told you to trust,” he said softly, “but now we must get going. Grace may still be looking for us.”
DAMN IT. He’d lost them!
And just when he’d been so close. So close he could feel the blood on his hands. Taste the delicious revenge hot on his mouth.
He hid in the shadows of the bushes, eyeing the cliff with trepidation. There was no way they could have survived the jump…no way.
Was there?
And even if they had made it into the river, the temperature would freeze them to death within a few minutes. Not the same as actually pulling the trigger himself, but he pictured Holly’s body being washed up, all broken and battered from the rocks, those green eyes staring wide-open in death.
Satisfaction sang through him.
Samuel would be devastated when he saw that picture in the paper. And poor weak Celia, she would take her daughter’s death hard.
And Joshua… Well, Joshua loved his family. He would feel responsible. Maybe so guilty and distraught he would be unable to carry out his term of office.
HOLLY FOLLOWED Night, relieved when she spotted the jeep hidden beneath a cluster of branches. The helicopter rumbled again. Bertram and Grace had tracked them along the water, and were descending. He and Holly ran toward the jeep. They’d almost reached it when the helicopter swooped down in the clearing in front of them. The propeller whirled around, the force knocking her down, and scattering snowflakes like a dust storm.
Night yanked Holly behind a cluster of rocks, then shifted so he could peek over the edge. He poised his gun, ready to fire. But just as Bertram opened the door to the chopper, another loud rumbling spun through the air, soaring toward them. Night glanced up and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Who is that?” Holly whispered.
“Reinforcements.” Night gave her arm a squeeze. “Sweetheart, we’ve just been rescued.”
Bertram fired shots toward Night, covering Grace who charged toward them like the madman he was. Mary vaulted from the chopper, dashing on his tail as if the devil was chasing her.
“I want my baby back! Give him to me!”
But a voice boomed from a bullhorn in the helicopter, “Freeze, Grace, you’re surrounded.”
As if to emphasize the point, a round of gunfire pelted the ground in an arc around Grace. Another round hit the chopper, and Bertram scrambled inside. A shot directly in front of Mary sent her screeching to a halt. Grace and Mary threw up their hands in submission, while Bertram tried to escape, but the Confidential chopper cut him off, then landed, blocking off his escape.
Confidential agents Colleen and Michael Wellesley, Shawn Jameson, and Conrad Burke hit the ground running.
Night turned to Holly. “Stay here, let me secure Grace and Bertram.”
With relief and trepidation filling his soul, Night handed Schyler to his mother, and went to help make the arrests. Night had to make certain that Grace and his cohorts didn’t escape this time. And he needed to tell Colleen about the shooter on the ground. They’d question Grace, see if he had a hired hand.
But once they returned to civilization, what would happen between him and Holly? Would she allow him to remain in her and his son’s life?
Chapter Twelve
Night approached Colleen Wellesley and the other agents, his gaze trained on Grace.
Grace looked wild-eyed, his beady eyes skating toward Holly and Schyler. “I’m not through with you, I have to run more tests on your blood—”
“You’re not going anywhere except to prison,” Night said. “For a very long time.”
Colleen smiled. “The government has definite plans for you, Dr. Grace. Your own private little lab. Of course, there will be restrictions.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong!” Mary tried to shake free. “I took care of the baby. He’s mine, you can’t lock me away!”
Michael cuffed her hands behind her back, and Mary began to wail like a wild animal. Bertram was the calmest one, his gruff angry exterior channeled into threatening eyes. “Helio De
Marco will take care of us. This isn’t the end.”
“DeMarco is dead,” Night said. “So, you can forget the mob bailing you out.”
“Or any chance for freedom you think you might have had,” Colleen added. “Not only is kidnapping a federal offense, but you and Grace are being charged with treason.”
Colleen’s declaration shut Bertram up, but not Grace. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” he said with a snarl. “Or the extent of my research.”
Night pushed him toward the chopper. “We’ll figure it all out, Grace. We have a scientific genius of our own. Now what germ did you infect Holly with the second time?”
Grace smiled, an evil look that sent Night’s pulse racing. “I didn’t give her a second one.”
