Chapter 10

	She heard him come in the patio door a while after her, then she heard the front
door close almost immediately after. It wasn’t until she heard his truck leaving that she
finally broke out in the shakes. She was absolutely not going to let herself cry over this
man, she told herself, and she managed not to, but she still couldn’t stop shaking all the
same.
	She washed and put away the coffee cups that one of the men had set on the
counter beside the sink, and cleaned out the coffee pot.  Nothing else to occupy herself
in the kitchen, she wandered into the living room and admired the welcoming feel of the
house.  On one wall, a narrow table was draped with an antique lace cloth, and on it
were set several framed pictures. She was drawn to them instinctively and leaned in for
a closer look. There was a studio portrait of Emily and Patrick, their happy, smiling faces
beaming out at her, and bringing a bright smile to her face. Somehow, she couldn’t
imagine either of them making anyone feel uncomfortable or unwelcome.  On the left,
Patrick’s side of the picture, there was a picture of Lucas, and slightly behind that, an old
black and white picture of a wedding couple.  The man was obviously Patrick, many
years younger, for the resemblance to Lucas was uncanny.
	With some slight trepidation, she let her eyes migrate to the other side of the
table -- Emily’s side. She’d figured out the pattern here by now, defiantly moved her
gaze all the way to the end of the row of pictures. Just as at the other end, there was a
faded portrait of a wedding, this time Emily’s girlish face beside a tall handsome man
with rugged features. The resemblance to Reese was amazing, and despite herself, she
caught her breath. Then she forced herself to look past it, to where Reese himself
smiled enigmatically out at the camera.  He was seated on the bench in the backyard,
one arm draped over the back of it, a smile on his face that even the camera had
caught, sparkling in his eyes.  She looked at it for a long time, unconsciously raising
trembling fingers to her lips, then cursed at herself and quickly turned away.
	Men!  she grumbled to herself. Who needs them! 
	Intent on forgetting the whole thing, she headed for the spare bedroom.   After a
short search, she discovered the linen, and piled some blankets and a pillow on a chair
for Reese when he got back.  As she prepared for bed, she caught sight of the shirt she
had slept in the night before, tucked inside the top of one of the bags Reese had carried
in from the truck earlier in the evening. Defiantly, she tore her eyes away from it and
reached into her own shopping bag for the nightie she’d picked up for herself.  She
frowned at it.  It was soft, and feminine, with thin straps and a touch of soft lace along the
top edge. When she’d bought it the day before, she’d assumed she’d have to have
something to sleep in for at least a day or two as they stayed in Clay River, but she’d
never dreamed she would be sharing a bedroom with Reese Kincaide while doing it.
Perhaps she should have chosen something a little less revealing -- like a high necked
flannel gown, she thought, then laughed at the silliness of the image that brought to
mind. With a sigh, she shed her clothes and donned the nightie, and slipped into the
bed, letting her head sink into the soft pillow.
	If Mikki had thought her exhaustion would lead her easily into a deep sleep,
however, she was sorely mistaken.  She lay awake for what may have been only
minutes, but seemed like hours.  Still, the house was silent, and the loneliness was
overwhelming. Silly, she told herself, since she lived alone and was used to being alone.
She’d always been quite comfortable in her apartment. Why should she feel at all lonely
in this comfortable house? More to the point, why should she wish Reese would come
back, so that she could at least feel his presence nearby?
	Because you love him, you fool, she reminded herself, as she rolled over one
more time and punched her fist into the pillow. You’ve gone and thrown all your well laid
objections out the window, and fallen in love with the man!
	The sound of the front door opening made her heart beat a little faster, and she
closed her eyes quickly, listening to see if there would be voices. There were none.
Whoever it was, was alone. Would it be Patrick, home from the hospital to get some
sleep?
	Her question was answered only moments later when the door to the bedroom
opened and she heard footsteps entering the room. There was a pause, during which
she held her breath, then the door was softly closed and Reese made his way in the
moonlight to the pile of linen she had left for him.  She tried to quiet her breathing as she
listened to him settle down to sleep on the floor. She winced, as she thought of how
comfortable she was in the bed, and how hard the floor must be, but she dared not offer
to share the bed with him. Having him that close would be murder, she was certain. She
must let him think she was asleep, at all cost.
	
	The next morning, Reese awoke to an angel leaning over him, softly whispering
his name.  The voice conjured up the image of Mikki, her hair spread like a halo across
her pillow, her shoulders bare in the moonlight.  The image of her in the lacy garment
she’d been wearing when he had come into the room the night before was still floating in
his mind as the sound penetrated his subconscious.  When he opened his eyes, the
vision seemed to shimmer in the sunlight.
