bright spot in his days.
And now the Night Walker had swooped in to steal her from him.
When he’d left the pub with Juliana’s cousin, his intention had been to have sex with her to relieve his frustrations. That was all. But while he’d sated his appetite for physical pleasure, a plot had formed, a beautiful way to wound the Night Walker, and at the same time, turn Juliana against Colin.
He’d shifted his form and carried her cousin to a watery grave. A murder he would lead Juliana to believe Colin had committed.
Folding his newspaper, he threw away his coffee and stepped into the sun. Time to set his plan in motion.
Her dream left her so dazed that she almost didn’t notice Colin was gone. Almost. She sipped her tea at the table, rereading the note he’d left:
Please forgive me for leaving before you woke. I did not want to disrupt your dreams. I have business to take care of at the farm today, but I need to speak with you about Muriel’s disappearance, and… My angel, there is so much I need to tell you. Tonight. Wait up for me, and please be careful.
All my heart,
Colin
Muriel. She closed her eyes, sending up a prayer for her cousin’s safety. With a sigh, she read the note again. She had plenty to tell Colin, too, about her dreams. Again, he’d slipped away before she could warn him.
But after last night’s dream, she was fairly certain the banshee’s call was for her and her alone. Colin and Benedict hadn’t haunted this dream, just her spirit, surrendering to an angry ocean.
Taking another sip of tea, she forced the vision from her mind and focused on Colin’s note again. She tried not to obsess over the words my angel and all my heart , reminding herself that she only met him a few days ago. But after the intensity of their union, she was starting to believe her grandmother’s old stories about the heart recognizing its true mate right away.
How else could she explain the depth of emotions she’d experienced in his arms, the honesty in his eyes when he’d bared his scars? In turn, she’d trusted him with her voice, and he’d freed her of her inhibitions. She’d never experienced such a deep emotional connection. Ever.
Outside, birds fluttered past her window to their feeder, oblivious to the sudden changes in her life. The world appeared unchanged, but she would never be the same. Juliana folded the note and tucked it into her apron, praying for a busy day in the shop; otherwise she’d be a prisoner of the clock—again—waiting for the sun to go down. Waiting to hear from Colin.
The morning rushed by with bouquet purchases and a get-well floral arrangement. Phone orders came to her through a service that took the verbal sales and then emailed them to her to be fulfilled. It wasn’t ideal, but she was grateful for the work. Busy hands calmed her mind from her worry for Muriel and Colin. She practiced how she would tell him about her dreams so he would understand the danger instead of deciding she was insane. Tricky.
As the afternoon passed by, the shadows lengthened outside. The shop door opened, pulling her from her thoughts. She looked up and smiled at the familiar face.
Benedict! You’re early.
He grinned and gave a playful bow, keeping his face turned upward so she could watch his lips. “And you, my lady, are a sight for sore eyes. You look lovely today.”
Her skin flushed. Could she still be glowing from her evening with Colin? For once she was grateful for the need to write out her conversation. It gave her something else to focus on.
Thank you. What can I get you today?
He glanced at her note and sobered. He moved closer to the counter. “Actually, that’s why I came by early. I’m worried about you.”
Worried? She frowned. Why?
“I heard your cousin went missing. Muriel? She owned a pub, right?”
Word traveled fast. She sighed. The police think she ran away with a man she met on the Internet.
“But you don’t.”
She shook her
And now the Night Walker had swooped in to steal her from him.
When he’d left the pub with Juliana’s cousin, his intention had been to have sex with her to relieve his frustrations. That was all. But while he’d sated his appetite for physical pleasure, a plot had formed, a beautiful way to wound the Night Walker, and at the same time, turn Juliana against Colin.
He’d shifted his form and carried her cousin to a watery grave. A murder he would lead Juliana to believe Colin had committed.
Folding his newspaper, he threw away his coffee and stepped into the sun. Time to set his plan in motion.
Her dream left her so dazed that she almost didn’t notice Colin was gone. Almost. She sipped her tea at the table, rereading the note he’d left:
Please forgive me for leaving before you woke. I did not want to disrupt your dreams. I have business to take care of at the farm today, but I need to speak with you about Muriel’s disappearance, and… My angel, there is so much I need to tell you. Tonight. Wait up for me, and please be careful.
All my heart,
Colin
Muriel. She closed her eyes, sending up a prayer for her cousin’s safety. With a sigh, she read the note again. She had plenty to tell Colin, too, about her dreams. Again, he’d slipped away before she could warn him.
But after last night’s dream, she was fairly certain the banshee’s call was for her and her alone. Colin and Benedict hadn’t haunted this dream, just her spirit, surrendering to an angry ocean.
Taking another sip of tea, she forced the vision from her mind and focused on Colin’s note again. She tried not to obsess over the words my angel and all my heart , reminding herself that she only met him a few days ago. But after the intensity of their union, she was starting to believe her grandmother’s old stories about the heart recognizing its true mate right away.
How else could she explain the depth of emotions she’d experienced in his arms, the honesty in his eyes when he’d bared his scars? In turn, she’d trusted him with her voice, and he’d freed her of her inhibitions. She’d never experienced such a deep emotional connection. Ever.
Outside, birds fluttered past her window to their feeder, oblivious to the sudden changes in her life. The world appeared unchanged, but she would never be the same. Juliana folded the note and tucked it into her apron, praying for a busy day in the shop; otherwise she’d be a prisoner of the clock—again—waiting for the sun to go down. Waiting to hear from Colin.
The morning rushed by with bouquet purchases and a get-well floral arrangement. Phone orders came to her through a service that took the verbal sales and then emailed them to her to be fulfilled. It wasn’t ideal, but she was grateful for the work. Busy hands calmed her mind from her worry for Muriel and Colin. She practiced how she would tell him about her dreams so he would understand the danger instead of deciding she was insane. Tricky.
As the afternoon passed by, the shadows lengthened outside. The shop door opened, pulling her from her thoughts. She looked up and smiled at the familiar face.
Benedict! You’re early.
He grinned and gave a playful bow, keeping his face turned upward so she could watch his lips. “And you, my lady, are a sight for sore eyes. You look lovely today.”
Her skin flushed. Could she still be glowing from her evening with Colin? For once she was grateful for the need to write out her conversation. It gave her something else to focus on.
Thank you. What can I get you today?
He glanced at her note and sobered. He moved closer to the counter. “Actually, that’s why I came by early. I’m worried about you.”
Worried? She frowned. Why?
“I heard your cousin went missing. Muriel? She owned a pub, right?”
Word traveled fast. She sighed. The police think she ran away with a man she met on the Internet.
“But you don’t.”
She shook her
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