Once in a Blue Moon (45 page)

Jessica raised both
arms, her palms extended.

Jeremy, mouth
half-opened, eyes wide, watched with wonder and curiosity.

Richard placed his
palms on the backs of his children and lifted his own face. His
skin prickled, and welcome nausea kicked his gut. Within moments,
his children fell away as the moon hurtled toward him.

Dizziness overwhelmed
him and he clenched his teeth and fought for consciousness as he
landed hard on the ground.

He turned his head to
the right, then to the left. His children lay on the ground and
exhilaration pumped in his veins as he recognized the trampoline in
the corner of the yard.

His head was heavy, and
a deep pit of unconsciousness sucked at him as he realized they
were alone. “Melissa?”

She wasn’t there.

Richard passed out.

Hours later, cold air
wafted across Melissa’s face and she woke, lifted her drooping
head, breathed in fresh air and tried to get her bearings, tried to
figure out why her muscles felt so cramped and sore.

It took a moment to
realize that a large, imposing figure stood in the dark doorway
about ten feet away.

Melissa gasped and a
streak of fear skittered through her as she jerked upright. Fear
and panic escalated as she remembered she was bound and couldn’t
move. She strained against the binding and it all came slamming
back. She was tied to a chair; a captive.

Within seconds she
realized it was Curly standing in the entry. Her breathing and
heartbeat slowed and her head cleared. Her gaze immediately went
beyond his still figure into the darkness outside and relief
engulfed her. The sun hadn’t risen. Maybe it wasn’t too late?

She’d had hours to
think about the way she’d handled Curly and to acknowledge that
she’d done it all wrong. A mistake she intended to rectify
immediately.

She cleared her throat.
“Curly, I’m so happy to see you.” Melissa used her softest, most
feminine tone. “Please, won’t you untie me? My arms are
aching.”

Her voice seemed to
motivate him to action, and he shut the door and moved to light one
of the wall lamps. When he’d finished, he turned to study her, and
the light behind his head cast his face into eerie shadow while
illuminating her own, leaving her vulnerable.

Melissa blinked against
the brightness and gave him a slight, and hopefully innocent,
smile. “Please?” She lifted one shoulder. “My hands are numb.”

One side of Curly’s
mouth tilted up. “Well, luckily, I have something that will make
your hands feel much better.” He knelt, his face coming into the
light, and gazed into her eyes, his expression serious. “But first,
I have to talk to you about something.” He trailed a thumb down her
cheek.

She willed herself to
stay still, to smile. Time was wasting away. “Yes?”

Curly smiled and
lowered his hand. “Two horses are saddled and waiting outside. I
want your assurance that you’ll go with me. I want to take you on a
trip. I thought maybe we could tour Europe on our honeymoon.”

Her eyelids flickered.
Europe? A honeymoon? Well, that was unexpected. Melissa tried to
keep her smile in place. “That sounds wonderful.”

Curly looked surprised,
hopeful, then skeptical. He searched her face. “You’d be willing to
go with me?”

Melissa bobbed her head
up and down. “Yes. I’ve thought about it all night and realized
you’re right. I’m tired of being poor. Of working myself half to
death. Having wealth would mean a lot to me.”

“Would it mean more
than anything else?”

She knew what he was
asking. Was wealth more important than her family? “Yes,” she said
the word easily and with conviction, and felt an immediate ache of
pity for her former self. It wasn’t that long ago she’d really felt
that way.

“I do want to go with
you.” She was surprised the words didn’t choke her. Had she really
believed that money was more important than love and family?

“All right, I’m going
to trust you.” He immediately set about releasing her hands and
legs.

As the bindings
loosened, the relief was instantaneous. She rubbed first one wrist,
and then the other, rolled her shoulders, neck, and stretched her
legs out in front of her. She wasted a few precious minutes flexing
her fingers, wrists and ankles. Finally, she stood and walked a few
feet away, the numbness, the prickling sensation, and then finally
the aching, all quickly left as her limbs returned to normal.

