The crackle of burning wood and the hiss of flames filled a brief silence while Karynn stared into the fireplace. Then she sighed, and her shoulders drooped as if in surrender to an inner battle. “I saw something I didn’t like, but maybe it’s just me. I can be over-sensitive when it comes to children.”
“Karynn.” He stroked her cheek with his fingertips, and then gently turned her face toward him. “What did you see?”
Still she struggled, and every muscle in Daniel’s body tightened. If she decided to talk, he wouldn’t like what he heard.
At last, she nodded, and the single, determined dip of her chin said she’d won some kind of inner battle. Now she’d leave nothing unsaid.
Daniel had seen Karynn in the middle of a soul-struggle before. Even as a quiet, shy teen, something strong and fearless came to the fore when she felt strongly about a cause. He’d considered her an indomitable warrior of all things right and true. How was it that, after all these years, she still didn’t know her own strength?
“We were dancing.” Her voice lacked any hint of the hesitance she’d shown moments ago. “You’d asked Lena to take Chrissy upstairs.”
“I remember.” I couldn’t wait to hit that dime-sized dance floor and hold you in my arms.
“I was facing the doorway, and…oh, Daniel, I’m so sorry. In retrospect, I should have done something…said something right then. But I didn’t want to interfere in your personal life.”
“Karynn, don’t apologize. I can see that you were in a sensitive position. Tell me.”
“Chrissy stood in the doorway, watching everyone dance.” Karynn’s eyes softened with the memory. “She loves music, you know. And she believes in fairy tales…in ‘love like that.’”
“She’s her mother’s daughter.”
“If you say so.” Karynn’s dark brown eyes softened to burnt caramel, and he saw in them an impossible knowing. This woman, to whom he hadn’t spoken in a decade or more, knew that he—even more than Tina—believed in ‘love like that.’
Her beautiful smile faded, and a razor’s edge of fury surged through Daniel’s body. The petulant, self-absorbed woman he’d hired to care for and protect his child had done something to Chrissy—something despicable enough to steal Karynn’s smile. He clenched his jaw hard, and pain lanced through his temples. His heartbeat roared like an angry ocean, shoving blood through his veins in pounding waves.
God, I’m afraid of myself. If Lena’s hurt my daughter in any way, You’ll have to take the reins of my emotions. Please…breathe Your refreshing peace into my soul, and Your wisdom into my heart.
“Daniel.” Karynn sat up straight and placed a hand on each side of his face. For a moment, he couldn’t draw a breath. Her spirit reached out to his in tendrils of soothing serenity—invisible, and yet with enough substance that he almost felt their touch against his skin. Even in the midst of her own turmoil, Karynn possessed a core of inner peace that wound its way from her soul to wrap around him like a gentle Spirit-hug.
The awful roar in his chest quieted, and his runaway heartbeat slowed to normal. He hauled in one deep, fortifying breath, and then another as snarled webs of emotion loosened and untangled in his mind.
In the next instant, Karynn’s eyes widened. Her hands lifted off his face, and she stared at them as if confused. Then she eased back into the curve of his arm.
“Uhm…anyway.” She seemed a little disoriented, but picked up where she’d left off.
Daniel remained calm, still warm in the glow of that unexpected, miraculous moment of contact with her pure spirit.
“Lena grabbed Chrissy by the arm—rough, and hard enough that I almost—” She shook her head and drew in a long breath, as if to keep from drowning in the memory. “Chrissy winced a little, and tried to pull away, but Lena wouldn’t let go. She bent close to that sweet little face…oh, Daniel…”
Tears shimmered in her eyes. She blinked, and they spilled down her face. “What happened then, even more than her claw-like grip on that tiny arm, horrified me. Lena went nose to nose with Chrissy, and her face—” A shudder shook her entire body, and she squeezed her eyes shut, as if to un-see the memory. “It was a mask of vile hatred. She said something—gritted words between her teeth. Poor little Chrissy! She didn’t cry, but her lips trembled. Then Lena yanked her away from the door and dragged her across the lobby. Chrissy had to run to stay on her feet.”
