Seaspun Magic (26 page)

"You're coming to Palm Springs for Christmas, too, aren't you?" Jill cleared her throat urgently.

"We-ell... maybe for New Year's." Arianne was hoping she would be spending Christmas with Leo, right there in Port Townsend.

"Before I go—" Jill drew a ragged breath "—you know how we each have a key to the other's house? Oh, God, I hate to say this—" she sped along "—but I gave Larry your key when you were gone Thanksgiving weekend. He wanted to check Leo's room. He took your flashlight, by accident.... Did you ever get it back?"

"Yes. Yes, I did! Phew, I'm glad to have that little mystery solved! Leo kept insisting he'd never seen the damn thing!"

"Well, I—I'd better be going." Jill's words wobbled suspiciously. "Thanks, Arianne."

"Never mind. You'd better get going." Jill's deception was still smarting. Arianne could not keep the coolness from her tone or her eyes as Jill turned to leave, silently.

Arianne hugged Rae to her inside the protection of the rain slicker. Waiting until Jill's car had turned onto the road and the red taillights were flickering away through the trees before turning home herself, she prayed Jill really was going to go to Palm Springs and not to Larry's side, instead.

Hurrying back along the path, harried by the wind and the rain, Arianne realized she had no idea of the time. Would Leo still be home?

He wasn't. A sizable portion of the clam chowder and crusty garlic bread was gone, and his few dishes were still draining beside the sink. On the table was a note, with her crystal ball serving as a paperweight. Shaking her head in rueful amusement, Arianne went for the note.

"My darling Arianne—" her heart performed a perfectly beautiful somersault "—I'll be back soon. Please wait for me. XOX Leo." That was it; that was all there was. So he was gone again.

Arianne took a deep deep breath. She felt very small in the big old house with the elements raging outside. Rolling in from the Pacific, the slamming winds would surely blow her house away. Her one neighbor was gone, Leo was gone... the world was a huge place to be in, all alone... Swallowing her unnecessary panic, Arianne told herself it was just another storm, just another winter storm and that the windows rattled like this every time. Only this time the sound chewed on her nerves because of the germ of fear already there. Suppose somebody came knocking. She'd never hear the person coming... there would be no warning…

Thrusting both hands into the tangle of her black curls, she sternly told herself to calm down. She had managed to live the past two years alone; she could manage it tonight, too. After all, hadn't she received the fist love letter of her life today? It was short, but it was a love letter, nevertheless. It made her smile, and she read it again, and again, and wondered where he was and when he would be back. The letter got her through the rest of the evening; whenever she started hearing spooks in the howl of the wind she would read the letter... and its sweet romantic brevity provoked at the very least a smile every time.

But still, from time to time she would glance over her shoulder; she couldn't help it. The air was fraught with uncertainties and the unexplained. There was trouble brewing and she could smell it. Even her black cat felt the brooding quality permeating the air, and he trod restlessly and soundlessly from room to room.

Very late that night Jill called from a cheap motel in Portland, Oregon. She had really been burning up the road to get so far, but as she said, it was the best time to drive what with the children both asleep. Jill thanked her again and apologized again, and Arianne's spirits felt much improved after the call. Perhaps in time she could forgive Jill....

If only she could dismiss her vague unease. And instead of presenting her with faceless premonitions, Arianne wished her psi would treat her more kindly and delineate the danger soaking the air. She went to sleep with Leo's note clutched in her hand and Jinx curled up on the foot of her bed.

In the morning the first thing Arianne noticed was that next door, at Jill's house, a bright-red Corvette was parked. Larry was back. A little nervously, Arianne wondered how he would take Jill's disappearance.

He came over about ten-thirty. Arianne had been expecting him, and he looked exactly as he usually did. He must have read Jill's letter, yet nothing showed, not a flicker of remorse, not a glimmer of a guilty conscience. Arianne marveled at his composure as he lied blatantly while looking her right in the eye.

"Jill's gone for a while, did you know?" was how he started.

"Oh? No. What do you mean, 'gone'?" Arianne could lie quite well, too, when necessary.

