S
everal hours later, Greg lay awake on the sofa, watching the trees swaying in the ever-increasing wind. A storm was brewing. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. On the one hand, he knew that anyone watching the cabin would be forced to seek shelter if the weather became severe. On the other hand, he had hoped to scout the area for further signs that the place was in fact under surveillance. Another snowfall would obliterate any clues he might otherwise be able to spot.
He wished to hell he knew how to contact Tim. If he was someplace where he could be contacted, Brandi's innocent call to the agency would be passed on to him. Greg was fairly certain that, despite convincing her that she had a wrong number, whoever had taken her call had managed to get her name. If the relationship between Tim and Brandi was as close as Greg suspected, Tim would waste no time in coming to her rescue.
Greg glanced over at the fire, which was going out. Throwing back the blanket that he'd tossed over himself, he got up, feeling the chill that had already invaded the room. Ignoring the fact that he had stripped down to his underwear, Greg built up the fire once more, making sure it was going before again seeking the comfort of his makeshift bed.
Despite Brandi's protestations, Greg felt certain that there was more than friendship between Tim and Brandi. He could well remember Penny's offhand remarks about Brad. If Tim had watched Brandi grow up, how could he possibly resist her?
Greg punched his pillow and turned over. How ironic that he continued to find himself in situations in which he was odd man out. He had long since recognized his wisdom in removing himself from Penny's life, even though the manner in which he'd done it didn't stand up very well under careful scrutiny.
Despite his love for Penny, he'd been able to distance himself enough from his emotions to make a clear, logical decision based on the facts of the matter.
Why was he having such a difficult time trying to deal with his emotions now?
One of the problems he was having was Brandi herself. He'd never known a woman like her before. She was such a mixture of warmth and impulsiveness, shyness and innocence. He had seen her truly frightened and was impressed by her ability to take care of herself under trying circumstances. He'd found himself eager to hear the peal of her infectious laughter and realized that no one had ever teased and played with him as she had that day in the snow.
Greg couldn't remember the last time he'd played in the snow with anyone, nor could he remember the last time he'd really laughed and enjoyed himself. Somehow, in his pursuit of a career, he'd lost sight of how to enjoy the little things in life.
Brandi had pointed out so many things today while they'd been out exploring: oddly shaped trees, a couple of squirrels, the sudden flash of color from a bird in flight. Even while skiing, he had a tendency to let his mind wander, more often than not trying to solve some knotty legal problem.
Brandi had shown him the fun of being fully conscious of the present. The first time he'd kissed her had been an impulse born out of the joy of sharing that moment with her. Her response had unnerved him, causing him to loosen his control for a few very precious moments.
The more he was around her, the more fascinating Greg found Brandi. He wasn't sure what he was going to do if his hunch was correct and there was more to Tim and Brandi's relationship than she was telling. He respected Tim more than he respected any other human being he knew. If Tim loved and wanted Brandi, Greg had to accept that. In the meantime, he had to get a firm grip on his emotions and not let them overpower him.
The situation at the moment was tense enough without his having to battle his sudden and totally unexplainable reaction to Brandi.
Turning onto his side, Greg determinedly closed his eyes. He had to get some sleep.
❧
Brandi saw the men coming after her and tried to turn and get away, but one of her skis wouldn't move. She tugged and tugged, frantic to escape. She could hear them shouting and running toward her—big men dressed in white sheets with masks pulled down over their heads.
They were almost upon her. She broke out of her skis and tried to run through the snow, but it was so deep that she couldn't move. She tried to run... she struggled. They were gaining on her. She couldn't get away!
"Brandi? Honey, it's okay. It's just a dream. You're all right. I'm here. No one's going to hurt you."
The soft, soothing words managed to seep through her anguished mind, and Brandi opened her eyes. She'd been dreaming. The covers were wrapped around her so tightly that she couldn't move, which explained the sensation of being trapped in her dream. Tears wet her face, and she was breathing in sobbing gasps.
Greg hadn't turned on the lights, but she recognized his voice and his shadowy outline on the bed beside her.
"Greg?"
He smoothed her hair away from her forehead.
"I'm right here."
"Oh, Greg, it was so awful." Her shuddering breaths hurt her lungs.
"I know, love, I know," he murmured, gathering her into his arms and holding her close. He could feel the rapid beating of her heart against his chest. Her breathing was rapid and shallow.
Greg continued to hold her close, murmuring soothing phrases until she began to slowly relax in his arms. When he eventually loosened his hold, she stirred.
"Please don't leave me."
When Greg had heard her cry out earlier, his first thought had been to reach her side. He hadn't taken time to dress before racing up the stairs. She was still too caught up in her dream to realize that he was sitting there with very little on.
"Go to sleep, little one. Nothing's going to harm you."
"Stay with me," she whispered. "Please."
