Love's Miracles (36 page)

“It’s
a whale. Must be a maverick. It’s early for the migration season.”

“Speaking
of migrating… We should be heading into town, don’t you think?”

He
took a deep breath of the brisk air and draped his arm around her again. “I
suppose we should. It’ll be dark soon.”

Margo
rested her head against his shoulder, enjoying the masculine strength in him.
The sun slid lower toward the horizon, the promise of the evening still to
come.

What
did the night hold? she wondered. Zane had booked separate rooms. But right now
she could so easily curve into his embrace and accept the kisses she knew he
had for her. Maybe she wouldn’t have the strength to keep them apart. Maybe she
didn’t even want to be apart.

The
sun finally dropped below the edge, a shiny ball reflecting its golden color on
the motion of the waves. They stood for several minutes to enjoy the splash of
orange and magenta. When the sky began to darken, Zane dropped his arm.

She
started to move toward the Bronco, but he pulled her against him.

“Before
we go in I want you to know one thing.”

“What’s
that?”

He
wrapped his arms around her, blocking the cool wind with his body and sending
her temperature up a few degrees. The look in his eyes did the rest. He smiled warmly
and tenderly.

“I
care about you.”

She
returned his smile. “And I care about you.” She loved him too, but she wasn’t
ready to tell him that yet.

Slowly
he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. Margo opened her mouth and
returned his kiss. The taste of him excited her; so did the firm touch of his
mouth. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled close into his embrace.

The
ocean and sky and rocky cliff blended into a kaleidoscope of blue and pink and
gold as his kiss deepened. Now it didn’t seem so important to get into town. A
few more minutes wouldn’t matter – nor would hours, days, or a lifetime. She
needed that much time to love Zane.

His
hands slid under her shirt and across the smooth skin of her back. “This is
what I need from you now. More, in fact. Much, much more.”

Margo
knew it was too soon for them, but logic and sense didn’t have any place here.
It felt too right to have his arm around her. There was too much emotion they
needed to share.

The
breeze tugged at her hair as she leaned against Zane. The thud of his heart
pounded in her ear. If only she could stay here forever.

Gently
he slid his hands from under her shirt and curled his fingers around her neck.
With his thumbs, he lifted her chin so that he could look at her. She stared
into the indigo blue of his eyes and responded to the need.

His
lips captured hers again. “Love me, Margo,” he whispered into her mouth. “I
want all of you tonight.”

She
knew she should pull back, but she couldn’t make her body follow her command to
do so.

Zane
whispered again. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Vinnie won’t ever know.”

She
didn’t want to think of Vinnie or her job or what was in Zane’s best interest,
but she had to be strong for both of them. It took effort, but she backed out
of his embrace. Zane let her go but watched her carefully as he rubbed at his
jaw.

“Forget
I asked,” he finally spoke. “I had no right.”

She
touched his lips with her fingers. “Don’t apologize. There is something magic
between us. Both of us are fragile now. Emotionally fragile. Let’s just get to
know each other on a social level for a while. The other will happen if we
truly care.”

“You’ll
come back to see me?” He grasped her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers.

“I’d
like to come when I can. It’s a long drive.”

“Maybe
we could meet in Eureka. There’s an airport. You could fly in.”

The
idea appealed to her, too much so for her own good. “We’ll see,” was all she
said.

He
placed her hand on his shoulder and with his free hand drew her back into his
arms. There was opportunity for her to resist; she was aware of that, but she
didn’t want to. She leaned against him and took another offered kiss.

A
car engine sounded. In the cloudy haze of desire, she became aware of its
approach. Loud honking finally broke them apart. Zane grinned. She returned the
smile, enjoying the caught-in-the-act look in his eyes.

“Shall
we go?”

“Guess
we’d better.”

He
took her hand and led her to the Bronco.

***

Margo
took her nightgown and robe from her overnight bag and set them on the bed. She
zipped the bag shut with a flick of her wrist. After one last glance at the
familiar room she stepped to the mirror. The black silk sheath was simple, yet
flattered her slender figure. The slit in the back provided enough temptation
to make the dress alluring, yet the high-necked front kept the look reasonably
modest.

A
last swish of her brush set her hair in a shiny curve around her face. Her eyes
sparkled and she knew it was from anticipation. She could hardly wait to see
Zane dressed in a suit.

He’d
made reservations for an ocean-view table at the Hill House Inn. Margo was
looking forward to seeing the setting where they filmed the television series,
“Murder, She Wrote.” The evening promised to be as full as the day.

After
putting on her lipstick and slipping the tube into her evening bag, Margo
draped her wool shawl across her arms and got ready to leave. She’d agreed to
meet Zane downstairs. Because it was a few minutes early, she’d go into the
inn’s adjoining restaurant and enjoy some of the “oldies but goodies” music
that always played there. It would be better than waiting in the room – she was
too restless and excited.

When
she reached the foot of the stairs she entered the lobby. “Evening, Nan.”

The
clerk left her filing and approached the counter, her eyes wide and curious.
“Wow, don’t you look great?”

“Thanks.
I’m waiting for Mr. Zanelli. When he arrives, will you tell him I’m in the
restaurant?”

“Sure
thing. Will you be coming here every week again?”

“It’s
very doubtful,” Margo said and then excused herself.

She
could tell the woman was curious, but the less said the better for everyone. A
conversation might instigate questions she didn’t feel like answering.

