A Kiss in the Dark (6 page)

He wanted to see her again. Even if it was only for the short time she was going to be in Black Stone Gap. She desperately wanted to see him again, too. That was the problem. Even after just one night, he’d managed to get under her skin.

“I’m leaving in just a few days,” she hedged. “And I’ll be working most of the time. I don’t know how much free time I’ll have.”

“Okay, so we’ll make adjustments based on your schedule. But you need to eat dinner, right? And who better to show you around the area than me?” He dipped his head to stare directly into her eyes. “Will you at least consider it?”

Looking into his blue eyes, Lacey found her resistance slipping. She nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay. Great.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “When you’ve finished getting dressed, come downstairs and have some breakfast.”

After he left, she shoved her belongings into her overnight bag and slipped on a pair of soft leather flats. She swiftly ran a brush through her hair and then carefully applied a light coat of mascara and lip gloss before examining herself critically in the full-length mirror. Deciding that she looked presentable, she gathered up her bags and made her way downstairs. Dropping her suitcase and overnight bag near the door, she entered into the kitchen. Cole was just scooping some crispy bacon onto a plate, and Lacey’s mouth began to water when she spied the omelet and sliced fruit on the table.

Cole looked up and his gaze turned hungry as he watched her. “You look great.”

Selecting a wedge of melon from the plate, Lacey smiled at him. “Thanks,” she said, and took a bite of the juicy fruit.

Cole’s eyes fastened on her mouth. “In fact, you look good enough to eat.”

Her mind was immediately swamped with vivid memories of the previous night. She pushed them unwillingly aside. “You’ve just gone too long without food,” she teased. “You’re a guy—at this point, anything probably looks good enough to eat.”

He grinned unrepentantly and held a chair out for her. “In that case, we’d better eat quickly and satisfy my appetite, or I’ll start looking around for something else to do it.”

Lacey sat down in the chair he held out for her. His words both thrilled and alarmed her, and a part of her was tempted to sweep the breakfast aside and offer herself up instead. She’d had relationships before, but she couldn’t recall any guy who’d made her feel as sexy as Cole did. If her job here in Kentucky wasn’t so important, she could easily envision herself and Cole holed up in his bedroom for the next month.

They ate in silence, but Lacey was acutely aware of Cole’s eyes on her. He was a difficult man to ignore, and she wondered if she would have the resolve to leave him when her time in Kentucky ended. She wondered if she even wanted to.

6

A
S
C
OLE
DROVE
L
ACEY
to the sheriff’s office, she couldn’t help but be amazed at the beauty of the surrounding landscape. Lush green mountains sheltered deep valleys, where tiny towns nestled alongside winding rivers. She had spent the first eight years of her life not far from Black Stone Gap, but she had few memories of those days, aside from her father’s death.

“I didn’t expect Kentucky to be so unspoiled,” she finally admitted, turning her gaze from the window to the man beside her.

Cole glanced over at her, one dark eyebrow raised. “What were you expecting?”

“I know this is a coal-mining region, so…I don’t know. I guess I was expecting to see strip-mined hillsides and some kind of processing plants spewing black smog.” She saw the amusement that curved his lips, before he gave her a tolerant look. “Okay,” she admitted ruefully, “so I was wrong. You don’t have to look at me like that.”

Cole grinned. “Sorry. You’re not entirely wrong. Most of the mining is done belowground, so you don’t see it. But sometimes it’s a battle to keep the rivers and streams clean of the runoff.”

“You must know a lot about mining, having grown up here. I mean, even your name says it all.”

Cole smiled as he negotiated a sharp turn on the steep road. “Yep. My old man was a coal miner. When he was young, he was injured in a mining accident and my mother was the nurse who cared for him in the hospital. They got married and I was born. They named me Cole for obvious reasons.”

Lacey gave him a wan smile.
His father had been a miner
. Now Cole also worked in the mines. “What a romantic story.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, well, I wouldn’t call their life romantic, but my mom never complained. Mining is in our blood.”

“Were you a coal miner before you got laid off?”

“I got my degree in mining engineering, but I only worked in the coal mines for about six months, right after I graduated. I left mining about five years ago and went to work for the State of Virginia as a structural engineer.”

“Until you got laid off,” Lacey clarified.

“Right.”

“Do you think you’ll stay here? Or will you try to get back to Virginia?”

He was silent for a long moment, as if struggling with a response. “This is just temporary,” he finally said. “My goal is to return to Virginia as soon as I can.”

The news should have made her feel relieved, but all she could think was that he would spend time in the coal mines. It didn’t matter if he was an engineer; he could still die in those tunnels.

“Well, I hope that works out for you,” Lacey said, meaning it sincerely. She fixed her attention on the passing landscape, telling herself that as an engineer, he would naturally take precautions and pay close attention to the conditions inside the mines. Nothing would happen to him, and she wouldn’t let her imagination conjure up any horrific images of all the things that could go wrong. She refused to let her fears control her life, the way her mother’s fears controlled hers.

