Carved in Stone (22 page)

Nate couldn’t see a thing wrong with the change in the weather.

The ceremony had been simple and absolutely perfect. He’d never seen anything lovelier than his bride walking across the meadow, holding her father’s arm with one hand, carrying a bouquet of wildflowers in the other. Her dark hair fell free, long and straight to just below her waist. The filmy dress had floated about her long legs, and her beautiful smile lit up the entire meadow.

Of course, he’d almost punched Roger when his buddy let out a long, low whistle, admiring the bride. He couldn’t blame the guy, though. He’d never seen a more beautiful woman than Alex.

Nate took hold of her hand. She was his. Now and forever, wife to Dr. Nathan Murdock.
Alexandria Martin Murdock
. He’d actually been surprised when she’d elected to take his name, as independent as she was. Surprised and thrilled. He liked the sound of his name linked with hers. Loved the fact she was his.

That he was hers.

She turned to him, and then went very still. At the same time, Nate’s mind filled with a startling image, a picture of Alex ripe with his child, and another child, a blue-eyed toddler with auburn hair snuggled in his own arms.

From the surprised expression on Alex’s face, he knew she saw the same thing. Gently, he pulled her close. “You saw it to, didn’t you?”

She nodded, and there was a look of wonder in her eyes. He whispered a soft
thank you
against Alex’s lips, accepting the gods’ blessings, treasuring the glimpse of his future with the woman he loved.

As quickly as the clouds had gathered, they were gone, leaving only a rainbow arching gently across the sky from the top of the cliffs to the valley below.

A voice had Nate spinning to stare at Alex, and he knew she heard the gentle response, a sound as fragile as a sunbeam that caressed their senses, as musical as a wind chime in a summer breeze.

Blessings to you both.

“Nate?” Alex stared at him as if she’d seen a ghost.

Maybe she had. There was no doubt in Nate’s mind he’d just heard one. No doubt he’d never say a word about it, either. Not to anyone but Alex. He wrapped his arms around his wife and held her close. Kissed her with all the love in his heart, and gave thanks to the lovers who had brought them safely out of the darkness.

Some mysteries were meant to go unsolved. He could live with that. Just as he intended to live the rest of his days with Alex.

Excerpt from Lethal Deception

Keep reading for an excerpt

from Kate’s compelling

romantic suspense novel

Lethal Deception

Rose DeAngelo knows that insuring high-level shipments is a risky business, but when hijackers start lifting loads and injuring drivers and the string of thefts seems squarely targeted at her clients, she starts to feel the heat. Especially when all the signs point to her as the primary suspect.

To investigator Mike Ramsey, it looks like a clear-cut case of an inside job. Working undercover and posing as a trucker with valuable cargo, he sets himself up as the hijacking ring’s next target, hoping to catch the thieves—and Rose—in the act.

As the two are thrown together to find out who’s behind the dangerous crimes, each harboring doubts about the other, their suspicions mount even as an undeniable passion grows between them. But what neither of them realizes is that the hijackers are closing in, and Rose and Ramsey will be forced to trust each other and join forces or risk losing everything, including each other.

Chapter 1

Monday morning, Pittsburgh

“I know, Mr. Hannibal. Please, you must understand why we have to add a five percent risk premium to your usual rate . . . Mr. Hannibal, there’s no need to be rude. Acme Insurance has paid out a substantial amount . . . I realize those thefts were unusual . . . yes, Mr. Hannibal, I agree, otherwise you . . . I understand you’re upset, Mr. Hannibal. As I said, I agree, you do have an excellent record.”

Rose DeAngelo arched her back and ran tense fingers through her heavy twist of dark hair. It didn’t help a bit. Blast it! Headaches like this one generally didn’t start until after lunch.

A second light on the phone flashed. Rose stared at the little orange square, peripherally aware that it blinked in perfect time with the pounding in her head.

“Mr. Hannibal.” Rose clenched her teeth against the blossoming pain in her skull. “There is no other option. I’m sorry. I’m going to switch you back to my secretary. You’ll pay the additional five percent? Fine. Please give Denise the route information.”

Rose took the next call, groaning audibly the moment she recognized the patronizing voice. Sighing, she reached into her drawer for two aspirin. James Dearborn was the last person she wanted to talk to right now.

Not a promising sign, Rose.
She ignored the quiet voice in the back of her mind. Now was not a good time for analyzing relationships. Rose gulped the aspirin with a swallow of tepid coffee and grimaced at the bitter taste.

