Authors: Jayne Ann Krentz
Colby was silent for a moment. “Eddy?“ he finally asked softly.
“If it was, I couldn’t rightly blame the boy. Lord knows the kid had provocation. But there was no way anyone was ever going to prove anything one way or the other. So I wrote it up as an accident and that was the end of it. Eddy never gave me or Roy Barnes, the man who took my place a couple years ago, any trouble after that so I figured the least I could do was not cause trouble for him.“
Colby glanced at Diana and realized she was staring in shock at Gil.
“Can a sheriff just do that? Ignore a suspicion of murder?“
Gil grinned at her, and Colby couldn’t help himself. He started to laugh.
Evelyn frowned severely at both men. “Pay no attention to them, my dear. A man’s sense of humor is biologically different from a woman’s, you know. The male of the species finds humor in the oddest things.“
“What is so funny, Colby?“ Diana demanded.
“Nothing, I swear it.“ But he was unable to control his smile.
“Colby, if you don’t tell me what is so amusing, I’m going to let you do the dishes alone.“
He held up one palm in a placating gesture. “Okay, okay, I’ll try and explain. It’s just that you looked so naive and innocent when you asked Gil if a sheriff could ignore something like Eddy Spooner’s father going over the falls.“
“Well?“
Colby looked at Gil. “You tell her. I don’t want to be the one to disillusion her.“
Gil groaned. “Thanks a lot, Savagar.“ He turned to Diana. “You have to understand, Diana, that in a lot of ways the sheriff of a rural community like this is not only the enforcer of the law and an investigating officer, he’s also judge and jury a lot of the time. There was no evidence to indicate Spooner’s death was anything but an accident. So I called it quits with a report stating exactly that. The county coroner agreed with me. What was the point of pursuing a suspicion when the victim was a vicious, drunken fool with a history of child abuse? Sometimes you settle for rough justice. Ill tell you something else, too. It’s no different in the big city. Cops are cops.“
“I see what you mean.“
Gil grinned widely. “Hell, if you only knew how many times I turned a blind eye to the activities of your fiancée when he was a kid, it would curl your hair. Why, if I hadn’t been such a nice, understanding guy, I could have…“
“Forget it, Gil,“ Colby broke in quickly. “Diana’s had enough disillusionment for one evening. Let’s change the subject.“
“You sure have gotten straitlaced in your old age, Savagar.“
“People change,“ Colby reminded him smoothly. “Have some more of Diana’s stir-fry.“
“It’s delicious,“ Evelyn said brightly.
“It’s the one company dish she’s mastered,“ Colby explained. “After we’re married, I intend to broaden her repertoire.“
Two hours later, the Thorps rose reluctantly to take their leave. Evelyn hung back to have a few last words with Diana, and Colby took the opportunity to walk out onto the porch with GO. Specter padded behind them, yawning mightily.
The big dog stood with his front paws planted on the top step and sampled the night air as Colby drew Gil away from the door.
“About those pranks someone played on Diana,“ Colby said quietly.
“What about ‘em?“ Gil leaned against the porch railing and fished a cigar out of his pocket.
“There’s no question that my son’s ex-girlfriend was behind the last one. But she swears she had nothing to do with the first two little jokes. Brandon believes her. And I’ve got a few questions, myself.“
“That right?“
“I can see Robyn cooking up one prank as an act of childish revenge. She’s young and impulsive, and she was furious that Brandon had changed his mind about marriage. But I don’t see her as the type to wage a deliberate campaign of terror against Diana. And that’s what was going on before I pulled Diana out of that cottage she was renting and moved her in here with me.“
“You think Robyn might have set up just one scene from your book after hearing about the other two scenes?“ Gil asked shrewdly as he carefully lit the cigar.
