It only took a few minutes to load the boxes of lanterns. When they finished, Sam gave Logan a salute and pulled out of the parking lot. Darby’s gaze stayed glued to the rearview mirror.
“He reminds me of those actors from our grandparents’ era with the classic good looks and smooth attitude.” Sam flipped on her blinker and headed toward the park on the edge of town where set up for the fall festival was in full swing.
“Full of himself and suspicious was my impression,” Darby said, her lip curling.
Sam grinned. “You’re just irritated because he didn’t cower when you put him in his place.”
“There is that.” Darby turned and gave Sam an assessing look. “If we hurry through Lenore’s list of chores, Juliette will be finished teaching her last class, and we can all go out to dinner. Unless you have a hot date with Ethan?”
“Nope. He’s meeting a client this evening.”
“Are you serious about him?”
“We’ve only been dating a couple of weeks. I think it’s too soon to tell.”
“A lame excuse if ever I’ve heard one. With some people, you just know.”
The pickup bumped through the rutted parking area before Sam pulled up next to a truck filled with hay. “True. Look how you, Juliette, and I bonded our first day of preschool.” She turned off the engine and leaned against the steering wheel. “I care about Ethan—maybe more than I have a right to. I do know I want to give what we’re building a chance to grow.”
“Good. Good.” She squeezed Sam’s arm. “Let’s get these lanterns unloaded. We’ll have to make it an early dinner since I promised my mom I’d help set up her new computer system and show her how to use it this evening. Can you believe she still writes her books on yellow tablets and has someone else type them for her? I thought it would take an act of Congress to launch her into the twenty-first century.”
“What convinced her?”
“Her publisher insisted.”
“It’ll be good for Alice to learn a new skill. She’s even smarter than you, so I’m sure she’ll pick it up fast.”
Darby got out of the pickup and slammed the door. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”
****
The phone rang while Sam was immersed in dog owner data for the greater Ravenswood area. Based on the statistics she’d dug up, dogs very nearly outnumbered people. Ethan would have plenty of clients if he offered obedience classes. When the phone shrilled again, she picked up the receiver and mumbled a distracted hello.
“I’ve left five messages on your cell phone. Christ, Sam, haven’t you been watching the news?”
Her head jerked up, and her hand tightened around the receiver. Only a major tragedy would put that note of excitement in her boss’s voice. “What happened, Doug?”
“Earthquake in Chile. Team’s leaving tomorrow evening. Should give you plenty of time to get to the San Francisco airport.” Her immediate superior at RAW spoke like a rapid fire assault weapon.
She opened her mouth, shut it, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. “I can’t.”
“What do you mean you can’t?” His squawk blasted her eardrum. “Of course you can. Pack your stuff and drive west. Simple.”
When was the last time she’d told Doug no? Three years ago she’d been sick with a bad case of food poisoning when he called, but that had only delayed her departure. She’d never actually turned down a request to help at a disaster site. Biting her lip, she fought the urge to cave in and agree to go. People needed her.
Ethan needed her, too. At least she hoped he did.
“I’m taking a break, Doug.”
“What exactly does a break mean?”
The uncertainty and concern in his tone weakened her resolve. With a supreme effort, she forced back words of reassurance that would have her winging her way toward South America the following evening.
“I’m not quitting if that’s what’s worrying you. Just taking a sabbatical.”
“Are you going somewhere?”
“That would defeat the purpose. I’m staying home. You should try it sometime.”
“Home is overrated. I like having a continent or two between me and my ex-wife.”
Sam rolled her eyes. “Did it ever occur to you the continent or two are the reasons she’s an ex?”
“Funny, she harped on that fact while we were still married.” He sighed. “You’re sure you’ll pass on Chile?”
“Positive. I need some time for myself or I won’t be worth anything to anyone.”
“If you say so. I’ll be in touch when we get back.”
