Viator (The Viator Chronicles Book 1) (16 page)

Bruce shook his head. “A man—I don’t know his name.”

“Why did he stab you?”

“I don’t know. I had chased away the mortifers that were after him, and I was following them. He was running behind me. One of them was waiting in ambush behind some shrubbery, and it leapt on him as we ran past. I turned, slew the shadow, then the man shoved a knife in my gut.” He shook his head. “I think he was planning it all along. A dreamer’s treachery. After that I ran to this tower, hoping for safety.”

Confused, Erin asked, “You’re not the dreamer?”

Bruce looked at her, his eyebrows raised. “No. Is that what you thought—that I was a dreamer? Well, I’m glad you were nearby. You saved my life—I wouldn’t have been able to fight off the mortifer you took care of, and I couldn’t have healed quickly enough without your help. This wound would have been the end of me.”

He stood up and slowly straightened to his full height. He was dressed similarly to Erin: dark pants, jacket and boots. He winced as he stood, but the gash had stopped bleeding. She stood also, and he rested both of his hands on her shoulders.

“Thank you. I need to go to Domus. Walk with care.”

His image slowly faded until he was gone. Erin stood alone on the tower. Gradually the sunshine dimmed around her, and she felt the cool softness of her bed.

She jolted awake and sat up.
What a dream.
She remembered it as vividly as if she had really been there. The injured man, the tower, the sunshine on the fields, the bridge over the stream—all was fresh in her mind. She had been looking for William. And she had found Bruce. She lay back down and thought about the dream for a long time, then she rolled over and went back to sleep.

Chapter 22

As Erin drove home from work the next day, the purple and yellow wildflowers along the highway seemed brighter than ever. She kicked off her sandals and hummed as she drove, enjoying the warm sunshine on her face. Each of her students had done well that day, she had sold two guitars, and Ed had been in a great mood. And now she was going out to dinner with a fun, good-looking man who obviously liked her a lot.

She drove down the highway to the Deception Pass cutoff. After driving up the hill and around Lake Campbell, she turned down Gibraltar Road and saw Puget Sound sparkling below. When she turned into her driveway, Gary’s black Porsche was already there.

He stood leaning against his car, watching her drive down the long driveway. His arms were crossed, and the wind blew through his blond hair.

She parked next to him, and he opened her car door for her.

“What took you so long?” he asked.

She slipped her sandals back on, stepped out of the car and laughed. “I’m early. It’s just five-twenty now.”

He stared at her for a minute with icy blue eyes.

She frowned. “You’re not kidding, are you?”

He looked at his watch. “I thought you’d be here by five.”

“No, I said five-thirty. I got off work at five. I’m sorry. Have you been standing here that long?”

“Yeah.” He rubbed his forehead. “Let’s go inside.”

Erin unlocked the door, and they went into the cool, dark house. Gary walked into the living room, sat on the couch, and leaned forward with his head in his hands. Erin watched him for a minute.

“Is everything all right?” she asked.

He looked up at her. “Bad day. It’s been a hell of a day.”

She sat down next to him and put her arm around his shoulders. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “It’ll work out. It always does.” He looked into her face. “You look good.”

“Thanks.” She felt her face get warm.

“Where are the kids?”

“They’re next door at Edna’s. They go there after school every day, and today they’re staying for dinner since I’ll be with you.”

He stood up and walked to the window. He gazed out at the water, and Erin joined him. The tide was out, and a long sand bar full of clam holes stretched out toward the sparkling water of the Sound.

“Is there any place you had in mind for dinner?” Erin asked.

“I made reservations for seven o’clock at Anthony’s. We have an hour and a half until then.” He slid his arm around her waist, pulled her close, and kissed her hair behind her ear. “What would you like to do?”

She closed her eyes. Gary pressed his mouth against hers and kissed her gently, long and slow. His hands pressed into her back pulling her tightly against him. A thrill raced up Erin’s spine. He eased away and said, “The trip was brutal. I’ve got to get into another line of work.” He pressed his lips against her hair. “It’s good to see you.”

