“Goodbye, Eddy.“ Diana pulled away from the gas station feeling dazed. Colby’s mother-in-law? But Colby wasn’t married’.
She was
sure
he wasn’t married. He couldn’t be married.
He would have told her if he’d had a wife. Colby Savagar wouldn’t play that kind of game.
But there was a lot she didn’t know about Colby Savagar, Diana reminded herself as she parked her Buick next to Colby’s Jeep. It was precisely that lack of knowledge that had kept her from going to bed with him last night.
She turned off the ignition and slipped out of the car. A small voice was urging her to turn around and drive away from what promised to be an unpleasant little scene. But the need to know the facts proved a far stronger motivation.
“Stay here, fella,“ she advised Specter. “I’ll yell if I need help.“
Specter was busy exchanging cold stares with the man who had driven the Cadillac. Diana took one glance at the overweight driver and then looked away. The man’s heavily jowled face was marked with the cruel, not overly intelligent lines of a natural bully. Diana was willing to bet that this was the kind of man who had amused himself as a child by tearing wings off flies. She hurried toward the post office.
The tension in the lobby hit her like a tidal wave when she pushed open the glass doors. The silence was unnatural. Several people stood as if nailed to the floor. Instead of exchanging gossip and observations on the weather as usual, they were all mute, all staring with rapt attention at the scene that was unfolding before them.
Colby was just turning away from the counter, a bunch of mail in his fist. He glanced toward the door and saw Diana. For an instant he fixed her with his brilliant gray eyes, but a second later he jerked his attention back to Margaret Fulbrook who had planted herself directly in his path.
“Harry told me you’d come back this summer, Colby Savagar.“ Mrs. Fulbrook’s voice had the carrying power of a woman who’d spent a lifetime commanding others and the situation around her. She wore her nearly seventy years with icy, rigid pride. Her hair was anchored in a queenly bun and her fine brown eyes were piercing. “I was inclined not to believe it at first. But then I recalled that the one thing you never lacked was the devil’s own nerve.“
Colby gave the older woman a chilling look. “Sometimes nerve was all I had. Excuse me, Mrs. Fulbrook. Someone’s waiting for me.“
“Who? That Prentice woman? I pity her. I’ve heard about her, too. Does she know what kind of man you are?“
“No, but then, neither do you,“ Colby said with soft savagery.
“You bastard,“ Mrs. Fulbrook hissed.
“You aren’t the first to suggest that possibility and you probably won’t be the last. But you sure can’t say that about my son, can you? In fact, if I ever hear you say anything at all about my son, I’ll…“
“Good morning, Colby.“ Diana unstuck herself from the floor and went forward with her best corporate smile, just as if she hadn’t overheard a word. “I wondered if I’d see you here today. I was going to give you a call later and remind you about that trip to the falls you promised me.“ She switched her smile to the postal clerk behind the counter who was watching the confrontation with a gaping mouth. “Got anything for me today, Bernice? I’m in a hurry.“
Bernice closed her mouth, her eyes darting from Colby to Mrs. Fulbrook to Diana. “Just this one letter.“ She handed it over the counter.
“Thanks.“ Diana took a quick glance at the familiar masculine scrawl and then dropped the envelope into her purse.
She took Colby’s arm in a casual gesture, aware of the battle-ready tension in his muscles. Then she smiled at the grim-faced Margaret Fulbrook. “You’ll excuse us, won’t you? Colby has been promising me this little outing for days. I
’ve packed a lunch and everything.“
“You’re as big a fool as my daughter was. But at least you’re no young, innocent girl. You look old enough to make your own mistakes. And mark my words, any woman who gets involved with Colby Savagar is making a serious mistake.“ Mrs. Fulbrook turned and swept disdainfully out of the lobby.
Instinct compelled Diana to urge Colby along in the other woman’s wake. It was difficult to stage an exit if your intended victims did not take it seriously. Diana wanted to make certain no one in the post office assumed Colby was taking this scene to heart.
