Starlight Dunes (20 page)

As she sunk
back into the pillows, she considered him. His hair was slightly longer than when she’d first met him, so much that it curled up at the ends. The carefree style suited him. After what they’d just done to each other, he looked tousled and more than a little full of himself.

But since he
was in the middle of nibbling her ear, she decided to give his smugness a pass. In the hopes of round two, a certain amount of encouragement couldn’t hurt. When he moved to her neck, the little nudge she gave him seemed to work.

“
Tell me I hit the right spot.”

“Mmm, feel free to hit the right spot again.”
She brought his mouth up to meet hers.

“Oh I intend to,” he boasted, right before he
ran his fingers between soft folds.

She spiraled upward, fast and
loose then shattered into his palm. Pleasure spread through her in bursts of pinks and soft lavenders. “Two for two,” she breathed out, mellow as she’d ever been.

“Now go to sleep,” he said
, kissing her brow.

“What about your portion of the second round?”
she murmured, fighting not to drift off.

“
It’s after three a.m. The second round for me will have to wait. I’m beat. Now go to sleep,” he repeated. “Think of something nice to keep your dreams going till morning.”

Burrowing into his chest, she
purred, “Perfect. Then I’ll dream of you and Luke.”

Four hours later,
at seven-thirty, she woke to a buzz in her brain before realizing it was her cell phone ringing from the living room where she’d left it. She rolled out of bed making a mad dash to reach it before the call went to voicemail.

Grabbing
her panties off the bedroom floor, her pants in the hallway, she retrieved her shirt near the living room. By the time she reached the ringing device, all of the usual questions had darted through her brain. But then she recognized the number on the display and the area code. It wasn’t Julian or Laura about the dig. It wasn’t the nursing home with news about her mother. She pushed the button to take the call as nervousness filled her heart with dismay. It was always like this whenever Gil Conroy called—hope first, before despair took over—because he would always deliver the same bad news in the same monotone voice.

In the other room
Brent stirred. When he noticed he was alone in bed, and then heard River’s voice coming from the living room, he threw back the covers.

From the hallway, he
watched her close off to deal with the caller. Not just literally but figuratively, she blanked her face, steeled her spine as if bracing for a blow. With each clipped volley, while the conversation played out, Brent stared at her face. It wasn’t good news. That much he could tell. He saw the tension carve out lines between her eyes and forehead, each one telling him she wasn’t happy with what the person on the other end had to say.

“
But if you just kept closer track of Hilda, I’m sure you’d get some info we don’t—” Her voice trailed off as she continued to listen to what Brent assumed was an explanation of sorts from her private detective.

He
saw her shoulders droop before she ended the call with desperation pooling in her eyes—and tears.

S
he glanced up, noticed Brent. “That was Gil. The last lead didn’t pan out.”

“I’m sorry, River. Look,
don’t be down. You’ve been strong now for a long time. Something will turn up.”

She blew out a breath.
Worry and fear could cause a woman to take desperate measures. “I want you to ask your father and brother to see if they can get a bead on my son.”

Surprised by the suggestion, he
did his best not to show it. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of it myself.”

“Because
you knew I wouldn’t have agreed to it. I needed to come to this on my own. But I’m tired of waiting. I want…no, I
need
any input I can get at this point. I’ll do whatever I have to do to find my son.”

“
Okay. Sure. I’ll call them both and set it up. You’ll need to be there, of course. You weren’t planning on getting them to do this without you, right?

“No, I knew I’d have to be there.”

“Good. How does your schedule look for tonight? Because before you answer, I have to close down the dig. You and your crew are stymied until I get the casts taken of those footprints from the beach area. I’ll do my best to see to it you’re back in business by noon though.”

“That’s fine. I’ll let Julian know.
I need to go back to the B & B anyway and take a shower.”

“
Shower here.”

“I suppose I could but I still need a change of clothes.”

“Ah. Wear one of my shirts then. You could put your yoga pants back on. They make you look sexy as hell.” When she didn’t laugh or smile, he reached for her hand, pulled her into him. “There’s no need to be nervous about asking my family for help.”

“Easy for you to say,
” she grumbled. But her mind unwittingly shifted gears. She stared back at the bronzed naked man in front of her. “You interested in cashing in your ticket for round two?”

He grinned.
“You’re standing here in my living room wearing nothing but panties and a bra. What do you think?” he pointed out. “Since you aren’t completely dressed yet anyway—and it’s still early—why don’t we both save time and shower together?”