	“Reese.” Mikki whispered again, resting her hand gently on his shoulder.  “Get
into the bed for a while. I’m going to go make some breakfast.”
	Get into bed.  A smile curled his lips as he imagined pressing his body up against
her from behind, wrapping his arms around her, and drifting off to sleep. Suddenly he
blinked, and looked up at Mikki. It wasn’t an angel afterall, he thought. Then again, it just
may have been the closest thing to one on the face of the earth, as Lucas had said.  He
rolled over, grimacing as the stiffness in his back brought him quickly back to reality, and
pried himself up off the floor as she slipped quietly out of the room.  When he felt the soft
bed under his aching body, he smiled, and closed his eyes to drift off again for a few
more welcome minutes of sleep.
	Mikki had lain awake for a long time after Reese had settled himself on the floor
in their room. She hadn’t heard anyone else come into the house, and when she dared
peek inside the other bedroom door, her suspicions were confirmed. Patrick had not
come home.  She knew he’d slept at the hospital all night the night before, and had
suspected he must have done the same again.  Quietly she went into the kitchen and
put the coffee on, then looked around to see what there was to make for breakfast.
Remembering what he’d eaten at the restaurant the morning before they’d arrived, she
set about making a similar breakfast. At least she knew he liked it, she thought, as she
munched on a piece of toast to ease her own hunger while she cooked. As she worked,
she managed to forget the events of the previous day, at least to some degree, and
moved about the kitchen easily, humming softly to herself. She wasn’t aware of Reese
leaning in the doorway watching her until she turned and saw him there.  She let out a
surprised gasp and almost dropped the plate she held in her hand.
	“Oh!” she gasped. “I didn’t know you were there!”
	He didn’t move for a few seconds, just stood there watching her, remembering
how easily they had worked together in this very kitchen the day before. Maybe if he
hadn’t kissed her, she wouldn’t be so defensive this morning, he thought, and this
thought made him frown slightly. When finally he sat down for breakfast, the meal
passed slowly. They seemed to endure each other, making polite conversation. He told
her Patrick had spent the night at the hospital and would be home for some sleep a little
later. Lucas was going to spend the morning there, and Reese planned to head back
over for the afternoon.
	“You don’t have to come--if you don’t want to.” he said, lifting his eyes to her for a
moment. She wasn’t sure if his hopeful expression meant he wanted her to agree with
him and stay home, or that he wanted her to go with him.  She averted her gaze and
shrugged. She liked Emily, but having to pretend to be engaged to Reese was playing
havoc on her emotions.  It was hard enough coming to terms with the fact that she was
in love with him, without having to act like the image of love-struck bliss in front of his
watchful family. She told him she would have to decide later, and he nodded wordlessly.
	He spent the rest of the meal silently studying her. At last, when they were
finished eating, he stood up and held out his hand. “Come on.” he said, suddenly looking
like a difficult decision had been made. “I want to show you something.”
	“What?” she asked.  He simply smiled and grasped her hand and pulled her
behind him towards the door.  She gasped, as she struggled to keep up with him,
through the house and out to the truck. He held the door open for her, then ran around
to the driver’s side like a child excited about something, she thought, and she laughed at
him.
	“What on earth are you up to?” She giggled.
	“Wait and see.” was all he said, a mischievous grin on his face.  They drove
through town and turned into a sprawling subdivision on the outskirts. Almost at the very
edge of the street, he pulled the truck over in front of a low, white stucco house with terra
cotta roof tiles.  As soon as Reese stepped out of the truck, the front door of the house
opened and a dainty looking woman stepped out.
	“Reese Kincaide!” the woman called, her voice full of excitement.
	“Friends of Mom’s” Reese said, as he opened Mikki’s door for her.  The woman
looked younger than Emily, perhaps because her hair was still dark, and her skin
tanned.  She was a dainty lady, who had a quality about her Mikki could only describe as
oriental.  In fact, the woman reminded her a lot of Joey, and she couldn’t help but smile
as she watched the animated hug the small woman was giving the much larger man.
	“I went to visit your mother yesterday.” the woman was saying. “She said you
were in town.  And this must be the lucky girl!” She turned a bright smile towards Mikki,
who felt a wave of panic rush momentarily through her before she finally managed to
compose herself.
	“So Mom’s been telling stories has she, Marina?”  Reese said, glancing at Mikki.
“Yes, this is Mikki. Mikki, this is Marina Clarke, a dear friend of Mom and Patrick.”
