Perfect Picture [The ShadowDance Club 7] (Siren Publishing Classic) (3 page)

“Let the words settle over you as you take them in to your heart,
cara.
And look at the other couples on the floor. See how they understand the strength to be found in overcoming the obstacles life throws in love’s path. They have all endured and flourished because their commitment to each other has seen them through.” He didn’t want to say too much, but he wanted to be sure the ground work had been laid. Swaying to the music, Noah could almost hear her mind processing the lyrics.

Noah wasn’t sure exactly what had happened to bring Ilaina home, but he knew the woman was much more complicated than the simple business plan reasoning she’d thrown out to her colleagues in the fashion world. He’d been singing to her, but now simply spoke, “I want you to promise that when you find yourself in times of trouble that the song speaks of, and you feel the most alone you’ll remember to let the memory of love bring your heart back to mine. I want you to feel at home in my embrace,
cara.
He’d spoken against the soft shell of her ear and felt her entire body shiver. In that moment he knew instinctively that his suspicions had been correct.
What are you running from cara? Whatever or whoever it is, we’ll face it together. I’ll never let anything or anyone hurt you.

As the song ended he stopped at the edge of the floor near where her brothers were saying their good-byes to the friends gathered around them. Leaning close he whispered, “Enjoy your family and say your good-byes. When you are ready, I’ll be waiting for you at the bar. I’ll always be waiting,
cara.
” Gently turning her he leaned down and tenderly bit the spot where her neck met her shoulder. “
Always, cara.
”

* * * *

Lainy stood rooted in place for several seconds after Noah had walked away. When she finally came back to the moment she looked up and saw Alex watching her thoughtfully. When he simply nodded once and returned his attention to Kat, Lainy knew it was his way of telling her that he felt she was on the right path. And for the first time in a long time, she felt as if perhaps she was getting nearer the point in her life when the people and things she surrounded herself with might actually fill her soul rather than drain it.

So many times she had reflected back on a vacation her family had taken when she was a child. On their way back to Colorado, her parents had driven through a small town in Kansas that was a haven for the Amish community. Lainy had been a teenager and when they’d stopped at a bakery in a small town called Yoder, she had tried to take a picture of a young boy sitting in a horse-drawn carriage. The boy’s father had stopped her, explaining that photographs “steal the soul.” She had never forgotten his words and even as she’d become one of the most photographed women in the world, each click of the camera had pushed her understanding of his words deeper into her own soul.

When she hugged Cash good-bye she couldn’t hold back her tears because she really was incredibly happy for the brother who had always been her knight, champion, guardian, confidant, and best friend. “Big brother there are no words to tell you how thrilled I am for you. You deserve each and every moment of happiness that is now yours. You are going to be an amazing husband and father. If I don’t see you before you leave on your trip tomorrow just remember that a little piece of heart goes with you always.” She pulled him down and kissed him on the cheek and then added, “And don’t forget to bring me something.” Those exact words had been something she had said to him each and every time he’d called to say he was leaving. They knew it was her way of saying “come back to me.”

“You are a brat, but I love you more than you’ll ever know. Thank you for all you’ve done for Layla. Your kindness toward her is the greatest gift you have every given any of us.” He hugged her and then turned her to her middle brother, Collin.

“Ilaina, I know you have always been closer to Cash and Clay, but I want you to know I’m going to work extra hard when we get back to make sure that you and I have a chance to make up for lost time. Thank you for everything and I am more grateful than you know that our child will have you for his or her aunt.” Collin’s hug was almost brutal in its intensity and she felt the emotion he’d obviously been trying so desperately to hold in check.

When he turned to her youngest brother, Clay, she saw the fun-loving cowboy they all knew and loved. He had always reminded her so much of Dad Julian, and even more so now because she had seen him bring laughter and joy into a situation at just the right moment with Layla, just as the youngest of her dads had always done for their mother. Having grown up with parents involved in a polyamorous marriage had been a blessing beyond anything anyone could ever imagine. All four of the Red Cloud children had been loved unconditionally by all four of their parents and she couldn’t imagine having grown up any other way. Even though the issue of blood parent had never been discussed it had always been easy to see which of the fathers had sired each of her brothers. Ilaina had always been the DNA enigma as far as she could see, because she seemed to have gotten traits from her mother and each of her fathers.

Ilaina was thrilled that her three brothers were carrying on the family tradition by finding a woman to share. A poly-marriage had never been her dream, but she knew it had always been theirs so she was glad Layla had entered their lives. Clay gave her a hug and whispered in her ear, “You’re beautiful inside and out little sister. I hope you find the happiness we’ve found. But remember even if it doesn’t look exactly like what you thought it would, you shouldn’t let it go. Hold on to it with everything in you because you deserve it.” She felt the tears start again partly because she wasn’t used to such heartfelt words from her “fun” brother, but also because it was almost as if his timing was a message in itself.

Turning to her new sister-in-law she hugged her tightly and said, “I’m so blessed to have you for a sister. And I hope to all that is holy my hellion brothers know what a gift they’ve been given. I’ll see you soon and take care of my little niece or nephew while you’re island hopping.” And then almost before she and Layla had stopped giggling, they were gone.

Sighing to herself she suddenly realized that having the house all to herself for the next three weeks didn’t seem nearly as appealing now as it had seemed a couple of weeks ago. She’d lived alone for years, but these past few weeks with her family surrounding her had been blissful. For the first time in a long time she’d felt safe. And then, just as she felt the tears spill over her lower lids, warm arms encircled her from behind and she turned into Noah’s warm embrace and rested her cheek against his solid chest. Telling herself that it would be alright to let him hold her just this once, she relaxed against him and let herself rely on someone else’s strength for the first time in a very long time.

