Wish on the Moon (17 page)

The strained silence vibrated between
them.

At the same time, they spoke each other's
names. Laura waited for Mitch to go first.

"Do you think we can enjoy this trip?"

When she turned to face him more directly,
her arm brushed his. But she didn't move it. "I'd like to. How can
we?"

"By forgetting Saturday night happened."

His solution didn't seem workable to her.
"You must have a short memory."

"Laura..."

She knew that exasperated warning. "Unless I
pretend you didn't turn me inside out, we can't have a pleasant
time."

"Can't you make anything easy?"

"Easy's a matter of perception." When he
rolled his eyes, she asked, "What would make this trip easy for
you?"

"If we could cooperate."

"We cooperated Saturday night," she said
sweetly and earned a scowl. Did she taunt him on purpose because of
some perverse streak, or to pull an impulsive reaction from him?
She didn't know.

Taking pity on him, she agreed, "Okay. That
means we don't fight and we don't kiss. Fine. I can do that. If I
don't agree with you, I'll keep quiet. And if I feel like kissing
you..."

His eyes darkened.

She shrugged. "I'll take three deep
breaths."

His lips twitched and he gave into the smile.
"You're impossible."

She straightened her skirt and folded her
hands in her lap. "That's a matter of opinion."

When he chuckled and shook his head, the
tension evaporated. She just hoped deep breathing was therapeutic
because she might be doing a lot of it.

They arrived in Flagstaff in the early
evening. Laura was transported back in time to another era.
Although the city was the largest in northern Arizona, it had a
rugged, western feel to it. It was a college town so had a diverse
mixture of young and old.

She wholeheartedly approved of Mitch's choice
of hotels. Simply put, it was comfortable and welcoming. She and
Mandy explored the photographs of Indian festivals on the walls
while Mitch checked in. They met him and the bellboy at the
elevator. To Laura's surprise, the bellhop opened the door then
proceeded to deposit all three suitcases inside the door.

Laura began, "One of those goes into the next
room." When the bellboy looked confused, Mitch took Laura's arm and
led her inside. "There is no other room. This is a suite with two
bedrooms. Yours has two double beds. I thought this would be more
convenient if we want to discuss business."

If she didn't know better, she'd think he had
an ulterior motive. But he'd made it very clear kissing wasn't on
the agenda so nothing else would be either. She walked into the
living room. The decor was pleasing with burgundy, dark green and
navy in western motifs.

"Laura, is this all right?"

The bellboy waited for his tip and the okay
to leave the luggage. The sudden concern in Mitch's eyes told her
if she had reservations, he'd get another room for her.

"It's fine."

Mitch tipped the bellboy and closed the door.
"I'm sorry if you're upset. I just thought since you live with
George and since I've been staying in the same house with you,
sharing a suite wouldn't be a problem."

Mandy was investigating the furniture,
pulling out drawers. "Honey, you can take your bag of toys into the
room with two beds, okay?"

Her daughter took her Barbie Doll canvas bag
and ran off to find her room.

Laura faced Mitch. "Do I look upset? Did I
say there was a problem? Do you have a guilty conscience
maybe?"

His stance grew defensive as he crossed his
arms over his chest. "Why should I?"

"Because you didn't consult me first."

Mitch uncrossed his arms and stuffed his
hands in his pockets. "You could be right."

"Could be?"

He grimaced. "You are. I didn't think about
the arrangements I made until we checked in. I assumed this was the
best plan and I did it. You're not upset?"

One of the things she liked most about him
was his strength never to shirk responsibility. "Of course not."
She walked to the window and waved her arm to encompass the scenery
outside. "We're here. That's all that matters. I wouldn't care if
we had to camp out and sleep in the same tent." She grinned. No she
wouldn't mind at all.

"Don't push it," he muttered, his eyes
growing dangerous.

Letting the subject alone, she went to check
out her room. Then she took three very deep breaths.

