A Season Of Miracles

by Christine Michels

  Chapter 7

  Devon stared out the window at the blackness of the night surrounding them, isolating them. What the hell she was doing? Geoff might be a stranger to her in many ways, but she couldn’t deny that some kind of chemistry was at work between them. And that chemistry was at least as powerful as the one that had gripped them when she’d first met Geoff so many years ago, perhaps even more so. Considering that, she was a fool to go to his place where, without the buffer of being surrounded by a couple of hundred townspeople, anything might happen. It was unfair to David, to herself, and to Geoff

  She had made a commitment to another man. Although technically she was still married to Geoff that didn’t make him any less a stranger. He did so many things differently.

  Would he make love differently?

  Her breath froze in her throat as the errant thought rampaged through her mind wreaking havoc even as it aroused interest and provoked forbidden but oh-so-tempting images.

  “Are you all right?” Geoff’s much-too-sexy voice reached across the space that separated them to tantalize her.

  She nodded, but it took her a second longer to find her voice. “Yes, of course Why do you ask?”

  “I thought I heard you gasp or something.”

  Had she made a sound? “I yawned,” she hed.

  Her answer seemed to satisfy him and she retreated into her thoughts once more. She shouldn’t have agreed to stop at his place to talk. She didn’t trust him.

  Heavens! She didn’t trust herself.

  In the grip of the magnetism and fascination that raged between them, what would she do if he kissed her again? Probably keel over helplessly in the grip of her own lust, she thought in self-disgust. If only the sexual side of things between herself and David had been better, perhaps she wouldn’t have felt so...needy.

  She grimaced. Now, she was trying to blame her own weakness on David.

  “Here we are,” Geoff said as he turned into the drive

  Uh-oh! “Geoff ..maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”

  “What? Talking?”

  His question made her feel foolish and she sought desperately for another reason why this was not a reasonable time for a discussion “We have to get up early and be on the road,” she protested weakly.

  He nodded “In separate vehicles That’s precisely why we need to talk now.”

  Devon sighed. Well, she would simply have to be strong—for all their sakes. That was all there was to it.

  Minutes later, after hanging their coats in the closet, Geoff led her into the living room. “Have a seat,” he said, indicating the cognac-colored leather sofa. “I’ll just start the fire to take the chill out of the air and then go get us a couple of drinks.”

  The last thing Devon wanted to do was watch him start the fire. As he squatted down and began transferring wood from the bin to the fireplace, she couldn’t help noticing how his trousers hugged his firm butt and muscular thighs. He reached forward, and his silk shirt grew taut across his broad back, defining the rippling power inherent in his torso. Her heart staggered and then righted itself, and she forced her gaze upward But even that didn’t help. Geoff’s face in profile was about the sexiest thing she’d seen in a long time. She loved the bluish shadow of the whiskers that lurked beneath his clean-shaven jaw. She admired the bold blade of his nose, the arch of his cheekbone And she itched to caress that perpetually arched eyebrow.

  “Maybe I should make the coffee while you finish the fire,” she suggested a little desperately.

  He turned his head to look at her, and for an instant he said nothing as his intense green eyes held her captive. Then he favored her with that all-too-fleeting grin that did strange things to her insides, and said, “Actually I’ve been thinking I’d rather have wine. What do you think?”

  Wine to fortify her sagging spine and bolster her dissipating resistance. That would be a good thing She nodded. “Wine is fine. Do you want me to get it?”

  He shook his head. “You wouldn’t be able to find it I’ll get it in a second.”

  And so Devon had little choice but to stay where she was, but she kept her gaze fastened on the fire Geoff was starting, rather than on the man

  Half an hour later, most of Geoff’s questions had been discussed and answers arrived at. He would stay with her parents until he could find an apartment to rent that was close to her place She would reintroduce him to the staff at Future-Tech on the Tuesday following the Christmas weekend. They’d decided to tell the staff the truth about Geoff’s condition, for there was nothing to be gained by dissembling. And, finally, they’d decided that Geoff should be involved in the children’s lives on a daily basis if he so chose, it would be a relief for Devon to share with another person the responsibility for some of the dashing around to club meetings and music lessons.

