For an instant, time went still in that strange way that it did sometimes when she was with Colby. She saw the fathomless desire etched in the hard lines of his face and felt the waves of his fierce will lapping at her.
He was so
strong, a legendary warrior, a man who dominated everything and everyone around him.
She was suddenly overwhelmed with the knowledge that she was engaged in a battle.
She was caught, trapped,
chained
…
And then Colby was grinning down at her, gray eyes warm and lazy with early-morning sensuality.
Yes, he was dangerous, she thought. But how could she resist? Diana opened her arms to him, and he came to her at once.
A long time later, Colby again rolled off the couch, this time rubbing his bristly jaw. “Too bad I forgot to bring along a razor. I wouldn’t have this problem if you were living with me.“
“You can use mine.“
“I think I’ll just do that. Serve you right for being too stubborn to move in with me. And then we’ll fix breakfast, and then I have got to get some work done today. What with one thing and another, I’m not exactly producing pages of manuscript lately. I think I’ll kick the kids out of the house for the day, lock all the doors, make a large pot of coffee and spend some time doing what I’m supposed to be doing this summer.“
“Colby?“
“Hmm?“
“I’m glad you came by when you did last night. It would have been a very long night, otherwise.“
He leaned down and gathered her up into his arms, crushing her very close once more. “I’m glad you needed me a little last night. Because I needed you, too.“
She clung to him until Specter scratched at the front door.
Three hours later, Brandon appeared in the Jeep. Specter raced out ferociously at the familiar sound of the engine, but when he saw who was at the wheel he immediately lost interest in the attack.
“Hi, Diana,“ Brandon said when Diana walked out onto the porch. “Dad won’t let anyone into the house. He says Robyn and I are supposed to entertain ourselves for the day. We’ve already gone hiking, and now Robyn is reading out there under the trees. I’m on my way into town to pick up Dad’s mail and some groceries. Dad said you might want to go along. He said you usually go into town about this time, too.“
“That sounds great, Brandon. I’ll get my bag.“
“Specter can come, too,“ Brandon called after her. “That’s why I brought the Jeep. There’s room for both of you.“
“If only your father were so gracious toward my dog. Specter might take an entirely different attitude toward him.“
Brandon laughed, and a few minutes later the Jeep pulled out of the yard with all of them aboard.
“You drive like your father,“ Diana muttered as Brandon whipped the Jeep neatly into a curve and accelerated confidently on the other side. The sense of speed, power and control was very familiar.
“Probably because he taught me,“ Brandon said with a casual shrug. “Specter okay back there?“
“He’s fine.“ Diana patted Specter, who had his nose stuck out into the slipstream.
There were several interested stares as Brandon parked the Jeep in front of the post office. Across the street, Eddy Spooner waved from under the hood of a car. Diana waved back on the way into the gossip center of Fulbrook Corners.
“Groceries next,“ she announced a few minutes later when they trooped back out of the post office.
“I’ll come with you,“ Brandon said. “Got to get some stuff for dinner. Dad says we’re having you over again tonight.“ He glanced around with interest. “Hard to believe Dad grew up in a place like this. Somehow it just doesn’t look like him.“
“I don’t think he fit in too well here,“ Diana murmured.
“I wonder why he came back this summer.“
“It’s an interesting question.“
It was then that Diana saw the aging blue Cadillac moving ponderously down the street toward them. She knew in that moment that she faced a major decision. She also knew there weren’t many options. The Cadillac was already slowing in front of them. Harry was going to park in front of the grocery store.
“Brandon?“
“Yeah, Diana?“
“That’s your grandmother in the Cadillac.“
Brandon came to an abrupt halt, staring in fascination as Harry got out of the car and opened the door for the regal woman inside. Margaret Fulbrook stood waiting, her eyes riveted on her grandson.
“Good morning, Mrs. Fulbrook,“ Diana said quietly as she and Brandon drew close. “Allow me to present Brandon Savagar. Brandon, this is Margaret Fulbrook.“ She held her breath, but Brandon’s innate good manners overcame the traumatic nature of the moment.
