Animal Prints: Sweet Small Town Contemporary Romance (Michigan Moonlight Book 1) (13 page)

“I’m sorry if I seem distrustful sometimes,” she said. “It’s just hard to get past an experience like that.”
 

She pushed off the tree. For a second, she brushed against him causing his heart beat to quicken. But all too soon she slipped past him to walk back to the trail through the woods, her blond hair swaying behind her. “We better keep going.”

Ian retrieved his camera and followed her down the narrow path like a puppy, thinking of how he could comfort her. “So you put all your energy into the rescue center for the past two years?”

“Yep. Animals can’t lie.”

“Not all people lie.” As he watched her back retreating quickly, he told himself he hadn’t lied to her. He just hadn’t told her the whole truth. He tried to mentally justify his actions, but that was getting harder to do. Part of him wanted to take his brother’s advice and tell her everything, right here, right now. But the fear that she’d send him packing permanently stopped him. So he’d wait and hopefully by the time he told her or she found out, she’d forgive his deception.

They cleared the edge of the forest and walked onto a wide ledge of sandstone sloping down to the rocky shore. The lake shone a brilliant blue in the summer light with a few boats dotting the surface of the water. Colette sat down on a large rock while Ian turned in every direction to take in the view.
 

“It’s as beautiful as the cottage property on Grand Island,” he said, after several minutes of study. “There it’s wild but confined by the rocks and trees. Here it’s sweeping and grand. Your family sure knows how to buy property.”

“Thanks for the compliment, but I’m just the lucky recipient of some very good decisions about a hundred years ago.” She cupped her chin in her hands, watching his every move.

“That long?” he asked although after his title search, he knew exactly when this property became Peterson land. Again, he reminded himself, he wasn’t lying. He was just not telling the whole truth.

“This property in 1894 and the cottage in the 1930s. Family rumor says it was won in a poker game. My grandfather always said that wasn’t true, but I met my great grandfather once when I was a kid and I’m not so sure.”

He chuckled. “Family secrets are the best.”

She raised her eyebrows at him. “You have any?”

“Loads, but my father is too stubborn to tell them to me and my brother.” Too stubborn to do anything normal families might do.

“Difficult man?”

“Yeah. You could say that.” And probably mad as hell by now since Ian hadn’t wrestled this property away from the Petersons yet. The likelihood of that was becoming minute.

Ian looked down at Colette. A little of her vibrancy disappeared in the woods. She took the spare camera he handed her, tucking it safely in her lap and brightening a little. “You never mention your mother,” Colette observed.

“My parents divorced when Tom and I were ten. Mom re-married shortly after and moved to Scottsdale. We spent vacations with her, but stayed in Chicago most of the year.”

“She didn’t want you with her?” Colette winced when his expression hardened. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t ask it that way.”

“It’s all right. The old man wouldn’t let her.” Ian used the long lens of the camera to shoot back toward the house, distracting himself from the folly of hurting her feelings. From the ridge where they were, the house was just visible above the trees of the forest. But all he could see through the lens was his own history. “Mom was over twenty years younger than he was. I think their marriage was an arrangement from the beginning. Dad needed a hostess and an heir. She fulfilled her duties and then moved on. Probably paid to do so.”

“Do you see her much now?”

“She died of cancer last year.”

“I’m sorry, Ian.”
 

She moved to touch his arm, and he realized her sympathy wasn’t automatic, in those blue eyes were a heartfelt kindness. Mother in heaven! How the hell did he get lucky enough to be standing in one of the most beautiful locations he’d ever seen with a woman like Colette? God help him if he screwed this up. He’d never get a chance like this again. Unfortunately, those blue eyes were persistent.” Were you with her?”

Ian took a breath, remembering the miserable phone call from Tom in the hours before his mother’s death. “I was in Iraq.”

“The army didn’t let you go home to see your dying mother?”

“We Skyped.”

She stared at him, aghast.

He quickly moved to explain.” Mom didn’t tell anyone until it was too late. She’d been in remission for a couple years, but the cancer came back with a vengeance. Took her in a matter of weeks. Tom was with her and I spoke to her through Skype. By the time I got stateside, she was gone. The army wasn’t completely heartless about it. It was just too late.” But not too late for his mother to extract a promise from him that made the stakes with Colette that much higher.

He broke eye contact with Colette when a blur of red caught his attention. Out of habit, he tensed at the unexpected movement. Behind her, a small child clambered over a rock in the distance. “Someone’s coming.” He pointed to the edge of the forest.

Colette swung around only to wave to the child. “Look out. It’s Jamie.”

“Jamie?” He asked, not relaxing as the little invader came nearer.

“My nephew. I told you about him at dinner.” She swatted him on the shoulder. “It’s okay. He’s not the enemy, but no matter how much he begs, do not let him touch your cameras.”

“Why?”

“He’s six. He’ll break them.” Jaime was running full speed across the large rocks along the shoreline toward them now. “Slow down, sweetie, before you…”
 

Colette’s last words were lost in screams as he crashed down flat on one of the larger boulders. She gasped and made to run toward him, but Ian bolted past her, handing her the camera he still held.
 

Ian reached the boy as he was rolling onto his back. The damage didn’t look too bad, a little blood on his arm, but nothing worse than that. “Hey, buddy, you okay?”

“Where’s Aunt Collie?” The boy demanded, his face starting to pucker.