“Thanks, Doug, I appreciate it.” Sam hung up and swiveled in her chair when the floor behind her creaked. Her hand flew to her throat. “My God, you scared me!”
Ethan shut the kitchen door and stepped into the room. “I didn’t want to interrupt. The call sounded important.”
“It was Doug, my boss at RAW. There was an earthquake in Chile.”
His gaze met hers and held. “I guess he wants you to head to South America.”
“I told him I couldn’t go.”
The tight lines in his face eased. “Yeah?”
Standing, she crossed the tile floor and stopped close enough to breathe in his unique scent, a hint of pine mixed with dog and the smell of man. “Yep.”
He met her halfway and tugged her up against his chest. “I’m glad, Sam.”
“So am I. Saying no wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Want to know why?”
His smile made her stomach jumped.
“I do.”
“I just thought about you.”
The sharp blue of his eyes softened. Inch by inch he lowered his head until his mouth met hers. She pressed against him, and all her defenses crumbled. If the flutters in her chest and the giddiness she felt every time she looked at him wasn’t love…
“You make me happy, Sam. Thanks for giving us a chance.”
“You make me happy, too.” She clasped his face in her palms and kissed him. The brief contact left her needing more. “It scares me a little, how much I want to be with you.”
His gaze caressed her face, coming to rest on her lips. “Why would that frighten you?”
“Because everything has happened so fast. There’s no denying the attraction between us is blazing hot, and that worries me. What if it burns out?”
“Not so fast, when you think about it. You forget we started this relationship five years ago. My feelings for you have been simmering ever since. That proves it’s more than attraction, and it won’t burn out.”
At the confidence in his voice, some of her fears eased. “I can’t tell you how many times I thought about the night we shared and wished the morning after could have been different.”
“This time it is different.” He stroked the side of her neck and cupped her jaw in his palm. “This time we’re doing it right.”
He kissed her again, his lips lingering. Her pulse raced as she pressed harder against him. When they finally came up for air, it took Sam a moment to gather her thoughts. Communication was beyond important. If they shared their concerns now…
“I feel like we’re rushing our relationship, but I can’t seem to slow down.”
“I don’t want to slow down. I need you too much.” He swept her up in his arms and carried her toward the bedroom. “Don’t overthink what we have. Give yourself permission to be happy. I won’t hurt you, Sam. Trust me.”
Her need to talk disappeared on a fierce wave of desire. When he laid her on the bed, she clung to his neck, pulling him down beside her. She did trust him. And she didn’t want to let him go. Not ever.
“Who knew you were so smart?” she whispered as her hands shoved up beneath his T-shirt and stroked the hard muscles of his back.
He nuzzled her neck. “My dogs think I’m a genius.”
She smiled with her nose pressed into the hollow of his neck. “I do, too.” She took a breath and said the words clamoring in her heart. “I love you, Ethan.�
�
He kissed her and then pulled back to stare into her eyes. There was no mistaking the emotion shining in their depths. “I love you, too. I think I have since the first time we were together. Who knew it would take you so long to come to your senses?”
“Me?” She swiped at a strand of hair hanging in her face and frowned. “I don’t remember you asking me to stick around.”
“It wasn’t my place to push you into a decision you weren’t ready to make. If I had, you would have resented me for it.”
She relaxed against the mattress and let the tension drain out of her. “I probably would have. But I’m ready for a change, which isn’t to say I intend to quit disaster relief work. I do, however, promise to be less obsessive about it.”
“I’d never ask you to quit something you love. Even if it is to fit me into your life.”
She couldn’t help but grin. “Is that what you intend to do, squeeze me in amongst your dogs?”
“They sleep in the kennel, most of them, anyway. I can think of better places for you to spend your nights.” He kissed her, stroking into her mouth with his tongue, running his hands up her sides and around to cup her breasts through the lace of her bra.
