EDGE (28 page)

A naughty smile flirted to life.

Mel sauntered into the great room not caring that there was a little more sway to her hips. She found Linnet in the kitchen and the odors coming from the stove had her nose turning up in disgust.

“What
is
that smell?” she asked, covering her nose with her hand. Her stomach rolled and nightmares battered against their locked doors.

Linnet gave Mel a guilty look. “Now, don’t get upset.”

Nausea washed over her, and her head swam with images of the past, almost sending her to her knees. “Is that…
broccoli
?”

Linnet rushed over and placed her hands on Mel’s shoulders. “Nicole cooked beef and broccoli. She obviously doesn’t know that broccoli turns your stomach.”

“Where did she
get
it?” Mel asked through clenched teeth. Nothing was more powerful than the sense of smell, and nothing brought back the nightmarish memories faster than the smell of broccoli. Mel tried to stifle them, but they taunted like evil spirits on the edge of her mind.

Linnet bit her lip. “Apparently, she…uh…well, she picked it.”

“Picked it? From the garden? There’s broccoli
growing
on The Edge?”

Linnet gave her a puzzled look. “Mel, it’s just broccoli. Aren’t you overreacting a little?”

“No.”

“Overreacting to what?” Nicole asked entering the kitchen.

Linnet swiveled and positioned herself between the two women. “Mel doesn’t like broccoli.”

“Oh, that’s right. I forgot.” Nicole chuckled and flicked her hand in an absent wave as she addressed Linnet. “You should have seen her as a teenager. She’d go completely ballistic if it was even in the house.”

“You
forgot
?” Mel pushed Linnet out of her way. The amusement on Nicole’s face faded fast. “
You fucking forgot?
”

“Oh, God.” Realization washed her face ashen. “I’m so sorry, Mel. Uh…I can cook you something else.” She pushed her hair back in a nervous gesture.

Mel rubbed her hands over her face. “I need to get out of here. Serve dinner without me.” She turned on her heel and dashed from the kitchen, letting the screen door slam at her back as she tried to outrun the demons.

“Hey, I missed you at dinner,” Cache said, finding her lying on the beach. Mel had taken a run down the beach, trying to outrun the memories. The problem with memories was that they lived in her mind and she carried them with her no matter how fast she sprinted.

They were always there, lurking.

She’d caged them by the time she’d returned to The Edge. Though she hadn’t been up to entering the Lodge and the questioning looks her actions would have generated. So she’d scuffed her way back down the beach and reclined on the sand, her back resting against a log. Rinka had found her and lay along her side. Mel absently petted Rinka’s thick coat as she gazed at the vacant sea. Only the occasional ripple from a salmon jumping indicated the mirrored reflection wasn’t glass.

She’d known it wouldn’t be long before someone came looking for her. Somehow she’d also known it would be Cache.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked.

Mel turned to look at him. He seemed like just the person she needed in her life. Caring, compassionate, and knew his way around the female body.

What if he wasn’t anything like what he seemed? What if she was wrong about him like she’d been wrong about so many other men in her life?

She’d always attracted the perverts in college, everyone knowing her sordid past. That was until she’d come to Alaska. Garrett was a good man, and Cache seemed to be of the same ilk. Could she trust Cache? Or was she going to keep living this way? Always looking for some dark hidden secret?

“I’m not good company right now,” she warned.

“I’ll risk it.” Cache, with absolutely no physical grace, dropped next to her, carefully elongating his bum leg and giving it a rub.

They’d put his leg through a marathon the last twenty-four hours. He’d held up better than she’d thought he would. There hadn’t been one complaint from him. Quite the opposite in fact.

“It’s beautiful tonight,” Cache commented when the silenced stretched.

She smirked. “Are we going to talk about the weather?”

“Anything else you’d like to talk about?” he asked, nailing her with those steely eyes of his.

She turned back to face the cove. “It
is
a nice evening.”

He chuckled. “Here I thought you were more daring than that.”

She ignored his barb and indicated the skyline. “See the red clouds lining the horizon?” At Cache’s nod, she continued, “There’s a saying, ‘Red night, sailor’s delight’.”

“Really?” He seemed to hum the word, the implications obvious. “What does one need to do to be considered a sailor in these parts?”

A giggle escaped her lips, surprising her. It felt good, and she didn’t overanalyze the reaction. She wanted to have fun. Forget the demons and enjoy Cache, not get mired in the muck of the past.

“Let’s see, there’s the required knot tying.”

“Get me some rope, and I’ll show you some serious knots.” His eyebrows danced with mischief, and she couldn’t help another giggle.

“You also have to be a master of nautical terms.”

“Ah, but I already have that down.” He leaned in. “There’s running ‘abreast’.” He trailed his fingers over the slope of her breast. “‘Charting a course’.” His hands began their own course down her body. “Let’s not forget the importance of the ‘leeward side’.” He nuzzled the left side of her neck.

