Mint Juleps and Justice Read online

  “Exactly.” He pulled her in front of him and rested his chin on top of her head. She leaned back into his embrace. “Isn’t it great?” He wrapped both arms around her.

  “Oh?”

  “Look.” Mike pointed out ahead of them.

  “At what?” she whispered back.

  “Lightning bugs. Everywhere.”

  “I love fireflies!” Brooke’s eyes were still adjusting to the darkness, but he was right. Now that she looked closer, there was a light show going on and it was all natural. “There must be millions of them.”

  “A million you almost walked right by,” he teased.

  She sputtered and laughed. “You’re right. I really didn’t notice a thing.” Her mind was miles away…or years away in the past.

  “Sometimes you just have to slow down and enjoy what’s right in front of you.”

  She knew he was talking about the frogs and the lightning bugs, but how many other things was she missing, like this great guy standing right behind her?

  “It’s a free laser light show,” he said.

  “You’re right. It looks choreographed.” Brooke leaned into Mike’s arm, her chin skyward. “The stars seem so close. It looks like they fell from the sky and landed in the yard.”

  “Your senses really come alive out here, don’t they? Seeing, smelling, feeling, hearing…touching.” He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand.

  She nuzzled against his hand.

  He turned her around to face him. Pushing her hair back from her face, his thumb skimmed her lip.

  She pulled away, changing the subject back to the safe topic of lightning bugs. “I almost hate to admit this, but when I was a little girl we would collect lightning bugs off the big hedges around our house and put them in a jar. At night, we would pluck the little lights right off their butts and make jewelry. You know, diamond rings and earrings.” She pushed her hair behind one ear.

  Mike stared down at her with a lopsided grin. “I just can’t picture you pinching lights off lightnin’ bugs.”

  “Don’t try to tell me you never did anything like that?”

  “Never.”

  “Liar.”

  “We never made jewelry. We made war paint.”

  “War paint?”

  “Yeah, we’d smear the fluorescence on our cheeks like war paint.” He ran his finger down her cheek.

  “Stop it,” she said with a laugh, only there wasn’t anything funny about the tingling that he’d just set off on her from head to toe.

  Mike let his arm rest easily across her shoulders. “Want to make some new memories?”

  “Maybe,” she whispered. Her mind was reeling. She knew what she wanted, but she knew she’d promised herself she wouldn’t go there again. She swallowed and looked to the stars. What the heck was she supposed to do with this mixed-up heart of hers? Just as she looked to the sky for an answer, she got one. She broke the silence with a squeal. “A shooting star, good luck! Did you see it?”

  “I saw it. Did you wish on it?”

  “Of course.” She was relieved by the lucky sign. She must be in the right place after all. “Thank you, Mike.”

  He tilted his head down toward hers. “For what?”

  “This. I feel so relaxed. This place.” She held her arms out. “This wonderful place. Thanks for sharing all of this with me. I feel very lucky.”

  “I’m glad you like it. C’mon, I want you to see the cottage.”

  She stood her ground.

  “What’s the matter?”

  She took his hand in both of hers. “Mike. I’m really sorry about your wife.”

  His smile disappeared. “Rick told you?”

  She nodded. “You must miss her.”

  “She was my wife. Of course I miss her.” He stepped forward. “You’ve been married. You know you can’t just make the past disappear.”

  “Mine’s different,” she said. “I’d like mine to disappear. I’ll settle for the divorce, though.”

  “But my marriage was a long time ago.”

  “He said you’ve carried a lot of unnecessary guilt.”

  He let out a choked sound. “He never blamed me, but I know if I’d have been there, it wouldn’t have happened. No shrink, no one, will ever convince me otherwise.” He sucked in an audible breath. “But it was a long time ago. Being with you has made me feel something I haven’t felt in a long time.” He placed his hands against her face, stroking her jawline. “This is now and tomorrow.” He kissed her. “And the day after that.” He kissed her again. “And as soon as we get that crazy ex out of the way.”