“How do you do, Mrs. Fulbrook?“ he said with admirable calm.
“You look like him,“ Margaret Fulbrook snapped accusingly. “Just like he did at your age. Except for the eyes.
What they told me about your eyes is true. They’re just like Cynthia’s.“
“That’s what Dad always said.“
“I’m surprised your father would admit there was any part of you that resembled your mother’s side of the family.
What did Colby tell you about Cynthia when you were growing up?“
“He said she was very pretty.“
Margaret Fulbrook’s eyes softened reminiscently. “Yes,“ she said, “my daughter was very pretty. Very full of life.
If it hadn’t been for your father…“
Brandon didn’t wait for her to finish. “Excuse me, Mrs. Fulbrook. We’ve got some shopping to do.“ He took Diana’
s arm with all the cool aplomb Colby would have demonstrated in the situation and started toward the entrance of the grocery store. Diana didn’t try to stop him.
“Where do you think you’re going, young man?“ Margaret Fulbrook shrilled behind them. “You come back here this instant. I’m talking to you. Harry, stop him. Stop him this instant.“
Harry lumbered into their path, moving as heavily as the big Cadillac he drove. His small eyes were narrowed in anticipation. “You heard her, kid. She wants to talk to you. Do like she says, or I’ll give you what I gave your father one night, back when he was your age.“
Brandon released Diana’s arm. She could feel him preparing himself.
“Don’t worry, Brandon,“ she said smoothly, “your father says Harry’s big, but he’s slow. And if he was too slow to take your father twenty years ago, I think it’s safe to assume that by now poor Harry’s turned into molasses.“
Rage creased Harry’s heavy face. “Slow, am I? I’ll show you who’s slow.“ He raised a meaty fist, glaring at Brandon. “You’re just like him, damn you. Just like him. He probably taught you a couple of his sucker punches. But I’
ll take you. See if I don’t.“
Brandon stood waiting. He never took his eyes off his opponent.
Diana turned to fix Margaret Fulbrook with a withering glance. “This little performance is certainly guaranteed to make sure Brandon never speaks to you again, isn’t it, Mrs. Fulbrook?“
“I want to talk to him. I must talk to him. Now that^ I’ve seen him, I must speak to him. Don’t you understand?“
“I understand. But the first requirement is that you call off Harry.“ Diana was aware of the gathering ring of onlookers. “If there’s bloodshed, this will be the end of it, Mrs. Fulbrook. You’ll never see Brandon again.“
“But he was leaving,“ Mrs. Fulbrook wailed.
“I
was trying to talk to him and he walked away from me.“
“Only because you started to bad-mouth Dad,“ Brandon said, still not looking away from Harry. “I’m willing to talk to you, ma’am, but I won’t let you say anything against my father.“
There was an acute silence and then Margaret Fulbrook heaved a deep sigh. “Come away from him, Harry.“
“But, Mrs. Fulbrook…“
“I said, come away from him.“
Harry was clearly vastly disappointed, but he obeyed reluctantly.
“Now come back here and talk to me, boy.“
Brandon turned around slowly. “You give me your word you won’t criticize Dad?“
“It will be hard not to criticize him,“ Mrs. Fulbrook said honestly. “I’ve had twenty years of practice. But 111 do my best. Now come over here and let me look at those eyes again.“
Diana smiled slightly as Brandon went back toward his grandmother. “Ill do the grocery shopping while you two go have a cup of coffee,“ she said.
But neither Brandon nor Margaret Fulbrook were paying her any attention. They were too busy looking at each other’s eyes.
An hour later, a thoughtful Brandon dropped Diana and Specter off at the cottage. Brandon had said little on the way back from town, but when Diana started to climb out of the Jeep he spoke.
“What do you think of her, Diana?“
She sat back in the seat and studied Brandon’s intent, concerned expression. “She’s a bitter old woman who has denied herself her grandson for twenty years. Now she’s seen you and she’s regretting having let all that time go by.
