Page 66 of Bad Seed

Harley was reading names and dates, and not paying attention to where she was walking. She tripped on some dry vines and, before she could catch herself, was falling face-first.

Just before impact, she went airborne and found herself cradled against Brendan’s chest, so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She took a shaky breath. His mouth was so close to her lips. All she had to do was move her head and they’d touch.

“I am now, thanks to you,” she said.

He set her down on her feet and was reaching intoher hair to pull out a piece of dry grass, then stopped, mesmerized by the way the curl wrapped itself around his finger. It took everything he had to let go.

“Grass,” he said, and dropped it at their feet. “The first Brendan and his Meg are at the back,” he said, and this time held her hand as they went.

Harley couldn’t get over the dates on the markers. Centuries had come and gone between these lives. The next time they stopped, it was in front of a large, flat rock with the name Brendan James Pope carved in it. And beside that marker, the place where Meg was buried.

Harley had never seen anything like Meg’s burial site. “Is this meant to be a little house or—”

“Chickasaw tradition,” Brendan said, then laid the tiny piece of coal on the graying wood on the roof before stepping back. “They put this up new at the burial, and then it’s supposed to deteriorate on its own, back to nature.”

As they stood, a gust of wind rose, stirring the dry leaves around them, and then it was gone.

“Maybe Little Grandmother likes you,” Brendan said.

Harley’s heart was pounding. She wasn’t going to admit it, but she was a little spooked.

Brendan glanced up. “It’ll be dark up here in a couple of hours. Gets dark early in the winter. Come on, Sunshine. Let’s get you back before someone misses you and thinks you’ve been kidnapped.”

She put her hand on his chest. “Smuggled out, taken for a ride I’ll never forget, and stole my heart in the process. What’s a girl to do?”

He sighed, and then his fingers were in her hair and his mouth was on her lips, and every sad, empty place in Harley’s heart was full to overflowing.

When he finally lifted his head, she had a heartbeat moment of panic, like someone had just pulled the plug on her life support.

“I, uh…”

“Phase One, Sunshine. If this isn’t on your agenda, now’s the time to—”

She put a finger of his lips to silence him. “Where do I sign up for Phase Two?”

“I got you,” he said, and took her by the hand and led her to the bike. They put on their helmets, got on the Harley, and moments later, he started the engine and toed up the kickstand. “Are you ready?”

She locked her arms around his waist. “For anything you care to hand out.”

“Then hang on, honey. It’s easier going down.”

The big bike roared to life, and as soon as they reached the blacktop again and Brendan gunned it, he heard Harley’s high-pitched shout of glee. He’d met his match with this one. Today was a day he’d been waiting for all his life.

The ride down was in total silence.

They were thinking about that kiss and the promise of what came next. When he finally rolled up at theback lot of the hotel, it was nearing dusk. He grabbed her by the hand, glanced around at the lot full of employee cars, and hurried her inside. They rode the staff elevator back to the eighth floor, and Harley had her key card in her hand by the time they reached her suite. One swipe, and they were inside without meeting a soul.

They pulled off their helmets, looked at each other, and started grinning.

“Smuggled out. Smuggled in. I’d say the operation was a success,” Harley said, and started taking off the jacket.

“You keep the jacket,” he reminded her.

“I’m not going to bed in it,” she said.

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