The Lake

Saw nothing.

She frowned.

The face had been a lot like Nelson’s. Thin, white. Eerie. Positively ghoulish in the dark shadows.

It can’t be Nelson, she told herself.

Nelson’s dead.

Mom identified the body.

Her breath evened out. Her mind had been playing tricks again. Coming here hadn’t been one of Warren’s greatest ideas.

Glancing across at him, she met his eyes. He smiled gently. “Okay now?”

“Okay,” she said quietly.

She was still shaking, though.

Thinking about Nelson.

But a dead Nelson, she reminded herself. Hope I can sleep tonight. Hope I don’t see him again. Walking past my window, waving his hatchet.

Bullshit, Deana.

Pull yourself together.

Nelson’s dead.

This is two weeks on. We’re safe now. Mom’s okay. She’s got Mace, ’n’ I’ve got Warren to keep me company. I hope. Unless I’ve scared him off by tonight’s little performance.

“And as we lie here,” Allan’s voice whispered in her head. “Our naked bodies all sweaty and tangled…”

Oh my God.

Stop it.

Allan’s dead. Gone. Please God don’t let me go over that again…

She looked at Warren, felt the bumps and jolts as the car sped downhill, bouncing over the ruts. He met her gaze, smiled, and said, “You’ve got me now, Deana. I’ll take care of you.”

FORTY-SEVEN

“Leigh, tell me about your pregnancy. The early days, when you were making out, all alone…”

There was enough of a pause for Leigh to look up, puzzled.

“Go on,” she said quietly.

“Sorry, Leigh. Does my asking questions upset you? I’m just interested in you, is all. I want to know everything that ever happened to you. That make sense?” He tilted his head, smiling quizzically.

Leigh returned the smile. “Sure it does, Mace. But I already told you all there is to know about my misbegotten youth. I was a bit wild. Got pregnant. Those days folks took it a little more seriously than they do now. I was sent away and—well, you know the rest.”

Leigh shrugged, then smiled. It was an end to the matter, as far as she was concerned. “Why don’t I get us another bottle of wine from the fridge.” She left the sofa and made for the kitchen.

Reaching for clean glasses and setting them on the serving tray, she began to feel good and warm inside. She was glad she’d changed her mind and called Mace when Deana and Warren had left after dinner.

She’d wanted to relax. What better way to do it than with Mace by her side?

Ten o’clock.

Another hour or so and Deana’ll be back. Must remember to ask her about the missing photograph. Not tonight, though. Leave that until tomorrow.

Bring her home safely, Warren, she thought with a shiver.

Please God, don’t let it be like last time…

She looked up, saw Mace standing in the doorway.

“Hey,” he said, coming forward. “Let me open that for you.”

“Thanks. Nice to have a man around. To open things, and…”

“Oh, yeah? And what else, may I ask?”

“Oh, to open things and just be around the house, I guess.”

They took their wine through to the living room.

Lingering by the glass wall, Leigh told him, “As for my story—if you must know, there’s not much more to say. I got knocked up. I wasn’t the first. Won’t be the last. Girls do it all the time. I wasn’t in love with the guy, so there was no question of him being involved… He died anyway.”

Mace stayed silent. They crossed over to the sofa. He took her glass and set it down on the low table.

Then he moved in against her. Their lips met… Pressing close, she could feel his hard-on, bulking up, growing big inside his jeans.

“Perhaps we should take the wine into the bedroom,” he whispered. “Relax a little, take in some TV, and…” He bent down, his mouth finding hers, his tongue edging in, hard, searching.

He felt her flinch away slightly.

“Sorry, Leigh. Only if you want to, of course.”

“Mace, you know I want to. Just a little worried about Deana, is all. She went out after dinner. With Warren, her new boyfriend. They should be back soon. She said maybe an hour or so.”

He eased away from her, searching her face. “Hey. She shouldn’t worry you like this. Y’know? Maybe I should have a word—”

“No, please don’t,” Leigh cut in with a short laugh. “Warren’s okay. Really. He’s mature and very sensible. Deana’s perfectly safe with him.”

“She still shouldn’t do this. Not so soon after Nelson an’ all.”

“Really, Mace. Everything’ll be fine. Honestly. I feel it right here.” Leigh touched her heart. The silk robe she’d changed into earlier gaped open, showing the soft curve of her left breast.

Mace grinned. “Do that again and I warn you, I won’t be responsible for my actions!”

“That’s my Mace. Mmmm. You’re so masterful at times.”

She stood up, took his hand, and pulled him toward the bedroom.

“Er, the wine?”

“What wine?” she said with a sly smile. “We’ll enjoy that later!”

She went ahead of him into the dark bedroom, her robe sliding to the floor.

He picked it up, tossed it over the bedrail. “Come here, you crazy woman. Come to Poppa.” He grabbed her by the waist and flung her on the bed. She reached out to switch on the bedside lamp, but his hand closed over hers.

“No,” he murmured. “We don’t need light. We got hands. We got touch. Ve-erry sexy, so they tell me… and a guaranteed turn-on!”

“Okay. Okay. Just give it to me, Mace. Hard and long.”

He looked down. Her face was a pale blur, pleading.

“Am I hearing this right? You saying ‘give it to me.’ Any way. Any how?”

“Sure. Why not? Just do it, Mace.” With trembling fingers, she began struggling with his jeans. Unzipping them, pulling them down. She reached out, felt his coarse curly hair, shuddered, and curled her hands around his shaft. Sighing and moaning a little, she breathed, “My God, Mace. Give it to me.”

She was panting now.

Pulling him to her.