Twilight at Blueberry Barrens (18 page)

T
he aroma of baking cookies filled Kate's blue-and-white kitchen. Everyone loved Claire's almond-flour chocolate chip cookies, even Luke. Claire checked the cookies and decided they needed a couple more minutes. “There's nothing like that aroma. My mother always made them on Saturdays when I was little. It was the only time I was allowed to help in the kitchen. The rest of the time our cook shooed me out.”

Her sister looked up with a smile. “I cooked a lot, but it usually wasn't fun things like cookies. I learned to make jerky from deer meat and how to dehydrate blueberries.”

“I like your house.” Emma licked cookie batter off the spoon. “I could live here forever.”

“You don't like the cottage?” Kate reached for her coffee.

“I love the cottage.” Phoebe ran a finger around the surface of the bowl, then licked it.

“I like the blue here.” Emma carried the spoon to the sink, then washed the sticky batter from her hands. “Uncle Drake says he's going to have you come to our house in Boston and redecorate it. Can you make our kitchen look like this one? His is all dark brown and feels sad.”

Claire grinned and wagged her brows at Kate. Her sister
seemed different today, relaxed and happier than she'd seen her since the blueberry harvest proved so bad. “Come help me with the cookies. Where's your cooling rack?”

Kate rose and grabbed the rack from the cabinet under the cooktop. “I see your grin.” She turned to the girls. “You can go play in the tree house until the cookies are cool.”

“Yay!” Phoebe slid off her chair and raced for the door with Emma on her heels.

Claire lifted out the sheet of cookies and grabbed the spatula. “Okay, give. I can see you're just bursting to tell me something.”

“I, um, I went out with Drake last night. We went to dinner at the Sea Room.”

Claire's chest could hardly contain the joy that swelled up. “It's about time! Dish! How'd it go? And how'd he talk you into it?”

“One thing I really like about him is that he's so direct and honest. He doesn't beat around the bush. He pulled off the road and told me it was silly for us to pretend we aren't drawn to each other and that we should explore where those feelings might lead.”

Claire lifted a cookie from the tray to the rack. “Wow, that
is
direct. Did you shoot him down at first?”

Kate's blush deepened. “No. He was right. We went swimming with the girls the other day, and we both knew there were feelings there. He could sense it and so could I.”

“Well, I think it's wonderful! How did dinner go?” She put the last cookie on the rack and laid the spatula in the sink.

“Good. We talked about what I wanted to do with my life. I actually told him the truth about loving interior design. He gave me some great ideas about starting small with local businesses. Is it okay if I take pictures of what I did in your house?”

“Of course!” Claire wanted to see Kate break free from the blueberry barrens. She had so much talent.

“And he flirted with me all evening. I wasn't sure how to even react.” Kate's cell phone rang, and she went to the table to grab it. “Hello?” After a few seconds the color washed from her face. “Who is this?” She punched the phone off and tossed it back to the table. “Jerk.”

“What did he say?”

“Nothing. He just breathed in my ear. It was creepy.”

Claire frowned. “I don't like all this stuff, Kate. That truffle incident in the picnic basket was really creepy, and now this. I mean, even I didn't know the DeBrands were your favorite. Luke thinks it's someone you know, maybe someone you went to school with.”

“I thought it was Uncle Paul, but he wouldn't call and just breathe in the phone. That's just weird. Maybe it's someone else. I have no idea.”

“What if he's not? What if it's the same guy who killed Whitney Peece? She looked a little like you. Blue eyes, blonde hair.”

A troubled frown lined Kate's forehead. “You're scaring me, Claire.”

“I haven't heard how the investigation is going. Someone broke in and watched her shower. Maybe it wasn't the boyfriend at all. I want you on high alert.”

Kate turned to the phone and grabbed it. “The caller ID reads Anonymous, so he must have blocked his information. I wonder if the sheriff could track it.”

“It's worth asking.” Claire listened as Kate reported the nuisance call to the sheriff's department.

Kate ended the call, then glanced out the window at the
girls. “Jonas answered, thank goodness. I was glad it was someone who knew the situation. He took down all the information and said he'd look into it. He sounded determined.”

