Wolf Island (17 page)

He
seemed to relax at her statement and laid his instrument almost reverently into
its case. “Do you still play?”

She
smiled. “Yes, a little.”

“I’d
like to hear you.” Genuine interest rang in his voice.

Abby
felt a rush of warmth deep inside at his words. “All right. I’ll do that,
sometime.” When she’d had the chance to practice, she would enjoy playing for
him.

He
straightened, and amusement glimmered in his eyes. “Now is as good a time as
any. It’s obvious neither of us is going to get any sleep. Here’s the piano.”
He swung his arm out to the side, gesturing toward the instrument.

“Now?”
Surprise vibrated in her voice. Instinctively she fingered the belt on her
robe. “I can’t possibly. I haven’t played in years. I’m -- I’m not
prepared.”

A
grin creased his face and crinkled the outer corners of his beautiful green
eyes. “It’s like riding a bicycle. It’ll all come back once you start playing
again.” He paused, stepped close to her, and stroked the tip of his index
finger over her nose. “I won’t take no for an answer. It’s the least you can do
for sneaking up on me.”

Her
eyes widened. “If I recall, you caught me belly-dancing in the kitchen and
didn’t say a word, so it’s only fair.”

A
sensuous light burned in his eyes, and he gave her a slow smile. “How could I
forget?”

Abby
felt a blush warm her skin. She turned her face away from his penetrating gaze,
rose from the chair, and walked to the piano. The room felt cozy, with the fire
crackling in the grate. He settled her on the piano bench with a soft throw
tucked around her legs. To her surprise, he plopped down beside her. His body
heat radiated around her, and awareness expanded in her chest. She looked over
at him. “I’m too nervous for you to sit beside me. Would you mind sitting on
the sofa or taking a chair?”

Devlin
threw her a full-blown grin that sent her senses reeling. “Yes, I would mind. I
used to sit beside my grandmother and turn the pages of her music when she
played. I’m afraid I don’t know any other way to listen to someone tickle the
ivories.”

Abby
imagined him sitting here by his grandmother, someone he obviously loved, and a
little piece of her heart fell further under his spell. She couldn’t suppress
her smile. “Okay.” She stretched her fingers and clenched her hands into fists
in an effort to limber her fingers. Devlin placed some sheet music in front of
her. “It Had to Be You.” She arched a brow and looked at him.

“My
grandparents’ favorite song.”

How
sweet of him to remember. “I’d like to meet them sometime.”

When
she said the words, an expression shone in his eyes that she couldn’t explain
or understand, a mixture of hope shadowed with fear. She wanted to reach out
and touch him, comfort him, reassure him that the dark specter of his past
wouldn’t haunt him forever, but somehow she sensed he wouldn’t welcome that
kind of comfort from her yet.

Abby
turned her attention to the keyboard, looked at the top of the page of music,
and put her fingers on the keys. She started to play, and to her surprise, the
memory did come back. She stumbled over a few notes, but in all, her
performance wasn’t too shabby. When she was done, she turned to Devlin and
smiled.

He
watched her with such a profound expression of affection in his eyes. Could he
care for her? Abby’s heart leaped at the thought, and warmth flooded her body.
She knew in that moment that she cared for him; in fact, she was beginning to
fall in love with him. A few more moments like this, another kiss or two, and
she would tumble headlong into love with Devlin.

“Very
nice.” His low, husky words were so sincere, she couldn’t help smiling. “We
should try a duet sometime.”

Playing
a duet would make them a duo, a couple, of sorts. If they did play together,
the moment he picked up his violin and she touched the piano keys would make them
two parts of a whole. Oh, how she longed for that to happen.

The
grandfather clock in the hall struck three a.m. Her body ached with fatigue,
and her eyes felt gritty. “I think I’ll go up to bed and try to get some
sleep.”

She
started to rise from the bench, but Devlin laid a hand on her arm. “Thank you.”

