❧
Hours later they returned to the cabin, happily exhausted, and saw Tim's car. Brandi breathlessly shed her skis and stumbled up the stairs and across the deck to the door.
"Tim?'' she called, throwing open the door. "What did you find out?" She bent over and started unlacing her boots.
She heard a noise from the couch, and Tim's frowning face appeared over the back of it. "I found out that I might as well forget about catching up on my sleep if you're anywhere in the vicinity," he grumbled, running his hand through his hair.
Brandi stepped out of her boots and padded over to where he sat stretching.
''Well? What did you find out?" she demanded.
Tim glanced around. " Where's Greg?"
"Oh, he's coming. We were out skiing. Isn't it a gorgeous day?"
He narrowed his eyes when he looked toward the bright expanse of snow and sky. ''Yeah. Gorgeous."
"C'mon, Tim. Tell me."
"I only want to explain once, and I need Greg's opinion on a couple of things." He stood and dropped his arm around her shoulder. "So, Mouse, have you been behaving yourself while I've been gone?" He began to walk toward the kitchen.
"Of course."
"And Greg has been the perfect gentleman, has he, chivalrously giving up the bed to you?"
"Well, not exactly. You see, we had some unexpected company last night."
Tim stopped in the kitchen and looked down at her. "Last night? In that storm? Who in the hell was out in that?"
"Two state police officers, looking for a dangerous suspect for questioning—Brandi Martin."
Tim sat down rather abruptly at the table and muttered several unprintable phrases just as Greg walked through the door.
"I resent that last remark. I know for a fact that my parents were married for several years before I was born," he said calmly, unzipping his jacket.
"I wasn't talking about you, counselor."
"Well, that certainly relieves my mind, let me tell you. Whose ancestry are you discussing?"
"I want to hear about your visitors last night."
"Oh, them," Greg said nonchalantly, pulling off his boots and walking over to the counter, where he poured himself a cup of coffee. "I don't know about you guys, but I could use something to eat. How does soup and sandwiches sound?"
"Greg, I'm serious," Tim said in an irritated tone.
"So am I. I really burn up energy when I'm skiing. Anyone else hungry?"
Brandi tried to hide her smile as she got up and began to help Greg with the meal. She'd never known anyone to give Tim Walker a hard time before—besides herself, of course. She was enjoying it immensely.
Greg glanced over his shoulder. "We could make a deal. Walker. Fill us in on any information you picked up and I'll do the same."
"Damn. I forgot about you and your negotiating skills, Duncan," Tim said with a grin. They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Brandi felt left out of the male camaraderie for the moment and yet felt a warmth pervade her at the obvious closeness of the two men. She had a tremendous respect for Tim Walker and his judgment. There was no denying the close bond between these two men.
Within minutes they were seated and in front of them were steaming bowls of soup and a platter piled high with sandwiches. Without thinking about it, Brandi had sat next to Greg, across from Tim.
Greg nodded toward Tim. "Any information?"
"Some, but nothing conclusive. Whatever is going on up there is either supersecret or without sanction by the government. My guess is that it's both. I had to put my reputation on the line to convince some high-ranking people that what I described had actually happened."
"So what's next?" Greg asked.
Tim paused long enough to take a couple of bites of his sandwich. "Well, that's what I was going to discuss with you before I heard about your visitors," he said to Greg. "I don't want to take Brandi back to Denver with me. I thought she'd be safer staying here with you, if you would be willing to spend some extra time. Now I'm not too sure about that idea, either."
Greg smiled at Brandi. "We've been discussing that this morning. The two men who were here last night had not seen a picture of Brandi, so I introduced her as my wife, Beth."
Tim raised one brow slightly. "Your wife, Duncan? Couldn't you have been more original than that? What about your daughter?"
"Very funny." He glanced around at Brandi, who was studiously eating her soup without looking up. "Although you're probably right, I could pass as her father just as well."
Brandi choked and looked up at the two men.
"I asked her to marry me last night, but she was too polite to point out the difference in our ages."
Tim stared at his friend in disbelief. Brandi wished she could hide under the table. She couldn't remember ever having been so embarrassed. How dare he bring up his proposal so casually, and in front of Tim?
"You want to marry Brandi?" Tim said in a surprised voice.
"Well, I thought I did, but after she carefully enumerated all of her many faults, she's almost convinced me that I had a rather lucky escape." He winked at Tim.
Tim's gaze fell on Brandi's crimson face. "You turned him down?"
"He was just being polite," she managed to get out.
"That's funny, I've never thought of Gregory Duncan as particularly polite before. Must be a side of him I've never seen."
"Well, it was the third night I was going to be sleeping with her, so I thought I should at least offer-"
"Third night!" Brandi interrupted indignantly. "It was only the second night. You slept downstairs—"
"'Fraid not, Mouse," Tim interjected. "The morning I got here I found the two of you all snuggled up together."
