Double Take (36 page)

But she wasn’t anything like Lana! He knew that with every fiber of his being even if he was afraid to take another chance, even if he was afraid to trust what his heart was telling him.

“Life isn’t always about second chances,” he said gruffly, aware that he sounded like a jerk. But wasn’t he being a jerk?

After all, he had played her game too. He had known the moment he moved inside her that she wasn’t Lana. In that instant, he’d recalled what Zara had recently learned, that Lana had an identical twin. In that instant, he’d known the woman in his bed, whom he was buried so perfectly in, was his wife’s twin.

He had been relieved, he had been thrilled, and he had chosen to enjoy every stolen moment that he could, until the game had to end.

Because he’d wanted to be with her desperately. Because he’d been falling in love with her foolishly and helplessly. Because he’d been selfish enough to want the charade to go on forever if it could.

Before they’d both have to face a reality neither of them had chosen and neither of them wanted.

“Really?” Rafe laughed mirthlessly at him. “While there’s life, there’s hope—and that means there’s a zillion chances, buddy.”

“Damn it, Rafe! How the hell did you get on her side?” Trev asked furiously, and he was as furious as he was heartbroken, because the entire time he’d pretended not to know who she was, he’d always known that one day they would confront one another and their love affair would be over. And in a way, he was as angry with himself as he was with her—no, more so. He felt angry and frustrated and trapped by his own code of ethics, of justice. And oddly, the only person who didn’t seem to matter anymore was Lana herself.

Somehow, being with Kait had exorcised his anger with Lana completely.

“I’m on your side, and don’t ever forget it,” Rafe said. “So let me say what I came to say. She’s one brave woman. Can’t have been easy, turning your own twin sister in. Never mind Lana’s a thief, a bitch, and a whore. Betcha she’ll live with guilt for a long time, maybe forever. But in the end, she did what was right. I’d say she was a victim of Lana’s, just like you, just like the girls, the Parkers, and half of Skerrit County.”

“Damn it,” Trev breathed. “You’re not telling me anything new!”

“Then why are you letting her go?”

Trev met his gaze. It was a damn good question, and suddenly he didn’t have a damn good answer. He was in love, he was afraid, and he was angry, mostly with himself. Now he knew he should have called her on her deception the moment they’d made love. How easy it was to see, in hindsight. And while his head told him that no couple could start a life together this way, his heart told him he was a coward and a fool.

“Do you love her?” Rafe asked pointedly.

“Yes.”

Rafe smiled, satisfied.

Kait stared out her window as Elizabeth drove in silence toward the highway. Her heart was so broken that she had become numb. She couldn’t think and she couldn’t seem to feel, which was good, because if she dared to feel anything now, she would break down completely. The woods were a blur as they drove past.

Elizabeth suddenly slowed the Land Rover.

Kait wondered what she was doing but was too grief-stricken to care. She reminded herself that she was going to have to thank Elizabeth for offering her a ride to the airport; still, she would have preferred a taxi. But Elizabeth had canceled the taxi without asking her what she wanted to do. Kait sighed and heard herself choke on a sob instead.

Elizabeth braked and came to a stop on the side of the road.

Kait closed her eyes, thinking,
Now what?
She could not deal with another argument, confrontation, or debate. She couldn’t remember now if she had apologized to the housekeeper or not, but she had no apologies left inside her now.

“Get out of the car,” Elizabeth said grimly.

Kait turned and became rigid. The black barrel of a gun was pointed right at her nose.

“Get out of the car, you little whore,” Elizabeth said.

“Wh—” Kait couldn’t speak. Her mind came to life.
Elizabeth? Elizabeth was the one trying to kill her sister? But, she had set fire to Trev’s barn!
“I’m not Lana,” she managed.

“Get out!” Elizabeth cried.

Kait pushed open her door and leapt out of the Land Rover. She tripped and fell, and for one moment, the earth damp and moist beneath her fingers and palms, she heard Elizabeth climbing out of the car on her side. Elizabeth was trying to kill her sister. Elizabeth was the one. Kait leapt up and started to run.

A shot rang out.

Kait dove behind a wide oak tree, huddling at its base.

“I should have done this a long time ago,” Elizabeth said.

Kait leaned hard into the tree. “I’m not Lana! Please! Elizabeth—don’t do this!”