***

As Mitch drove the rental car toward the
Navajo reservation, he appreciated Mandy's ooh's and aah's and
Laura's fascination with the countryside. It was a far reaching,
fenceless territory where shepherd families, according to the
season, lived in mud chinked hogans or brush shelters.

The sky was a brilliant turquoise. Mitch
could understand how the surroundings influenced the creative flow
of art in the Southwest. Clumps of juniper, salt sage and rabbit
brush added green to the variety of earthtones. He could sit out
here for days, sketching ideas, forming designs, soaking up
inspiration and peace.

The Navajo reservation was vast but Laura's
directions were specific. She did have an organizational streak.
He'd seen a glimpse of it in her outline for the sterling
promotion. Just when he thought he knew her, another facet of her
personality intrigued him. She was too complex to catalog. Not for
the first time, he wondered exactly what had transpired between her
and Ray before she'd left six years ago.

Mandy skipped along beside Laura asking
question after question as they walked through the pueblo. She
pulled on her mom's arm as they passed a Navajo woman in
traditional dress--velveteen blouse, full cotton skirt, and an
abundance of silver and turquoise jewelry. "Isn't she pretty?"

Laura agreed. "Yes, she is."

Mitch's gaze moved from the woman to Laura
and skimmed her coral slacks and sweater. "So are you."

She looked surprised, and he marveled that
the compliment had slipped out so easily. She also looked pleased.
They'd been getting along well. He congratulated himself on his
attitude last night. After buying a camera, sightseeing in
Flagstaff, and stopping for pizza, they'd settled in easily. Tired
from the trip, after three games of cards they'd all gone to bed.
No hassle. No fuss. No undue temptation. The trip was going to go
smoothly personally and professionally.

Laura stopped outside a hogan where a
tribesman was working under the brilliant sun. She picked up a ring
of inlaid stones and shell while Mitch examined a cuff bracelet
with burnished silver geometric patterns. "Is this what the agent
showed you?"

"Similar." She turned her attention to a
necklace of turquoise beads. "It was the concha belts and squash
blossom necklaces that really caught my eye."

"But you want to incorporate less expensive
pieces too, don't you?" He fingered a string of tiny silver beads
that shimmered. It was called liquid silver.

She gave him a smile almost as bright as the
sun. "I want all of it."

He laughed. "After we see all of it, we'll
have to make a list and break down the number of pieces we want of
each."

"It could take forever if I have to
decide."

"We have all night. I thought Mandy might
like to go to the Lowell Observatory after an early supper. When
she goes to bed, we can work."

Laura looked away, down at the table in front
of her, and he wondered if she was thinking about them working
together alone. "That sounds good," she said over her shoulder.

They'd be occupied with business. It would be
no different than working in the store. "I thought tomorrow we
could take a jeep ride through--"

At her smile, he stopped. "What?"

"You are a planner, aren't you?"

She didn't sound critical. "What did you have
in mind for tomorrow?"

"I haven't thought about it. I was going to
see where today led."

"If you don't want to drive to Sedona and
hike around vortexes--"

She laid her hand on his arm. "It'll be a
great experience for Mandy. But maybe we could play the rest of
tomorrow by ear. Sort of go where the sun leads?"

He enjoyed her touching him and it was more
than the elemental response his body gave. "You might have to teach
me how to do that." He was beginning to believe she could teach him
lots of things.

She held up her index finger. "Step one.
Relax and forget schedules. At least until we get back on the plane
day after tomorrow."

Mitch found following the sun wasn't as
difficult as he imagined it would be. He simply followed Laura.

She lead him through every nook and cranny
where visitors were allowed in the pueblo, peeping into a beehive
oven where bread baked, examining and watching an elderly Navajo
woman weave a rug on a loom, walking far enough away from the
hubbub to scan shepherds herding sheep on a far hill.

She talked to everyone she saw, smiled at
those who didn't speak English. When she learned about the ruins of
Wupalhi National Monument east of Flagstaff, they went there next.
She was as curious as Mandy.

