Читать книгу Weathering Rock - Mae Clair - Страница 8

Chapter 3

The next morning she woke to the smell of freshly-brewed coffee and bacon, an aroma she remembered fondly from childhood. Saturday mornings her mother had always made a sit-down breakfast for the entire family–crisp bacon, eggs, butter-slathered toast and heaping platters of home fries. She and her older sister Daphne were generally the first at the table, making sure they sat closest to the window where the sun cascaded through, warm and golden.

When was the last time she’d eaten more than a bowl of cereal or a cup of yogurt for breakfast? Running late for work, she was more likely to grab a granola bar as she dashed out the door, behind because she’d hit the snooze button on her alarm one too many times.

It felt good to stretch and lie in bed, lazily appreciating her surroundings. Judging by the oblong splash of sunlight on the floor, the fog had faded with the dawn. She’d slept soundly, surprising given the strange animal she thought she’d seen.

A steepled wall clock to the right of the door told her it was after nine AM, later than she was used to sleeping on a Saturday. She thrust the blankets aside, crawled from bed, dressed and tided the room. Once she’d freshened up, she followed the smell of coffee and bacon to the kitchen. Unlike the parlor, it had been updated to reflect contemporary styling with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops, but an aura of old-fashioned charm remained in wide-plank floorboards and oversized moldings. Beneath a bay window, a round walnut table was already set with glasses and plates.

“Good morning,” Wyn called from the stove. “I hope you’re hungry. I made enough for three.”

Arianna flushed, uncomfortable with such easy attention from a virtual stranger. “That’s kind of you, but–”

“But what?” He tossed a glance over his shoulder as he worked at scrambling a griddle of eggs. “Caleb should be down soon. I know he’ll want to thank you again and say good-bye. I’ll change your tire after breakfast.”

Caleb.

She wouldn’t mind another moment or two in the company of that particular man. She’d already stayed the night. What was breakfast in comparison?

“Okay.” She slid her purse onto the counter. “What can I do to help?”

“Uh…how about filling the glasses with orange juice? Maybe round up some butter for the table.”

“I can handle that.” She started for the refrigerator, growing more comfortable with a routine she remembered from childhood.

“Help yourself to coffee. Caleb drinks it strong, so I water mine down. Sugar helps.” Wyn cracked a grin. “Lots of it.”

“You make the coffee to suit Caleb?”

Wyn shrugged. He looked better rested this morning, his clothing neat and tidy, wavy dark hair combed into place. “It’s easier to water mine down.” He popped the door on the microwave to check the bacon. “I have a feeling he’s going to need it this morning.”

“How was he last night?” Arianna focused on Wyn as she carried the orange juice to the table and started to pour.

“Fine, just dazed from the spill. He was having one of his episodes.”

Arianna wanted to inquire further, but wasn’t sure how to go about it without appearing nosy. As trim and healthy as Caleb looked, she couldn’t imagine him incapacitated by headaches.

“He seemed confused, talking about someone named Meade.”

Wyn turned his back, but not before she’d caught his scowl. “That was nothing.” Taking the bacon from the microwave, he layered it on a platter and changed the subject. “What do you do in Sagehill, Arianna?”

“Ari’s fine.” Finished with the juice, she returned it to the refrigerator. “I teach at the local middle school. Seventh grade history.”

“So you get that nice long summer vacation everyone envies?”

She nodded. Monday was the beginning of her yearly summer break. School had finished two days before, but there’d been administrative work to clean up, yesterday marking the official end of her school year.

“I still have a few commitments during the summer,” she explained. “Day activities and field trips for kids in summer classes. I have one lined up the end of the month for Gettysburg.” Locating the coffee mugs on the counter, she helped herself to a cup, adding water at the sink and a few spoonfuls of sugar as Wyn suggested.

“Gettysburg, huh?” He returned to the stove, where he confiscated the pan of scrambled eggs, adding them to the platter with the bacon. “As a history teacher, you probably know a lot about the Civil War.”

“Living in Sagehill makes it almost mandatory, considering the town was a thoroughfare for the southern army when it came into Pennsylvania.”

“Yeah.” Frowning, Wyn slid the platter onto the table. “I wish Caleb would get down here.”