By the time she finished, Daniel struggled to maintain the calmness of spirit he’d been gifted. What had Lena done when no one was around to see? Why hadn’t Chrissy told him about the incident?
“I wish you’d said something.” He pushed the words through stiff, numb lips.
“I should have, Daniel. I’m so, so sorry.”
Breathe. Just breathe.
He sent up another silent plea for control. None of this was Karynn’s fault. Chrissy was his daughter. Why hadn’t he seen that something wasn’t right?
“I’m not angry with you. You couldn’t have known whether I condoned Lena’s behavior.”
“That’s not true. My heart told me you would never allow anyone to mistreat her, but I was so sure you’d resent my interference. We hadn’t seen each other in over a decade, after all. No one appreciates a stranger inserting herself into—”
“Stop. Just stop.” He turned to pull her close, and rested his chin on top of her head. Even now, having heard the worst, her nearness leveled out his anger. “You and I are not strangers, sweetheart. Never that. Even after a decade of separation, the moment I saw you again, I knew you—and I don’t mean that I recognized your face. I knew you, as if we’d never spent a day apart.”
“Me too.” Her hands made a slow journey across his shoulders. “But I couldn’t be sure you experienced that same knowing.” She pulled away enough to look into his eyes. “Please forgive me.”
“There’s nothing to forgive.” He bent his head to kiss her temple. A soft wisp of dark hair tickled his face, and a thrill of something he hadn’t felt in far too long coursed through his veins. But this wasn’t the time for such thoughts, or such feelings. “Now that I know, I can’t leave Chrissy with her again, not even for a moment. I’ll have to tell my boss—”
“Savannah and I will take care of her while you’re gone.”
Startled, he drew away, so he could see her face. Her clear, steady gaze met his without flinching.
Daniel gave a firm shake of his head. “No. You’re on vacation. You shouldn’t have to worry about taking care of someone else’s child.”
“Please…I’d like to help. Will you trust me with Chrissy while you’re gone? Only…” Determination warred with something else in her gaze. “Only don’t leave Lena here. I don’t know how to say this delicately, so forgive me if I sound petty, or unfeeling. I don’t mean to be. When you let her go, her reaction will be extreme. She’ll unsheathe some pretty sharp claws—which won’t matter for you, at all. You’re tough.”
Daniel threw his shoulders back and expanded his chest in a playful show of pride. Karynn’s lips teased upward, but not enough to form a real smile.
“But Chrissy’s just a little girl. She’s not strong, or tough, and she doesn’t have an ounce of meanness in her. If you leave Lena here, watching someone else in what should have been her role, she’ll take it as a public slap in the face. I’m certain—absolutely, without a doubt, chillingly certain—she’ll seek revenge in one way or another.” She shrugged one shoulder, but maintained steady eye contact. “I can’t prove it, and of course there’s a chance I’m wrong. I hope I am. But I don’t think so, Daniel. I don’t want Lena anywhere near Hope Creek after you fire her, especially if Chrissy’s in my care.”
The truth in her words was unmistakable. Why was it that now he clearly saw in Lena what he’d never noticed before? Dear Lord, I’ve been so blind.
He nodded. “You’re right, of course. She shouldn’t be here. If it turns out I have to leave, I’ll take her to the airport. I’ll be going there anyway.”<
br />
Karynn blanched. Had she gone a shade paler in that bare instant? “I—I hadn’t thought about that. You’ll…fly…home to your job.”
“Well, I’ll fly, but not home.” Daniel wanted to kick something. He’d asked Karynn to join him by the fireplace tonight so they could talk…about her, this time. He’d wanted to hear all the little details of her life, to watch her expressions as she shared them with him. But once again, the conversation had revolved around his issues. “We haven’t even discussed our occupations, have we? What do you do, Karynn?”
