Saving Laurel Springs (16 page)

She left her hand in his for a moment, caught in the web of his words.

“You always were good with words, Carter,” she said at last, taking her hand from his and letting herself out of the car.

Rhea heard the Benz purr into motion as she opened the front door.

“See ya later—and love you forever, Rhea Dean.” Carter's words floated tantalizingly into the darkness as he drove away.

She shook her head in exasperation and, once again, wondered at how freely Carter seemed to toss out the word ‘love' to her. She'd believed his words of love totally once before and what had it gotten her? Only pain and betrayal.

I wish he'd be more careful of throwing words out so freely that are supposed to be eternal, using them so casually and airily. Doesn't he realize how hard it is for me to believe and trust those words again?
she thought.

She blew out a sigh and started up the stairs to her room.

Carter wanted to be friends. Maybe that wasn't unreasonable to consider. They'd enjoyed a good day today. Perhaps she could try more to let friendship develop and just hold off the elements she was unsure of.

CHAPTER 14

S
ummer slipped by swiftly, as it always seemed to do at Laurel Springs during the heavy tourist season. The months proved busy ones for Carter. The assembly grounds bustled with changes, and the ongoing improvements had already increased tourism and caused many visiting families to reserve vacation times for next summer.

Carter and Rhea formed a tentative friendship through the summer weeks. Even though they experienced occasional slips into intimacy, they never exhibited any of these feelings in front of others.... If people noticed anything other than a renewed friendship between the two, they seldom commented on it. Rhea continued to date Marshall Sutton, to Carter's annoyance—and Marion Baker tracked Carter down so often in public places that people started speculating about whether something was “going on” between them.

At times Carter believed he was making real progress with Rhea, while at other times he felt frustrated and unsure of where he stood with her. Dang girl. He wanted to marry her, not play some secret cat-and-mouse courtship game with her.

He pondered these thoughts one night as he sat on the back patio of Jeannie and Billy Wade's house. The girls—Rhea and Jeannie—worked together in the kitchen getting dinner together. Billy Wade was on the phone, and Carter sat outside to keep an eye on the boys, who were playing in a tree house Billy had built in the backyard.

The boys' childish chatter drifted across the yard, making Carter smile. Beau and Taylor had formed a strong friendship over the summer. Carter liked watching his boy contented and carefree now, riding his bike happily around the lake road, helping his grandparents on the farm, doing odd jobs about the assembly grounds with the tourists, learning to swim strongly enough to make it to the raft in the middle of the lake.

Snapping shut his cell phone, Billy Wade came out the back door, followed by Rhea and Jeannie. “Another place has been hit by the vandal,” he groused, slumping into a metal lawn chair.

“Tonight?” Jeannie asked, coming out on the porch to curl up on the glider beside Billy while Rhea settled herself into an old rocker, propping her long legs up on a side table.

Billy frowned. “No. Hiram thinks it probably happened last night. But he didn't discover the damage until he made his rounds tonight. It took place behind the old Gilliland cabin at the springhouse.”

“That's funny.” Jeannie made a face. “Someone already broke into that cabin earlier in the summer. Wonder why they came back to bother that old springhouse again after all this time?”

Jeannie blew a wisp of short, frosted hair out of her face. “I just don't understand any of this at all. We've had random break-ins all summer long and they don't seem to make any sense. Nothing is ever taken.”

“I know,” agreed Rhea. “And the sheriff says there have been instances of vandalism in other areas nearby.”

“Like over at the Tritt and Gilliland cemeteries.” Jeannie wrinkled her nose. “Ew. Someone dug up some places around some of the graves.”

“It seems obvious that this vandal, or group of vandals, is looking for something.” Billy Wade kicked at a stick on the patio in annoyance. “But what? Rhea, is there an old story about some Dean or Layman ancestor burying a string of pearls or some valuable artifact we don't know about?”

Rhea laughed. “If there'd been something valuable buried here by one of the Deans or Laymans, they'd have dug it up a long time ago and cashed it in during the lean years.”

“Maybe it's only someone nutty.” Jeannie slipped her feet out of her flip-flops. “I mean, there are a lot of crazy people out there that do all sorts of things that don't make sense. Like those sick people who set fires.”

Rhea laughed, a throaty sound that always made Carter's blood stir. “Well, thank goodness we're not dealing with an arsonist. I'd rather have some loony digging holes around the place than setting fires!”