Brandi stared at each man with dismay.
"Don't you remember the nightmare you had?" Greg asked in a low voice.
Brandi paused, thinking back. "Vaguely. I've been dreaming a lot lately."
"I heard you cry out and went upstairs to check on you. You asked me to stay."
"And I demanded that he do the proper thing and make you an honest woman. Obviously he took my advice."
Brandi threw her napkin down. "This is the most ridiculous conversation I've ever been involved in." She glared at Tim. "It's none of your business who I sleep with!"
Tim smiled and took a sip of his coffee. Over the rim of the cup he eyed her and said, "So Greg reminded me."
"Good." She turned to Greg. "And as for you, it would have served you right if I'd said yes! Then where would you be?"
Greg's mouth twitched slightly, but he said in a solemn tone, "The possible consequences of my reckless behavior bring horror to my innermost being, Brandi. All I can say is I had the narrowest escape of my life. Thank you for your mercy." He picked up his sandwich and took a bite.
Brandi jumped up from the bench. "I hope both of you are having a marvelous time at my expense," she said in an injured tone.
Two pairs of innocent eyes turned and stared at her in puzzlement. "What did we do?" they said in unison, for all the world as though they'd practiced for hours to perfect their response.
"I'm going upstairs to take a nap," she announced, walking away.
"Try not to have any nightmares," Tim called out with a grin. "Otherwise, Greg will be upstairs forcing another proposal on you." Greg bit his lower lip to keep from laughing.
❧
The two men were silent for a few moments after she left. Finally Greg said in an entirely different tone from the one he'd been using to tease Brandi, "What's the word?"
"I don't like it. Not at all. I was able to get in touch with the people who should know if something of that nature was going on. They were totally unaware."
"Do you believe them?"
"In this case, yes. They're men I've worked with before. They wouldn't lie to me."
"So where does all of this leave Brandi?"
"In a very vulnerable position at the moment. I was told to bring her in—for questioning."
"What?"
"Yeah. They believe me, all right, but they're hoping that maybe she only imagined part of what she saw."
"And I suppose she imagined the men chasing her, even to having an all points bulletin out for her arrest?"
"Calm down. I'm not turning her over to them." He studied the man across the table from him. "Care to explain what's going on with you and Brandi?"
"Obviously nothing, as far as she's concerned. But I'm not ready to give up."
"You mean you sincerely want to marry her?"
"Come on, Walker. You've known me a long time. I don't go around proposing to women out of motives of chivalry. I fully intend to marry her. But it may take a little time."
"It will take more than a little, let me warn you. Brandi's petrified of commitment. The only reason she's allowed me in her life is because she feels safe with me. I give her plenty of space, don't try to become a part of her daily existence."
"I love her, Tim."
Tim grinned. "I had a hunch that might be the case, particularly after I walked in on you the other morning."
"My overreaction was strictly due to a guilty conscience, believe me."
"Well, it sounds to me as though marriage might be the safest thing if you're going to continue sleeping with her every night."
''I haven't made love to her, Tim."
Tim leaned back and studied his friend in silence. "Why not?"
"For several reasons. One of the biggest is the fact that I didn't come prepared for such an eventuality and I have a hunch she isn't protected. I don't want to take a chance at this stage in our relationship that Brandi would feel forced into marriage with me due to an unplanned pregnancy."
"Good point."
"Well, I just wanted you to know I'm not totally without principles, old man."
"To be honest, I'd breathe a lot easier at night if I knew she was with you. I'm not sure what to do now. As soon as I get to Denver, they're going to be watching me, hoping I'll lead them to her."
"What about now? Do they know she's here?"
"No. That's why I was so surprised to hear the police had been here."
Greg threw up his hands. "Great. So now not only do we have to keep her hidden from the characters who've been chasing after her, but also from our own government officials."
"That's about the size of it."
" She's agreed to go back to Payton with me."
Tim leaned back. "That's a thought. Nobody would connect her with you."
"I don't care if they do. I still intend to marry her."
"Even after the list she gave you of all her undesirable traits?"
''Well, I'm not going to give her a list of mine, that's for sure. She can find them out on her own."
Tim grinned. "Oh, I don't know. You're not so bad. It's a shame you're not my type—I'd marry you myself."
"Has anyone ever told you what a rotten sense of humor you have, Tim?"
"It may have been mentioned once or twice. Why?"
"Nevermind."
"When are you planning to leave?"
"I'd like to get on the road as soon as possible. We were waiting to hear from you before taking off." Greg glanced at his watch. "We wouldn't get too far before dark. Maybe we should wait until morning."
Tim stood. "That's up to you, but personally I feel that the sooner we get Brandi away from here, the better off she's going to be. Not too many people know about this place, but if someone was determined to find me, they could. I'd sleep better knowing she wasn't anywhere around me."