“It’s going to be hot today,“ Diana remarked chattily as she crowded Colby through the swinging doors. “I was thinking of taking a swimming suit along on our picnic. Oh, and I’d better pick up some chips at the store. What’s a picnic without potato chips? Have you got a cooler we can use?“
She fell silent as they stepped out into the bright morning warmth. The man in the Cadillac got out with ponderous slowness to assist Margaret Fulbrook into the passenger seat. When he threw Colby a vicious glare, Diana steered her charge in the opposite direction.
“Okay,“ Colby said quietly as they reached his black Jeep. “The rescue operation is over.“ He leaned against the fender and tapped his bunch of letters against one palm. “Should I thank you?“
Diana shaded her eyes and watched the Cadillac pull out of the parking lot. “I suppose that depends on how badly you wanted rescuing.“
“Badly enough. It’s been twenty years since I’ve gone toe-to-toe with that old bat. I’m out of practice. But I think I could still take Harry if I had to. He’s really put on the weight. Looks slower than ever.“
“Harry being the driver, I take it?“
“Harry Gedge being Margaret Fulbrook’s odd job boy. He does whatever she tells him.“ Colby lost interest in the pair. “Were you serious about the picnic or was that just camouflage for the rescue effort?“
Diana drew in her breath and braced herself. “That depends on whether or not Margaret Fulbrook really is your mother-in-law.“
Colby’s brows rose sardonically. “Somebody sure filled you in fast.“
“It was Eddy Spooner at the gas station,“ Diana admitted.
“Good old Eddy. Well, he was partly right. I married Margaret Fulbrook’s daughter twenty years ago.“ He shifted his gaze to the disappearing Cadillac.
“Well?“ Diana prompted.
“Well, what?“ Colby looked back at her.
Diana sighed. “Are you still married?“
“No.“
Diana hid her sense of relief behind a reproving shake of her head. “If I waited to get answers from you, I’d wait until hell froze over, wouldn’t I?“
He smiled faintly. “And you like answers, don’t you?“
“I need a few before I go to bed with you,“ she retorted evenly.
Colby didn’t move. His expression was alive with sudden, searching intent. “Are you still considering the possibility of going to bed with me?“
“Yes.“
Exultant relief flashed in his gray eyes, but he only nodded once. “If you come through with a real picnic this afternoon, I’ll come through with some answers about Margaret Fulbrook.“
“It’s a deal.“ Diana turned to start toward her car.
“I'll pick you up in an hour. And wear a pair of sport shoes,“ Colby called after her. “It’s slippery up there around the falls.“
“I acted like an ass last night. You have my apology, for what it’s worth.“ Colby stretched out on his side with unconscious masculine grace. One knee was bent, his upper body braced on his elbow. His brooding gaze was on the town far below.
Diana was sitting cross-legged on the blanket, listening to the dull roar of the water. She followed Colby’s gaze and studied the picturesque scene below. The road that paralleled the river through the gorge was a narrow, twisting ribbon. She could see the old bridge across the river that linked the two halves of Fulbrook Corners. Her cottage was just barely visible on the same side of the river as Colby’s place, Specter, having given up on the possibility of getting any more potato chips, was sprawled behind her on a sun-warmed rock.
“Maybe you did act like an ass,“ she agreed after a moment. “But part of it may have been my fault. I didn’t handle the situation very well. I did a lot of thinking last night after you left. I’ve come to the conclusion you’re right. I have been giving out mixed signals.“
Colby’s eyes shifted slowly from the scene in the valley below to her face. “Signals?“
Diana fiddled with a small weed she had picked. “Yes, signals. You know what I mean.“
“I know what you mean, all right,“ he agreed roughly. “If nothing else, it’s a relief to know I wasn’t imagining things.“
Diana’s mouth curved in gentle amusement. “I expect that with an imagination like yours you have to be a little cautious about how you interpret things.“
Colby picked up his beer can and took a long swallow. His eyes met hers over the rim. “I can control my imagination. Most of the time.“
“I see. It’s your hormones you have trouble controlling?“
His eyes gleamed in the sunlight. “I can control those most of the time, too. But around you they seem to go a little crazy.“
Diana gnawed briefly on her lower lip and then opted for total honesty. “I think a part of me was thrilled to know that,“ she admitted very softly. “Because I was having the same kind of trouble controlling my, uh, raging hormones around you.“ She looked away, unable to meet his steady gaze. “I don’t have that kind of problem normally. It’s been a very long time since I felt on the edge the way I do around you.“
“So maybe we should take pity on ourselves,“ Colby said dryly. “Let’s go to bed together and work it out of our systems.“
Diana gave a disgusted exclamation and leaned back on her elbows. “You’re such a flaming romantic,“ she complained sarcastically.
