this down to Natalie and see if I can get my mother and father to come inside.
They’ve got to be freezing.”
“Tell Natalie she needs to take a break. Get her to come inside and get warm
too.”
“I will,” Leslie said, tugging on her mother’s rubber mud boots.
“I’ll be right back.”
By the time Leslie returned with Natalie, her parents, and a deputy sheriff, Dev
had a roaring blaze going, the heat and ? ames chasing away the ghosts in her
mind as well as the chill from her bones. While Natalie, Eileen, and Paul went to
change into dry clothing, the sheriff—
a short-haired blonde with the body of a rugby player who introduced herself as
Jules Kipling—asked Leslie and Dev for their account of events. They were just
starting the interview when Natalie, wearing khaki pants that were six inches too
long and a faded blue cable-knit sweater, joined them.
“I’m Sergeant Natalie Evans, Park Service,” Natalie said to the sheriff.
“Sergeant.” The sheriff nodded a greeting as Natalie sat down on the couch next
to Dev. “I suspect when things are all sorted out this will fall under Park
jurisdiction because it happened on the lake. Just the same, I think we better
consider it a joint investigation for now.”
“Fine,” Natalie said, studying the blonde. “I didn’t get your name.”
“It’s Kipling.” The sheriff smiled as her eyes held Natalie’s just a beat longer
than absolutely necessary. “But you can call me Kip.”
Natalie ? ashed a weary grin. “Thanks. So shall we nail down the facts before
we’re too tired to remember the details?”
Jules Kipling took careful notes, as did Natalie, who wrote on a borrowed
tablet of paper that Leslie provided her from Eileen Harris’s of? ce. All three
witnesses’ accounts were substantially similar. Forty minutes later everyone
agreed that further statements could be taken the next day.
“How many didn’t survive?” Leslie asked quietly. When Dev reached for her
hand, she cradled it between hers, happy to feel the warmth in her ? ngers.
“Just one, thanks to all of you,” Jules said, “and the medics think that might have
been a heart attack.”
Eileen brought a second carafe of coffee into the living room and set it down on
the low table in front of the sofa and chairs where everyone sat. “I should have
food ready in just a few minutes.” She glanced from Natalie to Jules. “You’re
both welcome to stay. Something warm would be good for you right about
now.”
Natalie stood. “I appreciate it, but I need to get back to the of? ce and follow
up with the paramedics and the hospital. Try to get the identi? cation started
and…noti? cation of families.”
“Mind if I tag along?” Jules Kipling said. “If I give you a hand it will save us from
duplicating efforts.”
“No, that would be great.” Natalie turned to Eileen. “Thanks for the clothes. I’ll
get them back as soon as I can.”
“There’s no rush. And don’t be a stranger here just because the summer’s
over.”
Natalie smiled. “Thanks. I’ll remember.”
As Natalie and Jules left, Leslie curled up next to Dev on the large sofa, pulling a
nearby throw over their legs, even though the room was warm. “I’m still so cold.
How are you?”
“Beat,” Dev admitted. “What I really want is to get in bed and just hold you.”
“Are you hungry?”
Dev shook her head. “We can come back later. Right now, I just need you.”
Leslie pushed the blanket aside and stood, extending her hand to Dev. “Then
that’s what you shall have.”
“Did I fall asleep in the middle of a sentence?” Dev asked when she awoke in
Leslie’s arms a few hours later. The bedroom in her cabin was aglow with
orange shadows cast from the ? re burning in the ? replace in the living room.
She remembered reaching the cabin, Leslie starting a ? re, the two of them
crawling into bed after removing their borrowed clothes. She remembered
Leslie holding her as if she were a precious treasure about to disappear and
stroking Leslie’s cheek in reassurance, telling her that nothing would come
between them again. Or maybe she just thought she’d said that as she’d fallen
into exhausted sleep.
“No, you ? nished the sentence,” Leslie said, softly caressing Dev’s shoulder.
“You mumbled you loved me.”
Dev smiled. “That would be the truth.” She propped herself up until she could
see Leslie’s face. “And in case I didn’t mention it, that would also be my longterm
plan. I’m going to take the job at the Freshwater Institute.”
“I’ve been thinking about things too,” Leslie said. After Dev had dropped off, as
tired as she was, Leslie hadn’t been able to sleep. Maybe that was because she
hadn’t actually wanted to do anything except hold Dev. To be certain Dev was
safe, and hers. “I want to be with you.
Really with you. I could relocate to the of? ce in Albany or just ? nd another
job up here.”
“I kind of got the feeling that you’re a high-power type of attorney,” Dev said,
her brows drawing together as she studied Leslie intently. “The big-city kind of
attorney. Seems like things would be a little too tame for you up here.”
Leslie laughed softly. “Well, there are people who refer to where I am now as a
jungle, but—”
“I don’t think you should do it.”
“Dev,” Leslie said, sitting up, “I love you, and I want us to be together. That
matters more to me than where I work or what I do.”
“And that’s all I need to know.” Dev took Leslie’s hand in both of hers, running
her thumbs over Leslie’s ? ngers slowly as she spoke. “I don’t want you to
change your life because you love me.”
“You’re willing to,” Leslie pointed out.
“I’m just changing my base of operations—I’m still doing the same work.”
“You’re splitting hairs.”
Smiling, Dev shook her head. “No, I’m not. I probably won’t be spending quite
as much time in the ? eld, but I’ll still be away a fair amount. When I’m not, I’ll
be closer to you.”
“We’ve already missed so much. I don’t want to lose any more time with you.”
“I’ll buy a house here on the lake. You can come up when you’re free, or I’ll go
down to Manhattan.” Dev stroked Leslie’s cheek as she frowned. “Lots of
