down at Dev, the sun and water gleaming on her smooth, tanned ß esh.

• 56 •

WHEN DREAMS TREMBLE

“Jesus, let it go,” Dev muttered when she felt the old familiar ache of longing.

“You were kids.”

“They say it’s dangerous to live alone in the woods,” Natalie said, standing at

the end of the path to Dev’s cabin with her hands on her hips and a big grin. “I

guess they’re right, because you’ve only been here a couple of days and already

you’re talking to yourself.”

“Hey,” Dev said, quickly closing her spreadsheet and powering down the

computer. When she glanced at her watch she realized she’d been daydreaming

for the better part of an hour. It was already after seven. Natalie wore low-cut

jeans, a short-sleeved red blouse with several buttons open at the top, and

sandals. Her dark hair, which she kept tied up when in uniform, was loose and

longer than Dev had thought. She looked…pretty. Very pretty. “I hope you

keep that a secret.

I swear I’m harmless.”

“I’m not sure I believe that,” Natalie said with a ß irtatious smile.

“But I promise not to tell anyone about your private vices.”

Dev grinned and gave a little bow. “Thank you.”

“Look, I hope you don’t mind, I stopped by to see if you wanted to get

something to eat, and Mrs. Harris told me which cabin was yours.

Am I interrupting your work?”

“No, I was just inputting some data. Hold on a minute.” She stepped back

inside and put her computer on the end table. When she returned to the porch,

Natalie was waiting for her, her back against one of the posts, the soft evening

sunlight slanting across her face. At this distance, Dev saw that she’d applied a

light touch of makeup. And she smelled wonderful. “I appreciate the dinner

invite, but I told Mrs.

Harris I’d have dinner at the lodge tonight. I’ve been here almost a week and I

haven’t yet, so I hate to back out. I’m really sorry.”

Natalie shook her head. “That’s okay. I just took a chance that you might be

free. Some other night?”

“Absolutely. Come on, I’ll walk you back to the lodge.” As they strolled down

the path, Dev said, “I want to spend a few days out on the islands collecting

samples at eight-hour intervals. Do you have camping gear I can borrow?”

“Sure. I’ll take care of getting the permits.”

“Can you try to keep a few campsites right next to me empty?”

Natalie nodded. “It’s still early in the season, so that won’t be a problem. In

fact, depending on where you go, you may be the only one on the island.”

• 57 •

RADCLY fFE

“That’s great.”

“When are you going?”

“Actually, I’d like to go next week to collect the Þ rst set of samples and then

again at least once later in the summer.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Great, I’ll give you a list—” Dev broke off as Leslie came down the path from

her cabin. She saw Leslie’s eyes go from her to Natalie and register surprise

before Leslie’s expression quickly became unreadable. “Hi, Les.”

“Hello.”

Natalie smiled and gave a half wave. “Evening.”

“Leslie, this is Natalie Evans. She’s a park ranger. Natalie, Leslie Harris.”

Natalie extended her hand. “I’d guess you’re Eileen’s daughter.

You look like her.”

“So I’ve been told. Nice to meet you.”

The three continued toward the lodge in silence, Leslie quickening her pace so

that by the time they neared the lodge, she was well ahead, leaving Natalie and

Dev alone.

“Was it something I said?” Natalie asked.

Dev stared after Leslie, trying to decipher her attitude. She seemed angry, but

Dev had no idea why. “I don’t think so. At any rate, I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“Well, I don’t want to keep you from dinner, Dev,” Natalie said when they

stopped at the foot of the walkway to the house. “How about I swing by and

pick you up in the morning. Say seven o’clock?”

“That sounds Þ ne. Sorry about dinner.”

Natalie rested her hand on Dev’s shoulder and stood on tiptoe to kiss her

cheek. Her voice was low, throaty, when she said, “I’ll take a rain check.”

“Deal.”

Dev waved goodbye as Natalie crossed the parking lot and climbed into her

SUV, then turned toward the house. She was surprised to see Leslie standing

on the porch. She hadn’t noticed her before and wondered if she’d been there

the entire time.

