Lady Moonlight (12 page)

❧

An hour later, she was on her way. She had made a special purchase at a large department store, packed some clothes, told her next-door neighbor that she might be gone a couple of days and called Dane's house to leave a message on his machine. She even remembered to make the customary stop for additional car insurance before she crossed the border.

If Dane found out about this, he'd murder her, she thought, dodging a spirited driver who had decided that her side of the road looked more inviting than his own. But she'd be back long before he returned, and there was no reason for him to know, she assured herself. Anyway, she was still a free agent, wasn't she? He might have adopted an annoying attitude of ownership, but she certainly didn't have to validate it by allowing him to get away with it.

Maybe the secret was to be more assertive. All she had to do was inform him-tactfully, of course ... that she still retained the right to run her own life. That seeing him occasionally did not mean she had handed herself to him on a platter. He would listen, agree and back off.

Like hell he would! He bulldozed right over tact, subtlety and any other gentle quality. Besides, she realized with shock, she didn't exactly want him backing off. At least, not permanently. Pondering her own inconsistent nature, she turned the green Camaro through the open gate into the yard.

As usual, children came running from all directions, shouting greetings. The noise brought Carmella to the porch. After Kara had dispensed kisses and hugs, she turned to the other woman with a questioning look. "Fifteen?"

"Si, God has been good to us." Observing Kara's pensive gaze, she asked, "Is something troubling you, my friend?"

"Funny, that's what I came to ask you." She moved restlessly, looking out over the dirt yard to the vegetable garden. "Carmella, is there anything wrong down here? Anything at all?"

"No." The other woman's voice was serene. "'We are all well. But it seems that things are not the same with you. Where is your man?"

"Brazil," Kara said shortly. She was tempted to explain once again that Dane wasn't hers, but gave it up as a lost cause.

Carmella smiled, relieved that the solution was so simple. "You will feel better when he returns," she assured Kara. "Come inside and we will talk."

❧

That evening at dinner Kara mentioned that she planned to stay for a day or so. The meal immediately took on a festive note, and the girls were elated when she told them that she would be sleeping in their dormitory. After the children were in bed she sat on the porch with Juanito and Carmella. They talked softly, looking up at a dark blanket of sky studded with gleaming stars. Laughing as a huge yawn overtook her, she said a soft good night, tiptoed into the room and closed her eyes as soon as her head touched the pillow.

Her sleep was deep, but not restful. She was on a ship in the midst of a wild storm. Dane stomped around the deck bellowing like Captain Ahab. The ship lurched to one side as a roar seemed to rise from the bowels of the ocean. The scream of the wind was deafening.

"Carina! Carina!" Hands plucked at her shoulders and patted her cheeks. "Wake up. krremoto!" The words were accompanied by a series of agitated cries.

Kara sat up, wide awake. She didn't need to speak the language to know that she was in the middle of an earthquake. And not a small one, either, judging from the grating rumble deep within the earth and the rolling motion of the floor. It was just past dawn, and gray light filtered into the room.

Thank God we can see, was her first thought. Earthquakes were terrifying at any time, but fumbling around in the dark while beams creaked and groaned was nightmare material.

"Elena." She motioned to the girl who spoke the most English. "Everyone to the door." She gestured frantically. "To the door. Now!"

Shoes, they should put on their shoes, she thought. Bits and pieces of remembered information from an earthquake-preparedness class were running through her head.

While Elena relayed the instructions and herded the girls to the doorway, Kara snatched the jeans, knit shirt and running shoes that she had dropped at the foot of her bed the night before. Later, if there was any broken glass or other damage, she could come back in and forage for the girls.

Juanito's voice boomed from across the yard.

"Kara! Are you and the girls all right?"

"Yes," she called, trying to steady her voice. "Stay where you are. We're okay." Kara squatted down and held out her arms. Two trembling girls with tear-streaked faces immediately filled them. She held them close, feeling the frantic beating of their hearts against her body as the floor moved beneath their feet.

