the green rectangular building like rows of dominoes.

The huge double doors that opened onto a concrete ramp leading from the

water had been rolled back, probably in the hope of creating some crossventilation.

Eileen was waving to her, so Dev, carrying her briefcase, walked to

meet her at the top of the path.

“Hello, stranger,” Eileen said, brushing a damp tendril of hair from her cheek. “I

haven’t seen you since the morning after the storm.”

“I had a lot of catching up to do at the lab,” Dev said, which was true. It was

also a convenient way to avoid running into Leslie.

She’d been leaving for the lab before six in the morning and returning well after

ten every night. On her way, she grabbed coffee and a bagel at the roadside

mini-mart that had once been her parents’ store, and ordered take-out delivered

to the lab for dinner. Natalie had shown up as promised with pizza one night, but

she’d been busy too, with the holiday weekend looming, and Dev hadn’t seen

her since. All in all, Dev had managed to be at Lakeview only long enough to

sleep. And for at least half of every day she managed not to think about Leslie.

“Leslie’s been saying the same thing about work.” Eileen fell into

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WHEN DREAMS TREMBLE

step with Dev up the gravel path toward the lodge. “She’s been at her ofÞ ce

every day from sunup until I don’t know when. I’ve missed you two at

mealtime.”

“Sorry,” Dev said.

“No need to apologize. I understand you’ve both got a lot to do.”

Eileen halted where the path branched off to the cabins. “I hope you’re coming

down to the party tonight. All of the guests will be there and quite a few of the

locals too.”

“Well, uh…” Dev gazed off over the trees toward the lake. She hadn’t intended

to come. “I might drop by for a few minutes. I’m not much of a party person.”

Eileen laughed. “Well, I hope you do. Are you still planning on staying with us

through Labor Day?”

“Yes,” Dev said, frowning. “Is that a problem?”

“Oh no, not at all.” Eileen smiled. “I’ll see you tonight, Dev.”

Dev waved goodbye and continued on toward her cabin.

Somehow, she wasn’t even surprised when she saw Leslie coming toward her.

It didn’t seem to be possible to avoid her, even when she tried. Not when they

were anywhere near each other. In a ß ash, she took in Leslie’s tailored tan

slacks, her pale silk blouse, the sandals with just a bit of a heel. Her blond

waves fell just to her collarbones, where gold glinted at her throat. Even from

thirty feet away, Dev could tell she had dressed for someone special, and the

realization struck her like a Þ st.

“Hello, Les,” Dev said as they both slowed to face one another.

“Devon,” Leslie said quietly. She had known today would be difÞ cult; in fact,

the next twenty-four hours were likely to be the hardest of any she’d

experienced in years. Rachel was coming, and she wasn’t certain she was

prepared to see her. Dev was still here, and that would make it all the more difÞ

cult. But she’d had plenty of practice in difÞ cult situations, where the slightest

misstep or wrong word could be disastrous. So she’d showered and dressed

and prepared herself as she always did before any kind of confrontation. Her

shields were up, her emotions tucked away. When she’d left her cabin, she’d

known she was ready. And still, the sight of Dev coming toward her in jeans and

a blue button-down-collar cotton shirt had set her heart racing. She knew the

rush of pleasure at seeing Dev didn’t show, and she was glad.

“Recovered from the storm?”

“Oh. Sure. I…” Dev ran a hand through her hair and gave a rueful smile. “I

never was good at small talk.”

• 189 •

RADCLY fFE

Leslie smiled softly. “I know.”

“How much longer will you be here?” Dev heard herself asking and knew it was

dumb. As if any answer wouldn’t hurt.

“I’m probably leaving tomorrow afternoon.”

Dev couldn’t hide her surprise. “So soon?”

“It’s been almost three weeks, Dev.”

“It doesn’t seem that long.” Dev moved closer to Leslie as a young man and

woman, chatting animatedly, hurried along the path past them in the direction of

the cabins. “But then again, sometimes a day here seems like forever.”

Leslie took in the woods, the glint of blue water through the trees, the warmth of

sunshine on her skin. “It hasn’t changed at all, has it?”