  She laughed at that.

  “Now are you ready to see the cottage and drop all this downer talk?”

  “Yes.” She let out a breath. “I just didn’t want to have a secret.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

  She stepped up next to him and hugged his arm. “So, rumor has it that not only did you design this place, but you decorated it too.”

  “Rick doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut,” Mike said.

  Mike led Brooke up the steps, then stopped.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Nothing. Everything’s fine. Come here and close your eyes.” He placed cupped hands over her eyes.

  “Why?” Her hands flew to his.

  “Because I asked you to,” he whispered into her ear. His warm breath tickled.

  She relaxed under his hands, letting him guide her. “I suppose you always get what you want, don’t you?”

  “Most of the time.”

  “Figures.”

  “Like you don’t?” Mike stepped up right behind her, his body lined up right behind hers, holding her tight against him again. “Walk with me. Keep your eyes closed. Left foot.” They started to walk, one step at a time, and Brooke giggled, but followed along. She felt completely safe in his grip. She’d never felt that way with anyone, not even in the good days with Keith.

  One of Mike’s hands left her face, but even peeking it was so dark she couldn’t see anything, so she closed her eyes and went along with it. He leaned forward, and she heard the door knob turn and the front door of the cottage swing in with a creak. Air-conditioning rushed against her skin as they stepped through the threshold. “I’m going to move my hands. Keep your eyes shut, and stay right there.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just a second.”

  She heard him moving around the room. She stood still in the darkness, excited by the mystery of it all. A moment later, his hands were back on her face, cupping her cheeks, one thumb playing over her lips.

  Her breath caught and her heart raced. “Can I…” she started to ask, but before she could finish the sentence his mouth was on hers, and the warmest, most passionate kiss was taking hold of her. Her knees wobbled, and she wondered if she might fall.

  Mike pulled away. “Now you can look.”

  She blinked, taking a moment for her eyes to adjust and her knees to regain control of her stance. Candles glowed along a rough-cut wood mantel, and an arch of candles flickered in the floor-to-ceiling fireplace.

  She scanned the room, surprised at the size of it. The furniture was heavy and leather. A bearskin rug sprawled in front of the flagstone fireplace. In the far corner more candles were lit behind a glass block wall. “What’s back there?”

  “The bathroom. Claw-foot tub and all.”

  “Ooooh, I love those.” She walked in a small circle, trying to take it all in. “This is amazing. I’m not sure what I expected, but this is wonderful.” Like a dream. One I’ve had often.

  “I know.” In one quick sweep Mike had her off her feet and in his arms.

  Brooke squealed with surprise, “Put me down!” She slapped his shoulders playfully. “Why did you do that?”

&nbs
p; “Because you’re tiny,” he said. “Because I can, and it makes me feel manly.” There was no arguing that, so she let Mike carry her to the back of the cottage to the glass-blocked bathroom. He lowered her onto an antique trunk, then stepped back and lit two lanterns that hung gracefully from the corners of the room. They brought a lot of light to the bathroom. He flipped the old-style porcelain hot and cold knobs on and the water started rushing into the old tub. Mike lifted the lid on a large glass cookie jar. The smell of rose petals and fresh lavender permeated the air. He scooped a handful of the dark and scented leaves and tossed them into the running water.

  “For me?”

  “Enjoy. There’s a robe behind the door. I’ll be in the living room. Take your time.”

  “Perfect.” She stood on tippy-toes and put her arms around his neck. “This is very nice. I’m glad I came with you.”

  “I’m glad you came too.” His eyes locked with hers for a long moment. “I need to get out of here. Enjoy your bath, and don’t worry about saving hot water for me.”

  She giggled as he walked out of the room. “Aren’t you too sweet?” She could see his silhouette through the glass block as he went back to the living room.