“Soon enough, Winston?” Caleb walked into the kitchen as if on cue.

Arianna couldn’t help stealing an appreciative glance. She had no intention of becoming infatuated with someone she’d only met, but something about Caleb DeCardian sent her pulse racing every time she glanced in his direction. Dressed in black jeans and a white cotton shirt, the sleeves cuffed on his forearms, Caleb looked casual and relaxed. The lines of pain around his eyes had vanished, his skin no longer drawn and ashen. In short, he looked every inch a fit and virile male.

“Perfect timing as usual.” One by one, Wyn mounded a spoonful of eggs onto each breakfast plate. “Right after I’ve finished with the cooking. Nice of you to join us, Caleb.”

“You know I dislike those blasted gadgets.” Caleb indicated the stove and microwave with a backhanded wave. “They’re–” He stopped, scowling when Wyn lobbed him a warning glare. His demeanor changed instantly and he turned to Arianna with a smile. “I hope you won’t let Winston’s grumbling spoil breakfast. You will join us, won’t you?”

She wasn’t sure she could have said no even if she’d wanted. An invitation from a man who looked like Caleb was hard to refuse. “Your brother was kind enough to invite me,” she said, feeling the need to come to Wyn’s defense.

“Please–” Caleb swept an arm toward the table, a grand gesture inviting her to sit.

With a hesitant smile, she moved toward the nearest chair, surprised when Caleb walked behind her and held it in place. It was a lovely old-fashioned formality. Feeling slightly bashful, she allowed him to guide the chair, then watched as he rounded the table to sit next to her. The first thing he did was remove the linen napkin from beside his plate and unfold it over his lap.

Arianna blinked.

She hadn’t expected linen napkins, much less a man who used one. When she glanced down at the plate, she realized it was delicate blush china. She’d been too distracted earlier in her conversation with Wyn to notice. She knew he was a doctor, financially solvent to live in an estate like Weathering Rock, but had expected the usual dishwasher-safe plates that comprised most kitchens.

“Allow me.” Caleb took her plate, adding a few strips of bacon and a plump muffin from the final platter Wyn set on the table. Did they always eat so lavishly, or had the breakfast been geared around having an overnight guest? Either way, Caleb’s attentiveness charmed her.

Wyn appeared amused by his brother’s courtly fawning.

“Thank you.” She smiled politely as Caleb set the now-full plate in front of her. Feeling a bit uncomfortable having breakfast with two men she barely knew, she made an attempt at small talk, asking Wyn about his work and whether he had a practice in Sagehill.

“Just outside of town.” He relayed the specifics. The group of doctors he’d affiliated with was small compared to some of the larger medical umbrellas attached to the local hospitals. She could picture the building that housed his practice, tucked off Juniper Drive, close to the public library and a small coffee shop. She’d driven by it numerous times. She and Lauren often met at the coffee shop, with Lauren’s specialty boutique, Pandora’s Box, a few blocks away on Limestone Avenue.

“Excuse me.” Caleb interrupted her discussion with Wyn long enough to leave the table and pour a cup of coffee–no sugar, no cream. He had a scar on the side of his neck she hadn’t noticed before. Jagged, and shaped like a diamond, it was partially hidden by his collar. He caught her watching and grinned.

She flushed. “Have you lived here long?” she asked Wyn, careful not to direct the question at Caleb.

“Six years. My ancestors built this property in the 1800s. When it went up for sale, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity.”

“It’s a beautiful home.” She paused to nibble a piece of bacon as Caleb returned to the table. ‘I’ couldn’t pass up the opportunity, Wyn had said. Not ‘we.’ Did that mean he and Caleb had not always lived together? She couldn’t imagine two grown men sharing space for long.

She shifted her attention to Caleb. “Can I ask what you do for a living?

“Retired military.” His answer was swift.

Arianna stared, thinking him terribly young for retirement. “What branch?” she persisted, unable to quell her natural curiosity.

“Infantry.”

Wyn coughed into his hand as if disturbed by the answer. “Caleb.”

She wasn’t sure why anyone so young would retire, although a military career in view of current world affairs might give anyone pause. As far as she could tell, Caleb was single with no attachments other than his brother. For a single man, the military could be an attractive option.

Except for his headaches.