“Nothing exciting.” She shrugged one shoulder. “I inherited a bed and breakfast from my aunt. God knew I’d need it after my parents died. Because Hearth and Home was a viable, income-rendering business, I was able to be Savannah’s legal guardian, even though I was barely twenty-one. She wasn’t quite seventeen at the time, and without that source of income to my benefit, she’d have gone into the foster system for at least a year. I don’t think I could’ve taken that…and I’m not sure she’d have come home the same, sweet girl she was before.”
Daniel had to clear something scratchy from his throat before he spoke. “You’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. How can you not know how special you are?” He hugged her, and then touched his lips to her forehead. “I remember your parents well, and I’m so sorry for your loss. They…both died?”
“Yes. A—a plane crash.” Something flickered in her eyes, and Daniel’s stomach gave an empathetic lurch. She shivered, and a chill scurried up his spine. “I miss them every day.”
“I’m so sorry, honey. I wish…” What did he wish? That he’d been there for her? When Karynn lost her parents, he’d been married to Tina. He’d loved Chrissy’s mother. Wishing he’d been there for Karynn felt like a betrayal of his wife. “I wish I’d known.”
“Things happened as they were meant to. Don’t second guess God’s plan. He had a reason for all of it. The good and the bad.”
“You’re right.” He smiled and traced a finger down her face. “Maybe someday I’ll be as wise as you are, and trust like you do.”
“Oh, Daniel! I’m nobody’s role model of grace.”
“Well, I suppose we can agree to disagree on some things.”
She laughed softly. “So now you know I’m a boring lodge owner who fills the roles of maid, doorkeeper and billing manager. What about you? Where do you work?”
He tipped an invisible hat. “Captain Daniel Sheridan, at your service, ma’am. I’m a commercial airline pilot.” Grinning, he touched a finger to the tip of her nose. I soar through the clouds on a silver steed. Does that make me a knight in shining armor?”
****
Karynn’s vision faded for the barest of half-moments. She breathed a silent prayer of thanks that she was sitting, otherwise she would have wilted to the floor in a humiliating puddle.
“Karynn?” Daniel’s frantic voice cut through the haze in her mind, but she couldn’t find her voice. “Karynn!” He slid to his knees, took her by the shoulders and gave her a tiny shake. “What’s going on?”
“I’m OK.” She forced enough starch into her spine to sit up straight. “I must be more tired than I realized. It’s late, and we should call it a night. You may have to leave early.”
He helped her to her feet, and then pulled her against him. “You were so pale…” The tremble in his voice hurt her heart, and she clenched her hands to keep them from sliding around his neck and through the soft hair that curled around his collar. If she stayed where she was, no amount of determination would keep her hands at her sides.
She eased out of his arms. “I’m fine. Really. I just need to sleep.”
Disappointment clouded his gaze, but he nodded. “Then let me help you up the stairs.”
Before she could protest, he’d slipped an arm around her waist. Within a couple of steps, she was grateful for his assistance. His playful announcement had noodled her legs. She couldn’t have managed the staircase on her own.
At her door, Daniel pulled her close against his chest. Karynn allowed the embrace…sank into it. She inhaled the faint smell of woodsy cologne…absorbed the ripple of muscles in his arms…committed to memory the wonderful sense of being cherished.
Blinking back hot tears, she determined to remember every tiny detail about these moments. After tonight, she couldn’t let it happen again.
Then she raised her face and looked into his beautiful sapphire gaze. That sparkle of life and fun in their depths would haunt her dreams. Savannah was right. Every other man who’d tried to find a hole in Karynn’s defenses had failed because he wasn’t this man. Daniel would forever be the love of her life.
He kissed her forehead. “Are you sure you’re OK?”
“I’m sure. Thank you for helping me upstairs. My legs feel a little boneless.”
“My pleasure. Always.” He winked, and a teasing grin caught her by surprise. “I’ll dial back the charm a little next time. At least enough to keep you on your feet.”
She laughed and took his face between her hands once more. On tiptoe, she brushed his lips with hers. Too brief to be called a kiss, the fleeting touch nevertheless sent a zip of something powerful through Karynn’s body. She pulled away with a tiny gasp. “Goodnight, Daniel.”