“Everyone likes you and wants to keep you safe.” Claire bit her lip and stared at her sister. “Back to Drake. Did you tell him about not being able to have kids?”

Kate looked away. “Not yet. I know I need to, but it seems a little presumptuous to think our relationship will go that far.”

“It's a lot better to tell him now. Otherwise he might think you were being dishonest by not telling him.”

Kate went to the sink and turned on the water. “I'll tell him as soon as I get a chance.” Her tone indicated she'd rather face a snarling lion than tell Drake.

Claire touched her on the shoulder. “I just want you to be happy. If he's the man we think he is, this won't faze Drake at all.”

“I hope you're right.”

* * *

Drake watched Kate standing with the girls and her dog at Mount Desert Ice Cream. Bar Harbor tourists jostled past, and the festive atmosphere of the Wednesday night Seaside Cinema brought excited chatter wafting around him. The quaint seaside shops and boats dotting Frenchman Bay made for a picturesque setting. He was ready for some relaxation, especially with Kate along.

He tucked a bag of books they'd bought from Sherman's Books and Stationery under his arm. His gaze lingered on her as she exited the gray-shingled building trimmed in green. The wind blew her blonde hair around her head, and her sun-kissed
face kept his attention riveted on her beautiful form. Her gaze caught his, and she smiled back at him.

She reached him with the girls in tow and handed him a cup of ice cream. “You said to surprise you, so I got Maine sea salt caramel. You can try my maple walnut though.” She held up a spoonful. “This is the second time I've had sugar in a week. You're being a bad influence on me.”

He slid the cold confection into his mouth. It hit his taste buds and exploded with flavor. “Wow, intense flavors! Pretty good.” He offered her a bite of his.

She licked it off his spoon. “Yummy.”

There was something curiously intimate about sharing food with her. The tension of the past few weeks eased away, and he wished their relationship had progressed far enough to hold her hand and stroll to a jewelry shop to buy her something. He was sure she wasn't quite ready for that.

“I got Maine maple pecan,” Emma said.

“Me too.” Phoebe skipped along at his side while Emma clung close to Kate's.

The girls were dressed alike today in white shorts and red-and-white tops. Kate had put their hair in ponytails with big red bows. They looked like any other typical family on vacation. He imagined a little girl with Kate's big blue eyes and a little boy with his curly hair. Crazy thought when they hadn't known each other that long, but he was tired of being alone. His career had taken everything out of him, and it was time to have a family. His house had echoed with loneliness for too long. His nieces would bring some liveliness, but it wouldn't be the same without Kate. He was getting used to seeing her tending to the girls with such sweet consideration.

They walked down the hill toward Frenchman Bay. It took a few minutes longer than usual because people kept stopping and asking to pet Jackson. His tail wagged so hard, Drake thought he might fling it right off. By the time they reached the park, people were already spreading blankets on the grass to watch the cinema even though the sun wouldn't set for several hours. He pointed to a prime spot. “Think we should grab that while we can?”

She nodded. “My feet are tired anyway. I shouldn't have worn these new sandals.” She stopped and waved. “There's Jonas.”

The deputy waved back and headed their way. The sun burnished his red hair to a deeper shade, and his smile widened when he reached them. Drake hadn't recognized him out of his deputy uniform. He wore jeans and a green T-shirt today.

Drake handed the basket and blanket to the girls. “You can pick out our spot and spread out the blanket. When we get done talking to the deputy, we'll play Uno with you.” The girls scampered off, tossing their empty ice cream containers into a trash can as they went.

“Any word on that call I got yesterday?” Kate asked Jonas when he reached them.

The deputy shook his head. “It pinged from a spot in Ellsworth, but we couldn't trace it. I went to the spot, but it was an empty parking lot, so that was no help at all.”

“What call?” Drake hadn't heard anything about it.

Kate took a bite of ice cream. “Just a prank. I wanted to make sure the sheriff knew about it just in case it was important.”

Jonas put his hands in his pockets. “I'm glad I ran into you. I had a piece of information to pass along. The sheriff talked to Whitney Peece's family, and one of the bracelets was hers.”

Kate's smile vanished, and she tossed the last of her ice cream with an expression of distaste. “I'm sorry to hear it. What about the boyfriend?”