He could not resist the appeal in her voice. Knowing that he was putting a great deal of strain on his already weakened willpower, Greg mentally acknowledged this latest test of his character and crawled under the covers with her.
Brandi curled up against his chest like a kitten and sighed, arms draped around him. Despite the discomfort of having her so close and knowing he was not going to do anything about it, Greg found himself relaxing.
It felt good to hold Brandi in his arms again. He was reassured by her trust in him, even though he recognized that it might be no more than the fact that she had no one else to trust. He had learned something important that day—to take pleasure in the present moment. He intended to do just that.
''What the hell is going on?"
Greg fought his way from a distant oblivion in order to make sense of the noise that seemed to be filling his head. He forced his eyes open and saw a dangerously irate redheaded man standing by the side of the bed. Greg's eyes drifted closed. He felt as though he'd just managed to fall asleep, and now there was someone—
He shot up in the bed. "Tim! When did you get here?" He glanced around and saw that Brandi was still sound asleep, although she had been curled up by his side before he'd moved.
The full picture of what Tim must have seen when he'd come up the stairs hit Greg. If Greg had any doubts about the conclusions that Tim had drawn, he had only to look at the ominously cold stare coming from his friend's normally smiling blue eyes.
Tim Walker was a few inches short of sue feet tall, but no one meeting him ever thought of him as small. His wide shoulders, muscled arms and broad chest created the image of a man you wouldn't want to tangle with. Greg glanced down at his watch. It was five o'clock in the morning, certainly not a time he'd choose for a confrontation with Tim Walker when he was upset.
Greg hastily headed downstairs to where he'd left his clothes. "I can explain—"
"You're damn right you will," Tim growled, following closely on his heels. He stood with his hands hanging loosely at his sides while Greg dressed more quickly than he had since he'd left the military.
"This isn't what it looks like."
"It's exactly what it looks like, and you know it. My God! All the years I've known you, and I had no idea you could take advantage of someone as sheltered and protected as Brandi. I could tell by her messages that she was frightened, but I knew she'd be safe up here. Hah! That's a laugh, isn't it?"
"Lower your voice, will you, before you wake her up? I haven't hurt your precious Brandi. She's fine." He strode into the kitchen and began to make coffee. "What are you doing here at this hour, anyway?"
"Oh, so it's my fault for coming early enough to catch you in bed with her, is that it? What I don't know makes everything okay, is that the way your mind works? Good God, Greg, I knew you were ruthless, I knew you could annihilate an opponent in a courtroom, but I never thought you would take advantage of a man's hospitality and seduce an innocent woman!"
"She isn't some sixteen-year-old child, for God's sake! Brandi Martin is a grown woman, Tim, a consenting adult. It is none of your damned business what we did or did not do, might or might not do, and I resent your unfounded accusations and unsubstantiated claims regarding my character!"
If Tim wanted a fight, he was going to have one, Greg decided. Some of Tim's comments had hit extremely close to the mark, echoing some of Greg's earlier thoughts, which only made him angrier. He hadn't taken advantage of her, even though he'd had every opportunity. He hadn't abused his friend's hospitality or his trust, and he was furious that he should be judged so harshly on such flimsy and circumstantial evidence.
He faced Tim, waiting for him to make the first move.
Tim leaned against the counter and stared at Greg for several tense moments without moving. Then he straightened and took a step toward him.
"Has anyone ever told you how adorable you are when you're angry?"
Greg had been ready for anything but that. He stared at his friend in astonishment. Tim was grinning. Bewildered at the sudden change in Tim's mood, Greg just stood there looking at him.
Tim began to laugh at the expression on Greg's face. "You're right, Greg. It's none of my business what you and Brandi choose to do. I guess I've looked out for her for so long that I forgot that I can't live her life for her, or make her choices for her. As you said, she's a grown woman."
Tim walked over and poured two cups of coffee, handing one to Greg. "I'm sorry for making such a fool of myself. My only excuse is that I was really worried about Brandi, which is why I drove all night to get here. When I first saw your car outside I felt nothing but relief, knowing that if you were here she was all right. To say that I was surprised at your sleeping arrangements is putting it mildly."
''You may have noticed that I was sleeping downstairs earlier."
Tim sat down at the table with a soft sigh of pleasure. "I don't mind telling you I'm tired, which partially explains why I was less than my normally observant self. Instead of my continuing to make erroneous guesses, why don't you just tell me what's going on?"
Greg sat down across from him. "Brandi's had a real scare, and I think she's still dreaming about it. I heard her last night and went upstairs to check on her. Later, after she had calmed down a little, I started to leave. She asked me to stay with her. So I did."
''And that's it?"
"That's it."
"You mean I'm not going to get to give the bride away?"
Greg studied Tim closely. "Would it bother you to see Brandi get married?"