Mary struggled to get free again. “I gave her one, I wanted her to die! But you’ll never know what kind, never!”
“The government has some powerful persuasive techniques, Mary,” Colleen said in a deadly tone. “I have a feeling you’re both going to be talking soon.”
“Who was on the ground shooting at us?” Night asked Grace.
Grace spat on the snowy ground. “I’m not answering any questions without an attorney.” Night growled and Michael shoved him inside, securing him to the seat. A second chopper had landed as backup to transport them. “Find out who the shooter was,” Night told Colleen. “He might still be in the mountains.” Colleen alerted the team to search the area, then radioed Wiley Longbottom, head of the DPS, to let him know they had captured Grace.
Convinced his fellow Colorado Confidential operatives had Grace and Bertram and Mary in control, Night strode back to the trees and gathered Holly and Schyler to his side. “Come on, let’s go. I’m sure Schyler could use a nice warm bath and bed.”
“That makes two of us.” Holly rubbed her arms to warm herself.
Night nodded and guided her to the chopper. “When we reach Ouray, we’ll catch a flight back to Denver. I’ll send someone back for the Jeep.”
Holly nodded, cradling Schyler to her as Night guided her to the helicopter.
“It’s good to see you both,” Colleen Wellesley said to Holly.
Holly extended her hand. “Thank you for all your help.”
Colleen lifted a hand and brushed the hair back from the baby’s face, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. “He’s beautiful. I’m sure your family will be relieved to have you both back home.”
Holly nodded, but Night’s stomach knotted. He wrapped Holly the baby in a blanket and they settled in for the ride back to Ouray.
“I should let my father know I’m all right,” Holly said.
“Colleen will inform him immediately. But you can call him when we reach Ouray.”
There they’d get a hotel room for the night. Or two rooms, whatever Holly preferred. He knew what he wanted, but he couldn’t be presumptuous.
As the chopper soared above the glistening snowcapped mountain peaks and they left the sanctity of the wilderness, old insecurities and reminders of their differences resurfaced. Did he have a place in Holly’s bed at all? Or a place in her life?
AS THE CHOPPER ate up the distance between the San Juan Mountains and Ouray, Holly’s nerves began to settle, at least her fear of danger.
But Night seemed distant, as if he was drawing back into himself, into that hard shell of a man who refused to allow anyone inside. Maybe he didn’t want the other agents to know he had been involved with her. Maybe he regretted making love to her in the cave.
Maybe he was trying to figure out how to take his son from her without committing to her. After all, he’d never said anything about love. Or about his feelings in general.
And she refused to trap him by using Schyler any more now than she had when she had first learned about her pregnancy.
More questions assailed her as they landed and she saw him talking in hushed tones to another agent. His work appeared to be the most important thing in the world to him, and it took him away to God knew where. She still had to sort out her life, deal with her father and decide if she wanted to run those charities for her parents, be a stay-at-home mom or pursue a career.
She glanced down at her son, who’d curled to sleep in her arms, one thumb tucked in his mouth. Those decisions could wait. For now, she simply wanted to spend time with her baby, compensate for all those missed moments the past few months. Maybe she’d take Schyler out to the cabin this spring, show him the warm, beautiful side of the country.
She imagined Night there with them, riding across the prairie on a mustang, teaching her son the ways of his people, showing him how to communicate with the animals, then in the evening…making love to her until they both fell asleep, sated in each other’s arms. Waking up the same way the next morning.
The taxi dropped them at a mountain lodge in Ouray. At first glance, it appeared rustic, but once they stepped inside, Holly decided it had been built to appear that way. The two-story lobby had been constructed of knotty pine, the ambience of days gone by evident in the antique furnishings and cowboy memorabilia along with the collection of Native artifacts framed in brick-red and adobe colored frames.
Night gestured toward the lobby. “Is this all right or would you rather find a hotel?”
Holly breathed in the sight of the mountain peaks through the plate glass window on the opposite side, where a small restaurant invited guests to relax and dine while they enjoyed the scenery. Nooks and crannies scattered throughout the room housed seating areas surrounding fireplaces, creating a cozy, homey atmosphere
Not like her home though. The Langworthy mansion was stuffy and formal and required dressy attire. Sometimes she didn’t feel comfortable there herself, which was why she often visited the Aspen cabin.
