A Kiss in the Dark

by Karen Foley

  “What? What is it?” She pushed the hair back from her face, and looked up at Sheriff Hathaway. It was still dark, but Lacey could see the barest shimmer of red-gold on the distant horizon, heralding the arrival of morning.

  “How long did I sleep? Why didn’t you wake me? What if Cole needs me?”

  “Hush, gal. Harlan and the others just came out of the mine on the elevator.”

  “What? Harlan? Oh, thank goodness.” Lacey ran her hands over her face. “Is he okay?”

  “He and the others are a little banged up, but otherwise they’re fine. They managed to dodge the cave-in, but Harlan lost his hard-hat. That’s what the transmitter was attached to, so that’s what we’ve been tracking on the GPS unit.”

  “Where are they now? Can I speak to Harlan? Maybe he knows something.”

  “They’ve been taken to the hospital for a checkup.” He indicated the machinery behind them. An enormous crane was positioned directly over the hole that had been drilled overnight. “But I didn’t think you’d want to miss this. They’re getting ready to lower the cage to bring the boys up.”

  Lacey leaped to her feet, but was prevented from sprinting forward by Sheriff Hathaway’s strong arm.

  “Best stay back here. We’ll know soon enough how your young man is.”

  Lacey searched the crowd that surrounded the area. Sam stood with several of the rescue crew, but as if sensing her scrutiny, he turned and met her gaze. He gave her a subtle thumbs-up. She spotted Cole’s family standing together, their attention riveted on the hole. Throngs of rescue workers swarmed across the site. Pulsating beams of red, yellow and blue strobe lights from the nearby emergency vehicles flashed across the faces of the crowd, lending an eeriness to the already tense atmosphere. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted Buck Rogan on the edge of the crowd. He was flanked by two sheriff’s deputies.

  Then, as she watched in utter fascination, the cage slowly rose out of the hole. A small figure was strapped securely inside, and before the cage had completely cleared the hole, eager hands reached for it and pulled it to safety. The crowd erupted into jubilant cheers. Lacey watched, her heart in her throat, as the first of the injured boys was rushed to a waiting ambulance. His mother clung to his stretcher, her face streaming with grateful tears.

  It was another twenty minutes before the next boy was lifted out of the hole, and then the next. Lacey’s heart beat hard against her ribs as the fourth trip brought up a man. He was so covered in dust she couldn’t determine his identity. She surged forward with the rest of the crowd, and this time the sheriff didn’t try to stop her.

  It was Carr, barely conscious. Lacey had no opportunity to get near him before he was transferred to a stretcher, and then to a waiting ambulance.

  The cage was lowered once more into the shaft.

  The two paramedics came out next, then Skeeter. Lacey’s throat constricted with happiness as he stepped nimbly out of the cage and waved to the cheering crowd.

  The cage descended for the last time. It seemed an eternity passed before the hydraulic winch began raising the cage to the earth’s surface. Lacey clutched Sheriff Hathaway’s arm in a near death-grip. She could hardly breathe. Her chest felt tight with dread and anticipation. The cage slowly rose into view, and Lacey would have recognized the lean, hard body inside anywhere.

  She released the sheriff’s arm and moved forward through the crowd, pushing past the throngs of rescue workers and reporters, nearly blinded by the glaring lights that had been set up around the perimeter. The cage opened, and Cole stepped out. He was immediately surrounded by emergency personnel and well-wishers, and for a moment, Lacey lost sight of him.

  In the next instant, he pushed free of the surrounding crowd. Lacey saw him search the crowd of people. His face was completely black with coal dust, making the brilliance of his eyes all the more startling. His clothes were torn and filthy. But when he finally found her, he grinned, his teeth white against the blackness of his face.

  She saw his lips form her name, and then she was running toward him as the crowd parted. He opened his arms, and she flung herself at him, hardly aware of the cheers of approval that roared around them. She was in Cole’s arms, crushed against his hard body as he held her fiercely. She could hear him laughing.