“Just over there. Can’t cry, buddy,” Ian declared. “We’re going to play soldier. Aunt Collie is your field doctor and it’s my job to haul you to safety. Ready?”

“Okay,” Jamie answered, sniffling his nose, but putting on a brave face. “How you gonna carry me?”

“Like this,” Ian scooped the kid onto his shoulder and jogged across the rocks to Colette.

“Dr. Peterson, I have a patient for you.” He sat the boy down on a rock so Colette could check him out.
 

“Oh, Jamie,” she said “You scared me.” She knelt in front of him, inspecting his bloody elbow and ripped jeans. After a minute, Colette rocked back on her heels and eyed the child.

“What are you doing out here by yourself?” Colette demanded.

“I was chasing Peaches.”

Colette frowned at her nephew, but Ian could see she was only mock-serious.

“Dog?” Ian questioned.

“Ferocious cat.” Colette addressed the boy. “Honey, you don’t need to chase Peaches. She’ll always come home when she’s had enough of the outdoors.”

“She got spooked by Cream this time,” the child wailed.

“Cream?” Ian waited to see what this one was.

“White German Shepherd,” she explained.
 

Peaches and Cream…He blinked a few times. “Because your sister owns a bakery?”

She sighed, smiling a bit. “No, my brother-in-law loves disco.” Colette pointed to streaks of white and brown flying across the rocks. “There he goes with Romeo.” She handed Ian his camera back, keeping the smaller one around her neck, and took Jamie by the hand, starting across the rocks. “I bet if we walk to your house we’ll find Peaches along the way.”
 

Ian was left staring at the camera in his hands, feeling the weight of it as if for the first time. He didn’t even remember giving it to her, and yet here it was, in his hands safe and sound. They made a pretty good team….

“I’ll catch up,” Ian called. As he trailed after Colette and her nephew, lost in thought, he took several photos of them swinging their joined hands. Through the long lens, Jamie’s face looked adoringly up at his aunt. A woman equally good with animals and children, he mused.
Too good for you, Kroft
.

Chapter Eight

 
“Jamie!”

Colette could tell by the pitch of her sister’s voice she’d been searching for the boy for some time.

“Run to your Mama and give her a big hug. She can’t be mad at you then.” Colette swatted Jamie on the butt to move him forward, and he quickly disappeared down the trail. Seconds later, she heard Lexy’s voice greet the wayward six-year-old. When Colette rounded the next corner, Jamie was already running the short distance to his house while Lexy waited for Colette to join her.

“I’m glad you were out wandering today so you could return my property again.” Lexy tightened the ponytail in her dark hair. “Do you want to have dinner with us?”

Colette hesitated and turned to look back up the path. “I’m not alone so…”

“
He’s
with you.” Her sister’s dark eyes grew round, and she gripped Colette’s arm.

“Shush. He’ll be here any second.”
 

“You decided he wasn’t a bum, then?” Lexy whispered fiercely.
 

“Yes, but…” Colette wasn’t sure she wanted to subject Ian to Lexy’s inquisition right now. The painful expression on his face when he talked about his mother’s death stayed with her. She wasn’t sure he was up to dealing with her high energy sister.

“Then he can come to dinner with you…unless you had something else planned.” Lexy winked at her.

“Stop that,” Colette hissed, hearing Ian’s steps, crunching needles on the path. When he reached her, she nodded to the new woman. “Ian, this is my sister, Alexis. Jamie’s mother.”

“You can extend your sympathies at anytime,” Lexy joked, but Ian glanced at Colette, wide-eyed, to figure out how to interpret this.

“It’s okay. She threatens to sell Jamie to the circus, but she loves him.”

Ian put out his hand to shake Lexy’s, but she grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the house. He cast a nervous look back at Colette as he was led away.
 

“So glad to meet you, Ian. We were just getting ready to put some meat on the grill and I have a pitcher of margaritas chilling in the fridge. Or do you want a beer? My husband, he’s over there by the grill,” she waved a hand at him. “He can never decide if he likes a margarita with barbeque or beer. What do you think? Oops, watch out for the tricycle there. Don’t trip. If you give me five minutes, I’ll have a batch of appetizers out of the oven. I love….”
 

Colette stopped to greet her brother-in-law, Nate, while Lexy guided Ian through the patio door into the spacious kitchen.
 

“Poor bastard,” Nate commented and spurted the charcoal with lighter fluid. “She’s going to grill him like a steak. Probably even leave him a little raw and bleeding in the center.”

“She’s extra wound up today.”

“Yeah. She’s been like that all day. Glad to see you two. Takes the burden off me.” He grinned conspiratorially at her and they shared a laugh. He took a drink from his beer.
 

“What’s got her zooming along at Mach speed?”

“You. She’s worried you got yourself involved with some…” he trailed off and hoisted his beer for another sip.

Her brother-in-law suddenly found his tact, but she wanted it all out in the open. “Go ahead and say it. Some loser.”

“Yeah. Beer?” Nate reached into the cooler next to him.

“Nah. I’ll go inside for a margarita. That way I can rescue Ian if I need to.”

“Suit yourself. I’ll stick to beer and the great outdoors.” Nate raised his bottle in a mock salute. “If he’s a good guy, he will too.”

“Aunt Collie, come see my painting.” Melissa, Lexy’s eight-year-old daughter, greeted her when she stepped into the house. “Grandpa took me to see your new horses yesterday so I painted you a picture of them.” She held up a watercolor of the three miniature horses, grazing in the pasture.