by Nana Malone
“The day I first heard about it, I came home from school and went right out to the pond to see if I could summon the witch’s ghost. I stood out there on the dock and chanted her name.”
“What’d you see?”
“A fish.”
“A fish?”
“Yes, a fish. No witch; no ghost. And when I reached down to see if I could get the fish to nibble on my finger, I lost my balance and fell in. Thank God my mom heard my screams. Her and Aunt Liz pulled me out just in time. But not before…everything else you described happened.” She shuddered again.
Ryan closed the short distance between them and rested his hands on her shoulders. He looked into her eyes. “If I’d had any idea what you’d gone through, I never would’ve written the story. And I certainly wouldn’t have changed the ending.” He inched closer as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I’m glad you’re still here.”
After a deep breath, the smile that answered his held steady. She lifted her hands to grasp his forearms, her fingers warmer than before. “Did you know the subconscious uses dark clouds to represent either danger or violence?”
He made the connection to his dream from a week ago and a heavy weight dropped into the pit of his stomach. With effort, he kept his voice light. “Are you afraid of me?”
“No.”
The absolute certainty in that one word eased his tension.
“At the coffee shop, it was your words that frightened me, not you. Since the moment I first saw you, I felt this…”
“Link.”
Those green eyes of hers lit with wonder. “Yes.”
He cupped her face, moving forward and drawing her closer at the same time. Less than an inch separated their bodies, the air between them vibrating with awareness. Foreheads nearly touching, her breath fanned his lips and heated his blood.
“Me, too. I fought it at first, but not anymore. I’ve become used to the visions that came with your face.”
His lips touched hers and their invisible connection seared a path all the way to his soul. Desire flared, fast and hot. He tunneled one hand through her hair and used the other to pull her body flush against his.
But moments later, she fought his hold, twisting her mouth free of his while pushing against his chest.
Not sure what had happened, he set her free and stared into her wide-eyed confusion.
“Visions that came with my face?” Her eyebrows rose in tandem with the pitch of her voice.
Okay, yeah, now he actually heard the words, too.
“I—”
A bang from the front door startled both of them.
“Ali?”
She spun around, and Ryan stepped back as the owner of the deep voice strode toward them. Her father. In person, Johnny Whitman was huge and instantly recognizable.
“Dad, what—”
“You weren’t answering your phone.”
“It’s probably still on silent from class earlier,” she replied. “Why, what’s wrong?”
“Your mother just called all upset because she heard you were in an accident today.” He’d reached her and grasped her shoulders to give her a visual inspection. His expression softened. “Are you okay? Why didn’t you call us? Where’s your Jeep?”
“Dad, I’m fine.” She stepped forward and rose on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek and hug him.
Over her shoulder, Ryan received the full force of the man’s sharpened gaze. The way his heart pounded, you’d think he was a teenager caught with his hands where they shouldn’t have been. After doing his best not to squirm under the scrutiny, he breathed a silent sigh of relief when Whitman returned his attention to his daughter.
“I didn’t call because I was fine, and I handled everything through the insurance company. My Jeep got towed and they’re dropping off a rental tomorrow morning before school. See? All taken care of.”
“What happened?”
“I got rear-ended in the parking lot, but I wasn’t even in the Jeep when it happened.”
Whitman ran his gaze over her one last time before jutting his chin toward Ryan. “And who’s this?”
“Oh, sorry.” She turned around. “Dad, this is Ryan James. Ryan, my Dad, Johnny Whitman.”
“Nice to meet you, Sir.” Ryan stepped forward to shake the man’s hand.
“Call me Johnny,” he advised after releasing his bruising grip.
“We have creative writing together,” Ali explained. “He was there when the accident happened. In fact, he’s the one—”
“Who gave Ali a ride home,” Ryan interrupted. When she frowned at him, he shifted toward the couch. Her father was just the excuse he needed to make his exit. “But I probably should get going. We both have a lot of work to get done tonight.”
Ali’s gaze narrowed. Yeah, he was running; he didn’t want to hang around and face that last remark. Why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut? Visions that came with your face. There was no way to explain those words and still sound sane.
While he grabbed his things, Ali asked her dad, “How’d mom even hear about the accident?”
“She had dinner with Liz tonight for their sorority fundraiser. Liz was surprised your mom didn’t know yet.”
Ryan lifted his gaze to Ali’s for one brief, heart-stopping moment before scooping up his bag and heading for the front door. He heard her tell her dad she’d be right back, then her footsteps dogged his.
“Thanks again for dinner,” he said over his shoulder before stepping outside to make his escape. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The door closed behind him at the same time a hand caught his arm. With one foot already off the porch, he pivoted to find her standing before him at eye level. The porch lamp at her back cast her face in shadows again. Whatever he expected, it wasn’t her palms skimming his chest, or her arms twining around his neck a split second before her mouth met his.
Instinct closed his arms around her. He held tight, returning the kiss they’d barely started inside. This time, the connection lasted long enough for him to explore, and when he slid his tongue along the seem of her lips, she opened to him with a low, “Mmm.”
