Through His Heart (Mind's Eye Book 3) Page 8

  She rolled her eyes. “Ohmygod! You do fight dirty!” She stared at the ring for a few moments as arguments and reasonable words whirled around in her tired brain. “What will we tell people about this?”

  “That we have no immediate plans. We’re contemplating marriage. We don’t have to give in to other people pressuring us to set a date and all that other stuff.”

  Damn him! “I’ll wear it. Give me the ring.”

  “Uh-uh.” He captured her left hand and slid the ring onto her third finger, a tender smile curving his lips.

  Trudy stared at it, feeling its weight and its significance. Her heartbeats slowed and then sped up within the space of a long sigh. “How much did this thing cost? What if I lose it?”

  “It’s insured.”

  “You insured it?” she asked, dumbfounded.

  “Yes, of course, I did,” he replied, dumbfounded.

  “I bet you could pawn this and buy a whole house with it.”

  A spate of laughter tumbled from him and he shook his head at her. He gazed at the ring on her finger, then at her face, then at the ring again. His grip on her fingers tightened and he dipped his head and kissed the ring.

  A sob broke in her throat. Sealed with a kiss.

  “Speaking of buying houses and such, now that we’ve taken another step in this relationship thing we’re trying, I’m going to do some things that will, undoubtedly, get a rise out of you.” He shrugged, giving the ring another long look before letting go of her hand. “But, we all have to change, don’t we?” He stepped around her. “Let’s hook up the car.”

  She tore her gaze from the ring. The thing was mesmerizing! “Wait a sec. You can’t drop a bomb like that and then walk away! What kind of changes?”

  He uncapped the hitch ball on the RV’s fender. “I’m going to buy you a new car, Tru.”

  “No.” She stiffened at the idea.

  “And pay off your mortgage.”

  “No.” She widened her eyes, alarmed that he might be serious.

  “And your student loans.”

  “No way!” She stomped one foot. “You will do no such thing.”

  “Oh, yes, I am.” He straightened to face her and she saw with a sinking heart that he was absolutely serious. “You must learn how to accept my gifts with grace instead of defiance. It’s incongruous that I have to argue with you about how I spend my damned money.”

  “Incongruous,” she repeated, smiling a little at his choice of words. “You can spend it any way you like. But if I want a different car, I’ll buy one, and I’ll pay my own debts. I don’t need your money.”

  Laughing under his breath, he shook his head and motioned for her to bring the car around. “Let’s get going.”

  “You might have won this round.” She raised her left hand, hoping to blind him with the rock she was wearing. “But you won’t win the next one.”

  He retaliated by blowing her a kiss.

  Chapter 6

  With Levi behind the wheel of the RV, Trudy sat in the big, comfy passenger seat with Mouse and tried not to stare at the honking big diamond ring on her finger.

  “You like it?” Levi asked with a grin.

  “It’s gorgeous. I’ve always loved pear-shaped diamonds.”

  “That’s what Sadie and your mother said.”

  That took her focus off the ring. “You told them you were getting this?”

  “I wasn’t sure what you’d like or what size ring you wear, so I picked out four different styles, took photos of them, and e-mailed them to Sadie.”

  “When? When did you do this?”

  “A couple of days ago. Sadie and your mother both selected that ring for you. It happened to be my favorite, too.”

  “What I like most about it is that these sapphires are the same color as your eyes.” She looked at him, catching the baffled expression that skipped across his face. He just didn’t understand how much she loved his expressive, seductive, moody blue eyes. Smiling to herself, she ran a fingertip along the dark blue jewels that outlined the center dazzler. “Is this diamond like two carats?”

  He scoffed. “It’s like three carats, baby, with half a carat of sapphires.”

  She covered the ring with her hand as the import of that blasted through her. “That’s nuts!”

  He chuckled. “I want you to wear it with the same pride that you wear that necklace I gave you.”

