The Wicked and the Wondrous (20 page)

Kate told a story of the love of a man for his wife and children. A man who made a courageous decision to go against what others said was right and allowed his family to participate in a production designed to bring people together. She spoke of laughter and fun and his pride in his family as he watched them. And the horror of a terrible accident. The candles and dry straw, the heavy planks coming down on so many. The man watching his loved ones die. The guilt and horror. The need to blame someone…to blame himself.

Joley and Abbey sang softly, the voice of a woman and child calling for the one they loved to join them. Kate used the purity of her voice, silver tones to draw him closer. The woman and child waited. Loved. Longed for him. His only job was to go to them, to forgive himself. There was no one to save but himself.

Kate kept her hand extended and pointed behind him. Clouds of dark gray fog drifted aside. He turned to see the shadows there. A woman. A child. Far off in the distance waiting.

There was a sharp cry like that of a seagull. The waves crashed against the cliff, rose high and frothed white. Lightning veined the clouds, forked into the very center of the fog. The flash lit up the shadows, throwing Kate out of that world and back into the reality of her own. She landed heavily on the wet surface of the captain’s walk, in the middle of her sisters. Libby held her close.

“You’re all right. It’s all right now. You did it, Kate. You gave him peace,” Sarah said.

“We did it,” Kate corrected with a wan smile.

They sat together, too weary to move, the rain lashing down at them. Sarah turned her head to calculate the distance to the door. “Damon will be here with tea, but I don’t think he can carry us back inside.”

Elle draped herself over Abbey. “Who cares about going inside? I want to just lie here and look up at the sky.”

“I want to know Matt’s safe and that he was able to get to Danny,” Kate said. “When Damon comes up, please have him call Jonas.”

Matt scooted carefully down the steep bank, skirting rocks until it became impossible to go farther. He had no choice but to go over them.

“I’m Tommy, not Kate,” a voice called weakly from his right side.

Matt didn’t realize until that moment that he was whispering her name over and over like a prayer. He glanced up at the sky, felt the wind in his face, the first few drops of real rain. He felt power and energy crackling in the air around him. “Thank you, Katie, you are unbelievable.” He said it fervently, meaning it. Already the fog was beginning to thin so that he could make out the boy lying a few feet from him. “Are you hurt?”

“I don’t think so. I don’t know what happened though. One minute I was falling off the fence and rolling, and the next Danny shoved me. I woke up a few minutes ago and when I tried to move, I dislodged several rocks. I didn’t know where anyone was, so I thought I’d better just wait until help came.”

Matt remained lying flat, searching carefully for Danny. The wind drove down through the canyon and shifted abruptly, coming back off the river. He caught sight of his brother a few yards away. Danny was lying facedown on the cliff over the water’s edge, partially buried under debris. He wasn’t moving. The pulse pounded in Matt’s temples. He forced himself to go to the boy and examine him first. “You’ll be fine. Just stay down until we can get help to you. I’m checking on Danny.”

He took a deep breath and called toward the top. “Donna? Is Jonas here yet?”

“He’s on his way along with the rescue squad,” She yelled back.

“I’m working my way down to Danny. Everyone else is alive. Jackson looks the worst. Could be a concussion. The entire mountainside is unstable. Tell them to be careful moving around up there until I can get Danny out of the avalanche zone.”

Matt patted the teenage boy and proceeded to make painfully slow progress through the rocks. The smallest trickle of pebbles could bring down a tremendous storm of boulders on his brother. He inched his way through the rubble until he reached Danny’s side.

Danny was precariously balanced at the edge of the bank. It was actually the rocks that saved his life, holding him pinned in the dirt. Matt was very gentle as he examined his brother. He couldn’t find a single broken bone, but there were several lacerations, particularly on Danny’s hands. His face was pushed hard into the dirt. He carefully turned Danny’s head, scooping dirt from his mouth. Danny coughed, and the rocks slid. Some dislodged and one fell to the river below. “Don’t move, Danny, don’t even cough if you can help it,” Matt instructed.

“Tell us what you need, Matt,” Jonas shouted down to him.

“I’ve got to move Danny. When I do, everything above him is going to slide. You’ll have to get Pete out of there and Jackson. When you move them, Jonas, don’t disturb the rocks. If I take Danny now, there’s a chance we’ll lose those two. I’ll shield my brother, just work fast.”

Matt knew Jonas wouldn’t bother to argue with him. There was no way Matt would leave his younger brother hanging out over the edge of the fast-moving river with an avalanche of boulders poised to slide. The Drake sisters had managed a miracle removing the fog, but there was still dangerous work to be done.