Colby braced one hand against the railing. “I think it’s a possibility.“
“Who?“
“That’s the hell of it, Gil. It could be almost anyone from Margaret Fulbrook or Harry to some jerk I beat out on River Road twenty years ago. It wouldn’t take much to figure out that one sure way to get back at me would be to frighten Diana. If there is some lunatic running around who thinks he’s got a score to settle, he’d better figure out fast that this is a game two can play. When I find him I’m going to teach him that I won’t let anyone hurt Diana.“
“Not everyone in town is carrying a twenty-year-old grudge, Colby. You caused a lot of trouble when you were a kid but you weren’t quite as much of an SOB as you think you were. In fact, you became some kind of local legend the day you left town. People around here never forgot you. And after you started writing those horror novels, they talked about you more than ever.“
Colby grinned. “Be careful what you say around Diana. I’ve got a reputation to protect. And if I did turn out okay, it’s because of you, Gil, and you damn well know it. You had a way of pulling me up short whenever I got too close to the line. I owe you for that.“
“I couldn’t have done it if I hadn’t had something to work with. You always had what it took to make it. Not like Eddy Spooner.“
“Eddy turned out okay, too. He’s holding down a job, isn’t he?“
“Eddy’s weak. He was weak as a kid, and he turned sour when he grew up. He failed at the army, failed at marriage and failed at everything else he ever tried.“
Colby scowled. “I heard his marriage broke up} but that’s no big deal in this day and age. What’s this about the army?“
“He was discharged early. Didn’t you know that?“
“No.“
“Something about him being temperamentally unfit for the service.“
“That’s hardly a crime,“ Colby muttered. “I wasn’t too fond of the army myself.“
“Let’s face it. For Eddy, pumping gas in Fulbrook Corners is as far as he’s going to get and deep down inside he knows it. I feel kind of sorry for him.“
Colby stared out into the night, thinking of the bleak resignation he had seen in Eddy’s eyes the other day. “Yeah.
So do I.“
There was silence for a while as Gil puffed on his cigar. Eventually he spoke. “I’ll keep my ears open about that other business for you. I can have a word with Roy Barnes, if you like. He’s a good man. Done a decent job as sheriff around here.“
“Thanks, Gil.“
“You’re real fond of that little lady in there, aren’t you?“ Gil’s eyes gleamed in the moonlight.
“Yeah.“
“Why’d you come back here after all these years, Colby?“
“Why in hell does everyone keep throwing that question at me?“
“Legends inspire curiosity,“ Gil said dryly. “So what’s the answer?“
“I’m not sure,“ Colby admitted. “Do you believe in fate, Gil?“
“No.“
“Neither do I. But sometimes I get the weirdest feeling that maybe I came back here this summer just so I’d find Diana.“
“Sounds like a good enough reason to me.“
She was trapped inside the grotto. She could not leave until her warrior husband came for her. She was a woman of
great power who had never needed a male, but now she desperately needed the man who had fathered the child on
her even as he died. There was a danger in the outer cavern, a threat to both herself and the babe she carried. Only
the warrior could save her from the terror that hovered in the darkness beyond the grotto. For the first time in her
life, she needed the help of a man. The knowledge terrified her.
The warm mist from the pool enveloped her, clouding her senses. Soon the pain would start.
“No.“
Diana sat straight up in bed, her heart pounding, her eyes wide open as she stared into the darkness.
“Diana.“ Colby was awake beside her, reaching for her. He pulled her tense body into his arms. “What is it, honey?
What’s wrong? A bad dream?“
Specter arrived at the edge of the bed and thrust his nose against Diana’s bare leg. He whined inquiringly.
Diana took a deep breath, patted her dog and then patted Colby. “It’s all right. I’m okay. Just another one of those dreams.“ She made no move to pull free of Colby’s embrace. His arms felt good around her – reassuring and strong.
“Another one of what dreams? What are you talking about, Diana?“
She was startled by the sharpness of his voice. “Nothing, really. It’s just that ever since you and I spent the night in Chained Lady Cave, I’ve had a recurring dream. I don’t get it every night, but this is the second or third time. I’m getting tired of them.“
“The same dream every time?“
“Not exactly. It’s like I’m having different parts of the same dream, though. Fragments. But all the dreams seem to be taking place in the cave. That little grotto, to be exact. It’s your fault, Colby,“ she added with a weak smile. “You should never have told me about the legend of Chained Lady Cave. You’re too good a storyteller. My subconscious mind has obviously glommed onto the tale and is having a ball with it while I sleep.“
“You’re dreaming about the cave?“ Colby asked, as his hand stilled in her hair.