  Automatically, her fingers went to the gold chain around her neck. He’d had it designed especially for her and her fingertips traced the letters on one side – SYS – and then the ones on the other side – BNSE. See You Soon. But Not Soon Enough. It was what they said to each other when they were apart. Even for a few hours.

  “You’ve already said you like it, so it’s yours. No exchanges. No returns.” He nodded ahead of them. “I think this is the turnoff for the lake cabins.”

  “You shouldn’t squander your money. You’ve worked hard for it.”

  “If I’m spending it on you and it makes me happy, I’m not squandering it,” he informed her in a clipped tone as he braked and guided the RV and towed car off the highway and onto a two-lane road.

  “You know you went about this all wrong,” she said, realizing she hadn’t meant to say that aloud. Too late.

  “Went about what all wrong?”

  She sighed with resignation. Might as well state what had been pricking her mind like a thorn. “The asking part of this.” She flashed the diamond at him. “I mean, we were standing in a KOA after having a spat! Not very romantic.”

  He sent her a questioning look. “If I’d dropped to one knee and asked you to marry me, would you be wearing that ring right now?”

  She opened her mouth to give an affirming answer, but her conscience stopped her. Would she be? Picturing that scenario, she felt a bit suffocated. “Probably not. I would have told you that you’re moving too fast.”

  “I guess I knew what I was doing then, didn’t I?” He stared pointedly at her engagement ring for a few seconds. “And when you’re sure about something, why wait?”

  “You’re that sure?”

  “You’re not?” He glanced sharply at her.

  She stared straight ahead as her pulse drummed in her ears and her mouth went dry. Tell the truth, she told herself. Don’t hedge. Don’t tiptoe around it. “I’m sure. I’m just not sure about the engagement and marriage rituals. Derek and Sadie were so stressed out when they were engaged. All the planning, meetings, decisions, and money being spent hither and yon – it’s exhausting!” She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes to see that he was smiling. “You’re happy now, but mark my words.”

  Shaking her head, she directed her attention away from her stubborn man and his unrealistic ideas of engagements to the wooded area and glimpses of campgrounds and cabins among the stands of trees. The first thing she saw was Rachel’s face on a poster that was attached to a telephone pole. It was like being slapped – hard. She sucked in a breath and pressed her hand to her stomach.

  “You okay?” Levi asked.

  Glancing his way, she could tell by his grim expression that he’d seen the poster, too. “She’s such a pretty, little girl.”

  “Whoever has her is hiding her. There’s been a lot of publicity about her disappearance around here. AmyLynn shows her picture two or three times every day on their television show.”

  “Has Sissy Franklin talked about it on her show?”

  “Some, but not much. Mostly in deference to me, I think.”

  Interesting, she thought, turning her head to look out the windows. So, Sissy was aware of his shattered relationship with his father. But how much had he told her?

  “Do you know about the history of this place?” he asked.

  “Yes, a little. This is on the New Madrid fault and there was such a huge earthquake back in 1811 that it made the Mississippi River flow backwards.”

  “And it formed this lake area, which had been a cypress forest,” Levi added, having obviously done his
own research. “That’s why there are old growth cypress trees jutting up all through the lake.”

  She sucked in a breath as they rounded a curve and the lake came into view. Bare, beige cypress trees jutted from the rippling, mirrored surface. An eagle’s nest crowned one tree and Trudy could see a bald eagle perched on it. “Beautifully creepy,” Trudy whispered as goose bumps peppered her skin.

  “The turnoff to the church campsite is right up here, I think.” He leaned forward, staring intently ahead. “I see it.” Braking, he expertly steered the big RV onto a narrower thoroughfare. Trees and low brush closed in on them. Branches scraped along the sides of the RV in places and it was darker, the sunlight filtered by overhanging branches. Although they were bare of leaves this time of year, trees were so plentiful and thick that they nearly blocked out the natural light.

  Trudy rubbed her arms up and down, warding off a shiver of trepidation that crept through her. “I don’t know why I’m jumpy all of a sudden,” she said in a near whisper. “But I am.”