She
turned and smiled, a real one this time. She was free, and Curly
had just made a big,
big
mistake.

Melissa headed for the
door.

Curly, watchful, jumped
forward and tried to stop her.

In triumph, she
pivoted, gripped one outstretched arm and twisted, trying to force
him down.

Only it didn’t
work.

Hours of being tied had
left her weak.

Years of working
outdoors had kept him strong and agile.

“Oh, ho, ho!” Curly
twisted his arm away, spun around and swung her off her feet. In a
breath-stealing maneuver he hugged her to his chest. “So that’s the
way it is.” He easily lowered her to the floor and lay across her,
effectively pinning her to the hard wood.

Muscles straining,
Melissa struggled, but there was nothing she could do to get
away.

She was trapped.

Again.

Curly had won.

She struggled in vain
for a few more minutes, his heavy chest, and beefy arms cutting off
her oxygen. She couldn’t get away, and felt herself growing weaker
by the minute. Finally, she stopped struggling and gave up.

Curly chuckled. “All
done?”

Melissa twisted her
head toward the window, but the glowing lamplight played on the
curtain and kept her from seeing if it were dark outside or not.
She gasped for air. “For now.”

“Good. I have something
for you that might change your mind.” Curly dug into his pocket,
releasing his weight sightly, and took out a small box and reached
for her hand.

Melissa sucked in
oxygen, tried to wrench her hand away and fisted her fingers.

He held her still,
unclenched her hand and wrestled a ring onto her finger. “I had
this ring made especially for you. It’s the best money can buy, and
you deserve it. I want you to marry me. Will you?” Curly smiled
down at her, looking happy and pleased with himself.

Incredulous, Melissa
stared at him. “Are you stupid or something?” She bucked and tried
to get away. “No! Absolutely not! I’m already married!”

Curly chuckled. “We can
stay here all week. Or all month for that matter.”

Melissa glanced toward
the window again. She didn’t have five minutes to spare. She
considered her options and acknowledged that she didn’t have much
going for her. He was bigger, stronger and just as determined. So
maybe all she really had left was the truth.

“Curly.” She stared up into his dark eyes and tried to let
him read the honesty in her gaze. “I love my husband. I love my
children.” Her brows furrowed and her heart clenched as she
felt
the truth of her
own words. “Rich or poor. With everything in me. Everything I am. I
need to be with them. Please let me go.”

Curly looked skeptical.
He shook his head. “You just need some time with me. After a couple
of weeks and a lot of good times, you won’t even remember him.
You’ll feel that way about me instead.”

She’d lost. Frustration
had her eyes closing, burning. Her breath stilled in her chest and
a single tear escaped and made its way down the side of her temple.
“No, I won’t.” She looked at him again. “You can force me to stay,
but you can’t force me to love you. I love Richard. I’ve always
loved him.”

Curly flinched. He
studied her face for a long moment, disappointment drawing his
brows together. Finally, he sighed, rolled off her, stood, and held
out his hand.

Warily, she placed her
own in his.

He
pulled her up. “I’ve never had to
force
a woman to love me in my
life.” He swallowed, the sound audible in the quiet room. “I’m not
going to start now. You know where to find me if you change your
mind.” His face set in tight lines and he pointed to the door. “So
go on. Just go.”

Eyes wide, Melissa
searched his face, looking for a trick, but saw only hurt feelings.
She ran to the door and wrenched it open.

Melissa rushed outside,
but stopped abruptly on the darkened porch. Horror-struck, she
pressed a hand to her chest.

The outbuildings,
trees, and surrounding hills, didn’t stop her from witnessing the
pre-dawn light nibbling at the distant horizon.

It would be morning
soon.

Was it too late to get
back to her family? Too late to go home?

Melissa strode across
the huge, wrap-around porch, down the first step and into the
moonlight. Immediately, her exposed hands and face tingled and
within seconds her entire body buzzed with sensation.