Drake straightened at the term. Hadn't Claire found the woman too? Too many coincidences for his peace of mind.

Jonas shrugged. “No way to know for sure, but I've been poring over anything that might be related. The Peece woman could have even been his first victim. We haven't had anything like this in our area before. All of law enforcement is on high alert though. The sheriff wants to find this guy before it hits the newspapers and causes a panic.”

Drake tossed his empty ice cream container. “Have you had any other rapes?”

“We always get a few, but the perpetrators are usually old boyfriends or people who know the victim.”

“You'd better catch him fast.”

“We intend to, sir. We're doing our best. We might be a rural law enforcement team, but we know our stuff.” Kissner's voice turned stiff.

Kate shot Drake a warning glance. “I know you do, Jonas. Thanks for letting us know what's happening. You're off today?”

He nodded. “I have a date wandering around here somewhere.” He waved up toward the top of the hill. “I'd better go. If I hear anything else, one of us will call you.”

Drake took her arm, and they headed toward the blanket the girls had managed to spread out. “Why didn't you tell me about the phone call?”

“I didn't want the girls to hear about it. They were in the yard when the guy called. I'm sure it's nothing. Just a prank call.”

Drake hoped she was right, but he didn't like it.

T
he sixteen-foot screen rolled with the closing credits of the movie, and people began to pick up their things. Kate didn't want to move. Somehow she'd drifted off to sleep with her head on Drake's shoulder, and Emma curled against her other side. Phoebe slept in the circle of Drake's other arm, and Jackson lay snoring at Phoebe's side.

Kate shifted slightly onto her side. She wanted to burrow her nose into Drake's shirt and inhale the enticing aroma of his skin. A powerful wave of desire washed over her, something she'd never really felt before. If she dared, she would reach up and pull his face close enough to kiss. She needed to move—now. Instead she continued to snuggle against the strong length of his body.

Was he sleeping too? She peeked at his face and found him staring at her with the same intense longing she felt. She should look away before it was too late, but instead she moved her face close enough that his breath touched her face.

His right arm scooped her closer, and he nuzzled his face in her hair. “You smell like the beach.”

“It's the coconut shampoo,” she whispered. Her head screamed for her to move, but her heart refused to listen.

Did he move first or did she? She thought she was the one
who tipped her lips up in an invitation before his mouth swooped down on hers and she began to drown in such intense sensations she forgot where she was. Her right arm came up around his neck and held him tight. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she found the taste of him absolutely intoxicating. If she could, she'd stay right here in this moment forever.

When he pulled away, she felt cold. Opening her eyes, she saw his tender smile and she smiled back. “I suppose we'd better get the girls home.”

“I suppose so. We're about the last ones left.”

He was right. She glanced around and found the grassy field empty but for workers cleaning up the abandoned trash. She sat up and pushed her hair out of her face. “You think we can carry them?”

“I'll go get the SUV while you stay here with the girls.” He started to pull his arm away, then swooped down for one last kiss. “I'll be right back.”

Is this love?
She'd never felt that dizzying combination of wanting to be close to someone and of caring what he thought of her. She watched his tall, muscular figure stride up the hill to where he'd parked the Land Rover. Did she dare let this continue? What if he didn't feel the same?

She touched her lips. He'd seemed to be as into that kiss as much as she was, but weren't men different? She'd always heard they'd take what a woman offered, and she'd been quick to make her desire known.

Heat washed up her face. What must he think of her? She wanted to groan. He was probably used to way more sophisticated women. Her leg was asleep, and she struggled to get up and stand on it. It felt like a wooden table leg, and she bent over
to massage it. From the corner of her eye, she saw a large white envelope lying beside the blanket. Someone had probably left it.

She reached for it, then froze when she saw her name typed onto a sticky label on the front. Her hand shook as she picked it up and looked around. The last of the stragglers were hurrying to their cars, and she felt very alone in the open grassy field even though there were figures aboard the boats bobbing in the bay. She could easily call for help if she needed it.

Who had left this? It felt sinister after everything that had happened, and she feared opening it would change things even more. She couldn't see it anyway until she got into the Land Rover, so she stuck it in the basket with the empty food containers, then turned to watch for Drake.

