she covered Dev’s hand where it rested on the tablecloth. “Never mind. Water
under the bridge, right?”
“Absolutely,” Dev said, thinking that until a few days before, she’d believed that.
She drained her coffee and pushed her uneaten plate of food away. “Thanks for
last night. It was just what I needed.”
Natalie held Dev’s eyes and let Dev see what was in hers. Her interest. Her
desire. Last night had been great. What she might as well admit was that she
wanted more than kisses. She wanted more than a night or two of pleasure with
Dev’s great body. She wanted to be the one to erase the hurt in her eyes. And
that was dangerous thinking. But then, anything worth having was worth the risk
of a few bumps and bruises. “So let’s do it again soon and see what else you
might need.
Tonight? Tomorrow?”
Shaking her head, Dev pushed her chair back, her legs stretched out in front of
her. “I’ve got a couple of solid days’ work at the lab before I head out to the
islands. How about another rain check?”
Natalie let her eyes wander up and down Dev’s body, taking her time and not
bothering to hide exactly what she was thinking. “I’ll pray for storms.”
Laughing, Dev rose. “Don’t let the tourists hear you say that.”
On the way out, Dev waved to Eileen Harris, who stood in the doorway
between the kitchen and the dining room, watching them with a pensive
expression.
• 93 •
• 94 •
WHEN DREAMS TREMBLE
CHAPTER ELEVEN
At just after 6 p.m., Dev turned down the driveway to Lakeview.
She’d had a good day at the lab. Arno Rodriguez, her summer intern from
Oswego State College, had shown up and proved to be eager, if more likely to
be of use analyzing data than collecting it.
Arno’s practical expertise left a bit to be desired, but his computer skills were
excellent. Truthfully, she didn’t mind. She had always preferred to be out in the
? eld, but in the last few years more and more of her time had been consumed
by preparing reports for one government agency or another and presenting
recommendations at state and federal budgetary meetings. And lately, she’d had
another, even less pleasant job added to her resume—testifying for the state as
an expert witness at trials involving EPA violations.
So this summer was almost like a sabbatical for her, and she welcomed the
opportunity to do the ? eldwork. She’d been so absorbed all day she hadn’t
thought of anything personal until she’d reached the Lakeshore Road. Then she
couldn’t help but think of Leslie and wonder if she had left to return to New
York City. She told herself that was for the best, but it didn’t feel that way in the
pit of her stomach.
The heavy throbbing there felt almost as bad as losing her the ? rst time.
When she rounded a curve in the narrow road that wound through the trees and
saw emergency vehicles with lights ? ashing parked haphazardly just below the
lodge, her heart lurched. Leslie! She stomped down on the gas and rocketed
into the parking lot, ? shtailed to a stop, and jumped from the cab of the truck.
As she ran toward a small
• 95 •
RADCLY fFE
crowd at the verge of the long slope leading down to the boathouse, she
scanned the back porch where half a dozen guests were gathered. There was no
one there she recognized. Everyone appeared to be staring in the direction of
the lake and the docks below. She started down, and that was when she saw
EMTs guiding a stretcher up the grassy incline. She recognized Eileen Harris
hurrying along beside the clump of medical personnel, and her stomach tightened
into a cold knot.
It had been so obvious that Leslie was ill. Why hadn’t anyone said anything—
why hadn’t she? Because it wasn’t her place. Because Leslie’s prickly temper
and aloof manner kept everyone at arm’s length. Because she didn’t want to
risk Leslie shutting her out. When had she resorted to cowardice, or was that
just the way she’d always been around Leslie?
Racing downhill, half skidding on the damp grass, she called to Leslie’s mother.
“What happened? Is it Leslie? Is she hurt?”
“What?” Eileen, who looked confused and distracted, nevertheless seemed
relieved when she recognized Dev. “Oh. No, no. It’s Paul.”
Breathless, she grasped Dev’s arm and pulled her along. “One of the winches
pulled loose and the boat slipped…and, oh God—”
Devon grasped her hand. “Take your time. It’s okay. What did the EMTs say?”
“It looks like his leg is broken. They’re not sure what else,” Eileen said in a
calmer voice. “I can’t reach Leslie. I’ve called her, but I can’t reach her.”
“Cell reception is spotty up here,” Dev said. “Where are they taking him?”
“Glens Falls.”
They’d reached the ambulance, and Eileen bent down to murmur something to
her husband, whose face was covered with an oxygen mask. Dev couldn’t tell if
he answered or not. As the EMTs loaded him into the van, Eileen wrapped her
arms around her waist and shuddered.
“I need to go to the hospital, but the guests…” Eileen murmured.
“I should stay until Leslie—”
“No, you go. I’ll keep an eye on things,” Dev said, extracting a card from her
wallet. “Here’s my cell number. As soon as you’re settled, call me and tell me
where you are. I’ll give the message to Leslie so
• 96 •
WHEN DREAMS TREMBLE
she can meet you there. You can ? ll me in on what to do here when you call.”
Eileen shook her head. “You’re a guest. You shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Hey, I used to be a neighbor. I’m not really a guest.”
“You’re very kind,” Eileen said with a faint smile. She squeezed Dev’s arm.
“Thank you. I have to go. I’ll call you. Leslie’s number—”
“I’ve got it. Remember, you gave it to me the day I picked her up at the train
station.”
Dev watched as Eileen climbed into the back of the ambulance, immeasurably
relieved that it wasn’t Leslie strapped to the gurney as the doors closed with a
resounding thud. When the emergency vehicles disappeared from sight, she
hurried off toward her cabin. She needed to shower, change, and get back to
the lodge. She needed to reach Leslie.
Twenty minutes later, after being routed directly to voicemail at least a dozen
times, she reached her.
