Paranormal II: The Summit Part 26

"Nice to meet you," Charlene said, but quickly returned her attention to Ben and started reminiscing about old times.

Katie leaned closer. "Charlie's a champion kayaker. She travels to compet.i.tions all over the world. You've probably seen her on TV."

She was too sinewy, too athletically built to look like a movie star but Charlie Brockman came close. As she and Ben conversed, Charlene stood a little too close and touched him with an ease that said they knew each other well-very well. Autumn could feel her face getting hot with jealousy with ever word.

"Well, we'd better get going," Ben finally said.

Charlie turned to Autumn. "Nice meeting you."

"You too," Autumn said, wishing she had never laid eyes on the woman. As she watched the tall, leggy blond walk away, her stomach did a sickening roll. It was obvious she and Ben had been lovers. And there were dozens of others just like her.

"You all right?" Ben asked as Katie headed for the truck ahead of them with an armload of gear.

"Fine." She released a breath and wondered if he could tell how much the encounter had disturbed her. "As you said, we'd better get going." She started picking up gear, but Ben caught her arm.

"If you're worried about Charlene, don't be. I haven't seen her in years, not since I stopped competing in the sport."

"It's nothing to me if you have."

His hold subtly tightened. "Bulls.h.i.t. You're jealous, even if you won't admit it. Charlie and I dated for a while, but that was a long time ago."

"It doesn't matter."

"It does matter. Dammit, Autumn, in case you haven't figured it out, I'm crazy about you. I'm not interested in Charlene Brockman or anyone else. The only woman I'm interested in is you."

She fought to hide her surprise. Ben was crazy about her? It didn't make sense. She wasn't movie-star gorgeous or a world-cla.s.s athlete. She cast a last fleeting glance at the leggy blonde. "You might think that way right now, but I'm sure soon enough..."

Ben's jaw hardened. "Are you really that insecure? Do you doubt your appeal so much you can't see how much you have to offer a man?"

Her heart was pounding. She was embarra.s.sed he had come so close to the truth and was not about to let him know. "Maybe I just doubt there's a man on this earth who could ever be satisfied with one woman-no matter who she is!" She started marching back toward the truck, then drew hard on her control when she saw Katie standing next to the pa.s.senger door.

Autumn forced herself to smile. "I think we've got everything, hon."

"Maybe Dad will stop for pizza." She tossed a hopeful glance at her father, who walked up beside them just then.

Ben's jaw still looked hard. "Not today, sweetheart. Autumn's got to get back home."

It was tempting to run for the safety of her apartment, away from Ben and the danger he posed. But the downcast features of the little girl next to the truck ended the notion.

She turned to Ben, lifted an eyebrow in challenge. "I think I can manage time for pizza. I know a great place not far from here where we can go."

Ben's dark gaze locked with hers. She couldn't decide if the expression he wore was anger or triumph as he turned and strode for his side of the truck.

Ben drove Autumn home after sharing a pizza with Katie and went back to his own apartment. Autumn figured he was still angry over the argument they'd had. Or maybe he had already begun to grow tired of her.

Her stomach twisted into a knot. It was ridiculous. She knew what men were like and Ben was worse than most.

Still, she missed his lean, powerful body lying beside her in bed, missed their pa.s.sionate lovemaking, missed waking up next to him in the morning.

She saw him Monday in cla.s.s, wearing his usual tank top, his chest and shoulders newly tanned from their day at the lake. She wanted to drag him down off the wall and take him home with her. Wanted him back in her bed.

She didn't tell him that.

Ben stayed a moment after the session, long enough to tell her they would have to postpone their trip to Burlington until the following day.

"A problem's come up at work," he said. "We won't be able to go until tomorrow."

"Why don't I just go up there myself? It's not that far and I'm used to the drive."

Ben shook his head. "No way. I want to be there. I've got questions I want to ask. Besides, there's always the chance this might actually lead to something important."

He left without saying more and he didn't come over that night. She dreamed the same dream, then lay awake for hours, disturbed by the dark, familiar images, missing Ben and wondering if their brief affair was over.

