Summer's Night (11 page)

Chapter 19

Night paused as he rounded the house, catching a sight that took his breath away. Summer sat astride the tall gray gelding, balancing easily as he trotted toward the barn with the other two horses in tow. Without saddle or bridle, she simply held onto the mane, directing him with her legs while her long blonde hair fluttered behind her in the breeze. Bright sunlight of late afternoon glistened over her crown, lightening the color of her hair and giving her an angelic hue.
Simply beautiful.
He couldn't take his gaze off her until she disappeared behind the barn.

Knowing she would tarry there a while to care for the horses, he sauntered that way, ignoring his body's response to watching the woman he loved. He wanted to take the relationship one step at a time, not rushing until they were both ready. As it was, he'd probably pushed the limits with his declaration of love. Telling her of those feelings seemed right at the time. Not once had he wished them back, especially since she shared them.

"Summer?" he called out, not wanting to startle her or the horses with his sudden appearance. Sticking his head in the door, he spied her pouring out rations of grain into buckets, the three big horses stamping their feet with impatience as they stood behind a small gate. Their ears pricked forward, watching Summer intently, as if she might drop a single morsel of corn.

"In here." She hefted one bucket, carrying it into a stall before returning for another.

Night hurried forward, grabbing the final bucket and setting it into the corner holder so Summer could open the gate and let the horses in to enjoy their dinner.

She smiled widely at him, threw open the barricade, then rushed into his arms, holding on tight. "Night. I missed you! Are you okay?" Drawing back, she looked him over.

He grinned, soaking up her rapt attention. "I'm fine. How are you doing?" He leveled his gaze, meeting her eyes, watching for any hint of hedging of the truth on her part.

"I'm fine. Really. Murphy is a great companion, even chases the bad dreams away with her loud snoring."

Leaning in, he meshed his lips with hers, joy flashing through him at her eager reception. Not only did she accept the kiss, but she returned it eagerly, taking the initiative to open her mouth and deepen the embrace. "Lord, I missed you," he whispered when they parted out of a need for air.

"Did you see your mother already?"

He wrapped her in his arms, holding her snug, watching her brown eyes sparkle with happiness. "Yes. I got home late last night and spent all day with her. I know I should have called, but I wanted to surprise you." He placed a kiss to her forehead, allowing her enough wiggle room to position her hands on his shoulders.

"I see. You wanted to catch me naked in the shower, huh?" she teased, her fingers picking at his T-shirt.

Glancing down at her jeans and short-sleeved shirt, he pictured that very image in his mind. He smiled a little. "If only I could be so lucky."

She snorted. "I swear. Men and sex."

"Every six seconds, little one."

"Yeah, yeah. So, I take it the mission went well?"

Her change of subject put the tension back into his shoulders.

Interacting with his father after so many years upset him more than he'd anticipated, sending his insides to churning with anger, fear, and pity. He knew enough about alcoholism to understand a hereditary link existed and domestic violence tended to run in families. While he remained furious at the pain his father lashed onto his little family and could pity the man who spent every night drinking his life away, the notion that he could step right into those shoes shook him to his very core.

* * * *

Her brows furrowed together as she scanned his face, sensing something bothered him, something he probably didn't really want to discuss. However, pent up worries and anger festered like an abscess. If you didn't lance them, open them up for all the foul smelling gunk to leak out, then it only spread and worsened.

Stepping back, she walked over to a nearby trunk, dragging a large blanket from the contents. Turning, she sent him a soft smile. "Come on." She reached out her hand to him, latching on when he took it. "Let's go sit outside and watch the sun set. You can tell me what happened."

With a small tug, she led him through the gate and out into the pasture, allowing him to choose a place to settle on the ground. Once he'd spread the quilt, they both sat down, getting comfortable while looking off to the west.

She wiggled until she leaned against his side, sighing when he wrapped an arm around her waist. "Want to talk about what happened?" Biting her lip, Summer crossed her fingers that he would open up to her.