He blinked, his eyes dazed and unfocused.
Karyn slipped into her room and closed the door between them. The latch barely had time to click into place before she gasped, startled by a soft knock. Heartbeat racing, she jerked it open again.
“I forgot my kid.”
“You—? What?”
“Chrissy. She’s sleeping in your bed.”
“Oh.” She stared at him a moment before comprehension drew a burst of soft laughter. “I forgot too. Come on in.”
He moved easily through the dim suite and gathered the sleeping child into his arms. Karynn swallowed hard, touched to the core by his gentleness, and the overwhelming love that rolled off him in near-palpable waves as he settled her on his shoulder, all the while whispering soft reassurance into her ear.
Oh, God…how can I lose him again?
At the door, he peered over the blanketed bundle in his arms to give Karynn one of his trademark, self-assured grins and a slow wink. Then he was gone.
Locked inside the quiet suite once more, Karynn slid to the floor and buried her face in trembling hands that would not be stilled. Silent tears trickled through her fingers and down her arms.
Much later, she gathered her strength and stumbled across the room. Her clothes fell in a sad, crumpled heap beside the bed. She left them there, and slid between the sheets without bothering to find a gown.
All the hopes and dreams that had begun to take root in her heart lay in shattered disarray. What she’d seen in Daniel’s eyes today echoed what had been there when they were kids—he loved her, just as she loved him.
Yet, even now, they couldn’t have a future together.
She still had nightmares of her parents’ plane going down, still screamed out for them in the night, begging them not to die. She couldn’t survive that kind of loss again. For Karynn, Daniel’s “silver steed” was a monstrous metal beast, set on ripping the life from anyone to whom she gave a piece of her heart.
Despite the clamor of raging emotion, exhaustion won against the wide-awake tension in her soul. Sometime in the wee hours of a new day, she drifted off, to the quiet whisper of Gabriel D’Angelo’s voice in her mind. When past and present collide…take the high road, Karynn. All other paths lead backward.
7
Karynn groaned and pulled the covers up over her head. “Leave me alone.”
Savannah persisted. “Are you saying you don’t want to come down for breakfast, or you want to spend the day in bed?”
“Both.”
“Then I’ll be back after I eat. If you’re not up, I’ll do it your way....and you know what that means.”
Karynn’s eyes snapped open. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Savannah sailed across
the room and opened the door. “Are you brave enough to test me?”
Then Karynn was alone. She turned her back on the door and closed her eyes. Maybe her sister would chicken out and leave her alone. They weren’t kids anymore, and she was on vacation, after all. If she chose to spend the day huddled beneath the covers, alone in this suite, then that was her right.
On the other hand, she didn’t much like the idea of cold water in the face. Despite her fierce desire to stay in bed and mope, the thought brought on a little burst of laughter.
Savannah’d never been easy to get out of bed and off to school. Their mother used to accomplish the task by dribbling cold water on her forehead until she sat up, piping mad, but awake. The task sometimes fell to Karynn, but she never followed Mom’s kinder, gentler example. She gave her sister one loud yell of, “Rise and shine!” If Savannah didn’t drag herself out of bed within five minutes, Karynn dumped a full cup of iced water in her face. She had to get herself ready for school too. Who had time to coddle the spoiled baby of the family?
She lay a little longer, drifting in and out of sleep, wishing she really could get by with snoozing the entire day away. But, while her sister probably wouldn’t go so far as to drench her in icy water—at least, she didn’t think so—Savannah would demand an explanation for such out-of-character behavior.
She wasn’t ready to talk. Not today. Maybe never.
One last, loud groan, and then she stretched, angled onto her elbow and lifted out of bed. When she stood, her feet tangled in something, and she glanced down. Her clothes, piled on the floor in a messy heap, brought on a deluge of fresh pain. She rushed into the shower and stood beneath a stinging, hot spray until it turned warm, and then tepid, and finally grew cold.
As she wrapped a huge towel around her shivering body, she remembered.
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