We'll Never Tell (Secrets of Ravenswood) (6 page)

Ethan pocketed the keys.
“There’s a blanket behind the seat we can sit on.”

She climbed out, hugging
her sweater around her in the evening chill. He tilted the seat forward and
pulled out a plaid, wool blanket. Elbows brushing, they walked down to the
water.  After he shook the blanket and spread it out, she sat, making sure
to leave a foot of space between them when he joined her.

The moon hovered over
the cliffs on the far side of the lake, shedding a silvery light across the
water. She leaned back on her elbows, crossed her feet at the ankles, and
sighed.

“I can’t imagine
anyplace more beautiful than this. I guess it’s why I keep coming back to
Ravenswood.”

“I love it up here. My
neighbor and a couple of his buddies camped at the lake last night. I was
tempted to join them, but this is much better than beer and fish stories.”

Sam grinned. “Sounds
like it could easily turn into a pissing contest. My—fish—is bigger than yours.
Are they still at the campground?”

“No, I saw Arnie’s Jeep
drive by my house early this afternoon.”

“So, I guess it’s just
us.”

“Just us.” He slid
across the blanket and picked up her hand.

A quiver ran through
her.

“What are you looking
for, Sam? I need to know because I don’t want to scare you away again.”

The stillness of the
night was broken by a bullfrog croaking in the shallows. Her heart thumped. “I
like you, Ethan. There’s an ease about you…” She gave a little shrug. “…a
calmness that I need right now. And I won’t pretend I don’t feel the attraction
between us.”

His thumb rubbed across
the back of her hand. “Do you want to do something about it?”

She sucked in a breath.
“I do, but I don’t want to get hurt.”

“Who says you have to?”

She leaned against his
shoulder, and he slid his arm around her waist.

“I know how these things
work. I’ll leave to help at an earthquake in China or a Tsunami in India or an
epidemic in Africa. You’ll say you’ll be around when I get back, but…”

“But what?”

The words whispered
across her ear, and she shivered. “You’ll meet some cute little thing who’s on
vacation, or a nice woman looking for a new dog and a bit of human companionship.”
She hunched one shoulder. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“You have it all figured
out.” His words were clipped.

She stiffened.
“Experience. Not that I blame a guy for moving on. I realize waiting around for
someone isn’t exactly fun on a Saturday night.”

“So you don’t let
yourself get too involved, and everyone is happy?”

Sam tried to remember
the last time she was happy—heart soaring, stomach fluttering, pulse racing
happy—and came up empty. “Something like that.”

He pulled her against
him until their hips pressed together. “You are such a liar.”

The edge in his voice
was gone. In fact, he seemed almost
cheerful
.

Her mouth dropped open.
She snapped it shut. “Everything nice I said about you before—I take it back.”

He chuckled, a low, sexy
sound that made her thighs clamp together.

“You aren’t as tough as
you pretend.” He gave her a hard squeeze. “And I’m not like the other men
you’ve dated. When I make a promise, I keep it. Of course being willing to make
a commitment that spans continents would have to depend on more than a couple
of dates.”

The tension building
inside her dissolved. “I’m crushed.  A few hours ago you wanted to marry
me.”

Laughing, he pulled her
down onto her side to bring their faces millimeters apart. “Want to make out?”

“I might die if we
don’t,” she whispered.

His lips eased onto
hers, and she closed her eyes. Being held felt so good. The comfort of a hard
chest and strong arms, the heat and scent of a male body pressed tight against
her. His tongue probed, tasting. She whimpered low in her throat and clung,
sliding her hands beneath his shirt to stroke the tough skin of his back.

He pulled away a
fraction. “No wonder we ended up in bed last time. God, Sam, together we’re
tinder on a bonfire.”

“Yeah.” She pressed her
forehead against his and breathed deep.

He bit her earlobe and
nibbled along her jaw. A jolt of desire slammed through her. Pulling her hands
from beneath his shirt, she sunk her fingers into his hair and kissed him back
with enthusiasm. Ethan tasted of coffee and man. She pressed tighter against
him, feeling the hard length of his desire.

The trilling melody of
her cell phone niggled at the edge of awareness. She ignored it. His hands
cupped her face, thumbs stroking her temples. She was burning up.

The ringing stopped—and
started again. His voice shook when he spoke. “Do you need to get that?”

She blinked. “Huh?”

“Your phone.”

Sam flopped backward
onto the blanket. Her hand trembled as she pulled it out of her sweater pocket
and glanced at the screen. “It’s Juliette. She wouldn’t call if it wasn’t
important.”

“Then answer it.”

Pushing the talk button,
she held the phone to her ear. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I
know you’re on a date, but I thought you’d want to know.”

A chill crept over her.
“Tell me.”

“Darby was hit by a car.
She’s in the hospital.”

Sam’s whole body shook
as she pushed up on one elbow to sit, shoulders hunched. She clutched the phone
so hard her knuckles gleamed white in the moonlight.

“Is Darby okay?” Dashing
a hand across her cheek, she wiped away tears. “Oh, thank God. You don’t think
it has anything to do with…” Her voice trailed off, and her throat worked as
she swallowed.

Ethan rested his hand on
the back of her neck and rubbed. The tendons strained beneath his fingers, so
tight he was amazed they didn’t snap.

“Do you want to drive
down tonight?” She leaned against his chest while she listened to her friend’s
response. “You’re sure?” Another pause, and a hint of a smile curved her lips.
“I think the mood’s shot. I’ll call you in the morning.” She clicked off the
phone and stuffed it in her pocket.

“What happened?”