She ran her hand down his
bare chest. “Now that’s the best idea I’ve heard all morning.”

An hour later
,
while Brent watched crime scene investigators take molds of the footprints and tire tracks on the beach and the cliffs, River’s situation began to weigh on him.

If his father and brother couldn’t help in locating Luke,
what would they do then? Even though he knew both men possessed a talent, it didn’t guarantee success. But he had to put his faith in them and he had to make sure River did that as well. That had to mean something, didn’t it? That she was willing to reach out to his family.

Brent spotted Troy as the younger man worked around the lighthouse, putting the finishing touches on the foundation.
Brent waited while Troy ambled over to where he stood.

I
n his easy way, Troy said, “Mona and I made it official. We called it quits last night.”

“Sorry about that
, Troy. But when a woman doesn’t really believe in you, it’s time to recognize that fact and move on. It might hurt for a while but you’ll be better for it.”

Logan overhea
rd Brent’s counsel and put in his two cents. “Good advice to follow, Troy. The less time you invest with a woman who doubts you, and has nothing good to say to you, the better off you’ll be in the long run without her.”

“
I know. I know. But I’m gonna turn twenty-one at the end of the week and have no one to celebrate it with.”

Brent exchanged looks with Logan.
“Legal age to drink, huh? That’s a rite of passage for any man. I say we throw you a party you’ll not soon forget. Remember all those people who showed up in your corner out at Promise Cove when you were released from jail?”

Troy nodded and grinned. “I do. Warmed my heart to see all those people I never knew felt that way about me
welcoming me home. Then they made those speeches and—”

Brent
whacked Troy on the back. “Heartfelt sentiments all of them. We’ll see you turn twenty-one in unforgettable fashion. That’s a promise.”

T
hat night, River wasn’t sure what to expect at the Santa Cruz home of Marcus and Lindeen Cody. But the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to give the whole idea a pass. By that time though, Brent had pulled to a stop in front of a cute 1920s Craftsman. Painted a sweet cream color, the beach bungalow had a well-manicured lawn, flower beds that popped with red and gold gerbera daisies and clusters of chrysanthemums.

River let out a loud sigh. “Do you think my coming here was a mistake?”

“Hey, if you believe in psychic abilities, Dad’s no slouch in that department. He and Ethan both have a trail of successes.”

“It isn’t that. In fact, I’ve sought out psychics before. It’s just that your parents were so warm to me when I first met them. Now, your father acts as though he doesn’t even
like being in the same room with me.”

“My parents don’t know you. But they will,” Brent assured her.

“That’s what I’m afraid of though. I’ll have to give them certain details about my time with Wes. It isn’t pretty.”

“All I’m asking is for you to give them a chance. I guarantee they’ll do the same for you.” Crawling out of the pickup, Brent noticed Ethan’s minivan parked in the driveway. “Looks like you get the
full Cody treatment tonight. I was hoping Ethan would make it.”

River got out and stood at the curb, clearly not happy about
the full court press. But she would do this for Luke. “Great. Might as well get this out of the way and spill my guts to the entire Cody clan all at once.”

“No need to be self-conscious.”

“Easy for you to say. I’m curious. Before we go in there, I know you don’t consider yourself as gifted as Ethan, but how do you come to terms with a supernatural guide like Scott? How do you explain a spiritwalker like him?”

“I don’t. Nor do I explain my father or Ethan. I’m not without a mystic side to me though because I’ve seen all three do amazing, inexplicable things. The same powerful gene must’ve skipped me.”

“You know that isn’t true. You
sensed
my gift. I didn’t even have to tell you about it.”

“That’s because I saw it in action.”

“Not sure I buy that. I think you have some ability. You just don’t practice it enough.”

Before they could delve into the subject further, the front door burst open. Lindeen Cody stood in the doorway with hands on her slim hips, waiting.

“Are you coming in or do you plan to stay out there all night on the street?”

“Hi, Mom,” Brent said, leaning over to kiss his mother’s cheek. “Sorry we’re late. The meeting with the adjuster took longer than we’d planned.”

Lindeen patted the side of his face. “Fred Darby’s been our agent for over thirty years. I hope he did right by you. River, don’t just stand there planted to the concrete, come on inside. Nice to see you again. I’m sorry about your son. Brent told us about the entire situation.”

River shot a look at Brent
that clearly said she wasn’t completely ready for this. “Thanks for agreeing to help me.”

