The Outcast

Elizabeth's fingers bit into his shoulders. Reece's free hand roamed down her back, grasping her buttocks, caressing her with a tender fury. He held her head immobile, drinking deeply from her sweetness, wanting-desperately needing-all she had to give.

Their bodies pressed together, her breasts crushed to his chest, his maleness throbbing against her stomach.

Reece tried to speak, tried to tell her how much he wanted her, but words seemed redundant. He raised her thermal top, easing it slowly, inch by inch until it lay in a fat roll under her arms. Her full, round breasts, the nipples jutting into sensitive hardness, beckoned his touch. Reece delved one hand down the back of her thermal bottoms, then reached out with his other hand, covering her breast, kneading softly, then playing with her nipple, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger.

The sheer, agonized delight of his touch spiraled through Elizabeth like fire along a thin trail of kerosene, flames burning higher and higher, quickly out of control. She writhed against him, moaning with a pleasure close to pain.

Shoving back his unbuttoned shirt, she caressed his chest. She loved the feel of his tight muscles, the thick mat of curling chest hair, the tiny male nipples tight with desire.

"I want you," she told him on a breathless sigh. "Make love to me."

She knew what she was asking-all that she was asking. Reece knew only part. He could not know that, tonight, he would give her his child.

She could have turned from him, said no, refused them both the unequaled pleasure of loving each other. She could ask him to use protection, but in her heart of hearts she knew that she did not want to refuse him, she did not want to prevent his seed from creating a new life within her body.

She loved Reece Landry. And she wanted his child.

Reece pulled the thermal top over her head, tossing it to the floor, then lowered the bottoms down her legs and over her feet. She stood before him totally naked, the moonlight creating a halo around her body. Reece shrugged out of his shirt, letting it fall where it would. When he unzipped his jeans, Elizabeth stilled his hands, covering them with hers.

She dropped to her knees, burying her face against him as she clutched the waistband of his jeans and tugged them over his hips. The faded jeans dropped slowly down his legs, landing in a pile of denim at his feet. Reece kicked his pants out of the way.

Elizabeth caressed his stomach, then spread her arms around him, cupping his buttocks, squeezing them.

Reece moaned. She smelled the heady fragrance of his arousal and breathed deeply, savoring the elemental maleness that was uniquely Reece's own. When her lips touched him, he trembled, sighing, almost crying with pleasure.

Her inexperience brought out her insecurities, but the depth of her love overcame her innocent shyness. She made love to Reece, drunk on the power she possessed over him, reveling in the wanton groans she elicited from him. When she took him into her mouth he grasped the back of her head, guiding her, teaching her with his touch.

Unbearable pleasure rocketed through Reece, spilling out of him, saturating the very air he breathed. His chest rose and fell with each labored breath. Slowly withdrawing himself and dropping to his knees, he lifted her face to his, tasting himself on her lips.

Smiling, she shut her eyes, giving herself over to him, allowing him free rein of her body. He deepened the kiss. She clasped his shoulders. He caressed her, his big hands roaming over her back, her waist, inching upward to lift the weight of her throbbing breasts. He kissed her lips, then her chin, gliding his tongue down her throat. Stopping his pilgrimage in the hollow between her breasts, he gazed at her and smiled.

"You certainly know how to bring a man to his knees, Lizzie."

Laughter erupted in her chest, bubbling up and out of her. "Oh, Reece, I-"

He silenced her with his mouth, obliterating her words, keeping her from declaring her love for him. She didn't have to say the words. Her actions spoke for her.

Taking her hands in his, Reece stood and lifted her to her feet. He led her out of the living room and down the hall, pausing every second or two to kiss her. When they entered the bedroom, she lay on the bed and opened her arms, inviting him into the warmth, the passion, the love he could know only with her.

Reece could no more deny her than he could will the sun not to rise or the earth to stop revolving. He came down on top of her, covering her body with his. He made a banquet feast of her, nibbling, tasting, sampling every inch of her, devouring her with his fierce desire.

Elizabeth squirmed beneath the mastery of his hands and mouth, learning exactly how much pleasure a man can give a woman if he chooses to do so. And Reece Landry chose to take her to heaven that night, to give her abundant sensual joy.

Her breasts begged for his attention, then ached with throbbing need when he touched them, kissed them, suckled them. She felt herself drifting in a sea of ever-increasing awareness, finding herself on the brink of drowning in rapture when Reece spread her legs and pleasured her with his mouth. She cried out as her body shook with release.

He lifted himself over her, gazing down at her damp face, her flushed cheeks, her lips moist and open.

"You're an angel, Elizabeth. My angel."

He took her then, before she could respond, before she could proclaim her love. He filled her completely, her body, her heart, her soul. As surely as she knew she loved Reece Landry, she knew this moment was meant to be.

They loved with a wild abandon that neither had ever known or would ever know again, except in each other's arms. It was madness. It was ecstasy.

And when they reached their climaxes, she first and he following quickly, they lay in each other's arms, in the cool, dark stillness of the night, neither of them speaking. He listened to her breathe; she listened to him breathe. Reece pulled the covers up over them. He kissed Elizabeth on the forehead. She snuggled against him.

Smiling, she laid her hand on her stomach. No matter what tomorrow brought, she knew she would never lose Reece. She carried his child in her body. He would be a part of her forever.

Chapter 12

Reece sat straight up in bed, the sheet and quilt falling to his waist. Adrenaline pumped through his body like flood-waters from a broken dam. Something had awakened him. He ran his hand over his face, blinking his eyes. Listening intently, he heard only the sound of his own heartbeat, and Elizabeth's soft, steady breathing as she lay nestled at his side.

He heard a car door slam, and then another. Laughter. Silly, drunken laughter. Tracy Stanton's laughter.

"Dammit!" He muttered the word under his breath as he threw back the covers and got out of bed. What the hell was she doing here in February? He'd had no idea that she used her parents' summer cottage as a trysting place in the winter months. She'd brought him here in May.

The keys to the Jeep and the T-Bird were on the night-stand. If they hurried, they could be out of the house before Tracy and her lover came inside.

Suddenly Reece remembered that his and Elizabeth's clothes were scattered on the living room floor. Damn! Making his way out of the dark bedroom, he eased open the door and dashed down the hallway, bumping into the edge of a small oak table in the foyer. He stifled a vivid curse, damning the table silently.

He could hear Tracy's voice outside, but not yet on the porch. She laughed again, then a deep male voice said something Reece couldn't quite make out.

Thankful that so many windows graced the living room, allowing in the moonlight, Reece scrambled around on the floor, picking up the clothing Elizabeth and he had discarded so carelessly only a few hours ago.

As he made his way back into the foyer, he heard footsteps on the porch, then a loud, heavy thud.

Tracy's laughter echoed in the black stillness. "What's the matter, Jeffie-pooh, are you drunk?"

"Hell, yes," Jeffie-pooh said. "Come on, Trace, give a guy a hand."

"You got down there all by yourself, lover. You can pick yourself up. I'm going inside. It's freezing out here."

Reece heard the key sliding into the lock, and saw two shadows outside the French door. Careful to avoid the foyer table, he rushed back to the bedroom. He pulled on his jeans and shirt, then slipped on his boots, not worrying about his socks. Finding Elizabeth's bag at the foot of the bed, he pulled out a pair of jeans and a sweater, then stuffed her thermal underwear into the bag. Leaning over the bed, he gave Elizabeth a gentle shake.

Elizabeth opened her eyes and smiled at Reece, assuming he had awakened her for more lovemaking. She reached out for him, but instead of encountering his sleek, naked body, she felt her clothes thrust into her arms.

"Get dressed as quickly as you can, Lizzie," Reece whispered. "Tracy Stanton is here. She's brought one of her lovers. They're on the porch, and they're both drunk."

Elizabeth jumped out of bed, pulling on her clothes as quickly as possible. "What's she doing here? Did you know she used this place in the winter?"

"There's no time for questions. We've got to get out of here." Reece pulled Elizabeth into his arms, slipping the keys to the Thunderbird into her hand. "I'll take the Jeep and go straight to the sheriff. You go to Sam's motel and tell him what's happened."