“Your friend was welcome to stay,” Leslie said. More than just friend, it looks

like.

Dev joined Leslie. “Thanks, that’s nice of you. Maybe some other time, then.”

• 58 •

WHEN DREAMS TREMBLE

“My parents are big fans of all the park employees.” Leslie turned abruptly and

walked into the house, her words trailing behind her. “I’m sure they’d love her.”

Leslie crossed through the entryway that opened into an L-shaped room with

the great room off to the right and the dining room ahead. A buffet was set out

on several tables along the far wall. She nodded to the guests sitting at the small

square tables scattered through the room before pushing through the swinging

doors at the rear into the kitchen.

Beyond the cooking and prep area, an archway led to a combination

sitting/dining room on the adjacent screened-in back porch. That was where

she’d always taken her meals with her family. Her mother was at the stove now,

stirring something that smelled wonderful.

“Hi, sweetie,” Eileen said, glancing over her shoulder.

“Is Daddy home?” Leslie asked.

“Down at the boat dock. He’ll be up in a few minutes.”

“Is there any wine?”

“I just opened some. White okay?”

“Yes, thanks.”

Eileen smiled as Dev entered the kitchen. “Hi. Just make yourself comfortable

out on the porch. Something to drink?”

“Whatever everyone else is having. Can I do anything?”

“Yes,” Eileen said as she handed Dev and Leslie each a glass of wine. “Keep

Leslie company while I Þ nish in here.”

Leslie and Dev sat in two wicker porch chairs with ß oral print cushions and

watched the sun go down over the lake. Dev brushed her hand over the fabric,

thinking how some things never changed. Her parents had had the same chairs

on their small back porch behind the store. They’d had a small bit of land

running down to the lake too, and that was where she’d spent most of her time,

reading or daydreaming on the rickety, narrow dock.

“What is it exactly that you do, Dev,” Leslie asked, breaking the silence.

“My original focus was population dynamics among freshwater Þ sh.” She

grinned when Leslie’s eyebrows rose. “I know. Sounds sort of bizarre, doesn’t

it?”

“Just a little.” Leslie laughed. “I take it that led to other things.”

“Believe it or not, it has some practical application. I study the effects of

environmental pollutants on freshwater marine life. Mostly the Þ sh, but also the

other water life as well.”

• 59 •

RADCLY fFE

Leslie felt herself slide into that place of perfect emotional control where nothing

showed on the outside. She couldn’t remember when she’d learned to do that,

but it was one of the big reasons she’d advanced so quickly in the law. No

matter what she was feeling, no matter how unexpected the turn of events,

nothing in her expression or her tone of voice or her body posture ever gave her

away. “So you work for the state? Is that how you know the park ranger?”

“No, I’m a private consultant.” Dev stretched, enjoying the wine and the warmth

and Leslie’s company. “Right now, I’m at the Derrin Freshwater Institute in

Bolton in a short-term research position. But I do a lot of work with the

Department of Environmental Conservation when there are concerns about

industrial contamination. That sort of thing.”

“I see.”

Dev heard the chill in Leslie’s voice. “What?” Half joking, she said, “Are you

opposed to protecting the environment?”

“No,” Leslie said carefully, “I’m primarily opposed to the government forcing

unnecessary regulations with unproven results on private industry.”

“The government forcing…” Dev set her glass aside and regarded Leslie

intently. “What kind of law do you practice, Les?”

“I defend corporate clients, mostly.”

Dev was aware that Eileen had joined them, standing quietly off to one side of

the room. The tension had ratcheted up until it was visible in the air. “Like the

kind that violate EPA regulations.”

“Yes,” Leslie said, standing, “on occasion.” She smiled thinly at her mother.

“I’m going to walk down to the lake and tell Dad it’s time for dinner.”

Dev rose as well, watching Leslie go, her wine forgotten. She was trying to

come to terms with the fact that the young woman she had loved had turned out

to be someone she didn’t know at all.

“Have you and Leslie met before?” Eileen asked. “Before today, I mean.”

“No,” Dev said, then caught herself. This woman was a stranger to her, despite

their past. “We knew each other in high school. But things were different then.”