“Don’t forget about me,” Tommy called.

“We’ll get you,” Jonas promised.

“You’re going to be just fine, Danny boy,” Matt said, brushing more dirt from the lacerated face.

“Get out of here, Matt,” Danny barely mouthed the words. “Breathing moves the rocks. If they’re working up above, the boulders will smash us both.”

“Have a little faith, bro, that’s Jonas up there. Are you hurt?”

“What does it look like?”

Matt heard the ominous rumble above him. “Incoming,” Jonas yelled from above them. Matt shifted so his upper body protected Danny’s head. He put his arms over his own head and tried to shrink as rocks bounced down, knocking a few more loose. The rocks rained down and splashed into the river below. One glanced off his calf and rolled away, dislodging more rocks before it hit the water.

“Dammit, be careful.” Matt could hear Jonas snarling at the rescue team. “If you can’t move them without setting off a landslide, get the hell back up here and let someone else do that! You all right down there, Matt?”

“We’re fine. Just be careful,” he called back.

“You weigh more than the rocks do,” Danny complained.

“You deserve it, scaring the hell out of me like this. Anything broken?”

“Naw. I’m a Granite. We’re tough.”

Matt rubbed his brother’s head in a rough, affectionate gesture. He glanced up. “They’ve got Jackson and the boys out, and they’re on the way to us. When we move you, Danny, the entire side of the bank is going to come down. I won’t be able to be very gentle, but I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“Just get me the hell out of here.”

It was not an easy task. The rescuers inched their way down and worked out a coordinated plan to move Danny, knowing once they pulled him from under the pile of rocks it would set off an avalanche. Matt stayed beside his brother, joking, keeping Danny’s spirits up. The men cleared as many of the rocks from Danny as they could without triggering the landslide. It was only the soft damp dirt that saved Danny from terrible injury or death. His body was pressed deep into the muck. They dug around him with painstaking slowness, careful not to disturb the precarious balance of boulders poised over their heads.

“Ready, Danny boy?” It was Matt who locked arms with his brother.

“More than ready.” There was fear in Danny’s eyes, but he winked at his older brother and managed a weak smile.

Matt didn’t wait. They had cleared as much of the ground as possible out of the way of the landslide path so that Matt had a clear trail on the steep embankment to drag Danny quickly out of harm’s way. He exerted his great strength, pulling his brother out from under the rocks, moving as fast as humanly possible. The rocks immediately crashed into the river, starting the avalanche. The boulders above, with nothing to hold them, rolled down, taking most of the embankment with it. Matt covered Danny’s body a second time, waiting until the debris had cleared.

Danny tried to stand, but his brother held him down. “You made me come down here and play mud-cakes with you, you can just get on the stretcher and let the medics carry your butt to the hospital and check you out.”

“I’m fine,” Danny protested, as they strapped him into a litter. “I feel like an idiot,” he said.

“That’s good, Danny. You are an idiot.” Matt took up a position at the head of the stretcher to help carry him up the steep bank. They were still cautious, worried about the unstable conditions, but managed to get him to the top without incident.

Danny protested more when they put him in the ambulance, but no one paid him any attention. Matt jumped in beside him, keeping one hand on his brother’s shoulder. It wasn’t until the doctors pronounced Danny bruised, but fine that Matt left him to go check on Jackson and the teens.

By the time he returned to the cliff house, he was tired and only wanting to hold Kate to him. The Drake sisters were sprawled in every chair of the living room, pale and drawn, all greeting him with their brilliant smiles.

Matt gathered Kate to him, holding her close. All he wanted to do was take her home with him where she belonged. She looked exhausted and in need of a hot meal and two or three days of sleep. Kate clung to him, turning her face up for his kiss, burrowing against him.

“I heard there was an accident on the river wall,” she greeted.

“Everyone’s fine. Shook up, but fine. Did Jonas stop by?”

She shook her head. “Inez called to make certain we were all right. She knew we must have cleared out the fog and that we would be exhausted. She told us what happened. Jackson’s in the hospital, but the two boys were treated and released. She said Jackson’s going to be fine.” Her smile was slow coming but bright. “I have a feeling he’ll make a terrible patient.”

“Somehow I think you’re right. Danny was treated and released also. He’s bruised from head to toe, but he didn’t have a single major injury.” There was elation in Matt’s voice. “He’s hoping Inez will upgrade his part next year in the pageant due to his, quote, ‘heroism.’ It was pretty dicey, Kate. Thanks for all you did.”