"Oh, God, Reece, they'll hear us when we drive off."

"Probably." He gave her a quick kiss. "No matter what happens, just keep driving. Don't look back. Don't think about me. Don't worry about me."

"What about our bags, our food?" Elizabeth didn't hesitate to follow Reece when he pulled her out of the bedroom and into the hall.

"We'll take our bags." Reece lifted both bags off the floor. "We won't need the food."

"They'll call the sheriff as soon as they hear us. They'll think we're burglars."

"My guess is that Tracy won't call the sheriff. If she did, she'd have to explain what she was doing out here."

"What if we can't get out without their seeing us?"

"Hush. Listen." Reece stopped dead still just before entering the foyer. Keeping Elizabeth behind him, he glanced out into the entrance hall. The front door swung open. The overhead light came on. Tracy Stanton stood in the doorway, her slender body wrapped in a gray fox jacket.

"Come on, Jeffie. Make us a fire in the fireplace so we can warm up."

A tall, lanky young man came up behind Tracy, grabbing her around the waist. "I can warm you up just fine without building a fire."

Pulling out of her lover's embrace, Tracy headed straight for the living room. "You get a fire started, and I'll pour us some drinks."

Elizabeth peered around Reece's side, watching as the other couple went into the living room.

"We'll go out the kitchen door," Reece told her. "We'll have to squat down behind the counter. Be as quiet as you can."

Elizabeth nodded agreement, the roar of her heartbeat drumming inside her head.

"Look, Trace, there's already a fire in the fireplace," Jeffie said.

Elizabeth froze. Reece nudged her. Together they walked out into the foyer and toward the kitchen, Reece carrying their bags, hers in his hand, his over his shoulder.

"So there is," Tracy said. "Isn't that odd. I didn't see a car out front. Wonder who's been here."

"Maybe your parents," Jeffie said.

"They're in Gatlinburg skiing all this week."

Knees bent, Elizabeth squatted beside Reece behind the kitchen counter and they did a quick duck-walk toward the back door. Reaching up in the darkness, Reece grabbed the doorknob, turning it until he heard the lock release.

The lights came on in the living room. Reece jerked open the back door, pulled Elizabeth to her feet and ushered her outside.

“Reece!'' Tracy screamed his name.

"Keep running," Reece told Elizabeth. "Get in your car and go straight to Sam."

"She saw you. She knows it's you!"

"Go, Lizzie. Go, now!"

Obeying, Elizabeth made a mad dash through the backyard, but before she could get to Sam's Thunderbird a car pulled up behind her, the headlights blinding her.

"What the hell?" Reece said, turning sharply when he heard the vehicle.

The driver kept the motor running. The bright headlights cut through the darkness, trapping Elizabeth and Reece in their glare.

"Lizzie, come here to me." Reece's gut instincts told him that whoever the driver was, he wasn't the sheriff or any law officer. A shiver of apprehension raced up Reece's spine.

Elizabeth began walking away from the T-Bird and toward Reece. A car door slammed.

"Stay right where you are, witch-woman. Reece's little psychic whore. He can't help you, and you can't help him anymore."

Reece dropped their bags to the ground. Sweat beaded his upper lip and forehead, despite the cold air whipping around him. The sharp, metallic taste of fear coated his tongue. Harry Gunn!

"Let her go, Harry," Reece said. "This is between us. She's got nothing to do with our fight."

Dammit all, why hadn't he remembered Kenny saying that Harry had been following Tracy around? If only he had remembered, he might have been prepared. And Elizabeth. Why hadn't she sensed Tracy's arrival or Harry's? Had she been so consumed by their lovemaking that all else had been obliterated from her mind?

Elizabeth breathed deeply, uncertain what to do. Harry Gunn had come to kill Reece. There was no doubt in her mind about that one fact. But why hadn't she sensed that Tracy Stanton would bring a lover to the cottage, and Harry Gunn would follow her? Only the strongest thoughts and emotions could have blocked out her precognitive powers. Making love to Reece had consumed not only her body, but her mind and her heart. And all her thoughts of the future had centered on the child Reece had given her.

Tracy Stanton ran out the back door, Jeffie following her. "My God, Reece! I had no idea you'd ever come here to the cottage."

"Yeah, pretty good hideout," Harry Gunn said, his voice loud and clear. "I knew if I kept following your brother's wife around, sooner or later she'd lead me to you."

"Are you crazy, old man?" Tracy screamed. "Do you think I'd have helped Reece?"

"When a woman's got the hots for a guy as bad as you do Reece, she'll do anything for him." Harry Gunn stepped around the front of his car, out of the direct glare of the headlights. He held a gun in his hand-an old .38 caliber revolver.

"What are you going to do?" Tracy asked.

"Hey, man you can't-" Jeffie said.

"Hush!" Tracy gave Jeffie a sharp jab in the ribs.

"I'm going to kill Reece," Harry said. "Then I'll call the sheriff and collect that big reward your husband is offering."

"No." The word escaped from Elizabeth's lips like a whisper on the wind.

"Look, Harry, I know you hate me, and if you're determined to kill me, then so be it." Reece took a tentative step toward Harry. "But there's no need to involve anyone else. Let everyone else leave and you and I will settle this between ourselves."

"Stay where you are." Harry pointed the gun directly at Reece. "Nobody's going anywhere. I'm ready to kill the lot of you, if I have to."

"You don't have a quarrel with anyone else," Reece said.

"Maybe I do and maybe I don't." Harry waved the gun in the air, then aimed it at Reece. "He was a smart-mouthed kid." Harry glanced over at Elizabeth. "Always trying to stick up for his mama. His sweet, whore of a mama. How the hell was she supposed to forget about B. K. Stanton when the man's bastard was around all the time?"

Elizabeth sensed an unnatural hatred for Reece emanating from Harry Gunn. She shuddered at the thought of the man's rage. He wanted to see Reece dead. Nothing else would satisfy him.

"Yeah, Blanche never could get over being in love with Stanton," Harry said. "She never loved me. It was always B.K."

Elizabeth knew with certainty that Harry Gunn had hated B. K. Stanton enough to kill him, but she could not sense his guilt or innocence. Harry was too consumed with his hatred for Reece, his determination to kill his stepson.

Harry stood several yards away from Reece, who was only a few steps from the back door where Jeffie held Tracy in his arms. Reece heard Tracy speaking to her lover in a quiet, quick voice.

"Go back inside the house and get to my car. I've got a cellular phone. Call the sheriff's office and tell them what's going on."

Harry jerked his head around, his gaze momentarily leaving Reece to focus on Tracy and Jeffie.

Now, while Harry was momentarily distracted, might be Reece's best chance for jumping him. If Harry was intent on killing him, he might not be able to stop his stepfather, but there was a chance that he could save Elizabeth, as well as Tracy and Jeffie, if he could wrestle the gun away from Harry.

"What are you mumbling about?" Harry asked, staring at Tracy. "You cooking up some scheme to save your old lover? Well, don't try nothing. Harry Gunn ain't no fool."

Tracy glanced over at Reece, then back to Harry. "You're wrong if you think I give a damn whether you shoot Reece full of holes or not. He doesn't mean a thing to me. Hell, if he's dead or rotting in prison, he can't collect his share of B.K.'s fortune, can he?"

"You're lying." Harry turned completely around, grinning at Tracy. "You think I don't know all that boy's talent is between his legs. Women been chasing him all his life. If he was a girl, he'd be a whore just like his mama."

All the anger, the pain, the uncontrollable hatred Reece had felt boiled up inside him. In one, quick calculated move, Reece rushed Harry Gunn, who turned sharply, the gun in his hand gleaming in the glow from his car's headlights.

"Now!" Tracy cried out. "Go now, Jeffie."

Jeffie rushed inside the cottage. Tracy leaned forward, her feet unmoving as she opened her mouth in a silent cry. Just as Reece lunged forward, Harry turned, aiming his gun. Elizabeth ran between Reece and Harry. The gunshot exploded, the sound echoing over and over again in Reece's ears. Somewhere, as if at a great distance, he heard the sound of a woman screaming. Tracy.

