In The Arms of a Stranger (12 page)

Her heart went out to the sixteen-year-old boy who'd been forced to face a side of the world that was ugly and mean. A side she, too, had seen too often. “But it wasn't your fault, Luke…”

“Of course not, but that didn't matter at the time. The people of Sweetwater couldn't turn against my father. They still needed him.”

“No one needs another person that badly. What he did was unforgivable.”

“True.” Luke shook his head. “But before the factory
came to this town, there was more poverty than work. My father gave the people in this community jobs, changed their lives for the better. Lucas Daniel Sutherlin was one step away from being God. They needed him to rebuild the factory, so therefore they needed
him.
”

“But you were another matter,” Dana offered.

Luke nodded.

“But you obviously moved on.”

“Not really. Dug in is more the truth. I can't help that I have the same last name as my father, but I can find honor in it, pay back the debt my father owes.”

“Which is how you ended up as chief of police,” Dana stated.

“I suppose.”

“But you were appointed, right? They appointed you despite your father.”

“Or because of him.” He drew her against him. “That's something I'll never know.”

“But—”

Luke silenced Dana with a kiss that made her insides melt and wiped all other thoughts from her head. He broke the kiss to look at her.

“I have an idea.” His voice flowed over her like melted chocolate. “Let's talk about something else.”

It was a very effective way to change the subject. Dana took a deep, steadying breath, the heady imprint of his lips still lingering on hers. The man had enough sexual charm for two people, she decided. It was a painless defeat. But when she looked into Luke's eyes, she saw a wariness that stopped her short.

There was something more. Something he wasn't telling her.

“What is it?” she asked, propping on one elbow. “Is something wrong?”

“No.” He stroked her arm, his gaze falling to the shadows where the baby slept. “It's just… I have some new information about the baby.”

“H
is name is Daniel.”

Dana's gaze followed Luke's. “Oh.” She pressed her hand against her lips, suppressing the urge to cry.

The fact that the baby had a name was illogically painful. For the past few days he'd been her responsibility, the focus of her every action. That fact had somehow lent her possession of him, however temporary. But now she knew his name, knew that his mother, whose life had ended on a jagged cliff, had conceived him, carried him, given birth to him…

And named him Daniel.

It was a sobering dose of reality that she hadn't been prepared to face.

“He's four months old. And he has no one, no family that we're aware of.”

Luke's words seeped through her thoughts slowly. She stared at the baby who slept peacefully in the corner of the room, his face dimly lit by the fire's glow. Though the shad
ows hid his features, she'd memorized every one. She knew that his lips were pursed in sleep, that one chubby cheek was pressed firmly against the blanket while he slept.

He was blissfully unaware that he was alone.

Empathy eroded what little barrier stood between her heart and the baby, dredging up painful memories of growing up without her parents. Life was so unfair.

“Dana…” Luke's hand was on her cheek, wiping away tears she hadn't known she'd shed. “I've been thinking. What about you? You should take him.”

Luke's words didn't make sense. Was this some cruel test, some scenario he'd conjured up to gauge her reaction? “What?” She pulled away from his touch, scrambling to sit upright.

“Whoa…” Luke sat up, his hand gently encircling her arm. “Calm down.” He whispered the words as if she were a frightened animal on the verge of running away.

The room spun in a vortex of color and light, and Dana could feel her heart beating against her rib cage. Maybe she did want to run.

“What I meant was that you could petition the courts to let you keep the baby. You said that you'd been certified for foster care, right?”

Her vision slowly cleared as Luke's meaning became apparent. Dana steadied her breathing, but her heart continued to pound. Yet instead of pounding with fear and outrage, it now beat with excitement, with the possibility of what could be.

“Me?” She touched her fingertips to her chest. “Be his foster mother?”

“I don't know much about the system, but you're responsible for saving his life, and you've bonded in the past few days. Why not?”

Why not? For a thousand reasons that Luke Sutherlin
couldn't begin to fathom, that's why. Because she would be torn apart by grief when it came time to part with him. Because she would dream of it becoming permanent, of becoming Daniel's mother. And Dana knew from experience that those were fragile dreams, the kind that shattered before your eyes and left you alone and empty.

“It's just that—he's been through so much already. And you two look like you belong together.”

Dana swallowed hard. “I could say the same thing about you.”

Luke laughed. “If there's one thing I was never meant to be, it's a father.”

“Maybe I wasn't meant to be a mother, either.”

“That's ridiculous, Dana.”

“No, no it's not.” Dana twisted the sheet against her bare chest, lost in thought. “You know that feeling you get when you realize you've made a mistake—the moment when your chest tightens and time stands still?”