  “I love you,” she said raggedly, choking on tears of happiness. “I couldn’t stand that I didn’t tell you, and now you have to know. I love you so much.”

  “I know, baby, I know.” His hands buried themselves in her hair as he tipped her face back, and then his lips claimed hers in a kiss that was both fiercely possessive and heart-wrenchingly tender.

  “Oh, Cole,” she gasped, when he finally lifted his head. “I’ve been so scared…not knowing if you were okay. Don’t ever do that to me again!”

  “Sweetheart,” he murmured against her lips, “that was nothing compared to the scare I had not knowing if I’d ever see you again.”

  She stroked a hand along one lean, dusty cheek. “I want to stay here with you. Is your offer still open?”

  “Well, I’m going to look like one hell of an idiot if I don’t, seeing as how the entire town seems to know that I’m crazy about you.” His eyes crinkled in tender amusement. Copper had squirmed his way through the crowd and now he pushed at Cole’s legs, demanding his attention. Bending down, Cole gave the dog a hug, and laughed as Copper lapped his face.

  Lacey couldn’t help it. She began to cry. She thought she’d lost everything, and now it seemed she was being given a second chance. She didn’t deserve to be so happy.

  “Hey now, don’t do that,” Cole admonished, and pulled her into his arms.

  Lacey laughed through her tears, and pressed the palm of his hand against her cheek. “They’re happy tears. I’m happy.”

  Cole hooked an arm around her shoulders and tucked her against his side. “In a few minutes,” he murmured against her temple, as he began to make his way through the crowd to his siblings, “we’re going home, and you’re going to come into the shower and help me wash this coal dust off, and then I’m going to make you happier still.” He slanted a mischievous glance down at her. “Deal?”

  Lacey smiled, her heart accelerating at the implicit promise in his voice. “Deal.” On the outer perimeter of the crowd, she saw Buck Rogan being led to one of the police cruisers. “What’s going to happen to him?”

  “There’ll be an investigation, and he’ll be cited for illegal mining practices and a whole slew of safety violations. They’ll close all the Black River mines temporarily until they’re up to standards, and then they’ll reopen again.”

  “Will Buck still be the operator?”

  “Well, not if I have anything to say about it, but I guess that’s up to the Feds. Quite frankly, I just don’t care what happens to him.”

  “Me, either. I have you, and that’s all I care about.”

  She kissed him, uncaring of the cameras and lights and onlookers.

  She was home.

  Epilogue

  One Year Later

  COLE PAUSED ON the threshold of the back porch and drank in the scene that greeted him. He wondered if he would ever get used to the fact she was his.

  Lacey sat on the swinging bench wearing a nightgown that made her look incredibly sexy. Copper lay contentedly at her feet. She lounged against the cushions and stared up at the stars. As he stepped onto the porch, he kept the package he had for her hidden behind his back.

  Lacey looked at him as he walked toward her, and her eyes glowed with pleasure. “There you are.” Her eyes narrowed, and she smiled. “What are you hiding?”

  Cole grinned and sat down next to her, drawing the package out to lay it gently across her thighs. “I have something for you. An anniversary gift, if you’d like. It’s been a year since you first came to Black Stone Gap, and I think the occasion warrants an acknowledgment.”

  They had traveled from his house in Norfolk to Black Stone Gap just the day before. Since the dramatic deep-mine rescue a year e
arlier, StarPoint Technologies had been overwhelmed with requests for STAR. With Sam’s support, Lacey had developed a commercial version of the prototype, and equipped it with a two-way communication system. In the end, StarPoint Technologies had opened an office in Norfolk.

  She had wanted to work through the summer, but Sam had been adamant that she take at least two weeks of vacation. She and Cole had decided to spend that time in Black Stone Gap. The Black River mines had reopened under new management, and although Buck Rogan hadn’t actually served any jail time, he was prohibited from having any involvement in the actual operation of the mines. From now on, he would sit on the board, more a figurehead than anything else.