Elizabeth felt the impact of the bullet when it entered her side. Searing hot pain gripped her. The world began spinning around and around. Slumping over, clutching her side, she fell to her knees.

Reece slammed into Harry Gunn with deadly force, like the bullet that had wounded Elizabeth. Knocking his stepfather to the ground, Reece grabbed for the gun that Harry held tightly. Reece swung his fist into Harry's face, then lifted the man's head and beat it against the cold, hard earth. Harry's hand opened. The gun fell onto the damp grass.

Mindless, feeling nothing except pure hatred, Reece hammered his fists into Harry Gunn's pale, wrinkled face, then sent several hard blows into Harry's midsection.

Tracy ran out into the yard, kneeling beside Elizabeth. "Jeffie's calling the sheriff. They'll get you to the hospital."

Elizabeth clasped Tracy's arm. "Stop Reece. Please stop him from killing his stepfather."

"Why the hell would you care?" Tracy stared down at the blood covering Elizabeth's side. "The guy shot you."

"I don't care about Harry Gunn," Elizabeth said. "I care about Reece. No matter how much he hates Harry, he would never forgive himself if he killed him. Please, Tracy. Stop Reece."

"All right. I'll try."

Reece drew back his fist to strike again. Tracy grabbed his arm. "Don't hit him anymore, Reece. He's unconscious."

"I'll kill the son of a bitch! I'll kill him."

Tracy circled Reece's arm with both of her hands, tugging on him, trying to pull him away from Harry. "He can't hurt any of us now. He's unconscious. Do you hear me? Elizabeth... Elizabeth wants you to stop."

Reece tensed at the mention of her name, suddenly realizing where he was and what he was doing. "Elizabeth."

"She doesn't want you to kill Harry."

Reece glared down at his stepfather, a crumpled heap of flesh and bones, a dirty, stinking, sick old man. Reece stood, his whole body trembling. He saw Elizabeth huddled on the ground, her life's blood seeping out of the bullet wound in her side.

God in heaven, don't let her die. Reece fell to his knees beside her, then sat on the ground, lifting her into his arms. "Elizabeth?"

Gazing up at him, she tried to lift her hand. "Don't worry. I'll be all right."

"Sam knew this would happen. This was what he was afraid of." Reece held her close, tears forming in his eyes. "It's my fault. You shouldn't have been with me. Oh, God, Lizzie, don't die, sweetheart. Please don't die."

"I'm not going to die," she told him. "Not for a long, longtime."

"Are you looking into your future?" He kissed her forehead.

"I did that.. .last night." Despite the pain and weakness, Elizabeth felt a great sense of peace. How could she tell Reece that she knew she wasn't going to die because she had to live to give birth to their child?

Jeffie ran out the kitchen door, halting abruptly when he saw Reece sitting on the ground, holding Elizabeth. "What happened? When I heard a gunshot, I thought old Harry had killed Reece."

"Elizabeth ran between Harry and Reece," Tracy said.

"Damn! Is she hurt bad?" Jeffie walked out into the yard and slipped his arm around Tracy.

"I don't know."

"She's going to be all right," Reece said, cradling Elizabeth in his arms, holding her close. Tears streamed down his face.

"I called the sheriff," Jeffie said. "I told him to send an ambulance."

Elizabeth closed her eyes. She felt herself drifting. Reece kept repeating her name, calling her Lizzie. She opened her eyes and lifted her hand to his face. She touched his wet cheek.

"You're crying," she whispered. "Oh, Reece." Then Elizabeth closed her eyes again, drifting into unconsciousness.

Reece had no idea how long he sat on the cold ground, holding Elizabeth in his arms-five minutes, ten minutes. Finally Tracy touched him on the shoulder.

"Let's take her inside where it's warmer."

Reece lifted Elizabeth in his arms and carried her into the cottage. He laid her down on the bed they had shared only hours ago. Reece clenched his teeth at the sight of her bloody sweater. Lifting her sweater, he used it to wipe away the blood. The bullet had entered her upper left side and exited from the front, at her waist.

Tracy stood in the doorway, Jeffie directly behind her, both of them looking into the bedroom.

"Is there anything we can do?" Tracy asked.

"Yeah, go back outside and make sure Harry doesn't come to."

"I'll handle that," Jeffie said.

"I don't know what to do to help her." Reece sat on the side of the bed, holding Elizabeth's hand to his chest. "If it was the other way around and I was lying there, she'd know what to do. She'd go outside and pull up some weeds and grass and perform a miracle."

"You really care about her, don't you?" Tracy walked over, standing by the bed.

"She believes in me." Reece lifted Elizabeth's limp hand to his lips. "She's gone through hell for me because she wants to help me. Me," Reece said with a laugh, the sound an anguished cry, "B. K. Stanton's worthless bastard."

"She loves you, Reece. She risked her life to save you." Tracy laid her hand on Reece's shoulder.

Reece jerked away from her touch. "Where the hell is that ambulance?"

Reece looked up to see the medics carrying a stretcher into the bedroom. Sheriff Bates walked in behind them, two deputies following.

Reece kissed Elizabeth, then moved out of the way. The medics lifted her gently onto the stretcher and carried her outside to the waiting ambulance. He stared at Simon Bates, who aimed his automatic directly at Reece.

"You won't need that." Reece held his hands over his head in a sign of surrender.

The deputies cuffed him, both young men moving quickly to accomplish the task. Reece heard the sheriff speaking, talking to him, barking out orders, but he couldn't distinguish the words. All he could think about was Elizabeth. She filled his mind and heart completely.

Elizabeth opened her eyes to see Sam Dundee looking down at her. She smiled at him. If Sam was with her, then she was safe. Her mind felt fuzzy, her body weightless. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel so strange?

With sudden clarity she remembered the events that had brought her here. She was in a hospital. She glanced around the room, a private room, her bed the only one.

"Hey, kiddo." Sam brushed her hair away from her face with a gentle hand.

"Reece?" Was he in jail? Yes, of course, he had to be. He ad promised he'd turn himself in to the sheriff.

"Landry's in jail," Sam said. "They took him there yesterday morning while they were bringing you to the hospital."

"He's all right, then?" Elizabeth tried to lift herself up in the bed.

"Stay calm, honey." Sam laid a restraining hand on her shoulder. "You've got a pretty big hole in your side. The doctors stitched you up, but it'll take a while for you to recover. You'll probably be in here for a few days, maybe a week."

"Is Reece all right? Y'all told the sheriff that he planned to turn himself in, didn't you?"

"Gary Elkins is taking care of everything, so stop fretting."

"What about Harry Gunn?" Elizabeth could see Harry's warped smile, could visualize the gun he'd aimed at Reece, could feel the bullet enter her body. She trembled.

"Are you all right?" Sam took her hand in his.

"Reece didn't kill Harry, did he?" Elizabeth looked up at Sam with pleading eyes. "I can't sense anything. I can't get a handle on... Oh, Sam, please tell me. I... I..."

"Harry Gunn is under guard here at the hospital. He's got a broken nose, a concussion and several fractured ribs, but he'll live."

"Harry hated B. K. Stanton enough to have killed him." Elizabeth held tightly to Sam's hand. "And he is capable of murder. I sensed that about him. And he hated Reece enough to have framed him. That way he could have destroyed the two people he hated most."

"Yeah, you're right, kiddo." Sam stroked the back of Elizabeth's hand, making circles around her knuckles. "The only problem with that theory is that I don't think Harry Gunn was smart enough to have planned the frame-up. Whoever framed Reece was as shrewd as he was devious."

"What about Kenny Stanton? He has no alibi, and we can prove he threatened to kill his father the day of the murder."

"Elizabeth, will you stop upsetting yourself. It's not good for you. You've done all you can to help Reece. Leave the rest up to me and to his lawyer."

"I want to see him."

"Honey, you can't. He's in jail and you're in no shape to go traipsing over there."