Standing at the end of the long, polished wood bar, Noah had watched the scene play out between Ilaina and her brothers. And while he didn’t know what each of the men had said to her, he could easily see she was slipping closer to going over an emotional edge with each encounter. Even as a kid he had known she had always prided herself on her ability to stay calm as storms raged around her so he knew becoming emotional in public was going to take a toll on his sweet
cara
. Hell, from the stories he’d heard from other photographers, her ability to stay the course in the midst of the chaos that surrounded most shoots was almost legendary.

When he’d noticed the small tells that others who didn’t know her as well might have missed, he didn’t hesitate to move closer. He had meant it when he’d said he’d always be there for her—that he’d always be waiting. The fact that she was letting him shelter her now told him how unsettled she really was. Moving her to the dance floor he was glad to hear a slow song come over the speakers. “Dance with me,
cara
. Holding you in my arms will be good for both of us.” She didn’t answer him, but he hadn’t expected her to either. He just moved her with gentle precision around the floor. It was a testament to her dancing skill that she was able to follow without really making any effort to concentrate on the steps.

When they’d danced their way to the backside of the dance floor out of sight of her parents and grandmother he pulled her to the side and tilted her chin up so he could look into her beautiful eyes. “God you are absolutely luminous. I swear you get more beautiful each time I see you. It radiates from inside you, draws others to you in a way that surface beauty would never be able to.” Leaning down he kissed her. It wasn’t a chaste kiss, but it wasn’t the soul-deep claiming he’d have rather given her either. “Are you okay, my sweet
cara
?”

When the tears spilled over again he gently wiped them from her cheeks with his thumbs. She took a deep breath and then spoke. “Yes or at least I will be. I don’t understand why I am so emotional. I’m not usually like this at all. I don’t like feeling weak and appearing needy. It just isn’t who I am.”

He didn’t doubt for a moment that she was confused by her feelings of vulnerability. What she didn’t seem to understand was that everyone has a breaking point. Noah believed that even the strongest person would eventually reach a point when he or she has been strong for as long as their body and mind can hold up against the current that was battering them before their last bit of control was swept away like a raging river breaching a levy. He’d seen it happen again and again, when a friend or acquaintance had reached their saturation point or when they eventually found themselves in a place safe enough to let go, the back-surge of emotion was often overwhelming. Noah had always considered himself a student of human behavior. Often, during his undercover work of the past decade, that knowledge had meant the difference between life and death.

“Baby, there are a thousand reasons you might be feeling emotional. But the why isn’t at all important. The only thing that matters is that you always feel safe enough to just be who you are.” He paused for a moment to let his words sink in before continuing. “Let yourself feel, sweetness, and know that I will always catch you if you fall over the edge.” He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and then smiled at her as she laid her cheek against his chest again. That small sign of her growing trust had his heart swelling with hope. “Are you ready to go,
cara
?” He’d wrapped her back in the shelter of his arms but hadn’t moved them back on to the dance floor.

He barely heard her whispered “yes” and then he pulled her back and smiled at her as he looked into her soulful eyes.

“Let’s get your things. Did you drive here?” When she shook her head he was relieved. Truthfully he didn’t want her driving when she was feeling so fragile and distracted. And this was the perfect excuse to have her in his truck. He could hardly wait to lift her up into the tall truck and lean across her to fasten her seat belt, he’d waited years for these moments and he wasn’t going to miss one single opportunity to be close to her.

After leaving Red Clouds Dancing they made the short drive to his loft and gallery. He had been thrilled when Alex and Zach had been able to help him secure the purchase of the old mill. The old building was a virtual cavernous warehouse that had been empty for years so he had been able to buy it for a great price. It was structurally sound and the renovations had been easy since the interior had been open for the most part.

He loved the hidden underground entrance with its remote-controlled doors. There was also a second hidden entrance that he’d be willing to bet fewer than five people in the entire world knew existed. Finding that feature had been like uncovering a hidden treasure. Fellow ShadowDance Club member Bryant Davis had helped engineer the excavation and reinforcement of the alternate entrance as an emergency escape route once Noah had discovered the small railway tunnel hidden behind a rolling partition. Mitch Grayson had designed state of the art electronics for the doors and two floor-to-ceiling steel gates that were now hidden deep inside the tunnel. The other end of the tunnel opened onto the Lamonts’ land on the other side of the river. That entrance had already been secured by a large gate just inside a large cave, so he’d worked with Alex and Zach to make it a secure escape route from both ends.

They’d laughed that many of their friends and family members felt they were a bunch of paranoid bastards. But since their loved ones didn’t understand the type of people they’d been dealing with for years they considered the measures completely unreasonable. The old mill had been built during World War II and had doubled as a bomb shelter for the people of the entire valley so the whole structure was a virtual fortress.

Noah had installed a modern elevator, but he still liked using the open freight elevator because it just seemed like part of the old building’s charm. But it was the floating helix staircase he’d designed that was one of his favorite features. The black slabs of granite were each five foot wide and suspended by thick cables so the entire thing almost appeared to be floating in mid-air. The bottom floor was used for storage and parking but most people wouldn’t even know it existed. Entering from the street, casual observers wouldn’t notice that the enormous open gallery and office areas were actually the second floor of the building. When guests first entered the front doors the curving black stairway was the first thing that caught their eye and that distraction had been a deliberate piece of the interior design.

The third floor had been used to build numerous rooms with various settings that he’d be able to use for private photo sessions. He didn’t need the income anymore, since his years working as a photojournalist and fashion photographer had paid him very well. He’d also invested his inheritance wisely in addition to his very lucrative sideline as a contractor for various governments which had been extremely profitable. And now photography could be his passion rather than a career and he planned to enjoy creating art again after all his years of putting what he loved on the back burner.