Chia nudged Katie Sara’s shoulder for the third time. Fighting the intrusion on her dream, she’d ignored him the first two. Still half-asleep, she nestled the cat close, hoping he’d settle.
“What is wrong with you? Go to sleep.” Moonlight filtered through the windows and cast long shadows across the room. The bedside clock read twelve thirty-five.
As she closed her eyes and snuggled into the covers, she heard what had disturbed her cat. Barely audible, the faint break in the night’s stillness wouldn’t have been enough to wake her.
Ever vigilant, Chia sprang from the bed, all puffed up, tail swishing like a lion safeguarding its territory. Deep, low growls, unlike any she’d ever heard from him, rumbled from his throat. The declaration of war raised the hairs on Katie Sara’s neck.
Another thump, louder this time, followed from downstairs. She strained to separate it from the rest of the house’s night sounds, the scrape of tree branches against siding, the normal creaks and groans.
It came from the front door. Reiner. Honest to Pete! What would it take to take to get it through his thick skull that he absolutely could not come here in the middle of the night?
Involuntarily, her lips curled in a smile. They’d had a great time on his new bike this afternoon. They’d even stopped for a burger and ice cream at the little Tastee-Freeze before heading back to work on the props.
Tossing aside the covers, she padded barefoot to the top of the stairs, Chia at her heels. As she opened her mouth to tell Reiner to go away, a car drove past, its lights shining in her window, casting a shadow from her porch onto the hall floor.
Her heart kicked into overdrive and shot up her throat as the shadow metamorphosed, its shape kaleidoscopic. The splashes of gray floated through the window, reorganized into three distinct forms on the floor at the base of her stairs.
Axel Stetler. Felix Bourdain. Keith Paxton.
She’d been so sure the boys were all talk.
The knob rattled and a shoulder bumped against the door.
She’d been so wrong.
Her heart pounded like the bass in a teen’s car. What should she do? Chia brushed against her bare leg, and she nearly screamed.
Muffled voices drifted to her. Then the boys turned, seemed to be leaving. A shaky, pent up sigh escaped her. Thank God. Afraid to move, she stood frozen another moment.
Anger slowly crept in to replace fear. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. This had gone way too far. Tomorrow, she’d put an end to it. Carver either handled it at school or she’d file a harassment suit at the police station.
A hellish racket sent her temporary relief scurrying for cover. The boys hadn’t left. They’d simply sneaked around to the side. An irrational concern for Mrs. Jones’s daylilies at the corner of the house flitted through her mind.
All thoughts of flowers disappeared, though, as the French doors off her kitchen jiggled, gently at first, then shook more violently. Katie Sara held her breath when she heard someone banging at a side window in the dining room. Apparently, they’d split up.
Had she checked her windows tonight? Made sure they were locked? She always did. It had become a ritual. But she’d been so happy tonight, so relaxed.
She whimpered at a loud crash, followed by shattering glass. Skittering on the hardwood floor, Chia made a mad dash for the bedroom. Katie Sara flew in right behind him, sorry she, too, couldn’t slink under the far corner of the bed.
Obviously, stealth no longer concerned the boys. They’d decided to go for broke, and that was dangerous. Locking her bedroom door, wedging a chair under the knob, she grabbed her phone and dialed nine-one-one. In minutes, maybe seconds, the trio would head upstairs.
Nearly frantic when the dispatcher answered, Katie Sara spilled out her situation in quick, staccato bursts. Glenda advised her that Clay Lewis had night patrol and would be there as quickly as possible.
Shaking, she hung up, her mind racing.
Please, God, let ‘as quickly as possible’ be soon enough.
Another crash, curses, and high, nervous male laughter—inside her house this time—spurred her to action. The boys would be up here in a New York minute. The cavalry would not. That left her two choices. Axel and his gang could find her up here cowering in her bedroom, or she could meet them, ready for battle.
She didn’t cower well and hadn’t since she’d been seventeen.
Nothing in the room caught her eye as a possible weapon. She crept to the closet.
One of the door hinges had a habit of creaking, and she’d meant to oil it. “If you’re quiet, just this once, I’ll bathe you in WD-40 tomorrow.” Holding her breath, she turned the knob and went limp with relief when the door opened soundlessly.
Fumbling in the dark, her fingers touched what she’d hoped to find—her oversized umbrella. Holding it in front of her, she took a steadying breath. A footfall sounded on the stairs and she about wet her pants when Chia let out a loud yowl.