Settling
in the nearest booth, she ordered a glass of Perrier while she waited for Zane.
It shouldn’t take him much longer. After dropping her off, he’d gone to get gas
for the Bronco. That would set him a little behind her schedule, but it
shouldn’t take him long to shower and change.

While
she waited she tried to picture what Zane would look like. Would he be dressed
in black, or maybe blue to highlight the color of his eyes?

Absently
she watched the three teenage boys at the jukebox, hoping they’d select
something mellow. She remembered seeing them before. One was Nan’s nephew; the
others were probably his friends.

She
forgot about the boys and her ideas when Zane walked into the lobby of the inn.
He peered through the door and into the restaurant, giving the room a wary
perusal. When he spotted her, he smiled and stepped inside. Margo couldn’t stop
staring. He was gorgeous. The black suit was a match for his dark hair, the
white shirt showed off his tanned skin, and the sky blue tie was perfect for
his eyes.

As
he neared, her senses began to recover. Vaguely she heard the teenagers talking
about Zane.

“Hey.
Get a load of that,” Nan’s nephew commented.

Another
boy whistled. “What’s he doing here?”

“Who
is he?” the third asked.

“You
don’t know? Watch this.”

Nan’s
nephew jingled money in his pocket and pulled out a quarter. Margo suddenly became
apprehensive. Why, she didn’t know, but she had to stop Zane; stop him from
coming farther into the restaurant.

She
started to rise as music poured from the jukebox.

“
There
are worlds to see and know my friend.
”

Zane
took another step, but it seemed all wrong. He looked at her; love was in his
eyes. Then, suddenly, he flinched, and his face turned from love to horror.

“
To
far-off lands your sails unfurl.
”

Margo
tried to run to him, but her legs wouldn’t move. In slow motion – frame by
frame – she saw Zane grab a chair.

“
Ride
across the oceans of experience.
”

He
lifted it high overhead, and with a blood-curdling yell he hurled it at the
jukebox.

“
Friends
we’ll be forever.
”

The
chair crashed into the jukebox, shattering the glass to bits. Suddenly there
was silence.

It
wasn’t until later that evening that the situation settled into some semblance
of control. Nan had pressed charges, forcing the police to arrest Zane. Margo
had been furious, and still was for that matter. Zane had agreed to pay for the
damage, but Nan was enjoying the theatrics too much to relent.

The
thought of Zane behind bars made it impossible to eat the meal in front of her,
nor could she focus much attention on her companion, Ray Smith. Zane’s
therapist had driven down from Eureka. She should be thankful that he’d gone to
the trouble, but right now she found it difficult to concentrate on his
conversation.

There
was nothing more they could do until morning. After she checked out of the inn,
they had managed to get rooms at a small motel on the edge of town. She had
changed into slacks and then Ray had brought her to the nearby café in hopes
that they both could unwind. Soft music mingled with the clatter from the
kitchen as she and Ray forced themselves to eat.

Even
though the café was dim, Margo could see the black and blue marks on her arms.
It had been a tough struggle getting Zane under control. She hadn’t been able
to do it on her own. Zane’s outdoor living had given him an edge. It wasn’t
until the police arrived that they got him under control. Now he sat in jail –
alone with his nightmares. Margo wanted to scream her protest; instead she
spoke to Ray.

“I
want to talk to him. You’ve got to take me to the jail first thing in the
morning.”

“He
won’t see you,” Ray informed her before putting a bit of coleslaw in his mouth.

Margo
picked at the hamburger on her plate. “I can get a court order.”

“Under
what authority?”

“As
a consultant. I was originally hired by his brother.”

“According
to Zane, you’re not his doctor anymore. He informed me that you were off the
case months ago.”

Margo
was tempted to swear. “Did he tell you why?” How much did this man know about
their relationship?

Ray
cocked his brow, holding his fork midway to his mouth. He didn’t say anything,
but he didn’t have to. His expression said it all.

Margo
flushed at the judgmental regard she received from the therapist. It was a
monumental struggle, but she managed to hang on to her temper. Furthermore, she
had to consider how much to admit to this man. If Vinnie decided to make a
legal issue of this incident, what Margo said to Ray could possibly be used
against her in court. Then again, what was her career compared to Zane’s
welfare?

“I
care for him, Ray. That sounds unprofessional. It is. Believe me, I know. But
the fact is it happened.”

He
cast her an assessing glance. “I’d rather not know about that.”

Professional
courtesy – it made her feel a little better. “At least you understand where I’m
coming from.”

He
nodded but didn’t appear pleased about sharing the knowledge. Margo dropped her
fork onto her plate and sat back. Her neck ached, her arm was sore where Zane
had bumped it in his struggle, and her head felt like a Mack truck had run over
it.

“He’s
been fine for months. He did well in town earlier. But…” She leaned forward.
“It’s that song. It has something to do with that particular song.”

“What
makes you so sure?”

“For
one thing, ‘Forever Friends’ was the piece I sang at his place. Did he tell you
about that?”

He
shook his head no. “That could be coincidence.”

“Yes,
but I heard those boys in there. They played that particular song on purpose
and they
knew
Zane was going to blow.”

Ray
set his fork down and leaned over. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.
I overheard them when they saw Zane.” She quickly recounted the conversation.
“I asked Nan. She thinks it could have been playing the other time Zane came to
town.”

“The
connection to the song makes sense. What doesn’t is, why that song? There were
tons of songs out in the sixties.”

The
waiter brought more coffee. Margo watched Ray measure sugar and cream. She
played with her napkin to keep from following instinct and standing up to pace.