Page 59 of Sin With Me

She’s kept Kate hidden.

The gentle sound of footsteps approached from behind.

Right ontime.

I made the sign of the cross, stood up, and turned around. Kate was standing in the chapel’s doorway, and she looked not only gorgeous but sinful. God was definitely not making this job easy onme.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” shesaid.

“It’s all right. You didn’t. I’m glad you found mynote.”

“You beat me to the punch, Father Cameron. I was going to come by here today.”

She came closer, removed her sunglasses, and placed them on top of her head. The gesture seemed oddly familiar, and I had a déjà vu moment. I followed her gaze as she looked around the chapel. Small glass-stained windows decorated the sides, and a larger clear one right across from the entrance illuminated the space with natural light, giving it plenty of peace and warmth. The little chapel had been on my mind since Father John first mentioned it, and I’d wanted to come here as soon as we returned from the retreat last night.

“I wouldn’t expect you not to. Did you see the inscription over thedoor?”

“Yeah. My mother used to say those words all thetime.”

“That would explain the tattoo, then; but where are the gravestones? Father John said there was a crypthere.”

Our gazes slowly fell to the floor. I watched her lightly open her mouth. Her response drifted on her quiet breath, with a barely audible note, “I don’tknow.”

She was looking around the chapel, slowly approaching the cross, and I wanted to know what thoughts were behind that look of curiosity on her face. Her breathing was deep, but that could have been because of the hot weather. The thicker vein at the side of her neck pulsed impatiently. I watched her kneel where I had earlier. She made the sign of the cross and closed her eyes. I focused on her lips as they gently moved to the whisper of her prayer. Her beauty stirred something new and raw in my heart.

I shut my eyes, turned around, and stepped to the side, where I hoped to refocus. The boards shifted under my weight, and I looked down at the floor. There appeared to be a hollow opening underneath. I quickly turned around and bumped intoKate.

“I’m sorry,” we said at the same time, but neither of us moved.

Her front was pressed against mine and she just stood there, her body frozen with shock and her eyes wide open, looking up at me. She looked beautiful and innocent.

“Are you okay?” I whispered.

“Yeah…” her voice trembled. Kate cleared her throat and moved back, her gaze darting sideways. That same board I stepped over a moment ago squeaked again, slightly shifting underneath us, and so I croucheddown.

“There’s something under here.” I tugged at the side of the board. The nails gave way, sliding out of their spots as if they were lifting from sand. I looked up. “It’s probably the crypt.”

I grabbed the second board.

“That’s vandalism. What are you doing?” Kate stepped to the side, and I pulled on that one aswell.

“They often say that the dead take a lot of secrets to the grave with them. Let’s see what secrets are hiding underneath the chapel.”

“Father Cameron, this is a holy place. We shouldn’t disturb it. I don’t know about you, but I sure as heck don’t want to disturb thedead.”

She was right. I wasn’t acting in an expected way. I was so driven by this need to know more about Kate and her family that I was beginning to make stupid mistakes. “I’m sorry. You’re right.”

Kate kept her gaze on the hole in the floor and the set of wooden stairs that led downstairs.

“Does that mean you don’t want to know what’s hidden underneath?” I finally asked, and watched as she bit herlip.

After a quick moment, she pointed her finger to the next board, saying, “Get another one off so we can both fit in. If it’s my grandparents’ resting place, then I should see where they’re buried. But why is the staircase sealedoff?”

“Maybe someone was trying to hide a secret?”

“Okay, okay. Let’s see what’s underneath.”

I lifted the next three boards and removed the flashlight I had in my back pocket. Before I had a chance to stack all the boards against the wall, Kate was already on the third step, making her way down. I cleared my throat. She stopped, turned around, and I passed her the flashlight.

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