Mitch enjoyed watching her move, gesture,
laugh. She opened up a world to him he'd ignored for too long. He
scheduled his life too well and didn't allow time to look at the
sky. This sky couldn't be ignored. It was too intensely blue, too
expansive, too beautiful. But if he took the time to look at the
sky in York, it might have its own beauty.

Later that evening, Laura smiled as Mitch sat
forward on the sofa and checked the list they'd made. They'd called
room service for a second pot of coffee--this time decaffeinated.
Laura had tucked Mandy in two hours ago. Since then, she and Mitch
had looked over the lists of choices of jewelry pieces, discussing
saleability and their sales campaign.

Their sales campaign. She liked the sound of
that. She liked standing beside him, working with him, watching his
tenderness with Mandy. Even when they disagreed or argued, some
bond tied them together. And suddenly she knew she was falling in
love with him. That scared her.

She took a deep breath. Thanks to her mother,
she'd never been frightened by feelings. That wasn't true for
Mitch. When he didn't like what he felt, he shut it off. What did
he feel? Laura was afraid to ask.

He'd been more relaxed today than she'd ever
seen him. But now with Mandy in bed and the intimate silence of the
suite surrounding them, they were more aware of each other and less
relaxed. She could tell by his movements, the tension in his body.
Passion rose whenever they were in the same room. They didn't have
to argue. They didn't even have to touch. It was just
there--vibrating, sharp, nipping at all her senses, slicing through
whatever was in its way. She didn't know why. But she'd come to
accept its presence and revel in it. She wished Mitch could.

He put his cup down with a click. "Are you
satisfied with what we've decided?"

"The quantity, the ads, or the photos for the
website?"

His head came up and his stare was direct.
"All of the above."

"I understand your reasoning to temper the
first shipment. As long as we have the option to add to our
inventory when we need it, that's okay."

"But you'd like five more squash blossom
necklaces."

"I'd like ten more." At his wry look, she
shook her finger at him, almost hitting his chest. "You wait and
see. I bet we sell out when we have Ladies' Night."

He caught her finger as amusement danced in
his blue eyes. "I hope we do."

She went still as the heat from his hand
warmed her all over. But she pushed a question past the sudden
tightness in her throat. "You want my ideas to work?"

The nerve in his jaw jumped. "If you're
successful, Ray and I will benefit."

So it was strictly for business reasons. Not
because he cared. She swallowed. "I see."

His eyes dropped to the pulse at her throat,
the gold chain with the dangling rose, the swell of her breast
under her sweater. His chest rose and fell as he let out a draft of
air and tenderly rubbed her wrist with his thumb. "I want this to
work for you. I know it's important because you think you have to
succeed to earn your dad's approval."

He did care about her. "I've never had my
dad's approval. Not as an adult."

Mitch's fingers slid up her forearm to her
elbow. As if in a trance, he moved them to her shoulder and slid
them under her hair. "A very beautiful adult."

She swayed toward him, not wanting the
cherishing note in his voice to diminish or the exciting light in
his eyes to fade. Her lips parted on a small sigh.

When he groaned and drew her to him, she knew
desire had won over logic. This kiss was different from the first.
His lips were hungry but not bruising, demanding but not angry. He
greedily tasted her, but savored the contact as if he might not
experience it again. When the pressure became more frustrating than
satisfactory, his tongue slid along her upper lip and teased it
until she parted it from the bottom one and he slipped inside. He
was hot and strong. Her heart beat so fast she couldn't think.
Three deep breaths were the last thing on her mind.

She wanted to feel his passion break loose.
This was the real Mitch, the one who yearned to be free. She wanted
to experience everything he had to give and she wanted to give
back...needed to give back.

She brushed her tongue against his, chased it
into his mouth, and brought her hands up to caress his face. She
felt the scar, wondered again how he'd been hurt, and tried to
imagine whatever pain he'd experienced. Winding her arms about his
neck, she held him tight, close, wanting to make his pain, his
reserve, his doubts go away. With her fingers laced in his thick
hair, she massaged his scalp with he same fervor and energy she
invested in their kiss.