	Marina hugged her almost as excitedly as she had hugged Reese, and over the
short woman’s head Mikki caught Reese’s apologetic expression as he lifted his hands
in a gesture of helplessness and mouth the word sorry.
	“I’d hoped you’d come and see me while you were in town.” Marina said,
beaming up at Reese. “ I’m so glad you are here!  But what brings you out here so early
in the morning?”
	Reese glanced at Mikki, a glint in his eyes as if he were about to give away a
secret. “I’ve brought Mikki to see your garden in the morning sun, if that’s all right with
you?”
	Marina’s eyes lit up, as she nodded emphatically. “Certainly!” she said, taking
Mikki’s hand and leading her towards the house. “This man of yours is an artist with the
land, you know! He works miracles! Just you wait and see. I’m so pleased with what he
did for us. It was more than I ever dreamed.”
	Mikki glanced at Reese as the woman praised him. He rolled his eyes and
grinned, as if the praise was more than he deserved, but he said nothing. At the corner
of the house, Marina handed Mikki’s hand over to Reese and stepped back.
	“Take her around back, Reese, and I’ll go make some tea and tell Thomas you’re
here.” she said softly, nodding excitedly to Mikki and giving them a gentle shove before
she left them.
	Reese led her along a pebble walkway towards the back of the house. When
they rounded the corner Mikki thought they’d found themselves in a forest, but as the
walkway widened, accentuated with flagstone slabs, she suddenly felt as if she’d been
transported to another land, for there stretched out before them the most beautiful
oriental garden she could ever have imagined.
	He led her on slowly, past a basin decorated with a dragon that had a spout
perched above it trickling water; past an expanse of low growing Junipers, and on, until
they stood on a curved footbridge crossing a rambling pond.  The pond was dotted with
large rocks and lily pads, and bordered with reeds and cattails. Everywhere she looked
she could see oriental lanterns perched in the shrubbery, and she imagined they must
light up with a soft glow at dusk.
	Once over the bridge, she caught her breath as the focal point of the garden
came into full view.  A beautiful pagoda-style gazebo stood, surrounded by cherry trees
and junipers.  She turned wide eyes towards Reese, unable to speak. She knew he’d
made his mother’s gazebo himself, but she was almost afraid to ask if he’d made this
one too, it looked so perfectly authentic, it could have been brought from Japan.
	“I built it in sections back at the shop, and Jake and I put it together out here.” he
said, as if reading her thoughts.
	Mikki wandered in and out of the little pagoda, running her hands appreciatively
over the wood, looking up at the decorative roof, totally in awe of this creation.
	“It’s amazing!” She stood shaking her head in awe. The pagoda seemed almost
like a gateway to another world. On one side, where they had walked already, nestled
the pond, bridge, and garden; on the other, the yard opened into a wide expanse of
grass.
	Reese followed the direction of her gaze, and waved his hand out over the
grassy area. “Marina and Tom’s daughter got married here in the pagoda a few years
ago, with the guests seated on the lawn there.”
	“Oh that would have been so beautiful!” Mikki sighed, imagining the event.  She
wandered under the roof of the pagoda, imagining being the bride at such a fantasy
wedding.  Of course, to be a bride one needed a groom, and she blushed as that
thought made her instinctively glance towards Reese.  He was leaning against a post,
watching her thoughtfully, a smile playing on his face. Quickly she looked away.
pretending to admire his work.
	“Come with me.” he said, holding out his hand. “There’s something else I want to
show you.”
	She let him take her hand again, and he led her back towards the bridge. They
didn’t cross, however, and she followed him along the shoreline until a sound made her
stop. “What’s that?” she asked, hearing the faint trickling of water. “A fountain?”
	He shook his head, and held her hand a little tighter, coaxing her to follow him
through a path in the Junipers and under the Red Japanese Maples, until at last they
found themselves beside a tiny waterfall, where the water spilled over several steps of
rockery until it finally drifted lazily out into the reeds and lilies below.  Nearby a stone slab
bench waited for someone to sit and relax to the tranquil sounds of the water.
	“Reese, surely you didn’t do this entire garden by yourself?” She asked in awe.
“This is so beautiful, so peaceful! It’s like the rest of the world doesn’t exist.”
	“Jake and I, with a few of my workers. It took us a while. The waterfall actually is
a fountain in disguise, recirculating the water from the pool. The two large cherry trees,
and the crab apple by the pond were already here, so we worked them into the plan.”
	She smiled at him. “You really are a miracle worker, just like Marina said.”