"Elena, tell the girls to move close to me. Now, put your arms around each other and stay right here. This can't last forever." She smiled encouragingly, wincing at the sound of breaking glass. Thirty seconds, she thought incredulously. It probably hadn't been any longer than that, and it seemed like an eternity.

They all jumped as a beam crashed to the floor and plaster dust covered them. The little ones wailed as the older girls shrieked.

"Elena," Kara commanded, "tell them to stay right here with me. No one is to move until I say so." She wished she felt as sure of herself as she sounded. She also wished she had another set of arms so she could reach out to the rest of the frightened girls. But more than anything she wished for Dane.

It wouldn't matter if she set the feminist movement back ten years: She would gladly wave the white flag if she could be in his arms right now. He emanated such strength and determination that she always felt safe with him. Always would. Intellectually she knew that he couldn't do any more about an earthquake than she could, but wrapped in his arms she wouldn't care.

Hell of a time to realize it, she thought ruefully, dodging another chunk of plaster.

Dane Logan, you'd better get yourself back here. And you'd better be quick about it. At the rate things are happening, I may not live long enough to tell you that I love you.

Kara was so stunned by the revelation that it took her a few moments to realize that the ground had stopped shaking.

"Come on, kids. Hold hands and follow me." She led them carefully around a tilting scrub oak into the center of the yard. "Stay right here. I'm going back to put on my clothes." She tugged at the cotton shirt she had slept in, remembering that it had been designed for comfort, not modesty.

She waved and retreated to the doorway as Juanito herded the boys outside. "We're all fine," she called.

"Be with you in a minute. I'm going to get dressed."

Nodding, she acknowledged his caution not to enter the building.

As she stepped into her jeans, her mind returned to the thought that was fully as cataclysmic as the earthquake. She was in love with Dane! How on earth had it happened? And just when, with all her evasive maneuvers and defensive tactics, had her heart realized that it belonged to a large, determined and rather too serious man? After tying her shoes, she straightened up with a grin on her face.

What fun it was going to be! The first thing she had to do was convince him that what he wanted in that ridiculous round bed was a wife. And, judging from some of his comments lately, that might not be too difficult. Then they could spend the next fifty or sixty years driving each other crazy. She contemplated their future with a wry expression. He would dedicate himself to tempering her impulsive nature, and she would do her utmost to lighten him up. Good heavens, the man had a dimple that was almost extinct from lack of use!

Thinking about the delights ahead, she turned to survey the dormitory. It looked as if a bad-tempered giant had upended it. Cautiously, she stepped over the threshold.

Might as well grab some clothes for the girls as long as she was there. She looked up through a gaping hole in the ceiling and noted that the sky was turning blue.

Her gaze shifted to the right. Several beams were angled suspiciously. No matter. On a day like today, with miraculous discoveries canceling out nature's temper tantrum, nothing could happen to her. She was invulnerable. She was superhuman, able to leap tall buildings with a single bound, to hold up a rickety room with one hand, to fly at the speed of light. She was . . she was in love!

Suiting prosaic action to delirious ravings, Kara spread a blanket on the floor. She moved carefully, opening drawers and dumping their contents on the blanket. She was nearing the center of the room when the floor shifted beneath her feet. An aftershock!

Any Californian knew that aftershocks were common and could be as dangerous as the original quake. Cursing her stupidity, she leaped for the door.

The room shuddered as the powerful rolling motion of the second quake increased. Kara was tossed to the floor. Clear-sighted, and well aware of her danger, she was no longer feeling euphoric. She felt more like someone had doused her with a bucket of cold water.

If I die now, she thought in despair, he'll never know that I loved him.

Dimly, she heard Juanito bellowing her name. But the more ominous sound of a beam cracking over her head demanded her immediate attention. As if watching a slow-motion film, she stood in frozen fascination as the wood sagged drunkenly and fell. Finally moving her gaze from the awesome sight, she took one quick look around and dived between two of the beds that had been shuffled like a deck of cards and left almost touching.

She landed awkwardly and felt a sharp pain on the left side of her face, followed by one on the back of her head. After that, there was only the blessed darkness of oblivion.