Elizabeth read the worry in Sam's mind, picking up on his fear that she would do something irrational when she found out about-

"They're taking Reece to Arrendale today, aren't they? Why? Couldn't they wait a day or two?"

"Reece was arrested yesterday morning. Although the sheriff is willing to reopen the investigation into B. K. Stanton's murder, the fact remains that Reece was convicted of the crime and sentenced to prison."

"Reece will go crazy locked up in a cell." Elizabeth swallowed her tears. "Sam, we've got to find the person who really killed B. K. Stanton."

"We will. I promise. You know you can count on me." Sam released her hand, then sat in a chair beside her bed. "As soon as you're released from the hospital, I'll drive you up to Alto, to Arrendale for a visit with Reece."

"Isn't the sheriff going to arrest me for aiding and abetting a criminal?" Elizabeth asked.

"Looks like the sheriff is going to buy Tracy Stanton's story that she brought you out to her parents' summer house yesterday morning. She said that you were a psychic who'd had a vision about B.K.'s death and you'd come to the family with the news that Reece was innocent. She and Christina decided you should stay on in Newell in case you had any more visions."

"The sheriff didn't actually believe her, did he?"

Sam grinned. "Hell, no, but he's not about to call Mrs. Bradley Kenneth Stanton, Jr., a liar."

"I see. Reece was right about the Stantons' power in Newell, wasn't he?"

"In this case, let's be thankful. You can rest easy now, kiddo. Just get better so I can take you home."

Elizabeth placed her hand on her stomach, reminding herself that she was responsible for the new life inside her. She relaxed against the pillows, breathing softly, suddenly aware of the pain in her bandaged side. She closed her eyes, concentrating on Reece, trying to transmit a message of love and hope to him. As she lay there sending love out into the atmosphere, a dark sense of foreboding surrounded her.

Someone was afraid of her-afraid she knew the truth about B. K. Stanton's murder. He wanted to prevent her from helping Reece, but knew he couldn't risk coming to the hospital.

"Are you in pain?'' Sam asked.

"No... not really. Why?"

"You're frowning."

"The person who killed B. K. Stanton is a man." Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked at Sam. "He's afraid I'll be able to identify him."

Sam leaned over the bed, gently grasping her face in his hand. "Turn it off, honey. Shield yourself. You're not strong enough for this right now."

She raised her head, nodding, knowing Sam was right. But without any warning the vision came. She could not stop the flow of color, the formation of images, the whirling, spinning sensation that enveloped her mind.

A huge crowd of people lined the sidewalk. Flanking Reece, two deputies brought him outside the building, hurrying him through the throng of observers.

Someone's thoughts screamed inside Elizabeth's head. Reece Landry must die. He's caused enough pain. Even if I must sacrifice myself, I won't allow Landry to inherit any of his father's estate. I'll protect...I'll protect...I'll do whatever it takes.

Bracing her body with her hand, Elizabeth pushed herself into a sitting position, then reached out and grabbed Sam's arm.

"He's going to kill Reece. Today. When they bring Reece out of the jail. He'll be hiding in the crowd."

"Calm down." Sam tried to make Elizabeth lie back down, but she refused.

"Please, Sam, you've got to stop them from taking Reece out of jail today."

"The sheriff isn't going to listen to me, honey."

"You can't let him kill Reece!"

Sam took Elizabeth's shoulders in his strong, gentle grasp, pushing her down on the bed. "I'll go to the jail and see what I can do. If nothing else, I'll keep watch. I'll guard Reece."

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "I wish I could see the man's face, but I can't. He hates Reece. He's willing to sacrifice anything to keep Reece from going free."

"Everything will be all right," Sam said. "Whoever this man is, if he tips his hand today, I'll be there to catch him."

"Are you sure Harry Gunn is well guarded?" Elizabeth asked. "And what about Kenny Stanton?"

"Harry Gunn isn't in any shape to walk out of this hospital, but even if he was, the deputy would stop him. As for Kenny Stanton, I don't have any idea where he is, but I can find out."

"Don't let anything happen to Reece. I love him."

"Yeah, kiddo, I know you do."

Chapter 13

The nurse came in shortly after Sam left and gave Elizabeth an injection. She protested the shot, but the nurse insisted. She had a sneaking suspicion that Sam had suggested they give her something to calm her down a little.

She didn't want to sleep, but the medication overcame her resistance. When she awoke, she rang the nurses' station and asked for the time. It was eleven-fifteen. Surely by now Sam had persuaded the sheriff not to move Reece today. What difference could one day make to the local authorities? Maybe Sam had gone to Gary Elkins and Reece's lawyer had contacted a judge about delaying the transfer.

Elizabeth tried to focus her energy on Reece. Where was he? How was he doing? What was he thinking? With a sudden, sharp clarity, the vision of Reece being led up the sidewalk appeared in Elizabeth's mind. The crowd was pushing closer and closer. Newspaper reporters where shouting questions. Photographers were snapping shots of the prisoner. Sam Dundee and Gary Elkins followed Reece and the deputies. Elizabeth scanned the crowd. Christina Stanton stood beside her brother, Kenny, and his wife, Tracy. Willard Moran stood alone on the opposite side of the walkway. The sun reflected off the muzzle of a gun-a gun aimed directly at Reece. Breaking through the crowd, Elizabeth hurried toward Reece. She saw the startled look on his face, then heard him call her name.

The truth of what would happen hit her with full impact. She and she alone could save Reece. Only she could zero in on the killer. Only she could read a person's mind. She had to go to the jail and stop the killer before he shot Reece.

Elizabeth eased the intravenous needle from her hand. When she tried to sit up, her head spun around and around. Slow and easy, she told herself. You can't pass out. Not now. Taking her time, she slipped out of bed and stood, holding on to the bed rails.

Glancing down at her open-backed hospital gown, she wondered where they'd put her clothes. Damn, they would be covered with blood. Taking tentative steps, gauging her strength as she walked across the room, Elizabeth opened the closet. She sighed with relief when she saw her bag lying on the floor. Bending over, she gasped when the pain in her side sliced through her like a sharp rapier.

She knelt, undid her bag and pulled out a clean pair of jeans and a heavy peach wool sweater. Her shoes lay beside her bag. She dressed as quickly as she could, but each movement came with pain. Pulling her purse out of the bag, she slung it over her shoulder.

Easing open the door, she peered out into the hallway. She didn't see anyone, not even one nurse. She made her way along the corridor to the elevators, punched the Down button and waited. She wondered how close the hospital was to the jail. If necessary, she'd call a cab when she got downstairs.

Once on the ground level, she stopped at the reception desk and inquired about the location of the local jail. She couldn't believe her luck when the young woman told her that the county jail was only two blocks away, directly behind the courthouse.

When she walked outside, the winter wind bit into her heavy sweater, chilling her. The wound in her side ached, and she still felt a little light-headed from the medication. Her pain didn't matter-nothing mattered except saving Reece. With each step she took, she knew she was one step closer to keeping the man she loved alive.

She could hear the crowd several minutes before she rounded the corner and saw them. Reece Landry's capture and transport to Arrendale had to be the media event of the year in Newell, Georgia. The sidewalk leading to the jail was lined with people, so many people that Elizabeth couldn't even see the sidewalk.

She made her way through the fringe crowd that waited around near the street, dozens of people who were there simply to see the spectacle. Directly in front of her, toward the back of the crowd, stood Kenny Stanton, Tracy at his side. Elizabeth glanced to their right and to their left, searching for Christina. Then she saw her, standing directly in front of Kenny. The whole Stanton family was here to see Reece off. Everyone except Alice.

Kenny was the most likely suspect. No one could hate Reece more than Kenny, unless it was Harry Gunn. Elizabeth tried to connect with Kenny, but found it impossible. The psychic energy coming from the crowd mixed and mingled, making it nearly impossible to pinpoint the exact location of a thought or feeling.

If only she could touch Kenny, she might be able to separate his energy from the energy of those around him. And if he saw her, he would know that she was on to him, and might not make a move against Reece. Regardless of what Kenny might or might not do, she had to approach him.