You’re all she has left.“
“I felt kind of sorry for her. In spite of the way she sicced old Harry on us.“
“You were generous and kind to her today, Brandon. You gave her something she could never have bought, or stolen, or taken by force. Deep down she knows that.“ Impulsively Diana leaned across the seat and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Only a real man could have handled that situation as well as you did today. I’m proud to know you.“
She backed out of the Jeep. Specter jumped down beside her and immediately headed for the porch steps.
“Diana, wait.“ Brandon had turned brick red at her comment on his manliness, but he looked very pleased. “What do you think I should tell Dad?“
“I don’t know. The truth, I suppose. He must have known that with you in town the meeting was inevitable. I think his main concern was that Mrs. Fulbrook would try to hurt you somehow. But when he realizes how well you handled the whole thing, he’ll relax. And you did handle it well, Brandon. You had her eating out of the palm of your hand.“
Brandon grinned. “Not quite, but she’s certainly not the tough old bird Dad made her out to be.“
“Maybe she was a lot tougher twenty years ago.“
Brandon put the Jeep in gear. “Probably. See you later, Diana, and thanks.“
Diana watched him wheel the Jeep out of the drive, and then she turned toward the cottage. “Come on, Specter, old buddy, let’s get ourselves a snack.“
But for once Specter did not come to instant attention at the mention of food. He was sniffing around the front door and making odd snuffling sounds.
Diana felt chilled. “Specter? What is it? What’s wrong?“ She dug her keys out of her shoulder bag and started to fit them into the front door. Specter scratched at the screen, obviously impatient.
Maybe Colby was inside, Diana thought. But why hadn’t he come out when he heard the Jeep? She turned the key slowly and then instinctively stood back to let the dog enter first.
Specter didn’t hesitate. He trotted inside and began sniffing around the hall table. Diana followed slowly, trying to figure out what was so wrong in the hallway.
It took her a full three seconds to realize the small table with the empty vase was positioned on the left side of the hall instead of the right.
Someone had moved it. Someone who had studied
Shock Value.
“My God, Specter. Someone’s deliberately spooking me. Someone’s trying to scare the daylights out of me.“
Whoever he was, he was succeeding.
Diana stared at the hall table for a few more seconds, aware of her pounding pulse and the cold dampness of her own nervous sweat. She tried to think clearly. The intruder must have long since departed, she assured herself.
Specter would not be this calm if there was someone hiding in the cottage.
She made herself walk past the table into the kitchen. This time she didn’t have to search through her copy of
Shock Value
to find the pertinent passage. The book was lying open on the table. Diana gazed down at page fifty-six.
For a moment she couldn’t seem to focus. Then the words settled into place on the page.
It was such a small thing, this new position of the table, just a minor adjustment in his everyday world. It was the kind of casual rearrangement of furniture that anyone might try, to see if the space could be better utilized or if eye appeal could be enhanced.
But the effect was devastating. Some minor demon had paused long enough in Donnelly’s personal universe to introduce an element of horrific chaos.
Because Donnelly knew that no human hand could have moved the table. There was no way anyone could have entered the house undetected. The security system he’d installed was foolproof.
But he refused to believe in demons, minor or otherwise.
Perhaps the time had come to ask himself if he was going insane. It would be interesting to see what the verdict was.
Diana couldn’t bring herself to read any further. She closed the book and went slowly into the living room. Specter had lost interest in the table. He followed his mistress and flopped at her feet when she sank down onto the sofa.
Diana was still huddled on the sofa half an hour later when the Jeep roared back into her drive. Specter raised his head and barked ferociously.
Relief flooded through Diana when she realized it had to be Colby. It was a shock to acknowledge to herself how much she needed him in that moment, needed to turn to him for comfort and reassurance, needed him for his strength and the protection he could provide. It was the first time in her life she had ever considered turning to a man for such things. But then, she had never known a man like Colby.
Then she heard the screen door slam with sickening fury and Diana’s relief turned to dread. The last thing she needed right now was Colby’s anger.
Sensing genuine rage, Specter changed his familiar growl of protest into something much more serious. But Colby ignored the dog. He came down the hall in three long strides, and his glittering eyes went straight to Diana. His face was a mask of hard fury as he came toward her.