The big Land Rover rolled to a stop at the curb, and he got out with a smile that faded when he looked at her. “What's wrong?”

“I'll tell you later.”

She lifted Phoebe and carried her to the SUV, then buckled her into the backseat. Jackson hopped in behind her. The little girl's head lolled to the side as she slumped and fell into a deeper sleep. Emma barely stirred when Drake put her in the other side of the Land Rover. He buckled her in and shot a questioning glance at Kate before sliding under the steering wheel.

Kate stowed the basket in the back, pausing long enough to grab the envelope, then climbed into the passenger seat. “This was on the ground by our blanket. Did you see anyone put it there?”

He flipped on the overhead light and stared at her name. “No, but it would have been easy enough to miss it with the people leaving. What's in it?”

She buckled her seat belt. “I didn't open it. Go ahead.”

Frowning, he tore the flap open and reached inside. “Feels
like pictures.” He pulled out a handful of glossy snapshots, then turned them over to look at them.

She leaned closer to study them with him. The top picture was of the two of them at dinner the other night. It was during the time when he'd taken her hand. The expression on his face quickened her pulse. But there was also a big black
X
over Drake's face.

Drake laid it aside to reveal the next picture: one of her standing in the backyard with the girls. The next picture showed them walking toward the police station in Ellsworth. The last one was taken through Claire's kitchen window. It showed the two of them sitting at the table with coffee cups. “I think these were taken with a drone. See the angle from up high?”

She picked up the stack of pictures and flipped them over. There was writing on the one that had the
X
over Drake's face. In bold block letters it read YOU'RE MINE.

* * *

Drake shut the hotel door and threw the security bar. After talking to the sheriff, he'd decided to move the girls to a suite at the Hotel Tourmaline. He didn't like the fact they'd been in one of the pictures. The deeper he got into Heath's files, the more he worried that Heath's and Melissa's deaths had been revenge. Who knew what moved a man like Wang.

Bundled in a fluffy throw, Kate was on the sofa in the living room with Jackson at her feet. She was pale, and her eyes looked enormous. “Wow, this suite is fabulous.” She offered him a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. “Leather furniture and that carpet is
so thick you sink into it. We didn't have to stay here. There's a less expensive motel in Summer Harbor.”

“Don't try to make small talk.” He crouched beside her. “This isn't your fault.”

She rose and tossed the throw aside. “I should go home. Maybe if I face him, this will end.”

He caught her arm as she neared. “You're not going anywhere. I'm not about to let you confront this guy. He is a total unknown, Kate.” His gaze roved over her beautiful face. Her skin would feel as soft as down if he touched it, and he could smell the scent of her hair again. All he wanted to do was kiss her until they were both breathless.

She must have seen his intention because she pulled away and shook her head. “I-I should apologize for the way I acted at the movie. I was half asleep and didn't realize what I was doing.”

He gave a short bark of laughter. “You're not seriously going to try to pretend you didn't want to kiss me.”

Her cheeks colored and she looked down. “I didn't mean that. It's just that . . .”

“Not another word.” He grinned and cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. He'd kissed his share of women, but none of them made him feel the way Kate did. She tasted like passion and commitment. Like forever. He'd never imagined forever with a woman before, but he was in love with her and it felt great. Her lips were soft and responsive under his, and a protest rose in his throat when she finally pulled away. He could feel her heart beating as fast as a bird's against his chest.

He pulled her more tightly against his heart and rested his chin on her head. “We are right together, Kate. I think you feel it too.”

“I'm afraid to read too much into it.” Her voice was soft. “I don't have much experience with men. For all I know you'll break my heart, Drake Newham. I'm afraid that kind of heartbreak would leave me like Humpty Dumpty.”

“I'm not going to hurt you, Kate.” He wanted to kiss her again, but he was afraid of scaring her. This was moving so fast, faster than his own comfort level could handle. Was it because of the danger they were going through together?

He reached down and grabbed the fluffy white throw, then tucked it around her. “You can take the big bed, and I'll take the rollaway here in the living room.”

Her big blue eyes looked into his soul. “I'm not a bit sleepy.”

“I'm not either. We could cuddle on the sofa.” He grinned when she colored again.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I don't know what to make of you. You scare me, Drake.”