A peculiar wrenching
tugged at her stomach making her feel sick. Dizzy, she raised her
face and caught the bright, full strength of the moonlight as she
gazed at the brilliant orb in the cloudless sky.

Relief had her catching
her breath and the chill, damp, smell of ozone filled her lungs. It
wasn’t too late. She could still go home. Even from this
location.

Breath hitching, she
stepped back into the darkness of the porch and immediately, the
tingling and nausea subsided, only to leave her trembling.

She had to think. Where
was her family? Could they still go back together? Had they already
left her?

If Richard even
suspected she was still in the past he would never abandon her.

Never.

The question was, did
he know? Did he think she’d gone home, and followed? Or had he
witnessed her kidnapping? He’d had no horse to follow with. Was he
out searching, even now? Was he staying out of the moonlight, and
keeping the kids clear too, trying to find her?

She had no way of
knowing.

She took a step again
toward the moonlight. She wanted to go home so badly, and this
could be her last chance. If she didn’t leave, she might be trapped
in the past, alone and without resources for the next three
years.

Three long years. She
shivered as a breeze cut through her damp clothing.

She swallowed hard and
her fists clenched and unclenched. Her immediate future, her
chances for happiness could all be gone within the hour if she
chose to stay.

All she had to do was
simply step out into the moonlight and go home.

Shame burned her skin
as she realized that even if they were still here, she had to go.
She couldn’t stay another day. Anyway, there was still a chance
they’d gone home, right?

All she had to do was
step out into the moonlight.

Anxiety burned in her
gut, and she looked at the horizon, but couldn’t tell if it were
lighter or not.

A horse nickered
nearby.

Melissa turned to see
two horses, saddled and ready to go, tied to the nearby hitching
post beside a cluster of rosebushes. She remembered Curly
mentioning horses and a trip somewhere. Her anxiety grew and she
wished she hadn’t noticed the animals. She had a way back and she
suddenly wished she didn’t have the option.

She looked at the
horizon again. Recognized the ridge in the distance and knew
exactly where she was; knew exactly how to get home. Could there
still be time to get to Sully’s place? Time to find out for sure if
Richard and the kids were there? But what if they weren’t even at
the cabin, but off looking for her?

How
could she know
?

Tension clawed at her.
She couldn’t wait. If she did, she might lose the moonlight. She
had to make a decision and she had to do it now.

She took a step forward
and tears burned at her eyes. Chances were, they’d already gone
back. She’d simply have to believe that.

Her throat tightened,
choking her.

If they weren’t home,
she could wait for them there. It would be three years, sure, but
she couldn’t survive in the past. Not alone. They could, because
they’d be together. If they weren’t home, she’d spend the next
three years getting ready for them. She’d have her career to keep
her busy. She’d be building a secure future for them all.

Sweat chilled her arms
and slicked her palms. A glow in the distance brought tears to her
eyes.

The sun would be coming
up soon.

She had to do
something.

She took a few steps,
and stopped at the edge of the moonlight. It would be so easy; just
one more step.

She didn’t have a
choice.

She lifted her left arm
and moonlight bathed her hand. Tingled. The ring Curly had forced
on her finger sparkled, the huge diamond giving off a prism of
light that danced in the relative darkness.

Melissa’s eyes
widened.

Astonishment choked her
as she stared down at the ring, unable to believe what she was
seeing.

It
was her ring!
Her wedding
ring
.
The one
Richard had given her
.
The one lying on the bureau back at home
. She blinked, trying to clear her vision, but she still saw
exactly the same ring on her finger. How could that be?

Her heart started to
race as emotion, hot and powerful, poured through her, and she
jerked her hand back out of the light and hugged it to her
chest.

This
was not
possible. How could her wedding ring be on her finger? The
very ring Richard had placed there with love so long ago? Her mind
started to race as she thought about its history. It had been won
in a poker match by one of Richard’s ancestors.