If Frank had even an inkling of Cara's importance in David's life, he would kill her just to see David weep.
He shuddered, and as he did, her arms instinctively tightened around him. Even in her sleep, she seemed to sense his despair.
He raised up on one elbow. She opened her eyes. For a moment, it was as if they'd seen into each other's soul. Then David cupped her face and kissed her. She sighed as he levered himself above her body. He kissed her again. She shifted, making room for him to come in. He took her there, in the early morning light with her hair in tangles and love in her eyes.
By mid-morning, Cara was in the kitchen packing a picnic lunch while David was rummaging in the storage shed out back, looking for Ray's fishing equipment. Despite his claim to the opposite, Cara suspected it had been years since he'd done something as innocuous as fishing, especially for fun.
The day was warm with a line of white puffy clouds in the distance, the wind almost nonexistent, making it a perfect day to go to the lake. She was putting the last of the sandwiches into the cooler when the doorbell rang. She wiped her hands and then frowned as it began to ring again. Someone was certainly insistent. She hurried through the house, peeked through the window before answering the door and then groaned.
It was Harry Belton.
He'd been trying to court her for more than a year now. She didn't know how much plainer she could be without being terribly rude, but she wasn't interested. Masking her irritation, she opened the door.
"Cara! How are you, dear?"
"Harold?"
"I know I should have called, but I was in the neighborhood and couldn't bring myself to leave without saying hello."
She frowned. He was lying, and they both knew it. "You really should have called," she said. "I was just going out."
Ignoring the hint she had just given him to make a graceful exit, he stepped inside the door and then peered over her shoulder.
"I see by the car in the driveway that you have company. I hope I'm not intruding."
"Actually, that's what I was trying to—"
"There's the silliest rumor going around Chiltingham that there's a stranger staying in your house."
Cara's eyes flashed angrily, although she maintained her calm.
"No. There's no stranger staying in my house," she said.
He smiled and put his hands on her shoulders. "There now! I knew when Macie said it that she was just telling tales. Even though Ray has been gone these three years, you just aren't the kind of woman to—"
Cara watched his eyes widen and his mouth drop. The fact that he'd forgotten what he was saying told her that David must have come in the house.
Harold glared at her, and the tone of his voice changed from happy to accusing.
"I thought you said you were alone."
"No. I didn't say I was alone. I said there wasn't a strange man in my house. David isn't a stranger."
Harold's face turned a dark, ugly red, his eyes narrowing angrily.
"If I hadn't seen this with my own eyes, I would never have believed it."
Suddenly, David was standing at her back, his voice dark and full of unleashed anger.
"You've never seen a fishing pole?" David asked, and then thrust a rod and reel in Harold's face. "Then here, take a real good look before I shove it right up your—"
Cara stifled a grin as Harold dropped the rod and bolted for the door. Only after he was on the porch with the screen door between them did he stop and turn. It was a mistake, because David was right behind him. Now the only person still in the house was Cara.
"Don't touch me!" Harold screeched.
"Don't ever raise your voice to her again, do you hear me?" David asked.
There was a look in the man's eyes that Harold seemed afraid to challenge. He nodded.
David continued. "And you better hope I don't hear one denigrating word being said about Cara Justice or I'm coming after you."
"But what if I'm not the one who said it?" Harold muttered.
"Then I suggest you pray."
"My word!" Harold gasped, and bolted for the
He shuddered, and as he did, her arms instinctively tightened around him. Even in her sleep, she seemed to sense his despair.
He raised up on one elbow. She opened her eyes. For a moment, it was as if they'd seen into each other's soul. Then David cupped her face and kissed her. She sighed as he levered himself above her body. He kissed her again. She shifted, making room for him to come in. He took her there, in the early morning light with her hair in tangles and love in her eyes.
By mid-morning, Cara was in the kitchen packing a picnic lunch while David was rummaging in the storage shed out back, looking for Ray's fishing equipment. Despite his claim to the opposite, Cara suspected it had been years since he'd done something as innocuous as fishing, especially for fun.
The day was warm with a line of white puffy clouds in the distance, the wind almost nonexistent, making it a perfect day to go to the lake. She was putting the last of the sandwiches into the cooler when the doorbell rang. She wiped her hands and then frowned as it began to ring again. Someone was certainly insistent. She hurried through the house, peeked through the window before answering the door and then groaned.
It was Harry Belton.
He'd been trying to court her for more than a year now. She didn't know how much plainer she could be without being terribly rude, but she wasn't interested. Masking her irritation, she opened the door.
"Cara! How are you, dear?"
"Harold?"
"I know I should have called, but I was in the neighborhood and couldn't bring myself to leave without saying hello."
She frowned. He was lying, and they both knew it. "You really should have called," she said. "I was just going out."
Ignoring the hint she had just given him to make a graceful exit, he stepped inside the door and then peered over her shoulder.
"I see by the car in the driveway that you have company. I hope I'm not intruding."
"Actually, that's what I was trying to—"
"There's the silliest rumor going around Chiltingham that there's a stranger staying in your house."
Cara's eyes flashed angrily, although she maintained her calm.
"No. There's no stranger staying in my house," she said.
He smiled and put his hands on her shoulders. "There now! I knew when Macie said it that she was just telling tales. Even though Ray has been gone these three years, you just aren't the kind of woman to—"
Cara watched his eyes widen and his mouth drop. The fact that he'd forgotten what he was saying told her that David must have come in the house.
Harold glared at her, and the tone of his voice changed from happy to accusing.
"I thought you said you were alone."
"No. I didn't say I was alone. I said there wasn't a strange man in my house. David isn't a stranger."
Harold's face turned a dark, ugly red, his eyes narrowing angrily.
"If I hadn't seen this with my own eyes, I would never have believed it."
Suddenly, David was standing at her back, his voice dark and full of unleashed anger.
"You've never seen a fishing pole?" David asked, and then thrust a rod and reel in Harold's face. "Then here, take a real good look before I shove it right up your—"
Cara stifled a grin as Harold dropped the rod and bolted for the door. Only after he was on the porch with the screen door between them did he stop and turn. It was a mistake, because David was right behind him. Now the only person still in the house was Cara.
"Don't touch me!" Harold screeched.
"Don't ever raise your voice to her again, do you hear me?" David asked.
There was a look in the man's eyes that Harold seemed afraid to challenge. He nodded.
David continued. "And you better hope I don't hear one denigrating word being said about Cara Justice or I'm coming after you."
"But what if I'm not the one who said it?" Harold muttered.
"Then I suggest you pray."
"My word!" Harold gasped, and bolted for the
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