“You scare me, Kate. I think love is supposed to feel this way.” Her eyes widened at the word, and his own heart clenched when he said it, but it was what he was feeling. “You feel it, too, don't you? I love you. It's fast, I know, but I'm sure. Aren't you?”

She nodded and tears welled in her eyes. “I don't want to love you.”

His fingers touched her chin, and he tipped her head up. “Why not? There's nothing wrong with falling in love.”

“You don't understand.” Tears began to roll down her face, and she swiped at them impatiently. “I'm doing this all wrong. I should have told you sooner. Claire told me to tell you weeks ago when she saw how attracted to you I was.” Jackson whined and got up to press his head against her knee.

His gut clenched at the sadness in her voice. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. I want to wake up to your smile every morning and see your face across from me at the breakfast table. I want to grow old with you by my side and our kids all around. I think you want that too.”

“That's just the point!” Her words sounded loud in the quiet room. “I can't have kids, Drake. The chemo ruined my ovaries. I'm barren now.”

He blinked as the perfect dream world he'd been living in popped like an overfilled water balloon. “I see.” He glanced over her shoulder into the open bedroom where his nieces slept. “We have Phoebe and Emma though. And we could adopt more children.”

She backed away and shook her head. “You're just saying that now so you don't hurt me. I know how important children are to you. You've talked about it a lot.”

He
had
talked about it, had made assumptions. And while the news took him aback, it didn't change how he felt about her. When he reached for her, she stepped away and ran to the other bedroom. She let Jackson in and the lock clicked on the other side.

He rattled the doorknob. “Let me in, Kate. It doesn't make any difference.” When she didn't answer, he raked his hand through his hair and blew out a breath.

She was tired. He'd let her sleep and convince her in the morning.

* * *

Kate opened the door to the balcony and stepped out under the moonlight. She didn't want to hear him call her name again. She couldn't make any kind of decision about a relationship with Drake until she figured out who was trying to scare her. Her brain cried out for careful thought.

She pulled a chair and small table closer to the railing and stared out on the mesmerizing scene of waves rolling to the rocky shoreline. The lights of a distant boat went by, and the moon was huge over the water. She heard the dog shuffle behind her—his nails clicked on the concrete as he came to join her.

Such serenity should help her think. She opened the notebook she'd dug from her purse and took out a pen. She began to list all the events of the summer. The bodies she'd found, the Peeping Tom, the break-ins, her uncle's escape, the trophy bag found in her blueberry field, the chocolate in the picnic basket, the breather call, and the photographs. Staring at the list, she saw no correlation at first. Then she began to draw lines of connection between them, and the truth made her straighten and gasp.

Her uncle hadn't done all the things she'd thought.

She'd tried to believe the more serious things had been committed by her uncle, but there was no clear correlation between him and the things that had terrified her the most—like the chocolate and the photographs. The most logical link was between the Peeping Tom, the trophy bag, the chocolate, the breather call, and the photographs. This would indicate that whoever was watching women had fixated on her. No way had her uncle done them.

Then who? She looked out over the lights of Folly Shoals and thought about it. Everything seemed to center on that trophy bag
of jewelry. The possessions of several young women were in that assortment.

There's a stalker in the area.

He wasn't just targeting her, but other women too. And he'd go on with it if no one forced him into the open. Whitney might have been his first kill, but she wouldn't be his last. The next one could be her or Claire. Or one of her friends at church. Was she just going to stand by and let the guy do whatever he wanted, or was she going to put an end to this?

Fear wasn't a condition she was okay to live with. She was going to drag that man out into the light and expose him. And the only way to do that was to be a target. In the morning she would call Danny and tell him she would be a decoy.

Drake wouldn't like it. For the first time since she came out under the stars, she let herself think about what Drake had just said. Did her inability to have children really matter so little to him, or was he trying not to hurt her feelings? She let herself linger on how he'd looked when he admitted he loved her. What if the situation were reversed, and he couldn't have children? Would she love him less?

No, she'd still love him. That realization set her world on an even keel again. Claire was right. She'd let herself be defined by what she didn't have instead of what she possessed. Kate had been through so much in her life, and she didn't need to fear the future. God had been with her through every bit of the trials she'd endured. He'd be with her no matter where her path led.