“No. At least I haven’t so far. There have been times when the wind and rain will get the surface of the lake churned up to the point that large waves roll onto the decks and walkways, but the boathouse itself seems to be able to withstand the pounding.”
The potatoes would take a while to bake, so we settled onto the sofa with the wine. The large picture window that normally allowed for a fantastic view of the lake was marred with water that had blown up from the lake. I supposed it didn’t really matter since it was too dark to see anything anyway.
Alastair jumped down off his perch and curled up in my lap. He seemed content now that he’d gotten the lay of the land. I suspected he’d rather be home where everything was familiar, but he was the adaptable sort, so I was sure he’d be fine.
“So tell me about the actors and actresses you’ve met this week,” Cass asked.
I was pretty sure he was more interested in easing my tension by making causal conversation than in learning about my impressions of the men and women who’d been cast in the movie, but it felt like a safe topic that wouldn’t stretch my nerves any further, so I began to describe the people I’d spoken to. By the time I’d filled him in the best I could, the potatoes were done, so Cass got up to grill the steaks. I topped off both wine glasses as he tossed a salad and suggested we sit at the table near the window rather than the bar where he normally ate.
The food was probably delicious, but I really didn’t taste it. I tried to relax and not overthink things, but no matter how hard I tried, the only thing on my mind was what might or might not happen after dinner. When Cass suggested a movie, I was both disappointed and relieved. We picked out a good horror flick and settled in to watch it as the storm raged outdoors. When Cass pulled a blanket over the top of us and then settled an arm around my shoulders, I snuggled up next to his warm side. The movie took place in a haunted house during a storm, which seemed appropriate given the storm that was building outside the window. I half expected Cass to bring up the subject of the curse and where this night might or might not lead, but instead of talking, he simply kissed me, holding back just a bit and allowing me to set the pace. I knew I should pull back, but to be honest, I was tired of holding back. I deepened the kiss, and he responded. When we were together, it felt so right. I’d believed in the curse and had lived with the devastation it could cause, but in that moment, I couldn’t understand how something that felt so right could be wrong.
“We should stop,” I whispered against his mouth.
He pulled back just a bit. “Is that what you want?”
“No.” I reached up a hand and ran it down his face. “But I would die if something happened to you.”
“It won’t. Curses only have the power to hurt you if you believe in them, and I don’t.”
“But...”
He put a finger over my lips. “I love you. I want to be with you. To build a life with you. We don’t even know if our being together will act as a trigger.”
“We don’t know that it will, but it might,” I argued despite the fact that my heart yearned to give up the struggle and test the limits of the curse once and for all.
Cass put both his hands on my cheeks, pulled my face forward, and devoured my lips with his. I knew I should stop him. I knew that letting go and loving him both physically and emotionally was a risk. But in the end, my will to fight the inevitable ending Cass and I had been heading toward since the moment I returned to town somehow got lost in my urgent need to take a chance and explore the possibilities a life with Cass might provide.
Chapter 12
Saturday
The drizzle had increased to a steady rain by morning, but at least the wind that had battered the boathouse for most of the night had died down. I’d always loved the sound of rain on the roof, so I lay in bed with my eyes closed for several minutes, listening to the pitter-patter as the fog of sleep drifted from my mind, and the reality of the day came into focus. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I was aware of was the comfort of waking to a pair of strong arms wrapped around my body.
I smiled.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.” Cass leaned up on an elbow and looked down at me.
“Good morning,” I said, looking directly into his eyes. “What time is it?”
“Ten-fifteen.”
I leaned up on my elbows. “Ten-fifteen? How did I sleep until ten-fifteen?”
Cass ran a finger along my jawline. “We were up late, and without the sun shining in the window, the room remained dark. I suppose sleeping in was inevitable.” He laid back down and pulled me into his arms. “We don’t need to be anywhere,” he reminded me. “There’s no schedule to keep, no job to show up for, or tasks to perform.”
I glanced at Milo, and even he was still asleep on the rug next to the bed. Realizing that Cass was right and we really didn’t need to get up, I laid back down, snuggled up against him, and laid my cheek on his chest. “This is really nice,” I said.
He tightened his arms around me.
“I’m not used to sleeping in,” I added. “In fact, I really can’t remember the last time I slept this late.”
“Even on the weekends?” Cass asked.
“Even then,” I confirmed. “If nothing else, the smell of Gracie making breakfast usually gets me up out of bed.”
“Are you hungry?”
“No. You?”
He pulled me onto his chest and kissed me like he might never let me go. “Not for food,” he whispered, his lips next to mine, as he rolled us both over and chased any thoughts I might have had of leaving the warmth of the bed out of my mind.
******
A long time later, we got up and made breakfast. Being with Cass as we performed simple tasks such as scrambling eggs, making coffee, and buttering toast somehow made everything better. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been this happy. Not that the threat of the curse kicking in and ruining everything wasn’t in the back of my mind, because it was, but the thing about the curse was that it didn’t immediately strike down those destined to fall victim to its dictate. The inevitable tragedy often didn’t occur for years after the igniting factor. I supposed in our case, now that we’d faced the challenge of the curse, all we could do was live each day one at a time and wait to see what might or might not happen in the long run.
“The rain is getting even harder,” I said, staring out the window. “I know we decided that any sort of heavy flooding wouldn’t be a problem, but I’m beginning to think we might have been wrong about that.”
“Yeah.” Cass frowned. “It’s coming down harder than I expected. I guess all we can do is keep an eye on things. Do you want more coffee?”
“Please.”
He got up to grab the pot. While he was up, he picked up his cell, which he’d left on the kitchen counter that divided the cooking area from the dining area. I watched as he frowned and then held the phone to his ear. I assumed he was listening to a voicemail.
After a moment, he looked in my direction. “I’m afraid I have to go.”
“Go? Go where?”
“Into town. There’s been a murder.” He paused and then continued. “I’m afraid it’s Robert Harrison.”
“Robert? What happened to Robert?”
He headed for the stairs to his loft bedroom. I followed. “I’m not sure. The message was from Trent.” I knew Trent Vinton was one of Cass’s deputies. “The central dispatch office received an anonymous call from a woman claiming to have heard gunshots. Trent responded and found Robert’s body in the forest, not all that far from where Bill crashed his car.” Cass began pulling on a pair of jeans over the boxers he’d been wearing. “I’m afraid that’s all I know at this point. Trent is on the scene, but I need to go.”