Erin nodded, took him by the hand, and led him out the back door. The breeze felt cold even with the sunshine on her face, and the scent of lilacs lingered in the garden. She led him down the path, across the rocky beach to the sand bar, and took off her sandals.

“Take off your shoes,” she said.

He hesitated but did as she asked. She bent down and rolled up his pant legs to his knees, then said, “Come on. When I’ve had a rough day this always helps.”

She took his hand and ran with him over the beach. Their feet sank into the deep, soft sand as they ran, and the clams, disturbed by the pounding of their feet, squirted water out their holes as they dug themselves deeper. Water shot into the sky like a fountain, and Gary stopped just as a clam sent up a spray from directly beneath him. He jumped into the air; his pants were soaked.

“What the hell,” he shouted. Erin turned around and laughed. She’d been squirted in the face. She grabbed his hand again and they ran on toward the water. Erin waded into the little waves, and water splashed up around her, soaking her to the waist. Gary stopped with his feet barely in the water. He laughed.

“You’re crazy! You’re getting soaked.”

She laughed and kicked at the water, splashing him. “You’re almost as wet as I am.”

“I don’t think so. You’ve got mud in your hair.”

She felt her hair and pulled out the clump of mud. Then she sloshed back out of the cold water and grabbed Gary’s hand again. “Playing on the beach always makes things feel better.”

His smile dropped from his face. His face hardened, and he looked out beyond the waves to the south.

Erin looked at him with concern. “What is this about?”

He shrugged. “It’s just been a difficult few days.”

“Tell me about it?”

They walked back toward the house, weaving their way around the clam holes. They picked up their shoes and sat down on the rocky beach, leaning against a large driftwood log, their bare feet stretched out in front. Erin waited for him to answer.

He shrugged his shoulders and watched a seagull fly overhead. It dropped a clam on the rocks, swooped down and started pecking at it. Erin tucked her knees up close to her body, wrapped her arms around her legs, and watched him. He took a deep breath.

“I went to New York to try to clear up a problem with some investors. It didn’t go well.” He watched her face intently and went on. “I’m sure the problems will be cleared up, but they’re dragging on.”

“What kind of problems?” Erin asked.

Gary shook his head. “You don’t want to hear about this.”

“Sure. You can talk to me about it.”

He rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. “A whole shipment disappeared.”

Erin’s eyes opened wide. “Really? A shipment of what?”

Gary leaned his head back and looked at the sky. He laughed. “Oh, just some trade goods. But they’ll deteriorate if we don’t find them soon. Investors don’t like that.”

Erin turned to him and touched his arm. “Gary, this isn’t something illegal, is it?”

He laughed. “No, baby. I’m not a drug dealer. I’m sure it’ll turn up. I just hope it’s soon. Henry—my partner—he’s working on it.” He leaned over and kissed her.

She broke away slowly and leaned back against the log. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been kissed like this, you know.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“Oh, you can tell?” She looked at Gary with a smile dancing in her eyes.

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Yeah, sure,” she said. She stood up. “We’ve got to get cleaned up. It’s already six-thirty. Let’s go back inside.”

Erin gave him a towel to wrap around himself while she tossed his pants into the dryer, then she went into her room to clean up and change clothes. She stood looking in the closet, trying to decide what to wear, but she couldn’t stop thinking about him. She wasn’t sure what it was about him, but her defenses dropped when he was around. She wanted to look her best for him tonight. Riffling through the clothes in her closet, she pulled out a shimmery blue dress with spaghetti straps that would show off the line of her throat and shoulders. She hadn’t worn it in a long time—not since William had been alive. A sob rose in her throat and she put the dress back. Aleesha’s voice came to her mind, “Don’t overthink this, darling. Just have some fun and see where it goes. Spread your wings a little.” She pulled the dress back out.

As she walked downstairs, Gary looked up from his seat on the couch.

“You’re gorgeous,” he said.

“Thanks,” Erin said.

She brought Gary’s pants back from the dryer, and he stood up and tossed the towel onto the couch. She turned away while he pulled his pants on and pretended to get something from the kitchen. When she returned, he was fully dressed, tying his shoes.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Sure. Let’s go.”