  Levi rested one hand on his chest. “I feel it, too.” He sucked in a deep breath. “But it has nothing to do with the kidnapping.”

  “No? Then what?” She mentally fought off the feelings of agony and grief welling inside of her.

  “Blood was spilled here.” He looked from left to right as if watching something unfold in front of him. “A long, long time ago. People on horseback and there was a wagon. There were Indians and men in uniforms. It was bloody. Women and children were massacred.”

  Trudy touched her trembling fingers to her lips, feeling her eyes widen as she watched him. His eyes were glassy, fixed on something or someone from another time. “You see all of that?”

  “No . . . I feel it. I’m being . . . told about it.” He blinked slowly and drew in a breath. Slowly, he refocused on her. “The spirits are strong here.”

  “I guess that’s why I’m feeling so overwhelmed.” She waited for him to shake off some of the past before she asked, “Is this your sense memory kicking in?”

  “Yes.”

  “Maybe you’ll pick something up about the kidnapping when we’re at the cabin.”

  “Possibly, or the trauma that’s happened here will muddy the waters. That’s how it usually is – there are so many voices, so much pain that it becomes one big scream in my head.”

  She uncrossed her arms as the uncomfortable sensations began to subside. Levi glanced at her.

  “It’s better now, right?”

  She nodded.

  “For me, too.” He gunned the motorhome a little, picking up speed. “We’re leaving the area and those spirits behind.”

  “Are the spirits in limbo . . . or what?”

  He shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. Personally, I think it’s like a shadow or maybe like a blood stain you can’t completely remove from the earth. A piece of those souls remains trapped in the agony and fear they experienced.”

  “I wish we had more answers than questions.”

  He smiled with understanding. “The questions keep us interested and we might not like the answers.”

  The church’s cabins were another half-mile up the road. It was the middle of the week in the winter, so the area was quiet and nearly deserted. A couple of cars and a few pickup campers drove past them. Through the trees, Trudy caught glimpses of the lake. Once she saw a motorboat zip along the water, leaving white foam in its wake.

  “It has to be freezing cold out there on the lake,” she said.

  “For avid anglers, it’s never too cold to wet a line.”

  She shivered, then sat forward to peer at the cabins. “Are we here?”

  “I believe so.” He squinted at a sign, its red-painted letters faded and chipped. “Camp Bethel. Yeah, this is it.”

  “She was in Matthew.”

  “In who?” he asked, whipping his gaze to her.

  She grinned. “The cabins are named for the disciples. She was in Matthew.”

  “Oh.” He rolled his eyes. “They probably put the bad kids in Judas.”

  She grinned, shaking her head, but agreeing that the cabin naming thing was taking it a bit far. “It’s pretty here. Walking distance to the lake.”

  “Prime real estate,” he agreed, parking the motorhome beside the first cabin. “Let’s explore and see if we can pick up any residual feelings. You might even be able to channel him here.” He snapped the leash onto Mouse’s red leather halter and opened the driver’s door, letting the little dog hop out ahead of him.

  Trudy stepped out from the passenger side. “Lock it, Levi,” she called to him since he had the key, and she heard the locks engage. Not that she’d have to remind him, she thought. The man was always telling her to lock up, be careful, drive safe, take a bodyguard along. It was sweet that he was so caring toward her, but it could also be irritating.

  Walking a few steps behind him, she admired the fit of his trousers on his tight backside and his swaggering, loose-limbed stride. He had a swimmer’s body type with wide shoulders, muscled arms, tapered waist, and long legs. The breeze combed through his black hair, giving it a tousle. He could use a trim, she thought, recalling winding her fingers in the curls at the back of his neck last night.

  He turned sharply and jogged up the steps of the fourth cabin on the right. Trudy snapped from her daydreaming to notice the small white cross beside the cabin. “Matthew” was painted on it in neat, black letters. Levi waited for her to join him on the big porch where two rocking chairs and a swing invited relaxation and nature watching.

