Kaleidoscope Eyes (33 page)

Brianna laughed. Ethan was an absolute towheaded doll. No wonder Angel had a crush on him. She cast an eye at his parents. “All by yourself, huh? Boy, I bet Amberly was impressed.”

“Nuh-uh, she wasn’t.”

“Oh? How come?”

He took his fish to the fire pit. “’cuz she wasn’t with us, silly.”

The words jerked Brianna to full attention. She looked at Jane and Ernie. They were studying her, confusion creasing their brows. The three spoke at the same time.

“Amberly’s not with you?”

Brianna spun and raced back to their tent. “Amberly!” She looked all around, scanning the suddenly threatening forest around them. “Amberly! Answer me, baby!”

The tent flap flipped back and Mark scrambled out to meet her. “What’s wrong?”

Bree tried to still her shaking. “Amberly isn’t with Jane and Ernie.” She gripped his arm. “Mark, where’s my baby?”

“Calm down, sweetheart. When did you see her last?”

“She was in the tent with me, asleep. I put my arms around her … I was so sure I’d wake up if she moved.” She clutched her trembling hands together. “It’s my fault! I should have stayed awake until you got back—”

He took firm hold of her and gave her a little shake. “Brianna, calm down.”

Jane came to touch Brianna’s arm. “She’s probably someplace close by.”-She cast a glance at Ernie. “Come on. We’ll help you look.”

Within seconds they had a plan. Jane and Ernie would take Ethan and walk the circle of campsites one direction; Mark and Brianna would go the other. They’d meet again back at their sites in no more than fifteen minutes.

Brianna started down the circle at a walk, then broke into a run. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it would break through her chest. Her mind kept pace with her rushing pulse, shooting out desperate pleas to the heavens.

Please, God … please … Don’t let anything happen to my little girl!

THIRTY-FIVE        

O
CTOBER
13

3:30 p.m.

Almost time.

Annie could hardly wait. Kyla was scheduled to arrive in about an hour, along with Dan and his crew As soon as Annie heard her sister was coming down for a visit, she set up the family dinner at her place. She scanned the table. Not a paper plate in sight.

The last two times she’d had the whole crew over, Kyla had given her no end of grief for using paper plates. Well, this time her oh-so-perfect sister wouldn’t have a thing to say.

Except maybe “Wow!”

Annie had gone all out. New china and crystal glasses sparkled in the light of elegant candles. The meal she’d prepared was fit for royalty—and took her all day. No wonder she didn’t cook like this very often! Who had that kind of time? Certainly not Annie.

In fact, she hadn’t really had the time to do it now, what with the window calling to her in her studio. But she’d get right back to it first thing tomorrow.

The sound of the gate buzzer jolted through the room, and Annie jumped. Wow, Kyla must have made great time. She went to the front door, hitting the talk button on the new intercom Dan had installed last weekend. He’d wanted to put in a security camera as well, but Annie drew the line at that. Hopefully Kyla would be able to figure out the intercom gadget on her end. Dan had showed Annie how all she needed to do was lean out the car window and hit the talk button, but Annie still wasn’t sure.

“Hey,” she called into the device, “you’re early!”

A moment’s pause. “I am?”

Oops. That definitely was not Kyla. “Jed?”

“Yeah. Hey, when did you get this intercom setup?”

“Last weekend. Hold on, and I’ll buzz the gate open.” She hit the gate release, then pulled the front door open and waved as he drove up the driveway, the gate closing behind him.

Another of Dan’s so-called improvements. Sensors that closed the gate as soon as a vehicle passed through. “Less chance of anyone sneaking through behind the vehicle,” he’d said.

Annie didn’t tell him she was starting to feel like she lived in a veritable Fort Knox. He was too worried about her to find any humor in the comment.

She went to give Jed a welcoming hug as he got out of his car. “I thought you were my sister.”

His chuckle was as appealing as the rest of him. “I think I’m taller.”

“Ha-ha. So what’s up? Not that I’m not glad to see you, but I thought you were working tonight.” She frowned. “Speaking of which, you still haven’t told me exactly what it is you do.”

He followed her into the house. “Well, right now I’m visiting you.”

“Which you said you wouldn’t be able to do.” She led him to the living room, shooing Kodi, who bounded up to give Jed a
greeting almost as enthusiastic as Annie’s had been.

He laughed and gave the shepherd an ear scratch, then shooed her to the living room ahead of them. “I know. Look, Annie … ”

She turned at the odd note in his voice. “Are you okay?” That sounded far better than the question she really wanted to ask: Are we
okay?

From the look on his face, he had bad news. But what bad news could he possibly—

Her pulse shifted into overdrive. Of course. The worst kind of news.
It’s been fun, but I need to take a step back.
Or
You’re a wonderful woman, but I’m just not ready for this.

Or there was always the kiss of death:
Let’s just befriends.

He sat on the couch next to her and took her hand. “I will be okay There’s just … I have to leave for a few days. That’s why I stopped over. To say good-bye.”

Annie stiffened. Here
it comes … Oh, Annie, you idiot! How could you let yourself believe he’d feel about you the way you felt about him? Stupid, stupid.
“Leave?” Oh. That was awful. Whining was
not
an attractive quality in a woman. Maybe clearing her throat would get rid of it. “For very long?”

Nope. Still there. Along with the slightest tremble. Well, maybe he wouldn’t notice.

He smiled. “Sounds like you’re going to miss me, huh?”

Strike two.

“I’m glad, Annie. Because I’m going to miss you. A lot.”

It took a second for his soft words to connect, but when they did, Annie melted back against the couch cushions.