"Gone to visit some relatives of hers for Christmas. She asked me to look after her house while she's away, since Don can't do it and you're—well, already busy enough." He tousled Rae's hair, something Rae wasn't really keen on. "Of course I can't be here all the time, baby doll, but I'll try to be.'' He gave her a playful smack on the bottom, something Arianne wasn't keen on, either—at least not when it was done by him. The worm, she thought, sending him a sidelong glance. "Arianne, you know 'saxophone' didn't work."

"Oh, really? What a shame! I do try, Larry. I can't do more than that."

"Of course not. Just try again, won't you?"

"I don't want to anymore, Larry. It's getting tiresome." Arianne yawned with an exquisite display of boredom. She certainly didn't want to give him so much as a hint that she was afraid.

That he had practically moved in next door was disquieting news. She and Jill hadn't considered this contingency. Arianne began to wish they'd have the foresight to ensure he left the keys in the mailbox as he was supposed to, instead of using the house to suit his evil purpose, whatever it was. And by removing all suspicion from Jill, Arianne hadn't considered protecting herself. How could she have been so foolhardy!

Larry tactfully didn't pursue her complaint right then. He said smoothly, "It's really too bad we've lost our baby-sitter. Do you know of anyone in town we could use? Somebody we could depend on to be around a lot..." He smiled suggestively. "How about a relaxing and utterly fantastic dinner out tomorrow night?"

"Oh, I can't, Larry. Not tomorrow night." She searched for an excuse. "My mother's dropping in with some of her old cronies to visit for the weekend."

Mentioning mothers had a lovely way of frightening off all but the most determined of beaux. She was pleased to hear him declining her invitation to join the fun. If later he asked why the party never showed up she would have to make up another excuse, but she would handle that then.

"That means I won't see you till next week!"

"Isn't that too bad! I have to go to work now, Larry."

"Try that password again Arianne, please? Just for me!"

After a suitable show of reluctance and a seemingly difficult time in 'seeing,' she presented him with another false password. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Larry. My mistake. It wasn't a saxophone—it was a tuba that appeared to me!" Her eyes danced suspiciously, bright with amusement, but he didn't notice, as he was trying to ingratiate himself with Rae. He was mussing the boy's curls again, and all he got for his troubles was a belt from a tiny fist and a big green crocodile.

"Er, nice little fella...." Larry hastily straightened up. "You don't know how much help you would be to me if you got the passwords right the first time!" He chastised her gently, loftily trying to suggest she was causing him trouble. But Arianne noticed a shade of wariness as he watched her. That was the first inkling she had that he was, like Jill, actually afraid of her power and what it could do. His fear took some of her own away. She smiled breezily back at him.

"Honestly, Larry, I am getting tired of answering all your little betting games. If you must gamble, go to Vegas." Surely, with her answers coming up consistently wrong he would soon leave her alone!

"Babydoll, you won't say that once I spread a bit of wealth around. You'll be coming to Vegas with me! You made me a pile. It's only fair you should have a Christmas bonus—"

"Put your wallet away, Larry." She smiled just as nicely at him as he had been smiling at her all along. "I have to go to work now." He was counting bills in front of her, trying to entice her into taking the cash. If she accepted it she would obligate herself. She said quietly, but with incisive finality, "I don't want your money."

Larry didn't know whether to be annoyed by her scorn at his offering or happy he didn't have to share. He decided on the latter, and quickly dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose, he left before she could change her mind.

As she watched the red sports car disappearing through the blue-gray morning mists, she eased a long sigh of relief from her chest. Hopefully, by the time that red car returned, Leo would be back.

But he didn't come all that day, or the next. Luckily she was kept busy at the shop by working long hours of overtime with Orly, restocking shelves and uncrating barbecued peanuts, smoked oysters, striped candy canes and foil-wrapped chocolate Santa Clauses, not to mention Mikey's cookies, which Orly had begun to order. The hard work was soothing and gratifying, and Orly's peaceful good nature was easy on her mind. At least she didn't fret while she was there.

***

While Rae was up and awake she didn't like to worry too much, in case he caught her mood. It was only after she laid him down for the night that disquiet would attack her and the agony of not really knowing whether her lover would be back would assail her most cruelly. Most of the time she only wondered when he would return, but every now and then fear would interfere with her glad anticipation and she would wonder whether he was going to be coming back to her at all. Once again he had left nothing of himself behind, then she remembered there was his love letter....