Her breath left her lungs in a rush of need. Nerve endings tingled from his touch, and she gave as good as she got, tugging his shirt over his head. After a few moments of desperate struggle, they rid each other of all remaining clothes. Skin rubbed against skin as he pushed into her and they melded into one. Closing her eyes, she drifted on the pleasure of holding Ethan close, feeling him move inside her and bring her to a shuddering release.
Drained, she flopped against the sheets and cuddled at his side. He held her while the breeze through the open bedroom window dried love dampened skin.
After a few long minutes, he stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I could get used to going to bed this way every night.”
Her eyelids lowered. “Me, too.”
“Will you think about moving in with me?”
She stiffened then forced herself to relax. “As in pack up all my stuff or just a toothbrush and a change of clothes?”
“Whatever you’re comfortable with. I’m okay with slow steps, but I want you next to me when I wake up in the morning.”
She pressed her cheek against his chest and listened to the reassuring beat of his heart—steady, dependable. Finally she nodded. “We can make this work. I’ll start with a suitcase and go from there.”
“That’s fine, Sam.” His eyes closed.
Pushing up on one elbow, she nudged his side. “Did you come over for a reason other than this? Not that this wasn’t a perfectly wonderful idea.”
The contented smile on his lips faded. “I wanted to let you know I’m over halfway through our list of J.R.’s. Nothing’s popped yet.”
She scowled. “Damn, I’d hoped we’d find him by now. I hate knowing he’s somewhere close by, just watching and waiting.”
“We’ll find him.” Grim determination gave strength to his words. “And when we do, he’s going to regret every minute of fear and worry he’s put you through. I promise.”
Chapter Eleven
Scarecrows made by local school children lined the back wall of the booth, each with a bull’s eye painted on its body. The remaining cakes and pies sat on a shelf, tempting festival goers to try their skill and win a prize.
Sam took five dollars from a man with curly blond hair and handed him five darts. “Your wife will love you if you bring home dessert.”
“Don’t have a wife,” he said with a grin. “But nothing beats homemade apple pie.”
A few minutes later, his smile was slipping, and he was down ten more dollars, but he walked away with a pie.
“Men!” Juliette rolled her eyes. “He would have spent twice that much as a matter of pride if he hadn’t gotten a lucky hit on the last throw. It would have been a whole lot cheaper for him to buy dessert.”
“But not as tasty. Lenore made the apple, and her pies are to die for.”
Juliette leaned back against a scarecrow and flicked a long, dark braid over one shoulder. “Any news yet from Ethan?”
“I’m expecting his call within the hour.” Hands stuffed in the pockets of her jeans, Sam kicked a loose pile of hay. “He only had a couple more J.R.’s to research. If we don’t find this guy at the bottom of our list, I swear I’m going to scream.”
“We’ll all be raving loons if this tension keeps up. At least he hasn’t targeted one of us recently.”
“I don’t know if that’s good or bad. It either means he’s confident we’ll keep quiet, or he’s planning something.”
Juliette frowned. “Let’s hope it’s not the latter.” She stared off across the dusty clearing full of happy, chattering people, most of whom were wandering toward the gazebo. Lit up by lanterns, the large white structure resembled a Grecian temple. A country-western band tuned up nearby. “Looks like the dance is getting underway.”
“I’m hoping Ethan will get here in time to take me for a spin around the floor. Do you have a date tonight?”
She shook her head. “Roy McDonald asked me to the dance, but I don’t want to encourage him.”
“Why not? He’s a nice guy, or at least he was back in high school.”
“He still is nice, but honestly, I have a tendency to fall asleep when he’s talking.”
Sam let loose a snort of laughter. “That doesn’t bode well for entertainment value in bed.”
“No, not that I was even tempted on the two dates we had.” Straightening, she adjusted the shoulder strap on her camisole top. “If you think you can handle the excitement around here alone, I’m going to run to the restroom.”
“I’m pretty sure I can manage. People have had about enough of games this evening. We can start tearing down when you get back.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Juliette waved at Bob Harris as she passed him and headed through the maze of booths.