	He shrugged and laughed her comment off. “I start with the customer. What they
want, and their personality play a big part in it, and I go from there. Marina’s
grandmother was Japanese, so she wanted to create a Japanese garden out here, and
they had the room to work with. She had some pictures from over there, and some ideas
of her own. When we put it all together, this is what we got.”
	As Mikki listened to him describe the process, she realized how modest he
actually was about his work.  Both at his mother’s, and here, he had shared the credit
with Jake, and now he was downplaying his role in this creation by passing much of the
credit to Marina herself. It seemed as if every minute she learned something new about
this man, ever since they’d ended up on this fated trip together, and every time she felt
compelled to smile.
	Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice that he stopped talking until she realized
he was watching her, his eyes dark and thoughtful. She looked at him, wishing he would
just wrap his arms around her and kiss her right there in the garden, like he had the day
before in Emily’s gazebo.  Afraid he would see her feelings, she turned away, wrapping
her arms tightly to herself, concentrating on the waterfall.  When he appeared behind her
and slipped his arms around to draw her back close against him, she let herself rest
there as if in a dream.
	“Mikki...” he said softly, against her hair.  She held her breath, knowing that if he
turned her to face him she would kiss him freely.
	“Mmm?” She said, unable to trust her voice to speak.  To the music of the
waterfall he absently rubbed his cheek against her hair.
	“There’s something I need to tell you.” he said, almost cautiously.
	“What, Reese?”
	“I...”
	“There you two are.” Marina’s cheery  voice interrupted them as their dainty
hostess emerged from the trees behind them.  Mikki heard him sigh heavily as his arms
dropped casually to his side, releasing her.  As she turned, she glanced up at him and
saw a look of what she thought was disappointment in his eyes.
	“Later.” he whispered, then turned his bright smile towards Marina.
	“Your garden is beautiful, Mrs. Clarke.” Mikki said, suddenly longing to break her
silence as she stepped away from Reese’s side.
	“Oh please, call me Marina!” the woman said as she wrapped her arm around
Mikki’s shoulder and began guiding her back along the path. “My daughter had her
wedding here, did Reese tell you?”
	“I did, Marina.” Reese smiled playfully at the two women. “Mikki thought it was
such a romantic idea.”
	Marina beamed. “Oh Mikki! It’s all yours, if you want it, you know. You two just
say the word and you can have your wedding here too.”
	Mikki shot Reese a pleading glance and once again he stepped in to her aide.
“We’ll keep that in mind, Marina. Tea ready?””
	“Yes, and Thomas can’t wait to see you, Reese, and meet Mikki too.”  Marina
turned to Mikki and as they walked back to the house she continued to chatter non-stop
in her animated cheer, while Reese followed behind.

	On the way back to his mother’s house, Reese thought back over the morning. 
From the moment they had stepped into Marina and Tom’s house that couple had taken
Mikki in as if she were one of the family. It was the way they had always been, of course.
They’d been treating him like the son they never had ever since Emily and Patrick got
married. He hadn’t expected anything else from them when he’d brought Mikki to meet
them, but it was her reaction that he was thinking about now. She had taken it all in her
stride, and treated the elderly couple as if they were her own loving relatives. She’d
insisted on helping Marina in the kitchen to bring the teacups out, poured over the
wedding album with Marina allowing the woman to gush over the event yet one more
time, and sat dotingly at Thomas’ side and listened to his tales intently.  When they’d left,
she’d hugged them both like they were long lost friends and promised to make Reese
bring her to see them again the next time they were in town.  What struck him most out
of all of this, was that she seemed so absolutely genuine about the whole thing.
	“They liked you.” he had said, when they had pulled away from the house,
smiling and waving at the couple who waved animatedly back at them.
	“I like them too.” She’d said, but her voice had held a touch of wistfulness he
couldn’t quite explain. As he drove, she sat looking dreamily out the window, smiling to
herself, and he was sure she was even humming along with the radio.  He had an
incredible urge to pull the truck over, scoop her into his arms, and kiss her. In fact,
though he’d promised himself he wouldn’t unless she gave him any indication otherwise,
he had the definite urge to take her into the back of the truck and make love to her.  Not
only did he need to, for he seemed to have the need whenever he was around her;
whenever he heard her voice, and whenever he just thought about her for that matter.
No, it wasn’t just a physical need.  It was more than that,  it was that he wanted to, and
not just with any woman, he wanted to make love with her. No one else would do. In
fact, no one else would ever do again, he thought, and wondered where that thought
had surfaced from.