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He caught her with both hands on her arms. As soon as her brows rose in surprise, he released her. She was breathing hard. He was, too.
This time, she didn’t move away. She remained floating in front of him. She even drew close and put a hand on his shoulder. “So, what’s going on because I could swear you wanted to work with me.”
He shook his head slowly. “I can’t let you do this, Natalie. I can’t let you get anywhere near Kryder. I don’t want you to return to Savage. Ever.”
“Maybe you’re forgetting. He sabotaged my strawberry pie all the way in Cave Creek. I think his reach is well beyond Savage.”
“That’s not the point. I don’t want you involved, not like this.”
She gestured with a wild thrust of her hand into the air. “Don’t you get it, Grant? I’m already involved.” Of course, the abrupt gesture flipped her off to the side, but she righted herself easily enough and resumed her place in front of him. She continued, “If you think I’ll be safer in Revel than in Savage, you are out of your mind.”
Once more, she settled her hand on his arm. Her touch was warm and gentle. Female. “Listen,” she said softly. “Why don’t you take me to my home. There’s something I want to show you.”
The fight went out of him. At least they were moving in the right direction, away from Kryder and Savage. But he knew she wasn’t done having her say. He also had the worst suspicion she was right.
Because it was closing in on dawn, the canal section of Revel was very quiet. They were high enough in the air that he could see the network of canals and higher-end homes and condos that lined the waterways. The last of the tourist boats had long since left for the night.
She had a premium lot on the corner of a canal that flowed east then turned to run north. The street side of her home had no other houses since the lane bordered the canal. Tall sissoo trees gave the area a park-like feel. The main street formed a T with three more residential streets. Her location plus the size and quality of her home told him her futurist business served her well. But it was also one more sign she was a woman of exceptional ability. If her affluence was a reflection of her skill in seeing the future, then Kryder was no doubt smart to pursue her. The only thing he didn’t understand was why the alpha hadn’t gotten to her already.
She led him to the backyard and made a gradual descent onto a wide gravel path. He remembered the layout from the time he’d seen her home. He had a closer view now. Italian Cypresses and junipers lined the walkways as well as a few flower beds. There were lemon or lime trees in big stone pots on the patio.
He touched down beside her and as she moved toward the back of the house, he glanced around. The garden had a symmetrical feel, European maybe. Even in the cool days of the desert winter, it would be a green space.
He found the layout soothing. Black-framed windows ran the entire length of the house. A covered patio did the same. Off to the right was a double row of closely planted cypresses screening a more private garden perhaps.
“You like to look outside.”
She looked up at him. “As much as I can.”
When he reached the porch, he noted the steel shutters that would close off the patio with the house. She would have a view of the patio as well as the potted plants during the day but protection from the sun. “This is a sweet design.”
“The shutters? Yes. In my first house, I remember feeling almost claustrophobic during the daylight hours. I wanted something more here.”
“I’m impressed. This was very well thought out.”
She opened the sliding glass door to the kitchen then moved inside. Cool air washed over him as he closed the door. His gaze was drawn to the fireplace of what was the family room off to the right. Above the mantel was a landscape of dark, shadowy hills and the milky way above.
A doze
n memories rushed over him, of seeing the milky way for the first time as a child and his father telling him about stars and galaxies. Later, in college, he’d travelled to a park in Potter County, Pennsylvania where he’d seen the Milky Way’s nucleus. But the most memorable was making love to Renee at the Grand Canyon in the open air beneath all those stars.
Now here was the same extraordinary sight in Natalie’s home. The artist had captured the beauty and majesty of earth’s galaxy.
“What is it?” she asked.
“The Milky Way. I think it’s the last thing I expected to see in your house.”
“Why?” She even chuckled.
“I don’t know, but I love it.”
“The astronomer that you are. Well, I do, too. There are more landscapes with lots of stars in the hallway. You can have a look while I locate what it was I wanted to show you.”
She waved him forward and he followed. He drew in a slow deep breath watching her long, curly brown hair moved across her back as she walked. Who was this woman who loved the stars like he did?
The living room was to the left, a collection of white furniture set on an Oriental rug. The flooring was large gray stone squares. She turned right down a hallway. Though she kept moving, she swept an arm along the right wall indicating the paintings she’d referred to. It was nothing short of a gallery. Opposite the wall were a couple of bedrooms.
When she disappeared into a room at the far end of the hallway, and to the right, he took his time and viewed each painting. She hadn’t been kidding about the stars. Several were done by the same artist. All were of night scenes showing the moon and stars or just the stars as well as different regions of Arizona. He recognized Sedona and the Mogollon Rim, the Grand Canyon, and the White Mountains. The land was lit in a glow, a bit dimmer than his own night vision. The aesthetics were stunning.