But this place felt as if it had been built with Night in mind. Just like the ranch where he’d told her he lived. Would he show her and Schyler the Royal Flush? Would Schyler watch him train horses?
“It’s perfect, absolutely magnificent.”
Night allowed himself a small smile. “I’ll book us a flight in the morning. I didn’t think you’d want to have to fly home this late.”
“No, I can use a few more hours before I face my family.”
The silence that stretched between them was fraught with tension.
“Your suite is on the second floor, with a balcony that overlooks the creek.” The hotel attendant handed Night a key, his gaze traveling over Holly and the baby. She patted her hair in place self-consciously. He obviously assumed they were married, a young couple with their first child.
If only their life were that simple.
Night led the way. Holly hugged Sky to her and followed behind Night, excitement fluttering in her chest. At least they had tonight together. Maybe a miracle would happen and Night would confess that he loved her.
NIGHT WATCHED as Holly ran a bath and bathed their son, staring in awe at the expert way she handled him. She cooed and laughed, giggling as Schyler slapped at the water, the motoring sounds she made earning a giggle from their son that spoke of pure delight.
She was a natural mother. Youthful and happy and teasing, but careful to test the water before she’d placed him inside, never leaving him a moment while he was in the tub, making certain she wrapped him in the big, fluffy towel in the bathroom to dry him off. Then she lay him on the bed and talked and played with him while Night made a quick trip downstairs to purchase some diapers and a sleeper from the gift shop. They had lost the baby bag in their haste to escape Grace, so he’d also had to phone in for some formula and baby food.
While he was in the gift shop, he remembered that Holly had no clean clothes and neither did he, so he purchased her a pair of warm fleecy pants and a soft pullover, gathered some toiletries, and bought himself a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt as well. He added a pair of black satin panties and a bra to the mixture, his body already aroused just imagining Holly wearing them. The clerk put the sweatshirt on top and he grinned. They would look like tourists with
the mountain lodge name emblazoned on the clothing, but who cared?
When he returned, Holly’s cheeks were rosy, her eyes vibrant again. Laughing Green Eyes. No matter what happened between them, she would always be his Laughing Green Eyes.
“Can you watch him while I take a bath?” she asked.
“Sure.” He tickled the chubby folds of his son’s chin, and dressed him while Holly disappeared into the bathroom. Deciding to feed Schyler, too, he busied himself with the baby food. By the time she emerged, baby food covered Sky’s pudgy cheeks.
“He keeps spitting it out,” Night said, at a loss.
Holly laughed. “That’s what babies do. Eating is a game to them.”
He glanced up at her, amazed at her self-assurance. Of course, her charm and self-confidence were two things that had attracted him to her in the first place. She exuded sexuality and a joy of life that he had been lacking in his lonely existence.
She smelled like fresh shampoo and soap and the essence of woman he’d tasted before, the one he craved again. His body clenched rock hard just thinking about the fact that she had been naked only moments before. Now she had slipped on the outfit he’d bought, but her hair spiraled around rosy cheeks void of makeup, twirling in long wet waves against her shoulders.
Her gaze caught his, a smile tipping the corners of her luscious mouth as if she realized his thoughts. She had always been a flirt. Now was no different.
She licked her lips, then strode toward him and ran a finger over the soggy baby-food-splattered edge of his shirt. “I’ll finish, if you want to shower. Then maybe we can grab some dinner.” Holly took a cloth and patted Schyler’s face clean.
Night hurried into the bathroom. A cold shower should have relieved some of the ache from his body, but it didn’t. Only having Holly again could assuage the constant hum of arousal.
Twenty minutes later, they were seated at a table by the glass window, with Schyler in a high chair smashing crackers on the tray. The landscape looked like a postcard. Through the floor-to-ceiling window, they could see that the gardens behind the inn were filled with bird feeders, which the lodge kept stocked, making dinner a virtual nature show as they watched the winged creatures feast.