  When Geoff excused himself to go to the washroom, Devon sipped her wine, stared at the fire and contemplated how warm and pleasant it was just sitting there. But she really should finish her wine and get going. It was past one-thirty in the morning and they had a long drive to face in just a few hours

  A moment later, Geoff returned “You didn’t say anything tonight about my dancing,” he said “I can’t help wondering if I dance the same, or not.”

  Devon nodded. “You were always good at dancing. I didn’t notice a change” Except in the way you hold a woman, she added silently. But that was one observation she would not make aloud.

  He nodded and seemed relieved. “Did we ever dance to anything besides country music?”

  She smiled, remembering. “Yes, actually. About six or seven years ago you dragged me off to some classes in ballroom dance. You wanted to learn the tango and salsa and I-forget-what-else.” She shrugged “Must have been the fault of your Latin ancestry.”

  “And did I learn?”

  “Oh, yeah,” she said wryly. “You excelled, although I can’t say the same thing for myself I’m not very accomplished in the natural-rhythm department.”

  “You know,” he said as he rose and moved across the room to the stereo, “I think I have some ballroom music. I didn’t really know why I bought it at the time.” He extracted a CD from a small stack inside a cabinet. “Here it is ” Within seconds, he’d turned on the stereo, put the disc in and programmed it to play the third song Then, carrying the remote, he strode back across the room to Devon and extended his hand. “This one’s a tango. Let’s give it a try.”

  “Oh, no. It’s been too long,” she argued, shaking her head for emphasis as she resisted the compelling urge to take his hand. “I hardly remember how.”

  “Who cares? There’s nobody here but us.”

  Devon swallowed. That was definitely a big part of the problem.

  “Besides,” he continued, “I need to find out if I remember.” When she still didn’t take his hand, he leaned forward to grasp her by the arm and tug her to her feet

  “Geoff, I—”

  But he placed a finger over her lips to circumvent her argument Then, looking deep into her eyes with his intense unreadable gaze, while her lips still tingled from the touch of his finger, he said, “Please?” in a husky tone that she was powerless to resist.

  Wordlessly, she allowed him to lead her to the area behind the sofa which provided them with more space. It was about seven feet wide and the entire length of the living room Still it did not have the proportions of a ballroom. “There’s not enough room to tango,” Devon tried one last protest

  “We’ll abbreviate,” he responded, undeterred With a flick of his wrist, he hit a button on the remote and then tossed it onto the sofa. The lively melody of a tango charged the air, the music itself seeming to swirl and dance around them Geoff held her gaze with his, imprisoning her within his embrace as he began to move; his rhythm, as always, perfect, his movements fast, smooth and incredibly sexy. The minute stretched, absorbing the next until each minute ran one into the other and the passage of time had no meaning. She was scarcely aware of her own feet movi
ng as she followed him in the steps of the dance, although her movements were undoubtedly far from perfect

  And then they were dancing cheek to cheek, their arms outstretched before them as they danced to the far end of the living room, but even without eye contact Devon felt his power, his charisma, like a palpable thing. He twirled her and, once again, his gaze locked onto hers, powerful, magnetic, and ..searingly hot. Oh, God! He wanted her. She read that message in the fiery depths of his gaze as clearly as she heard the erotic, pulsing beat of the music enveloping them Her side tingled as they danced body to body for the span of a turn and Geoff’s body heat penetrated his shirt to beguile her. The aphrodisiac scent of his cologne reached out to tantalize her, and his provocative green eyes conveyed silent promises she dared not allow herself to believe

  He dipped then, catching her by surprise, and she clung to him, staring up at him wide-eyed as the music swelled around them to reach one final crescendo before falling silent. The only sounds in the room were those of their own labored breathing, and the snapping and crackling of the blaze in the fireplace Keeping her suspended, supported entirely by his strength, Geoff slowly, wordlessly lowered his head to capture her lips with his, to plunge his tongue into her mouth, to rob her of what was left of her sanity.

