Nightway (26 page)

“Chad has been very helpful,” she replied cautiously, very careful not to raise her voice.

“I’ll bet he has.” A thread of contemptuous laughter weaved into Hawk’s response.

But the conversation had brought the topic around to one Lanna wanted to clarify. “That night—” she began.

“If you’re concerned that I’m going to talk, don’t be,” Hawk interrupted. “Chad’s the one who brags about his conquests. No one is going to hear about that night from me.”

“I wasn’t trying to imply that you would spread it around. It’s just that I don’t normally—” She attempted to defend her behavior that night but wasn’t permitted to finish.

“Look, we each satisfied a mutual need. Let’s leave it at that.” To ensure that the topic was dropped, he directed her attention to the front again. “We’re crossing the south boundary of the ranch.”

Instead of feeling relieved and reassured, Lanna experienced a twinge of disappointment. She hadn’t expected Hawk to treat the incident with such an attitude of insignificance.

Forested mountain slopes gave way to a long valley corridor that steadily widened. The plane began its descent. It wasn’t long before Lanna spied the private airstrip lined up directly ahead of them. A collection of ranch buildings was nestled in a grove of trees not far from the strip. Lanna had a glimpse of the buildings before the plane swooped in to land.

Hawk taxied the plane to the metal hangar where a station wagon was parked. Chad’s wife, Carol, was
standing beside the car. The willowy blonde waved at the plane stopping at the hangar but waited beside the car. A cowboy dashed out to slide chocks behind the wheels as soon as the engines were turned off.

The buckle of her seat belt stuck, resisting Lanna’s efforts to unfasten it. Finished with shutting down the plane, Hawk turned and saw the difficulty she was having. He reached over and deftly released the catch. His hands made only brief contact with her waist, but it was sufficient to cause a fluttering response in her stomach. Lanna tensed self-consciously. Hawk didn’t notice her reaction, or else he ignored it.

She departed from the plane ahead of Hawk. Chad was waiting outside to help her alight. The sunglasses were gone when Hawk joined them, the dusty brown hat again on his head. His blue gaze barely paid any notice to Lanna at all as he unlocked the baggage compartment and began unloading their luggage. The cowboy came forward to help with the suitcases, relieving Chad of the need to carry his own.

“Hello.” Carol came forward to greet them. “Did you have a good flight?”

“Of course.” Chad leaned down to kiss her cheek. “It was Lanna’s first flight in a private plane.”

“How are you feeling?” Carol’s smiling face was turned to her. That air of friendliness seemed to come naturally to the blonde, although sometimes Lanna glimpsed a silent yearning in her green eyes. She had wondered about it, just as she had wondered about the absence of any affectionate display between Carol and Chad. They didn’t appear to have an unhappy marriage, yet it seemed to be lacking something.

“Much better, thank you,” Lanna insisted. Her gaze strayed to Hawk, who was stacking the suitcases in the rear of the station wagon.

“You must be anxious to reach the house and relax a little,” Carol stated and glanced at her husband. “Do you want to drive, Chad?”

“Yes. You can ride in the front with me, Lanna,” he stated.

“No, I’ll ride in back,” she insisted, not wanting to usurp Carol’s position. “Carol can sit with you.”

“No, I insist,” said the blonde, adding her voice to Chad’s. “How can I properly supervise Chad’s driving if I’m not sitting in the back seat?” she laughed.

Against her better judgment, Lanna allowed herself to be helped into the front passenger’s seat while Carol climbed in the back. As Chad was sliding behind the wheel, Hawk crossed in front of the car and walked toward the parked airplane where the cowboy was fastening the tiedowns. He didn’t even glance in the direction of the car when Chad reversed it onto the graded road leading toward the ranch buildings.

“You’ll like the house, Lanna. It’s old, but it was built to last for generations,” Carol stated, then kept up a steady flow of conversation during the drive.

When Chad stopped the car in front of a large, sprawling house, Lanna understood what Carol had meant. Built of stucco and rough wooden beams, it was a solid structure in keeping with the rustic surroundings.

Chad walked around the car to open Lanna’s door and help her out—then Carol’s door. The blonde started to lead the way to the covered entrance, but Lanna hesitated.

“What about our luggage?” she asked Chad.

“One of the hands will carry it in,” he said and slipped a hand under her elbow to guide her to the thick oak door.