“We all did it. I could never have managed without my sisters. I’m so glad your brother is fine. The pageant just wouldn’t be the same without him in his annual role as the shepherd. Speaking of the pageant—” She broke off as her sisters burst out laughing.

Matt’s head went up suspiciously. He was beginning to know the Drake sisters, and their laughter heralded trouble for him. He was certain of it.

“Inez sent over a costume she made for the third wise man. A king,” Kate said brightly. “She asked if you would be willing to fill the role at the last minute and of course, with Inez being so distressed, we said we were certain you’d want to help out.”

He stiffened. “I’d rather be boiled in oil.”

“Acting runs in your family,” she pointed out.

He held up his hand. “You can’t look at me with those eyes while you’re weak and tired, it’s unfair tactics.”

“I know, Matthew,” she said. “I’m trying not to, but Inez is such a good friend, and I couldn’t bear her being so upset. The pageant is important to the town after all the near accidents. We need to get our confidence back.”

“And I have to be in the pageant in order for our town to do that?” He raised one eyebrow skeptically.

“All you have to do is walk through the town. No lines, nothing awful. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Does wanting to be boiled in oil instead sound like I want to do this?”

She turned her face into his chest. Pressed her lips against his skin.

He growled, deep in his throat. The growl turned into a groan. “I can see what my life’s going to be like. I’ll do it. This one time. Never again.”

“Thank you.” She kissed him again. “I just want to go home with you and sleep in your arms,” she said, uncaring that her family could hear her. “Let’s go home, Matthew.”

Matt kissed her gently, her lips, her throat, bringing her hand to his mouth as elation swept through him. She had said, “Let’s go home.” He lifted her with ease. “I’ll take good care of her,” he promised her family.

Sarah nodded. “We have every confidence that you will, Matt.”

“W
E’RE GOING TO BE LATE,”
K
ATE SAID, EVADING
Matt’s outstretched hand. “We promised the committee you’d be on time. We didn’t make rehearsals, and everyone’s worried you’re going to mess up their play.”

“I wasn’t the one who agreed to wear that silly-looking robe Inez made.
You
agreed I’d wear it! Is it my fault they lost a couple of their stars to a scandalous affair?” He stalked her through the house, one slow step at a time.

Kate laughed and dodged around the table, putting a chair between them. “You theater people are always involved in scandals.”

He moved the chair out of the way and proceeded to back her into a corner. “I’d be more than willing to cause a scandal. Just let me get my hands on you.”

“I don’t think so. Inez is probably watching her clock and tapping her foot. I’m not about to get a lecture about the benefits of being on time. Put on your costume!”

“I am in my costume. What king travels by starlight from one country to another and wears a satin bathrobe with cheesy lightning bolts sewn all over it? And I doubt very much if he sat on that camel naked under the robe.”

Kate held her stomach, laughing so hard she could barely manage to squeak through a small opening he’d left beside the counter. “Somehow I think Inez might object to the idea that you were running around naked in her kingly robes. I, however, am rather intrigued by the idea.” She backed down the hallway, holding her hand palm out. “Seriously, Matthew, she’ll reprimand you in front of the entire town if you’re late.”

She was nearing the entrance to the bedroom. His silver eyes gleamed with anticipation. “If you think that’s more humiliating than wearing this damned robe, which, by the way, is two sizes too small, you’re sadly mistaken. I think Bruce had the affair with Sylvia just to get out of wearing it.”

She pressed her hand to her mouth to keep an undignified giggle from emerging. “I think it looks dashing on you.” He was right; the robe looked utterly ridiculous on him. His huge muscles strained the material so that it stretched tight over his wide shoulders and back. Instead of reaching the ground, it was halfway up his calves, and the front gaped open to reveal…She laughed. “I think it has interesting possibilities.”

He spread his arms wide and rushed her, using an old football tackle. She screamed and turned to run, but he caught her up and carried her across the floor to the bed, where he unceremoniously dropped her. The kingly robe made its way to the floor. “I’m the king, and I demand my rights.”

Kate pushed one hand against his chest to fend him off. “You have no rights. Inez has you under contract, and you’re supposed to be
on time.
Do you want the entire town waiting for you?”

“I wouldn’t mind in the least.” He caught her legs, pinning her to the bed, stopping her from scooting away from him. “I think everyone should wait on me. I have this tremendous need to see your breasts. Why don’t you unbutton your blouse for me?”

“It doesn’t have buttons, oh mighty King.”

“Who the hell cares,” he growled. “Get rid of the shirt.”