“Is that so surprising?“ She wondered at the odd tone of his voice. “Colby, what’s wrong?“
“I knew you’d had a dream or two that had awakened you since that night, but I never realized…“
“Never realized what?“ she demanded.
“Tell me about the dreams, Diana.“
“There’s not much to tell. I dream I’m in the grotto and there’s a sense of menace coming from the outer cavern.
Usually I’m waiting for someone to rescue me, and I’m not at all sure he’s going to get there on time. Tonight the dream was all mixed up with the fact that I’m pregnant.“
“Who is it you’re waiting for?“
“I don’t know.“ She paused. “No, that’s not true. I’m waiting for that idiot warrior who put the curse on the woman who killed him. In my dream I think I’m the woman.“ Diana shivered. “In the dream I’m the woman who could not leave until I had conceived and borne a child in that awful place. Colby, do you realize what’s happened? Part of the legend has come true.
I got pregnant in that cave.“
“Take it easy, honey.“ His hand moved soothingly in her hair. “If your imagination gets more active, I’ll have to let you write your own horror fiction.“
“It’s scary when you think about it.“
“Only when you think about it at two in the morning,“ Colby retorted. “I’ve got a confession to make, though.“
Her head came up so quickly that she nearly collided with his chin. “What kind of confession?“
“Don’t look at me like that. I wouldn’t dare cheat on an amazon. I was just going to tell you that you’re not the only one who’s had a few dreams about Chained Lady Cave.“
“You’ve had them, too?“ she asked in amazement. “For how long?“
“Since the night I spent there when I was a teenager,“ he admitted.
“You’ve had nightmares about that cave for the past twenty-odd years?“ Diana peered down at him, trying to read his face in the weak moonlight. His gray eyes gleamed, and he stroked down her spine in a soft, sensual movement.
“They’re not exactly nightmares, but they do tend to wake me up out of a sound sleep. Are yours nightmares? Do they terrify you?“
She tried to think. “Not exactly. At least, not yet. I’m not scared to death in them, but there is a sense of urgency about the dreams. As if things were going to get worse. Colby, I’ve never heard of two people having the same dreams.“
“The dreams aren’t identical. In my dream, I’m usually struggling to get up the path behind the waterfall and into the cave. I have this feeling that I have to get to the grotto.“
“So maybe they’re not exactly identical, but you’ve got to admit it’s very strange that we’re both having dreams about that cave.“
Colby slipped his hand to the curve of her hip. “I don’t know if it’s all that strange. We both spent the night in that cave, and something very memorable happened in it.“
“Colby, this is serious.“
“No it’s not. They’re just dreams. But I’ll tell you something. Right now I’ve got an overwhelming urge to go into another little grotto.“
“Really?“
“Really.“ His palm was warm on her thigh. He squeezed gently. “In fact, I don’t think I can resist.“
Diana’s eyes widened. “You want to go out to Chained Lady Cave tonight?“
His soft laughter was deep and sexy. “I didn’t say that. I just said I’d like to explore a certain hidden grotto.“ His other hand slid over her stomach and cupped the soft mound between her legs. He bent his head and gently nibbled her shoulder. “You going to let me inside your sweet little grotto tonight?“
Diana blinked as she finally realized what he was talking about. “Honestly, Colby, this is no time for joking.“
“Tell me about it, baby.“ He caught her hand and guided it down to his thighs. “I’ve never been more serious in my life.“
Her fingers closed around the hard, broad shape of his manhood and Diana knew she was about to get sidetracked.
She groaned. “I think we should talk about the dreams, Colby.“
“There’s nothing much to talk about. We’re both having them. They can’t possibly mean anything, except that we’
ve both got overactive imaginations, which we already know. So let’s forget the dreams and get on to more pressing business.“ His forefinger slipped into her heat.
“You, Colby Savagar, are trying to change the subject.“
“And I’m succeeding. The entrance to this tight little grotto is already getting hot and wet.“ He eased Diana onto her back and lowered himself along the length of her. “Sweet Diana.“ His voice roughened as he put his knee between her legs. “You always make me feel so wanted. There’s never been anyone else like you. There never could be anyone else like you. All I have to do is touch you and I go crazy.“
Diana sighed as the passion stole over her. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. There would be time enough later to talk about the dreams. Right now Colby was making love to her and when he made love to her, nothing else mattered.