Darkness Bound (4 page)

Leigh looked around. When she felt the time was right she would beg to take down the major league football posters that covered every wall—and the ceiling. The one on the door had a hole punched through for the handle.

Gabriel followed her glance over the room. “You’re all settled in,” he said, inching all the way into the room. “You look as if you’ve been here forever.”

Leigh didn’t say that it was everything other than her that looked as if it had been there forever—including the computer with its chunky, bullet-shaped monitor and, she figured, a ten-inch screen. Decorated with many faded stickers—all football related—the monitor sat on top of the box with a keyboard stored behind it. She already knew the entire unit was unplugged. The total absence of response when she tried plugging it in told the whole story.

“I’m enjoying the smell of raw logs,” she said. No point getting started here with nothing but a litany of complaints. “Is the whole building made of cedar?”

“Sure is.” Gabriel looked pleased. “I wanted a real log place all my life and finally got one. I reckon a man couldn’t want anything more.”

If he didn’t do something about the organizational mess she could already see he was in, he wouldn’t have his pretty sprawling building as long as he wanted to.

“You making lists?” Gabriel said, obviously trying hard for a good beginning to their professional relationship. “I like lists. Always put a bunch of things on there I’ve already done so I can cross ’em off quick.”

“I bet that really gets you revved up and going on the rest of your list,” she said. “I’m just jotting things as they come to mind. I figure I’ll do that each day and discuss them with you before I go home.”

The big, craggy-faced man immediately looked uncertain but he smiled and she noticed again that he had a smile that would melt marble, and he was nice-looking in a rough-hewn way. He had muscles on muscles and he was fit. Gray tipped the ends all over his tightly curled black hair, and his dark skin shone.

“I want you to feel free to put your own mark in here,” he said. “What you don’t want, chuck it out. And let me know what you want to make it feel more like home.”

“Thanks.” As if she knew where to start.

“It was Sally who talked me into putting that ad in
The Stranger.
She’s Cliff’s—he’s our cook—she’s his assistant. I didn’t want to do it but I’m sure glad I did. I couldn’t believe it when it was you who called. The last time I saw you and Chris… ”

“That was a long time ago,” she said quickly. Gabriel’s Place had been their favorite place to grab a meal.

Gabriel glanced away from her and the smile disappeared.

“Anyway,” Leigh said tentatively, “will that suit you? To go over things at the end of the day and—”

“Sure will,” he said in a rush. He turned his head sideways to see what she had written so far. “Roadside signage?” He crumpled up his face.

“So people will see we’re here and drive in. It’s nice to be a ways off the main road but it’s too bad if you aren’t noticed. You could be losing a lot of custom that way.”

His puzzlement deepened. “I’ve got a sign.”

“Yup,” Leigh said. “Two by two. Bet that’s a nice cedar board you’ve got down there by the ground where a driver couldn’t see it if he wanted to. And I like the tasteful green fir trees and tiny “Gabriel’s Place” in black. Black on brown, Gabriel? Think about it. It’s just a thought, but could we be going overboard with
tasteful
?”

“What do you want then, neon?”

Offense overtook the puzzled expression. Men had a way of misunderstanding the obvious sometimes.

“There’s neon and there’s
neon
. Don’t worry, ‘You
Want It, We Got It!’ wasn’t what I had in mind. Not even, ‘Drop In For A Good Time.’ ”

Gabriel narrowed his eyes and gave her one of those looks that suggests a meeting with an alien life form.

He would have to be dragged up to date. “Or we could start with a simple, ‘Open,’ if you want to stick with the elegant approach.” She smiled up at him to soften her teasing.

“Yeah,” he said, but he cracked a little smile. “I get it. You’ll be having your dinner here, too, so you can tell me more about it all then.”

“I’ll go home and cook for myself,” she said gently to take away any sting.

“Some days you will,” Gabriel said, unperturbed. “Some days you won’t. It’s my job to make sure you stay fed and from the look of you it’s time someone did.”