“Eventually, he'll slip up and leave a clue and we'll find him.” Carter let his eyes slide up over Rhea's bare legs.

“I hope so.” Billy Wade followed Carter's eyes thoughtfully and raised his eyebrows at him with a grin.

“Guess what?” Jeannie changed the subject.

“What?” Rhea answered, obviously glad to let talk of the vandals go.

“Estelle saw Marshall Sutton and Marion Baker driving out of the parking lot of the Shady Grove Motel last night.” She turned a mischievous glance to Carter. “I hope that doesn't upset you hearing that, Carter.”

He laughed. “Believe me, it would be a relief to hear of Marion setting her sights on anyone else around here but me.” Carter saw Rhea frowning. “However, your news might upset Rhea since she and Marshall are still going out together.”

“Oh, pooh.” Jeannie waved a hand in the air. “Marshall Sutton is not in any way right for Rhea. For the life of me I can't figure out why the two of them are still dating.”

“Excuse me.” Rhea kicked at her playfully. “Keep in mind that I'm sitting right here, Jeannie. Perhaps Marshall and I are dating because there's an attraction between us.”

Billy Wade cleared his throat. “Nothing personal, Rhea, but Jeannie and I never have much liked Marshall Sutton. I'm sure that influences our thinking.”

“Yeah.” Jeannie giggled. “I just cringe to think of us having to be nice and host Marshall for dinner someday because the two of you have gotten engaged or married or something. Yuk.”

Rhea looked at her in surprise. “Would that be so bad?”

“Oh, come on, Rhea, you know it would.” She crossed her arms in exasperation. “Even you try to figure ways to get away from him when he comes in the store. You know it's true! Whyever do you keep dating him?”

“Yeah, Carter's a lot more fun to be with,” Billy Wade said, sending a look Carter's way.

Jeannie grinned. “That's the truth. It's been fun the evenings we've gotten together this summer—just like old times.”

Carter watched Rhea's eyes flash in irritation as she looked from Billy Wade to Jeannie. “Well, I guess I'll have to look around and find someone to date that the Ledford committee likes better.”

“Oh, don't get mad now.” Jeannie punched at her playfully. “You didn't like Tucker Glenn, that guy I started dating one of the times Billy Wade and I broke up, and you didn't hesitate to say so.”

“You dated Tucker Glenn?” Carter laughed out loud at the thought.

Billy Wade laughed, too. “Yeah, that little weasel moved in quick as a snake when Jeannie and I had one of our fusses.”

Rhea looked at her watch and frowned. “I really need to get home,” she said. “I have to get up and do the tour in the morning. And I promised to help Nana set up and get ready for her quilting demonstration before that.”

Carter's eyes moved to the tree house to where the boys played. “Are you sure it's all right if Taylor spends the night here? I can take him on home if you think it would be too much.”

“No.” Jeannie waved away his concerns. “I already promised them and Taylor's no trouble.”

“Yeah, it's fine,” Billy added. “I'll drag them both out of the tree house in a few minutes and get them cleaned up for bed.”

Carter stood up. “Then I'll walk Rhea home.”

“I know the way, Carter.” She gave him an annoyed look.

“Awww, let the man be a gentleman.” Billy Wade sent Rhea a grin.

Rhea rolled her eyes and stood up in resignation.

After saying their good-byes, Carter and Rhea started the walk home down the Assembly Road.

As they neared the covered bridge, Carter reached over to take Rhea's arm. He liked the looks of the long expanse of dark bridge ahead. “You didn't seem overly upset about Marshall being seen with Marion.”

Rhea jerked away and stalked ahead of him. “Don't start with me, Carter Layman. What Estelle saw could have been anything. Marshall works in banking, Marion in real estate. They might have been simply working together.”

Carter laughed. “Yeah. I'd say they had a workout at the Shady Grove. You may be right.”

She gave him a dirty look and then took off running. “Bet I can beat you to the other side of the bridge!”

Carter took off after her. Even given a late start, he was still unable to let any dare from Rhea slip by him. Neither of them had ever been able to pass up a dare between them, no matter how foolish—often getting them in a peck of trouble over the years.

Rhea beat him by a stride and turned to give him a grin before sauntering on down the road.

