A Temporary Arrangement

by Roxanne Rustand

  Appalled, Abby pulled back to look up at him. "I hope you didn't believe her."

  The music changed. Smooth, powerful and confident, he spun her into a graceful waltz that left her breathless and laughing, almost too dizzy to stand when the music faded away.

  From the perimeter of the room she heard a round of applause and opened her eyes to see that she and Ethan were alone in the center of the dance floor.

  "Oh!" Embarrassed, she tried to leave, but his large hand encircled her wrist and held her securely.

  He nodded to the onlookers, encouraging them back onto the floor as the orchestra segued into a timeless, romantic rendition of "Unforgettable," perfect for slow, slow dancing.

  And as if they'd done it a thousand times, she

  stepped into his arms, leaned her head against his chest and listened to the strong and steady beat of his heart. This time they barely moved, just swayed and turned to the deeply emotional music.

  When it ended, she looked up and saw such heat in his dark, heavy lidded gaze that her breath caught in her throat. "I wish we were home," he murmured, too low for anyone else to hear. "But I guess it's better we're not, aye?"

  She smiled at the colloquial northern Minnesota phrasing that had slipped into his speech. "You're right. This was just about dancing. Poignant music. Nothing more than that."

  But it wasn't.

  If she wasn't careful, he'd be the man who held her heart in his gentle hand, long after she'd left Blackberry Hill.

  It should be fine, since my office is locked. Sure you don't mind?"

  "No problem."

  Erin gave her a smile of pure gratitude. "I'll drop by tomorrow and move the money to the main safe." She reached for a ring of keys inside her purse, twisted one off and handed it to Abby. "This key gets you into my office. The safe combination is on the inside back cover of the old pharmacology textbook on top of my file cabinet. The numbers," she added with a wink, "are written backward."

  "Sounds secure to me."

  After a round of farewells, Leo locked the pavilion doors and soon a stream of taillights headed out to the highway.

  Moaning with relief, Abby kicked off her spike heels and curled her toes against the carpeting in Ethan's pickup. "Nothing could feel better than getting these off."

  "You must be worn out." He looked down at the standard transmission stick shift. "If that wasn't in the way, I'd tell you to move close so you could sleep against my shoulder."

  "It'll only take a few minutes in the hospital. After that it won't be long till we're home."

  She leaned against the headrest and turned her head to study his profile. Illuminated by the dashboard lights, his square jaw and strong, high cheekbones were thrown into sharp relief. 'Thanks for a wonderful evening."

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  His smile deepened the vertical creases bracketing his mouth. "You're the one to thank, not me. I just came along for the ride, but you've been working on this for a long time."

  "You made it fun, though. For a recluse, you can be a pretty social guy."

  He laughed. "Recluse?"

  "Half the people at the dance didn't seem to even recognize you."

  "The country club set wouldn't. I haven't golfed since college, and I've never cared much for small talk with people I barely know "

  "So what's in your future? 1 know you're studying the wolf pack. But what then?"

  "I'm halfway through my year of sabbatical. I'll compile my notes, work on my photographs and text, and hopefully see my book in print. After that? I'll either go back to working for the Wisconsin DNR or look into teaching environmental sciences at a college. I had an offer from River Falls a while back." He slid a look at her. "Not anything like what you're heading for, princess. Bright lights, big city? That would drive me over the edge."

  "Princess?"

  "Honey, you might wear jeans and sneakers most of the time and you might be working for a small-town hospital, but you have Old Money written all over you."

  It was her turn to laugh. "Maybe, but I'll sure never see it. My dad loved being a philosophy prof at a small college out east, even though it didn't pay

  well. And later, he and my mother lost most of their investments during stock downturns/'

  "Yet you followed suit, with teaching 0 "

  'The money doesn't matter. I love teaching and the whole atmosphere of academia. The start of school in the fall, with a new wave of students. The smell of books and the world of the arts that surrounds a college. The conversations over tea at coffeehouses on campus."

  "You should like your new job in California, then."

  "I'm sure I will." But watching the towering pines flashing by in the beams of the headlights, she wasn't really so sure anymore.

  She thought she heard him sigh. "Still going on your Grand Tour, are you?"

  "I've been planning it for a year. The most circuitous route you could imagine. From here to the Ozarks, then to the Enchanted Circle in New Mexico. Then up the spine of the Rockies through the Tetons and Glacier to Banff."

  "Then Washington state and Oregon ?"

  Embarrassed, she dropped back in her seat. "Guess I mentioned it already."

  "A few times. But hey, not many people dare follow their dreams."

  "You sure have. I'd love to tag along someday, when you go out to study the wolf pack."

  "Maybe early tomorrow morning, before I pick up Keifer at Erin's? I take him on hikes, but never very far. He gets too restless and bored."

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  "I'll plan on it. Thanks!"

  At the hospital, Ethan pulled up to the front entrance. "Want me to come in?"

  'This will just take a second." She slipped her shoes on, fumbled for her keys, and hopped out. "Be right back."

  Inside, a single table lamp illuminated the empty reception area and waiting room. Beyond the carpeted area, polished flooring led to the long-term-care wing to the left, the hospital wing to the right, and ahead, to business administration.

