• 117 •

RADCLY fFE

With a sigh, Natalie turned on the seat so her back was against Dev’s shoulder

and her legs stretched out in front of her. “Do me a favor, okay?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m a big girl, and I know what I’m doing. So just think about it.”

“Okay,” Dev said softly. “I can do that.”

v

Dev pulled into the Lakeview parking lot right behind a big, shiny black Jeep

Cherokee. When she saw Leslie get out, she walked over to her.

“Nice ride.”

Leslie grinned. “Wait’ll my father sees it.”

“How is he?”

“So far, things look really promising. They Þ nished just after eleven this morning

and the orthopedic surgeon thought the nerves were just traumatized—not

permanently damaged.”

“That’s terriÞ c.”

“Yes. We’ll know more in a few days.” Leslie locked the truck and started

toward the lodge with Dev. “I called you once he was in recovery, but I got

voicemail. Did you get the message?”

“Sorry, I was out on the lake when you called and didn’t get in until just a few

minutes ago.”

Leslie cocked her head. “You look like you got some sun.

Working?”

Dev shook her head. “No. Natalie came by the lab and we took her boat out

for a couple of hours.”

“Oh,” Leslie said. “That’s nice.” She stopped on the porch. “I can handle things

here tonight, Dev. You’ve done enough already. Thank you.” She turned her

back and opened the door.

Dev caught the edge of the door with her hand and followed her inside. “I

checked in four more guests this morning before I went to the lab. There’s a

pretty full house tonight.”

“My mother has always been able to handle it. I should be able to.”

Leslie pushed through the swinging door into the kitchen and turned,

exasperated, when Dev followed. “Let me see if I can be clearer. Go away.”

• 118 •

WHEN DREAMS TREMBLE

“I won’t help. I’ll just watch.” Dev folded her arms and leaned against the wall.

Leslie stared at her, resisting the urge to grind her teeth. Then she stalked to the

refrigerator and pulled down the menu marked for that day. She groaned. She

hated making salad. “Fine.” She wrenched open the refrigerator door and

reached inside. “Here.”

Dev caught the Þ rst head of lettuce effortlessly. The second was a bit more of a

challenge with one hand already full. The third and fourth left bits of green

hanging from the collar of her shirt as she scooped them against her chest. “No,”

she shouted as Leslie drew back to pitch the Þ fth.

Laughing, Leslie stopped in mid-throw. “Oh my God. I can’t believe I’m

throwing lettuce in my mother’s kitchen like I’m Þ fteen.

What is it about this place?”

“Something in the air,” Dev said, understanding perfectly.

“It must be.” Leslie set the lettuce gently on the table, then went to Dev to

relieve her of the others. “I’m sorry. Let me take those.”

“I’ve got them. You go ahead and deal with the rest of dinner. I’ll take care of

these.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah.” As Dev checked the cabinets for a colander, she said, “So tell me

about the truck. When the hell did you have time to do that?”

“It’s amazing how quickly things go when you walk onto the lot knowing what

you want. Once you eliminate the barter, the process is surprisingly simple.”

Leslie shrugged. “When you don’t entertain alternatives, it’s easy to close a

deal.”

Dev recognized the tone of someone who was used to going up against

opponents quite a bit more daunting than car salesmen and winning. “I think I

feel sorry for them.”

“Who?”

“The attorneys who square off against you.”

Leslie laughed. “Most of the time they grossly overestimate the strength of their

cases because they fall for their own rhetoric and believe their own frequently ß

awed statistics. It’s not that difÞ cult to challenge the majority of the regulations

once you move beyond the emotion to facts.”

“Doesn’t it bother you that we’re destroying the planet?”

Leslie slid the Þ rst of three tins of lasagna into the oven. “I think you just made

my point.”

• 119 •

RADCLY fFE

Dev twisted a head of lettuce so hard it shredded in half in her hands. “I’m not

being emotional. I’m a scientist. I can cite the facts.

Better yet, I can take you down to the lake and show you the effects of thermal

alteration and industrial contamination on the Þ sh and ß oral growth.”