“Cheater,” he said, following along behind her. He owed her one now.

When they got to the split in the road, Carter took her arm again. “Come down and see what the workers did to the gazebo today.”

“It's dark.” She balked, looking down toward the lake.

“It's not that dark. Come on.” He practically hauled her down the bank to the large white gazebo by the banks of Laurel Springs Lake.

“Oh. How nice.” Rhea smiled with pleasure as they climbed the steps into the graceful, hexagon-shaped structure. “You had the benches built back around the sides.”

“Just like in the old picture.” He knew it would please her. “And I had the floors redone—better for dancing.” Carter tried to take her in his arms to dance around the large space, but Rhea pulled back, walking over to the rail to look out over the lake.

“It's hot tonight,” she said to cover for the flush on her face.

“Yeah, it is.” Carter grinned. “Think I'll go skinny-dipping like we used to.” He started unbuttoning his shirt.

Rhea's eyes flew to his.

He lifted his eyebrows. “I dare you to go, too, and I'll race you out to the raft.” He threw out the old taunt as he pulled his shirttail out of his shorts.

Carter watched Rhea hesitate, struggling with old memories. As kids they would strip off their clothes in a flurry to see who could swim out to the raft the fastest. Later, of course, they only stripped down to their underwear.

“Don't you dare take all your clothes off.” She watched him unbutton his shirt with a frown.

“I'll stop at my skivvies. But you're a double-dog coward if you won't race me. I raced you through the bridge.” He grinned at her in challenge.

He saw her consider his dare as he pulled off his shirt, and then, in a familiar flurry, they were both ripping off their clothes and shoes to see who could get to the water first.

Rhea dived off the dock moments after Carter. He heard her strong strokes behind him and then saw her gaining on him as they swam furiously out into the dark water.

It was over four hundred yards to the raft, almost a quarter mile, and they were both winded as they reached the ladder almost at the same time, Carter just a few feet ahead of her.

“You had a head start,” Rhea complained, panting as she uttered the words.

Carter brushed the water out of his eyes and shook his hair, sending sprinkles of water over Rhea.

She scooped up a handful of water and sent it his way in retaliation. A small water fight ensued, both of them soon laughing and Carter binding her arms behind her back so she couldn't pummel him with water again.

And then it hit. The sizzle. The passion. One of those wonderful moments. Blood rushed through Carter's veins, and he had his mouth on Rhea's before he knew what he was doing. She kissed him back with fervor, looping her arms around his neck to stay afloat in the water.

Carter wrapped a leg through the ladder for support and moved his free hands over her water-slicked body, pulling her tight against him, almost skin to skin.

Remembering she was innocent, he carefully kept his hands from exploring and touching as they yearned to do. But he reveled in the feel of her against him, always the perfect fit to him.

Concerned about the rising level of their passion, he chuckled against her mouth. “I think there's a little more of you up above than I remember, Rhea Dean.” It was hard to ignore her breasts heaving against his chest and, even in the darkness, he could see the white mounds of them pushing above her bra in the moonlight.

His words had the desired effect, and he felt her struggle back, loosening the grip of her arms around his neck. But her pulling away only gave him a better look down the length of her body, even in the dark, and before she could sputter a reply, he took her mouth again, plunging them under another time. There had never been another woman who made him feel like Rhea Dean, and kissing and hugging in the dark water was unbelievably sexy.

“This is heaven, Rhea,” he said at last in a husky voice, raining soft kisses down her face, over her closed eyes and cheeks.

She gave a little whimper as his hands traced soft patterns down her back and over her arms. Yielding sweetly to her emotions, Rhea pressed herself against him more tightly, finding his mouth again with her own, leading the way this time.

It was all Carter could do to hold himself together, to keep himself in check from taking more intimacies.

“Tell me you love me,” he said at last in a whisper beside her ear, his mouth raining kisses down her neck.

He felt her tense.

“You know you love me, Rhea.” He looked down into her eyes in the dark, reveling in the feel of her chest heaving against his. “Why can't you admit it? Say it out loud?” He kissed her softly and then held her face in his hands. “You know I love you. Let's quit pretending it isn't true.”

Something in her eyes shut down then, and she drew back from him. Carter felt her pull her resolve back together.

“Race you back,” she said suddenly. She pushed off the raft and headed back toward shore before he had time to stop her.