The umbrella clattered to the floor. “Oh, jeez, oh, jeez.” She snatched it up again. “Don’t do that, Chia!”
“Hey, Ms. McMichaels, why don’t you come on down?”
One of the boys snickered. “Maybe you want us to come up there. You givin’ private or group lessons?”
Hoots of laughter rolled up the stairs, and her stomach rolled. She swallowed, promising herself she could collapse later, offer up her dinner to the porcelain god after this was over. No time for it now.
Closing her eyes, she swallowed hard. With a tighter purchase on the umbrella, in a voice that didn’t shake too badly, she said, “If you boys know what’s good for you, you’ll leave right now.”
“Ooooh, we’re really scared.” Katie Sara recognized Axel. “What ya gonna do? Keep us after class?”
The three dissolved into snide laughter.
“I don’t know what she’s goin’ to do,” a deeper voice boomed, “but for starters, I’m goin’ to slam your worthless heads together!”
“Ouch!”
“Hey, you’re hurtin’ me!”
“You ain’t got no right—”
“Don’t even go there,” Reiner snarled. “I’m lookin’ at a door that’s busted in, a broken window and three hoods threatenin’ a woman.”
“Thank God!” Katie Sara threw her arms into a robe, worked the chair loose so she could open the door, and ran downstairs, the umbrella clutched tightly.
Axel glared at her. The other two looked away. The sound of sirens, increasing in volume, screamed down the street.
Reiner had Alex and Keith by the scruff of their necks. Felix, wild-eyed, made a run for the door as the police car pulled up out front, lights flashing. Katie Sara stuck out her umbrella and sent him sprawling across the hall floor.
Reiner winked his approval. “Good take down.”
Deputy Clay Lewis hurried up the walk. “Got yourself some trouble here?”
“Three punks who ought to be home in bed. Instead, they’re breaking into Ms. McMichaels’ home, destroying property, and threatening her. Their intentions were pretty ugly, Clay.”
“Look at me.” Deputy Lewis waited until each boy met his eyes. “Your parents are gonna be mighty disappointed in you. What’re your mammas gonna think? They raised y’all better than this.”
He turned to Katie Sara. “You plan to press charges, don’t you?”
She hesitated.
Reiner touched her arm. “You’d be doin’ them a favor.”
“Why don’t you stay the hell out of this, Mr. Big Shot?” Axel spit out. “Everything was cool till you showed up.”
“Cool?” Katie Sara couldn’t believe her ears. “Cool? Axel, you broke into my house. You three boys planned to rape me. You call that cool?” Furious now, she turned to Clay. “Yes, I’m pressing charges.”
The deputy snapped handcuffs on Axel.
The other two boys had gone very pale, very quiet.
Keith looked at Axel. “You’re a fool, man, and we were bigger fools to follow you.” He turned to Deputy Lewis. “You don’t need to handcuff Felix and me. We aren’t going to give you any trouble, are we?” He looked at Felix, who shook his head vigorously.
“You two are wusses!” Axel jeered.
“Maybe.” Felix walked out silently behind the deputy.
Clay called over his shoulder, “Tomorrow’s soon enough to take care of the paperwork, Katie Sara. Try to get some sleep tonight.” He looked at Reiner. “After I get some pictures, you’ll help her secure the house?”
Reiner nodded.
“Thanks for everything, Clay,” Katie Sara said.
“You bet.” The deputy stuffed the boys in the car, then announced to the neighbors who’d by now crept onto porches and yards, “Everything’s fine, folks. We had a small problem, but it’s all been taken care of. Y’all go back to bed now.”
The cruiser drove off.
Clay moved around the house taking pictures and lifting prints. “That’ll do it for now. I’ll be back in the morning to finish.”
Katie Sara nodded, then waved to Philomena and Marge, to Mrs. Jones who’d stood watch with her. “I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
She closed the front door and turned to find one very angry Reiner leaning against her staircase, his hands fisted.
“Why didn’t you call?”
“I—”
“Damn it, Katie Sara, I was almost too late!”
She licked her lips. “I called the police. I would have called you next, but there wasn’t time. They got in.” All the tears she’d held back let loose in a flood. “Then they—I—” She hiccupped. “Oh, Reiner.” Throwing herself into his arms, she buried her face in his chest.
He hugged her close and let her cry.