The owner of the cross country ski center stopped in front of the wooden plank serving as a counter and smiled. “Still open for business?”
“You bet. We’ve some great desserts left.” Sam pointed toward the row of edible prizes. “I’ve got my eye on the carrot cake, but I can do without the calories if you want that one. Five darts for five dollars.”
His smile faltered. “That’s okay. I brought one of my own.”
He clamped his hand around her arm. A sharp stab, like the sting of an angry wasp, pierced her skin. Mouth open, the yelp of pain came out in a whisper of breath as the man’s face wavered before her eyes. Behind him, the world darkened, and she crumpled to the ground.
****
Ethan stared at the computer screen and blinked. “Are you shitting me? Bob—the asshole is Bob Harris!”
The information practically slapped him in the face. One John Robert Harris had played linebacker on the UC Davis football team seventeen years ago. A search for John Robert Harris’s in the Ravenswood area turned up a John, a Jack, and a Robert Harris. All three had graduated from out of state schools. It was sheer luck he’d noticed a reference Bob made in a local newspaper interview about transferring schools his senior year to the University of Colorado, where his interest in Nordic skiing had turned from a hobby to a passion. The photo of John Robert Harris, football player at UC Davis, was definitely the same guy as Robert Harris, Nordic skier in Boulder, Colorado. Neither photo resembled the man Ethan knew as Bob. The years had definitely taken their toll.
He dialed Sam’s cell phone number and frowned when it immediately went to voice mail. Why isn’t she picking up? After shutting down the computer, he grabbed his keys and headed out the door. When Sadie followed and turned a sad-eyed look his way, Ethan held the door of his pickup wide.
“I’d sure as hell better not need a search and rescue dog, but you can come along.” The happy canine jumped onto the seat, and he climbed in after her. A three minute drive to the park where the festival was being held seemed to take a lifetime.
He squeezed his truck into a spot too small to hold it and slammed the door. Following Sadie, he crossed the parking area to a clearing where a number of workers were packing up the booths. Juliette charged towards him, her eyes wide.
“Is Sam with you?” she called.
A knot of cold fear tightened his gut. “No. I thought you two were working a booth together.”
“We were. I went to the restroom a few minutes ago, and she was gone when I got back. I tried her cell, but it went to voice mail.”
He forced himself to breathe. “How many minutes ago?”
“Ten at the most. I’ve been looking all over for her, but she isn’t anywhere.” Tears sprang into big, brown eyes. “Please tell me nothing’s happened to Sam.”
“Let’s hope she got distracted talking to someone. Where’s the booth you manned?”
“Over there.” She walked quickly toward an open structure with a row of scarecrows across the back wall. Several had toppled to the ground. “I was away for maybe five minutes. There was a line at the restroom.”
Ethan squeezed her arm. “Sam can’t have gone far, not in this crowd. We’ll find her and then go after the asshole who killed that woman and threatened the three of you.”
She spun around on the flat soles of her leather sandals. “You know who did it?”
“Bob Harris. He owns…”
Juliette turned whiter than the gazebo and clamped her hand over her mouth.
“What’s wrong?” He reached out to steady her. “You look like you’re going to faint.”
She swallowed, throat working, chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. “Bob was walking toward me and Sam when I left for the restroom.”
Ethan swore. “Well, at least we know where to start looking.” He strode the last few yards to the booth and put Sadie in work mode with a sharp command. “Find Sam.”
The dog sniffed all around, barked once, and then pushed under the canvas wall at the back of the booth, knocking over two more scarecrows. Ethan lifted the loose flap and followed. Stepping over a maze of extension cords leading from a power pole to the backs of several other booths, he hurried after the dog. Sadie stopped near a half dozen parked cars and whined. A dirt service road led into the trees at the edge of the clearing.
We'll Never Tell (Secrets of Ravenswood) Page 10