“I’m sure you’re an excellent scientist, Dev,” Leslie said calmly. “But there’s a

big leap between documenting changes in Þ sh populations and imposing

sweeping governmental restrictions on the corporate sector. Businesses are run

by people, you know. People who suffer because of these regulations.”

A muscle in Dev’s jaw twitched. She knew it wasn’t the time or place for this

kind of argument. Beyond that, she knew it wouldn’t do any good. She doubted

that Leslie would be doing any job she didn’t believe in, as hard as it was to

fathom that she’d chosen this side of the environmental debate. She tossed the

lettuce into the strainer and reached for another head. “Fish are people too.”

“Now there’s an argument that just might win in court,” Leslie said softly.

When Dev shot her a glance, Leslie smiled and some of the tension drained from

the room. “Let’s try for an easier subject,” Dev said. “Did you get your tests

today?”

Leslie shook her head. “I can see that you’re every bit as hardheaded as you

used to be.”

“You’re stalling.”

“Yes, most of them. The big ones.” Leslie turned her back and pulled two long

loaves of Italian bread from a basket next to the stove.

“Which ones?”

“An echocardiogram and a stress test.”

Dev felt a tightness in her chest just thinking that Leslie needed to have these

kinds of examinations. As casually as she could, she said,

“And?”

“There’s nothing structurally wrong with my heart.”

Dev slammed the lettuce down on the table, crossed to Leslie, and grabbed her

by the shoulders. She pulled her around until they were facing one another.

“Was that supposed to satisfy me?”

“I don’t have to satisfy you. There’s no reason I need to be telling you any of

this,” Leslie snapped, her eyes ß ashing. “And you can take your hands off me

now.”

• 120 •

WHEN DREAMS TREMBLE

“You’re right.” Dev lifted her hands and stepped back a pace.

“Sorry.”

“Dev—”

But Dev didn’t hear the rest of Leslie’s sentence. She was already out the back

door and halfway down the steps. She hadn’t meant to touch her. Not then. Not

now. Leslie did things to her. Stirred places inside of her that she didn’t even

know were there until they bubbled up and exploded out of her. God, she’d

thought that part of her, that crazy well of temper and helpless wanting, was

gone. Wiped out on the highway with her blood, lost during the many months of

pain while she’d struggled to Þ nd her way back to some kind of life.

It hurt to know she’d been lying to herself all this time.

• 121 •

• 122 •

WHEN DREAMS TREMBLE

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Sitting on one of the stone benches along the shore, Dev watched the sunset,

trying to decide which was more beautiful, the beginning of the day or the

ending. Sunrise always seemed to bring the promise of possibility, and with it, an

undercurrent of joy. Nevertheless, she found this time of day to be her favorite,

even though it always made her a little bit sad for something she couldn’t name.

Tonight, mist rose from the lake, and as the sun dropped behind the mountains,

its last blue and purple rays were strewn across the water like angels cast out of

heaven.

“It’s almost too beautiful to look at, isn’t it?” Leslie said quietly.

Dev continued to stare at the lake. She hadn’t heard Leslie approach.

“Sometimes I wonder why I live anywhere else. I think your parents might have

the most beautiful spot on earth right here.”

“Do you mind if I sit down?”

“No, go ahead.”

After a few moments passed in silence and the colors leached from the sky,

leaving behind a pewter gray that would soon become black, Dev glanced at

Leslie. She’d changed into a V-neck sweater and jeans.

Her hair was loose, and in the hazy light, she could have passed for twenty. Dev

was stunned at an unexpected twist of longing and desire.

“I’m sorry about what happened in the kitchen. I—”

“No,” Leslie said quickly. “I’m sorry. That’s what I came to tell you.”

“How did you know where I was?”

“I didn’t. But your cabin was dark and your truck is still in the lot.”

After the guests were taken care of, she’d gone looking for Dev. At Þ rst

• 123 •

RADCLY fFE

when she’d seen that Dev wasn’t in her cabin, she’d thought Dev had probably

gone somewhere with Natalie. It was pretty clear they were dating, and why

that should bother her, she didn’t know. But it seemed to put her in a foul mood.