An eternity later, cried out, she realized Reiner’s shirt was soaked and a purring Chia was doing laps around their legs, his white, fluffy tail held aloft.
“Why are you here?” She sniffled and swiped at her eyes.
Reiner drew back slightly.
“I mean, how did you know?”
“Gut instinct. I haven’t felt good about those boys since Felicity spilled the beans. She’s sleeping over at Beth’s, and I worked late on the book. I was wired, so I figured I’d cruise past your place before I called it a night.”
“Thank Heaven for intuition. Thank you, Reiner.”
“You’re welcome.” He kissed the top of her head. “Do you have a big garbage bag?”
Her brow wrinkled in question. “Yes. Why?”
“I’ll tape it over the window. It won’t keep out thugs, but it’ll stop creepy crawlers and flying visitors.”
“Ahhh.”
After they finished, he rigged the French doors so they’d close, while she swept glass.
“There you go. Your house is as secure as I can make it for tonight. We’ll get somebody over here tomorrow mornin’ to fix all this. What are we goin’ to do for you, though, Ace? Want a cup of tea? A shot of whiskey?”
“No.” She went up on tiptoe and met his lips in a kiss that left little doubt what she wanted. When she finally broke the kiss, she trailed her lips over his jaw, down his neck. She let her fingers walk down the front of his shirt, unbuttoning it as she went, her lips following close behind.
“Katie—”
“I want you.”
“You’ve had a rough night.”
“Yes.”
“I’m not sure—”
“Shut up, Reiner.”
“Shuttin’ up.” His lips crashed down on hers, his tongue slipping into her mouth. “Hold on, Ace. It’s goin’ to be a wild ride!”
“The wilder, the better. And thank you again,” she whispered. “In advance.”
They moved to the front hallway, and he turned out the last light. His hand had the belt of her robe undone before she realized he’d even touched it. Then the robe slid into a puddle at the base of the stairs.
Katie Sara, bathed in moonlight, took his breath away. She wore pale pink cotton pajamas edged in lace. One single hook and eye between her breasts secured the thin-strapped top. Split up the center, it revealed tiny panties that dipped to expose her belly button.
Voice husky, he muttered, “Who knew cotton could be such a turn-on?” God, horny for the sex-ed teacher who preached abstinence. “What is it with you and pajamas, sweet cheeks? You must have a thousand pairs, each one sexier than the last. You’re killin’ me!”
Her smile could have caused a New York City brownout. “They’re my secret vice.”
“Much as I love ’em, honey, they’ve gotta go.”
Laughing like two school kids, they undressed each other. Thoughts of police reports, broken glass and locks could wait till tomorrow. Tonight, Katie Sara and he would enjoy each other, would celebrate life.
She nipped his lower lip, and he twisted, pinning her against the wall. Grasping her hands, he held them in one of his. He ran the other over her body, loving her reaction, the gasps and small cries that escaped her.
Then he pressed his body to hers, length to length, and felt the heat. He reveled in her soft curves against his hard angles. When he brought his mouth down and tasted her sweetness, he thought he’d die as their tongues danced and mated.
“Sugar, as much as I love smoochin’ and feelin’ you up, it’s not goin’ to be enough tonight.” His gaze drifted over her. Through hooded lids, he took in her swollen lips, her glazed eyes.
“No, it won’t be,” she agreed.
“Tonight, Miss Sex Ed Teacher, I want to debate the cons of abstinence.” He kissed a line from her ear to her bare shoulder. “Up close and personal.” His hand whispered over her breast. “Very, very personal.”
While he still had the strength and the willpower, he slid an arm behind her knees and swept her up.
“If I don’t do a Rhett Butler right this minute, you and I are goin' to tango right here on your hallway floor. And while that wouldn’t bother me in the least, I’m not so sure you’d be thrilled, Scarlett. ’Specially if Miss Busybody Philomena decides she can’t wait till mornin’ and marches over here for the low-down on Deputy Lawson’s visit.”
“There is that.” Arms around his neck, she pressed her lips there.
“You could do that all night, Ace.”
“I fully intend to.”
All alone. Katie Sara concentrated, but heard no one.
The wind outside intensified. It grew louder and louder. A shutter ripped off the bedroom window, and she screamed, dragging her nightgown closer around her.
“Chia? Chia!”
The cat didn’t come, didn’t answer, and she cried. She prayed he’d found a safe place as yet another shutter blew from the house. Downstairs a window exploded.