“
The search for a child is such a serious matter, we thought of asking a contingent of others to join us, but Brent said it’s best if we try it with Ethan and Marcus tonight first. We’ll let you decide if at some point, you’ll want the entire power of the tribe for this event—because that can be arranged.”

“I appreciate that,” River said as she followed Brent into the living room.

Marcus greeted his son with a slap on the back and extended a hand to River. “I know you didn’t say anything about staying for supper but Lindeen insisted on thawing out some steaks. I don’t remember if you’re a vegetarian or not.”

“Nope.
Steak sounds good.”

Ethan nodded in approval but it was his wife, Hayden, who said, “The
Codys love a good outdoor party.”

“How’s the dig going?” Lindeen wanted to know. “Marcus may not tell you but he appreciated the way you arranged to have the ceremony go on all day.”

“I was getting there,” Marcus grumbled. “The elders were impressed. That’s hard to do. Anyone want a beer?”

“Sure,” River said. “The tribe
hasn’t protested my site in weeks and for that I’m very grateful. The least I can do to show that is to give them an all-day event before we remove any remains. You talked to them, didn’t you, Marcus?”

“
I might’ve mentioned it,” Marcus said as he headed into the kitchen. “You’ve handled everything fairly. We’re grateful for that.”

“I don’t know how much Brent told you guys but…”

Hayden didn’t let her finish. “Your ex is the lowest bastard for doing this to you and your son. I can’t even imagine what the last two years have been like for you.” Hayden reached over and ran her fingers through her son’s thick black hair. “Believe me, if someone snatched Nate I’d want them to suffer. But if that person was an ex, someone I once trusted, like his own father, it would devastate me.” 

River smiled. “I’m going to like you.”

“I thought we’d established that already,” Hayden said, giving her a sisterly grin.

It wasn’t until after
supper and they’d cleaned up the kitchen that everyone settled in the living room with their chairs in a circle.

Ethan put on music, flutes and drums that started out slow and built.
Lindeen walked around the room lighting white and green candles to strengthen the power of sight while Marcus began to burn sage for cleansing and healing.

“So you’ve been trying to find the boy by any means possible, right?” Ethan asked
, kicking off the discussion.

“I’ve done everything p
ossible despite incredible odds,” River replied, sending Brent a drawn-out look. “Brent recently confirmed one of the detectives on the case may have been taking money from Wes’s parents early on to squash the investigation. That’s when Brent got the FBI involved.”

Marcus
nodded his head. “A step in the right direction but the greedy cop is a difficult factor to overcome after all this time. It’s a difficult situation.”

When
Brent noted the crestfallen look on River’s face he felt they were getting off track. Hope was all she had, so he countered, “Difficult but not impossible, right?”

“I suggest you have the FBI focus on the ex’s hobbies
, like the sports activities he loves,” Ethan suggested. “This Wes seems to be a creature of habit despite doing his best to keep a low profile. The thing I can’t figure in the whole mess is if the parents are funneling him a shitload of money and he has unlimited funds at his disposal then why is he constantly on the move? That’s what I see. Why hasn’t Patton settled into suburbia somewhere using his obvious stash of phony IDs?”

“
I think I have an answer for that,” Brent offered. As all eyes focused on him, he explained, “Since bringing in the FBI, Ortega must have gotten in touch with Wes’s parents who in turn made contact with their son directly. That sent him into panic-mode at the idea the FBI was involved. As Hayden found out, getting on the radar of the feds is an entirely different kind of ballgame. Even the coolest, calmest felon will get a little shaken knowing a federal agency is breathing down their neck. They think twice about doing certain things. The notion that at any moment they could be found out alters the dynamics quite a bit.”

Hayden agreed.
“That’s a fact. You think River’s ex might be feeling the heat, so he gets edgy enough to move again? Makes sense. Let me tell you, being on the run is no fun. In fact, after a while it starts weighing on you. I can’t imagine the stress of having a child in tow.”

“Which means he
’s capable of screwing up, making mistakes,” Brent finished.

“That’s what I’
ve been hoping for,” River said, sucking in a breath at the stark reality of the last two years. “Just one mistake. I really never saw Wes as a father figure who would get involved with his son. He isn’t the type because everything was all about him. For example, I can’t imagine him giving up his pursuit of women. That leads me full circle. I try to imagine him paying that much attention to his son’s well-being now.” Her voice broke. “What I’m afraid of is…what if…what if he gets fed up with toting him around, gets desperate, and does something…unimaginable to Luke.”