They turned down a dirt road near a sign that read Rod and Gun Club. Lacey gave Cole a questioning look. “Where are we going?”

“This is where the rescue team meets, since the sheriff’s office isn’t much more than a broom closet in the town hall.” His gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll get you settled with the team, and then come back when you’re finished.”

“You don’t need to do that,” she said quickly. “I’ll ask Sheriff Hathaway to give me a ride back when we’re through.”

They hadn’t talked about where she would stay after today, but when she’d tried to carry her suitcase out of Cole’s house that morning, he’d set it firmly back inside, telling her they would figure it out later.

“Here we are,” he said, ignoring her comment.

They pulled alongside several other pickup trucks beside a low, sprawling structure. It looked to Lacey to be a recreation center of sorts, with picnic tables and barbecue grills scattered beneath tall trees. Beyond the picnic area, she could make out a shooting range. But it wasn’t this that caused her words to fade.

The entire area was swarming with men. There were about fifteen of them, and at first glance, they looked remarkably similar, each of them wearing blue jeans, black baseball caps, and bright orange T-shirts with the words
Black Mountain Search and Rescue
emblazoned across the back. For a moment, Lacey wondered if they’d stumbled across some crime scene investigation in progress. There was an assortment of electronic equipment, ropes and climbing gear strewn across the grass, and the men were painstakingly examining and packing each piece.

“They must have just returned from a call,” Cole commented as he thrust the truck into Park and turned off the engine.

Lacey glanced at her watch. It was barely nine o’clock. As they climbed out of the cab, one of the men looked up, spoke briefly with the others, and walked over to greet them. He was too young to be Sheriff Hathaway. In fact, he looked to be about Cole’s age, and was just as good-looking in his own right, with chocolate-brown eyes and a shock of tawny hair.

“Cole,” he said with a grin. “Good to see you, man.” He thrust a hand out to Cole, who shook it warmly. “I heard you were back in town. What brings you out here?”

“Carr, I’d like you to meet Lacey Delaney. She’s come from Boston to demonstrate the GPS units.” He took Lacey’s elbow in one hand and drew her forward. “Lacey, this is Carr Hamilton. He heads up the search-and-rescue team.”

Carr’s eyebrows shot up briefly in surprise before he swiftly composed his features, but Lacey didn’t miss the sharply questioning look he gave Cole. “Ma’am.” He inclined his head toward Lacey and extended a hand in greeting. “How’d you manage to hook up with Cole?”

Lacey wondered at his choice of words, but was spared from having to answer by Cole.

“I came across her broken down in Mel’s parking lot last night. She was staying at the Blackwater Inn, but they’re having problems with their air-conditioning, so I persuaded her to spend the night with me.” He turned away to retrieve Lacey’s presentation materials from the bed of his truck, but not before she saw a telltale dimple flash briefly in one lean cheek.

She bit the inside of her cheek. Not “stay at my place,” but “spend the night with me.” There was no way anyone could miss the blatant message in those words. He’d just stamped her with his own seal of ownership as surely as if he’d said, “Hands off—she’s mine.”

To his credit, Carr’s expression never wavered from one of polite interest. “Well, you couldn’t have been in better hands.”

Lacey’s face turned warm at the unintended double meaning. “I agree,” she murmured in acknowledgment, and didn’t dare look at Cole as he set her equipment down on the grass beside the truck.

Unaware of her discomfort, Carr continued blithely on. “Cole used to be part of the rescue team. He was the best damn tracker we ever had. It was a real loss to the team—and the community—when he left.” He turned to Cole and stared at him directly, as if challenging him to dispute his words.

Beside her, Cole smiled, but Lacey could almost feel the tension in him. But when he spoke, his voice was friendly. “I signed on as the new engineer at the Black River Mines, but I have no interest in rejoining the team,” he said. “And I’m sure the entire community drew a collective sigh of relief the day I left Black Stone Gap.”

Carr gave him a quizzical look before clapping him on the back. “Absolutely not so. The team would welcome you back, you know that. Nobody ever blamed you for what happened, except yourself.”

“Carr.” Cole’s voice held a soft warning. Lacey risked a curious glance at him. He turned back to his truck and made a show of rearranging the tools he carried in the back.

Carr considered him for a long moment, and then focused his attention on Lacey, making a visible effort to steer the conversation back to less dangerous ground.

“So, you’re actually checked into the Blackwater Inn? That place doesn’t have a great reputation. You’re smart to stay at Cole’s place while you’re here.”

“It’s only a temporary situation.” She didn’t dare look over at Cole. “I intend to ask Sheriff Hathaway to recommend another place just as soon as I see him.”

Carr’s eyebrows drew together and his brown eyes turned somber. “Well, that may not be anytime soon. His wife was involved in a car wreck and she’s in the hospital.”

Cole turned sharply from the truck. “What? When did this happen?”

Carr removed his hat and ran his fingers distractedly through his hair. “Last night. Seems she was run off the road by Stu Barlow’s boy on the way home from her weekly bridge game. She suffered a massive heart attack.”

