Part 2 (1/2)

”I see you're ready to sweat,” Autumn teased, knowing that was the last thing Terri wanted.

”Sure thing, honey. I'll just go put my bag in a locker and be right back.” She disappeared for a few minutes, turning several male heads as she walked past. While she was gone, Josh Kendall, Autumn's climbing partner, walked into the gym.

”Hey, Autumn, how's it hangin'?”

Autumn smiled at Josh's favorite expression and gave her usual reply. ”By the thumbs, Josh, how about you?” They had met during a four-man climb up in the Cascade Mountains two years ago. Josh was long and lanky, with sandy hair and a slightly freckled face. He wasn't killer handsome, but good-looking in a sort of nerdy way.

”We still going up next weekend?” he asked.

”You bet. I've really been looking forward to it. I can't wait to tackle Castle Rock.”

”Yeah, me too.”

A climbing partner had to be someone you could trust with your life because that was literally what you had to do. Autumn had admired Josh's skill and he had respected hers so they had decided to make a climb together. Their styles turned out to be extremely compatible. They were both certified guides and in the summer they headed for the mountains whenever they weren't giving cla.s.ses or doing private coaching.

They were friends. Close friends. Climbing together had a way of doing that. Autumn felt safe with Josh-in more ways than one. She knew he had no interest in her beyond their climbing partners.h.i.+p. It was Terri he wanted, Terri who snagged his attention whenever she walked into a room. Considering she saw him only as a friend and it didn't look like that was going to change anytime soon, Autumn felt sorry for him.

Josh's gaze darted away from her to the shapely brunette sauntering toward him. Terri's hips swayed provocatively, her gaze moving over the guys with the bulging muscles who were working out on the weight machines.

”Hi, Terri,” Josh said, his smile a little too bright.

”Hi, Josh.”

”How's it going?” he asked.

”Fine. Great, in fact.” She turned away from him as if he weren't there and leaned over to whisper in Autumn's ear. ”See that hunk over there working on the bicep machine?”

Autumn glanced that way. ”I see him.” She had noticed him a couple of times before, but hadn't really paid much attention.

”Well, what's his name, honey? Is he married?”

”How would I know?”

Terri rolled her eyes. ”Lord, you are impossible.”

They both stared at the hunk whose arms bulged with nicely shaped muscle as he strained on the weight machine. Josh made a noise in his throat, returning their attention to him.

”Well, I...um...guess I better get going. I'll see you next weekend, Autumn.”

”Call me the end of the week and we'll go over our trip plans.”

”Sounds good.”

”So, Josh...you wouldn't happen to know that guy over there in the corner?” Terri asked.

Josh turned that way. ”I don't know him but I've seen his picture in the newspaper. He owns this building. That's Ben McKenzie.”

Terri's dark eyebrows shot up. ”Is that so?”

Terri was openly salivating and Josh looked like he wanted to slash his wrists. ”Like I said, I better get going.” With a last longing glance at Terri, he headed for the climbing gym.

Terri surveyed the room, the long rows of white-and-black exercise machines, rows of treadmills each with its own TV, and racks of heavy chrome barbells at the far end in front of a wall of mirrors.

”I'm ready if you are,” she said. ”Why don't we start over there?” She pointed toward the area where Ben McKenzie was now lying back on a black vinyl bench hoisting a barbell loaded with weights.

Autumn gave him a long, a.s.sessing glance. Terri was right. The man was amazing. Not only drop-dead gorgeous, but with a lean, athletic body that looked as if it were sculpted more from sports than lifting weights in a gym. He had thick dark-brown hair, nicely trimmed, a square jaw and dark brown eyes. He was wearing shorts and Reeboks. A tank top stretched over his powerful chest and she caught a glimpse of curly dark-brown chest hair.

”Nice, huh?” Terri said.

”Very nice.”

”Probably married with at least four kids.”

”At least.”

Terri sighed. ”Wouldn't it be great if he wasn't?”

”I thought you were madly in l.u.s.t with Todd.”

Terri cast her a glance. ”I was thinking of you.”

Autumn laughed. ”Sure you were.”

Terri just smiled. They started out in the bike room, riding only long enough to get Terri warmed up a little but not break into a sweat. From there they moved on to the Nautilus machines.

”I really was thinking of you,” Terri said as she shoved the handles in the air, working her arms and shoulders. ”Now that I've hooked up with Todd, I'm not looking for anyone else.”

At least for now, that was probably true. Terri really was a good friend and she was always on the lookout for a man for Autumn. ”Even if the hunk was single, a guy like that would have a horde of women chasing after him from dawn to dusk.”

”All too true,” Terri agreed regretfully.

They worked out for almost an hour-a record for Terri-then retired to the snack bar for thick berry smoothies. Terri planned to stay at home that night and order pizza. Todd, of course, was coming by to join her.

Autumn left the gym, went home and made herself a plate of leftovers from the chicken she had roasted for herself on Sunday. She carried her plate into the living room and curled up on the overstuffed sofa in front of the TV.

She had a cla.s.s tomorrow morning so she went to bed early. She considered taking an Ambien, but didn't like taking any sort of drug and she could hardly take sleeping pills forever.

Instead, she hoped the gla.s.s of white wine she'd had with her makes.h.i.+ft supper would help her fall asleep-and that tonight she wouldn't dream.

It was raining, the air heavy with mist. Inside the house, it was warm, the kitchen steamy from the pot boiling on the stove. A group of three women moved together with practiced ease, working to prepare the evening meal. They were a family, Autumn thought somewhere in the depths of her mind. All of them were blond and fair, girls and women of various ages, the oldest, a woman in her late thirties, all of them pretty.

Autumn watched the women chop vegetables and roll out biscuit dough. They didn't say much as they did their jobs and began to take down cups and dishes to set the kitchen table.

Autumn might have kept dreaming if the youngest of the women, a girl of eleven or twelve, hadn't turned just then and looked straight at her. Autumn knew that face. She recognized the pretty oval shape, the soft blue eyes and long silky lashes, the pale blond hair drifting like corn silk around her narrow shoulders.

Those eyes were staring into hers and the pain in them jolted Autumn from a deep, hypnotic sleep.