It suddenly dawned on her why he’d retired. Last night, Wyn had mentioned Caleb’s ongoing problem with headaches. If last night’s episode was any indication, the Army had probably given him a medical discharge. Having blundered into the subject, she wasn’t certain how to bow out gracefully.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pried.”

“It’s all right. My health wasn’t the issue.” Caleb drew a breath and grinned, making an effort to lighten the mood. “I manage to keep occupied. I have an avid interest in the Civil War and–”

“Caleb.” Wyn gave a quick, clipped shake of his head, dropping his eyes when Arianna glanced in his direction. Something passed between the two she didn’t understand.

“Arianna teaches history at the local middle school. American history. Civil War history.” Before he could say anything further, the soft chime of a doorbell echoed through the house. Wyn breathed a sigh of relief, giving her the impression he was thankful for the arrival of a visitor.

“Caleb, the door.” He cast a meaningful glance toward the hallway.

His brother hesitated. “Maybe you should–”

“No. Caleb, the door.”

The denial was flat and final, leaving Arianna with the uncomfortable feeling Wyn didn’t want to leave his brother alone with her. She was about to excuse herself, the diversion the perfect reason to bow out and be on her way, even if it meant calling Triple A.

“Very well.” Caleb pushed back from the table and stood. “I’ll be back shortly. Arianna, I’d appreciate it if you’d stay a while longer.”

She fiddled with her fork, her eyes riveted to the trim v-shape of his back as he left the kitchen. It was disheartening to think a man that fit could be incapacitated by something as trivial as a headache. Somewhere along the line, between discussing Caleb’s military background and what he’d done since retiring, she’d wandered into territory marked taboo.

“I didn’t mean to pry,” she said to Wyn.

“It’s not your fault. Things are complicated with Caleb. His health.”

A cold fist squeezed her stomach. “Please tell me it’s nothing’s terminal.”

“Nothing like that.” He shook his head. “Sometimes he’s too driven, and I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong impression. I’ll be honest–I’ve seen the way women react to him. That old-fashioned gentility goes a long way in today’s all-about-me world. I wouldn’t want you to fall into the same trap as others.”

Others?

She flushed, revising her opinion of Wyn. She’d initially thought him friendly and open, but now it seemed he was doing everything he could to warn her away from his brother. Was she that obvious, or did Wyn simply expect most women to fall under Caleb’s spell the moment they met him?

Heat crept up her neck and she pushed back her chair. “It’s time for me to leave.”

“I’m more curious how long you’ve been here,” someone said behind her.

Startled, Arianna glanced to the doorway as Caleb re-entered the kitchen trailed by a tall, brown-haired man. “Luke!” The last person she expected to see on a Saturday morning in a stranger’s house was her ex-boyfriend, Lucas Drake. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask the same thing.”

The disapproval in his voice made her hackles rise, and kicked on her defensive meter. His most exasperating trait had always been his bent for jealousy. She could imagine the thoughts going through his head at finding her having breakfast with two bachelors.

“I spent the night.” She knew it would annoy him. It served him right for sounding so damn high-handed. “I was on my way back from Lauren’s and got stranded by the fog. Didn’t you see the flat tire on my car?”

“You never heard of a spare?”

“That was my fault,” Caleb came to her rescue. “I asked her to–”

“It doesn’t matter.” Arianna didn’t owe Lucas Drake a damn thing. Let him think what he wanted. “What are you doing here, Luke?”

“Official business.” Squaring his shoulders, he tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants. A plainclothes cop, he wore street clothes on duty, dressed now in a light summer jacket to conceal the bulk of his handgun.

“Is something wrong?” Wyn asked.

“As I told your brother at the front door, Dr. DeCardian, I’m Sergeant Drake of the Sagehill PD. I understand you’re the legal owner of Weathering Rock?”

Wyn nodded, rounding the table to offer his hand. “Dr. Winston DeCardian. What’s the problem, Sergeant?”

“It’s more of a warning. I’m making rounds of the area to alert homeowners there may be a rabid animal in the area. We want you to be aware of the danger when you’re outside. If you have children, keep them close and make sure they understand the importance of staying away from stray animals, even those that seem harmless. You know how kids can be with pets.”