He’s going to miss me
.

A lot.

She didn’t even care if he saw the goofy grin on her face. “So when will you be back?”

“In a few days. I promise.”

“You’ll call me?”

He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to the back of it. “Count on it. And Annie?”

“Mm-hmm?”

“When I get back, we need to talk.” His voice, so deep and full of meaning, wrapped around her.

Her grin widened. “Count on it.”

He let her hand go and stood. “I’d better get going. I have a lot to do.” His brows raised when he caught sight of her decorated table. “Wow Now that ought to impress your sister. Big time.”

She’d told him about the dinner and Kyla’s propensity for scolding. “Think so?”

He took her hand again and tugged her up and into his arms. His hug was warm and solid. “Absolutely. You’ve outdone yourself.”

“Yeah, well—” she murmured into his chest—“you should be here to taste the food.”

He tipped her face up to his. “Next time. I promise.” He delivered a soft kiss to the tip of her nose, then stumbled back when with a low “Roowwoww!” Kodi shoved in between them.

Annie laughed, batting at the pesky pooch. “I think she’s jealous.”

“Of me?”

“No.” Annie grinned. “Of me. This dog adores you.”

He chuckled, then took Annie’s hand. “Yeah, well, she’ll have to accept that I only have eyes for you.”

Heart fluttering, Annie let Jed lead her out the door and to his car. He gave her one last hug, then opened the car door. But he stopped before he slid inside. “Hey.”

Annie tipped her head. “What?”

He closed the door, facing her. “You never have shown me your studio. How ’bout a quick tour before I go?”

He couldn’t have asked anything that pleased her more. “Absolutely”

When they entered her studio, Jed paused in the doorway, his mouth falling open. She was so glad there was still enough daylight to let him see the real beauty of the room.

Annie walked beside him as he wandered the studio, answering his questions about her tools and equipment, showing him
the different styles and textures of glass she used, demonstrating some of what she did.

“Is this the window you’ve been working on? For that woman? What was her name?”

Annie nodded. “Serafina Stowe. That’s the one. Actually, I owe this window to you.”

“To me?”

She let her fingers brush across a piece of glass. “Remember that day we took Kodi up to the mountains for training?”

“Vividly.”

The low, warm tone of his response sent shivers across her. “Well, something you said sparked an idea, and the result will be this window.”

He studied the sketches laid out on the worktable, then took in the glass she’d cut and painted then pieced together in a rough puzzle. She had one scene almost finished, and she was holding her breath as he studied it.

His eyes lifted to her, and wonder glinted in their umber depths.

That was when Annie realized she was doing something she’d never done before. Sharing her art. Her calling. Not just the finished product, but the very act of creating.

“Thank you.”

She angled a look at him. “For what?”

“For letting me be a part—” he waved his hands over the worktable—“of this.” His hands fell to his side, but his eyes held her captive. “Of you.”

She didn’t know what to say

As though sensing that the intimacy of the moment was almost too much for her to bear, Jed looked away—and smiled. “Hey, your colors.”

She followed his gaze to the window displaying the pieces of glass in her colors and tensed. She’d told him about this window, how it brought her colors to life, but having him stand here, study it … She couldn’t help but feel just the tiniest bit odd.

Okay, maybe not so tiny

“Show me my color.”

She started. “Excuse me?”

“My color. The color you see when you look at me. Show me.”

Heart overflowing, Annie let him walk her to the window Once there, she reached up and pulled down the raspberry piece of glass. “Stand over here.”

Jed did as she directed, and she went back to the window, then held the glass in the right position for the sunlight to catch the hue and send it out in waves across the room. Jed held his hands out, studying them in the rich flow of color.

“So this is what you see when you look at me?”

She nodded. “It’s close. When I see you, or even when I think of you or your name.” She bit her lip. “Just so you know, it’s not pink. It’s more of a deep raspberry I mean, it may not seem like a manly color, but I don’t have any control over … over … ”

Jed turned and came toward her, walking through the wash of color, and the look in his eyes stilled the anxiety filling her heart. His fingers closed over hers as she held the piece of glass. With his free hand, he cradled the back of her head and drew her close, then lowered his lips to hers.

Time. Words. Reality.

They all lost their meaning in the wonder of that kiss.

When Jed finally lifted his head, Annie could only press her face against him, breathing him in, letting him hold her steady—though she felt the way his own hands trembled.

His fingers caressed her face, and his breath whispered across her cheek. “I should leave.”

She nodded, face still buried in his chest. A deep chuckle rumbled beneath her cheek.

“You’ll have to let me go first.”

Annie eased away from him, and he took her hand in his. They walked together out to his car, and he seemed as reluctant as she to break the contact of their hands. But he finally did, opening the car door and slipping behind the steering wheel.

He turned the key in the ignition, then looked at her one more time. “I’ll miss you.”

She couldn’t speak around the emotions so just touched his arm, then stepped back and watched as he drove out the gate. When the car was no longer in sight, she walked back inside and dropped to her knees beside Kodi. She gathered the dog in a hug, planting a big smooch on her snout.

“He’s going to miss me. A lot.”

Kodi’s big tail thumpa-thumped the floor, and Annie stood and twirled. Kodi jumped up, bouncing around Annie and barking as she tossed that big head back and forth.

Clearly Kodi approved.

And, Annie thought as she caught her reflection in the sliding glass window and noted the glow on her face, she wasn’t the only one.

7:30 p.m.

“Do you think he’s the one?”

Annie turned from sliding the last of her new plates into the dishwasher. Three pairs of eyes were trained on her.