Wishes at First Light

by Joanne Rock

  “And you’re only just telling me now?” She peered toward the main building, scanning the figures outside for Clay’s familiar physique.

  His really impressive familiar physique.

  The scent of barbecue drifted from the outdoor smoker.

  “I wanted to steal some time with you. See for myself how you are doing after sitting in that courtroom all week.” He walked with her toward the party, the grass still green underfoot despite the cold spell. “Sam spoke to the judge about Covington’s comment to you. The bailiff was notified to keep a tighter watch on him when he escorts him in and out of the trial.”

  “I guessed as much.” Gabriella had given Clayton the okay to share the incident with Sam. “The bailiff kept him close the rest of the week.”

  “So things are serious between you and Clay?” Zach asked, slowing his step behind the ring of pickup trucks.

  He leaned against the front bumper of a massive Ford.

  “We only just reconnected last weekend.” She hedged the question, unsure how to answer. Or, more likely, her heart was frightened of the question.

  Zach frowned. Stared down at the ground for a moment while he kicked a divot back into place with the toe of a shoe too nice for a barbecue. “Yet he’s staying at the house with you.”

  Gabriella bristled. “He stayed at the house with you and Heather last week when there were concerns for her safety. Now he’s concerned about Mia’s.”

  Of course, that had been a job. Clay’s decision to stay with her had been personal. And no matter their original plan to have separate bedrooms on opposite sides of the driveway at the Chance place, Clay had ended up in her room every night.

  “I’m sure he is. And I like Clay. But you know he has a life in Memphis. I didn’t get the impression he’d be sticking around Heartache for long—”

  “I’m well aware,” she cut him off quickly, not ready to think about retreating to their separate lives just yet. “But I’m not the only reason he’s been giving Heartache a second chance. He’s got family here, and I think he might be starting to think of his father and his sister in those terms—family.”

  Or was that wishful thinking?

  “Is his sister in danger?” Zach asked, straightening. “You know the security system there is state-of-the-art. There’s even a safe room—”

  “Not that kind of danger.” She cut him off, not ready to memorize the codes for twelve different kinds of access in her brother’s high-tech house. He’d made his living in digital security and carried that over into his personal world, especially because he worked out of his home these days. “We were watching over Mia in case she faced the kind of emotional breakdown I did. Their father is dying.”

  Thinking about it made Gabriella all the more eager for the teen to arrive at the reunion so she could keep an eye on her. Maybe ferret out a clue about what was going on with her and see her interaction with her new boyfriend to make sure that relationship was a healthy one.

  “Ah hell, Gabby.” Zach tucked his arm around her neck in a brotherly hug and drew her closer to kiss her forehead. “I’m sorry you’ve got to go through that. Especially now, during the trial.”

  “It’s okay. For me, I mean. My heart hurts for Mia, but having her in my life right now has helped me to put the trial in perspective.” Her own shadows felt more surmountable. She hadn’t had the old nightmare all week. Helping Mia toward a safe and happy future seemed far more important than facing her own ghosts.

  Although maybe she’d be stronger for Mia if she did. The idea floated down into place inside her like a seed on the wind. Sinking. Taking root.

  Zach drew her toward the party again, waving to a couple of people Gabriella didn’t recognize as they emerged near the dance floor. “I’m glad Clay is there for you. Heather and I got to spend a lot of time with him last week and we liked him. He’s quiet, but he seems like a stand-up guy. And he’s going through a lot with his father dying.” He pointed toward one of the tables on the patio outside Lucky’s. “Looks like he’s over there talking to Lorelei Hasting right now.”

  Gabriella scanned the growing crowd and spotted Clayton easily, seated across from a truly lovely woman with long, dark curls resting on the shoulders of her jean jacket. Recognition clicked since his foster mother looked exactly the same as Gabriella remembered her from the pizza shop a decade ago.

