Bad Karma (17 page)

Cassie smiled at Darla across the table. “You are? That is so cool!”

Tom winked at his daughter. “Darla is an expert marksman. She’s the designated sniper if there’s a situation.”

That information sank in on Sky. A sniper in the family...a situation... “You work with Rafael Solis?” she asked.

Darla nodded. “That I do. He’s a great guy. Have you met him?”

“
Yes, he came to the hospital emergency room with some drunken man who had caused an accident. He was pretty upset about it.”

“
That’s my boss!” Darla laughed and poked a bite of mashed potatoes into the open mouth of one of her sons. “Rafael takes it all very seriously. He doesn’t want any bad guys within his jurisdiction.”

Cassie and Sky locked eyes.
Yes, Maybe I’ll have to have a discussion with this sheriff.

Millie turned to Sky with a sweet smile. “Are you getting enough to eat, honey?”

Sky laughed. “Yes, Ma’am. Zach keeps adding more food to my plate.”

“
And you’re a nurse. That must be a very rewarding profession. I hope that our little hospital proves to be challenging enough for you.”

“
It’s a small facility, but there are a variety of needs. It’s been really interesting, so far.”

Millie reached to pat the back of Sky’s hand. “I hope you stay with us for a long time.”

Sky felt her blush reflex kicking in.

Zach sent his mother a “back off” glare.

After the table had been cleared, dessert was served. They had their choice of several homemade cakes and pies with vanilla ice cream on the side.

Amid an ocean of protests that the guests shouldn’t have to work, Sky and Cassie began gathering dishes and headed for the kitchen. The rest of the women joined them and in a short time all the food had been put away and the dishwasher was running. The rest of the dishes were rinsed and waiting in the sink for the next load.

Andrew’s wife, Jill, was in an advanced state of pregnancy. Sky chatted with her about her upcoming due date.

When the women emerged from the kitchen as a group, Sky saw that the men had taken the children outside. She stood on the deck and observed Zach interacting with his loving and rowdy family.

He was so handsome it gave her pleasure just to stare at him from afar. And, when he spotted her, there was a subtle change in his expression to let her know she pleased him too.

He held out his hand and she walked to meet him, aware of the eyes that followed her. He enfolded her in an embrace and kissed her in front of his entire family.

One of his many nephews ran up to swat Zach on the leg. “Uncle Zach’s got a girlfriend!”

“
Bout time!” Darla said, a twinkle in her large brown eyes.

Sky colored as Zach drew her away from the group, amid catcalls and whistles. They walked down a narrow pier and he helped her step into a small sailboat. He lifted the mast and, in minutes they were under sail. He caught the freshening breeze in the triangle of fabric and headed into the Laguna Madre.

Gliding along with Zach gave Sky a sense of peace. “This is beautiful.” She gazed up at him and smiled.

“
You’re beautiful. I thought the whole family thing might have overwhelmed you.”

She smiled at him. “You have an amazing family, Zach.”

He gave her a rueful grin. “Yeah, but to the uninitiated it can be like joining the circus or being kidnapped by a band of gypsies.”

“
I loved it. You made it easy for me to feel comfortable.”

“
Come here,” he said, his voice low and smoky.

His tone sent a little shiver down her spine. She moved to settle against his chest. “Is this why you brought me out here?”

“
I thought you could use a break.” He kissed the side of her face. “And I wanted to be alone with you.” He grazed more kisses along her cheekbone and temple. "And I thought you needed kissing."

Sky looked up into his eyes and felt something she’d never felt before. It was as though she’d finally found her way home. She lifted her chin and he stroked her face with his fingertips before lowering his mouth to hers for a lingering kiss.

“
Sky, I...I know that you’ve been through a lot recently, but I don’t know if you’re ready for a relationship.”

“
I’m ready for you,” she said.

“
Are you?” He searched her face as though he might find some assurance there. “Because, I don’t want to lose my heart to you and have you leave me. I don’t think I could survive that.”

She nodded, her hair making a scrunching sound against his chest. “I understand, Zach. I’m frightened too.”

He chuckled, the sound reverberating deep in his chest. “You can’t be afraid of me. I’m not a scary guy.”

“
I’m afraid of getting hurt,” she said. “My heart can be broken too.”

“
Not by me. I’m the guy who wants to love you.”

Sky sighed. “I’ve always danced away from the fire. I didn’t want to get burned.”

He wrapped both arms around her and snuggled her close. He exhaled, his breath warming her cheek. “You’ve been burning me up since I first set eyes on you, but I promise not to hurt you.”

“
What do you want from me, Zach?” She turned to face him.

“
I want you to promise me that you won’t leave, no matter what.”

