Shadow Cave (33 page)

So they were on the same time schedule as us, I noted with interest.

“
Cookie?
”

“
No, thanks.
”

I felt very awkward and shifted in the chaise.
“
If you need to work in here, I can go
,
”
I finally offered.

“
No
—
stay.
”

Something in his voice had me looking up sharply.
He moved to stand in front of the window before I could see his eyes.

“
Ok
ay
, I
’
ll stay.
”

He nodded and picked up one of the cookies he had turned down.

“
Do you want to see what attacked us in the lake today?
”

“
You have a picture?
”

“
There are some in one of these books.
You don
’
t have to look if it will upset you.
”
He leaned one hip against the desk and studied my face.

“
No, I want to see it
,
”
I insisted.

He smiled faintly and selected a book from the shelf behind me.

“
Right there…that one.
”
He pointed to a grainy image on the paper.

It was a water shot and hard to see the beast clearly.
All that I was able to discern was that it was of considerable size.
That much I was already well aware of.

He turned a few pages and pointed to a second photograph.

“
What in the hell is that?
”
I pressed my back against the chair and stared at the picture in shock.
The picture looked like an overgrown hound of hell.
From the looks of the creature, it was half human and half dog.
I took the book from Mark
’
s hands and held it up to the light for a closer inspection
,
and decided it looked part demon as well.

“
Handsome little thing
,
”
I shuddered.

“
Yes he is, isn
’
t he?
”

“
But he
’
s not nearly as big as the thing in the water that chased us…unless he casts a very large shadow.
”

“
No, you
’
re right
;
they were smaller when they were land beasts.
The water makes them grow.
”

“
Jeez, you mean they aren
’
t done growing?
”

“
I sincerely hope that they are.
”

He put the book back onto the shelf and stretched out on his stomach on the lounge across from me.

“
What are you reading?
”

“
Just a little history; I love history.
”
I was talking too fast and I knew it, so I bit my tongue and smiled
,
and hoped that Mark would take the hint and leave me to my work.

The only problem with that was that he had no clue I was working
,
and I could not tell him.

“
No, really, what are you working on there?
”
He gestured to my notes.

“
This?
”
I held the paper close to my chest.
“
This is nothing.
It
’
s just a poem.
”

“
A poem about history?
”
he
frowned.

“
No.
Yes.
”

“
Well, which is it?
”

“
Yes.
”

“
Well, then, hand it over.
”
He grinned.
“
I don
’
t think I have ever read a poem about history.
”

“
You can
’
t read it.
”
I sniffed.
“
I
’
m very sensitive about my work.
”

He grabbed for the paper anyway.
I jumped out of the chair and all but leaped behind it, clutching the papers for dear life.

“
I said no
,
damn it.
”

“
Such language.
”
He grinned.

I glowered at him.

“
Well, now you
’
ve gone and hurt my feelings, Annabelle.
”

“
If you don
’
t back off, I
’
ll hurt something else.
”

He shook his head and laughed, but stayed where he was.

“
Smart man.
”

“
Smart woman.
”
He grew serious then and put his arm around my shoulders to lead me to the door.

“
You know,
”
he said casually,
“
I just thought of a great idea.
”

“
Oh? Should I be worried?
”

“
I don
’
t know
—
are you?
”

“
A little.
”

“
Don
’
t be.
As I was saying, I have just come up with the perfect way to make it up to me.
”

“
Make what up to you?
”

“
You hurt my feelings.
”

I rolled my eyes.
“
This ought to be good.
”

“
You can let me take you to the beach tomorrow.
”

I stopped in the hallway and ducked under his arm.
“
No, thank you
—
I
’
ve already been to the beach.
And nothing is going to get me into the water again for many years to come.
”

“
Not that beach
,
”
he
sighed.

“
Nope.
Doesn
’
t matter.
I
’
m not interested.
”

“
Trust me?
”

I looked into his eyes and remembered how he had jumped into the lake to rescue me.
I swallowed and looked away.

“
Fine.
I
’
ll go to the beach with you tomorrow.
”

“
Good.
”

I stomped up the stairs muttering,
“
Leave it to a man to use the trump card.
”

“
Sweet dreams
,
Annabelle.
”

The Shadow Man

The morning of the beach outing dawned clear, bright, and hot.
The heat had grown from warm to unbearable by ten o
’
clock that morning.
I dressed in a modest one
-
piece bathing suit and cut off denim shorts.
The suit was short lived, however, when I sat down on the bed to put my sneakers on.
I had chosen the suit for its coverage, but I was quickly reminded why I had never worn a one
-
piece bathing suit.
Most of them rode up and created massive wedg
i
es if you did anything but stand in one spot
and
look pretty.

I was not and have never been the type of girl to stand in one spot and look pretty.
As far as I was concerned, that was pretty useless
,
to say nothing of hugely boring.
I stripped and slipped into a bright purple bikini instead.
A quick glance in the mirror assured me that I was still adequately covered.
I buttoned the shorts, slipped into a soft cotton tank, and was down the stairs before I had a chance to feel nervous about my upcoming date.
Not that it was a date, per
se,
because you did not date your cousin.
You just didn
’
t do it.

Although to be fair, he was not my cousin.
I cast a fleeting glance to the heavens and sighed.
That was the problem.
I was all too aware of the fact that Mark was not my cousin
,
and I knew that I had to stop thinking about him.
I was not the type of woman to indulge in a fling or any other type of casual affair.
And there was certainly no future for Mark and me.
There could never be.
It was against the laws of nature and science that I had even met Mark in the first place.

“
Don
’
t you look lovely this
morning?
”

“
Good morning
,
Uncle Bob.
”
I grinned and leaned over to deliver what had become my customary kiss on his cheek.
“
You look pretty handsome yourself.
Business or pleasure?
”

“
Business and lots of it.
Harold and I will be away for the next few days.
”

“
Away?
”
I stamped down the urge to panic.

“
I hate to leave, but I
’
ll only be a couple of hours away.
”

“
Protected areas?
”

“
Bellridge.
And yes, it
’
s protected, as is the route there.
”

“
Good.
”
I exhaled.

“
Don
’
t worry.
Mark will look out for you while we are away.
”

I had come to accept that Bob was set in his ways so I didn
’
t bother to point out that the last thing I needed was someone to look after me.
I was
an adult
, for goodness sake.

“
Yes, he is very capable.
”

“
That he is, my dear.
He mentioned something about the beach?
”

“
Yes, he
’
s taking me to the beach this morning.
”

As if on cue, Mark came down the stairs in swim shorts
...
nothing else.

“
Oh, hell.
”

“
What?
”

“
Oh well.
I was thinking that I don
’
t have any sunscreen
,
”
I lied and began to
methodically butter a slice of toast.

“
You look nice, Annabelle.
”

“
Thank you.
”
I piled more butter on the toast and tried not to stare at the wonderful sight that was Mark in glorified underpants.

“
Will you be ready to leave after we eat, then, or do you need more time?
”

“
No, I
’
m ready now. We can leave after breakfast.
”
I took a big bite of the toast and almost gagged over the quarter inch thick layer of butter.
Chewing the bite was not an option.
I did what I considered to be the most embarrassing thing I had done in recent memory and spit the toast into my napkin.
I gulped the orange juice that Marta quickly passed my way and hoped that I wasn
’
t too red.