She didn’t reply but nodded. Eating wasn’t something she always remembered anymore but that was one more thing she intended to change.

“I’m responsible for you, see,” he said, not looking right at Leigh again. He kind of lowered his eyelids and let his gaze slide away. “You’re taking a big step to start over and all. It can’t be easy to come back here. Your Chris was a helluva man.”

Leigh couldn’t help blinking. “Thanks. He was a helluva man.” She smiled a little. At least there weren’t too many people up here who knew anything about her life. Even Gabriel knew very little other than the obvious. “Coming back here could be just what I need. It’s not good to keep living in the past. You aren’t responsible for me, though. I’ve been looking after myself… most of my life.” Out of habit she had almost said: all of her life.

“You think Jazzy likes her new bed,” Gabriel said, not changing the subject too smoothly.

Bringing her dog to work with her had been about the only condition she had put on taking the job.

“Jazzy’s a boy,” Leigh said. “He looks as if he’s wearing eyeliner but I think it suits him. And the blond bangs. I think they’re cute. It was sweet of you to think of him with the bed—and the treats yesterday. Totally unexpected and Jazzy appreciates it. So do I.” She was glad Gabriel was too busy waving off her thanks to notice the scruffy little dog roll his eyes.

“You got here before seven this morning,” Gabriel said. “No need to show up until nine or so.”

“I’m an early bird.” And she hadn’t felt like hanging around the house any longer. “I get a lot done before sunup.” That was true. The dark Welsh pony masquerading as a dog could not be forgotten easily, but she wasn’t ready to risk sounding paranoid by outing her visitor to Gabriel.

She could see him deciding what to say next.

“Leigh,” he said at last. “This is no big deal but I’d rather you weren’t out in the dark on your own. There’s always someone coming past your place who’d be glad to give you a ride in the morning. I can take you home.”

Her twin sister, Jan, had been the closest Leigh had to a mother. They had looked after each other, and she didn’t need a new surrogate now. “Thanks, but I like driving my own car.”

“That’s not the point.” He closed his mouth in a hard line.

Gabriel was saying a whole lot less than he was thinking and Leigh wondered how reassuring the rest of his thoughts might be.

“What is the point?” she asked, looking quickly behind her and immediately feeling ridiculous.

He shrugged. “Nothing. I’m just fussing. C’mon, it’s time you had breakfast.”

Leigh didn’t like lying so she said, “I’m ready for coffee,” rather than pretending she had already eaten breakfast. “I’ll get it and bring it back here.”

There was something about the way Gabriel talked about not being out in the dark alone that made her uneasy. Darn it, she had never been afraid of the dark and she wanted to feel safe and at home here. She
needed
to feel at home. She told Jazzy to stay and followed her boss into the bar. A big room, it did smell strongly of cedar, with beer mixed in. Tables dotted the room around a tiny dance floor in the center. The fire, only just lit when she had arrived and it was still dark outside, curled its way fiercely inside a huge, brick-faced fireplace. A single downward step led to the area reserved for restaurant customers.

Gabriel pulled out a chair at one of the oak tables and made her sit. The heat felt good. “You relax a bit,” he said. “No reason to take a break in the office when you can be out here. Besides, you gussy the place up.” He smiled.

Chris had liked to sit by the fire in this room. She stared into the flames.

“Coffee, ma’am?” Cliff Ames had come from the kitchen himself to take care of her. Leigh already knew he was a great cook. Short and all muscle, with a close gray crewcut, he had placed a mug on the table and stood with the coffee pot poised to pour.

“Yes, please,” she told him. “Can I call you Cliff if you call me Leigh?”

Cliff turned the color of poppies in full bloom and his brown eyes crinkled up. “That’d be good,” he said.

She wondered if all the men around here blushed and immediately doubted if Niles Latimer did.

A woman appeared from the direction of the kitchens and rocked her way rapidly across the room as if her feet hurt and her hips were fused. A tan hopsack apron covered a fair amount of the floral dress and shapeless cardigan she wore.