“For
what?”

“For
the song. For being here.”

His
quiet answer caused a lump of emotion to slide into her throat. The gratitude
she saw in his eyes reached out and squeezed her heart. Had no one else ever
played for him?

She
left him sitting there alone, though she didn’t want to after his softly spoken
words of thanks. She wanted to wrap him in her arms and never let go.

Abby
walked slowly up the stairs and made her way to her room. She closed the door and
sat on the edge of the bed. She waited until she heard his footsteps pass by
her door and pad across the floor of his room. Unable to go to sleep without
seeing him once more, she walked out into the hall and up to his door. She
knocked lightly, opened it just a crack, and looked in. Devlin stood only a few
feet away, his shirt off, his jeans unzipped and hanging loose about his hips.
His chest looked broad and golden in the soft light of his room.

She
gasped at the sight. “I’m -- I’m sorry. I just wanted to make sure you
were okay.”

“Do
I look okay?” Amusement laced his sensuous voice.

A
blush burned her neck and cheeks. “Yes, of -- of course,” she replied,
unable to hide the tremor in her voice. “Um, goodnight.”

Abby
quickly closed the door and willed her rapidly beating heart to calm to a more
normal rhythm.

“Goodnight,
Abigail.” Devlin’s voice drifted to her from the other side of the door.

If
only a hole would open up so she could fall through.

Cold. The freezing cold sliced into her bones.

Icy water caressed her skin. Exhaustion plagued her; it pulled
at her mind and body. Tired. So tired. She moved her head from side to side. “I
can’t swim anymore. I can’t do it.” Abby paddled her arms through the water,
gasping for breath, but the cold sapped more of her strength.

“Help me, Abby. Help me.” Devlin called to her, his voice
sounding weaker.

Abby struggled valiantly to reach Devlin, but she had nothing to
show for her efforts. “I have to keep trying. I can’t give up.” The harder she
swam, the more the waves impeded her and the farther away Devlin drifted on the
current. Oh, God, she had to help him.

She saw the top of his head, with his dark hair now soaked and
dripping into his green eyes. Waves lapped his face, making him sputter for
breath. His arms struggled against the water in a desperate attempt to stay
afloat. Blood from his wounds trickled into the sea.

“It’s my fault. All my fault.” Abby moaned the phrase over and
over. “Dev, I’m coming. Hang on.” But the rain poured harder from a sky filled
with dark clouds, and the wind whistled over the choppy surface of the ocean.

Abby swam harder, trying to draw closer to Devlin. She was
almost there. If only she weren’t so cold. The cold cramped her muscles; it
sucked at her arms and legs, trying to pull her under.

She watched helplessly as Devlin flailed his arms. His big hands
reached for something to hold on to; his fingers spread, trying desperately to
grasp Abby’s hand, but she was too far away.

“I have to save him. I have to. I’m his only hope.” The rain
pounded harder now, a loud slap into the ocean followed by thunder and the
flash of lightning. They had to get out of the water. Too dangerous. Abby saw
Devlin’s head slip below the cool, gray water. “No,” she cried. “Devlin!
Devlin!” Her cries were frantic. “Where are you?”

Devlin’s head bobbed briefly above the water, his mouth open,
sucking in air, his eyes wide with fear. Then he slid into the watery depths
once more. Abby beat her arms and hands through the water. She swam harder and
faster than she ever had in her life. The wind lifted white-capped waves from
the ocean and splashed them into her face and eyes.

Inhaling a deep breath, she plunged beneath the surface and
opened her eyes. She saw the faint shadow of Devlin’s body as he moved silently
toward the bottom. Abby stroked her arms through the turbulent waves and kicked
her legs, but the more she swam, the faster Devlin glided through the water
away from her. Her lungs burned as though they were about to burst. She had to
help Devlin, but she needed air. She watched in horror as Devlin’s body
disappeared into the murky depths.