Brent
’s arms circled her shoulders. “There’s no indication of that so far. Surely after all this time he’s bonded with the little guy.”

“I hate to be the one to mention this. But I’m sensing the kid isn’t happy
at all,” Ethan chimed in.

Brent glared at his brother.
That’s not something he wanted Ethan to spill, especially right this minute when River was so vulnerable. She didn’t need to have that detail shoved in her face. “There’s something I need to show you in the kitchen, Ethan.” His head bobbed in that direction.

But River would have none of that. “Don’t you
two dare get up and head off in the other room. I want to hear what Ethan has to say, all of it. Please do not hold back because you think I’m too fragile or delicate to handle what you see. I’ve been dealing with this for too long as it is. I’m tired of being put off and letting Wes win. I need to know.”

Ethan eyed Brent
, shrugged. “Sorry, but the little boy is forever living in temporary places. I see a string of hotels and motels, small out of the way apartments, recently. Your Luke is easily confused. His father constantly calls him by different names and he has trouble keeping up with the story he’s supposed to remember.”

N
o one in the room was more surprised than River when Brent added, “Luke has no structure, no regular time schedule. One night he’s forced to go to bed at eight, the next he’s kept up until the wee hours of the morning. He’s been left alone several times only to wake up in a strange place, scared and disoriented.”

Everyone gaped at Brent with open amazement.

“Since when do you
see
anything like that?” Marcus asked. “It’s significant. Since when did you start using your natural ability?”

Brent ran a hand through his hair.
“For a couple of days now.” He turned to River, took her hand. “That day at the cave, you and I connected, soul to soul, spirit to spirit. I’d say you brought it to the surface for me in a big way.”

“I did? You didn’t say a thing.”

“You took her to the cave?” Marcus demanded, clearly upset. “You know it’s off limits to outsiders. The healing spirit is powerful there.”

“
That’s right. I did take her. And I’d do it again. Because I don’t consider River an outsider. And you shouldn’t either. I’m not sure how this stuff works yet. My head’s filled with so many images I’m having trouble keeping them all straight. And one of them is this. I’m curious about something I haven’t been able to understand. Are you aware River has her own special gift? And if not, why not? Why weren’t you able to pick up on her ability? You met her before any of us did, spent time with her, took her on a trip south in a closed up space for hours. You’re usually more in tune with things like that.”

“I’m curious about that, too,” Ethan wondered.

Brent went on,
“You seemed to focus on any negative around you instead of the positive. Why is that?”

To
River’s credit she felt she needed to defend Marcus before this got out of hand. She glanced over at the much older man. “Before you answer that you should know that my grandmother spent years teaching me how to block it, my gift, that is. Every time I touched a certain item and could see the past, she had it in her head that if people found out they might make fun of me or somehow exploit that part of me if they knew. So she showed me how to handle it, most times, anyway. As I said before, it doesn’t do me any good in locating Luke.”

“There’s enough energy in this room, we’ll locate him,” Lindeen
assured River as she patted the woman’s hand. “You just wait and see.” She sent her sons a stern look. “I expect a degree of respect where your father is concerned. But you might as well tell them Marcus.”

“None of this
doubt or drama is helping River locate her son’s whereabouts,” Marcus pointed out.

Chastised
to a point, Brent stared at his father, but persisted. “If this is a test, I’ll play along. I know you’ve always let us walk our own path, hoping we’d eventually arrive at that place in life to appreciate our roots as much as you do. While you were busy guiding others up to that point, you stepped back and let your own sons find their footing. Tough to do for a father.”

Brent saw the respect shine in Marcus’
s eyes so he went on. “Despite zeroing in on the negative you saw in the people we chose to have around us, you let us make our mistakes, to learn, to hopefully grow. You didn’t warn me off Cindy when you could have.”

“
At the time Cindy was a painful, sometimes destructive path you needed to take. In spite of wanting to keep our children from hurting, from suffering, it’s oft times clear we cannot.”

“So we needed to experience our own growth, find our own metaphysical well-being
, is that it?” Ethan asked. He could see it now and all the blunders he’d made to get to this one happy point in his life. He met his father’s eyes. “That time I spent bumming around in a band and tending bar, the aimless feeling I had about life, you never said a word to discourage me. You knew I’d eventually get it out of my system.”