  And it was strange how different it felt to see Clayton here, in a laid-back family setting, after all the emotional tension of the past week. She’d been attracted to him, yes. Drawn to his strength. In need of his calming presence.

  But the feelings he stirred now were different. Purely pleasurable. She remembered all the times he’d quieted her fears with kisses in the dark of the bedroom. Here, she felt no fear. But the need to wrap her arms around his strong shoulders, kiss the angle of his jaw, was undeniable.

  Was she serious about Clayton Travers? The way her feet rushed in his direction seemed to say...very.

  * * *

  CLAY COULD FEEL Gabriella’s presence before he saw her. Biologists would say that awareness was a protective instinct leftover from his primitive ancestors—an ability to sense when the focus of another was on him in case a predator approached.

  But he could swear there had to be a better explanation for it when the person doing the looking was Gabriella Chance. He felt her clear blue gaze on him as surely as the sun warmed his skin. Watching her walk toward him now across the lawn behind Lucky’s Grocery, he wanted to go to her so he could have his hands on her sooner. Wanted to kiss so he could claim her as his own.

  More than anything, he wanted to bring a smile to her pretty face.

  Amid those thoughts, he was surprised to hear his foster mother’s voice across the table. “I hear you and Gabriella Chance have renewed your friendship.”

  Blinking his way free of thoughts about Gabby, he turned to see Lorelei smiling at him. His foster mother rested her chin in one hand, her spiral curls dancing in a breeze he wouldn’t have otherwise noticed. She wore a pink bandanna tied around her hair to keep some of it off her narrow face. Her grin was wide and warm, her lively brown eyes missing nothing.

  She gave him a sly wink and then nodded toward the lawn where Gabriella strode toward them. “I always suspected you missed her after she left Heartache, but you were one of my tougher kids to read, so I wasn’t sure until just now.”

  Clay had forgotten that quality about his mom—the sole woman he thought of in connection with that word. She was not only a sharp judge of character. She also had a great sense of humor and found joy in small things all the time. She’d been a great role model for Clay, the kind that he wanted for his half sister.

  “I may have had a crush on her when she was my tutor,” he admitted, regretting that it had taken him so long to come back and see Lorelei after he’d moved out of the foster home. “It’s definitely good to see her again.”

  “I think she feels the same,” Lorelei said in a soft voice as Gabriella stepped up onto the back patio. “I can see it in how she looks at you.”

  Standing, Clay held out a hand to Gabriella, his eyes wandering over the long gray skirt and lightweight blue sweater she wore with a silver scarf covered in stars. With her hair pulled back, and no jewelry or makeup that he could see, she had an easy attractiveness that trumped any artifice. Although what drew him even more was her warm heart and caring nature. She’d been good to his half sister all week while Clay had stumbled through his attempts to get to know the girl.

  He appreciated the way Gabriella tried to make it easier for him, driving conversation in directions he could handle. Music. Local bands. A few of the lighter tales about dealing with Pete. Strangely Clay had enjoyed seeing Mia’s imitations of their bad-tempered father since it was clear she found him more amusing than threatening. She’d told a funny story about Pete hating soc
ks that were too short—throwing them across the room and demanding Real Man’s Socks.

  It was because of Gabriella that Clay had been able to enjoy that connection with his half sister. And share a couple of buried memories of his father that weren’t painful. That had been a gift.

  “Mom.” Clay turned to his foster mother with a smile, knowing how much Lorelei enjoyed the title even though she made it a point never to ask for it. “This is Gabriella Chance.” He found Gabby’s hand in his, her cool fingers smooth against his palm. “Gabby, this is the best foster mother a guy could ever ask for, Lorelei Hasting.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Hasting.” Gabriella reached to take his mother’s hand and squeezed it. “And I hear it’s your birthday, as well. Happy birthday.”