“Yeah.” Luke's voice grew dark. “Yeah, I do.”

She looked at Luke, blinking away memories of Michael. “Well, you can't make mistakes with a child.”

“You're allowed to be happy, you know. You're even allowed to make mistakes. You should think about it. I can't imagine him being placed with someone else, not if you've been certified as a foster parent already.”

Placed with someone else…

Dana realized as Luke spoke the words that it was already too late for her heart, that she would die a thousand deaths to keep Daniel with her a little longer. She knew from experience that a child who was not biologically hers could be ripped away without a moment's notice. But the dream had already begun. It started the moment she found Daniel and became possible when Luke saved their lives.

It was simply too late to turn back now.

Dana met Luke's eyes. She touched his face, memorizing his high, tanned cheekbones, the flinty-blue eyes rimmed with dark lashes. She would remember this moment, this night, this man. And she would believe, if only for tonight, that dreams could come true.

“Make love to me again, Luke,” she whispered.

Dana watched Luke's eyes darken with desire, his gaze fill with hunger as he pulled her against the mattress.

 

Luke cracked one eye open, allowing the morning light to filter in. He'd slept like a dead man. Dana had sapped the last of his energy sometime after midnight. He smiled a lazy, contented smile. He'd slept with the peace of knowing that Gonzalez was in custody and that Dana and Daniel were safe. He rolled to his side and listened to the soft noises coming from the kitchen. He'd been aware of Dana, the baby and Sam stirring around the cabin for some time, but had simply allowed the homey sound to lull him back to sleep.

He forced his eyes to open completely and focused on Dana. She carried the baby on one shoulder and was juggling a can of food with the other. She turned suddenly, as though she felt Luke's gaze on her back. A broad smile split her face as their eyes met.

She brought him a glass of murky-looking juice as he scrambled to a sitting position. “I wish it were coffee.” She wrinkled her nose. “It's more pear juice.”

He took a sip. “I'm glad it's not coffee.” He pulled her to him for a quick peck on the lips, stroking the top of the baby's head in greeting. “Because that would be too perfect and I don't want to be dreaming.”

Dana blushed, and Luke felt his heart squeeze, knowing that he was responsible. Her skin was devoid of makeup, yet she literally glowed. She'd obviously stoked the fire be
cause the cabin was bathed in warmth, allowing her to putter about barefoot. She'd pulled the sweatpants back on and had added a fresh white T-shirt that Luke suspected had once belonged to one of the rangers.

His eyes drifted lazily over her body. She might be fully clothed but in his mind's eye he saw her as he had last night. Luke smiled, a surge of possessiveness tugging at him as he remembered their joining. He'd tasted and touched every inch of her and he still wanted more. She wasn't wearing a bra, Luke realized. Her nipples puckered the soft fabric of the shirt and her breasts swayed in response to her movements. Last night had been incredible. Memories hardened his body, made him crave more.

Warning bells were going off in his head like sirens, but he ignored them. Happiness had presented itself to him in the form of this one temporary indulgence and he was going to take it.

Warning bells be damned.

Sam chose that moment to claim seniority and jumped on the wobbly sofa bed, plopping down in Dana's spot. “I don't think so, old man,” Luke scolded. “She's got you beat in more ways than I can count.”

Sam let out a soulful moan, and Dana raised her eyebrows. “I think he's arguing with you.”

“No, that's advance notice that nature is calling.” He winked at Dana as he slid from the bed and pulled on his jeans. “Me first,” he muttered. He made his way to the bathroom and paused when he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror. He didn't look any different after last night. So why did he feel so different?

Because he was.

Luke ran his hand through his hair, shoving the wayward strands into some semblance of order. He was stuck in the middle of nowhere, had inadvertently shirked his duty as
chief of police, and had just set himself up for a fall by making love to a woman who'd soon vanish as quickly as the snow. But he was happy. Strange as the combination was, he was genuinely happy.

Luke walked back to the kitchen and stole up behind Dana as she rifled through the canned goods. He tugged her backside against the front of his body, nuzzling her neck. She giggled and he moaned, a jolt of desire weakening his knees. He'd intended the action to be playful, but it ended up being insanely tempting instead.

“You are a drug,” he whispered, drawing away from her.

Dana smiled and met his eyes, a sort of disbelief lingering in her expression. Luke understood. He felt it, too.