“Christ.” Cole stared at Lacey. “That was the wreck that Sully was heading out to last night.”

Lacey recalled the radio conversation Cole had had with Sully on their way back to the garage. “You’re right.”

“He didn’t mention that it was Dot Hathaway in the other car. I’d have headed out there myself if I’d known.”

Carr’s face was sympathetic. “You couldn’t have done anything. She’s in the cardiac care unit over at County Hospital, but I think Cyrus is going to take at least the next week or so off to be with her.”

“Will she be okay?”

“Yeah, I think so. She’ll need to stay in the hospital for the time being, though.”

Cole turned slowly back to Lacey, and although he said nothing, she could read the expression in his eyes clearly enough. He intended to extend his hospitality to her for a while longer. And heaven help her, she was going to accept.

“So,” Carr was saying, as Lacey tried to ignore the promise in Cole’s eyes, “I’ll be taking over for Sheriff Hathaway while you’re here, Lacey. If there’s anything you need—day or night—just let me know.” He winked at her. “Even if it’s a place to stay.”

“Lacey has a place to stay.” Cole’s voice was firm.

Carr gave him an amused glance. “Okay. Just trying to be friendly.”

The look Cole gave him was more expressive than words would have been, but Carr only laughed before turning back to Lacey. “Why don’t you come with me, and I’ll introduce you to the rest of the team.”

Giving Cole a tolerant look, Lacey followed Carr over to the grassy picnic area, where the men were rolling up lengths of nylon rope and examining the assorted metal clasps and hooks before stowing them in duffel bags.

“Okay, boys, listen up!” Carr clapped his hands together to get their attention. “This is Miss Lacey Delaney, and she’s come all the way from New England to outfit us with her GPS units. But before I trust you morons with expensive equipment like that, you’re going to need some training. So finish packing up and we’ll reconvene in fifteen minutes in the recreation room.”

There was some laughter and a few crudely humorous remarks, but the men seemed friendly enough.

“Don’t mind them.” Carr jerked his head in the direction of the group. “They’re a good bunch of guys, just a little rough around the edges. But they’re the best damned search-and-rescue team in the state. We’re comprised entirely of volunteers, and we specialize in wilderness, swift water, high angle and cave rescues.”

“Just get back from a call?” asked Cole, as he joined them.

“Yeah. Two hikers didn’t return to the trailhead last night. We found them a couple of hours ago, about a mile north of Hawkins Ridge. One of them had taken a tumble off a pretty steep cliff, and his buddy was stranded on a ledge trying to reach him.”

Lacey couldn’t prevent her small intake of breath. “Are they okay?”

Carr shrugged. “The first guy is busted up pretty good, but he’ll pull through.”

She frowned. “How long were you out looking for them?”

“We headed out just before dawn. Didn’t take us more than a couple of hours to locate them, though.”

“Your men must be exhausted. Would they rather I come back tomorrow?”

Carr laughed in genuine amusement. “Are you kidding? These guys aren’t about to miss this training op. But I think I should warn you they’ll probably be very slow to catch on. You might need to extend your stay by, oh, a month or so before they finally figure out how to use the GPS units.”

Lacey laughed. “Well, let’s hope it doesn’t take that long.” She slid her gaze to Cole. “I’d hate to outstay my welcome.”

Cole grinned, but Lacey didn’t miss the heat that flared in his eyes. “No chance.”

Before she could think to protest, he caught her against him and claimed her lips in a kiss that was swift and hard. Cole set her gently away from him, and Lacey felt herself sway slightly without his support.

“You’re dangerous.” He moved away to open the driver’s door of the truck. “I’ll be back to collect you around 4:30.”

Lacey nodded and strove for composure. Cole grinned, fully aware of his effect on her, before climbing into the cab and driving away.

Lacey turned back to Carr, prepared for a snide comment or a knowing smile, but he only looked good-naturedly disappointed. “I always thought MacKinnon was a lucky S.O.B., and now I’m sure of it.”

“He’s incredibly charming,” she admitted. “Shall we get started?”

“Sure thing.” He scooped up her gear, and as Lacey followed him over to the building, he pointed out the various members of the team. “That one there is Sam, but everyone calls him Skeeter.”

Lacey looked over at the tall, rangy man. “Why do they call him that?”

“Because he looks just like a mosquito—you know, a ‘skeeter.’”

Lacey gave the man a closer look. When he glanced up at her and grinned, she saw he had the longest, pointiest nose she had ever seen. “Oh!” She barely suppressed the laughter that threatened to bubble forth. “I see now where he gets the name.”

Carr chuckled. “That fella there is Poke, and the one over by the table is Harlan. The two boys over by the shooting range are the Armstrong twins, Bill and Bob. We just call them Blob for short.”

Lacey had never heard such an odd assortment of names in her entire life, and she was certain she would not be able to keep them all straight. She suspected it was going to be a very long day.