That Unforgettable Kiss

by Tamara Ferguson

  Melissa stared at Kate in consternation.

  And Kate grinned. “That’s absolutely wonderful, you two.” She turned her attention back to Amy. “Kelly’s really missed you, sweetie. I know how hard it is to lose your very best friend.”

  Melissa’s eyes met Kate’s. “I still think a lot about Christina, too,” she admitted softly.

  Kate nodded imperceptibly. “It’s really weird, Melissa, but, lately, I’ve been thinking about her more and more.” Kate shook away her sadness and smiled as she glanced over at Amy. “Okay, you two. What’s the scoop? Come on in and sit down.”

  After settling into her seat, Melissa was obviously embarrassed as she fidgeted with her purse and stared down at her hands. “Luke called me the other day. Something was wrong, I could sense it.” She sighed. “He told me how much he missed me. And then we actually talked – for the first time in a long time.” There were tears in Melissa’s eyes when she returned her gaze to Kate’s. “He told me how much he loved me.”

  “Oh, Melissa,” Kate said softly. “Luke’s never been the same since you left.”

  “Well, Kate, about that...” Clearing her throat, Melissa glanced over at Amy. “There’s more to the story. I did have a good reason for leaving Luke – it just wasn’t typical. Now, I’ve decided that my reason wasn’t worth breaking up our marriage over.”

  Sensing that Melissa didn’t want to reveal much more in the presence of her daughter, Kate spoke to Amy. “Would you like to go over to my house, sweetie, and go see Kelly?”

  Amy turned to her mom excitedly. “Can we, Mom? Please?”

  Melissa smiled at Kate. “Yeah, honey. There’s something I need to talk to Kate about, along with her father, too. You remember your Uncle Cal – don’t you sweetie?”

  “Of course, I do, Mom. He used to always take me and Kelly and Jeff out for ice cream!”

  Kate laughed. “Trust her to remember that,” she said, dryly. “I have some pretty good memories, too, of all of us going to get ice cream with Dad.”

  Melissa began fidgeting.

  “What?”

  “I didn’t tell Luke we were coming, Kate. I just packed up some clothes for Amy and I, and we hopped into the car.”

  “Hmm.” Kate nodded thoughtfully. “I forgot that Luke’s living in that tiny little trailer near Stone Lake, now. Don’t worry – the two of you can just come and stay with my family. There’s plenty of room.”

  “Well. That’s not exactly the problem. I don’t really mind the trailer, for now, you know. We can always find another house to rent.” Melissa continued to fidget and blushed. “I really wanted to surprise Luke, though. If you guys wouldn’t mind, maybe Amy could stay overnight with you? I’d really appreciate it.”

  Kate laughed. “Ah, ha! You need a little make up time, I gather? I’m sure that Kelly would be thrilled if Amy came to stay with us for a couple of days.”

  * * *

  Arriving at the Callahan house, Amy instantly ran upstairs to see Kelly. Melissa and Kate settled in at the kitchen island for what proved to be an interesting conversation with Kate’s father.

  “Luke’s dyslexic? Oh, Melissa. No one’s ever had a clue.” Kate searched her mind, considering the many times she’d observed Luke struggling with his paperwork. “I can’t believe I never noticed! It explains so much!”

  “He’s very good at hiding it, Kate.”

  “Yeah.” Cal’s nod was thoughtful. “I knew there was something. I had lots of trouble understanding his paperwork back when I promoted him to supervisor.”

  Obviously embarrassed, Melissa turned away. “That’s probably about the time when Luke began having me do all the paperwork for him, Cal. You were asking a lot of questions about his reports. I finally figured out your accounting and inventory worksheets. Luke would recite the details and I would put together the paperwork. Luckily, when Luke was back in grade school, one of his teachers was really patient with him. He began learning some basic techniques to handle the problem. But when his family moved to Milwaukee, he wasn’t so lucky, when help wasn’t available. I’m sure you’re already aware that he dropped out of high school.”