Desperate, Abby kicked toward the surface, her lungs hurting,
her arms and legs like lead weights attached to her body. She saw the surface. Light
shimmered through the water overhead, and the splatter of the rain sounded
muffled and distant. Not too far away. Breathe. She had to breathe. Now.

Chapter Nine

Abby
opened her mouth and sprang up in bed. The breath wheezed down her throat into her
lungs. Her eyes were wide as she stared into the darkness of her room and saw
only water. Her heart thrummed in her chest, and the sound of Devlin’s cries
still rang in her ears. A moment or two passed before her heartbeat settled and
her pulse reached a calm rhythm in her veins. She looked toward the window,
hoping to see dawn’s light, but only darkness lay beyond.

She
frowned. Wait a minute. The window was closed, the curtains drawn. She was
certain she’d opened it right before she went to bed because she liked to sleep
in a cool room. She got out of bed and donned her robe and slippers, then
opened the window a crack and walked to the hearth.

The
fire had grown cold, and now only ash-covered coals glowed softly in the grate.
She threw a couple of logs on top and replaced the fire screen. She rubbed her
hands together and listened to the wood crackle as the flames licked greedily
at the new fuel. The wind blew in through the window, snapping the curtains in
the chilly breeze, helping to clear her mind of the troubling images in her
dream.

Starting
across the room to crawl back into bed, she noticed a flickering light beneath
her closed bedroom door. A bubble of fear crept up into her throat.
Alice
looks for her lost love with a lantern.
Ridiculous. There was no such thing
as ghosts. Despite her fear, she walked to the door.

She
flung the door open, but the light was gone. Her heart grew cold and still
inside her chest; her fingers grasped handfuls of her robe and clung.

No,
she refused to run. Abby pinched the skin on her outer thighs through the
fabric of her robe to make sure she wasn’t still dreaming.

There
had to be a logical explanation. Darkness filled every nook and cranny. Only a
thin wash of moonlight drifted in through the windows lining the hallway. Then
she heard it: the soft tinkling of chimes.

The
sound surrounded her in a soft, musical cocoon.

“Abby.”

She
spun on her heel, her eyes staring down the other length of hallway, trying to
find the source of the voice. She saw nothing but darkness. A cry of terror
caught in her throat. Finally, the sound of the chimes faded, and Abby heaved a
sigh of relief.

She
turned and stepped back into her room. When she crossed the threshold, Abby
jerked her head up. The window was closed. Again.

But
she’d opened it. She was certain of it. She ignored her fear and marched over
to the window.

If
this was Devlin’s idea of a joke, she intended to give him a piece of her mind.
Abby threw back the curtains, opened the window, and turned. She bumped into a
solid, male chest and screamed.

·
        
* * * *

The
scream skidded up Devlin’s spine and made his blood run cold. He gripped her
upper arms. “Abby, what’s wrong?”

She
squirmed out of his hold and stepped around him. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong.
I’ve just been scared out of my wits!” Her voice was shrill with fear.

“I’m
sorry.” He hoped his low tone would help to ease her fear. “I didn’t mean to
startle you.”

Abby
waved a hand through the air and glared at him. “I don’t mean just now. Well, I
do -- but I mean before, too.” A ring of control edged back into her
voice.

“Before?
What do you mean?”

Suddenly,
her gaze shifted to the bed. Her eyes widened and her skin grew paler. She
walked to the bed and touched the coverlet. Devlin moved quickly to her side
and looked over her shoulder. A mangled set of wind chimes lay on her pillow.
Icy fear chilled his skin.
Oh, my God. He’s been in her room!

“How
did these get here?” A tinge of hysteria coated Abby’s slightly high-pitched
voice.

Devlin
laid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. “I don’t know,
but I promise to find out.”

She
relaxed against his side a moment before pulling gently away from him. She
tipped her face up, looked at him, and pushed a strand of hair away from her
face. “What’s going on around here?”