The lingering flavors of coffee and Irish cream combined with the sweet scent of her in the most intoxicating way. Her slim body pressed against his, fueling the desire coursing through his veins. If her father wasn’t on the other side of that door—
But he was. Ryan gentled the kiss, needing to put some distance between them.
With one final nibble on his bottom lip, Ali drew back just enough to meet his gaze while her palm lay flat against his cheek. “Thank you again for saving me today.”
The whispered words on his lips made him curse the fact they weren’t alone. “Anytime.”
“Good to know.” Her smile brightened the night. “However, that does not get you off the hook.”
No need to ask what that meant. He closed his eyes in defeat. “I figured.”
She brushed his lips with hers once more and then pushed against his chest. When he released her, she said, “Tomorrow, then,” and slipped inside without a backwards glance.
Ryan welcomed the chilled fall air that cooled his face as he walked to his SUV. By the time he returned to campus, the lingering sensations of Ali had faded enough for him to focus on the words he typed into his laptop search engine in the privacy of his dorm room: ghost of still waters.
Within seconds, a multitude of links appeared with references to the legend. After sifting through numerous articles about four different people who’d drowned over the course of the past century and a half, he discovered so much more to the brief story Ali had told. He dug deeper to locate the original legend and found rumors of witchcraft, two people in love torn apart by an evil jealousy, sacrifices and persecution.
A name in one of the article summaries from twenty-two years ago nearly stopped his heart in his chest. His fingers shook as his hand hovered in indecision before finally clicking the link.
* * * * *
Chap
ter 8
The rental car agency showed up at seven-thirty the next morning, allowing Ali barely enough time to get to school, park and make it to class on time. So much for arriving early to speak with Ryan.
Last night, he’d emailed to tell her not to bother critiquing his story, he wouldn’t turn it in. She felt bad, but silently admitted relief she didn’t have to relive the terror all alone in her house. After her dad left, she’d even gone over to draw the curtains across the French doors, and then turned on the gas fireplace to ward off a lingering chill.
Thoughts of how or why he’d dreamed about her near-drowning experience as a child, why Liz had watched her almost get killed but didn’t check on her, and Ryan’s strange words about visions that came with her face were firmly suppressed. She didn’t have answers to those questions, and dwelling on them would’ve gotten her nowhere.
Instead, she replied to Ryan that she’d be up late and to send her whatever else he decided to submit the next morning. Between checking her inbox every couple minutes, re-editing her story, and avoiding thinking over the events of the evening, she didn’t get anything else done. However, his critique had taken her assignment to the next level. Excitement prompted her to email him her phone number to talk, but that request went unanswered with the first.
When she finally gave up waiting for his call, sleep eluded her as she wondered at his sudden silence after the passion in their second kiss. She’d kissed her share of guys since her dad let her date at sixteen, but none of them had ever tempted her to explore beyond second base. Then there was Ryan. Even after admitting their invisible connection, nothing had prepared her for the fiery inferno that ignited when her mouth met his. The pounding of his heart against hers told her she wasn’t alone.
Nervous anticipation sped up her pulse as she entered the classroom with a mere minute to spare. Disappointment quickly followed when she saw the deserted front row. Her step faltered, her gaze darting to the very back before sweeping forward.
No Ryan.
Repeating the process on the opposite side of the aisle, she searched in vain for his wavy brown hair and welcoming smile.
“Ali, please take a seat so we may begin.”
She jerked her gaze to Aunt Liz, who lounged back against her table at the front of the class, arms braced on either side and ankles crossed in front of her. She wore another business suit that Ali used to think of as fashionably professional. Today, she took note of the four inch high, silver platform stilettos, six inches too short gray skirt, and straining buttons of the pressed lavender blouse that revealed a hint of black lace along her cleavage. The only words that came to mind were sex and slut.
The intensity of her disgust was as strong as Liz’s blue stare boring into her with each step to the front. She slipped into her usual seat and kept her own gaze downcast for fear her new revelations would be written all over her face. Then again, judging by the chill blasting from the front, maybe they already were. Jealously and resentment made it hard to care—especially now that she knew the woman had tried to seduce Ryan.
Liz straightened and made her way around to the podium, her position of preference for lectures. “Please pass your assignments to the center aisle and Ali will collect them for me.”
Ali took out her own printed story and got back to her feet to collect the papers. All the while, and even after she’d deposited the stack of homework on the table and returned to her seat, she wondered at Ryan’s absence. Had he overslept? Was he avoiding her? Had he not been able to produce a new story in time?
Dread filled her as another possibility came to light. Had he expected her to insist he use his original story? Was he angry she hadn’t?
Liz continued with her lecture, and every so often Ali couldn’t help another peak over her shoulder at the door. No one came through at five after or ten after, and by the half hour, she forced herself to face the fact he wasn’t going to show. She sighed and added to the doodle on the page in front of her. Besides an email address, she had no idea how to reach him. Maybe she could—
“My dear Alison, am I not interesting enough for you?”
