Rachelle’s tiny hands, she could feel the muscles in his back as they stretched and flexed while getting her safely to the boat.
But she’d seen him before and knew well the power in his body as he’d thrust repeatedly into the valley between her legs. She knew the cut of his cheek, the taste of his lips, the softness of his breath as his mouth moved upon her skin. And she knew the gut-wrenching sound of his groan when he came.
It seemed impossible, but it was the man from her dreams.
Unaware of the drama being played out back at Mimosa Grove, Justin lifted Rachelle into the boat and then climbed in with her.
At the same moment, Laurel Scanlon dropped to the stairs in a faint. That scared Harper in a way nothing else could have done. Unaware of the rescue Laurel had witnessed, he read the unconsciousness as death.
“Justin! Justin! This is Harper! Can you hear me? What’s happening? Over.”
There were a few moments of silence; then he heard a brief bout of static as Justin keyed his own radio.
“This is Justin. I found her. She’s alive. You find Cheryl Ann and tell her that I’m bringing her baby home. Over and out.”
Harper leaned back against the stairwell, then dropped his head.
“Praise God,” he said softly, then reached down and lifted the little pink jacket from Laurel’s clenched fist.
He looked down at Marie, then at the woman she was cradling.
“Is she all right?”
Marie nodded. “She will be.”
Harper stared for a moment, then lifted his hat and combed a hand through his hair.
“I don’t know how she does it, and I wouldn’t admit to many that I’d ever seen it happen, you understand. But tonight I thank God for the blood that runs in this woman’s veins.”
“Yes,” Marie said. “I will tell her so. Later.”
Harper hesitated, then pointed down at Laurel.
“Want me to help you get her up to her bed or something?”
Marie sighed. “It would be better for her if you would. I am no longer as strong as I once was.”
Harper pointed at Marie’s flashlight.
“With the power still out, I’m gonna need some light to negotiate these steps.”
Marie aimed the flashlight as he lifted Laurel out of her arms. Together, they started up the stairs. A few moments later he laid Laurel in her bed, gave her shoulder a brief pat. Slightly embarrassed by the tender gesture, he faked a cough, then readjusted his rain-soaked hat into a different position before looking away.
“You gonna be all right here?” he asked.
Marie glanced toward the bed, then sighed, unaware that her shoulders slumped wearily with the sound.
“Yes. We will be fine.”
Suddenly anxious to leave this place where magic happened, Harper nodded.
“I’ll let myself out and lock the door as I go. No need you goin’ back down those dark stairs just to see me out.”
Marie nodded her thanks. She could hear Harper’s receding footsteps as she pulled a rocking chair up beside Laurel’s bed, then sat herself down. She heard the police car start up, then heard it drive away, and still she sat, rocking slowly as she kept watch.
It was nearing dawn by the time Justin pulled up in front of his home and got out. The storm had finally passed, leaving the air with a fresh, rain-washed scent and the ground soft beneath his feet. The aftermath of the search was finally starting to sink in as he started toward the house, his feet dragging with every step.
He kept picturing the joy on his little sister’s face and his brother-in-law’s tear-filled eyes, both of them too moved to speak as they tore Rachelle from his arms, then held her close in a desperate embrace. They’d tried to thank him, but he hadn’t been able to listen. Not now, not when all their emotions were too raw. He wanted to fall on his knees and thank God for the woman at Mimosa Grove, but he knew that if he went down, he would be too weak to get up. And there was the fact that he didn’t even know her name. So he’d gotten back in his
But she’d seen him before and knew well the power in his body as he’d thrust repeatedly into the valley between her legs. She knew the cut of his cheek, the taste of his lips, the softness of his breath as his mouth moved upon her skin. And she knew the gut-wrenching sound of his groan when he came.
It seemed impossible, but it was the man from her dreams.
Unaware of the drama being played out back at Mimosa Grove, Justin lifted Rachelle into the boat and then climbed in with her.
At the same moment, Laurel Scanlon dropped to the stairs in a faint. That scared Harper in a way nothing else could have done. Unaware of the rescue Laurel had witnessed, he read the unconsciousness as death.
“Justin! Justin! This is Harper! Can you hear me? What’s happening? Over.”
There were a few moments of silence; then he heard a brief bout of static as Justin keyed his own radio.
“This is Justin. I found her. She’s alive. You find Cheryl Ann and tell her that I’m bringing her baby home. Over and out.”
Harper leaned back against the stairwell, then dropped his head.
“Praise God,” he said softly, then reached down and lifted the little pink jacket from Laurel’s clenched fist.
He looked down at Marie, then at the woman she was cradling.
“Is she all right?”
Marie nodded. “She will be.”
Harper stared for a moment, then lifted his hat and combed a hand through his hair.
“I don’t know how she does it, and I wouldn’t admit to many that I’d ever seen it happen, you understand. But tonight I thank God for the blood that runs in this woman’s veins.”
“Yes,” Marie said. “I will tell her so. Later.”
Harper hesitated, then pointed down at Laurel.
“Want me to help you get her up to her bed or something?”
Marie sighed. “It would be better for her if you would. I am no longer as strong as I once was.”
Harper pointed at Marie’s flashlight.
“With the power still out, I’m gonna need some light to negotiate these steps.”
Marie aimed the flashlight as he lifted Laurel out of her arms. Together, they started up the stairs. A few moments later he laid Laurel in her bed, gave her shoulder a brief pat. Slightly embarrassed by the tender gesture, he faked a cough, then readjusted his rain-soaked hat into a different position before looking away.
“You gonna be all right here?” he asked.
Marie glanced toward the bed, then sighed, unaware that her shoulders slumped wearily with the sound.
“Yes. We will be fine.”
Suddenly anxious to leave this place where magic happened, Harper nodded.
“I’ll let myself out and lock the door as I go. No need you goin’ back down those dark stairs just to see me out.”
Marie nodded her thanks. She could hear Harper’s receding footsteps as she pulled a rocking chair up beside Laurel’s bed, then sat herself down. She heard the police car start up, then heard it drive away, and still she sat, rocking slowly as she kept watch.
It was nearing dawn by the time Justin pulled up in front of his home and got out. The storm had finally passed, leaving the air with a fresh, rain-washed scent and the ground soft beneath his feet. The aftermath of the search was finally starting to sink in as he started toward the house, his feet dragging with every step.
He kept picturing the joy on his little sister’s face and his brother-in-law’s tear-filled eyes, both of them too moved to speak as they tore Rachelle from his arms, then held her close in a desperate embrace. They’d tried to thank him, but he hadn’t been able to listen. Not now, not when all their emotions were too raw. He wanted to fall on his knees and thank God for the woman at Mimosa Grove, but he knew that if he went down, he would be too weak to get up. And there was the fact that he didn’t even know her name. So he’d gotten back in his
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