Safe Haven(22)

In her bedroom, she shortened the skirt to just  above the knee, then made a last tour of the house to make sure  everything was in place. Finally, she began to undress.

As she  slipped into the shower, she thought about Alex. She visualized his easy  smile and the graceful way he moved, and the memory started a slow burn  in her belly. Despite herself, she wondered whether he was taking a  shower at the same time she was. There was something erotic in the idea,  the promise of something exciting and new. It was just dinner, she  reminded herself again, but even then, she knew she wasn't being  completely honest with herself.


There was another force at  work here, something she'd been trying to deny. She was attracted to him  more than she wanted to admit, and as she stepped out of the shower she  knew she had to be careful. He was the kind of man she knew she could  fall for, and the notion frightened her. She wasn't ready for that. Not  yet, anyway.

Then again, she heard a voice inside her whisper, maybe she was.

After  toweling off, she moisturized her skin with a sweet-smelling body  lotion, then put on her new outfit, including the sandals, before  reaching for the makeup she'd purchased from the drugstore. She didn't  need much, just some lipstick, mascara, and a trace of eye shadow. She  brushed her hair and then put on a pair of dangly earrings she'd bought  on a whim. When she was finished, she stepped back from the mirror.

That's  it, she thought to herself, that's all I've got. She turned one way,  then the other, tugging at the blouse before finally smiling. She hadn't  looked this good in a long time.

Though the sun had finally  moved toward the western sky, the house was still warm and she opened  the kitchen window. The breeze was enough to keep her cool as she set  the table. Earlier in the week, as she'd been leaving the store, Alex  had asked her if he could bring a bottle of wine, and Katie put a couple  of glasses out. In the center of the table, she placed a candle and as  she stepped back, she heard the sound of an engine approaching. She saw  from the clock that Alex was right on time.

She drew a deep  breath, trying to calm her nerves. Then, after walking across the room  and opening the door, she stepped out onto the porch. Dressed in jeans  and a blue shirt rolled up to his elbows, Alex was standing at the  driver's-side door and leaning into the car, obviously reaching for  something. His hair was still a little damp near his collar.

Alex  pulled out two bottles of wine and turned around. Seeing her, he seemed  to freeze, his expression one of disbelief. She stood surrounded by the  last rays of the setting sun, perfectly radiant, and for a moment all  he could do was stare.

His wonder was obvious, and Katie let it wash over her, knowing she wanted the feeling to last forever.

"You made it," she said.

The  sound of her voice was enough to break the spell, but Alex continued to  stare. He knew he should say something witty, something charming to  break the tension, but instead he found himself thinking, I'm in  trouble. Serious trouble.

He wasn't exactly sure when it had  happened. Or even when it started. It may have been the morning when  he'd seen Kristen holding Katie after Josh had fallen in the river, or  the rainy afternoon when he'd driven her home, or even during the day  they had spent at the beach. All he knew for sure was that right here  and now, he was falling hard for this woman, and he could only pray that  she was feeling the same way.         

     



 

In time, he was finally able to clear his throat. "Yeah," he said. "I guess I did."





16





The early evening sky was a prism of colors as Katie led Alex through the small living room and toward the kitchen.

"I don't know about you, but I could use a glass of wine," she said.

"Good  idea," he agreed. "I wasn't sure what we were having, so I brought both  a sauvignon blanc and a zinfandel. Do you have a preference?"

"I'll let you pick," she said.

In  the kitchen, she leaned against the counter, one leg crossed over the  other while Alex twisted the corkscrew into the cork. For once, he  seemed more nervous than she was. With a series of quick movements, he  opened the bottle of sauvignon blanc. Katie set the glasses on the  counter next to him, conscious of how close together they were standing.


"I know I should have said it when I first got here, but you look beautiful."

"Thank you," she said.

He  poured some wine, then set the bottle aside and handed her a glass. As  she took it, he could smell the coconut-scented body lotion she'd used.

"I think you'll like the wine. At least, I hope so."

"I'm sure I'll love it," she said, raising her glass. "Cheers," she offered, clinking her glass against his.

Katie  took a sip, feeling inordinately pleased about everything: how she  looked and felt, the taste of the wine, the lingering scent of the  raspberry sauce, the way Alex kept eyeing her while trying not to be  obvious about it.

"Would you like to sit on the porch?" she suggested.

He  nodded. Outside, they each sat in one of the rockers. In the slowly  cooling air, the crickets began their chorus, welcoming the coming  night.

Katie savored the wine, enjoying the fruity tang it left on her tongue. "How were Kristen and Josh today?"

"They were good." Alex shrugged. "I took them to a movie."

"But it was so pretty outside."

"I know. But with Memorial Day on Monday, I figure we can still spend a couple of days outside."

"Is the store open on Memorial Day?"

"Of  course. It's one of the busiest days of the year, since everyone wants  to spend the holiday on the water. I'll probably work until one o'clock  or so."

"I'd say I feel sorry for you, but I'm working, too."

"Maybe we'll come in and bother you again."

"You  didn't bother me at all." She peered at him over the top of her  wineglass. "Well, the kids didn't bother me, anyway. As I recall, you  were complaining about the quality of service."

"Us old guys will do that," he quipped.

She  laughed before rocking back in the chair. "When I'm not working, I like  to sit out here and read. It's just so quiet, you know? Sometimes I  feel like I'm the only one around for miles."

"You are the only one around for miles. You live in the sticks."

She playfully slapped his shoulder. "Watch it. I happen to like my little house."

"You should. It's in better shape than I thought it would be. It's homey."

"It's getting there," she said. "It's a work in progress. And best of all, it's mine, and no one's going to take it away."

He looked over at her then. She was staring out over the gravel road, into the grassy field beyond.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She took her time before answering. "I was just thinking that I'm glad you're here. You don't even know me."

"I think I know you well enough."

Katie said nothing to that. Alex watched as she lowered her gaze.

"You think you know me," she whispered, "but you don't."

Alex  sensed that she was scared to say any more. In the silence, he heard  the porch creaking as he rocked back and forth. "How about I tell you  what I think I know, and you tell me if I'm right or wrong? Would that  be okay?"

She nodded, her lips compressed. When Alex went on, his voice was soft.

"I  think you're intelligent and charming, and that you're a person with a  kind heart. I know that when you want to, you can look more beautiful  than anyone I've ever met. You're independent, you've got a good sense  of humor, and you show surprising patience with children. You're right  in thinking that I don't know the specifics of your past, but I don't  know that they're all that important unless you want to tell me about  them. Everyone has a past, but that's just it-it's in the past. You can  learn from it, but you can't change it. Besides, I never knew that  person. The person I've come to know is the one I want to get to know  even better."         

     



 


As he spoke, Katie gave a fleeting smile. "You make it sound so simple," she said.

"It can be."

She  twisted the stem of her wineglass, considering his words. "But what if  the past isn't in the past? What if it's still happening?"

Alex continued to stare at her, holding her gaze. "You mean …  what if he finds you?"

Katie flinched. "What did you say?"

"You  heard me," he said. He kept his voice steady, almost conversational,  something he'd learned in CID. "I'm guessing that you were married once …   and that maybe he's trying to find you."

Katie froze, her eyes  going wide. It was suddenly hard to breathe and she jumped up from the  chair, spilling the rest of her wine. She took a step away from Alex,  staring, feeling the blood drain from her face.

"How do you know  so much about me? Who told you?" she demanded, her mind racing, trying  to piece it together. There was no way he could know those things. It  wasn't possible. She hadn't told anyone.