Reflection Point: An Eternity Springs Novel (20 page)

In the process of lacing up a hiking boot, Savannah glanced up warily. “Wildlife? Are we talking mountain lions and bears?”

“It’s possible, but chipmunks are much more likely. I’ve seen how Inny guards her backyard against the evil chipmunk interlopers.”

“Yes, she is the ruler of her domain.”

Zach kept a loaded pack in his Jeep for hikes, so he grabbed it and Ace’s lead, and once Savannah was ready, they headed into the sun-dappled forest. To Zach’s ears, a heavily wooded mountain had its own unique sound, a muted sense of life that, though quiet, was never still. A forest’s city street was the crash of a falling pinecone onto a pile of brittle windswept leaves, the chatter of birds above, and the bubble of a brook almost always out of sight. Fir trees dominated the landscape on this part of the mountain and perfumed the air with a scent Zach always associated with Christmas. He said as much to Savannah.

“I’m still traumatized by the year my parents decided we needed an artificial tree instead of a real one,” he added. “I thought there was just something wrong about dragging your Christmas tree out of the attic instead of traipsing to the Boy Scouts’ tree lot to pick out the perfect one. That only lasted a year, though. Dad and I whined about it enough that the next year, Mom compromised. Dad and I got our real tree, but when it came time to take it down and put the decorations away, we did the work and Mom shopped the after-Christmas sales.”

Rather wistfully, Savannah said, “We used to steal our Christmas trees.”

Zach swung his head around and arched a brow at her. Savannah chuckled. “It’s true. I’m not a drug trafficker, but I’ll cop to being a Christmas tree thief. It was a family tradition, and I admit it was one I just loved. My dad and brothers and I would pick one out every summer as we hiked up to the stills. When we finally settled on one, I’d tie a red hair ribbon around it, and then the Sunday after Thanksgiving, no matter what the weather was like, we’d pile into Daddy’s truck and go get it.”

“Tell me you’re not carrying a red hair ribbon today.”

“I haven’t owned a hair ribbon in years.”

“Good. Don’t make me arrest you come December, Peach.”

“Well …” she drawled in that slow molasses voice as she made a show of studying the nearest Douglas fir. He scowled at her, and this time her laughter pealed out like church bells. “Don’t worry. After she caught me shoplifting toothpaste at the local Walmart, Grams made me swear I’d never steal anything ever again.”

“You stole toothpaste?”

“Let’s just say I learned early on in life how to stretch the grocery budget. What about you, Zach? Did you ever shoplift or were you always a Boy Scout?”

“I didn’t shoplift and I am an Eagle Scout, but I did steal a car one time.”

She halted abruptly, her eyes bugging, and now it was Zach’s turn to laugh. “Undercover cops get to do all sorts of criminal things in order to protect their cover.”

“That is
so
not fair.”

Zach gave Ace’s leash a tug, and the whippet abandoned his intent sniffing at the base of a fallen log and returned to the trail. Like a pesky younger sister, Inny followed right at Ace’s heels.

Their conversation lagged as the trail took them on a rocky incline that required concentration. Twice Zach reached back to give her a hand up, and the second time he didn’t release her, but laced her fingers with his. “You mentioned brothers. How many brothers do you have?”

“Three.”

“Older? Younger? Any sisters?”

“Older brothers, no sisters. You?”

“None of either. I’m adopted. My parents were beginning the process for a second child when my grandmother had a stroke, Mom became her primary caretaker, and they decided she had her hands full. I always wished I had a brother.”

“Is your grandmother still alive?”

He shook his head. “I lost all three before I turned twenty-three. Nana had another stroke, my mom died from breast cancer, and my dad … they said it was a heart attack, but I think losing Mom broke it.”

Savannah’s eyes went soft and caring. “Oh, Zach. That’s terrible. I’m so sorry. That must have been very difficult for you.”