Night stared across the pasture. "The mission went okay. No injuries or casualties on our side. The DEA got the evidence they wanted and another drug cartel no longer exists."

"Sounds like a success to me."

He shrugged.

"Why the long face?" She watched the expressions cross his normally stoic face.

"I made a stop on the way home." He softly answered, lifting her in front of him so she sat between his legs, her back to his chest. Wrapping both arms around her, he placed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Okay. Where did you go?"

"To see my father." His flat tone told her the visit ate at him now.

She blinked in surprise at the stark admission. Vaguely, she recalled the kidnapper mention Mrs Kensington's ex-husband, but everything about that incident blurred together in her memory, leaving her with an overall picture and few minor details. "Your father?"

"Yeah."

She felt him suck in a puff of air before continuing.

"He's an alcoholic and drinks at a small bar most of the time. Seems he got drunk, babbled about Mother's jewelry to the wrong man. Not only did he talk about her possessions, but even gave out her name and where she lived. Your kidnapper seized the opportunity to make some quick cash by stealing an expensive necklace to sell on the black market."

"So that's what happened."

Night's arms tightened around her. "My father is responsible for that whole mess. If he did it once, I know he'll do it again."

His flat tone worried Summer. Night had a tough enough job and didn't need to have to deal with a messed up father in addition. The man she loved deserved so much better after giving years of his life protecting freedom and US citizens from harm. Life wasn't fair.

She rested her hands over his, lightly stroking her finger over his knuckles in a small attempt to soothe his emotional pain. "You had a talk with him?" For the life of her she couldn't imagine what someone would do or say in such a situation, having to face a man he never really knew, one who let his whole family down, and continued to disrupt their lives years down the road.

"Yeah. I found him at the bar, told him who I was and what happened."

The bitten off words and the fact his muscles locked around and behind her told her how the meeting went. "And?"

"He didn't give a rat's ass. Wanted to challenge me. Thought he would knock me down when I called his bluff. The coward wouldn't even do that. Instead, he went back to drinking as if I'd just told him the time of day."

"Didn't he even ask about your mother? Or show a bit of regret?" Her mouth fell open at his father's callous responses. No wonder Night struggled with his grief and rage. All children have dreams. She would bet that Night had dreamed of meeting his father one day and becoming part of his life, making up for lost time. All little boys idolized their fathers at one time, looking up to them, emulating them, professing they would grow up to be like them. Seeing other children with two happy parents must have been hard, rubbing salt into the wound his father created when he'd ripped their family apart. Perhaps he'd believed that his father would change, rising to the pedestal Night placed him on. Instead, he'd faced down an old man, one who cared little if his former wife and his son lay murdered in their own house because of something he'd said to the wrong person.

She might not have had a father at all, but having no father beat having the beast Night discovered, hands down. That level of cruelty and apathy cut people deep, especially ones with expectations that those sharing DNA should also share a heartfelt bond.

"Nothing. Because everything worked out in the end, he felt exonerated." He released a long sigh. "That's all he worried about, his own skin. Mom and I are dead to him for all the concern he showed."

"And you worry it will happen again?"

"Yes. He's not going to stop drinking and who knows what else he might say when drunk."

"It won't go away, then. The threat."

"No."

"At least we know about it now and can be on our toes," she pointed out, trying to find the bright side in all the mess related to his father. Leaning back, she nuzzled his lowered chin. "I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do."

He hugged her tight. "You already are."

They remained silent for a few moments, staring at the coloring sky.

"I shouldn't dump this on you," Night uttered, keeping his arms around her.

Summer pulled up one of his hands, placing a kiss to the palm. "Everyone needs a shoulder now and then, even big tough military guys. Just because you can fly through the air and make things go boom, doesn't mean you don't have human emotions buried deep inside that have to come out. That's the difference between people and robots, you know. Personally, as much as I would love a robotic maid that didn't expect payment or benefits, I much prefer you to be a real human male, Night."