Determined to keep her mind off Ben, Autumn met Terri for lunch at The Shack on Tuesday. The place was packed this time of day. The faux butcher-block tables were crowded with shoppers and locals. They sat at one of the booths in the back, where it was easier to talk and the fifties music playing in the background wasn't so loud they couldn't hear.

"So how's the search going?" Terri ate a bite of her salad then followed it with a drink of iced tea. Both of them had ordered grilled-chicken Caesars, a specialty of the house.

"Nothing new since the dream changed last week. Now that we've talked to the police about the other little girl, Ben and I are really hoping something will turn up. So far we haven't heard, but they promised to let us know if they found anything."

"That sounds promising." Terri dug into her salad, looking as pretty as always, her dark hair shining and her blue eyes brightened by her long thick lashes. She took another sip of tea and set the gla.s.s back down. "I can't believe your dad got married. G.o.d, that is the last thing I would have imagined him doing."

Autumn forked a chunk of lettuce. "You can say that again."

"You think he'll be true to Myra? I wonder if he's been faithful since they've been together."

"I doubt it. He was never faithful to any woman before."

"You know what they say-a leopard doesn't change his spots."

"That's what they say." Autumn fought not to think of Ben.

"So how's your love life? I gather you and the hunk are still an item."

Autumn shrugged. This was the part of the conversation she had dreaded, but Terri was her friend so there was no way to avoid it. "We're enjoying each other. We're having a fling, just like you suggested. As far as the s.e.x goes, it couldn't be better." Except that Ben hadn't been in her bed for the last two nights. It shouldn't have bothered her. It wasn't as if they were living together. Still, he seemed to be avoiding her and she didn't understand why.

"What about the rest of the relationship?" Terri asked.

"There is no rest." She toyed with her salad but didn't take a bite. "It's a fling, remember? We sleep together." Or had been. "Ben goes to work and so do I. The balance of the time we try to unravel the puzzle that's driving both of us crazy." She dug into her salad, anxious to change the subject. "What about you? Anyone new in the cross-hairs?"

Terri glanced away, fiddled with her fork. "Not really. I ran into Josh Kendall the other day. I was thinking...I don't know...maybe it was time he and I went out."

Autumn frowned. "Josh is seeing Courtney Roland. I thought they were getting pretty involved."

Terri flipped a lock of dark hair over her shoulder. "Well, it isn't like they're engaged or anything. Josh hasn't really known her all that long."

Autumn studied her friend's pretty face. "You've never had any interest in Josh before. Why has that suddenly changed?"

Terri just shrugged. "Josh was always just there. I guess I never really thought about him as more than a friend."

"But now that he might be interested in someone other than you, you don't like it. Is that about it?"

Terri sat up a little straighter on her side of the booth. "Josh has been in love with me for years. You know it and so do I. He's kidding himself when it comes to this girl. He doesn't love her and I don't want to see him get hurt."

"So you're going to save him from himself."

"More or less."

"And what happens to Josh when you get tired of him?"

She picked at the last of the salad on her plate. "Maybe I won't get tired of him. Maybe he'll be the guy I've been looking for all my life."

"And maybe he won't be and you'll break his heart just like all the others." Autumn shoved back her half-finished salad, her stomach queasy with worry for Josh. "Don't do it, Terri. For once, think of someone besides yourself."

Terri set her fork back down on her plate. "That's a terrible thing to say. Besides, I'm thinking of Josh-whether you believe it or not."

Autumn reached over and caught her hand. "We've been friends a long time, Terri. I know you require a lot of male attention. Most of the time it's harmless. But Josh is different. There's no question you can have him if you want him. The only real question is, do you want to hurt someone who's been such a good friend? Think about it."

Terri sighed and leaned back in the booth. "All right, I'll think about it. But remember, Josh is old enough to decide for himself what he wants."

Autumn just nodded. In a way, Terri was right. Sooner or later, Josh had to figure out what it was he really wanted-a brief fling with Terri or a serious relationship with Courtney Roland.

Autumn caught herself, realizing in that instant that she was in a similar position with Ben. They were having an affair. It could never be anything more. How could she criticize Terri or Josh for doing that same thing?