The thick walls of the house kept the interior cool. The change in temperature was the first thing Lanna
noticed when she stepped into the tiled foyer. White walls added to the spacious feeling, and archways led to the two rooms and a hallway that branched off from the foyer. The room was sparsely furnished; a Navaho blanket splashed color on one wall, while a polished walnut table held an urn of dried flowers and seeds. Lanna guessed that this subtle blend of nature and Indian culture set the atmosphere carried throughout the house.

“Katheryn!” Carol called. “Chad has arrived with Lanna.” She started into the room off the left archway. The pressure of Chad’s hand on her elbow indicated to Lanna that they would follow.

The living room was dominated by a large fireplace of tawny stone. A grand piano stood near a set of veranda doors. The elegance of the room was not lessened by the odd pieces of Indian pottery that decorated the polished wood side tables, along with bronze sculptures of wildlife.

Lanna’s attention was diverted when the slimly regal figure rose to greet her. An aloof smile curved Katheryn Faulkner’s mouth. Since their first meeting, there had always been that air of reserve about the woman. Lanna had never been entirely certain that John’s wife believed she and her husband were just friends, and no more. Lanna was uncomfortable in the woman’s presence. She had strong second thoughts about her decision to accept Chad’s invitation to visit the ranch to rest and recuperate from her recent illness.

“I hope you both had a good trip. Would you like some coffee or tea?” Katheryn inquired.

“No, I don’t care for any, thank you,” Lanna refused and continued to stand. She was conscious of her awkward position as John’s friend in his widow’s home.

“I think I’d like some coffee, Mother,” Chad said, accepting the offer.

“I’ll get it for you,” Carol volunteered.

“Have a seat, Lanna.” Chad motioned in the direction of the cinnamon-colored armchairs.

“Would you like me to show you to your room?” Katheryn inserted when Lanna hesitated a fraction of a second. “You would probably like to freshen up after your trip.”

“Yes, thank you,” Lanna agreed quickly.

“This way.” Katheryn walked through another archway and followed a wide corridor.

There seemed to be a maze of interconnecting hallways and rooms branching out from them. Lanna was certain she would become lost on her own. Finally, Katheryn stopped and pushed open a door.

“This is the master bedroom, which has its own private bath and doors to the veranda,” Katheryn explained as she led the way inside the room. “I hope it’s satisfactory.”

“It’s beautiful.” The room was nearly as large as the living room in Lanna’s apartment. Besides the heavy bedroom furniture, there was a matching loveseat and chair, and a secretary’s desk. “I hope you don’t object to my coming here.” Lanna still felt guilty and wanted to make amends. “I’m sure you don’t feel like entertaining guests while you’re in mourning, so please don’t feel obligated to make any special effort on my behalf.”

“I have no objections to your visit,” Katheryn insisted. “Chad explained you need rest. I’m pleased you felt you could find it here.” The statement didn’t ease Lanna’s sense of discomfort despite its welcome sound. A noise outside the room caused Katheryn to turn toward the hall door. Hawk stood within its frame, holding Lanna’s suitcases under his arm. “Bring Miss Marshall’s luggage in, Hawk.” Katheryn spoke to him as if he were a servant. His mouth quirked even as he complied with the order, moving in his silent way past
Lanna to the center of the room. “I’ll send someone to unpack for you, Lanna,” Katheryn stated.

“No. There’s no need,” Lanna refused gently. “I’ll do it myself. Thank you.” She was becoming too accustomed to other people doing things for her.

“As you wish.” Katheryn’s vaguely haughty acceptance of the decision made Lanna more uncomfortable.

All of Lanna’s uncertainties returned as Katheryn left the room. She wasn’t given time to dwell on them as Hawk reminded her of his presence by asking, “Where would you like me to put your suitcases?”

“Anywhere,” she said in a rush of irritation. “By the bed.”

Hawk set them down near the foot of the bed, then turned to face her. “Don’t be fooled by her.”

“What?” She frowned at his confusing remark.

“You aren’t wanted here any more than I am,” he replied.

Lanna started to deny that, but she, too, felt that despite Chad, she wasn’t really welcome in this house. And she definitely didn’t blame Katheryn for resenting her.

“I told you once that J. B. was a taker,” Hawk continued. “He was an amateur compared to Chad. J. B. always felt remorse. Chad doesn’t give a damn about anyone. He’ll help himself to everything you’ve got.”