“I think that robe went to your head.” Excitement raced through her, curled heat in her deepest core. She drew the blouse obediently over her head so that her full breasts spilled over the fine white cups of her bra. “Is this what you’re looking for?” She slid her hand over her skin, drawing his attention to the taut peaks.

Matt reached to draw the zipper of her jeans down. “Exactly like that.” There was a husky catch to his voice, the playfulness slipping away as he tugged the material from her body. He left her sexy little thong. “Every time I see that thing, I want to take it off with my teeth,” he admitted, and bent to the task.

Kate enjoyed the feel of his hands on her body. Big hands. Capable. Nearly covering her buttocks as he lifted her hips and teased her skin with his teeth. Just that fast she was swamped with heat, her body flushed and alive and in desperate need. The thought of the Christmas pageant went out of her head, and much more erotic thoughts took its place. His mouth was everywhere, his tongue teasing and dancing, his teeth pulling at the only barrier between him and his goal.

She felt the sudden release as the material parted, the cool air mingling with her own heat, then the plunging of his tongue going deep while she nearly came off the bed, air bursting from her lungs in a wild rush. It was only his hands holding her down that kept her open to him while he made certain she not only was prepared for him, but that she hungered for him. Laughing, he slid his body over hers, settling over her soft form, gripping her hips to pull her to meet the hard thrust as he joined them together.

“I think that kingly robe works just fine,” Kate managed to say, in between gasps of pleasure.

“Maybe I’ll keep it if it gets this kind of results,” he teased. He began to move, a slow assault on her senses, driving deep, needing her body, needing to feel the way she welcomed him. The heat and fire. Flames licking over his skin. “I love watching you when we make love,” he admitted. She was so completely abandoned in the way she gave herself to him.

Kate loved the way he watched her. There was desire etched into the lines of his face. There was hunger in the depths of his eyes. There was steel in his body and a fine hot heat that made her flame, catch fire, and burn with passion. “I love making love with you,” she told him, sliding her arms around his neck to draw his head down to hers.

“That’s a good thing, Katie.” His teeth nibbled at her chin, her full bottom lip. “Because I think we’re going to be spending a lot of time doing just that.”

Kate gave herself up to the sheer glory of his body driving so deeply into hers. The pressure built and built, and she dug her fingers into his shoulders, holding on as they soared together in perfect unison.

He lay over her, fighting for his breath, trying to slow his heart rate.

“You’re laughing,” she observed. “I told you, your entire family laughs at me.”

“I can’t help it, Kate. And I’m laughing at me. I feel like one of those sappy men who run around with a big grin on his face all the time. I feel like grinning all the time around you, and it’s so idiotic.”

Kate’s answering smile was slow. She rubbed her face against his chest. “I’m just beginning to realize how much I mean to you, Matthew.”

He kissed her tenderly, his hands framing her face. “I adore you. Why else would I ever put that horrible robe on in front of the entire town?”

Kate looked smug. “And you know what I’ll be thinking about when you come walking down the street looking sexy and kingly.”

“I’ll tell you what you’d better be thinking, Katie.” He took a deep breath. “You’d better be thinking, ‘here comes the man I intend to marry.’” He feathered kisses along the corners of her mouth. “Marry me, Kate. Spend your life with me.”

She looked up at his beloved face. Her fingers slid through his hair in a loving caress. “I don’t climb mountains or swim seas, Matthew. I sit in the corner and read books. I’m not at all brave. You have to be very sure that it’s me you want.”

“More than anything in the world, Kate. You. With you I have everything.”

“Well, I guess that kingly robe is lucky after all.” She kissed his throat, his chin. Found his mouth with hers and poured heat and fire and promises into her kiss.

He responded just the way she knew he would, his arms wrapping her close, his body coming alive, growing hard and thick deep inside her. He made love to her slowly, leisurely, as if they had all the time in the world and the entire town wasn’t waiting on them. He made a thorough job of it. Kate felt like the most important person in the world. And the happiest.

They lay on the bed in a tangle of arms and legs, fighting to breathe. She turned her head to look at him. “I’m thinking you should wear that robe more often, Matthew.”

He snorted his derision and glanced at his watch. “Kate! We’re late.”

“I told you we were late.”

“Not this late, we’re holding up the parade.” He hastily leaped off her, looking around for his clothes. Kate laughed at him through the entire drive to the park where the members of the production were assembling. He caught Kate by the hand and ran across the lawn to the pavilion.

“Where have you been?” Inez demanded, gesturing toward the huge crowd assembled along the streets. “We’ve all been waiting for you.”

“And,”
Danny added, “you didn’t answer your cell phone.” He shook his head, hands on his hips, clucking like an old hen. “You aren’t even in that lovely costume Inez made for you. What have you been doing?” He wiggled his eyebrows at Kate.