  The hallway was dim, but brighter aprons of light down the patient care wings marked the two nurses' stations. The silence was almost overwhelming as she hurried to Erin's office with the cash box and stack of auction receipts.

  At Erin's office she dug into her purse for the key Erin had given her and unlocked the door, then reached inside for the light switch.

  From behind her she heard a soft rustle. The squeak of a rubber-soled shoe.

  And then something hit the back of her head with blinding force. Someone grabbed her...

  She fell forward. Railing her arms, she tried to catch the edge of a chair.. .and landed on the carpet in a tangle of chair legs.

  Her head throbbed. Her ankle hurt.

  And behind her, she heard the soft click of a closing door.

  Minutes passed. Five, then ten.

  Ethan considered the possibility that Abby was conferring with staff—maybe taking care of some problem—but an uneasy feeling settled in his gut when she still hadn't come out after fifteen minutes.

  He launched out of the car and jogged to the Emergency entrance, where he ran into a startled nurse who gave him a quick head-to-toe glance, as if checking for obvious wounds or illness.

  "Can I help you, sir?"

  "Abby Cahill came in quite a while ago to drop something off, but she never came back outside."

  The nurse frowned. "She hasn't been here all night."

  "Not here in the ER—she went to the administrative wing." He brushed past her and started up the hall. "I'm going to check on her."

  "Wait—you can't just go—"

  "Call security. Have someone meet me there." He broke into a jog. Behind him, the nurse started to protest. "Call them."

  A man in uniform arrived at the administrative hall just as Ethan turned the corner. "Joe Barker, head of security," he said sharply. "Visitors aren't allowed after hours."

  The doors were closed on both sides of the hall. No sign of Abby anywhere. N
o sign of trouble. "I'm with Abby—or I was. I've been waiting for her in my truck, but she never came back out."

  "She wouldn't be here this time of night. Now,

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  if you don't mind..." Barker gestured toward the main entrance.

  "She had a key to Erin's office," Ethan snapped. "She was dropping off the money from the silent auction. Now, which office is it?"

  His hand hovering over the holster on his service belt, the man glowered suspiciously back at him. "One could guess that you're here hoping to find that money, so maybe we'd better have a little talk—"

  From down the hall they heard a low moan.

  "Abby? Abby!" Ethan shouldered past the guard and tried several doorknobs before reaching a door with a small brass plaque engraved with Erin Reynolds. The knob twisted freely in his hand. He shoved the door open.

  Abby sat on the floor of the office cupping the back of her head with her hand, her hair disheveled. One of the office chairs had tipped over. Papers were strewn everywhere.

  She managed a weak smile. "Guess I had some unexpected company. Can someone call the police?"

  Sheriff Johnson arrived ten minutes later. He and Joe conferred for a moment, then Joe left. The sheriff uncapped his pen. "I understand someone shoved you from behind. Correct?"

  "With enough force that I landed on the floor." Abby sat at the edge of her chair, nervously twisting a tissue in her hands. She still felt cold, numb with shock, and she couldn't quite control her shaking hands.

  He frowned as he surveyed her from head to foot. "Are you hurt?"

  "No. Mostly surprised and scared. I might end up with a few bruises, but that's it." She scooped her tangled hair away from her face and pointed to the haphazard stack of papers on the desk. "I was carrying those papers and a small cash box containing personal checks, a cashier's check for eleven thousand on the auctioned car, and almost five thousand in cash. The box is gone."

  The sheriff walked through the room without touching anything. "Someone was in here waiting for you?"

  "I think he was out in the hall and followed me."

  He stopped, his pen poised over his clipboard. "You're sure it was a man?"

  "No. I just assumed."

  "Did he speak? Did you hear anything else?"

  "No...well, maybe the squeak of a shoe. I was bringing in the proceeds from the fund-raiser tonight. Who would've known that I'd be here, right at this time?" She shivered, remembering the people who'd been out at the pavilion until the very end. Erin and Connor. Jill and Grant. Leo Crupper, who was too small and wiry to do anyone much harm. A few of the elderly hospital volunteers—all gray-haired ladies hardly powerful enough to knock her over. "It can't have been a coincidence. How often would anyone carry that kind of money into this hospital?"

  Ethan, who'd propped a hip on the edge of Erin's

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  desk, cleared his throat. "She wasn't in here alone more than fifteen minutes. I was waiting outside and I didn't see anyone come or go."

  Joe reappeared at the doorway. "I've talked to the staff on both wings, and no one has seen a soul tonight. The doors all buzz if someone tries to enter the building without a key at night.. .and on the long-term unit, the doors buzz if anyone tries to leave."

  The sheriff asked Abby a series of questions while making notes. "We're going to search the building and question the staff more thoroughly, but you can go home for now."

  Until this moment she'd felt numb, as if she'd been observing the past half hour from a distance. Now the reality started to sink in.

  What if her attacker had used a weapon?

  She shuddered. "I can't believe this happened. And you know what's ironic? We accepted just a few checks from impulse buyers. The top bidders on the car had to bring a cashier's check for their bid. But otherwise, our auction revenue was in cash. If we'd welcomed checks, then at least they could've been stopped."