He placed a soft kiss to the top of her head before swinging her around to cradle against his chest. With a gentle touch, he cupped her cheek, encouraging her to look into his eyes. "You don't know how much you mean to me."

She smiled, pressing her lips to his chin for a quick show of affection. "The same here. I meant it when I said you are my hero. It's true. I love you, Night."

He eased her head against his chest, holding her as they watched the daylight transition into night with colors of orange, purple, and pink in the darkening sky.

Summer enjoyed the companionable silence, simply watching a show of nature in Night's arms, with no hurry for the entertainment to end. As the last rays faded, she moved to stand up. "We should get back to the house. Murphy will need to go outside and I think dinner might be in order."

"Sounds good to me." Night followed, picking up the blanket and slinging it over his free arm. Hand in hand they trekked back to the house.

Murphy met them at the door, doing a little doggie dance of happiness.

"Hey girl." Summer opened the door, letting the large white bundle of fluff outside, smiling when Murphy immediately trotted over to Night, smelling his rear.

"Stop that." He shook his head, playfully scolding the canine.

Murphy glanced at them once more before heading farther away from the house, presumably to find the right spot to complete her business.

Leading the way into the house, Summer took the used blanket, tossing it in the laundry basket, before heading to the kitchen. "Any preferences for supper?"

He trailed along behind her. "Not really. What did you want to fix?"

She glanced through the cupboards then headed to the fridge, jerking the door open to survey the contents. "I can make breakfast or a sandwich. That would be the quickest. Spaghetti is also possible."

Night grinned. "I happen to be a great breakfast cook."

She flashed a smile his direction. "I vaguely recall marvelous pancakes." Reaching in, she pulled out eggs, milk, butter, and pancake mix. Setting the items on the table, she nudged the door shut with her foot. "I'll fix hard boiled eggs if you work on pancakes. But you have to tell me your secret ingredient."

"Hmm. I don't know. It is a well protected family secret, after all," he teased, digging through a drawer for a large spoon.

Summer handed him a glass bowl and a measuring cup. Pouting dramatically, she bumped her hip slightly against his. "You won't share with little old me?" After his earlier melancholy, she longed to see those deep blue eyes twinkle with merriment. Grabbing the eggs, she gently rested three eggs at the bottom of the pan then filled it halfway full with water. Setting it on a back burner, she switched it on high and waited for them to boil.

"The pancakes? Sure." His lips twitched.

She rolled her eyes. "No, silly. The secret recipe."

He poured mix into the bowl with the other ingredients before stirring them all together. "Ah. What secret recipe?"

She snorted. "Be like that. That's okay. Just when you least expect it, I will kiss you senseless until you tell me."

The left dimple in his cheek popped. "Kiss me senseless, huh?"

"Oh, yeah." She lifted her head in challenge. "I would tickle you, but I'm sure you're not ticklish. So, I'm left with kissing you until you beg for mercy." She tried and failed to hold back a mischievous grin.

Flicking the switch on the stove, he set a skillet over the burner, pouring mix into small circles. That chore finished, he rounded on her, tugging her flush against his body.

"Can I return the favor?" His tone dropped, carrying a sultry pitch.

"Well…" She wrapped her arms around his neck, standing up on tiptoe to mesh her lips with his. After only a swift kiss of promise, she pulled back. "I suppose we could flip a coin to see who gets to kiss whom first."

He chuckled, patted her rear, then returned to the stove, using a spatula to check the bottom side of the pancakes. "I thought we were playing strip poker."

Her belly flopped in a slow, delightful somersault at those words. More than once her mind traveled down the imaginary path of naughtiness, with Night being the center of her erotic imaginings. Heat blasted across her face recalling some of the more adventurous scenes and her wild inhibitions.

His dimple returned along with a smile big enough to show straight front teeth. "So you have been thinking about playing."

Her face heated all the more.
How embarrassing.
"I plead the fifth."