  “Be careful. The steps are icy.” He reached out a hand to her and she responded, automatically wrapping her fingers around his and letting him steady her as she climbed the three steps. The diamond in her ring winked at her and the blue sapphires rivalled the beautiful blues gazing at her.

  He linked his fingers with hers. “You look pensive.”

  “Do I?” She lifted her face for his kiss. “I was thinking about how sexy you look.”

  “Huh. I was thinking how lucky the guy is who put that ring on your finger.” He caught her lower lip between his teeth before letting go. “Then I realized that guy is me.”

  “Let’s not get carried away.”

  “Too late.” He grinned and pulled her and Mouse into the cabin with him.

  “I assume this place was cordoned off as a crime scene.”

  “No doubt about it,” Levi said. “The whole place has been gone over and over again.”

  Trudy examined the simple, dated furniture that looked like it had come from a bargain basement sale. A burnt orange and brown plaid couch, a rocker upholstered in a brown, tweedy material, a fake brown leather easy chair – all sitting on a big, oval, rag rug in alternating stripes of brown, avocado green, and dirty yellow.

  “This is bigger than I thought it’d be,” she said. “I was picturing one room with bunk beds.”

  “They’re for families and small groups. This one has two bedrooms with twin beds in each. The reports said that Rachel and Essie Crowder were in one room and another girl and her mother were in the other one.”

  Levi went to the bedrooms and Trudy followed more slowly, taking time to check out the small kitchen, yellow Formica-topped table and four chairs, and kerosene and electric lamps sitting on doily-covered end tables. Trudy surveyed the room, noting that the only windows were narrow and high. You’d have to use a ladder to get to them from the outside and be child-sized to squeeze through them.

  It seemed to be colder in the cabin than it had been outside. Trudy pulled her gloves from her coat pocket and put them on. Then she tightened the wool scarf around her neck. Levi stepped up behind her and wrapped her in his arms.

  “Cold?”

  “Yes. How do they heat these cabins?”

  “There are wall heaters that run off butane and there’s a fireplace in the living room, but the cabins probably aren’t used much in the winter.” He ran his hands up and down her coat sleeves. “You feel anything besides the cold?�
�

  “Like residual memories? That’s your talent, not mine.”

  “But you felt something back in the woods,” he said, then turned her around to face him. “You have sense memory, too.”

  She opened her mouth to deny it, but stopped herself. “Do I? I never did before.”

  He rested his forehead against hers, his eyes glinting at her. “You’ve always had it, baby. You’ve just never tapped into it, never acknowledged it.”

  “Sometimes I think you’re bringing out these things in me.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, right. It’s all me – all the time.” He let go of her, taking a step back to throw his arms out in a grand gesture. “I’m fucking amazing.”

  She scowled at his sarcasm. “Okay, okay. Point taken.” Self-doubt was part of her DNA. Also, the things she could do sort of freaked her out. “I don’t know what room or what bed she was in.”

  “Let’s focus on absorbing whatever is here.” He walked slowly around the room and then out of it to the next one.

  Trudy sat on one of the beds and closed her eyes. She emptied her mind of thoughts and pictured an open window with lacy white curtains billowing out. Then she inserted Rachel Lynn Rudd in front of the window. Blond, brown-eyed, small-boned, a rosebud mouth. A pretty, little girl whose eyes were red-rimmed from crying for her mommy.

  Where are you, sweetie?

  No answer. No feelings of her. No sense of her.

  Trudy opened her eyes to see Levi standing in the hallway.

  “You feel anything?” he asked.

  “No. How about you?”

  “I get nothing. No trauma. No fear. Nothing disturbing at all.”

  “The reports said there were no signs of struggle. He could have drugged her.”

  “Or lured her outside, away from the cabin. Or she might know him or think he was one of the parents who were chaperoning.”