"Not if she decided to marry you, old buddy. I couldn't be happier."
"You're really serious, aren't you?"
"Of course I'm serious. Why? Are you thinking about marrying her?"
"Don't be absurd. I just met her. Besides, I'm old enough to be her father. We're too different. We have absolutely nothing in common. And we're—"
"Whoa, wait a minute," Tim said, laughingly interrupting. "Talk about an avalanche of ridiculous reasons for not marrying someone. All you had to say was that you weren't interested in her, you know."
Greg raised his cup to his mouth without meeting his friend's inquiring gaze. He carefully sipped from the cup and meticulously replaced it in the exact spot where it had been. "I didn't say that."
"Yeah, I noticed."
They sat there for a while in silence, drinking their coffee and watching as the sky gradually lightened to a dull, threatening gray. The wind had steadily increased, its whistling moan around the comers of the house sounding like the wail of some long-lost soul.
After a while, Tim began to speak in a musing tone. "Brandi's family moved next to mine when we were kids. I think Brandi was still in diapers. I know she hadn't started school. Her father was a good provider, loved his wife and daughter. They were a very happy family. Unfortunately, her father died unexpectedly a few years later. The change in Brandi and her mother was really sad. It got to me, somehow. Up until then I'd led a rather self-centered existence, like most kids."
Greg remained silent, so Tim continued. "I began to look in on them and offered to help with the chores. My folks took a more active interest in them and, over time, Brandi and her mother managed to pull out of the pain from their loss. By the time that happened, I'd already adopted my rather overprotective attitude toward both of them." He stopped and took a sip of his coffee. "I love Brandi, Greg, but I'm not in love with her. Not in the way you are."
Greg met his friend's gaze without hesitation. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"That's possible. You've never been one to stay in close touch with how you're feeling about things. I suppose your feelings for Brandi will hit you sooner or later." He stretched, got up and poured them some more coffee.
"I've already told you—"
"I know what you've already told me. You're too old, you have nothing in common. All of that's a bunch of hogwash, and you know it. Age doesn't mean a thing when you're both adults. Brandi is a warm, responsive person. She could teach you a lot about life if you'd allow her to get close enough. And you'd be good for her, as well. I think you have the ability to appreciate the subtleties in her character, even though you'd deny to your dying breath that you possess any sensitivities."
Greg's emotions tumbled inside him like a roiling sea. Meeting Brandi had unleashed previously hidden portions of him, and Greg was having difficulty knowing how to deal with these new sensations.
At the moment, all he could do was play for time like the good strategist he was.
"I think you'd better hear about what Brandi accidentally stumbled into. From every indication, these people mean business. I have reason to believe that they may have traced her here. If so, they are professionals who are determined to get whoever they're after."
Even though Tim recognized the suggested change of subject as the ploy it was, he knew that Greg was right. He needed to know what was happening.
By the time Greg had told him all that he knew, Tim's expression was as serious as Greg's. "I had no idea this mess was so threatening. I thought that Brandi might have had prowlers at her home or something. She's pretty isolated, and I could understand if she'd gotten frightened enough to leave. But this!"
Tim got up and began to pace.
Greg glanced out the kitchen window. "I think I'll go outside and look around before the weather gets any worse. I'll feel better, knowing that you're with Brandi. I didn't want to leave her here alone, but hesitated to suggest that she go with me. That damn red jacket of hers fairly screams for notice."
"Good idea," Tim responded, watching as Greg slipped into his gray ski pants and jacket. "I might try to get some sleep. I don't remember the last time I was horizontal."
However, Tim's sleep was postponed by Brandi's appearance downstairs within half an hour of Greg's leaving the cabin.
"Tim! I didn't hear you come in." She had found him stoking the fire and launched herself into his arms almost before he had time to straighten and turn.
"Hi, Mouse!" he replied, hugging her to him. "How do you manage to get yourself into such crazy situations?" he asked, shaking his head ruefully.
"So Greg told you what happened." She glanced around the room and over to the kitchen. "Where is he, by the way?"
"Oh, he said something about skiing before the weather closed in any more." He yawned. "I was too tired to even consider going with him."
"I'm surprised he would have much energy after spending the night on this sofa. I tried to get him to take the bed, but he insisted on staying down here. I know he must have been uncomfortable, but I gave up arguing with him. Somehow I get the impression that few people win in an argument with that man."
Tim watched her closely. .It was obvious that she didn't remember Greg's going upstairs in response to her nightmare or her asking him to stay.
Brandi had been prone to nightmares for as long as he'd known her. One of the ways her mind dealt with them was to block them from conscious thought. No doubt she'd managed to block this most recent episode, as well.
"Have you eaten?" she asked.
"No. And I'm starved. Would you care to take pity on me, or will I have to make my own breakfast?"