  By the time she stepped into Ethan's house, her whole body was shaking.

  "You must be exhausted," Ethan said as he let Belle back into the house after a trip outside. "It's been one hell of a day."

  "It was a wonderful day, till the end. Now, I

  keep remembering the squeaky shoe and being shoved into that dark office. I never had a chance to see who it was." Belle nudged Abby's hand with her nose. "At least I have my ferocious guard dog...and you."

  "You'll be safe here, Abby. I'll make sure of it."

  "Thank you."

  He nodded as he locked the door, then moved from one window to the next and checked each lock.

  "For everything," she added. "Most of this night was very special.. .except when all those hussies kept stealing my dance partner. Oh, and when I got mugged. Minor points, really." His low laugh made her feel warmer, as if things might soon be normal again. "But I'd really like to end it on a different note, or there's no way I'll be able to sleep."

  She took a deep breath and crossed the room, hoping he wouldn't embarrass her by refusing. When she reached him, he took her in his arms and held her tight, her head nestled below his chin. The steady beat of his heart reassured her as no words could have.

  She'd sought the embrace. But after a long moment it was no longer enough. The house was quiet. Dark, except for the light over the stove. They were alone.

  She pulled away to look up at him and found in his eyes what she felt in her soul. Longing. Desire. And before he could back away, she curved a hand around his neck and pulled him close. "Kiss me"

  And he did. A deep, searching kiss, one hand

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  cupping her head, the other sliding down her spine. He found the edge of her short hemline and slid his hand beneath it, and then his hand moved up, tracing the curve of her bottom. The inward curve of her spine.

  "So you do have something on underneath," he murmured. He discovered the thin strap of her thong, and smiled against her mouth. "But not much."

  "In this dress, I couldn't."

  His hand traveled up to the small of her back, and then further. "Ah-hh. But nothing up here."

  He pulled her tight against him as he explored her mouth, then trailed kisses behind her ear. Down her throat. Lower.

  The plunging neckline of her dress offered easy access to her sleek, silky shoulders and the swell of her breasts. He dropped lower, nipped the upper edge of the stretchy dress material and tugged it below her breasts until they were free and heavy. Exquisite sensations rushed through her when he took one throbbing peak into his mouth and then the other.

  He rested his hands on her shoulders and his eyes filled with regret. "You'd better go to bed, honey. This isn't—"

  She touched his mouth with her forefinger. "Yes it is. And I promise you, no regrets."

  Her bedroom was closer. She led the way, and opened the windows to the cool night breeze anc silvery moonlight. She turned to face him, suddenly struck by uncertainty. "But if you don't... I mean, if you'd rather not..."

  He laughed softly. "There hasn't been a night when I haven't thought of this.. .with you."

  He skimmed out of his clothes without ever taking his gaze from her face, then dropped her dress into a pool of glittering sequins at her feet.

  She felt small and delicate beneath his calloused hands when he lifted her up in one easy motion and kissed her. His intensity and blatant desire enveloped her until she was nearly wild, wanting more than just his mouth, needed the heat of him above her.

  In a dizzying motion he swung her onto the soft comforter on the bed...exploring, touching, kissing her, until she felt as if her nerves were on fire and her heart would explode.

  And then he hovered over her. Paused. And looked into her eyes. "You're sure?"

  The question itself took away any doubt. "Absolutely"

  Waking up with Ethan was like recovering after a massive earthquake. She'd never experienced anything even close with her former fiance, who'd focused on satisfying himself
.

  But reality set in after the first cup of coffee, when he'd apologized before going out to do chores and promised last night would never happen again.

  That should have been her line. And given her plans to move away soon after Keifer left, his words should have been reassuring. But instead they left her lonelier than she'd been in a long, long time. Bereft.

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  And angry. She knew he'd felt what she had last night, yet he could so easily throw it away.

  "Very well," she said softly, staring out the kitchen window toward the trees as Ethan came into view. "That's how it will be."

  And she certainly had far more pressing concerns, anyway. She'd called both the hospital and Erin the moment he went outside, but there'd been no news about the missing money or the person who'd assaulted her.

  Her sore muscles and bruises didn't begin to compare with the awful image of the attack—and how much worse it might have been.

  Shoving those thoughts aside, she bustled around the kitchen, straightening up, then pulled a pork roast out of the freezer, put it on a plate and set it in the refrigerator to start thawing for supper.

  By the time Ethan walked in, she'd made her bed and started folding her laundry with her back to the open bedroom door.

  She heard him hesitate at her door. "I need to go out into the timber," he said. "But I'll be back in time to go into town with you. I know you'll need help at the pavilion."

  She turned, straightened and hit him with her breeziest smile. "Not at all. There'll be plenty of people there, so don't give it a second thought. In fact, I can pick up Keifer when I'm in town and save you the trip."

  He blinked.

  "One thing I'd like, though, is to hike to Lake

  Lunara. if that's where you're heading. After all. I've only got another four weeks before I leave.*'

  "I know we talked about it. but I'm not sure this is a good time."