The evening was warm and fragrant. Gary opened the door of his car for her, and Erin slid in. He jumped into the driver’s seat and they rumbled out of the driveway and headed to the restaurant.

Chapter 23

Gary drove the car smoothly over the winding roads into Anacortes, keeping his eyes focused ahead, appearing to be lost in thought. Erin could see how distracted he was. She looked out the window and watched the scenery fly by.

They walked into the restaurant and were seated at a window table with a view of the harbor. The hostess lit the candle on their table, and Gary ordered a bottle of wine. He watched Erin for a few minutes.

“I’m sure your shipment will turn up soon. Is there anything I can do?” she asked.

The corners of his mouth slowly turned up into a grin, and his dimples deepened as he shook his head. “Thanks, but I really can’t think of anything.”

The waitress brought their wine, poured two glasses, and took their dinner orders.

“Do you really run across the clam beds when you’ve had a rough day?” Gary asked.

“I’ve done that on occasion.”

He kept his eyes fixed on her as he sipped his wine.

“What other kinds of things do you do when you’ve had a bad day?”

She thought a moment. “Mostly I play the piano. Or I throw rocks into the Sound.”

He shook his head. “You are so different. I’ve been with a lot of women over the years, and you’re not like any of them. You live in the middle of nowhere, in a little house that smells like cinnamon and flowers, and you give piano lessons. And you haven’t pulled me into your bed, not even after I spent all day with you and your kids.”

Erin gulped her wine and coughed. “Was I supposed to?”

He leaned his head back and laughed. “No, but I’ve kind of come to expect it.”

“You’re kidding. That’s not how I am.”

The waitress brought their food, and they sat back silently looking at each other until she left. Then Gary leaned forward.

“I know you’re not like that. I was afraid you were going to be boring. You’re not boring, but you’re definitely different.” He kept his eyes on her as he put a bite of steak into his mouth.

Erin picked up a roll from the basket on the table, tore it in half, and nibbled at it. “I don’t want to have a casual sexual relationship.”

“I know, I know. I don’t either.”

She smiled. “Good.”

They ate a few more bites of dinner in silence.

“So, how long until it’s not casual?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I’d have to fall in love with you.”

“And you aren’t already?”

Erin smiled. “I like you. Are you in love with me?”

“I’m getting closer every minute.”

Gary’s light blue eyes were so bright Erin loved to look at them. They ate for a few more minutes in silence, Erin looking out the window at the water, the sky, and the seagulls, until Gary asked, “Did you say your grandparents left you your house?”

“Yes. They built it years ago, and when I was a child they decided that I would inherit it. My sister wasn’t left out though. She inherited a large chunk of land on the Oregon coast.”

“What about your parents?”

“They both died a long time ago. I was in college. First Dad had a heart attack and died, and then Mom died just a year later. That was a hard time.” She shook her head and looked at her plate. “But I had William with me then, and he was very good throughout it all.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up such painful memories.”

“I know—it’s all right. It was a difficult time, and I still think of them every day. But somehow I’m able to function as a fairly normal person in spite of everything.” She grinned. “Running over the clam beds is a terrific way to cope, you know.”

He gave her a quick smile. “And did William leave you well provided for?”

“Oh, he had a little life insurance. I’m saving it for the kids’ college.”

Gary’s cell phone rang. He looked at the number. “I should take this call.”

Erin watched his face as he answered his call. His eyes grew icy as he listened, and he glanced around the restaurant.

“I hear you. I’m in Anacortes now. I’ll be back later tonight. Yeah, I’ll be at the meeting,” he said, then listened another minute, shaking his head. “What else did Kenneth tell them?” Gary’s face became a frozen frown, his eyes squinting as he listened for a few more minutes. “Like I said, I’ll be there tomorrow. Make sure Kenneth is there, too.”

He disconnected and put the phone back into his pocket.

“Sorry.”

“Kenneth from the art gallery? I didn’t know he was involved with your business,” she said.

Gary shook his head. “He’s not. Only once in a while.”

“I hope everything’s all right.”