was probably the beginning of something totally new. To him it was a replay of a movie he hadn’t liked the first time and was not about to sit through again.
“Michael, I’m sorry, but I haven’t seen him since you two left with Brick this morning,” Renata said straightforwardly, her tone giving nothing away. “It’s been very quiet here this evening.”
Unhappily he met her eyes, frustrated in more ways than one. He knew this was where his grandfather was heading; it was only a matter of time until he arrived. But what was he supposed to do until Grand Feather got here? Wait in the car? Circle the surrounding farmland? Hang out at that ritzy lodge?
“Do you want to come in and wait for him?” Renata asked politely.
He didn’t. He knew it was a bad idea. But he couldn’t think of any good way to tell her so without hurting her feelings. And that was the last thing he wanted to do. After all this time he was still cautious with white women, but he’d gotten over the need to be cruel to them.
“Thanks, Renata, but I think I’d better go look for him,” he answered reluctantly. “If he’s not here he might be on the road or maybe at the lodge.”
Renata stepped out onto the porch, her delicate face lit up by the porch light, which was attracting an army of moths. “Do you want me to go with you? Or take my own car? I know all the back ways into this place, Michael. I know the footpaths from the lodge.”
He had no ready comeback for that. The truth was, she did know the area better than he did, and he desperately wanted to find his grandfather before it got completely dark. The old guy was tough, but it could be dangerous for him to spend another night out in the open. He might still get sick because of last night’s exposure.
Michael gazed at Renata and tried to weigh his options. She looked so pretty standing there in the twilight, her eyes vibrant, her skin creamy and pale. But her expression had sobered since he’d explained why he’d come, and now he could read nothing on her face but human concern for a frail old fellow who quite literally didn’t know enough to come in out of the rain.
“I’d appreciate your help,” Michael said slowly. “I really hate to bother Lieutenant Bauer again. I kept him up all night, you know, and he’d worked half a shift before I even showed up at the station.”
“Just let me get a flashlight,” she said, then vanished into the house.
As he watched her shapely backside sprint away from him, he loosened his tie and tugged off his jacket. The memory of his air-conditioned car was no help at all in the sweltering evening air, and with Renata by his side, Michael knew that the night was going to get hotter yet.
* * *
BY THE TIME she grabbed her most powerful flashlight and locked up the house, Renata felt that she had her feelings pretty much under control. She couldn’t recall saying anything in particular that revealed how very glad she was to see Michael, let alone that she’d thought for one foolish minute that he’d rushed back to Tyler with her grandpa’s old clothes just so he could see her again. Still, there was always the chance that her feelings had shown on her face. If they had, Michael had chosen to ignore her faux pas, and for that she could be grateful.
The porch was empty when she returned to the door. A classy blue BMW was sitting in her gravel driveway with headlights on and engine running. The passenger door had been left open for her, but Michael was already in the car.
Renata slipped inside and put on her seat belt as Michael pulled out of the drive. Her seat was close to his, so close their knees almost touched, but she studiously braced her body at a safe distance. She was entirely too aware of his proximity. She was also aware that Michael was ignoring her. At least, he was ignoring her as a woman. Since he’d arrived this evening, he hadn’t treated her any differently than he would have treated a man.
“Tell me about the back trails from the lodge,” he ordered, his voice throbbing with concern. “Maybe that’s how we missed him last night. He might have spent part of the night in the woods by the lake. I never thought to ask him how he got here.”
“Even if we knew that, we don’t know for sure he’d take the same route again. I’m not certain why you think he’ll come straight back here anyway, Michael,” Renata pointed out. “For some reason he settled under the oak tree in my front yard last night, but don’t you think he might want to check out some other oaks in the area?”
When Michael gave a helpless shrug, his long hair brushed his neck and shoulders. His profile was clean and sharp, stunning in its masculine strength. Renata wondered how he’d look in braids and feathers, then reminded herself that there were some things in life it was better not to find out.
“Frankly, I don’t know what he’ll do. I would have sworn he would never have come over here in the first place. I would have sworn he’d have had enough sense to do his praying under your eaves or inside your barn. And after I read him the riot act this morning, I would have sworn he’d never have pulled such a harebrained stunt again.”
Renata wasn’t sure what to say. Michael was frightened. She could feel his fear. And it wasn’t just fear because his grandfather was missing. It was fear that the old man truly was losing his grip on reality. He might have decided to run away.
“I don’t know what to say, Michael,” she said softly. “I’m sorry.”
Again he shrugged, with frustration this time. “It’s not your fault.”
“I didn’t mean it was. I just...I wish I could do something to help you. To help you both.”
Michael glanced at her, his eyes too dark to read in the twilight. “You already have, Renata. You’ve done more than anybody could have asked of you.” His voice caressed her with embarrassed gratitude. “We have no right to keep showing up on your doorstep. Believe me, if he hadn’t run off again—”
Michael broke off abruptly, as though he suddenly realized what he’d been about to say: You never would have seen me again. It was tactless, but probably true. Renata swallowed hard and looked out the window. She was drawn to this man, but it was obvious that he did not return her interest in him. Some things just weren’t meant to be.
The next half hour was busy but unproductive. Renata showed Michael the shortest way by road to Timberlake Lodge. After circling the main building, he drove through the parking areas while she darted inside to ask if anyone had seen a solitary old man. Edward Wocheck was in the lobby, conferring with his staff in preparation for the next morning’s groundbreaking ceremony, and he took a moment to express his sympathy. He promised Renata that he’d tell his people to be on the lookout for Michael’s grandfather.
When she got back to the car, Michael didn’t touch the door as she opened it and climbed in. Wordlessly he searched her face, then floored the engine when she said, “He hasn’t been here.”
It was a quiet night on the lake. Only one tourist couple was out for an evening stroll. When Michael made a sharp turn, he caught the startled eyes of deer in his headlights. He slowed down until the deer safely crossed the road, but he made no comment as the BMW approached the highway.
He drove in virtual silence for maybe half a mile until Renata said abruptly, “Stop the car.”
Instantly he braked. “Do you see him?” he demanded.
There was a catch in his voice that tugged at Renata. Oh, Michael,