The weatherman hadn’t predicted this storm. A tornado? When had a tornado last come close to Paradox?
She didn’t have a basement; maybe she should hide in the bathroom. But before she could crawl out of bed, the entire roof creaked and groaned, the sound deafening. Another horrendous wrenching noise and every window popped out as the entire top of the house simply lifted and blew away.
She was left sitting in bed, no roof, no walls, and visible to anyone who passed by on the street below. Sobbing, she hid under her pillow.
“Katie Sara, wake up.” Reiner rubbed her shoulder. “You’re havin’ a bad dream. Come on, sugar, wake up.”
As he wrapped her in his arms, she turned, burrowing into him, hiding her face. A nightmare. Not surprising it had come tonight after everything that had happened.
Running a hand up and down her back, kissing her hair, he spoke soothingly, then listened while she shared the dream and the fact that she’d had it several times since she’d come back to Paradox.
“You’re feelin’ exposed, sugar. You’ve hung everything out there for the town to talk about again. The house comin’ apart, leavin’ you there like that—”
Twin spots of red touched her cheeks. He didn’t have a clue. Tell him. Now. Instead, the Cowardly Lion hid behind anger yet again, anger made more intense because she knew it was a shield.
“What are you now? A psychiatrist? Did that Super Bowl ring come with a PhD?”
“Doesn’t take a degree to figure this one out, sweetheart. If you’d take off those blinders for two seconds, you’d see it yourself.”
“Don’t go digging around in my psyche, Reiner. I don’t want you there.”
“I know you don’t. Too bad, Katie Sara, because I love—”
“No.” She dropped a finger over his lips. “Don’t. You don’t know me anymore.”
“Like hell.”
“Reiner, don’t confuse body chemistry with love. We’re adults. We know better. We’re good in bed—”
His brow rose. “Good?”
“Your ego needs more? Fantastic. Mind-blowing. The best I’ve ever had.”
“I’d like to pretend I’m the only you’ve ever had.” His blue eyes went midnight. “That nobody else has touched you.” He ran a hand over her bare back.
“Has kissed you.” His tongue met hers, tasted it, and she felt the magic to her toes.
“Has entered you.” He slid inside her, and she was lost.
Coffee. Rich, dark coffee. The aroma toyed with her senses, and she breathed it in.
“Wake up, sleepyhead. Time to rise and shine. It’s a school day.”
Reiner kissed her until her heart sang. Oh, the man was gorgeous. She smiled up at him and stretched. “Now, that’s the kind of alarm I’ve been hunting for. I checked Woolworth’s the other day, but you can’t find them anymore.”
“Anytime you want to borrow mine, say the word.”
He swatted her on the butt. “Come on, take a swig of that caffeine to get your engine goin’ while I start your shower.”
Start her shower?
He disappeared into the bathroom. When he returned, she sat exactly where he’d left her, coffee cup in one hand, sheet gripped in the other.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m no good at this.” Dazed, she shook her head. “You seem so...so easy with it.”
“With what?”
“The morning-after.”
“Oh, for—” Barefoot and shirtless, he planted his hands on his hips. Well-worn, unbuttoned jeans rode low. The six-pack abs, shoulders and arms would make any sports company beg for him in their ads. And they did.
Would make any woman drool. And they did.
She did.
Katie Sara forced herself to close her mouth and meet his eyes. But on the way, her gaze bumped into his mouth, remembered what it had done to her last night, and she couldn’t quite make those last couple inches.
“Earth to Katie Sara.”
Sloshing coffee, she set her cup on the nightstand and wrapped the sheet around herself. Time to shower.
She glanced around the room.
“Lookin’ for somethin’?”
“My P.J.s.”
“At the bottom of the stairs. Where I helped you out of them, remember, before carryin’ you up here to...tuck you in.”
He grinned and flicked the sheet. “You don’t really need this, Ace. Nothin’ under here I haven’t seen.”
“Ohhhh!” Blushing, she fled.
“How do you want your eggs?” he called after her.
“Scrambled! Like my brain!”
While she showered and dressed, reality set in. The remnants of last night’s horror, both real and nightmare, left her edgy. Katie Sara delivered a harsh lecture to herself. She’d screwed up. Big time. Every cell in her body cried. It was a wonder the house didn’t flood.