Breathless from her two-block walk from the hospital, Elizabeth made her way through the crowd, nudging between the curious men and women waiting for a glimpse of Reece Landry. Christina saw her, her eyes widening, her mouth forming a circle. Elizabeth shook her head. Christina nodded.

Elizabeth brushed up against Kenny. Turning quickly, he stared at her. Her knees trembled. She gripped Kenny's arm. Glaring at her, he looked down at her hand clutching his coat sleeve.

She could sense doubts in Kenny's mind-grave doubts. He was no longer certain that his half brother had killed their father.

Kenny looked Elizabeth in the eye, then placed his hand atop hers. "You shouldn't be out of the hospital, Ms. Mallory."

Tracy jerked her head around. "What are you doing here?"

Elizabeth pulled her hand off Kenny's arm, willing herself to find the strength to stand alone. "Please, I have to find him. It isn't you."

"What are you talking about?" Kenny asked.

"You aren't the murderer. You didn't come here to shoot Reece."

The crowd's rumble grew louder. Elizabeth shoved past Kenny and Tracy to see the front doors of the county jail swing open. The sheriff walked out first, followed by two deputies who led Reece down the steps. Sam Dundee and Gary Elkins were only a minute behind the others.

Elizabeth closed her eyes, trying to concentrate, trying desperately to pick up on any kind of signal the killer might be emitting. She couldn't rush in front of Reece this time and take the bullet for him. She had no idea from which direction the bullet would come; the crowd circled Reece.

Hatred. Deep, soul-wrenching hatred. She felt it so strongly that she almost doubled over in pain. And the hatred was directed at Reece-because he was B. K. Stanton's illegitimate son. Because Reece's existence had caused Alice Stanton unbearable shame and heartache. Reece could not be allowed to live, to lay claim to a fortune that didn't belong to him.

"Oh, dear God," Elizabeth said, her voice inaudible in the boisterous racket coming from the crowd. She glanced across the sidewalk. There in the front row stood Willard Moran, dressed in a conservative blue suit, his charcoal gray overcoat unbuttoned, his hand in his pocket.

She looked up the sidewalk. The sheriff was only a few feet away, Reece and the deputies directly behind him.

Reece saw her then, saw her pale face, noted the fear in her eyes. What the hell was Elizabeth doing out of the hospital? When Reece halted, the deputies slowed enough to accommodate him.

Reece called out to Sam. "I thought you said Elizabeth would have to stay in the hospital a few days. What's she doing here?"

Elizabeth's gaze met Sam's, then she looked over at Willard Moran, knowing she and she alone could stop him. He was holding a gun in his pocket, waiting for the moment Reece would pass him, waiting to kill Reece.

Elizabeth nudged her way between two reporters calling out questions to the sheriff and to Reece. Willard Moran stepped onto the sidewalk, between the sheriff and his deputies. Elizabeth ran forward, throwing herself into Willard. The gun in his hand fired, the bullet sailing into the air over their heads. When Willard's body hit the ground, the gun flew out of his hand, falling with a clang onto the edge of the sidewalk.

Reece tried to run to Elizabeth, but the chains around his ankles slowed his gait. Startled by what had just happened, the deputies didn't instantly realize that their prisoner had pulled away from them. They grabbed Reece tightly, jerking him back. He fought them, trying desperately to reach Elizabeth, calling out her name.

Sam Dundee rushed past Reece, shoving everyone in his way aside. The blood surged through Reece's body, his heart pumping wildly as he strained in the confines of his cuffs and chains.

Willard Moran knocked Elizabeth off him. She rolled over onto the sidewalk, blood oozing through her sweater. Before Willard could stand, Sheriff Bates grabbed him, jerking him to his feet. Sam knelt beside Elizabeth, lifting her into his arms.

She felt Sam holding her, heard Reece crying out her name. She wanted to get up, to go to Reece and tell him that she was all right, but she couldn't make her body cooperate. Raising her head, she struggled to sit up.

"Reece.. .Reece..." She barely recognized her own voice. So raspy. So whispery soft.

"Reece is okay. He's just fine," Sam said. "Take it easy. We've got to get you back to the hospital."

"Elizabeth!" Reece's tortured voice drowned out the crowd's clamor.

Deputies began ordering the bystanders to move away from the scene, to disperse and leave the situation to the authorities. Reporters buzzed around like busy bees; photographers snapped shot after shot-of the crowd, of the sheriff cuffing Willard Moran, of the deputies holding back the crowd, of Reece Landry's tortured face, of Sam Dundee holding Elizabeth in his arms.

"Clear this crowd out of here," the sheriff ordered. He shoved Willard Moran toward a deputy. "Take Mr. Moran inside and detain him until we have things under control out here."

"Reece. I want to see Reece." Elizabeth pleaded with Sam.

The sheriff motioned at the two deputies holding Reece. "Bring Landry over here. Now!"

Reece couldn't get to Elizabeth fast enough to suit him. Kneeling, he cursed the cuffs that bound his hands, that restricted his movements. More than anything he wanted to take Elizabeth out of Sam's arms, to hold her close to him.

"Elizabeth." Tears streamed down Reece's cheeks. He couldn't remember ever crying in front of people, or even crying alone. Not until Elizabeth Mallory had come into his life.

"Willard Moran killed your father," Elizabeth said.

Reece and Sam exchanged knowing looks. "And he was going to kill me, wasn't he?" Reece leaned over, brushing his lips across Elizabeth's forehead. "You risked your life coming here." Reece choked on the tears in his throat. "You've risked your life twice to save me."

"You'll be free now, Reece. Free to live the life you've always wanted." Elizabeth lifted her hand, touching the side of Reece's face with her fingertips.

"God, Lizzie. Dear God!" Reece crumbled, his body shaking with sobs, his head resting on Elizabeth's chest.

She stroked his hair, caressing him with loving fingers. "I won't ever have to cry for you again, will I, Reece? You... you can cry... for yourself now."

Reece jerked his head up. He saw Elizabeth's eyes close and felt her hand drop away from his head.

"Lizzie!"

"Come on, Reece, get up!" Sam ordered. "Get out of the way. I've got to take her back to the hospital."

The deputies lifted Reece to his feet. He watched, helpless to do anything else, as Sam lifted Elizabeth in his arms and carried her down the sidewalk.

"Get Landry back inside," the sheriff told his deputies. "Looks like we're definitely reopening the B. K. Stanton murder case."

Elizabeth sat in the chair beside the hospital bed she had occupied for the past few days. Her bag was packed, and she was dressed in jeans, a blue silk blouse and a brown suede vest. She and Sam were driving home to Sequana Falls today, but before she left, she had to see Reece.

Although Sam had kept her abreast of the events following Willard Moran's arrest, she regretted that she hadn't been at Reece's side to see him through the painful process and to share in the jubilant relief when Gary Elkins had completed the legalities that set Reece free.

Christina had stopped by yesterday to thank Elizabeth for all the help she'd given Reece and to tell her that no one in the family had suspected Willard Moran was capable of murder. The man had been B. K. Stanton's lawyer for over thirty years, a trusted friend. Chris and Kenny had called the man Uncle Willard all their lives.

Willard Moran had loved Alice Stanton with a mindless devotion. By destroying B.K. and eliminating Reece, he had thought to protect Alice from any more hurt and make sure her children's inheritance wasn't squandered on her husband's bastard son. In the end, Willard had been willing to sacrifice himself to achieve his goal.

Elizabeth heard a soft knock at the door. "Come in." She turned to see Sam standing in the doorway, Reece behind him.

"You're all dressed and ready to leave," Sam said.

"The doctor told me to take it easy for a few days, and not to do anything that might reopen my wound again." Elizabeth smiled at Sam, deliberately not looking at Reece.

Sam grabbed Reece by the arm, hauled him to his side, then stepped back into the hallway. "I'll go get a cup of coffee or something while you two visit. I'll be back to get you in a little bit, kiddo."