“That isn’t true,” she denied swiftly.

“You’ve been warned.” Hawk shrugged to indicate it wasn’t important to him whether she believed him or not. “I just hope you know what you’re signing the next time you affix your signature to a document.”

“Are you implying that Chad would try to cheat me?” Lanna demanded.

Her anger seemed to amuse him. “I’m not implying anything. I’m saying he’ll take everything you’ve got if you’re stupid enough to let him.”

He lifted a hand to touch the point of his hat brim, inclining his head briefly in her direction. The courtesy mocked her. She took an indignant breath, but Hawk was already walking out of the room. Finding nothing to vent her anger on, Lanna spun away from the door and curled her fingernails into the palms of her hands. Hawk had planted a seed of doubt in her mind, and she resented him for doing it.

“Good morning.” Carol was alone at the table when Lanna entered the sunlight-filled morning room. “I thought I was the only one who overslept this morning. You still don’t look like you’re completely awake.”

“I’m not sure if I am,” Lanna admitted and poured a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice from the pitcher on the sideboard. “I was more tired than I realized.”

“I’m glad I don’t have to eat alone. Chad’s in the study working already, and Katheryn is still writing out thank-you’s to everyone who sent sympathy cards,” Carol explained. “Did you have any trouble finding your way here this morning?”

“I made a couple of wrong turns. I’m glad Katheryn took me on a tour of the house yesterday, or I would have been totally lost.” Lanna glanced over the array of pastries and muffins.

“You could have always followed your nose. Roseanne makes an excellent Spanish omelet. Shall I ask her to fix you one?” Carol suggested.

“No. Coffee and a roll are enough for me. I have to watch my weight.” Lanna was envious of the wand-slim figure of her blonde breakfast companion, and of the omelet, hash browns, and coffee cake on Carol’s plate.
Choosing a blueberry muffin, Lanna balanced it on the saucer of her coffee cup and carried it to the rattan breakfast table. “Did Chad say how long he’d be working?” Lanna asked. Then she explained: “I was hoping he might show me around the ranch today.”

“He didn’t say.” Carol concentrated her attention on her plate of food, suddenly exhibiting a lot of interest in what she was eating. “But I’m sure he’ll show you around if you ask.”

There was something in Carol’s voice that made Lanna suspect jealousy. It didn’t do any good to silently tell herself she was being overly sensitive.

“Maybe I shouldn’t ask,” Lanna decided, then sliced the muffin apart with a gesture that hinted at her irritation. “I’ve monopolized his time enough.”

“Oh, Chad doesn’t mind,” Carol assured her quickly.

“But you do,” Lanna blurted out, then tried to explain why she had said it. “After all, why wouldn’t you want to spend as much time as you can with your husband when he’s going to be here only a few days? It’s natural.”

“I admit that I’m not with Chad as often as most wives are with their husbands, but there are reasons. Chad knows I understand,” Carol insisted. “Even in the short time you’ve known him, you must have discovered what a wonderful man he is. He has been a wonderful husband to me, even though—” Carol stopped as her fork fiddled indifferently with a bitesized portion of the fluffy omelet.

Curiosity made Lanna prompt: “Even though what?”

When Carol looked up, there was sadness in her eyes. “Even though I can’t give him any more children,” she admitted in a small voice, then made a
valiant attempt to smile. “He says it doesn’t matter. We have Johnny. He is a healthy, happy boy, but I know Chad wanted more children. He never liked being an only child. But after three miscarriages, the doctor insisted we shouldn’t try anymore.”

“You could always adopt a child,” Lanna suggested and wondered if she had discovered the reason the two of them weren’t as close as they could be.

“It wouldn’t be the same.” Carol rejected the idea with a brief shake of her head, sunlight from the east windows scattering beams of gold through her hair. “Chad has mentioned it, but I don’t want to raise someone else’s child. It probably sounds crazy to you, doesn’t it?”

“No. I think I can understand what you mean.” However, Lanna also thought they were depriving each other of the happiness they sought.

“Chad understands, too, which is part of what makes him so wonderful.” Pleasure radiated from Carol’s face, animating features that had been so serious a moment earlier. “So you see why I don’t object if he feels it’s his duty to show you around the ranch? That’s a pretty tall order, though.”