Concerned, Arianna left the table to join the others. She thought of the large animal silhouetted against the window last night. “What makes you think there’s a problem?”

“A patrol car found a deer carcass down the road.” Lucas jerked his head to indicate the direction. “Normally that’s not cause for alarm, but it was badly mauled.”

“How bad is badly?” Wyn flicked his brother a disconcerted glance. Did a moment of silent communication pass between them?

“Not like anything we’re used to seeing. The best guess is we’ve got a rabid dog, or a bear that wandered down from the mountains. Given it’s the second occurrence in less than a week, we want to make sure residents are aware of the danger.”

“A bear?” The animal she’d seen hadn’t been bulky enough for a bear, but too large for a dog. “What about a wolf?”

The question earned a sharp glance from Caleb.

“There are no wolves in Pennsylvania, Ari,” Luke told her. “Coyotes, but it would take a pack of coyotes to do this kind of damage. Odds are it’s probably a large dog, but until we get a report from the Game Commission, we won’t know for sure. Right now our goal is to alert residents, especially those with kids.”

“That’s kind of you, Officer,” Caleb said, sounding cordial and formal. “Since you’re here, perhaps you’d be good enough to follow Miss Hart home? It won’t take long to change her tire.”

Miss?

Arianna blinked, feeling like a schoolmarm passed to the care of the local sheriff. “Thanks, but Luke knows I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t.” Caleb took her hand, looking into her eyes.

She fought the urge to swoon like an idiot. Seconds passed and she found herself unable to speak, their hands locked together, her gaze riveted to the light blue crystal of his eyes.

“Caleb,” Wyn said.

Arianna came to her senses, politely withdrawing her hand. “I’ll be fine.”

“At the very least, the sergeant can walk you to your car,” Caleb suggested.

“That’s probably a good idea.” Lucas sounded annoyed.

Too unsettled to protest, Arianna nodded. Outside, she popped the trunk, waiting while Wyn unloaded the spare tire and jack. Off to the side, Caleb and Luke exchanged a glance, a tense undercurrent to their silence. If she didn’t know better, she’d think they were sizing one another up. But there was nothing to indicate Caleb was interested in her.

Except for that glance.

And a touch that had gone on too long for polite contact.

“Somebody slashed this,” Luke announced.

“What?” She rounded the car to find him crouched beside the front tire. Now that she saw it in the daylight, she realized he was right.

“Probably vandals,” Caleb said. “It must have happened last night after we went inside.”

No way. She couldn’t believe a vandal had crept onto an estate the size of Weathering Rock late at night to randomly slash her tire. Which meant the only person with opportunity was Wyn. In the dark, he would have had time while she and Caleb were distracted by the ball lightning.

But why?

Because Caleb wanted him to.

He’d snapped his brother’s name the moment the lightning had appeared. At the time she hadn’t understood, but now knew it had been a directive to Wyn. She recalled the pocketknife she’d seen on the table in the parlor when she left her contact information. Wyn would have had to grab it before leaving the house, which meant they’d never intended for her to drive away.

“Lucas, you’re right. I think–”

“It doesn’t matter,” Caleb said.

Furious, she rounded on him. “Excuse me, but it does!”

“It’s a flat, Arianna. It can be replaced. The important issue is you’re safe.”

Lucas narrowed his eyes. “From what?”

Caleb looked at him coolly. “The animal you mentioned, Sergeant. It must have been in the area last night. Under the circumstances, I think the flat on Arianna’s vehicle could be considered fortuitous.” Reaching for her hand, he twined his fingers with hers. When he spoke, his voice was for her ears only. “Don’t you think, Annie?”

She tugged her hand free. “I need to get home. It’s already ten o’clock, and I have several errands to run–including stopping at the garage for a new tire.”

The heavy sarcasm in her voice made him grimace.

There was little discussion after that. Wyn changed the tire with Caleb’s assistance, even offering to pay for a new one. He gave a lame excuse about feeling responsible since the incident occurred on his property. Annoyed neither man would own up to what happened, Arianna curtly declined. She left, wanting to put as much distance between herself and Weathering Rock as possible.

Something happened back there, she realized as she headed down the road. Before the tire, before the morning had been spoiled by anger. It would be a long time before she could get Caleb DeCardian out of her head.