“It was hard. My heart was broken, too. I loved them very much. Being on my own at that age was tough. Took me a little while to adjust. I almost flunked out of school.” Now why the hell had he told her that? He didn’t talk about that. He wasn’t one to delve into his past.

“Did you ever try to find your biological parents?” she asked, then winced. “I’m sorry. That’s nosy of me. It’s none of my business.”

“No, it’s okay,” he replied, and continued his blabbermouth ways. “And the answer is no, I never have. Never wanted to. I had great parents. I guess I didn’t think it’d be right to go digging around in the past looking for replacements. That said, I always wished I had a brother.”

She pulled her hand from his. “Sometimes brothers are more of a pain than they’re worth.”

“Tell me about yours.”

Savannah took another ten paces before replying. “One of my brothers left home when I was still in high school. One went to jail for drugs and the last I heard was still there. The other married and had a kid.”

“Niece or nephew?”

Her smile was bittersweet. “A nephew. Tommy. But can we talk about something else, please? We should be talking about the weather or the hot springs at Angel’s Rest or the Fourth of July fireworks over Hummingbird
Lake. This is our first date. We should be talking about the scenery and making small talk!”

“Small talk is okay. Making out is better.” With that, he pulled her into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. His kiss was hot, passionate, and carnal, and as Savannah melted into his arms, her words from moments earlier whispered through his mind like a summer breeze through an aspen grove.
So you’re alone
.

I have been. Maybe not anymore
.

She means something to me
.

Shaken, he ended the kiss. Taking a step away from her, he filled his lungs with air, then exhaled a heavy breath. “It’s our first date.”

She shook her head as if clearing away cobwebs. “That’s what I said.”

Zach drank in the sight of her. Sunlight beaming through the trees caught strands of red in her hair, turning it a burnished gold. Her big brown doe eyes and graceful manner of movement made her suited to the forest. She wasn’t a deer, however. She was a mountain lion. “I think you might well be the strongest woman I’ve ever met, Savannah.”

Now she closed her eyes. “Why did you say that?”

I don’t know
. “Because it’s true.”

“I certainly don’t feel strong right now. You make me feel weak.”

“I’m an excellent kisser, so while I appreciate the sentiment, that’s not the sort of weakness I’m talking about. Here, let me show you.”

Taking her hand once again, they stepped into the clearing that offered an unobstructed view of Heartache Falls. They stood at almost the halfway point between the top of the falls and the pool at its base. It was a long, narrow ribbon of water, swollen with snowmelt, that roared over the rocks and crashed some sixty feet below.
Zach and Savannah stood close enough that mist drifted over them, dampening their skin.

“It’s beautiful,” Savannah said.

Now he knew why he’d said she was strong. “It’s energy and music and life flowing over bedrock that stands firm. That’s you, Peach.”

She gave him a searching gaze as color stained her cheeks. “That’s poetic. And flattering. You continually surprise me, Sheriff Turner.”

“I think that’s probably a good thing.” Then he leaned down and kissed her again. She melted against him again.

Zach concluded that their first date was off to a darned good start.

Back at the meadow, they ate lunch, and after Zach finished rhapsodizing about Savannah’s southern cooking, they threw tennis balls for their dogs until the pups pooped out and plopped down on the quilt for a nap. Zach wouldn’t have minded joining them, but Savannah was ready to fish. When he carried his tackle box and two rods to the bank of the stream, excitement gleamed in her eyes and ignited his own.

This was the first time he’d ever taught someone how to fish, and he found Savannah’s enthusiasm entertaining and, well, arousing. Of course, he found most everything about her arousing these days. When she landed her first fish—a nice-sized rainbow—and bounced up and down and then shimmied with unadulterated joy, he felt like he’d given her the moon.

He also wanted to drag her to the ground and have his way with her, but he’d hate to have to arrest himself for public indecency.

It was a fun afternoon. She scoreboarded him where fishing was concerned, catching three to his one. As they were getting ready to leave, loading up the Jeep with
dogs and fresh trout for dinner, he said, “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“Fishing?”

