Listen to Your Heart (19 page)

His kiss was everything she’d dreamed
about for the last three days. When their hearts finally returned to normal he
cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. “I hate to share you
tonight, but Dad would like us to join him for dinner, if that’s all right with
you.”

“That reminds me. I sort of promised to
have dinner with Chance and Dale. Is it all right if we all eat together?” She
grabbed her phone.

“Dad would love that.” He gave her
another quick kiss and felt for his own phone.

Six months later.

“I see what you mean. That’s a lot of
testosterone.” Adrian whispered in Morgan’s ear as they approached the
restaurant her mother and Dale had chosen for the rehearsal dinner. Her
brothers and her father were standing outside, enjoying the warm spring air. Morgan
and Adrian had only been apart for a week, but they held hands as though they’d
been separated for months. Adrian had arrived that afternoon from Whistler, around
the same time the Zimco jet had delivered his parents and grandmother from
Switzerland.

“We’ll be next.” Morgan fingered the
antique emerald-cut engagement ring Adrian had given her this afternoon. “Does
that make you nervous?”

“Absolutely not. I can hardly wait to
make the announcement.” They had agreed to tell their families tomorrow, after Dale
and Chance left for their honeymoon.

“How’s your grandmother?”

“She’s a bit tired from the trip, but
they’re all looking forward to tomorrow.”

Morgan smiled up at him and he gave her
a quick kiss. “Okay, let’s do this.”

They entered to a chorus of greetings.
Inseparable as usual, Dale and Chance greeted them together.

“You look beautiful.” Morgan admired her
sister. “But most of all, you look happy.”

“I am.” Dale had every reason to be
happy. Chance’s new store was a major success and Dale was now head housekeeper
at Zimmerli Whistler.

Cynthia Dempsey called her family
together. “Let’s get our pictures taken before we eat.”

Adrian hung back, but she motioned him
forward. “Come on, Adrian. This is a family picture.”

“How did you know?” he said, unable to
hide a grin.

“I know my daughters,” she said, smiling
at him fondly. “All right now everyone. Say cheese!”

* * *

Thank you for
reading.

If you enjoyed
this novel,

Please leave a
review on Amazon.

Here’s an
excerpt from

Then Came Love:

The fawn leaped onto the road and stood
frozen, huge eyes watching her approach. Maybe if Amanda hadn’t been looking
for the sign to Loon Lake Resort she would have seen it sooner, but it was too
late now. She yanked the steering wheel and her SUV slid over the gravel
shoulder, down the slight incline and came to rest with the passenger side
against a tree.

Sunlight filtered through the trees,
illuminating patches of forest. It was an odd time to think of it, but she
loved this part of British Columbia and had been thrilled when Vince told her
he owned a cottage on Sandy Lake. Unfortunately, that first flush of excitement
hadn’t lasted.

Don’t think about that now
, she told
herself.
Think about how you’re going to get out of here.

Surprisingly, she was unhurt. Vince
would be angry when he found out about the Land Rover but she didn’t care; the
deer was safe and that was what mattered. He’d told her more than once that it
was better to “hit the damned things” than swerve to avoid them. Last summer
he’d hit a doe not far from here and unceremoniously dragged the still
twitching body to the side of the road, muttering about “vermin”. She’d held
back an angry retort, afraid of him even then. It was a chilling realization.

The car was still running; that was a
good sign. She turned off the ignition. Birdsong filled the air and she
recognized the distinctive warble of a Vireo. And then the sound of flowing
water filtered through. There was a stream nearby; no doubt one that emptied
into Loon Lake. Many of the lakes in this area were connected by channels large
enough to accommodate a canoe or a shallow-draft boat. That, coupled with the
excellent fishing was responsible for the increase of fishing resorts over the
past twenty years.

She unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed
the empty water bottle. A few deadfalls littered the forest floor; thankfully
she’d worn an old pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Vince hated her to dress
casually. It had felt good to pull on the old jeans this morning knowing that
she had a whole week without him harping at her for one thing or the other. It
was going to be heaven. She reached the stream and filled the bottle. The water
was cool, clear and sweet. She drank greedily, laughing at herself when some
water dribbled down her chin.
It doesn’t get any better than this
, she
thought, swiping at the drops with the back of her hand.

Movement along the creek bed caught her
eye and she stared for a moment, unsure of her eyes. It was a puppy. Cold and
bedraggled, it appeared to be on its last legs, clambering over the rounded
rocks at the creek’s edge.

“Oh, you sweet thing.” She spoke aloud
and the puppy looked up. It spotted her and wagged its tail.

She was quite sure it was a spaniel.
Even at this young age, its ears were droopy; even moreso since they were
soaking wet. She picked it up and pulled it to her chest. The dog was a mass of
movement, shivering, squirming with excitement and trying to lick her face all
at the same time.

“Are you lost?” she asked, burying her
face in its fur. She raised her head and looked around. “That was a silly
question, wasn’t it? Of course you’re lost.” She stroked the dog’s head and it
calmed. “You can’t have wandered too far from home. I’ll bet the people at Loon
Lake know about you. Come on, let’s get up to the road and start walking.”

She wrapped the dog in her fleece
jacket, grabbed her tote bag, locked the vehicle and climbed the bank. “Someone
will come along soon,” she said, not sure if she was reassuring herself or the
dog. “It may be remote up here, but it’s not the end of the world.” She started
walking. The few times she’d come to the cottage she hadn’t been driving, but
she knew that Vince used the sign to Loon Lake as a marker. Their driveway was
a mile and a half beyond that, and led into Sandy Lake.

She’d been walking for about fifteen
minutes when a pickup truck came up from behind and stopped. The driver leaned
toward her, one arm on the steering wheel and the other draped along the back
of the seat. “You okay?” he asked, eyeing the bundle in her arms. “I’ll bet a
deer jumped out in front of you.”

She met his eyes. “That’s right. How did
you know?”

He gave her a gentle smile. “It happens
a lot around here. Some people say you should just hit them.” He paused. “Thankfully,
they’re in the minority. Can I offer you a ride?”

She hesitated and looked ahead. “I’m
going to Loon Lake. I can walk, thanks.”

He shrugged. “I’m going there myself.
It’s no trouble.” He leaned across and opened the passenger door. “My name’s Jackson.
Hop in.”

Vince had warned her against talking to
strangers in this area. Sometimes he treated her like a child. But then she had
to admit that she’d been acting like a child, letting him boss her around.
“Okay,” she said. “I’d appreciate that.”

She climbed up into the cab of the
truck. “I’m Amanda.”

“What have you got there?” He looked at
the bundle again. “Is it a baby?”

She cradled the puppy, which was being
surprisingly quiet. “No. Yes. Well, sort of.”

He frowned, but there was a glint of
amusement in his eyes. “It either is or it isn’t.”

The puppy chose that moment to shake
free of her jacket.

The man looked like he’d just won the
lottery. “It’s Rocky”.

“Rocky?” She started to giggle as the
dog licked her face. “You know this dog?”

“Sure do and I also know two kids who
are going to be very happy to see him. He belongs to Hannah and Logan.” He
reached out to pat the dog. “I work for their parents at Loon Lake Resort. The
dog went missing a day and a half ago and we’ve all been looking for him ever since.”
He put the truck in gear and pulled back out onto the road. “It’s a good thing
he wasn’t gobbled up by a cougar.”

Amanda instinctively covered the dog’s
ears. “Don’t say that. You’ll frighten him.”