Greg stood, too. "Good point." He walked into the main room, and Tim followed. "I think I'll load up the car so Brandi can rest as long as possible."
"Has she already agreed to go with you?"
"Yes, if I don't discuss marriage with her."
Tim looked startled for a moment, then burst out laughing. "My only regret," he said when he paused for breath, "is that I won't be able to witness your courtship. Maybe you could videotape it for me." Greg grinned.
"Go to hell."
In a more sober tone, Tim replied, "No, thanks. I've already been there... and so have you."
The two men looked wordlessly at each other, nodded and turned away.
❧
When Greg went upstairs to awaken Brandi, he found her contentedly curled up under one of the heavy quilts.
"Brandi?" he said softly, sitting down beside her. She looked so peaceful, so innocent of the many undercurrents that were swirling around her. "Honey, I hate to wake you..." His voice trailed off. Leaning over, he braced his arms on either side of her and kissed her softly on the lips. Without opening her eyes, Brandi raised her arms and curled them around his neck, holding him close.
Once again, she'd been dreaming. This time, however, her dreams were far from nightmarish. She was with Greg. She knew she was safe... knew that she would always be safe... because of Greg. His kiss seemed so natural, and she pulled him closer to her, loving the feel of his body against hers.
Why had she fought her feelings for him? She loved him. She never wanted to lose him from her life. She couldn't lose him, not now. She needed him so much. She needed—
Her eyes flew open, and she realized that Greg was actually kissing her and that she was encouraging him. She stiffened, pulling away and staring up at him in alarm. What had she been thinking of? Of course she didn't need him. She didn't need anyone.
"I'm sorry to wake you," he said, "but Tim and I both feel we need to get you out of here. Are you still willing to go with me to Pay ton?"
She glanced toward the window. "Now?"
He nodded. "The sooner the better."
"Why?" She struggled to sit up, and he moved away from her. "What's happened?"
"Nothing new. This is just a preventive measure. There's no reason to take any chances when we don't have to.''
Brandi threw back the covers and stood, then swayed, almost losing her balance. Greg reached out and braced her shoulder with his hand. "You okay?"
"I got up too quick, that's all." She started downstairs. "Is Tim still here?"
"Yes. We've been loading the car."
Brandi found that everything she'd managed to accumulate in the few days she'd been at the cabin was now packed in the car.
Tim grabbed her and held her close to him. "Take care of yourself, Mouse. I'll be in touch."
She hugged him back. ''Then you think this is the best thing to do?"
"Yes." He leaned down and whispered, "I also think you should consider making an honest man out of this fellow. You've already ruined his reputation, staying with him like this. What are all of his neighbors going to think when he shows up in Payton with you as a houseguest?"
Brandi pulled away. "My God! I hadn't thought of that."
"I was only kidding."
"Maybe so, but you're right. I can't go over there and stay with Greg. Payton's a small town. What are the townspeople going to think?"
Tim grinned. "You know very well what they'll think, Mouse."
"I can't go."
"Yes, you can. But you might want to seriously consider his proposal."
"Don't be silly. He wasn't serious." She glanced around to make sure that Greg hadn't heard her. He was in the kitchen pulling out cans of drink and putting them into a Styrofoam carrying case.
"You think not? Greg doesn't joke around about things like that."
"But I can't marry him! I don't intend to marry anyone. You know that!"
"I know that has been your opinion of things for several years now, Mouse. I'd like to leave you with a thought—if you haven't changed your opinions in the past ten years, you might want to check your pulse. You may be dead."
''But, Tim, I'd make a lousy wife. I don't know the first thing about it."
"Funny you should say that. Greg feels his qualifications as a husband are equally nil. Personally, I think that's a great foundation. You don't have any preconceived notions to unlearn."
He gave her a brief hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Think about it, Mouse. Don't let your fear of the unknown stop you from fully enjoying all that life has to offer. Life is too short to deny yourself."
"Brandi, are you ready?" Greg called from the kitchen.
She looked up at Tim. "No," she whispered for his ears only. "I'm not. But I'm going anyway."
Tim grinned. "That's my girl. You can do it."
Brandi joined Greg in the kitchen. While she was pulling on her coat, the two men discussed the weather conditions and driving time, and Greg told Tim the approximate time he hoped to arrive home.
"Don't call me," Tim cautioned. "I'll call you when I have any news."
Greg nodded, understanding what Tim didn't want to put into words in front of Brandi—that his own employers would be monitoring his calls and looking for answers.
The car was running and warm inside when Brandi and Greg got in. Brandi glanced back at Tim, who stood on the deck and waved as they drove away. She didn't know what she would have done without Tim in her life. His support and encouragement carried a great deal of weight with her.
But could she take his advice? Glancing out of the comer of her eyes, Brandi took in the competent picture that Greg made driving down the narrow, winding road to the main highway.
She trusted this man with her life. Could she possibly learn to trust him with her heart?