Full Bloom

  “Holy crap!” Annie staggered forward, trying to escape whatever it was, but she fell to one side, hitting her elbow on the wall. She tripped on her own feet, grasped an armchair to break her fall, and stubbed her sore toe. A multitude of four-letter words came to mind, but she was too scared to speak. She had to get back to her room. She turned and hit something solid. The ghost was bigger than she’d thought.

  She was screwed.

  “Annie?”

  “Outta my way, Wes. Can’t you see I’m running for my life?” Annie bypassed him and raced to her room, closing the door behind her. She made a mad dive under her covers.

  Wes poked his head inside. “Problem?”

  Annie mumbled from beneath the covers.

  “What’s a gust?” he asked.

  Annie peered out. She could barely see him in the shaft of light from her bedroom window. “Not gust. Ghost.” It was hard to talk with her teeth chattering.

  Wes closed the door, walked to the bed, and pulled the covers aside. “Good thing I’m here to protect you.” He slid beneath the sheets. “The things a guy has to do.” He slipped one arm beneath her head. “Come closer.”

  Annie snuggled against him.

  “You’re shivering. What did you see?”

  “A woman’s face and hair. She just came at me, and everything got cold.”

  “Did she appear menacing?”

  “No, but it still scared the hell out of me.” Annie was quiet for a moment. “You know, I think I’ve seen her before. Maybe when I was a little girl,” she added. “Or maybe I just dreamed of her.” When Wes didn’t say anything, Annie lifted her head and looked at him. “Do you believe me?”

  “I think you were just trying to get me in your bed.” There was a smile in his voice. “I may start hiring people to scare you so I can sleep here every night.”

  Annie grinned. “Sorry about the flannel gown,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting company.”

  Wes ran his finger across the material. “Feels nice.”

  “It’s been known to send ice water through a man’s loins.”

  “Trust me, my loins are feeling just fine. If they start feeling any better one of us is going to have to leave.”

  Annie liked the timbre of his voice against her ear. She had to admit snuggling against Wes’s warm body was a lot more fun than lying beneath a pile of blankets. “I’m glad you’re here,” she said after a moment. “I was feeling sort of lonely.”

  “I would have been here a lot sooner if I hadn’t been afraid you’d kick me out.”

  “It’s been a long time since I shared a bed with a man,” Annie confessed.

  “After one night it’ll be old hat.”

  “You’re assuming I’ll invite you back.”

  “I’m assuming you won’t let me leave.”

  She punched him lightly. After a moment she grew serious. “Wes, I’m scared. About being convicted of a crime I didn’t commit.”

  “I know.”

  “I’m not afraid for myself, but if something happened to me, if a jury actually found me guilty and I had to go to prison, I don’t know what would happen to Theenie and Lovelle. Or Erdle, for that matter,” she added. She remembered how bad the man had looked when she’d delivered his dinner and a short sermon on his drinking.

  “Do you trust me, Annie?” Wes asked.

  Oddly enough, she did. “Yes.”

  “Then take my word for it: I’m going to do everything in my power to keep you out of jail.”

  “You don’t really think Erdle killed Charles, do you?”

  “I have a friend running checks on several people. So why don’t you try not to worry, and let me handle it?”

  Annie lay there quietly, wondering who else Wes thought might have killed her husband, but she was tired of thinking about it. All she did these days was worry; now she simply wanted to enjoy being held. Her mind drifted; the real world with its problems soon felt very far away. The only thing she was conscious of was the man beside her, his chest beneath her cheek, his steady heartbeat, and the way his long legs felt against hers.

  Annie placed one hand flat against his chest, enjoying the sturdy feel of him. She ran her hand slowly across Wes’s stomach, found it hard and flat. His muscles tensed beneath her fingertips. He pressed his lips against one temple. She raised her head, and he kissed her chin, the tip of her nose. He pulled back slightly, and for several seconds neither of them moved, even though Annie knew his mouth was only a breath away. Somehow she knew that Wes was waiting on her to make the next move. If she played it safe, closed her eyes and went to sleep, he would simply lie there for as long as she needed him.

  But she had played it safe all her life, and look where it had gotten her.

  Exactly nowhere.

  Besides, who was she fooling? There was no way in hell she was going to fall asleep with Wes Bridges lying beside her.

  She shifted on the bed and very tentatively touched her lips against his. They bumped noses, laughed softly. Wes’s lips parted, and she tasted him.

  Wes rolled to his side, and Annie found herself on her back. The kiss deepened, and Wes slipped his tongue inside, found hers, and their tongues mingled. How long they kissed, Annie couldn’t have said, but it felt as if their lips had somehow fused together and she no longer knew where hers began and his left off. What had started out as tender and sort of dreamy, a kiss that she had wanted to sink deeply into and rest her tired soul in, had turned hot and urgent.

  Wes pulled off her nightgown and smiled at the sight of her breasts in the moonlight. “Pretty,” he whispered. He explored lower with gentle fingers. He covered her with his mouth and tasted her. Annie was almost certain her eyes crossed when he slid inside.

  Afterward, he held her. Annie closed her eyes and slipped into a mindless sleep. When she opened them again, the room had lightened and Wes was nuzzling her throat. Their lovemaking was unhurried as they touched and explored and shared heated sighs until they finally shuddered in each other’s arms.

  The next time Annie opened her eyes, the sun shone through her bedroom window and the birds, which had mistaken the warm winter for spring, chirped and sang. Downstairs she heard someone, most likely Theenie, searching through the pan cabinet, probably in the early stages of preparing breakfast. Annie could not remember when she’d slept so soundly, and it almost didn’t matter that she had awakened late. She smiled and stretched.