Jackson’s lips twitched and she studied
him as he drove. He hadn’t shaved for a day or two but it wasn’t the look
affected by celebrities these days; it was the beginnings of a real,
honest-to-goodness beard. He wore his dark hair tied back at the nape of his
neck. The only thing missing was an earring. He glanced over and seemed about
to say something, then changed his mind. Amanda was disappointed; there was
something about this man that made her want to get to know him. He was nothing
like Vince, she knew that instinctively. Her husband was a slick, perfectly
groomed city type who wore suits that cost enough to feed a third world village
for a month.

Deep down she sensed that the man beside
her didn’t need the outward trappings of success. He exuded a powerful aura of
masculinity that made her light in the head. She studied his hands on the
steering wheel and for a wild, heart-pounding moment she wondered what they
would feel like on her body.

Enough. She couldn’t think like this.
She was a married woman, and although Vince had been treating her like dirt
recently, he was still extremely jealous. She hated to think what he would do
if she was ever foolish enough to get involved with another man. She shuddered
and turned her attention back to the dog.

“Why is this little guy called Rocky?”

“Because he’s a fighter.” Jackson
chuckled. “He’s got lots of spunk, that one. You should see him attack Jesse.”

“Jesse?”

“Yeah, Dave’s old lab. This little guy
is all over him like a bad rash.” They passed a driveway leading to one of the
other resorts on the lake. “And before you ask, Jesse is named after Jesse
James. When he was a pup, Dave used to hang one of those western scarves around
his neck. We all thought he looked like a gunfighter and the name stuck.”

She nodded. It sounded like something
out of a fairy tale. She pictured dogs and children growing up together, the
way it was supposed to be. A jolt of longing made her look away.

“Hey, are you okay?” She couldn’t
believe that he’d picked up on her mood. She’d known Vince for two years now,
been married for almost as long, but he’d never shown this type of sensitivity.
It was unnerving.

“I’m fine,” she said and turned back
toward him just as they drove into a clearing. Sunlight flooded the cab of the
truck, lighting his eyes. Slate grey, shot through with slivers of blue, they
watched her, and for an irrational moment she wondered if he could read her
thoughts. Because in spite of his appearance which was scruffy at best, he
struck her as highly intuitive.
Now where did that come from
? she
wondered and buried her face in Rocky’s fur.

Her husband’s cabin was on the adjoining
lake but Amanda had never been to Loon Lake Resort. She’d been curious about it
last year and had looked it up online, learning that it comprised twenty rental
cottages, thirty fully serviced camping spaces, boat rental and a convenience
store with attached coffee shop. The most popular of the fishing resorts in the
area, it was now being operated by the grandson of the original owner, along
with his wife.

The resort was in an uproar when they
arrived. A middle-aged Asian man sat on the arm of an Adirondack chair, rocking
back and forth, his arm swathed in white gauze. Customers stood in random
groups, looking back toward the building as the last few people scurried out.

“Uh-oh.” Jackson pulled into a spot
below the ‘Office’ sign, jumped out of the truck and raced through an open door
at the back of the building. Amanda petted the dog nervously, waiting for him
to re-appear. When he hadn’t come out after several minutes, she settled the
dog into her jacket and climbed down, closing the door quietly behind her. She
poked her head inside. Judging from the supplies stacked on shelves lining the
hallway, it was the back entrance to the kitchen.

“Hello?” she called tentatively.
“Jackson?” She stepped into the kitchen.

“Sorry
Senora
, you can’t be
here.” A young man accosted her.

“It’s okay, Carlos. She’s with me.”
Jackson stepped forward.

Amanda looked around and surveyed the
damage. There had obviously been a kitchen fire. “At least you had a K class
fire extinguisher,” she said. “Looks like you caught it early.”

Carlos raised his eyebrows. “
Si
,
but Tran is badly burned.” He looked back at the mess in the kitchen. “I’m not
surprised.”

Amanda could see what he meant. Grease
coated the ceiling and the walls weren’t much better. She was afraid to even
look up the exhaust hood or in the grease box. It was a miracle the whole place
hadn’t burned to the ground.