Reece stood in the doorway, staring at Elizabeth, his expression grave. "You look a lot better than the last time I saw you."

"I feel a lot better." Every nerve in her body came to full alert, tingling with excitement and fear. "Come on in, Reece."

Reece ambled into her hospital room, his gaze traveling over the walls, the ceiling and the floor. Standing beside Elizabeth's chair, he cleared his throat.

Elizabeth stared at Reece, noting how different he looked from the man who had passed out in her cabin less than two weeks ago. He'd had a haircut, his glossy brown hair neatly styled, and he was freshly shaved. He wore dark brown slacks and a camel tan wool jacket, his tie a conservative beige-and-coral-striped silk.

"You look very handsome," she told him. "Like a successful young businessman."

Reece knelt beside Elizabeth, resting his big body on his haunches. "I owe you my life and my freedom, Lizzie. How does a guy repay someone for giving him so much?"

"You'll repay me by making your life count for something, by living well and being happy."

Reece gripped the metal armrest on her chair. He wanted to touch her, but couldn't bring himself to reach out and take her hand. He wasn't sure how she would accept the news that he planned to stay in Newell and claim his inheritance.

"Sam told me he's going to follow you back to Sequana Falls today." If only he could ask her to stay here in Newell with him. If only he could tell her what she wanted to hear. If only he could repay her for everything she'd done for him.

"My life is in Sequana Falls. Aunt Margaret. MacDatho. My business." She couldn't read his mind, but she knew that despite all he'd gone through and all he'd learned, Reece wasn't prepared to give up his lifelong dreams and start a new life with her.

"I don't suppose you'd consider staying on in Newell." He could offer her the world now, the whole world on a silver platter. Wealth, power, social position-all the things he'd been denied because of his illegitimate birth, all the things he'd dreamed of having for as long as he could remember.

Elizabeth willed herself not to cry; she had done too much crying lately. She laid her hand atop his on the armrest. "I wouldn't be happy in Newell. I don't think you will be, either, but you'll have to find that out for yourself."

"Ah, Lizzie, you mean so much to me." Taking her by the hands, he helped her to her feet, then pulled her into his arms. "I've never cared about anyone the way I care about you. You don't know how grateful I am that you came into my life when you did."

She laid her head on his chest. "I don't want your gratitude, Reece. I want your love."

He tensed, every muscle in his body going rigid. "I... uh... I'm not sure I know how to love anybody, especially someone as special as you."

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she hugged him. "There's an old saying, one I've heard Aunt Margaret quote. Something about all the love we come to know in life comes from the love we knew as children."

Reece kissed the top of her head, breathing in that sweet rose scent that would forever remind him of Elizabeth. "Well, that puts it in a nutshell, doesn't it? I don't know how to love because no one ever loved me."

"That's not true." Tilting her face, she gazed up into his amber eyes, those lone-wolf eyes that still proclaimed him an untamed animal. "Despite what you think, your mother loved you. You know she did."

"Yeah, well, maybe she did. In her own way."

"And now you have my love." She ran her fingertips across his jaw. "I love you."

Reece closed his eyes, shutting out Elizabeth's face, protecting himself from the glow of love that surrounded her. Damn, why couldn't he just tell her that he loved her? What made it so impossible?

He couldn't change his past. Not the circumstances of his birth, not B. K. Stanton's denial and rejection, not the years he and his mother had suffered at the hands of his sadistic stepfather. And no matter how much he wanted to be free from all the pain and auger and hatred inside him, he wasn't ready to forgive and forget. He had an inheritance to claim, a company to run, a sister he wanted in his life and a brother with whom he'd have to deal.

If Elizabeth would settle for the man he was, scarred and bitter and hungry for retribution, then he could offer her anything money could buy. He'd give her an engagement ring the size of a dime. He'd build her a mansion as big as the one Alice Stanton lived in.

"Thank you," Elizabeth said.

"For what?"

"For letting down your shield." The tears she had tried to control gathered in the corners of her eyes. "Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me."

He hadn't realized that he had opened himself up to her, allowing her to read his mind. "Stay here with me, Lizzie. Marry me. Teach me how to love."

"You're right, you know, Reece. You can't change the past. But you can let it go. You'll never be happy until you can do that."

Reece clasped her shoulders. "How do I do that? How do I let go of the past when the past has made me who I am? If I let go of the past, I won't have an identity."

"You'll always be Blanche and B.K.'s illegitimate son. You'll always be an outcast in the Stanton family, even if you own controlling interest in Stanton Industries. The only way you can ever let go of the past is to make peace with it, starting with the Stanton family."

"How the hell do you suggest I do that?" Reece ran his hands slowly up and down her arms. "Alice Stanton has every right to despise me. And Kenny hates my guts."

"They don't have to love you or even like you. They'll have to make their own peace with their lives."

"So what should I do, Lizzie?" He held her from him, his big hands shackling her wrists. "Should I walk away and let them have it all? Do you have any idea how much I wanted B.K. to acknowledge me as his son? Do you know how badly I wanted everything that belonged to Kenny?"

"I know, Reece. But are you sure, really sure, that what you once wanted so desperately is what will make you happy now?"

Reece dropped his hands, releasing Elizabeth. "I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. Give me some advice, Lizzie. Look into my future and tell me what you see. Are our futures still entwined?"

Yes, Reece, our futures are still entwined. I'm going to have your child. You'll always be a part of me. "Your future will be what you make it. You should stay here in Newell. Claim your inheritance. Make peace with the Stantons. And if you discover that you don't really want to take over Stanton Industries, then give that job to your sister and come live with me in Sequana Falls."

"Come live with-"

"I love you, Reece. I'll love you as long as I live. I've done all I can to help you, to save you from yourself. The rest is up to you. You have to stay here in Newell and come to terms with your past. When you've done that, and if you decide that you can love me, then come to me. I'll be waiting."

"Elizabeth?"

"You're free, Reece. Free from the past, if only you'll allow yourself to be. You're a man, not a child. You have choices to make. No one else can make those choices for you. You decide what you want from this life, and how much you're willing to give in order to get it."

Several loud, hard knocks sounded at the door, then Sam Dundee walked in, glancing back and forth from Elizabeth to Reece to Elizabeth.

"If we're going to get home in time for supper, we'd better be leaving." Sam picked up Elizabeth's bag. "O'Grady's taking Aunt Margaret and MacDatho up to the cabin, so they'll all be there to meet us."

Elizabeth leaned into Reece, circling his forearm with her hand. She kissed him on the cheek. "You take all the time you need to decide. We... I'll be in Sequana Falls."

Chapter 14

"You can't be serious," Kenny Stanton said. "Daddy would be appalled at the very idea of a woman running Stanton Industries."

"Well, Daddy isn't making the decisions." Rearing back in the tufted-leather chair behind B.K.'s desk, Reece placed his hands on his hips and glanced around his father's former office. "Chris and I own two-thirds of the stock in this little family company, and we agree that she's the most qualified person to sit behind the old man's desk and make the decisions that will keep bringing in profits for all of us."

Standing, Reece smiled at his sister, then motioned for her to sit in the chair he had just vacated. Chris, neatly attired in a dark green business suit, took the seat. Grasping the cushioned armrests, she gulped a deep breath of air, then glanced from Kenny's frowning face into Reece’s twinkling topaz eyes. Pressing her toe to the floor, she boosted the swivel chair into action, whirling it around and around as she laughed.

"Are you happy, Landry?" Kenny asked, his hound-dog cheeks flushed pink. "You send my mother to a rest home, you persuade my wife to divorce me and now you hand over my company to my sister. You've taken your revenge on me, haven't you? Everything I've had, you've taken away from me."

"I haven't taken a damn thing away from you, big brother." Reece took a good look at Bradley Kenneth Stanton, Jr., and was amazed that he actually pitied the man whom he'd envied all his life. "Your mother had a nervous breakdown after Willard Moran confessed to killing B.K. I wasn't responsible for Alice's illness. If you're going to blame anyone, blame the man who loved her enough to kill for her."

