Love Gone to the Dogs (15 page)

"Nothing's changed."

Did he really believe that? Her heart was becoming involved. Last night proved that to her. But to him it would have only been sex. His wedding ring on his left hand attested to that. She needed to put some space between them, at least until she figured out how to protect herself from getting hurt, if that were even possible now.

"Shane, the boys will be home soon. I need to finish the sandwiches."

He straightened. "Joey and I will work on the hang glider in my backyard. That way we won't be around—for Sam."

She felt him pulling back emotionally, and part of her appreciated it, but there was a part of her that rebelled. She had always known what she wanted in the past. Why couldn't she figure that out now?

As she was finishing the sandwiches and putting them on a plate, Joey came into the kitchen. He carried a rolled up piece of paper, two feet long, cradled against his side. He wore his serious expression that meant he had been putting in a lot of thinking time.

"I've drawn up some plans for the two-person glider. Ever since we talked the other day, Dr. O'Grady, I've been researching what to do," Joey announced. He gently laid his plans on the kitchen table as though they were his most precious possession.

Shane stole a dill pickle from a plate and took a bite as he sauntered to her son. "If we're going to be partners, I think you should call me Shane. Now let me take a look."

Leah watched as Shane spread the plans out on the table, his large hands smoothing the paper. Those same hands had caressed her. Would she ever quit thinking about his different body parts?

Before she had time to come up with an answer the kitchen was filled with the rest of her family, all demanding food immediately. She welcomed the diversion. This daydreaming at odd moments was getting downright annoying.

* * *

The day was beautiful, the sky crystal blue, not a cloud in it. The wind blew gently, just kissing her with its coolness—an unexpected relief from the usual summer heat—and Leah intended to enjoy it, even if it was the day Joey and Shane were going to try out their two-man glider.

Margaret sat down on the blanket next to Leah. "How did school go with the boys this week?"

"The good news is that I didn't get a call from the teacher."

"And the bad news?"

"The boys have hardly spoken two words to each other."

"It's difficult having a son who is so intelligent."

"I want Joey to have as normal a life as possible, but he doesn't relate intellectually with kids his age, or even older, which makes everything so difficult. He looks at things differently." Leah squinted to get a better look at Shane and her youngest on top of the cliff near where they had their picnic spread under a large oak tree.

"I know what you mean. I had that same problem with Shane."

Leah's breathing slowed as she watched them prepare the glider. "I hope I'm ready for this."

"They'll be all right. Shane wouldn't do it unless he thought it was perfectly safe."

"I know. It was this or , Leah turned her full attention to Margaret. "Has anyone said any more to you about the blackout?"

"Not after I had that run in with Madge at the grocery store. I think they are scared to. The calm, controlled doctor lost more than her shopping list that day."

"You know it's been over a week, and things are too quiet at the Shiplocks."

"Now that is scary. Ned is never quiet unless he's plotting."

"I'm afraid he's plotting our demise in this town, not Madge's next book."

The older woman patted Leah's hand. "Don't worry. Shane will take care of Ned."

"He's good at that"

"What?"

"Taking care of things, people."

"Yes. That's why he loves being a doctor. And frankly, between you and me, I also think that's why it didn't take much for the people to talk him into being town mayor. Oh, I know he complains about the job, but he doesn't really mean any of what he says." Margaret stood, looking up at the cliff. "They're ready."

Leah glanced upward, then away. "I don't think I can watch."

"I know what you mean. Shane was always testing his boundaries when he was growing up. Very hard on a parent."

The older woman fell silent, and Leah knew Margaret was following the progress of her son and Joey as they plunged off the cliff and caught an air current. Leah's heart slowed to a painful throb, her breath caught in her lungs. Suddenly she couldn't take the suspense any longer. She twisted around.

The glider was sailing on the wind like a bird. Exactly what her youngest had dreamed of for years, she thought, tears springing to her eyes, blurring the picture. Blinking, she rose to stand next to Margaret while Shane and Joey landed not far from them, like a bird coming to perch. Leah swiped at the tears that rolled down her cheeks and put on a brave smile as Joey raced toward her.

"Did you see it? Did you see it?" Her youngest beamed from ear to ear, as if he had just discovered the cure for cancer.

"How could I miss you two? You were like a big bird of prey swooping down for his lunch."

When Shane arrived, Joey wheeled around. "When can we go again?" His excitement was barely contained as he hopped from one foot to the other.

"One more time, after we eat."

"Only one more?"

"Joey!" Leah said, aware of Shane's gaze on her.

"That's okay. I can understand his enthusiasm. Joey, I think we should give your mother a chance to glide, too."

"You don't have to. I can forgo the pleasure."

"All right!" Joey exclaimed, jumping up and down. "That means I can do it a million more times."

"I don't think so, son—"

Shane stepped closer to Leah and looked into her eyes. "I think you should go up with me. That way you will know what's going on firsthand. There will come a day when Joey will want to do this by himself. Don't you think you owe it to yourself to understand what this is all about?"

"I prefer my feet firmly planted on the ground." She pointed downward as though to emphasize what she had said.

"You'll be safe with me." His declaration was spoken softly, his gaze mesmerizing.

It depended on what he thought was safe. Physically, yes, emotionally, no, Leah acknowledged to herself as she stood not two feet from him, trying to resist the power he had over her.

He held out his hand, and she remembered the night they had almost made love when he had done that very thing. Placing her hand in his, she realized she was giving him her trust, and that frightened her. Every time she had trusted, she had been terribly hurt.