“I know who you are!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “There are two of you, dear God, two of you, and this time is worse than before! You have him wrapped around your finger—but, so did she. Still, it was only lust then, Trev has fallen in love with you. I will not let him go through this all over again! Get up!”

Kait didn’t move. “Please, Elizabeth, think about what you are doing! I’m not Lana. I love Trev! I’d never hurt him—”

Elizabeth cut her off. “She used him from the first day he set eyes on her. When she came back from New York and started using Marni too, I knew what I had to do! But I failed! Now, thank God, she’s in jail—where she belongs! But I will not allow Trev to destroy himself and his children by taking up with you!
Do you hear me?
”

The bark was scrapping her cheek raw. Kait flailed wildly around, but nothing faced her except trees and more trees. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Then she heard Elizabeth’s footsteps approaching. “But you burned down his barn! You love him! How could you? And his horses—he could have lost five or six horses,” she cried, panting.

“I thought the fire was foolproof. I thought I’d get you. Idid what I had to do. Do you think I wanted to kill his horses? Get up, Kait.”

Kait shifted and dared to peek around the trunk of the tree. Elizabeth’s gaze locked with hers. And she fired.

Kait jerked back as the bullet slammed into the tree trunk an inch from her head. She couldn’t breathe.
Elizabeth was a crack shot.

“Trev doesn’t love me,” she gasped. “He’s sent me away. Why are you doing this? Lana’s in jail and we’re not going to be together! Please, Elizabeth, stop and think!”

Another shot rang out. Kait felt the vibration of the bullet in the tree right behind her head. She inhaled, shaking. Somehow she was gong to have to make a run for it, but how? And to where?

She glanced desperately around, but nothing had changed, the woods were thick, but there was no place to hide.

Then she saw the tree lying down on its side and rotting. It was twenty yards away. But it provided a much better barrier than the upright oak she was crouched behind now.

A car door slammed. “Elizabeth? Kait? Are you all right?” Trev called.

For one moment, Kait was in disbelief. She shifted and saw Trev standing by the hood of the Land Rover on the side of the road, silhouetted by the setting sun, his blue pickup parked just in front of the SUV. Elizabeth had turned at the sound of his voice as well. Kait saw the moment Trev saw her gun. He paled.

“Trev! She’s the one!” Kait cried.

His eyes were wide, stunned—horrified.

“Trev, I am protecting you. Go home. No one will ever know,” Elizabeth said firmly.

Trev didn’t move. His gaze went past Elizabeth and met Kait’s. “Kait? Are you all right?”

“Yes,” Kait cried.

Trev held her eyes for one more moment, then turned on Elizabeth. “Give me the gun.”

Elizabeth faltered. “Trev, I have to protect you and the girls. Ican’t live with myself, watching you fall for her all over again.”

“That’s my choice. Give me the gun,” he said firmly.

Kait got on her hands and knees. Elizabeth’s back was to her and twenty feet separated them.

“Don’t you see? She’s playing you all over again!”

“You burned down my barn,” Trev said. Then, agonized, “This isn’t the way.”

Kait leapt up and rushed Elizabeth from behind.

Elizabeth turned, firing directly at her.

“Kait, no!” Trev screamed.

Kait felt the bullet whiz by her head, impossibly close, just an instant before she landed on Elizabeth. Then she and the older woman went down in a heap, with Kait on top and Elizabeth on her back. The gun flew several feet away.

Trev pulled Kait into his arms. “Are you all right?”

Kait met his wide green eyes and collapsed against his chest, beginning to shake uncontrollably. “Yes.”

He held her hard and tight. “I was coming to tell you that Ilove you and to ask you not to go,” he whispered roughly.

She stiffened with disbelief—and slowly looked up. “You were?”

He nodded, and then they both looked at Elizabeth, who was sitting up.

He wet his lips. “Are you all right, Elizabeth?”

She started to cry. “I was only trying to protect you, Trev. You know that.”

Trev stood, helping Kait to her feet. He released her, but not before giving her a reassuring look. He held his hand out to Elizabeth. She took it and he also helped her up. “I know,” he said, attempting a smile, which failed miserably. “I know how much you love me and the girls.”

“Do you?” she cried. “I’d give my life for all of you, you do know that, don’t you?”