"I guess you have a point. You know I love you both whatever you do." She slid out of the booth. "I'd better get going. I'm meeting Ben and we're heading up to Burlington to show the sketch around."

"I'll keep my fingers crossed."

"Thanks, Terri." Autumn leaned over and hugged her. "Talk to you soon."

She headed for the door and spotted Ben's Mercedes double-parked out front. She knew he was as anxious as she to get on the road for Burlington.

She just prayed, for both their sakes, they would find something when they got there.

Twenty-Two.

Autumn hurried out of The Shack, crossing the sidewalk to where Ben's car idled next to a van parked at the curb. He leaned over and opened the door. Autumn slid into the pa.s.senger seat and Ben pulled out into the traffic, turning toward the freeway heading north.

"How was lunch?" he asked.

"Great. Their chicken Caesars are always delicious and it was good to catch up."

Ben just nodded. As they drove along the highway, he seemed quieter than usual, slightly withdrawn as he had been since their argument at the lake. Autumn kept her thoughts focused on Molly and tried to ignore the churning in her stomach that warned her something was wrong.

"You brought copies of the sketch?" Ben asked as the car cruised along the freeway at nearly eighty miles an hour. Ben did everything with gusto and that included driving his s.e.xy silver car.

"I had extra copies made. I had the size reduced to eight-and-a-half by eleven so we could pa.s.s them out if we wanted."

"Good idea."

She glanced at him from beneath her lashes. She couldn't miss the tautness in his shoulders, the tension in the long muscles in his thighs. He glanced her way, his gaze running over her from top to bottom, lingering for a moment on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She was surprised to see the heat, the desire burning in those golden brown eyes.

Autumn sucked in a breath. Her heartbeat shot up and her palms went damp. Ben might be angry, but he still wanted her.

Something loosened in her chest. Their affair wasn't over-not yet. She nervously moistened her lips, suddenly restless, a familiar tautness building inside her. She tried not to think of the last time they had made love, tried not to wish he would pull over to the side of the road and take her right there in the backseat of his car.

"You keep looking at me that way and we aren't going to make it to Burlington-at least not until after I stop at the local motel."

Her cheeks flushed. It was humiliating for a man to know how much she wanted him.

"We have work to do," she said, sitting up a little straighter, clamping her legs together to calm the ridiculous pulsing. "We don't have time for that."

He didn't smile or say any more. s.e.x might be on his mind, but so was finding Molly. And she thought there was something more. She wished she knew what it was.

Neither of them spoke for the balance of the journey, not until they turned onto the off ramp and headed for downtown Burlington. The town was originally an old logging camp but the years had taken their toll, leaving the buildings in need of repair and a number of them vacant.

They parked the car on the street and walked along the road to the sporting-goods store, one of the older structures in town and in dire need of care.

"Ready?" Ben asked as they reached the front door.

Clutching copies of the sketch in her hand, she nodded.

Ben pushed open the door and they stepped into the interior, which looked better than the outside, with wide-planked wooden floors and molded-tin ceilings. They asked for the manager, a Mr. Cline, who turned out to be in his forties, slightly rotund, with a mop of silver-touched hair.

"You wanted to see me?"

Autumn handed him a copy of the sketch. "We're trying to locate this man. We were hoping you might be able to help us find him."

Cline's gaze fixed on Autumn. "You look familiar. Have I seen you in the store before?"

"My name is Autumn Sommers. My dad and I used to come in quite a bit. Max Sommers? He still lives a little ways out of town."

"Of course! Now I remember. You're Max's daughter. Your father is a very good customer."

Ben stepped into the conversation just then. "As Autumn said, we're hoping you might be able to help us find this man. Autumn saw him in here a few years back. He may be a regular customer. We thought maybe you or someone in the store might know who he is."

The manager took the copy Autumn held out to him and studied the face in the sketch.

"He has blond hair and blue eyes," she added. "He's about average in height and weight."

"I'm afraid I don't recall him offhand." He glanced up. "May I ask the reason you're trying to find him?"

"There's a chance he's involved in the kidnapping of a child, perhaps more than one."