  Mike answered as he continued to move through the living room, “Not really. I have a feeling I’m going to need a cold shower. You’re making me crazy.”

  She caught her reflection in a full-length freestanding oval wooden-framed mirror. She almost didn’t recognize the smiling face in the reflection. She knew she was giving him mixed signals. As much as she didn’t want to be interested, to feel what she was feeling, those butterflies in her stomach weren’t going to let her off the hook so easy. She wondered if he could see her stepping into the tub through the distorted glass, but pushed the worry aside and sank into the deep tub. Brooke soaked until she was pruney and then forced herself to get out of the cooling water. She eased into the plush robe and quietly padded across the candlelit room. “Whew, that was great.” The ends of her hair were damp and curling.

  “Good.” Mike toyed with the rolled hem of the heavy robe from his position stretched out on the couch.

  “Where’s my stuff? I want to brush my teeth.”

  “I put your stuff in the downstairs bedroom on the bed.”

  “There’s more than one bedroom?”

  A smile spread across Mike’s face. “There’s a loft. See the stairs off the kitchen? Had you worried, huh?”

  “Well, I don’t know that I would say worried, but I wondered. Okay, yes. I was worried.”

  “Afraid I was going to take advantage of you?” he asked, patting her hand.

  She pressed her lips together. “Who says I was afraid?”

  Mike looked pleasantly surprised. “I like the sound of that.” Mike stood. “I’m going to go jump in the shower.”

  “Can I brush my teeth before you get in there?” she asked.

  “There’s another bath off the bedroom. You can unload your stuff in there.”

  “This place didn’t look that big from the clearing.”

  “It’s full of surprises, like me.”

  So I see. Brooke got as far as the doorway to the bedroom, but the pitch-black room made it hard for her to maneuver. “Hey, Mike?” She yelled from the doorway.

  “Yeah.”

  “Where’s the light switch? I can’t see a thing.”

  “Just clap twice, the lights will come on.”

  The clapper? I hope he’s kidding. Oh, my god. Okay, so now the tacky maleness is showing in the decorating. She clapped twice. Sure enough, a soft flood of light filled the cozy room. A canopy-style lodgepole bed filled one end of the room. The pristine white duvet, clean and crisp, was in sharp contrast to the burgundy-and-black Western blanket that was casually folded at the footboard.

  She unzipped her bag that, like Mike had promised, was on the bed. She retrieved her toiletries and headed for the bathroom, brushing teeth and hair and then trading the robe for her own pajamas. She now regretted bringing the conservative cotton pajamas. When Brooke got back to the living room, she saw the cup of tea Mike had left for her on the wagon-wheel coffee table.

  She sipped it slowly, letting it relax her. She noticed his silhouette through the glass block. Even through the distorted glass she could see the wide span of his shoulders and athletic taper. She felt naughty spying on him. She wondered if he had done the same from this very seat when she was in the tub. She grabbed a soft pillow from the end of the couch and snuggled it under her head and chin.

  An owl woke her from a dead sleep. She must have drifted off before Mike ever finished showering because she woke up all alone on the couch to the sound of that hoot owl. A matelassé coverlet was tucked around her hips. Thoughtful.

  She lay there relaxed and comfortable. The thought of Mike excited her. She squeezed her knees together, trying to ignore the feeling by pressing her hips back into the leather.

  But her mind was filled with thoughts of him. She swept the cover back and headed for the bedroom. It was empty.

  She contemplated crawling into the master bedroom bed, but hated to mess up the crisp coverlet for just a couple of hours of sleep, and knowing that he’d been the gentleman after all and taken the loft just made him more appealing.

  She headed back to the couch, but instead she took the stairs to the loft. She took each step carefully, hoping they wouldn’t creak and alert him before she made it to the top. At midpoint up the stairs, she got a little dizzy, and realized she was holding her breath. She took in a deep breath and steadied herself, then made it up the stairs to the edge of the rail.