“James . . . hello.” She twisted the large marquis-cut diamond on her left hand. Why was it, lately, all her conversations with James made her ring finger itch?

“Please, James. I don’t have time to discuss this right now.” Rose glanced through the glassed wall of her office into the waiting room beyond. Her boss leaned over Denise’s desk, waving a large stack of folders under the young woman’s nose.

“You want to what?” Line two blinked hypnotically. Line three quickly joined in. She couldn’t possibly have heard James right. What did he say? Set a date? Rose furiously scratched the raw skin under the offending ring. “No,” she said, well aware of the sense of desperation in her voice. “I absolutely refuse to plan my wedding because your mother has a free weekend in July! No, James . . . absolutely not . . . no, we can’t discuss it at lunch with your mother. I don’t have time for lunch today . . . are you giving me an ultimatum?” Rose pulled the ring off her finger, scratching frantically.

Denise, precariously balancing a huge armload of folders, opened the office door with her shoulder. Frank Bonner, the company president, glared through the open door into Rose’s office, then rudely signaled for her to join him in his. James’s voice droned on, bouncing around inside Rose’s head, thumping in time to the pounding behind her eyes.

Denise set the pile of folders on the corner of Rose’s desk, then quickly backed out of the office. As she closed the door the stack gradually slipped to one side. Rose stretched full length across the large oak desk, holding the phone to her ear with one hand, grabbing for the top of the pile with the other. She felt the snag in her new black stockings open up then run the length of her leg, crawling up her inner thigh at precisely the same rate of speed as the folders slid to the floor.

“We’ll have to talk another time, James.” Rose took a deep breath and broke the connection. She knew she’d hear about her behavior later, but there was no way she could deal with him now.

She signaled for Denise to take the call on line three, then punched the button for line two. James’s mother. Could this day possibly get any worse?

Alicia Dearborn’s shrill voice crackled into Rose’s ear. “No, Alicia. I can’t go to lunch with you and James . . . I’m sorry too. I’ll have to call you back.” Rose gritted her teeth. “I’m very busy. No, nothing special. Just a typical Monday. Good-bye.”

Sighing, Rose replaced the handset. She stared at it a moment, daring the phone to ring, then picked the scattered folders up off the floor and piled them on her desk.

She couldn’t put off her meeting with Bonner any longer, no matter how unpleasant the prospect. It had to be about the recent hijackings. Acme Insurance had paid a bundle in settlements the past few months and pressure around the office had been steadily building.

Most of that pressure had come from Rose’s office.

Insuring special loads for long-haul trucking companies had its risks, but lately it appeared as if someone had it in for her clients. Even Hannibal Trucking’s perfect record had been compromised with two major thefts in the past two weeks.

Rose glanced at the heavy oak nameplate on her desk, the one Mr. Bonner had presented to her the day he’d promoted her to manager. “It’ll make a dandy bookend,” she muttered. She stared at the etched letters of her name a moment longer, then headed out the door for the inevitable dressing down from the boss.

“Ms. DeAngelo.” Denise held up a stack of notes to catch her attention. “That last call was from your Aunt Rosa. She left you a message, said you must be really busy since she was on hold so long.” Denise flipped through the notes, then held one out to Rose.

“I wish I’d known it was her.” Rose took the slip of paper. “She’s a lot more fun to talk to than James’s mother.”

Denise laughed, then shrugged her shoulders philosophically as the phone rang again. She turned to answer it.

Rose unfolded the note, suddenly aware of a lump in her throat. She hadn’t talked to Aunt Rosa for over a week.

Please tell Rose the honeysuckle’s blooming. And tell her I love her. She’s working too hard. Rosa DeAngelo.

The honeysuckle’s blooming and I haven’t seen Aunt Rosa in two years.
The sweet scent of honeysuckle filled Rose’s mind, the memory of the massive vine covering the porch at her aunt’s bed-and-breakfast out in California a balm to headaches, frustrating clients, angry bosses and disappointing fiancés.

Rose looked through the window into Frank Bonner’s office. He paced back and forth and gestured violently as he argued with someone over the phone, his angry words muted behind the soundproof glass.

Denise answered her phone again, at the same time indicating to Rose she had a call waiting. Rose ignored the blinking light, mesmerized by the ugly shape of Frank Bonner’s mouth twisted in anger, visible but silent behind the glass.

She took a deep breath in a vain attempt to ease the tension in her neck and shoulders, then turned around to take the call in her office. As if mocking Rose, the marquis diamond twinkled at her from its resting place in the paper clip bowl. She picked it up, staring absentmindedly into its icy blue depths before answering the phone.