  He tasted of wine. Bold, intoxicating and sensual.

  Her body felt heavy and ripe, pulsing with life. Desire—no, it was stronger than desire—need, throbbed between them Hers? His? It was impossible to tell, for it had taken on a life of its own. His kiss grew harder, more feverish, searing her with its fiery potency. Excitement coiled within her, impossible to deny. Madness

  Without quite knowing how it happened, she found herself cradled in his arms Within two long strides, he placed her on the sheepskin rug that lay before the fireplace A romantic setting, but the sensations raging through her, crackling in the air between them like the static energy of a storm, were anything but romantic

  As he lowered himself to he at her side, his hand swept down her body, molding her breasts, exploring her body through the constriction of her clothing Then, leaning forward to kiss her senseless again, he swept his hand down her body until his warm palm lay on her lower abdomen. So close to that secret part of her that still remembered him so very well, and yet...so very far away. Devon arched helplessly, instinctively, in invitation, seeking more. Oh, yes! Why had she never felt this mindless excitement with David?

  Oh, no! No, this was wrong!

  She tore her mouth from his. “Geoff—” As her heart raced frantically in her chest, she tried desperately to put the brakes on. “We..can’t,” she murmured. “I have to go, Geoff.” Her voice sounded small and uncertain even to her own ears. “Now!” she added more firmly

  He leaned away to look down at her. “You’re feeling guilty, aren’t you? I’m beginning to believe that what we have here is something...special. Something that may be the best thing that could ever happen for both of us. And you can’t see that because you’re feeling guilty about spending time with your own husband.”

  “Technically you are still my husband, Geoff,” Devon said as she sat up and hastily adjusted the thin straps of her gown. “I can’t argue with that. But that doesn’t give me the right to be unfaithful to David.” Avoiding his gaze, she smoothed down her skirt and rose.

  Geoff was silent for a moment. Then he asked, “Can you honestly tell me that you’ll be able to sleep with David again, after what we shared here, and not think of me..of us?”

  Devon closed her eyes and swallowed. He was right. What they had was special in a way she couldn’t define. She felt more connected to him than ever before. If she were to sleep with David again now, she would feel guilty on Geoff’s behalf. “No,” she finally responded in a tone scarcely above a whisper.

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know.” Her tone was almost a wail of despair. Realizing that, she got a grip on her emotions and repeated more calmly, “I don’t know, Geoff. Right now, I have to go I have to be alone to—”

  The sound of a vehicle tearing noisily into the yard interrupted her Geoff frowned, his expression making it clear that he did not look kindly upon the intrusion. “Who the devil could that be?” He began to walk toward to window to check, but before he’d made it half the distance something struck the door with a loud thump. “What the hell!”

  Geoff yanked the door open in time to see a pair of red taillights, glowing like two evil red eyes, turn out of the drive onto the main road and disappear.

  “What is it?” Devon asked

  “Hmm?” he asked absently, still concerned with trying to figure out who had been in the pickup he’d seen pulling out of his driveway.

  “What hit the door?”

  Geoff looked down. Two feet away from the threshold lay a grapefruit-sized rock with something white secured to it. Frowning, Geoff cast one more glance in the direction the vehicle had gone, and then bent to retrieve it. “It’s a rock,” he said in belated reply to Devon’s question. Devon came up behind him as he examined it Two elastic bands secured a folded piece of paper to the stone. He glanced at Devon, noting the curiosity and apprehension in her eyes that mirrored his own gut reaction. Whatever this was, it wouldn’t be good.

  “What does it say?” she asked in a tone barely above a whisper.

  Geoff removed the elastic bands and unfolded the scrap of white paper, holding it up to the light to read the typewritten words. Devon read over his shoulder.

  You were lucky the other night. You’ve got another chance. Learn from it. STAY DEAD! Or the next time you disappear, you won’t be coming back.