“Not much. Being here with you this summer reminds me of what it was like

when we were kids, and the future was so far away,” Dev said, her words

echoing with melancholy.

Leslie searched Dev’s soulful hazel eyes, recognizing the loneliness Dev had

never quite been able to hide, even behind her tough façade. They had always

seen one another’s truths. When they were together, the pieces of herself she

revealed to no one else slid silently, seamlessly, into place. Even now, she felt it.

But the feeling wouldn’t last, how could it? The past was a place that existed

only in wistful memories, softly colored by regrets and abandoned dreams. “But

it really was another lifetime.”

“I know,” Dev said hoarsely. It was hard not to accept that, when the present

was about to come crashing in. “Is Rachel coming today?”

Leslie was barely able to hide her surprise. “Yes.” She glanced at her watch.

“Her plane arrives around six.”

“My truck’s clean, if you need it.”

“She’s renting a car. Thanks.”

“You never said what she did.”

“She’s an attorney.”

Dev smiled. “I guess you have a lot in common. That’s nice.”

Leslie did not want to talk about Rachel with Dev. It was too much like all the

times that she had avoided talking to her about Mike. Her relationship with Dev

had always been private, intimate, something that was just theirs. Looking back,

she saw that they had never let the outside world touch it. They had kept it safe.

Right up until the end.

Leslie rested her Þ ngers lightly on Dev’s arm. “You were so special to me,

Dev.”

• 190 •

WHEN DREAMS TREMBLE

Dev kissed Leslie softly on the cheek. “Thank you, Leslie.” She stepped back

and Leslie’s hand fell away. Dev’s eyes grew darker. “If I don’t see you, have a

safe trip back.”

“Enjoy the rest of the summer. I hope the work goes well.”

“Thanks. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye, Devon.” Leslie waited a second until Dev turned away, and then she

resumed walking toward the lodge to wait for Rachel.

Maybe she’d been wrong about the next twenty-four hours. Maybe the worst

was already over. Leslie took a shuddering breath, unable to imagine anything

worse than the pain of that goodbye.

• 191 •

• 192 •

WHEN DREAMS TREMBLE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Leslie selected a bottle of red wine from her parents’ small but well-stocked

cellar, found two glasses and a corkscrew, and carried everything out to the

porch. She opened the bottle, poured a glass, and sipped it as she watched the

afternoon slide toward twilight.

Guests came and went, laughing together, strolling hand in hand, sharing the

special freedom of vacation in the beautiful setting. She tried to imagine herself

and Rachel spending a week in a place like this. She had difÞ culty creating the

picture, and when her thoughts inadvertently strayed to all the hours she and

Dev had spent sitting quietly talking by the lakeshore, she pulled herself back to

the present.

She reÞ lled her glass and reviewed the details of the cases she’d been working

on all week.

Just before eight, a gray Lincoln Town Car pulled into the lot. A second later,

Rachel stepped out. Leslie hadn’t seen her in three weeks, and her Þ rst glimpse

stirred a slight shock of surprise at how striking she was. Rachel was Leslie’s

height but subtly fuller in the breasts and hips, and altogether arresting in tailored

black slacks, low heels, and an open-collared, man-tailored white silk shirt.

Many an adversary had been lulled into complacency by Rachel’s ripe

sensuality, but Leslie knew that those sensuous features masked a decisive,

lethally predatory mind.

Leslie looked away to pour wine into the second glass and give herself a few

seconds to settle her nerves. She looked up at the sound of footsteps on the

stairs.

“Hello, darling,” Rachel murmured, leaning down to kiss Leslie, her mouth

lingering for a few seconds before she moved away. With a

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RADCLY fFE

sigh, she settled into the chair on the opposite side of the small table that held the

wine. “I certainly hope that glass is for me. I can use it.”

“How was the trip?” Leslie said, automatically handing the glass to Rachel. They

hadn’t touched in three weeks and hadn’t made love for several before that, and

the kiss had felt strangely foreign. Uneasily, Leslie chalked it up to their long

separation.

“Oh, the ß ight was all right,” Rachel said. “But I barely made it to the airport on