  They had invited Lacey’s mother to join them for one of the two weeks but to their surprise, she had declined. It seemed she had met someone through her volunteer work at the hospital, and things were going so well that she didn’t want to leave, even for a week.

  Now Lacey stared at the pretty package on her lap and her mouth fell open. She turned to Cole with a stricken expression. “I didn’t know we were celebrating an anniversary. I didn’t get you anything.”

  Cole laughed gently. “Sweetheart, you’ve already given me everything I’ve ever wanted.” Leaning forward, he pressed his mouth against hers. It was a slow, restive searching of her lips, and Cole was gratified when she leaned into him and sighed her pleasure.

  “Open it,” he coaxed.

  Lacey pulled back and stared at him. He could see the childish anticipation on her face before she ripped the ribbon free and tore away the bright wrapping.

  “Oh…Cole.” She lifted the quilt free of the tissue paper and held it up to admire the intricate pattern that had been stitched with such care. “I didn’t know…you never said…”

  She raised her face to his, and Cole could see her eyes were damp. “It’s so beautiful.”

  Cole kissed her, enjoying her pleasure.

  “It’s the same quilt from that day we spent at the county fair,” she breathed, tracing her fingertips along the stitching. When she looked up at him, her eyes were misty. “You never told me you bought it.”

  Cole shrugged. “There never seemed to be the right time. But you said the quilt brought back some nice memories of your childhood.” He grew serious. “I’m glad that you have some good memories.”

  Lacey smiled, and shook the quilt open, then covered them both with it as she stretched out and drew Cole down beside her. “I do. I have some very good memories. In fact, I haven’t had any nightmares in months. I’m looking forward to sleeping under this quilt every night.”

  “Speaking of which, it’s pretty dark out here tonight. Do you want me to turn on the porch light?”

  “No.” Lacey slid her arms around his neck and nuzzled him. “I enjoy the dark, especially when you’re kissing me.”

  With a soft groan, Cole slid his hands beneath the hem of her nightgown, smoothing his palms along her thighs until he encountered the silken skin of her buttocks. He raised his head. “You’re not wearing any panties,” he growled in delight.

  She arched against him. “Nope,” she agreed wickedly, and unsnapped his jeans. “Maybe we can make some memories of our own under this quilt.”

  “With pleasure,” Cole rasped, and captured her mouth in a soft kiss.

  * * * * *

  Flyboy

  This book is dedicated to my husband, John, and to our girls, Caitlin and Brenna, for enduring many weeks of benign neglect and never once complaining.

  Huge thanks also go to

  Lieutenant Commander John “Z-Man” Zrembski

  and Bobby Ascolillo, my go-to guys for all things related to naval flight. You guys are awesome.

  And a special thanks to Brenda Chin,

  for believing in this book.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Excerpt

  1

  IF WHAT THEY SAID about reincarnation was true, Sedona Stewart decided she was coming back as a man in her next life.

  She snatched her sheet of paper from the copy machine and marched back toward her office, determined to ignore the sounds of merriment coming from the small conference room to her left. Another promotion was being celebrated, the third in as many months, all of them going to her male counterparts.

  Despite the fact that she had as much education, experience and time on the payroll as any of them, she had been passed over yet again for the position of senior engineer, and for Bob Lewis of all people. It was like a slap in the face. The guy was a total dork. She’d be damned if she joined them in their good-old-boy ass-slapping and shoulder-punching congratulations.

  She threw her paperwork down onto her desk, flung herself into her chair and acknowledged it was time to look for a new job. As an aerospace engineer for the Department of Defense, she’d worked damn hard to earn a promotion. She’d played the game, tried to be one of the boys, in an environment dominated by the opposite sex. She’d taken on additional duties, worked long hours, traveled when nobody else was willing to, sacrificed her personal life for her career, and where had it gotten her? In exactly the same position she’d held for five years now.