“I write horror, not romance.“
“That’s no excuse.“ she snapped.
“It’s time both of us stopped behaving like a couple of teenagers and started acting our ages. Neither of us needs a repeat of last night.“
“I’ll make another deal with you,“ Diana said. “If you don’t mention last night again, neither will I.“
Colby shrugged. “Whatever you want, so long as you’re not trying to put an end to whatever it is we have going between us. Any more potato chips?“
“I think Specter ate the last of them.“
“Figures.“ Colby threw a disgruntled glance at the sleeping dog. “One of these days, that monster and I are going to have a serious talk.“
“Speaking of a serious talk…“
“Yeah?“
“Tell me about Margaret Fulbrook.“
“I did promise you a few answers, didn’t I?“
“Yes, you did.“
Colby took another swallow of beer. “There’s not all that much to tell. I was married to Cynthia Fulbrook.
Technically, that made the old battle-ax my mother-in-law.“
“What happened to Cynthia?“
“She died.“
“Oh. I’m sorry.“
“Margaret Fulbrook has always blamed me for Cynthia’s death, among other things.“ Colby’s mouth tightened. “I should probably take this from the top.“
“I’m listening.“
He drew a breath and shifted his eyes back to the little town below the falls. “My mother and my Aunt Jesse were both born in Fulbrook Corners. They came from the wrong side of the falls, as folks around here like to say.“ He smiled grimly and indicated a handful of rooftops on the left-hand side of the river. “They were stuck here all of their lives.
My mother worked in a local cafe and dreamed of marrying some man from the other side of the river.“
“And your Aunt Jesse?“
Colby’s eyes softened slightly. “Aunt Jesse dreamed a lot, too, but not about marrying and moving to the right side of town. She poured out her dreams in an endless stream of poems and short stories that almost never got published. She considered herself a writer, even if no one else did, and she felt obliged to live up to the image. She was eccentric, unpredictable and erratic. She seemed to be in another world most of the time. But after Mom died, she didn’
t hesitate to take me in. Aunt Jesse was good to me in her own strange way. And she taught me things.“
“What things?“
“How to take care of myself, mainly. She did it by leaving me to my own devices most of the time. It worked. I grew up knowing the only person you can count on is yourself.“
“What about your father?“ Diana asked cautiously.
“What about him? I sure as hell never had the privilege of meeting him. He worked for a lumber mill near here for a while – just long enough to get my mother pregnant – and then he took off.“
“Oh.“
Colby looked at her. “Yeah, that’s about all you say about it. Oh. At any rate, to make an excruciatingly long, boring story short, I grew up with Aunt Jesse. And I guess I ran a little wild. I was the dangerous young hood from the other side of the falls. Always in trouble. Always blamed when there were missing hubcaps. Always the one people pointed at when there was a fight at the school dance. Always the one who got picked up when Sheriff Thorp heard about a midnight drag race out on River Road.“
“And you were always perfectly innocent, of course?“
His lips twitched with a small smile. “Of course – except when it came to drag racing on River Road.“
“In short, the kind of boy our mothers warned us about,“ Diana replied with a flash of amusement.
“Afraid so.“ Colby rolled onto his back and cradled his head on his folded arms.
“Well, that makes sense,“ Diana said calmly. “That was always the most interesting kind of boy, naturally. I always wanted to meet one.“
Colby blinked lazily. “But you never did?“
“Unfortunately, no. I was never the type boys like that found fascinating. I wasn’t very pretty for one thing, and I was much too serious for another. From my first day in school, I knew I had to make something of myself. I always had my head in a book. By the time I was out of high school, I was on the fast track to college and a career.“
“And the kind of boy who swiped hubcaps, drove too fast and wore his hair too long wasn’t interesting any more, was he? That kind of guy wouldn’t have had any place in your up-and-coming life-style.“