When she faced her reflection in the mirror, she didn’t see an executioner, yet that’s exactly what she was about to become. In the next few minutes, she was going to kill any chance she’d ever have for happiness.
Before Reiner left her house this morning, she had to tell him about his son. Watch what he felt for her change to hatred and loathing. Dropping to the side of the bed, she fought for some shred of equilibrium.
“Katie Sara, the eggs are gettin’ cold!”
She swallowed. “I’m...I’m coming.” With a tremulous hand, she brushed her hair back and swiped on some lipstick. The color might help.
Shoulders squared, she went down to breakfast, a death-row prisoner facing her last meal. She managed to sit beside him and choke down crunchy eggs and only slightly burned toast. Washing them down with coffee, she made small talk and forbid herself to drown in those gorgeous blue eyes.
“Thanks for the eggs, Reiner.”
“Dinner tonight?”
Now. “I don’t think so.”
Something in her tone must have warned him. He tensed. “Something wrong?”
“I think that—”
He held up a hand. “Katie Sara, this is bullshit. We’re too old to be playin’ games. I’m goin’ to lay it on the line. You’re the one I want to be spending my time with. The only one.”
“And I told you last night, you don’t know me anymore. I’m not the girl I used to be.”
“No, you’re not. We all change.” He took her face between his hands. “But I do know you.”
“No, you don’t!” She jerked free of him. “You’d hate me if you did.” She blinked rapidly, fighting tears.
Silent for a beat, he asked softly, “How can you say that?”
“Because it’s true. I’ve tried to tell you, but... Reiner...” She closed her eyes. She couldn’t! Couldn’t do this after all. Not this morning. She was pathetic! “Go home.”
“No.” He dug in his heels. “I’m not goin’ anywhere, damn it. I do know you. You’re the woman who gave up a professorship to come back to her hometown to bury her daddy, to stay with him so he wouldn’t be alone with people who hated him.”
When she opened her eyes, the cold reached to the center of her bones. “But it turns out they don’t hate him. He has real friends in town. People who will watch out for him. Put flowers on his grave. Daddy—”
For one second, her voice failed, then she pulled it together and went on. “Daddy doesn’t need me.”
She dropped her gaze, twisted her gold pinky ring. “I’ve fallen in love with Paradox, and I want to stay. I didn’t expect you to be here, never guessed you would be. I never meant to hurt you. I was wrong, Reiner, so very wrong, to leave the way I did at seventeen.” Her throat closed. She rubbed it and went on. “I was wrong to lead you on these past weeks.”
She inhaled sharply and forced herself to meet his eyes. “But I can’t see you anymore.”
“What?”
“I said—”
“I heard what you said.”
“Then why—”
“Because I can’t believe what I’m hearin’.” He searched her face. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing.”
He’d caught the slight tremble in her voice. Though it was possible he’d been this angry before, he couldn’t remember when. He wanted to put his fist through the wall. Hell, he wanted to put the kitchen table through the wall!
“Tell me.” His voice was hard as flint. “What am I supposed to do here, Katie Sara? Say it’s been a hell of a lot of fun? Have a good life? Well, forget that!” His voice rose. “What am I? Huh? Good for the occasional stud service? A roll in the hay when you’re feelin’ hot and turned-on? Protection when you need a hardass to deal with your bullies? A little company when you’re down in the dumps?
“But not good enough, never good enough for anything permanent!” His fist thumped the table, sent the silverware clattering. “Well, screw that, princess!”
He grabbed her arm, jerked her to him, and brought his lips down in a bruising kiss. A kiss meant to thumb its nose rather than proclaim love.
When he pulled away, she fought for composure.
“I don’t know what your game is, Katherine Sara McMichaels, but I aim to find out!” The door slammed behind him.
Katie Sara dropped her head to the table, stared at the ring left by Reiner’s coffee cup, then reached for the phone. “Rhonda? You awake?”
“Barely.”
“I think I have to leave.”
“What?”
“It’s complicated, but Axel and his friends broke in last night. Reiner came over and stopped them. After Clay Lewis took them away, we, ah, well, Reiner didn’t leave till this morning.”
Silence.
“Rhonda?”
“You didn’t tell him, did you?”
“I love him.”
“I know.”
“What am I going to do?”
“Stay and face the music, honey. You ran before. Don’t run again.” Rhonda hesitated. “You need to tell him, though, real soon. I’ve got a bad, bad feelin’.”