Kait slipped off her jacket and used it to pick up the gun, careful not to get her own fingerprints on it. She felt a tear sliding down her face. She could imagine how Trev must be feeling now. Elizabeth was family. Trev knew he considered her to be the aunt he had never had.

Trev had come for her. Trev hadn’t let her go.

She smiled in spite of her tears. Out of the ashes might come real happiness—a bright and glorious future.

“I know that, Elizabeth,” Trev said quietly—sadly.

Kait turned at the sound of another approaching car. When she had left the house to go to the airport, Rafe had been there with Trev. Now she watched his black-and-white Chevy Blazer cruise up to the scene. She glanced at Trev and their eyes met.

The police vehicle halted and Rafe got out, leaving the engine running. “What’s going on, here?” he asked, his eyes taking in the scene.

Trev was silent. Kait walked the short distance to the road, and handed him her jacket containing the gun. He opened it, then slowly looked up.

“I had no choice!” Elizabeth cried. “Rafe, you couldn’t possibly arrest me! I know you hate her, too! Someone had to do something!”

Rafe had the oddest expression on his face. Kait could feel his bewilderment—it was that of a small boy.

She moved closer to Trev. He put his arm around her and held her close, and she knew everything would be all right.

“Lana escaped,” Rafe said.

The moment they walked through the front door of Fox Hollow, Sam came pounding down the stairs. Trev and Kait were arm in arm, and Kait sensed he was feeling the way she was—that he was almost afraid after all that had happened to let her go. Rafe had recovered from his absolute bewilderment and surprise and had taken Elizabeth to the county jail. Kait knew Trev was in shock over what had happened—and so was she. Not just because Elizabeth Dorentz had been trying to kill her, but because Lana had somehow escaped.

And if she had escaped, Kait knew she wasn’t going to get caught again.

“You’re back!” Sam cried, amazed.

“I’m back,” Kait said, smiling.

Sam glanced at Trev. “Dad, you did it. You went after her. You really did it!”

“Yes, I did,” Trev said, one arm still around Kait. “You were right, honey, and when she drove off with Elizabeth, I just couldn’t let her go.”

Kait touched his hand and their eyes locked in silent understanding. Kait wondered what would happen next. Lana would somehow leave the country undetected, but would Elizabeth face charges? Surely she needed a psychiatric evaluation.

“Are you all right?” Kait asked Trev softly.

He hesitated. “I need some time to come to grips with what’s happened,” he said as softly. He turned her to face him. “So much has happened that I may have forgotten to tell you why Icouldn’t let you go. Did I tell you that I am in love with you?” He smiled a little, his green gaze intense but questioning.

Kait smiled back, forgetting that Sam was even present. “No. Did I tell you that I fell in love with you the moment you walked into the front hall in those faded jeans and that cashmere sweater?”

He pulled her close. “That’s nice to know, Kait.”

Sam coughed but was ignored.

“You know what’s eating at me? If Lana hadn’t switched our business meeting, we would have met six years ago, Kait, and I would have married you in the first place.”

Kait was thrilled. “That little notion had occurred to me, too,” she said softly. And it struck her then how easy it had been to simply cross to the other side of the chasm of deception with this man. And on the other side lay the foundation upon which to build a lifetime—a foundation of respect and friendship, honesty and love, and passion.

Trev smiled at her and took her into his arms. Kait smiled back, her heart singing, and lifted her face for his kiss. It was finally occurring to her that the impossible was really happening—Trev had forgiven her and she wasn’t ever going to leave Fox Hollow.

Sam coughed more insistently. “Hello! I’m still here,” she said with laughter in her tone.

Kait inhaled, stepping back. “How is Gabe, Sam?”

Sam brightened. “They moved him out of ICU. They said he’s out of danger and he’ll be able to go home in a few days. But no school for a while.”

Kait slipped free of Trev and walked over to Sam and took her into her arms. “I’m so glad, honey,” she whispered.

Sam pulled back to study her face. “I won’t see Gabe anymore. I promised you I wouldn’t if you stayed.”

Before Kait could respond, Trev came forward. “Sam, Gabe needs you now. Who will help him keep up with his schoolwork if not you?”

Sam was wide-eyed. “Really?”

“Really.” He cleared his throat. “It’s hard for me to see you with a young man, because to me you’re my little girl, and I don’t think that will ever change. But I am going to try to be a bit more thoughtful and a bit less selfish where you and Gabe are concerned.”