  “Thank you. So nice to see you again, Gabriella. I do remember you from when you were a girl. Your father used to bring you with him to the pizza shop on Friday nights to pick up an order.” Lorelei knew half the town’s regular orders, impressing all the kids who worked at the restaurant with her uncanny memory for pizza requests.

  “You’re kind to remember him.” Something in Gabby’s voice told Clay that she was truly touched. “I didn’t hear much from him for the first few years after he...went away. But he’s turned into an interesting pen pal in the past eighteen months. I’m hoping he’s turned a corner in his rehabilitation.”

  Her answer surprised Clay, making him realize he hadn’t spent nearly enough time getting to know her. They talked a few more minutes before his friend Sam Reyes, their official party host, charged up the patio steps.

  He clapped Clay on the shoulder warmly. The Heartache town sheriff was built like an athlete with heavy shoulders and arms. He’d never been one for idle chitchat, but Clay had always found him easy enough to get along with since he was straightforward and to the point. You never had to guess where Sam Reyes stood. He was happy to tell you—in as few words as possible.

  “Welcome, Clay.” Sam greeted him before dropping an arm around Gabriella. “Hello, Gabby.”

  Clay tried to ignore a stab of envy for the warm greeting Gabriella gave the sheriff, knowing that reaction had to do with all the years Clayton spent thinking Sam had stolen his dream girl and run off to the West Coast with her. Now he understood their relationship was more that of siblings. Good siblings—not the kind of crappy brother he was to his own family. Clay could see the ease of their relationship in the way Gabriella leaned into Sam’s chest before he kissed the top of her head.

  Still...the pep talk didn’t quite take away the urge to drag Gabriella closer.

  “Mom.” Sam opened his arms wide to Lorelei. “You’re the woman of the hour and the lady I’ve been looking for. Everyone’s asking about you and Dad.”

  “He’ll be here any minute. The boys had a soccer game this morning and I really wanted them to play.” She glanced around Sam to meet Gabriella’s eyes. “I have two younger boys at home now and they are energetic with a capital E. I thought maybe if Danny took them to soccer, they stood a better chance of settling down earlier tonight so the grown-ups can stay up and play.”

  “Dawson and Bailey can watch them,” Sam offered, referring to Lorelei’s teenage foster son and his girlfriend. “A wise woman once told me that having teens babysit is the best public service announcement for abstinence.”

  Clay laughed while Lorelei gave Sam a gentle punch in the shoulder.

  “Samuel Reyes,” she chided “I’m sure I never said such a thing.” Their foster mother laughed and Sam led her to a table full of presents and newcomers to the party.

  Leaving Clay alone on the patio with Gabriella.

  “She seems great,” Gabby observed lightly, her eyes following Lorelei and all the people who surged around her and Sam. “I hope I’m in town long enough to spend some time talking to her. I’ll bet she has some great insights about the kinds of teens who join my online support group.”

  Tension crawled up his arms and settled in his shoulders at the reminder that they would be returning to their own homes soon. He had a life in Memphis. She had one on the West Coast. He knew that, and yet it seemed damned jarring to think about it when he’d been focused on getting to know her better. Enjoying time with her that wasn’t about the trial.

  “I’m sure she would.” He didn’t begrudge Gabriella wanting to spend more time with Lorelei. He just hadn’t been ready to think about the deadline attached to their relationship on a day when the sun was shining, a dance floor waited, a bluegrass band played and Gabriella was by his side.

  But he could still have this weekend with her, couldn’t he? The trial would last at least another day or two.

  Down on the lawn, the fiddler launched into a timeless tune, drawing a few of the younger girls onto the dance floor for a spin.

  “And Lorelei will be a wonderful resource for you as you and Mia build a relationship.” Gabriella turned toward him now, her long skirt brushing against his pant leg in a gentle swish. “Have you noticed that Mia seems jumpy this week?”

  Grateful for the shift in conversation, even if it was far from his area of expertise, Clay thought about his half sister.