“Are you feeling all right, Danny,” Kate asked.

He tugged her hair affectionately. “I’m fine, but don’t tell Trudy, she’s babying me. And Mom’s worse.”

Inez all but stamped her foot. “Why are you late?”

“Kate made me late,” Matt told Inez, and the interested group of actors crushed together to see the fireworks when Inez told Matt off. Matt exchanged a long, slow smile with Kate while he listened to Inez politely.

“I believe him,” Jonas said. “You know how the Drake sisters are. Barbie doll alone takes three hours to get ready for anything. Put them all together, it could take days.”

Kate glared at both former Rangers and took Hannah’s hand. “Why aren’t you participating this year, Jonas?” she asked sweetly. “Inez, didn’t he promise you last year? I could have sworn Sarah told me Jonas really wanted to play a major role.”

“He likes to stand out,” Hannah added, smiling at Inez. “If you don’t offer him a lead, he won’t cooperate. You know Jonas. He has to be the star.”

Inez turned to the sheriff. “Why didn’t you sign up this year?”

“I didn’t sign up,” Matt pointed out.

“We don’t have time for this argument,” Jonas said, glaring at Kate. “Traffic is going to be backed up from here to hell and back. Get this show on the road, Inez, or we’ll have to shut it down.”

Inez began barking orders like a drill sergeant. Hannah nudged Jonas. “Don’t look so smug. I’m putting your name in for the role of donkey next year. I’m certain Inez will come up with a suitable costume.”

Deliberately the sheriff leaned into her, so close her body was pressed up against his. “That’s great, baby doll, as long as you’re the one riding me.” He breathed the words against her ear, then stalked away from her.

The wind rushed over him and sent his hat sailing toward the river. He glanced back, his grin wide. “You have such a bad temper, Hannah. Merry Christmas.”

Matt tried to cling to Kate but was dragged firmly away and forced into his satin costume. He did his best not to notice the other actors hiding their smiles behind their hands as they looked at him, or that Inez and Donna looked horrified. The streets were lined with townspeople, from the oldest to the youngest. Even Sylvia had turned up, with one side of her face covered in a red rash.

The parade began, and Matt was forced to endure trudging through the streets where everyone could see Inez’s bizarre creation. The other two wise men went before him. He thought they looked somewhat ridiculous in their robes of velvet, but if he squinted enough, he could use the word
regal.
Cursing the fact that his costume looked more like a woman’s bathrobe than a king’s robe, Matt thought it took an eternity to get through town, with everyone singing slightly off-key, and to finally catch sight of the town square. Worse, he couldn’t prevent the silly grin from breaking out on his face. It just wouldn’t go away, and he knew it had to look like he was enjoying parading through town in a woman’s bathrobe. He knew Kate and her sisters had grabbed a spot near the makeshift stables to wait for him, and he kept a sharp eye out for them. He let out a sigh of relief when he finally spotted them.

“You look really good in that satin robe, bro,” Danny declared, nudging his brother with the hooked end of his staff.

“Shut up, Danny, or I’m going to kick your butt,” Matt threatened out of the side of his mouth. He kept his eyes straight ahead, trudging like a man doomed, carrying his gift of frankincense on a white satin pillow out in front of him. He’d argued the wise men hadn’t had white satin pillows to use carrying the foul-smelling stuff, but not a single person had listened, and his protests had earned him a black scowl from Inez. He kept his eyes straight ahead, not looking at the waving townspeople as he marched stoically onward to the town square with his silly grin on his face.

Danny whistled at him. “That robe manages to show your butt off nicely, Matt.” He tapped the offending part of Matt’s anatomy with the staff again. “Sorry, little accident, couldn’t help myself.”

“I hope you have life insurance,” Matt said in his most menacing voice. He made the mistake of looking up to judge the distance to the square. He had to know the exact amount of time he would have to suffer further humiliation. Kate stood there with her sisters. Every last one of them had a huge smile on her face. Matt entertained the idea of throwing the frankincense at their feet and hauling Kate over his shoulder like the Neanderthal they all thought he was. He’d keep the robe, it might come in handy.

Danny poked him with the staff again. “Get along there little dogie,” he teased.

Matt’s furious gaze settled on Old Man Mars. He stood slightly apart, watching the pageant with a peculiar look on his face, somewhere between mortification and shock. It was obvious he shared Matt’s view of the idiotic robes. The old man caught his eye, read the pain on Matt’s face, and stepped closer to commiserate. He walked alongside Matt.