“This is Sally,” Cliff said. “She helps me in the kitchen. Couldn’t do any of it without her. She don’t say a whole lot when she’s busy but she likes seeing people happy with their food.”

With one hand Sally slid down a plate of scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, biscuits, and gravy. With the other hand she plopped already buttered toast and two muffins beside the bigger plate. Deftly, she swooped honey, jam, and marmalade from a serving trolley.

“Thank you,” Leigh said. “It all looks wonderful.”

Sally wiped her hands on the apron and nodded. “Got ’em ready to go right after Gabriel went to get you from the office,” she said. “It’s a good thing you came back to Chimney Rock.”

“A good thing?” The comment confused Leigh.

“It’s always best being where you belong.”

No less confused, Leigh studied her food. One of the first things that came to her mind when she woke up that morning was that she felt right—comfortable, despite some misgivings about the big dog’s visit and the difficult memories of Chris. The sensation, when she isolated it, had felt very strange. Sally’s remarks sounded as if the woman had some way of knowing what Leigh felt.

She drank more coffee. Jazzy would make short work of the sausages but Leigh would have difficulty not leaving most of the rest of the food on the plates.

“Cliff here decides what we’re doing for each meal,” Sally said in a hoarse voice. Except for the roots, her curly hair was white blond and she applied makeup with a lavish hand. “Can’t have a big variety. There’s not room out there. Cliff’s clever at making a few choices sound like a lot. But if there’s something special you fancy, just give me the word.” She nodded and returned the way she had come, disappearing behind the log wall loaded with shelves of spirits that backed the bar.

“Well, I’ll be,” Cliff said quietly. “She’s taken a shine to you. Sally never says that much to anyone she doesn’t know.” He followed Sally, muttering to himself.

The logs were stripped raw on the inside as well as the outside of the building’s walls. Leigh liked the way it looked, and the snug atmosphere in the place. Last night might not have been easy, but with each passing hour she felt hope grow.

What Sally had said was a coincidence.

The front door of the bar opened and two men walked in. Niles and another man, who was just as tall but leaner. The second man also had a visibly powerful physique beneath the wool jacket he wore open over a T-shirt. But Niles’s musculature seemed more massive, more powerful, as if he was no stranger to physical work. The second man wore thick, dark blond hair pulled straight back in a band.

Niles saw her and nodded. She waved and he hesitated before heading for her table. He said something to the other man, who followed but looked reluctant about it.

“You’re an early bird,” Niles said. “Got your breakfast already, huh?”

“Mine and six other people’s,” Leigh said. She had hoped to see him today and ask him about a possible stray dog. The stranger with Niles made her less comfortable about asking questions.

Two unsmilingly watchful, very noticeable men, standing close beside her, didn’t make for a relaxed feeling, yet when she looked directly at their faces, they weren’t actually watching her at all.

Leigh cleared her throat and said, “Would you like to join me? It’s nice by the fire.” Despite his seriousness, seeing Niles again pleased her. He felt familiar.

Niles sat down at once, tipped his chair onto its back legs, and gave her a slight smile.

He did have the bluest eyes, and one of those rare male mouths you couldn’t look away from. Niles had a habit of keeping the edges of his top teeth pressed into his bottom lip. Leigh raised her eyebrows. She was surprising herself. It had been a very long time since she responded to a man but she was very aware of Niles.

His companion shifted from foot to foot a couple of times and remained standing.

“This is Sean Black,” Niles said. “He’s our next closest neighbor. His place is in the forest—literally. If you didn’t know where to look you’d never find it.”

Sean’s quiet, unreadable expression didn’t suggest he cared if no one ever found his house, but it was the way his light brown eyes passed over her, never making total contact, that made the biggest impression on Leigh. She couldn’t seem to stop herself from studying him—repeatedly. His beard shadow, brows, and thick lashes were much darker than his hair.