  Mike was sprawled across the queen-size timber-framed bed, similar to the one in the master bedroom. Rather than a canopy, this one had an intricately carved scene of running horses in the headboard. He looked tan against the light-colored linens, and she wondered if he had anything on under the sheet that was covering the lower half of his body.

  She watched him sleep, then walked over, slipped into the bed, and spooned up against him. He didn’t budge. She relaxed into his warmth. Her breathing fell in sync with his slow, deep breaths, and before she knew it, she was dreaming again of shooting stars and lightning bugs.

  In the last couple of hours since she’d snuck into Mike’s bed, they had switched positions. She remembered crawling in behind him, but now he was spooning her. He had one arm across her body, his hand cupping her breast, and as nice as it felt, it made her regret the bold move.

  “Good morning, Brooke,” a half-asleep muffled voice whispered into her ear, then dropped a kiss in her hair.

  Embarrassed for having been so forward to sneak into his bed, she squeaked out a “Hi.”

  He embraced her, giving her a gentle squeeze. “Mmmmm, this was the nicest surprise…to wake up with you in my bed.”

  “Glad you didn’t mind. You’re not the only one full of surprises,” she said brazenly.

  “I see that.”

  “Good morning.” She rolled over to face him, thinking about the recurring dream, more of a fantasy really, with the log cabin and wondering if this was the man who went with it.

  He shifted up on an elbow to look into her eyes, then kissed her softly on each of her eyelids. “You’re not like anyone I’ve ever known.”

  She smiled, eyes still closed from the kisses. “Thank you,” she paused, then opened one eye. What did that even mean? “I think.”

  He leaned into her neck, making her gasp as his face made contact with the soft skin between her shoulder and ear. “It was a compliment.” He swept her hair back from her face.

  She shifted toward him. “It must be the country air.”

  He rolled over quickly on top of her, but on his knees, not letting his body touch hers.

  She felt a rush of desire, and at this moment she didn’t care what won—her head or her heart—as long as it didn’t m
ake her stop.

  The heel of his hand made a path between her breasts and then slowly but firmly down to her belly button over her cotton pajamas. She closed her eyes, but she was anything but relaxed. The weight of his palm slowly made the leap to the place that made her wish for more.

  She gulped in a breath of air.

  “Like that?”

  Brooke felt cheated when he laid one short kiss on her, and then stood up out of bed. She heard him clomping down the stairs two by two, before she even opened her eyes.

  “Better get up and get a move on if we want to have breakfast before we hit the trails,” he called to her.

  She lay there for a moment, trying to pull herself together. The shower started downstairs, so she hightailed it down to the master bedroom to get dressed before he could notice how he was knocking her off-kilter, if he hadn’t already.

  In jeans and white T-shirt she started to join Mike in the other room, and then decided to grab a different shirt from her bag. An oversize yellow blouse would combat the morning nip and the afternoon sun. She grabbed her hiking boots and headed to the living room, where Mike was already on the couch sipping a cup of coffee.

  “You about ready?” he asked.

  “Yes.” She tied the laces on her boots, then sprang to her feet and led the way to the door. “Let’s go, I’m starved.”

  After breakfast, they headed down to the barn and saddled up for a trail ride. Marsha Mellow, a beautiful tan horse with a soft white mane and tail, was Brooke’s ride for the day. She laid her hands on the ribs of the large animal, then moved toward Marsha Mellow’s front. The horse snorted softly. Brooke placed her hands on the animal’s huge head. Speaking quietly to the beast, she struck a bargain that she hoped would get her through the day in one piece. “My, what big eyes you have. If you’re nice to me and don’t go real fast, I promise you a nice brush-down at the end of the day. Don’t embarrass me or make me squeal like a girl. We understand each other?”

  The horse tossed her beautiful mane.

  “Good,” Brooke said just as Mike walked up behind her to help her onto the saddle. Marsha Mellow took it from there, falling in step behind Mike’s horse.