  “Oh, my God!” Horror dawned in Devon’s eyes as she lifted her gaze to his. “This means.. My God!” Turning away, she walked to the sofa and then sat down with a plop, as though her legs could no longer support her.

  Geoff closed the door. It meant that Sergeant Kane was right. The explosion at the Noralco site had been meant for Geoff. But why? It didn’t make sense. He had no enemies. At least. .none that he remembered.

  “We should call the police.”

  He looked at Devon and shook his head. “Kane already thinks the Noralco explosion was meant for me. If he knows about this, there’s no way he’ll want me to leave town tomorrow.”

  Devon frowned. “He can’t hold you. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “I don’t care. I don’t trust cops. We’ll keep this between you and I until we have something more. Some proof. All right?”

  Fear shone from her eyes like a beacon as she stared at him. “All right, but...why would someone murder Spencer and Holly, Geoff? Why...” Her gaze dropped to stare blankly at the window. “Why would they try to kill us?”

  “Us?” he echoed. What was she talking about?

  She nodded. “I was supposed to be on that plane, too. Remember?”

  No, he didn’t remember because he couldn’t remember a goddamn thing! But...was she right? He’d assumed that the person who’d written the note had simply known of his disappearance. But what if...? He looked back at the note Or, the next time you disappear, you won’t be coming back. Whoever had written that line had definitely known him before he’d become Jack Keller.

  Had a killer emerged from the fog of his past to try again? How could he fight someone he couldn’t remember? Feeling suddenly overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem facing him, he swore softly beneath his breath.

  Devon must have heard the despondency in the word, for she rose and came forward to place her small white hand on his arm reassuringly “Don’t worry, Geoff. We’ll beat him, whoever he is. We’ll do it together.”

  He looked down at the woman standing at his side. The wife he didn’t remember who would stand at his side in times of trouble. The wife for whom, he was very much afraid, he was coming to care far too much. The wife who wouldn’t make love with him because of her commitment to another man. “Yeah? How? I can’t even remember who this person is, let alone why he wants me dead How d
o I fight that?”

  She frowned. “Well, the first thing we have to do, when we get back to Kelowna, is find out what it is you knew that threatened this person. We’ll go through all your papers and things. I’m sure we’ll find something that will give us a hint as to who he is.”

  “I didn’t even tell you what was going on Do you honestly think I would have written anything down?”

  She met his gaze resolutely. “Yes,” she said. “I do” Her hand was warm on his arm, even through the fabric of his shirtsleeve. “You recorded everything. Sometimes in a shorthand that you yourself had trouble deciphering later, but you definitely would have written something.”

  He considered her for a moment, then said, “I’ll drive you back to Mrs. Wright’s” Stepping away from her disturbing touch, he moved toward the closet.

  Confusion flared in her expression. “Did I say something wrong, Geoff?”

  He retrieved their coats without answering because he didn’t know how to respond. He was angry and frustrated, and Devon was part of that. Her reassurance of resolving this problem together was meaningless to him if she couldn’t allow them to be together in the other aspects of their lives as well. But...he didn’t want her in danger either And right now he wanted to get her to safety while he did a little early morning investigating and thinking. He needed to think things through.

  “Geoff?”

  He looked at her. “You didn’t say anything wrong, Devon. It’s late, that’s all. Almost 2:00 a.m and we have a long drive tomorrow.”

  She studied him, aware that he was avoiding discussion. “I don’t want to leave you alone, Geoff. Not now. Not with some maniac out there waiting for you.”

  He was silent a moment and then said, “I’ll be fine. Come on. I’ll drive you back.”

  Staring at him with huge wounded and worried eyes, she accepted her coat from him in silence. It seemed that all he had done since leaving the dance had led to hurting her in some way. He gritted his teeth in frustration. Damn!

  The noiseless darkness of the early morning still blanketed the region when they stepped outside a second later to make their way across the yard to the Bronco. Their breath hung in the chilled air. Wordlessly, Geoff opened the door for her and handed her in before walking around to climb in and start the vehicle.