  Cal nodded thoughtfully. “That probably explains what’s been happening with the quality of Luke’s work – over these last few years – since you and he split up, Melissa. But he’s always been a great supervisor. I’ve continuously been impressed with his knowledge at the worksite. And he’s never once complained, when I’ve suggested trying out new techniques. Some of my other men are really wary when it comes to experimenting with some of the new energy-efficient materials that’ve become available – but not Luke.”

  “Well, Luke can read – when he really concentrates. But it’s so time-consuming for him.” Melissa hung her head. “It was just getting to be so overwhelming for me. They cut my hours at the high school because I was so tired, I wasn’t keeping up. I was only making minimum wage as a secretary, anyway. But then I’d have to come home and do Luke’s paperwork, as well as cook and clean. Luke would go out with the guys, while I barely had enough time for our daughter. We’d planned on buying a house, but...”

  Cal sighed. “You couldn’t afford it, once your hours were cut?”

  Melissa nodded.

  Kate’s gaze turned to her father with a silent question and Cal nodded.

  “I think Dad and I agree that there’s a perfect solution to this situation, Melissa. How would you like to be Luke’s onsite assistant – a full-time assistant? Luke could spend more time where he’s needed then.”

  Melissa’s jaw dropped. When she recovered her composure, she cleared her throat before answering, obviously choked up with emotion, “Really? I’d love that.”

  Cal gazed at Melissa sternly. “But only on one condition, young lady.”

  Melissa grimaced, but nodded her agreement.

  “If you and Luke have any more problems, you’ll come and talk to me first, before you let things get out of hand.”

  Tears of gratitude welled up in Melissa’s eyes.

  “And there’s one other requirement, too,” Kate added, making a swift decision.

  Melissa and her father both turned to stare at Kate.

  “Luke will get help with his dyslexia, too – whether he likes it or not.”

  Melissa sighed. “That’s how our problems began in the first place, Kate. Luke was just too proud to ask for help.” She raised her chin determinedly, “And he will get help, now. I’ll make sure of it!”

  * * *

  Out of sight, out of mind – or, so, Kate had thought. “Umm.” How to phrase the question Kate had been dying to ask nearly the entire two weeks since she and Murphy had kissed? “Has Murphy discovered anything new at the worksite, Dad?”

  “Nothing, Kate. Murphy’s even been able to get away with hanging around those particular cabins, somehow.” Cal’s gaze was piercing as he stared at his daughter. “I won’t even ask how he managed to do that without Luke catching on. But we’ve pretty much determined that the lumber is being taken by boat during the night. It’s continued to go missing over the past week.”

  Kate nodded and sighed heavily. “Maybe we need another plan?”

  “Yeah. Jake and I are considering just bringing in the law to set up a trap.” Throwing down his pencil, he stared at the lists of inventory stacked up before him on his desk. Sighing, he scratched his forehead. “Is this everything, Kate?”

  “Yeah, Dad.” She sighed, stretching out in the chair in her father’s office. “The stuff I discovered gone, the other day, was the first of the inventory missing from the campgrounds before now. It threw me, too. As far as Luke’s concerned though, the inventory numbers in his records match up with ours. Melissa was definitely telling us the truth. If Luke was actually stealing those materials, he would’ve been trying to cover it up.”

  “Yeah – my thoughts, exactly.” Cal sighed. “Although I did notice the extra entries for the plywood and lumber—exactly the amount needed for the subflooring in those cab
ins to replace the lumber that’s been ripped out.”

  “Yeah – me, too. Like I tried to say before, Dad, you don’t suppose that Luke just doesn’t understand that this lumber is valuable? Maybe he’s going along with someone else’s suggestions?”

  Cal bolted upright in his chair. “You know what? I’ve been so anxious to put the blame on Luke, I wasn’t really listening to what you had to say. I wasn’t considering any alternatives. And since Luke’s dyslexic, a member of his crew is, most likely, doing some of his paperwork for him – just like Melissa was. Luke’s got what – about three assistants out there?”

  Kate nodded. “And one of them is Gus – we can positively eliminate him from suspicion. Which leaves us with the other two supervisors – Gary Treadwell and...” She stared at her father in dismay.