With her warm flannel nightgown swishing around her ankles, the pink robe fluttering out behind her and her pink slippers tapping on the bare wood of the hall, Arianne went to the kitchen to make herself a cup of cocoa to go with Mikey's scrumptious new variety on the market, shortbread cookies, made exclusively at Christmas.

Waiting for the milk to heat up, she munched on a cookie and, looking at the clock, wondered where Leo was at precisely twelve o'clock on a cold Saturday night in late December. The kitchen was illuminated by only the small bulb on the stove panel, but adequate light was provided for her simple preparations.

Then, to her horror, she thought she heard a tread on the back-porch steps. Swiveling, she gripped the counter behind her and faced the back door. Nothing happened. There wasn't a sound other than the continuous gurgle of water in the eaves troughs and the spatter of it against the windows. Jinx stopped at her feet, and Arianne picked him up and hugged him close for companionship. He was lovely to hold, big and fluffy and warm, but right then she wouldn't have minded a big fluffy watchdog! It was probably only her overwrought mind…

Was Larry back next door? The last time she had checked, about an hour ago, he hadn't been; there had been no red car out front. Arianne stirred the hot chocolate, dropped in a couple of marshmallows and, tipping the saucepan, poured some into a mug. One of the marshmallows fell in, making a pleasant plopping sound. Just then she heard another tread outside, higher up on the back porch. She was absolutely certain the hair on her nape stood on end as she froze. Slowly she put down the saucepan.

Perhaps a couple of raccoons had merely come looking for scraps. Or there could be a deer out there... even a bear. Hopefully, there were no skulking lieutenants.

Clutching Jinx closer, Arianne walked slowly toward the door. Her heart was banging uncomfortably against her ribs. Her hand was inching toward the big, old, shiny brass knob, when it turned silently before her eyes. Only a small whimper escaped her, but in the tense stillness of the dim kitchen it sounded terribly loud.

The next moment Leo stood in front of her, rain running off the low brim of his hat. The collar of his navy pea jacket was turned up to protect him from the rain, and he looked very happy so see her.

Her relief was so overwhelming that she went limp. In the meantime, he took off his hat and thwacked it against his thighs, stripped off the drenched jacket and kicked off his boots. Recovering slightly, Arianne put down the cat. Wanting to check on Jill's yard, she leaned out the door as Leo went to close it.

Turning around with a swish of her pink robe, still swept up in surprise and elation, she exclaimed, "You scared the hell out of me!"

"Sorry, darling, but I don't want anyone to know I'm here." A cold frisson of fear washed over her. "What were you looking for?" He locked the door.

"Larry's car. It's not there." Her satisfaction over this statement couldn't be mistaken.

"Should it be?"

"Well, he's moved in next door."

"Wha-at?"

"I'll tell you all about it in a minute, only..."

"Um-hm?" A gentle fingertip drifted across her cheek.

"Only kiss me first."

The embrace was all the fiercer for having been delayed. He caught her in his arms, lifting her right up off the ground, and buried his head in the black tresses cascading over one dainty shoulder. There was no hesitation in the way her body melted into the taut steel of his. All at once she ached for him.

Then his lips found a pulse point at the side of her throat, and she shivered with the ecstasy he could summon up with such immediacy. This kiss left her both breathless and dizzy. Sliding down against him until they were nose to nose, she clasped her arms tightly around his neck. Their lips touched and held, a momentary, poignant clinging.

"I was hoping you'd be happy to see me," he murmured, and they both laughed a little at his understatement.

"You're so cold, Leo." Her hands held his lean, rugged face with the broad cheekbones and the silk fall of honey-colored hair. "Let's sit by the fire so you can warm up. Do you feel like cocoa and cookies?"

But it was her pale beauty and the shine of dark bewitching eyes that his gray-green gaze consumed with elemental hunger. An arm around her back cradled her against him; he sank a hand into her loose black curls and lowered his mouth to hers. With tender and shockingly erotic intent, he kissed her so thoroughly that her toes curled in her slippers. Opening her mouth wider to the sensuous glide of his tongue, he had her whole body suffused in a blush of heat.