“I want to fi nish going through the house.”

“Absolutely not,” Nita said with fi nality. “You’re already injured, plus you’re fi lthy. You need a shower and I need to look at your face.”

“I’m not going to get your house any dirtier than it already is, Nita.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You know what I’m talking about.”

“And we’re here now, and I just want a quick tour of the upper fl oors and a peek in the attic.” Deo turned Nita toward the stairs.

“Besides, the weather is supposed to clear tomorrow and I want to take a look under the eaves while it’s raining. The situation down here isn’t enough to hold up the closing, but if you’ve got a leaking roof, you want to know about it now.”

With a sigh, Nita started climbing. “Ten more minutes.”

“Twenty and you’ve got a deal.”

Against her better judgment, Nita agreed. Happily, the rest of the house was sound, and they reached the narrow stairway leading up to the widow’s walk without further incident. The sound of rain drumming on the roof was so loud, Nita was forced to lean close to Deo or shout.

“It’s pouring out there. You can save that for another day.”

“No way,” Deo said. “That’s one of the best parts of this house.

Besides, I need a shower. You can stay—”

“Let’s go then,” Nita grumped. Carefully, she negotiated the twisting stairs and waited on a small landing while Deo loosened yet another rusty latch and threw open the door that led out to the railed walkway that circled the highest portion of the roof. As she stepped out into the rainy night, she gasped.

“Oh my God,” Nita whispered. “It’s gorgeous.”

The town lay spread out below them, curving along the harbor.

Sailboats and yachts rocked in the harbor, their running lights sending skittering shafts of gold across the inky surface. Despite the rain, a half

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moon peeked from behind the cloud cover and cast its pale timeless glow over the scene. For an instant, Nita imagined herself a woman searching the sea night after night, waiting in the dark for her lover to return.

Deo watched Nita take it all in, struck by the way her features softened and a sad smile played across her mouth. She was every bit as beautiful as the night.

“Glad you came up here?” Deo asked quietly.

Nita turned. “Oh yes. I think I’ll come up here every night.”

“I don’t blame you. I would too.”

“Turn your face up to the sky,” Nita said, her throat suddenly thick.

Deo’s dark hair lay in tendrils over her cheeks and neck. Her body was silhouetted against the moonlit sky, strong and tight and powerful. Nita wanted to run her hands over her sculpted shoulders and down her bare arms. She wanted to slide her palms beneath the thin T-shirt and cup the soft swell of her barely perceptible breasts. She wanted, and the wanting felt good even though she knew there was no more basis to it than a primal urge programmed somewhere in the depths of her brain.

She hadn’t been able to resist touching Sylvia, and she had paid for that weakness with a huge part of her heart and soul. She would not make the same mistake again.

“What?” Deo asked, trying to decipher the look on Nita’s face.

For an instant she thought she had seen desire, but now she saw only sadness. Remarkably, it was the sadness that made her reach out more than the fl eeting desire.

Nita held up her hand and forestalled Deo’s motion. “Shower, remember? Tilt your head back and let the rain wash you clean.”

Wondering if it could really be that simple, Deo closed her eyes and surrendered to the storm.

❖

“Nelson,” Reese whispered. “You awake?”

Nelson Parker turned his head slowly on the pillow, clearly struggling to focus. His voice was raspy and faint when he spoke, a mere echo of his normally deep vibrant baritone. “Reese.”

Reese reached over the aluminum railings that separated her from him and rested her hand on his bare forearm. When he tried to raise his

• 109 •

RADCLY fFE

arm he could barely move it and his weakness struck her even more powerfully than seeing the tubes and other monitoring devices attached to and exiting his body. “How are you feeling?”

“Dog shit.”

“Yeah, I imagine.” Reese grinned and Nelson’s mouth fl ickered in a smile. “I won’t make it here before your surgery in the morning, so I’ll see you sometime tomorrow afternoon when you wake up.”

Nelson nodded almost imperceptibly. “Busy?”

“The usual.”

“Bri.”

Reese reached for the oversized Styrofoam container fi lled with water and positioned it so Nelson could reach the straw without lifting his head. She waited while he drank and then put the cup back on the narrow television table next to the bed.

“Lot to ask…” Nelson swallowed, and when he spoke again his voice was stronger. “Have to ask you to look after her if things don’t go well tomorrow.”