  Cal nodded grimly. “Brian Lancaster, Kate. I hate to admit this, sweetheart, but I have a sneaking suspicion that he’s our man.”

  CHAPTER

  EIGHTEEN

  Staring up at the sky, Murphy thought to himself, man, what a summer. Tomorrow would be his last full day in Crystal Rock since he’d be returning home to Chicago on Sunday. Murphy smiled wryly. Despite his continual guise of clumsiness, Cal had given him an excellent evaluation for his internship.

  Ah, Kate. It’d been almost two weeks since their unforgettable kiss. And as hard as he’d tried, he hadn’t been able to go a single day without thinking about it.

  Kate had dropped him off at the campgrounds after they’d left Dragonfly Pointe, and had returned to pick him up after work. Once they were up in the attic, she’d quietly sifted through her collection of mosaic tables and artwork, choosing pieces to send along with him back to Chicago. Coffee tables, end tables, and even one very unusual sofa table – she’d gathered quite an assortment of unique pieces for him to choose from. He’d loaded up his truck with whatever he could fit into it over the last few weeks.

  The mantelpiece Kate had designed was stunning – a mosaic floral motif had been inset within its antique walnut frame. Murphy suspected that his mom would snatch up this piece for herself. Coincidentally, she’d been searching for something unique, just like this, to replace their traditional mantle in the family room.

  Ah, Kate. He sighed again. How in the hell was he ever gonna get over her? He thought about her all the time.

  He shook his head at himself. Pretty crazy – considering they’d never even had sex.

  Attempting to turn his thoughts elsewhere again, he studied the deserted campgrounds. Murphy was the last remaining member of the crew left on site. Since it was Friday night, everyone had been anxious to get off from work and head to the bars for happy hour in town. Because he was nearly finished with completing the paint job on the new drywall in the living room of one of the cabins, after checking out at the time clock, Murphy had decided just to stay and finish it up.

  Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps inside the trailer. Strange – considering Luke had driven off fifteen minutes earlier.

  Concealed behind the trailer with the spigot of the hose, Murphy laid down the paint brush and roller he’d just finished cleaning. He crept quietly around the trailer and peeked up towards the entrance.

  The door slammed open. Brian Lancaster came scrambling down the staircase with the keys for the cabins dangling from his hands.

  Even though he was a supervisor, what would he be doing here now? Could this be the break they’d been waiting for? Kate would sure be disappointed. Despite Brian’s irritating faults, Murphy even thought he was a likable guy.

  He snorted. Well...most of the time, anyway.

  Murphy silently followed behind him along the path.

  Sure enough, Brian unlocked one of the cabins.

  Murphy sighed. It was one of the cabins where the floorboards had been missing.

  But, strangely, that was all Brian did – unlock the cabin and turn away from the door.

  When Brian stepped back onto the path, Murphy scrambled further into the woods. Not that it seemed to be a problem – Brian appeared to be completely unaware of his surroundings. Murphy continued to follow him as he strode quickly along the path and returned to the trailer.

  It was puzzling. If Brian was the thief, and had access to the office, why hadn’t he just had copies of the keys made?

  Murphy suddenly realized why. Brian probably couldn’t think of a good enough excuse to hold on to the keys for an extended period of time. And any local locksmith would more than likely ask questions if Brian attempted to have keys made in town.

  Brian whipped in and out through the door of the trailer in a heartbeat. Within seconds, he was climbing up the path that led to the parking lot.

  Murphy frowned. Why hadn’t Brian noticed his truck?

  That’s right – he’d parked out of sight near the dumpster. A bunch of building materials were being unloaded when Murphy had returned to the worksite after lunch.

  Brian must be unlocking one single cabin at a time. Was he returning during the night to the campgrounds and removing the lumber, then? Should he even bother to tell Cal? Since Brian was a supervisor, he might have a perfectly good excuse for unlocking that particular cabin.

  Yeah, right. Something was up – Murphy could feel it in his bones. He’d go eat supper and come back later. Maybe he’d be able catch Brian in the act.

