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"I did. And I wanted it. I've wanted it every breathing moment since." He stroked her, felt her quick, hot breaths inside his mouth. "And now..."
"Ski ...," she gasped.
"I want you."
CHAPTER
28
BERRY AND SKI ENTERED THE LAKE HOUSE THROUGH THE BACK door, feeling chagrined but without regret. The kitchen was empty. The house was silent. "Knock, knock," Berry called.
"In here." Caroline's voice wafted from the dining area.
Ski leaned close to Berry as they crossed the kitchen. "Thank God. It occurred to me we might've caught them doing the same thing that kept us from brunch."
"Shh."
Both were snickering as they entered the other room and found Caroline sitting at the dining table all alone. Her forlorn expression instantly alarmed Berry.
"What's wrong?"
"Dodge left."
"What do you mean by left?" Berry asked.
"What part didn't you understand?" Her snappish tone surprised them all, especially Caroline herself. Her shoulders slumped forward, and she raised a hand to her forehead. "I'm sorry."
Berry took the nearest chair and looked at Ski inquisitively as he sat down across the table from her. He shrugged, letting her know that he didn't know what to make of this startling turn of events, either.
Berry asked, "When did he leave?"
"He never returned from the supermarket." Caroline lowered her hand, clasped it with her other, twisted her fingers, released them. "After half an hour and he still wasn't back, I called his cell phone. When he didn't answer, I got a feeling..." She hiccuped a sob. "I went up to the guest room. His things weren't there." Miserably she said, "He left."
Tears began to overflow her eyes. Angrily she brushed them off her cheeks. "For thirty years I did without that man. I did fine. Better than fine. Then, I saw him and ... In only four days' time he became essential. And now..." She buried her face in her hands, rubbing the heels of them into her eye sockets. "I hate myself for crying over him again."
Nobody said anything until she lowered her hands from her face.
Berry spoke first. "Your reunion wasn't one-sided, Mother. You spent last night together."
Caroline smiled through her tears and gave a small nod.
"And it was ... good?"
She burbled a soft laugh. "Like we'd never been apart."
"Then he wouldn't have just up and left without saying something."
"He did."
Ski asked, "He gave you no indication that he was going to split?"
"Something was troubling him. I asked him about it last night, and again this morning, but he put me off, told me it was nothing, made jokes. But I think..."
"What?" Ski prompted.
"I think he'd done what he came here to do. The bad guy had been caught." She shrugged with helplessness. "He dreaded a prolonged good-bye."
Ski pushed his chair back, stood, and moved to the window. He slid his hands, palms out, into the back pockets of his jeans, a habit Berry was coming to recognize and find endearing. After a moment, he turned back to them. "With all due respect, Caroline, I don't think that's it. Not entirely anyway. He was bugged."
