I don’t know any of the people you just mentioned. I’ve only spoken with your parents since I got here.”
“My father and his wife,” she corrected. Then, not wanting to explain, and disconcerted from standing this close to him, she turned away. “The kitchen’s back this way.”
His light swept the hall ahead of them as she set off quickly. She wondered if he’d ever been inside the sprawling mansion before, and if he had, what he’d thought of the incredible rooms that stretched up to the huge skylights. Normally, moonlight would have made the interior clearly visible, but tonight clouds blocked the light and the house felt like some vast, empty cavern.
“Was your father expecting you?” Bram asked.
“I didn’t call to tell him I was on my way home, if that’s what you mean.”
Bram didn’t respond. If he was wondering about her relationship with Marcus, he didn’t ask. In fact, now that she thought about it, she was a little surprised he hadn’t demanded some sort of proof of her identity. She could have been lying. On the other hand, it wasn’t his job to protect Heartskeep—except by covering all the openings with metal grillwork. She should be grateful for his presence, or at least for the presence of his flashlight. And she was—it was just that she was having a strange reaction to being this close to him.
The kitchen was a dark, silent shell. The light switch clicked uselessly. “The pantry is right over there,” she told him, pointing to the closed door.
Funny. Growing up here she’d never viewed all this heavy, dark wood paneling as gloomy. The house had seemed a warm, comforting haven in her childhood. The feeling was gone now, just like her mother and grandfather.
Bram opened the pantry door and stepped inside. “Big place,” was his only comment.
Hayley couldn’t argue. The house was enormous. Rooms, closets—every aspect of the house was large. She watched as he studied the electric panel for a moment. Finally he flipped a large breaker. Nothing happened.
“Power lines must be down.”
“That happens when it storms, but it’s not storming tonight,” she pointed out. “At least, not yet.”
“No,” he agreed, “but a car could have taken down a utility pole or something. Maybe that’s why everyone is gone. Not exactly what you’d call a cozy place without lights. Have you got another place to stay for the night?”
Situated high above the Hudson River, northeast of Saratoga Springs, Heartskeep was a good distance from its closest neighbor and the small town of Stony Ridge. There were neighbors she could call, but Hayley hated the idea of imposing on people she hadn’t seen in years.
“Not really, but it isn’t as if I’ll freeze or something without electricity. I can always light some candles.”
“You plan to stay here alone? I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
Neither did she.
“What if someone else is in the house with you?”
“I prefer not to think about that.” Fear crawled around in the pit of her stomach. He was right. she had a decent imagination, but she was pretty sure she hadn’t imagined someone else standing out of sight inside the parlor.
“Have you eaten?”
Startled, she focused on Bram. “What?”
“I haven’t eaten dinner yet and I have a steak big enough for two. You’d be welcome to join me.”
“You cook?” She stalled, trying to picture herself sitting across a table from him, sharing a meal.
His eyes seemed to glitter. “Why don’t you be the judge?”
“No power, remember?”
“I’ve got a hot forge.”
“You cook at your forge?”
His teeth glinted as he smiled. A thrill shot through her. She had the distinct impression that smiles were a rare thing with this man. And the one that creased his face now was every bit as appealing as the man himself.
“I have a smaller tank of propane and a camp stove with me. Hungry?”
The pretzels she’d eaten on the drive from the Boston apartment she shared with her sister suddenly seemed less substantial than they had several hours ago.
“Yes, actually, I think I am. If you’ll shine that light over there, I can supply the wine.” His flashlight picked up the built-in wine rack. “I’m not much of a drinker, so I don’t know much about wines,” she confessed. “Do you want to choose something?”
He reached past her with one well-muscled arm. She found herself fascinated by the tattoo on his upper arm as he selected a bottle without hesitating.
“Is that a dragon?”
“Yes. Corkscrew?”
Hayley wondered if the question had bothered him. He didn’t look upset, but then she knew absolutely nothing about the man calling himself Bram Myers. Nothing except the fact that she was strangely drawn to him. Even as she found a corkscrew and followed him back through the house, she wondered if she was making a serious mistake. He paused to scoop up the overnight bag she’d left inside the front door.
“Just in case,” he told her.
“In case what?” she asked nervously.
“In case there really is someone running around in here.”
“Oh.”
They stepped outside and he waited while she forced her key into the stiff lock on the front door.
“At least he didn’t change this lock,” she muttered. “Do you think I should call the police?” How strange that she hadn’t even thought of that until now.
“Up to you. It’s your house, Ms. Thomas.”
“Hayley.”
He inclined his head. “Nice name.”
“Thank you.” She felt disconcerted once again.
“One problem with calling the police is that it will require more than a single officer to search a house this size. By the time a responding officer sends for enough backup to do a thorough job, anyone inside would have slipped away.”
“True,” she agreed, not certain the police would respond if she did call them. “But if someone is in here, they could do all sorts of damage, not to mention help themselves to any number of valuable items.”
The adrenaline rush was fading fast and so was she. Following this man back under the dense canopy of trees no longer seemed like such a good idea.
“Suit yourself,” he said. “You can stay here if you like, but I’m going back to have dinner.”
She followed him off the porch onto the thick