Kenny glared at Reece. "Well, I can certainly blame you for taking Tracy away from me. You just couldn't leave her alone, could you? What did you do to persuade her to divorce me? Did you promise to marry her?"

"I didn't promise Tracy anything," Reece said. "She knows I'm not interested in her. All I did was drive her to the airport to catch a flight to Reno."

"Humph!" Kenny picked up his briefcase from the edge of B.K.'s desk. "I suppose if I had befriended you the way Chris did, you'd have handed the company over to me, but because I refused to accept you as my brother, you're willing to ruin the company our father spent his life building into a small empire."

Reece chuckled. God, why had he ever thought he wanted to be like Kenny? Why had he ever envied the man his life? Reece realized that he'd been blinded by the glitter of a world forbidden to him. Now that that world lay at his feet, he discovered he didn't want it as much as he'd thought he did.

"If you and I were like this-" Reece wrapped his index and middle fingers together "-I would still want Chris in charge of Stanton Industries. I didn't vote in her favor as an act of revenge against you. I did it because she's the best person for the job."

"I suppose you two think I'll just tuck my tail between my legs and crawl out of here," Kenny said.

"No one would ever think that." Chris whirled around one last time in her chair, then stuck out her foot under the desk to stop her spin. "There's a place at Stanton Industries for you, but it isn't in administration. It's in sales. You're the best salesman I know, Kenny. You inherited that from Mother. My goodness, we both know how persuasive she always was collecting thousands of dollars for her charities. You have that same special way with people."

"What position are you offering me?" Standing in front of his sister's desk, Kenny laid down his briefcase.

"You two work out an agreement suitable to both of you," Reece said. "If you need me for anything, you know where I'll be, Chris. And if you don't need me, then I'll see y'all at the next board meeting."

When he walked out the door, he heard Kenny ask Christina where Reece was going.

"He's going to find happiness," Chris said.

Elizabeth delved her glove-covered hands into the warm clumps of earth, crushing the small clods and sprinkling the soft dirt back to the ground. April showers were long overdue, forecast for tomorrow. She wanted to get the new plants set out so that they could soak up the rainwater that would nourish them.

Margaret McPhearson stood at the edge of the porch, shaking her head as she watched her niece. "Just look at you, Elizabeth Sequana. You're getting dirty, and after I persuaded you to fancy up a bit."

Elizabeth packed the earth around the last plant, then got up and removed her gloves, tossing them onto the steps. "I didn't get dirty. See." She held up her hands, then glanced down at the denim skirt and red silk blouse she wore. "But I can't just sit still waiting for Reece to arrive."

"I don't see why you can't sit down and take it easy. Just because you've been blessed with a total lack of morning sickness doesn't mean you shouldn't take good care of yourself." Margaret walked down the steps and out into the front yard.

"I almost wish you hadn't told me that Reece is coming here today. I've been waiting nearly six weeks. I'd begun to doubt he'd ever-"

"Nonsense. You knew, deep down here-" Margaret thumped her fist over her heart "-that he'd find his way back to you."

"I have to admit that I did try to contact him mentally a couple of times, to let him know that I loved him and I was waiting."

"Maybe you should have used the telephone instead of trying to break through that shield he keeps in place in his mind." Margaret put her arm around Elizabeth's shoulders. "It wasn't easy for me to break through, not at first, but in the last week or so.. .well, I'd say that, in time, you'll be able to read Reece Landry like a book."

"I wish I had the courage to let you tell me what sort of future you see for Reece and me." Elizabeth turned into her aunt's arms, hugging her.

Margaret patted her niece on the back, then stepped away from her, looking her squarely in the eye. "I wouldn't tell you, even if you asked. You've got the power. If you want to know, look for yourself."

When the front door of the cabin opened, MacDatho bounded outside, O'Grady following at a slower pace. "You 'bout ready to head for home, Margaret?" O'Grady asked.

"Not yet. I want to stay and meet this Landry fellow."

"Are you sure he's coming today?" O'Grady sat down in one of the large wooden rockers that Elizabeth had stationed across her front and back porches. "Seems he'd have called and let Elizabeth know he was coming."

"I'd say he assumes she already knows, which she does because I told her so." Holding on to the side railing, Margaret walked up the steps and sat in a rocker beside O'Grady. "She could've picked up on it herself if she wasn't so all-fired afraid that if she reads his mind, she'll discover he doesn't love her."

"Why don't you two go on home to Dover's Mill?" Elizabeth gazed up at them, the overhead noonday sun almost blinding her. "It may be April and a fairly warm day to­day, but that wind's chilly and I wouldn't want either of you catching cold."

"We're both healthy as horses," Margaret said. "Besides, we're not going anywhere till we meet your young man."

Elizabeth groaned, knowing when to admit defeat. She wasn't sure she would have gotten through the past six weeks without Aunt Margaret. Leaving Reece had been the most difficult thing she'd ever done, but it had been the right thing to do. If she had made things too easy for Reece, he might never have realized what was important in this life. He might have gone on wrapped up in the past and unable to give or accept love.

"He's coming up the road." Margaret stood, motioning for O'Grady to do the same. "You introduce us, Elizabeth, and then we'll be on our way. Now, you remember what I told you. You take him down to Mama's honeymoon cottage. I've got a surprise waiting there for y'all."

"All right," Elizabeth said. "If he stays, I'll take him to the cottage."

Elizabeth heard the approaching car, then turned to see a new, sleek, dark green Jeep Cherokee pull up and stop in front of the cabin. Reece Landry emerged, big and tall and incredibly handsome in his navy blue cotton slacks and his cream-colored pullover sweater.

"Lizzie." Reece stood at the side of the Jeep, taking in every inch of the woman who'd never been far from his mind these past six weeks. Everything he'd done to put his life together had been for her. And now, free at last from the emotions that had bound him to his past, he had come to her, hat in hand, so to speak, hoping she wouldn't send him away.

"Reece." Elizabeth had to restrain herself from running to him, but she would wait for him to come to her. Only a few feet separated them, but they were his distance to cross, not hers.

"So this is the infamous Reece Landry." Margaret McPhearson, her dimpled chin held high, the sun gleaming through the strands of her white hair, took hold of the railing and began walking down the steps.

"You must be Aunt Margaret." Reece looked at the old woman making her way slowly down the steps. An elderly man followed closely behind her.

MacDatho raced around the corner of the house, pouncing on Reece. Reece scratched his ears. "Hey, Mac, how are you, boy? Have you decided to be friends?"

Elizabeth didn't take her eyes off Reece. She felt her aunt's presence when Margaret walked over and stood beside her, O'Grady taking his place on her other side. "Aunt Margaret, O'Grady, this is Reece Landry."

"We already know that." Margaret waved her hand in dismissal. "What I want to know is why it took you six weeks to get here?"

"I had a lot to settle back in Newell," Reece said.

"Have you got it all settled now?" Margaret asked.

"Yes, ma'am, I do."

"Thought so, but I wanted to make sure." Margaret held out her hand in front of Elizabeth, motioning for O'Grady. The old man stepped forward, took Margaret's hand and led her to the delivery van.

Elizabeth waved goodbye to her aunt and O'Grady as they drove off down the road, then she turned back to Reece. They stood staring at each other, neither moving an inch.

"I've missed you, Lizzie."

"I've missed you, too."

MacDatho sat down beside Elizabeth, always her faithful companion. Why doesn't Reece say something else? she wondered when the silence between them dragged on for endless moments.

"It's a bit chilly out here. Would you like to come in?" She wanted to scream at him, to demand that he tell her why he'd come. Was he here to stay or just for a visit? Had he come to her or had he come for her? Or was he here to say goodbye?

"Elizabeth?" Reece took a tentative step in her direction.

"Yes?"

"Am I too late?"

"Are you... What are you saying, Reece?"

"I'm saying that I know what I want. I know what will make me happy, and it isn't running Stanton Industries or living in Newell in a mansion or lording it over Kenny that our father left me an equal share of everything he owned."