It never occurred to her to say anything other than the truth. To do anything less would be to deny him the respect he deserved. She knew he might die. So did he. It wasn’t dying that mattered, but how one did it. “I will. She’s strong, Nelson. She’ll be all right.”

“She here?”

“Can’t get her to stay away.” Reese grinned. “Between Tory and Caroline they’ve gotten her to go home a few times to shower and change her clothes.”

“Damn stubborn kid,” he said, his eyes shining.

“We love her. She’ll always have a home with us—both her and Caroline.” Reese squeezed his arm. “You don’t have to worry about her. What you need to do is everything you can to stick around for her.

That’s the mission.”

“Sounds easy.”

“Shouldn’t be too hard.” Reese slid her hand down until her fi ngers lay in Nelson’s palm. He closed his around hers. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Chief.”

“Roger.”

Reese walked out into the hall and found Bri waiting just outside the door. Caroline was with her, her hand tucked into the back pocket of Bri’s leather motorcycle pants. “Your dad needs to get a good night’s

• 110 •

Winds of Fortune

rest, so why don’t you say good night to him. You’ll see him in the morning.”

“Okay.” Bri’s voice was slightly unsteady.

“Tory says the surgery will make him stronger.” Reese briefl y clasped her shoulder. “That’s what he wants.”

“I know.” Bri glanced at Caroline. “You coming in with me?”

Caroline gave her a look. “Like I wouldn’t?” She kissed her cheek.

“What a blockhead.”

When they disappeared into Nelson’s room, Reese returned to the ICU waiting room and slumped onto the sofa next to Tory. It was only a little after nine p.m. and she shouldn’t be tired, but she was.

“Bri okay?” Tory asked, taking Reese’s hand.

“She’ll stand,” Reese replied.

“She’s scared.”

“Yes.” She raised their joined hands and brushed her lips over Tory’s. “But scared or not, she’ll be okay, because it’s not the fear that matters, but what you do about it.”

“Well, there’s not much more we can do here until tomorrow.”

Tory rose with Reese’s hand still in hers. At Reese’s look of surprise, she said, “And I need you tonight.”

Reese stood and eased her arm around Tory’s waist. “Let’s go home.”

• 111 •

• 112 •

Winds of Fortune

CHAPTER TWELVE

Follow me home,” Nita said, leaning into the open window of Deo’s truck. “I want to look at your face in decent light.”

“It’s nothing, I can tell.” Deo would have welcomed the invitation under other circumstances, but she didn’t want Nita viewing her as just another patient. Nita had been warm and relaxed with Joey at the clinic but had held herself back from everyone at the party that same night.

Even in the ICU a few nights ago, she hadn’t really been part of the group. It wasn’t hard to see that Nita was more comfortable relating to people from a professional distance, and distance wasn’t what Deo had in mind. “I’ve had worse.”

“That may be,” Nita insisted, “but it was my house that fell on your head, and I want to be sure you’re all right.”

“It’s not your responsibility.”

“Please,” Nita said softly.

Deo sighed and sagged back in surrender. “Jesus, and you call me relentless.”

Nita stepped back, smiling faintly. “I’m subletting a place in the East End across from Angel Market.”

“I’ll meet you there,” Deo said.

Less than ten minutes later, Deo parked in the empty lot beside the darkened gourmet grocery store and crossed the street to where Nita waited on the sidewalk. She followed her down a narrow gravel walkway between two buildings to the entrance of a familiar ground fl oor rear apartment. A small wooden deck led to sliding glass doors that opened into a compact kitchen. Nita turned on the light and Deo stepped inside.

“How do you like this apartment?” Deo asked.

“It’s great. The space isn’t that large, but it’s very well designed and they really thought of everything when they—what?” Nita asked as Deo grinned.

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RADCLY fFE

“There’s no better recommendation than a satisfi ed customer.”

Deo slid her hands into her pockets and shrugged. “My crew renovated it. I did most of the design myself.”

“It’s very good work.”

“Like I said—no better reference. Since I’ve already done the inspection on your house, I can work up quotes for the renovation—”

“Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself?” Nita interrupted irritably. “I haven’t requested a job estimate from you yet.”

“Well, you will.”

“Oh, you think so.” Nita snorted. “Usually I like a confi dent woman, but you take entitlement to an extreme.”

“Are you saying I’m spoiled?” Deo teased.