The door to the outer office opened. Rose paused with her hand over the headset and looked up to see James guiding his mother through the tastefully decorated foyer.

“Why me, God?” she muttered. How had the two of them gotten here so quickly? Lunch was beginning to look like a setup, with wedding plans as the main course.

She knew better than to think Alicia would ever take no for an answer. Or James, either, for that matter.

Why should he? He was just like his mother.

In fact, Rose had never noticed before how much the two of them resembled one another. Not a flattering observation at all since she thought Alicia Dearborn looked exactly like the ugly little Pekinese tucked firmly under the woman’s left arm.

Suddenly it all fell into place: the rhythmic pounding in Rose’s head, Alicia Dearborn’s strident voice, James’s placating tones, even Frank Bonner’s flailing arms as he carried on his argument via speakerphone in his spacious, soundproof office across the hall.

Then it all drifted away as, once again, the sweet memory of honeysuckle filled Rose. Drawing a deep breath, she inhaled the peaceful, calming scent of her childhood, not the antiseptic, filtered air of her Acme Insurance Company office. Aunt Rosa was absolutely right. She was working too hard.

Rose drew her hand back from the telephone and all its blinking lights, picked up her heavy leather purse, slung her raincoat over her arm and quietly walked out of her office. She closed the door behind her and straightened her shoulders at the solid sounding “click” as the latch caught and locked her chaotic morning behind her.

Ignoring Alicia’s imperious command that she explain herself, Rose smiled calmly at her secretary. “Hold my calls, Denise. I’ve decided to take the afternoon off.”

“Well, it’s about time you came to your senses, Rose. I’m glad you’ve decided to join Mother and me for lunch. We have to talk.”

Rose turned to James. Why, when she looked into the eyes of the man she’d promised to spend her life with, did she feel nothing stronger than regret?

“You misunderstand, James. I’m taking the afternoon off by myself.” She fumbled for the right words, finally deciding honesty was best. “Please, I’d like for you to take this back.” She held the heavy gold and diamond ring out to him. “We both know it’s never going to work. We’ve known it all along.”

He didn’t move. She looked at his face, searching for whatever had made her think she loved him. She’d once been so enamored of his dark blond hair and finely chiseled jaw, in awe of his elegant manners and cultured speech. But the man she thought she loved didn’t exist at all.

I imagined you.
The thought struck like a bolt of lightning.
Am I that desperate?
Self-awareness brought a sad smile to Rose’s lips, followed by a sudden urge to giggle. James and his mother, her secretary Denise, even that disgusting little Pekinese, all stared at her with their mouths open.

Finally, a way to silence Alicia Dearborn. Feeling almost giddy with power, Rose tucked the ring into the breast pocket of James’s custom-tailored Armani suit, then quietly left the building. It didn’t even bother her that James hadn’t asked her to stay, hadn’t reached out to her, hadn’t disagreed with her. No, it didn’t bother her at all.

Somewhere, a peaceful country road beckoned.

• • •

Rose wasn’t certain how long she’d been driving, or how far. The isolated landscape loomed dark and unfamiliar, the heavy clouds were no longer visible in the night sky, and her trusty little Volvo had developed an unhealthy klunking noise.

She searched the horizon for the lights of Pittsburgh, but no telltale glow marked the sky. In fact, she hadn’t seen any light other than the occasional flash of lightning for at least an hour. Rose glanced at the fuel gauge. Less than a quarter of a tank left.

At least her headache was gone. “Along with my job,” she muttered as the first fat drops of rain splatted against the windshield.
Just what I need.
She leaned over the steering wheel, closer to the windshield, and strained to see through the sudden downpour.
More proof that my life is totally out of control.

“Well, not completely.” Stuffing that ugly ring in James’s pocket had been rather empowering. Doing it in front of her secretary, the company president, and her once future now ex-future mother-in-law hadn’t been bad, either.

“One of your better exits, Rose.”

She waited for the fully expected sense of guilt to swamp her, the feeling that, once again, she’d done something terribly wrong, but the only feeling Rose felt was right. Wrong would have been staying with James, going through with a loveless marriage. No, she thought, her decision to return that ugly ring and leave had been a long time coming.

Grabbing a clean tissue, she wiped the condensation from the windshield and grinned. Too bad Aunt Rosa had to miss it. She loved dramatic exits. Then she glanced down at her left hand, barely visible in the pale glow from the dash lights. It looked much better without the heavy diamond. She’d hated that ring from the moment James put it on her hand, hated the sense of ownership James assumed once they’d become engaged.