Schooling his features, Marek said, “I don't need any help, so you can go on home with a clear conscience.”
“I can't do that,” Colin replied. “Even if I wanted to. I have a wedding to attend in a few days. That's what I'm doing in Fiji. I'm here for another week.”
The beginnings of a powerful headache started drumming in Marek's skull. He ordered his legs to walk away, but a twisted piece of his psyche kept his feet planted in the sand. He hadn't cared about anything enough to even develop curiosity in two and a half years. This man doled out nuggets of information—probably working Marek as some kind of con or even trying to trap him into a confession—yet like a tiny-brained squirrel, Marek picked up every bit of nut left on the trail and followed.
Where are you leading me, Colin Baxter?
“So you just found my house? By accident?” Marek didn't bother to hide the skepticism in his voice. “Just like that?” He snapped his fingers.
Colin nodded. “I know; it sounds like more insanity. It's too much of a coincidence, though. Something guided me to this place.” Marek noticed Colin's Adam's apple roll visibly as he swallowed. Red cut across the man's cheeks, but he didn't break eye contact. “Marek, I think you did.”
Adrenaline and denial mixed forces and froze Marek's blood. “No way.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I've never had a single fucking dream about you.” Marek went right for the gut-cutting truth.
“Oh.” Colin slumped, looking like a respected scientist had just told him the earth was not round. He ran his hands through his hair, mussing the thick brown locks. “I've miscalculated something important then, and I'm going to have to think about it some more.” Red burned Colin's entire face, but puzzlement quickly took it over, reminding Marek of the kid he used to watch in high school. “I felt certain you must have had them too.”
Biting down a need to apologize or explain, Marek implemented a familiar facade of indifference. “I think you should get back to your friends. Good-bye.” He gave Colin his back and walked away.
He took two steps before Colin called out, “I guess you're not gay then, either.”
Marek closed his eyes against the rush of pain, but he kept moving on instinct, pretending he hadn't heard.
“One more thing,” Colin said, his voice strong once again. “Why did you remove the red door?”
Already up one porch step, Marek thanked God his hand on the railing supported the falter in his legs. How in the fuck could this man know about the red door I had torn down?
“Well?”
Growling, Marek uttered, “None of your fucking business.”
As that slip of control occurred, Marek could practically feel the grin of triumph on Colin's face. He refused to turn around and see if he was right.
Colin added, “I'm going to come back.”
Marek waved without turning around. “I figured you would.”
Leaning against the door, safely inside his house, suspicion lingered in Marek's thoughts as he listened to Colin speed away.
For the first time since Payton's death, though, Marek looked forward to breathing.
* * * * *
On Fiji's main island, Colin stepped up to the woman behind the counter at the library. “Hi.” He smiled. “First, do you speak English?”
The librarian smiled in greeting and dipped her head. “Of course.”
“Excellent.”
Oh, I know it's wrong, but I can't wait to see Marek's face when we chat next.
“Sir?”
“Sorry.” Colin put his full attention on the woman who may hold some of the answers to his dreams. “I'm wondering if you can assist me, or direct me, in going about researching a particular house on one of the smaller islands in the chain off the east coast of Vanua Levu.”
Chapter Five
Colin stepped out onto the bungalow deck the next morning to the cheering of everyone sitting at the outdoor table finishing breakfast.
“Hey, hey, there he is,” Sylvia said, raising her glass of orange juice in his direction. “I thought we had one more roommate in the house, but I hadn't seen him in so long I was beginning to wonder if we'd left him behind in Austin.”
Smiling sheepishly, Colin pulled out the one empty chair at the table and sat down between Jordan and Tom. “Sorry, guys. I got caught up in something yesterday and lost track of time.” After spending a few hours at the library and getting the start of some good information about the history of Marek's home, Colin had tracked down the realtor who handled the sale of the house to try to get a better picture, or just some insight, into what, aside from Marek, might have drawn him there. Talking to the realtor had taken up a good chunk of time, and Colin wasn't quite comfortable driving the speedboat at night to make another trip out to Marek's island, so he hadn't returned yesterday.
He had wanted some quiet to think and figure out how in the hell to make the man a believer before seeing Marek again. Did he tell Marek everything right away, including the deep-seated emotional connection he felt to the man in his dreams? Or did he keep the conversation geared more toward the house and try to explain the driving need for answers about the bond he experienced to the structure itself?
Colin wouldn't know for sure until he saw Marek again and spent some real time with him.
Anticipation fluttered nerves in his stomach, and excitement got his heart racing. I can't wait any longer.
Getting right back up from his seat, Colin grabbed a small bottle of orange juice and a couple pieces of fruit. Urgency put his feet in motion in the direction of the dock, but a sea of expectant faces stared up at him, stalling him before taking three steps. “Look.” Shutting up as quickly as he had opened his mouth, Colin's mind sped with a truth he knew the group wouldn't understand. Fuck, I don't know what is going on myself, how can I expect them