  She gave a snort of self-disgust. So much for the edicts her father had imposed on her when she was younger. He’d disapproved of any activity, extracurricular or otherwise, that didn’t further her chances of being accepted into the best technical college in the country. How many times had he expressed his opinion that women could only expect to get ahead in a man’s world by emulating them? A woman who came to work dressed in a manner that distracted men shouldn’t be surprised when she bumped her head on a low glass ceiling.

  As a teenager, cheerleading hadn’t been an option. School dances were prohibited as frivolous and rife with opportunities to go astray. Her father had been unrelenting in his belief that short skirts, makeup and jewelry would only result in an unwanted pregnancy and the end of all her dreams.

  His dreams, really.

  Her father hadn’t had a clue about her dreams. But she hadn’t dared oppose him, and in the end, had reluctantly boxed up and gotten rid of her feminine frills and fripperies. She’d even given up her dream of pursuing a career in fine arts, though she hadn’t been able to give up her sketchbook. Some people kept a journal, others took photos; Sedona documented life through her drawings and sketches, not that she’d ever share them with anyone. Nope, drawing had become her secret thing, her escape when her overbearing father became too much to handle.

  She’d obediently followed his advice and obtained an advanced degree in aerospace engineering. When she’d accepted her current position, the artist in her had secretly thrilled at the beauty and power of the fighter jets the company produced. It seemed impossible for so sleek and elegant a machine to contain so much strength and speed. She’d thrown herself into her job with a determination that surprised even her. It was only now, looking back on those years, that she realized she’d spent so much time trying to be one of the guys, she’d all but forgotten how to be a woman. These days, she didn’t even know what it was like to feel feminine.

  What would her dad’s reaction have been learning that despite all of her hard work and sacrifices, she’d been passed over for promotion yet again? Her shoulders sagged. Her father had been gone now for three years, and while there were times she missed him terribly, she told herself she no longer had to please him. She could do what she wanted without fear of his criticism or censure.

  She thought briefly of her two younger sisters, Allison and Ana. Allison was the good girl, wh
o’d opted to stay at home and take care of their mother. She ran a small shop that sold bath and body products, but had never shown any ambition to do more with her life. She was sweet and unassuming, and their father hadn’t pushed her to excel. He’d acknowledged the benefits of having one grown child remain at home to help out.

  Ana, on the other hand, had violently opposed her father’s strict edicts and gone completely in the opposite direction. As an exotic dancer in Las Vegas, she derived great satisfaction in telling Sedona how much money she made doing nothing more than shaking her stuff.

  In some ways, Sedona envied Ana. Comfortable in her own skin, Ana had a natural sex appeal that attracted men wherever she went. For as long as Sedona could recall, Ana had been able to charm and manipulate the opposite sex, including their formidable father. He hadn’t even argued when, at nineteen, Ana had declared her intent to move to Las Vegas. He’d just hugged her and gruffly said to call him if she needed him. To Sedona’s knowledge, she never had.

  While Sedona might never possess the kind of allure or kittenish appeal that Ana had, she told herself it didn’t matter. She was an aerospace engineer. She didn’t need to exploit her body in order to make a living.

  She scrubbed a hand over her eyes. Aerospace engineers were in high demand in private industry. As much as she hated the idea of embarking on a new job search and having to relocate, neither did she want to throw her career away working for an agency that obviously didn’t appreciate her talents. Her boss, Joe Clemons, was a good guy and she actually liked working for him. He’d be disappointed if she left, but it didn’t seem like a good enough reason to stay.

  She wasn’t getting any younger, either. She felt about twice her age, which, at twenty-eight, wasn’t a good thing. To think, when she’d first taken the position right out of grad school, she’d actually harbored hopes of meeting a guy who would respect her for her intelligence and abilities. Ha. That was such a joke; the guys she worked with were a bunch of uptight misogynists who wouldn’t recognize a good woman if they tripped over her. Although, it seemed they had no problem squashing them underfoot as they muscled their way up the career ladder.