More annoyed than embarrassed at the public humiliation, Ali lifted her head, a defiant tilt to her chin. “Of course you are. I apologize, Professor.”
Liz studied her for a moment. After an uncharacteristically comforting smile, she turned her attention to the rest of the class. “It’s been a long week. To show my appreciation for all the hard work you put into your assignments, we’ll cut this short today, and I’ll pick up where we left off on Monday. Enjoy your weekend; class is dismissed.”
Ali gathered her things, listening to the confused murmurs behind her. They didn’t last long as the room emptied before the professor changed her mind. Gray and lavender moved into her peripheral vision and she realized she should’ve bolted for the exit when she had the chance. She braced for the inevitable unpleasantness while standing to keep from giving Liz the advantage like her mom usually did.
“Ali? Before you go, can we talk?”
The hesitation in her request threw Ali off balance. “Um, sure.”
“I owe you an apology. For earlier. And yesterday.”
Surprise brought her gaze up, but she quickly looked away again. “That’s not necessary.”
“Yes, it is,” Liz insisted. “You and I are friends, are we not? We should be considerate enough to show respect.”
Her soft tone sharpened the effect of her words and made Ali feel like a ten year old being chastised for bad manners.
“I agree.” She bit her tongue on additional words that would lay claim to all the blame.
“Good.” Liz moved closer and gave Ali’s arm a brief squeeze. “Now, I wanted to ask how you’re doing after the accident yesterday. You seemed awfully distracted in class, and I wonder if you shouldn’t go home and rest.”
Mention of the accident stiffened Ali’s shoulders. “I’m fine, really. I just expected Ryan to be here this morning.” She took a breath while gathering the courage for her next words. “By the way, how did you know what happened? Dad said you told mom about it last night.”
“A couple students in my afternoon class were there. They said it looked like the woman drove right toward you as if she were trying to hit you on purpose. Did you know her?”
“No.”
“Well, still, how scary.”
Liz’s comments triggered Ali’s memory of directly after the crash. She’d completely forgotten about the whispered comments witnesses had made. Ryan’s question from the night before also echoed in her mind.
“Do you think she had something to do with the accident?”
“I…it all happened so fast, I’m not sure what happened,” Ali murmured. After a moment of hesitation, she forced herself to meet Liz’s gaze. She had to see the reaction to her next question. “So, you weren’t outside on the steps yesterday morning right after class?”
Liz drew back with an offended frown. “Of course not, dear, I had papers to read from one of my other classes.” A smile graced her red lips as she reached out once more. She clasped Ali’s hand between both of hers. “Besides, don’t you think if I had seen you in such danger, I’d have made sure you were okay?”
Initial skepticism for Liz’s exaggerated reaction evaporated under the mesmerizing warmth in her eyes. The edges of Ali’s vision grew slightly fuzzy, and she smiled back at her aunt.
“Yes, you would’ve. Just like when you helped mom pull me from the pond.”
“Exactly. And don’t you forget that.”
“Sorry, Aunt Liz.” On impulse, she hugged the woman who’d been a part of her life from as far back as she could remember. When they parted, she blinked a few times, confused by a strange sensation that she’d somehow lost time.
“All is forgiven.” Liz caressed her face with the palm of one hand before lowering her arm and stepping back. “I’ll see you later, okay? I’ll be at your parent’s house to wrap up that fundraiser with your mom.”
“Oh, and Ali—your hero, Ryan, wasn’t here today because he dropped the course.”
Ali spun around. “He did? When?”
“I received the notice right before class.”
“But…why?”
Liz relaxed back against the front table, legs crossed at the ankles once more. A shake of her head sent her hair back over her shoulders and thrust out her chest. She lifted a hand to run her fingers along the neckline of her blouse as if she were suddenly very hot. Her knuckles brushed the swell of her breast, and a slow, sensual smile curved her glistening lips. “The only reason given was conflict of interest.”
Heat rushed through Ali’s entire body. Despite a lack of sexual experience, Liz’s meaning came across loud and clear.
“I see.”
But she didn’t. Not at all. Why would he kiss her and then go to Liz afterward?
The woman’s evocative attire and sexy curves mocked Ali’s silent question. Hadn’t she herself said that Liz usually got what she wanted? If she’d decided she wanted Ryan…
She managed to hold back the wounded tears until she’d put the door between them. Then the wall supported her as heartbreak took over.
* * * * *
Chapter 9
Ryan drove through the open gates to Ali’s parents’ estate and bypassed a royal blue Mercedes on his way to her residence in the back. It was a few minutes past six, and while she hadn’t responded to his texted request to talk, the dark car with the rental company license plates in front of her garage gave him hope that she was home.
After ringing the doorbell, he shoved his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders against the bitter wind whistling through the trees. The weatherman on the radio had forecasted snow in the mountains already and flurries in the Boulder area. The temperature was already about fifteen degrees below freezing. Growing up in Boston, he was used to long, cold winters, but never quite as early as the second week of September.