“I think you’re forgetting about ‘running aground’,” she added trying to ignore the shivers his lips produced.

“Believe me, I’ll keep us ‘adrift’. All we have to do is keep everything on an ‘even keel’ as we get ‘under way’ making sure we ‘navigate’ toward ‘coming about’.”

“Ahoy, there matey.” She sighed with pleasure and had a sinking feeling she was falling in love with him. Tomorrow would be soon enough to worry about that, she thought. For now, Mel gladly let Cache set sail, leaving the plaguing memories of the past moored on shore as they set a course over uncharted waters.

The evening really was a sailor’s delight.

Emily quietly inched down the ladder of the loft. The shabby cabin was filled with shadows as Quentin and her mom slept. She reached the main floor and crept toward the door. Seeing a blanket thrown over the back of the couch, she changed direction and lifted it off, all the while watching her mother sleep peacefully in her bed.

A thrill raced through her just like it did every time she snuck out from under her mother’s nose. With the blanket tucked under her arm, she inched through the door, silently shutting it behind her.

The clear summer night air greeted her with anticipation. She skipped down to where she and Tom had agreed to meet under the pilings. She turned the corner in the path and there he was. Tall, dark, and everything her mother would hate if she knew what her daughter was up to.

Emily’s heart skipped along with her feet.

“Hi,” she greeted on a breathy sigh, coming to a stop in front of him.

“Hi, yourself,” he returned, as he took her in his arms and kissed her.

Every nerve in her young body came alive, peppered with the thrill of a little fear. After all, Tom was no boy. Tonight she’d know what it was like to make love with a man. She’d experimented with Derrick, but Tom was in another league.

“Any problems getting away?” Tom asked as his lips moved from her mouth to the opening of her blouse.

“Of course not,” she answered. It had been child’s play. She giggled over the thought. After tonight, a child she definitely would no longer be.

Tom lowered her to his blanket, which he’d already laid out on the sand. How romantic, she thought, as she kicked off her shoes and helped Tom wiggle her out of her shirt.

“Oh, baby,” Tom said as he caught a look at her breasts. She’d left off her bra. “Aren’t you delicious.”

“Uhm,” she purred as he touched her. This was definitely something she was going to enjoy telling her girlfriends about. If she’d been with Derrick, the sex would already be over with. Tom seemed to want to drag it out, which was just fine by her.

Goose bumps erupted on her skin as he undressed her. It was a little chilly out here, and once again, she’d wished Tom had been willing for her to meet him in his room, but he’d said the beach would be more romantic and something he’d always wanted to do. Right now she was freezing and needed a blanket and told Tom as much. He laughed, called her baby again, and then reached over and covered them both with the blanket she’d brought.

Man, was she glad she’d snatched it at the last minute.

Tom sat up to pull off his shirt and then dropped his khaki cargo pants, taking a condom from the Velcro pocket. He settled back under the covers with her.

“All right, baby, let’s get you the rest of the way undressed.” Tom went for the silky underwear she wore, her last remaining article of clothing.

Emily caught a glance at his arousal and a jolt of doubt intruded. He was a lot bigger than Derrick.

What if it hurt?

She didn’t know if she wanted to do this anymore. The thought of her mother finding out spurred her on. This would make her mother livid. She wrapped her hand around it and ignored the doubts floating around in her mind. It must have been the right thing to do because Tom moaned and pushed into her hand.

“Oh, baby, that feels so good.” He moaned again and reached for her.

“What the hell is going on here?”

Tom jerked and Emily froze. She peeked from under Tom’s arm and there was Aunt Mel and Mr. Cruise.

“Get away from her, you bastard!” Mel lunged for Tom, her hands in the shape of claws, but Cache grabbed her around the stomach, swinging her off her feet.

Tom scrambled for his pants, and Emily made a quick grab for the quilt before they got a clear picture of her birthday suit.

“Mel,” Cache said, struggling to keep Mel in his arms and away from Tom. “Take Emily into the lodge. We’ll meet you there.”

Aunt Mel seemed to shake with the effort not to gouge out Tom’s eyes. Emily glanced at Tom and noticed that he actually seemed scared of her. But then she was a little frightened of Aunt Mel herself.

Tom yanked his pants up and was jumping around on one foot trying to get his shoes on. He looked like an idiot. Emily pouted. This evening sure wasn’t turning out like she’d planned.

When her mother found out, which by the looks of Cache and Aunt Mel that was a given, she’d blow a gasket. Maybe she’d be so fed up she’d send Emily back home to live with her father.

Emily secretly smiled.

C
HAPTER
E
IGHTEEN

A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.

~PROVERBS 19:5

“Linnet!” Mel hollered as she entered the great room, towing Emily by the arm. Linnet came running out of her room, yanking the edges of her silk kimono closed and tying the sash, a cigarette clamped between her lips.