  “Hard to say when I’m only just starting to know her.” He’d been pleased when Mia rode to the hospital with him two nights ago, considering it a new level of trust. “She definitely seems on edge, but I assumed that was normal in light of her relationship with Pete.”

  But Gabriella’s lips pursed, a furrow deepening between her brows.

  “She has every reason to be upset,” she agreed. “I just don’t want to overlook something when she’s had such a difficult couple of years.”

  “She’ll be here soon and we’ll talk to her then.” Clay took Gabriella’s hand in his, needing to make the best of the time he had left with her. “Until then, we could go show the youngsters how to two-step.”

  He willed her to say yes, glad for the excuse to hold her in his arms. He wanted to impress himself on her memory.

  Even as Gabriella hooked her arm through his and let him lead her down to the dance floor, Clayton knew that every moment they spent together was only making it that much tougher to say goodbye.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  LATER THAT NIGHT, on the back of Clayton’s motorcycle, Gabriella arched her neck to check out the stars as he slowed down for a stop sign close to the Chance home. A perfect, clear fall night revealed a million stars overhead. The vastness of the Tennessee sky made her all the more grateful she was with Clay, his warm body anchoring hers and warding away the growing chill.

  She laid her cheek on the back of his shoulder, the soft flannel of his shirt doing little to disguise the roped muscles beneath. He was strong and solid and kept her safe despite the speed and the thrill of the ride. Traveling along the isolated roads made her feel like they were all alone in the world, just the thrum of the machine beneath them and her arms wrapped around him. He’d given her his leather jacket for the ride home and she’d gladly left her car parked on Main Street. She’d pick it up tomorrow. For tonight she wanted to enjoy what could possibly be her last weekend in Heartache. With the digital evidence now a factor in the case, the newspapers had suggested the prosecution might have a slam dunk. They could rest early next week and then what could the defense possibly come up with?

  Things looked hopeful.

  But even as that news heartened her, she had to wonder what it meant for her relationship with Clay. As Zach pointed out, Clayton had a business in Memphis. A home. A whole life that didn’t include her.

  Or Mia.

  That was the most troubling part if she thought about trying to extend their relationship. She couldn’t imagine being with someone who would abandon his own sister.

  And even though that idea troubled her, at least they’d shared a happy day together. Mia had seemed more relaxed, laughing as she tried to t
each Davis Reed how to two-step at the Hasting family reunion. Gabriella had watched her carefully, searching for signs that the teen might be nervous around her new boyfriend, but if anything, the jazz-loving teenage drummer seemed to put Mia more at ease than Gabriella had seen her all week.

  Davis wasn’t the problem.

  She’d been surprised when Mia asked for permission to sit with her father tonight for an hour or two, but Davis had offered to drive her, which Gabriella appreciated since she knew what an emotional toll those visits could take. The two of them had left the party shortly before Gabby and Clay.

  Now, pulling into the driveway outside her childhood home, Gabriella stared up at the sprawling Craftsman her father had upgraded continually, remembering that her time was running out to revisit her old bedroom.

  The darkness of those days surged like clouds across the tiny crescent moon. After Clay parked the bike and helped her off the back, she watched him while he set their helmets on the bike seat. She gladly put those unhappy thoughts aside to study his broad shoulders in the moonlight. She’d been in his arms half the evening, dancing to one song after another while they laughed and joked, enjoying the company of a wide range of people who had all stayed under the Hasting roof, no matter how briefly.

  She wanted to be in his arms again.

  Her mouth went dry just thinking about him. She’d had so little experience with men before this week. And now she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about Clay.

  His low whistle pulled her out of her thoughts. His eyes were on her.

  “What?” Her voice sounded scratchy and she hugged his leather jacket tighter around her.

  It wasn’t the same as being in his arms, but she liked the weight and scent of the leather. The hint of his aftershave at the collar.

  He stepped closer, his boots scraping lightly against the cobblestones.