She rode with Gramps and Shane in the truck up the side of the cliff on a narrow, dirt road, berating herself the whole way up. This might be her son's way of having fun, but it wasn't hers. How in the world had she allowed Shane to talk her into this insanity? She climbed out of the truck and looked down at Margaret and Joey—too far away for her to see their expressions, too far up for her heart to slow to a normal rate.

"Thank goodness my insurance is paid up," she said with a shaky laugh and turned back to Shane, who was preparing the glider's rear seat for her. "I can't believe I let my son jump off this cliff with you," she added with a glance at the sheer drop down.

Strapped in, Leah hung on for dear life as they ran and pushed off. For the first few seconds they plunged downward until the glider caught a wind current and began to soar. The rush of wind, the utter silence, the feel of Shane's body along her length were all calming to her as she peered at her family below.

Her heart continued its mad beating against her breast, but now it was more from excitement than fright. She felt exhilarated as they glided slowly down toward the valley floor. For a few minutes she was removed from the world below and reveling in the sensation of being alone next to Shane. Reality was suspended for a short span of time, allowing wants and needs to take hold, her body responding to his nearness. Every inch became attuned to him, sharpening her senses to the taste of the wind, to the sound of silence.

When they landed Leah knew she would never be able to stop her son from wanting to do this over and over. The rush was addicting, the thrill hard to beat. However, she was never going to do it again, even if Shane begged her. She didn't like taking risks, and she knew she wasn't really referring to hang gliding. The emotions that had surged to the surface as they had floated on the wind disturbed her.

"What did you think, Mom?" Joey tugged on her shirt.

She looked down at her son and smiled. For a few seconds she could say nothing until she felt her body's reactions calm to a normal pace. "It was—fun."

"I knew you would like it." Joey whirled around. "Can I go again, Shane? Can I?"

"After lunch. I don't know about anyone else, but I've worked up a huge appetite."

Gramps scuffled over to Margaret and took her hand. "And I know for a fact that this woman can fry the best chicken I've ever had."

"How do you know that, Harold? You've never tasted my fried chicken."

His face lit with a bright smile. "I sneaked some when no one was looking."

"Did you bother to leave any for us?" Leah asked as she opened the picnic basket to peer inside.

"Of course, as long as you don't want seconds."

"I'm not sure, Gramps, there's enough left for firsts." Leah placed the remaining pieces of chicken on a paper plate. "I guess we should be glad Sam decided he wanted to go to his friend's."

"He's just mad because I was going to try the glider first." Joey plopped down next to his mother and dug into the food as though he hadn't eaten in days and no one else would want any. "The manufacturer always has to test the apparatus first. Sam should know that," he said around a mouth full of fried chicken.

"You know, Margaret, I think this hang gliding should be tested by us old folks." Gramps looked at the glider.

"Who are you calling old?"

Gramps chuckled. "Right. Us mature folks."

"Who are you calling mature?" Leah asked as she dished up the potato salad.

"Funny, girl." Her grandfather glared down at her. "Maybe we could fly this contraption over the Shiplocks. I've always wondered what that blow— what that man has hidden in his backyard. Most folks have a four- or six-foot fence. Not him. Eight feet. What does he want to keep secret in his backyard?"

"Now, Gramps, don't do anything to further antagonize Ned. What he does in his own home, or in this case yard, is none of our business. Understand?"

"Girl, I'm not one of your children. Shane, are you game for showing me how one of those things works?"

"Harold, I don't know if that would be a good idea," Margaret said as Gramps walked toward the glider.

Leah squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds. What Margaret had said clinched it. Gramps would glide, no matter what. No one told him something wasn't a good idea. It was like pouring water on a grease fire. Thank goodness a doctor would be standing by.

Chapter Nine

Leah stood at the sink looking out into the backyard at Arnold, who as usual was lying on his back with his two hind legs sticking straight up in the air. For the past few days everything had been calm—too calm. The nape of her neck tingled as though giving off a warning of disaster about to happen. She couldn't shake the feeling that had forced her to give up writing for the day, hours earlier than she wanted.

Filling a glass with cold water she scanned the backyard, wondering what had drawn her toward the window in the first place. Except for Arnold, not another living creature was out there. Leah downed the cool liquid in several gulps and put the glass down next to the sink, ready to chalk up her feeling as a bit of overreacting to what was probably just the air-conditioning working at full blast

She was about to turn away from the window when something caught her eye. Squinting, she stretched forward to get a better look. In the tall oak tree near the fence between hers and the Shiplocks' yard she glimpsed something brown and green, and bigger than any animal she was familiar with. The "thing" moved.

Then, before she could scream, a pair of binoculars fell from the tree, followed by a body plunging downward. A scream did escape her throat as she watched her grandfather grab onto a limb and hang on, his legs dangling about fifteen feet from the ground.

With her heart pounding Leah raced for the back door, flinging it open as she relived the moment her grandfather had landed after hang gliding. She had been sure he had injured himself then. Somehow he had managed to remain in one piece, but obviously the man had a wish to experience broken bones. Why else would a man seventy-five years old climb a tree?

Arnold rolled his head toward her when she flew past him, grabbing the ladder near the tree trunk. Her breathing was coming in short gasps as she placed it under her grandfather's dangling legs while, thank goodness, he still had a grip on the branch.

"Stay calm. I'm here. Just hold on for a few more seconds," she called up to him in a voice that was anything but calm.