  * * *

  Four hours later, Murphy was creeping through the darkened campgrounds with a flashlight in hand. Earlier, while it was still light, he’d investigated a quarter mile of the shoreline beside the campgrounds before heading off to eat. A vessel wouldn’t necessarily need to dock at the pier to be loaded up with materials. There were plenty of paths leading down through the woods from the campgrounds along the shoreline.

  After sighting some heavily trampled brush, Murphy had discovered one such path near the lake. A boat could easily be moved from shore to deep water, even after being loaded with heavy materials. This might explain why Brian was yanking out only small amounts of materials at a time, though – he didn’t want to overload his boat.

  Without turning on the flashlight, Murphy twisted the knob of the door on the cabin Brian had unlocked earlier. Silently, he stepped inside.

  “Stop!” A voice shot out through the dark. “Hold it right there, Brian.”

  “Kate?” What, in the hell, was she doing here? Murphy whispered, “It’s not Brian, Kate.”

  “Murphy? What in the hell are you doing here?”

  He cleared his throat. “Well...I…”

  “Oh – just please shut your mouth and get over here. Brian could still show up at any time. I’d hate for him to hear us.”

  Murphy slipped cautiously through the darkened room, guided by a thin beam of light, which lit a path across the floor.

  “Penlight, huh?” he whispered, sliding down onto the floor beside her. “Good idea.

  She quickly flipped off the light. “Occasionally, I do have a few,” she whispered dryly.

  Murphy snorted quietly. Sitting beside her in the dark, he got a whiff of her lovely citrusy scent – a scent that he’d forever associate with her. Of course, as usual, he’d become instantly aroused at the sound of her voice. He’d been having that same, stupid, reaction since the very first time he’d met her.

  That helpless feeling came over him again, and Murphy slid in a little closer beside Kate.

  He heard her draw in a shaky breath. Ah. She wasn’t quite as indifferent as she’d appeared to be over these last few weeks. Her apparent nonchalance since their conversation at Dragonfly Pointe had hurt.

  He wrapped an arm over her shoulders.

  “Murphy.” Her voice was unsteady, but she didn’t attempt to pull away from him. “We can’t.”

  “Kate. All I’ve been doing is thinking about you since we kissed.” He groaned quietly. “Even now. Do you have any idea, at all, what you do to me? It’s been that way from the moment we met. C’mon. Admit it – there’s something special between us.”

&nb
sp; “Oh, Michael,” she groaned. “We can’t. You’ll be leaving in a few days. How would we ever be able to work this out?”

  “I’m willing to take the risk. Let me come over to your cabin tomorrow night? We can talk everything out before I leave town. I just can’t let you go – not like this. I’ve never felt this way about any other woman before, Kate.”

  Groaning, she finally surrendered, laying her head on his shoulder. “Alright,” she whispered. And then she sighed. “We’d probably better be quiet for now.”

  Murphy sighed with relief. “Alright.”

  But suddenly he was much more cheerful. Unable to resist, Murphy slid his fingers through the silky softness of her hair. His fingers gently slipped over to her chin, before running lightly over her lips.

  And Kate began to shiver.

  His arm tightened over her shoulder. Murphy came even closer still, nuzzling his lips to her brow, feathering soft kisses over her deliciously soft cheek as his mouth made its way over to hers.

  When he heard the sound of a footstep on the staircase, right outside of the door, Murphy snapped into full alert. “Kate,” he whispered. “I really didn’t think this through. What if he has a weapon?”

  Murphy felt the weight of a baseball bat as Kate slipped it into his hands. “I brought along an industrial flashlight,” she whispered softly. You can move in closer to the door. I’ll blind him with the light as soon as he walks in. Just make sure that you’re ready in case there’s trouble.”

  It seemed he didn’t have a choice in the matter – there wasn’t any time to do anything but follow Kate’s orders. Murphy rose and moved stealthily across the floor using the beam from Kate’s penlight as guidance. With the baseball bat raised over his head, he stood aside from the door, so he’d remain concealed when it was opened

  They didn’t have long to wait. The door opened quietly as someone stepped inside, and the beam from Kate’s industrial flashlight hit the intruder.