“Going on a date with me.”

She waited a full thirty seconds before replying. “I enjoyed today, Zach. Thank you.”

“Want to give it another go?”

“Are you asking me out on a date?”

“Absolutely. It’s my turn.” She rewarded him with a faint smile, and Zach shifted gears, then reached for her hand. “I’m working every day until the Fourth. I have to work the parade and afternoon picnic, but I’m off that night. How about joining me for fireworks on Reflection Point?”

She cleared her throat. “Fireworks?”

Oh, yeah
. “Eternity Springs’ fireworks show is over Hummingbird Lake. The best view around is from my hot tub.”

“Fireworks. A hot tub.”

“I’ll grill some steaks, open a good bottle of wine. It’ll be nice. Relaxing.”
Romantic. Maybe not-so-subtle seduction
.

She turned to him with wary, troubled eyes. “I enjoy being with you, Zach. I’d like a Fourth of July second date. But I’ll be honest. This whole thing between us … it scares me. It’s happening too fast.”

Too fast? Compared to what? Cold molasses?

Okay, maybe not seduction after all. Dammit
.

“Don’t be scared, Savannah. There’s no need for that. I’m not a jerk and I’m not out to hurt you. You can trust me.”

Bitterness colored her tone. “No, Zach. I can’t. I can date you. I can make out with you. Maybe one of these days I’ll even sleep with you. But I will never trust you or any man ever again. You need to understand that.”

“That’s a little melodramatic, don’t you think?”

“Try spending six years in prison for a crime you didn’t commit because someone you loved betrayed you, then see what strikes you as melodramatic. Okay?”

Zach pursed his lips, knowing that now was not the time to further pursue this line of discussion. Instead he nodded. “I hear you. So, we’re on for the Fourth and fireworks? Do you prefer T-bones or rib eyes? Cabernet or Merlot?”

She smiled. “You pick.”

At least she trusted him with that.

“I’ll bring homemade peach ice cream.”

Now who was trying to seduce whom?

FOURTEEN
 

The summer days breezed by. Savannah stayed thrillingly busy at Heavenscents—so busy, in fact, that she hired two part-time employees to help in the retail shop and another to assist with shipping online sales. She used the time the extra help gave her to replenish her inventory and order her supplies. At the end of June, her sales were running 40 percent higher than her projections—40 percent!—and she treated herself to an online shopping spree with expedited delivery.

She bought a new sundress and shoes to wear for her Fourth of July date.

She’d seen Zach occasionally in the days since their picnic—though he made sure he was seldom gone from her thoughts. He continued to send gifts, make phone calls, and duck in to say hello whenever his foot patrol took him past Heavenscents. It hadn’t helped that one of his new hires had missed three days of work with the flu, forcing Zach and his other deputies to work extra shifts. When Gabi told her that, Savannah had shut her door an hour early and baked a peach cobbler, which she delivered warm to the sheriff’s office.

She’d thought that Zach was going to break down and cry.

Each day, with its wink and wave and “Hiya, Peach,”
brought Savannah closer to a momentous decision until finally, during her lunch break on July 2, she made one more Internet purchase and chose overnight delivery.

No way was she going to buy condoms in Eternity Springs.

It had taken a fair amount of soul-searching for her to admit to herself that she might have a need for them, but Savannah didn’t lie, not even to herself. Especially when what she really, really wanted to do was lie to herself.

She had the hots for the sheriff. Another law enforcement officer. What in heaven’s name was wrong with her? She obviously had some sort of mental issue.

No, her issue was definitely physical.

In her defense, Zach Turner in full magnetism mode was difficult for any woman to resist. Hadn’t she seen that in the way even the older women in town preened and blushed when he turned on the charm? He had a boyish grin, an athlete’s build, and a wicked glint in those devastating blue eyes that could turn a woman to mush. Yet those attributes were only part of what made him so appealing to her. What had breached her defenses was learning that he had no family, either.