"What will make you happy?" Elizabeth's heartbeat roared in her ears. This was the moment she'd been waiting for, the moment Reece would come to her, his past behind him.

"Spending the rest of my life with you, Lizzie, that's what would make me happy." He took several giant steps, lifted her off her feet and whirled her around in the air.

She squealed with delight, drowning in the joy of being in Reece's arms. He slid her down his body, depositing her feet on the ground. She lifted her arms around his neck, gazing up at him with all the love in her heart glowing in her blue eyes.

Lowering his head, Reece took her lips in a kiss that took her breath away. She clung to him, responding with equal fervor as he deepened the kiss. He ran his hands over her back, her arms, her waist, her hips. She grasped his shoulder with one hand while she threaded her fingers through his hair at his neckline.

When they had kissed until they were spent, Reece lifted her in his arms and started up the steps, taking two at a time. MacDatho followed them inside the cabin, but stopped outside Elizabeth's bedroom and lay down in the hall.

With Elizabeth still in his arms, Reece eased his knees down onto her bed, the two of them clinging to each other. When she lay beneath him, he started kissing her again as he unbuttoned her blouse. With eager hands they undressed each other. Clothes flew into the air, landing here and there in the room. A shirt on the dresser, a blouse on a rocking chair, slacks on the floor, socks at the foot of the bed, briefs on the nightstand.

"I want you to marry me, Lizzie. I want to spend the rest of my life here in Sequana Falls with you." He kissed the hollow in her throat, his hands inching their way down from her waist to lift her hips. "I'll draw an income from my stocks in Stanton Industries, but I have no desire to be involved in running the company. You can teach me about the nursery business. We'll see if I have a green thumb."

Elizabeth reached up, grasping his shoulders. "You won't be bored living so far away from civilization?"

"I'll never be bored as long as I'm with you, don't you know that?"

"I love you, Reece. I love you so much." She gave herself to him, completely, wholly-her body, her heart and her soul. She was his now and forever.

Reece accepted her offer, thrusting into her with fierce possession, taking her completely, wholly, and giving himself in the same way. At long last he had found a home, a place to truly belong-in the arms of the woman who had been destined to save him from his past and give him a future he'd never dreamed possible.

Their mating was fast and intense, their passion having built to an almost unbearable point by six weeks of abstinence. Their bodies moved in unison, hot and raw and wild, their hands and mouths seeking and finding, giving and taking until fulfillment flung them over the precipice and into total satiation. They clung to each other, their hearts united, their souls forever one.

Elizabeth lay in Reece's arms. He petted her hip. He nuzzled her neck with his nose. She sighed with happiness.

"Elizabeth." Cupping her chin in his hand, he lifted her face. She smiled at him. "I love you. I love everything about you. Your blue eyes, your sweet lips." He kissed her quickly. "I love your body. I love the way it feels when I make love to you. like nothing I've ever known. And I love your good heart, the way you care about everyone and everything."

A teardrop fell from Elizabeth's eye, ran down her cheek and onto her jaw. One by one other tears followed. "We're going to be so happy."

"Are you looking into our future?" He kissed her on the shoulder.

"No, I... Aunt Margaret did, but she wouldn't tell me what she saw." Elizabeth remembered her aunt telling her to take Reece down to her great-grandmother's cottage today, that she'd planned a surprise for them.

"Well, she'd better have seen a wedding and children and a long, long life for the two of us together." Reece lifted Elizabeth up and over to lie on top of him. He traced a slow, seductive line down her spine.

"Before dark I want to take you to my great-grandmother's honeymoon cottage. I want us to spend our wedding night there."

"We'll go. Before dark." Reece rubbed himself up and down against Elizabeth. "That leaves us all afternoon to make love."

"Let's not waste a minute," Elizabeth said, situating herself to take him into her body.

Elizabeth led Reece through the woods to the small Victorian A-frame cottage standing in the middle of a tiny clearing. A picket fence enclosed the yard where tulips and jonquils bloomed in profusion.

"My great-grandfather built this little cottage as a wedding present for my great-grandmother. They spent their wedding night here and every anniversary for the rest of their lives together."

"I can see why you want us to start our married life here," Reece said, lifting Elizabeth into his arms.

He carried her up the walk, up the steps and onto the porch, MacDatho following. The front door opened to Reece's touch. He carried her inside, then set her on her feet. Mac stretched out across the floor, guarding the door.

Elizabeth glanced around the living room, but saw nothing out of place, nothing unusual. What had Aunt Margaret meant about a surprise for Reece and her?

"What are you looking for?" he asked.

"Aunt Margaret told me to bring you down here today, that she'd prepared a surprise for us." Elizabeth tugged on his hand. "Come on, let's look in the bedrooms."

She led him into the front bedroom, the one that opened out onto the porch. She gasped when she looked at the bed.

There lying on the antique, wrought-iron bed was a wedding dress-her great-grandmother's wedding dress, yellowed with age to a golden cream.

Reece watched Elizabeth as she touched the silk folds of the skirt, as she fingered the lace bodice. He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'd say Aunt Margaret sees a wedding in our future," Reece said.

Elizabeth turned in his arms, burying her face against his chest, breathing in the heady aroma of masculinity that surrounded Reece.

She felt a sudden intrusion into her mind. Smiling, she returned a message to her great-aunt, who had wished her happiness, then told her to take Reece into the back bedroom.

"Come on, I think there's more to our surprise." Elizabeth led him to the small bedroom at the back of the cottage. The last time she'd been in the room it had contained a cot, a cane-bottomed chair and a rickety table that sat by the window.

She opened the door, but stopped dead still when she realized what her aunt had done. The room was now a nursery. The baby bed that had belonged to both Aunt Margaret and her grandmother was the focal point of the room. A crocheted baby shawl lay in a cradle beneath the window. A padded rocking chair rested in the corner, and an open steamer trunk filled with antique toys had been placed against the right wall.

"It looks like a nursery." Reece followed Elizabeth into the room. "I'd say your aunt is trying to tell us that we're going to have children one of these days." He whirled Elizabeth around in his arms. "Would you like that, Lizzie? Would you like a houseful of children?"

"Would you, Reece?"

"Nothing would make me happier than for us to have a child. A little girl who looks just like you."

"Would a little boy do the first time? He won't look just like me, but he'll have my blue eyes."

"Are you saying you've looked into the future and seen our first child?"

"I didn't try to look into the future. It just happened."

Reece lifted Elizabeth off her feet. She wrapped her arms around him when he sat in the rocking chair with her in his lap.

"Wouldn't it be wonderful if our son was conceived on our wedding night here in this cottage.'' Reece slid his hand up and under Elizabeth's skirt to caress her thigh.

"I'm afraid he couldn't wait," Elizabeth said.

"What do you mean, he couldn't wait?"

"I'm already pregnant, Reece. Six weeks pregnant."

"You're what?" He sat up straight in the rocking chair, almost toppling Elizabeth to the floor. He grabbed her just as she began to slide off his lap.

Tightening her hold around his neck, she looked into Reece’s amber eyes-warm, glowing eyes, filled with love. "Come November, I'm going to give you a son."

"When did you find out?" Reece laid his hand across her stomach.

"I've known since the night he was conceived, our last night together. I knew before we made love."

"You wanted my child, even though I had nothing to offer you, even though I couldn't make a commitment?" He hugged her close, his lips covering hers in a tender kiss. "How did I get so lucky?" he whispered against her mouth. "Why me, out of all the men in the world?"

"Because we were meant for each other," Elizabeth said. "You came to me in my dreams, a stranger who entered my heart and never left it."

Reece held her in his arms as they sat in her great-grandmother's rocking chair. Late afternoon turned to evening while they sat in the honeymoon cottage and talked about their future. MacDatho found his way to the bedroom, curling his big body into a ball of black fur beside the rocking chair, occasionally glancing up at his mistress and the alpha male in her life.

Love knows no boundaries and cannot be confined. It transcends time and space. Love is the greatest power on earth and in heaven. Elizabeth and Reece did not question destiny's hand in their happiness; rather, they accepted fate's assistance as a blessing.