Sam whined and circled at his feet, and Luke got the message loud and clear. He found his jacket on the back of the chair and pulled it over his bare chest. When he opened the back door Sam dashed headlong into the snow. Luke stepped onto the porch, closing the door behind him, and propped his hip against the railing. The morning air didn't bite at his lungs when he breathed. In fact, there was a hint of warmth.

Though the temperature probably still hovered around the freezing mark, the forest was bathed in sunlight and alive with the sound of melting snow. Drifts were melting into comical shapes, and miniature mounds of snow were sliding from leaves and branches, plopping to the ground in a steady cadence. Squirrels had come out in force, jumping and crashing from branch to branch, their playful actions adding to the chaos.

A muted, foreign sound echoed in the valley below the mountain, barely discernible. Luke cocked his head, listening. The sound echoed again, louder this time, and he recognized the hum of heavy machinery. His men were clearing the road. His pulse increased with a combination of
excitement and regret. He'd soon have Dana and Daniel to safety.

And then they'd be out of his life.

He tried to coax himself into feeling relief by mentally creating a list of creature comforts he would soon indulge in. First on the list was a long, hot bath. Luke shook his head when an image of Dana, naked and smiling, slipped into the tub.

He changed tactics.

Closing his eyes, he conjured up the image of a thick steak smothered in mushrooms, paired with a steaming baked potato. His mouth watered in response. While he was in the midst of the fantasy, he got himself a cold beer, chose a good movie from his DVD collection and mentally popped it in the player. Problem was that Dana was nestled on the sofa beside him and the baby lay on a quilt by her hip.

Luke rubbed his eyes. His world had shrunk to the size of the cabin, proof that he'd been cooped up too long. Lack of sleep and nutrition weren't helping, either.

Not to mention the fact that he'd had the most mind-shattering sex of his life with Dana Langston.

No. Luke closed his eyes. Even the thought was wrong, somehow disrespectful. They hadn't had sex. Luke felt something inside him shift.

They'd made love.

He gave himself another mental shake. “Get a grip,” he muttered beneath his breath. Things would sort themselves out once they were free of the storm, and his life would soon return to normal. And at some point he'd stop thinking of Dana and Daniel.

Luke realized with a start that Sam had returned and was circling his feet impatiently, whining to return to the warm cabin. He opened the door, and the dog blasted inside, greet
ing Dana and the baby as though he hadn't seen them in ages.

Dana rubbed Sam's shoulders before raising her gaze to Luke. Her gleeful expression turned serious. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing.” He shrugged. “Good news, actually. I can hear them clearing the road. We should be out by nightfall.”

She broke eye contact to pet Sam again, and Luke wondered if she'd experienced the same flash of regret that he had. “That's so wonderful,” she said. “The baby is down to two bottles, maybe three if I stretch it.”

“Stretch it, just in case,” he replied. “From the sound of the machinery, they're almost at the accident site. I'm going to dress and hike down there. I should be back in a few hours.” He tried on a smile and hoped it looked nonchalant. “Hopefully I'll return with a ride out of here.”

“I wish you wouldn't go.”

Did she feel it, too? he wondered. Her words tugged at him, tempted him to make promises he couldn't keep. Luke concentrated on the business at hand. It was time he did his job. Reality was waiting for all three of them.

Whether they wanted it to or not.

“I have to. The men will need me at the accident site. You and the baby are safe here.” He grasped her shoulders in his hands. “Gonzalez is behind bars.”

“I know. You're right. Just…” She forced a smile. “Be more careful this time.”

He wanted to kiss her. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to do, but he resisted. Luke dropped his hands and forced himself to take a step backward. Dana turned away and busied herself doing nothing in the kitchen.

It was awkward knowing they were near the end. And, if Luke were honest with himself, it was downright hard.

He retrieved his shirt from the floor near the bed and
pulled it on, doing his best to ignore the tangled sheets and the memories. He shoved on his socks and boots and slipped his jacket back on.

Luke hesitated when he reached the door. “Lock the door behind me,” he ordered.

Dana smiled. “But there's no need to—”

“Humor me,” he answered.

Dana nodded.

Luke drank in the sight of her, memorized it. She held the baby against her shoulder, supporting his head and back with her graceful hands. Straight blond locks brushed her shoulders, contrasting with the baby's dark peach fuzz. She was beautiful. The most gorgeous woman he'd ever seen. Her face had been seductively beautiful last night, lit by the flames of the fire and flushed with desire. Yet she was even more beautiful right now, bathed in the morning light, dressed in cast-off clothing and looking as though she would cry.

He knew that no matter what happened, this was the memory of Dana he'd carry with him always.

He pulled the door shut behind him and walked away.