An icy finger trailed a path down her spine. She wasn’t sure she could say the words Zach needed to hear. “I wouldn’t want to leave, but the stalker might find me.”

His brow puckered. “Don’t you think I’ve thought of that? I wouldn’t let you face him alone. I want to be with you. I want to keep you safe. We need to get this guy and put him away.”

“
I’m so scared that he’ll find me and hurt someone else that I love.”

“
Not going to happen. We need to stay on guard and if he shows up, he’ll be dealt with.” He appeared so sure that he could handle any situation.

Sky took a deep breath and let it out. “You make me feel safe, like I’m in the castle keep.”

“
Just promise me you’ll stay.”

She looked up into his eyes. The swarm of butterflies sensation again. “How long?”

“
Forever.”

~*~

They lingered at the Bailey house until after dark.

Zach and Sky stayed out on the tiny sailboat, leaving Cassie to be entertained by the rest of the herd.

She was a little miffed at being left behind, but she wanted Sky and Zach to have plenty of opportunity to bond. She smiled brightly at Tom Bailey. “So, you were saying that the lab equipment is pretty old?”

He gave her a look over the top of his glasses. “I’ll bet if the pretty new teacher made a list of needed equipment, and got it in to the principal at the beginning of the year, he’d be inclined to purchase some of it for her.”

She smiled at him. “Think so?”

He nodded. “Be a squeaky wheel, Cassie. I became complacent and forgot to squeak.”

Other Bailey’s talked to Cassie. Darla came to chat with her about her martial arts experience. Woodrow asked if she’d like to take a walk and she declined. She absolutely refused to entertain the idea of having a boyfriend who might be called Woody.

Although, the idea of having a boyfriend who wasn’t Javier Rios seemed out of the question. That thought sent a fluttering sensation through her chest.

She was so confused. She had never been attracted to a man the way she was to Javi, but she was also terrified of him. The feelings he stirred in her were unlike anything she’d experienced before.

She remembered the look on his face when he’d said, “I’m a man and I’m trying to love you like a man.”

Oh, yeah! He’s a man all right! And he thinks I’m a woman.

~*~

At the end of the evening, the Danforths bid adieu to the Bailey clan and climbed into Zach’s Jeep for the drive home. Sky felt as though she were rolling along in her own bubble of singular joy. She was where she needed to be with the people she needed to be with. She glanced at Zach, recognizing the same joy written on his face.

When he pulled up in front of their house, he put the Jeep in gear and idled.

"Night, Zach. Your family is awesome." Cassie leaped from the back seat and sprinted up to unlock the house, leaving Sky alone with Zach.

He turned to face Sky, his gaze expressing feelings his lips didn't say.

She gathered her purse and prepared to follow her sister, but the look on his face made her hesitate. “It was a lovely day. Thank you for taking us to meet your family.” Sky gazed into his eyes and a shiver spiraled down her spine.

He brushed his fingertips over her cheek. “I hate to say goodnight now. Would you like to watch the moon rise from my deck?”

She nodded. “Let me say goodnight to Cassie.” She climbed the stairs and found her sister changing into her pajamas. “Will you be all right here by yourself if I go over to Zach’s?”

Cassie grinned. “Sure, I’m a big girl now.”

“
I don’t know how long I’m going to stay. Come and lock the door behind me. I’m going to take my keys.”

“
Just relax and spend time with your man.”

“
He is, isn’t he?” Sky grinned as she thought about the way Zach had taken ownership of her life. Not pushy, but steady, worthy of her trust. And now she was going to do her best to seduce the tall, delicious, compassionate man.

Time to make some waves, stir the pot, toss a pebble in the still waters.

Sky made sure Cassie was securely locked inside and made her way down the steps, and then slowly up Zach’s steps. When she reached his deck, her injured leg ached with the effort. She stopped breathing when she saw what he’d done.

Candles flickered from every surface, providing a soft glow. A tub of iced drinks sat by a small table with fruit and cheese with crackers. Zach’s telescope sat in the middle of the deck.

Sky grinned as Zach came out onto the deck. He was only wearing a pair of faded cotton shorts. It appeared she wasn’t the only one with seduction on her mind.

Relax. Let your man do all the work.

“
What can I fix you to drink?” he asked.

Sky took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I think I’d like to try the white wine.”

“
You sure?” He quirked an eyebrow at her.

She nodded. “As you said before, I don’t have far to walk.”

“
Who said you were going home?” The look he gave her sent a flood of heat washing through her. A giggle tried to escape from her throat, but she captured it.

Zach held a stemmed glass of white wine and offered it to her. When she came to him, he spread his arms and enveloped her is his strong embrace. He lowered his mouth to hers, surprising her with the ardor of his kiss.

All of her fear and reservations melted away.