Eclipse Bay (Eclipse Bay #1)

She closed the drapes again, switched on the light, and picked up the phone. She punched in one of the numbers she had jotted down on the pad beside the bed.

Rafe answered on the first ring.

“What are you doing out there in the bushes?” she asked.

“Nothing for which I could get arrested.”

A small thrill of pleasure rippled through her at the sound of his voice; low, sexy, and just rough enough around the edges to bring back some very recent, very heated memories.

She turned off the light again. Carrying the phone, she went back to the window and opened the drapes a second time. She gazed out into the darkness, searching for the metallic gleam of the Porsche’s fender.

“Are you sure about that?” she asked.

“Positive.”

Talking to him now on the phone was a lot easier than facing him after that interlude in his bedroom, she discovered. There was a strange intimacy to the experience, but at the same time the distance allowed her to finally relax.

“You’re keeping watch, aren’t you?” she asked. “Waiting to see if whatever alarmed Winston shows up again.”

Silence hummed briefly on the other end.

“Just thought I’d stick around for a few minutes,” he said.

“That’s not necessary. I told you I’d call if Winston starts prowling. Go home, Rafe. We’ll be fine, honest.”

“I’ll only hang around for a little while. Whatever it is showed up between midnight and two the last couple of times, right?”

“Yes.”

“It’s almost two. I’ll leave soon.”

“Rafe—”

“Go to sleep,” he said softly.

She clutched the phone more tightly. “Rafe, about tonight—”

“What about it?”

“I apologize for acting like a complete idiot. Asking you whether or not what happened between us was all about Dreamscape was inexcusable. I knew better than that.”

“Whatever is going on between you and me, it’s not about the house.”

She hesitated. “A lot of people in town will think it is.”

“Everyone in Eclipse Bay thinks that I seduced you on the beach eight years ago, too.” The dismissive shrug in his voice was loud and clear. “Do you really care what people think?”

She contemplated the question for a long moment. “No.”

“Neither do I.”

“Rafe?”

“Yeah?”

“If what happened tonight wasn’t about Dreamscape, what was it about?”

“Good question. When you figure out the answer, let me know.”

“Rafe?”

“Yeah?”

“Sometimes you remind me an awful lot of Winston when it comes to communicating.”

“Probably a guy thing.”

“Good night, Rafe.”

“Don’t forget to call me in the morning.”

She hung up the phone and climbed into bed. She did not even attempt to close her eyes until she heard the muted purr of his car’s engine recede into the distance sometime later. She glanced at the clock. It was two-fifteen.

At the foot of the bed, Winston was sound asleep.

Chapter 13

The next morning she waited until ten o’clock to call.

“Don’t want to look too eager,” she told Winston as she punched out the number on the kitchen cordless. “Guys sense it if you’re too eager.”

Winston looked bored. He went to the door and looked back at her with an expectant expression.

“You’ve already been out twice this morning.” She listened to the phone ring on the other end. “I think you’re getting addicted to the beach.”

It was true, she thought. Winston’s approval of their new lifestyle was evident. He loved running around in Dead Hand Cove with its myriad smells and odd inhabitants. He clearly delighted in his off-leash freedom.

Rafe finally answered the phone.

“This is Madison.” He sounded impatient, as if his attention was on something vastly more interesting than a phone call.

She frowned briefly at the instrument in her hand and then held it to her ear again.

“Sorry if I’m interrupting anything important,” she said dryly. “I thought you were expecting my call.”

“ ’Morning, honey.” Rafe’s voice warmed measurably. “I’m a little busy at the moment. Can I get back to—hang on a second.” He broke off abruptly and spoke to someone else. “Take a good look at the wiring in that panel, will you, Torrance?”

“Honey?” Hannah pondered the simple endearment. Rafe had never called her honey, not even last night in the middle of making love to her. Of course, he had not made a lot of conversation in bed.

“Hell, there should be insulation in that wall,” Rafe continued in a muffled voice. “Yeah, I can see the pipes. That’s why I want insulation in it. Who wants to listen to every flush and shower?”

“Pipes?” Hannah stopped trying to tease out the little nuances of “honey” and focused on the more disturbing word. “Rafe, what’s going on there? Is something wrong?”

“I’m getting an assessment of the condition of the plumbing and wiring,” he said casually. “The good news is that Isabel had it all brought up to code a few years ago.” His paused to speak to someone else again. “Is that copper?”

“Rafe, who are you talking to?”

“The Willis brothers are here,” he said into the phone. “I’m having them go over the place from top to bottom.”

“You’ve got Walter and Torrance Willis there?” She shot up from the kitchen chair. “Why?”

“Just getting together some preliminary estimates to see how much it will cost to put in the inn and restaurant,” he said with breathtaking innocence.

“You can’t do that.” She grabbed her keys and broke into a run, heading to the door. “Not without my permission, damn it.”

“We both agreed we wanted to open an inn here at Dreamscape.”

“We haven’t even decided how we’re going to deal with the legalities of ownership. Don’t you dare touch a thing until I get there.”

Winston saw her heading for the door. He started to bounce a little.

“I told you, I’m just getting some preliminary figures together,” Rafe said.

“I am coming over there right now. You listen to me, Rafe Madison. I own half of that house. Don’t you dare touch a single thing until I get there. And don’t let the Willis brothers touch anything, either.”