She pressed shaking
fingers against her eyes, not answering for a long moment. Finally she turned
and looked up at him. “My friend, Darby Kincade, was hit by a car in a
crosswalk. She has scrapes and bruises and a mild concussion.”

“I’m sorry, Sam.” He
stroked her silky hair. “Darby doesn’t live in Ravenswood, does she? I haven’t
seen her around in years.”

“No, she moved to San
Francisco after she finished college.”

“Are you driving down
tonight?”

“She told Juliette not
to. Darby’s mom still lives in town. We’ll talk to her in the morning, see what
her plans are.”

“Do you want to head
home?”

“If you don’t mind.” She
pushed a lock of hair behind her ear with trembling fingers.

“Of course not.” When
she rose to her feet, he captured her hand. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Looking away, she bit
her lip. “I’m fine.”

Though she was anything
but
fine, he didn’t push. Trust obviously didn’t come easy for her. Lips pressed
together, he picked up the blanket. He was patient with his dogs. He could be
patient with Sam.

They walked back to the
pickup and drove over the bumpy track to the main road. The headlight beams
speared through the darkness, illuminating a dense wall of trees. Much like the
protective barrier around Sam’s heart. He’d chipped away at it before the phone
call, but now the wall was firmly back in place if the clenched fists resting
in her lap were any indication.

He turned onto her
driveway and drove around the imposing three story house that sat vacant for a
majority of the year. Sam’s parents shared their time between half a dozen
residences. As little as they used it, he was surprised they hadn’t sold the place,
but figured they held onto it for Sam’s sake. Ravenswood was home to her, or as
close as she came to having one.

Stopping in front of her
cabin—originally the caretaker’s residence—he turned off the engine. When she
opened her mouth, he reached over and squeezed her knee. “I’ll walk you to the
door. No farther.”

Sam met his gaze for a
long moment and then got out of the truck. He hurried around and took her hand.
Her skin was smooth and soft, the bones delicate in his grasp. He stopped
beneath the porch light and ran his thumb lightly over the back of her hand.
Above them, moths fluttered and bumped against the light.

“I’ll call you.”

She nodded. “Thanks for
dinner.”

“You bet.” He cupped her
face in his palms and looked into her eyes. The passion from earlier was gone.
In their emerald depths, uncertainty and worry vied with a more elusive
emotion. He kissed her, drinking in her sweetness. When his body hardened, he
pulled away.

“I’d ask you in, but…”
Her voice was breathless.

He touched her lips with
his finger. “Let’s give it some time. I’d rather try to forge a relationship
with you than have another one night stand.”

Her eyes gleamed with a
hint of moisture. “You’re a good guy, Ethan. Thanks for understanding.”

He stepped back. “I’ll
call.”

****

The message light was
blinking when Sam walked through the kitchen. Juliette had probably called the
house before trying her cell. She ignored the machine and went to the sink.
Filling a glass with tepid tap water, she drank slowly. She hadn’t stopped
shaking since hearing the news. First finding the body, and now Darby getting
hit… She forced out a long, calming breath. It was a hell of a welcome home.

Maybe it was for the
best that Juliette had called when she did. The temptation to rip Ethan’s
clothes off and do it right there on the lake shore had been great. He was a
genuinely nice guy—and hot—a combination that was hard to resist. If he was
willing to take things slow, she might be able to let her guard down…at least a
little.

But right now she needed
sleep. Leaving her glass on the counter, she headed to the bedroom. After
stripping off her clothes, she donned an oversized T-shirt with
RAW
embroidered on the front pocket, brushed her teeth, splashed water on her face,
and crawled into bed. Visions of Darby sprawled on the asphalt flashed through
her mind. It was an accident, nothing more. Just an accident…

Sam woke at the first
hint of dawn creeping through the open blinds. After showering and dressing in
jeans and a striped knit top, she headed for the kitchen. Punching the still
flashing button on the answering machine as she passed, she reached for the
coffee carafe.

“A little reminder of
our deal, Sam.” The voice was low and brusque, barely louder than a whisper.
“You don’t mention what you saw in the woods that night all those years ago,
and your friends won’t pay the price.”

The carafe slipped
through stiff fingers and shattered on the tile floor. Clutching the counter
for support, Sam stared at the machine. It wavered as darkness blurred her
vision. She slid to a sitting position on the floor and hung her head between
her knees.
Do not pass out. Do not pass out.

The phone rang, and
already stretched nerves snapped. With a whimper, she pressed back against the
cupboard doors. The shrill sound went on and on, hammering her brain. Finally
the machine picked up.

“Sam, are you awake?
Call me. I talked to…”

Rising to her feet, she
leaped across the broken glass and snatched up the receiver. “Juliette.”

“Oh good, you’re up. I
just got off the phone with Alice Kincade. They’re releasing Darby from the
hospital later this morning. She’s driving down to San Francisco now.”

“Juliette…” Her voice
shook.

“Thank God it’s
Saturday, so I don’t have ballet classes to teach. Do you want to go to the
city with me?”

“Juliette…” She
swallowed against a surge of nausea and pressed her hand to her mouth.

“Are you okay? You don’t
sound so good.” Concern and a touch of panic laced her tone. “What’s wrong?”

“
He
called.”
Taking a breath, she tried to steady her voice.

“Who, Ethan?”

“No,
him
, the man
from the woods.” The silence in her ear was deafening. “Juliette, are you
there?”

“Yeah, sorry. I think I
need to sit down.”

“It gets worse. His message
said that Darby was a warning to keep my mouth shut.”

“He said that?” Her
voice rose high and thin.

“Words to that affect.
It was definitely implied.”

“Oh God.”

“That about sums it up.”
She pushed her hair behind her ear and stared at the broken glass shining
beneath the fluorescent light.