  And froze when her leg brushed against another leg.

  Her eyes popped open. Holy cow! She turned and found Wes beside her, a satisfied grin on his face.

  “’Morning, Red.”

  “Omigod! You’re still here.”

  He cocked one brow. “Am I not supposed to be?”

  “No! The others might find out.”

  “Afraid they’ll get jealous?”

  “That’s not funny. I mean, what will people think? And believe me, news spreads fast in this town. Everyone already thinks I’m a murderer; they’ll think I’m loose as well.”

  “You are loose, but that’s a good thing.”

  She blushed. She was no longer Wild Woman; she was Annie Fortenberry who ran a respectable bed-and-breakfast. She heard footsteps on the stairs and bolted upright on the bed. “You have to get out of here. Now!”

  “Only if you’ll let me come back tonight.”

  Annie tried not to stare, but it was damn difficult.

  He grinned. “Like what you see?” He dropped a kiss on her forehead and started for the door.

  “Wait!” she said. “You can’t go out that way. Somebody might see you.”

  He paused and looked at her. “What do you suggest?”

  Annie frantically searched for the gown and panties that Wes had removed the night before. She found them crumpled at the foot of the bed. She dressed quickly, feeling a bit self-conscious under his watchful eyes.

  “Sexy,” he said.

  She didn’t feel sexy; she felt desperate. She pointed to the pair of French doo
rs that led to her balcony. “You’ll have to go out that way.”

  “In my underwear?”

  “Yes!”

  Wes sighed and shook his head as he pulled the doors open and looked out. “Did you forget there aren’t any stairs leading down?”

  “You can climb from my balcony to yours,” she said.

  He shot her a look of utter disbelief. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “They’re only about three or four feet apart. You can easily make it.”

  “This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, and I’ve seen some pretty dumb things in my life. It’s downright crazy, Annie. Are you sure all that hot sex didn’t jiggle your brain?”

  Annie joined him on the balcony. “Piece of cake,” she said.

  He stood there for a moment, studying the situation as though gauging the distance. “If I don’t make it, I want to be buried with my Harley.”

  Annie heard voices downstairs. “Hurry!” she whispered. She held her breath as he climbed over the wrought-iron railing and planted his feet on the narrow ledge on the other side of the pickets. Taking great care, Wes held on to the wrought-iron banister and had started to step across the three-foot gap to his own balcony when a section of iron leaned toward him, yanking bolts from the stone base and taking Wes by surprise.

  Annie watched in horror as the iron gave way completely. Wes twisted around and reached for the railing on his balcony, missing it by several inches. Annie screamed as he fell, landing in the thick holly hedges below.

  She darted inside, raced from her room and down the stairs, almost slamming into Theenie and Lovelle, who’d obviously heard her scream and were on their way up.

  “What happened?” Theenie asked.

  “Wes just fell from my balcony.”

  The three did a little dance on the steps, trying to get out of one another’s way. Annie managed to get past them. Her hands trembled as she turned the lock in the door and flung it open. She took off in a dead run.

  Theenie and Lovelle looked at each other.

  “What do you suppose the man was doing on Annie’s balcony?” Theenie asked.

  “Oh, wise up, Theenie,” Lovelle said.

  Annie found Wes struggling to get out of the hedges, cursing each time the spiky leaves jabbed him. Finally, he rolled out and hit the ground, giving a loud grunt.

  Annie knelt beside him. The fact that his eyes were open had to be a good sign. “Are you hurt? Should I call nine-one-one?”

  Wes pushed himself into a sitting position, glanced at all the pricks on his arms, and shook his head. “I think I’d like to take a hot shower.”

  Annie winced at the sight of his face and arms where the tiny pricks were already beginning to bleed. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know about the balcony.”

  Doc suddenly appeared in his bathrobe, a newspaper tucked beneath one arm. “What’s all the racket?” he demanded in a cranky tone. His eyes widened at the sight of Wes. “Uh-oh.” He looked at Annie. “You didn’t clobber him again, did you?”

  In response, she pointed to the balcony outside her room.

  Rounding the corner of the house, Theenie and Lovelle came to a halt. “Is he okay?” Lovelle asked.

  Annie nodded.

  Doc gazed down at Wes. “You need to find another place to live, son. I need to find another place to live. It was so much quieter at my daughter’s house, even with four kids.”

  “What are you doing back so soon?” Theenie asked Doc. “I thought you were going to stay with your daughter while she recuperates.”

  “I was just in the way,” he said.

  “And how come you always get your newspaper and we don’t?” Theenie asked.

  Doc didn’t answer. “You sure you’re going to be okay?” he asked Wes.

  “Yeah. The bushes broke my fall.”

  Doc grinned. “Good. I won’t have to put you down.”

  A sleepy-eyed Erdle suddenly appeared. “I heard someone scream. What happened to him?” He nodded toward Wes.

  Theenie explained. Erdle looked up and studied the damaged wrought iron, scratching his head as though trying to decide how much work he was going to have to do to fix it. “I can’t believe the stuff that goes on around here,” he said. “It’s just one dang thing after another. I can’t take much more.” He wiped his hands down his face. “I need a drink.” He turned and walked away.

  “What’s wrong with him?” Doc asked.

  “We had a terrible time while you were gone,” Theenie said, wringing her hands. “I just shudder every time I think about it. You would not believe what we’ve been through. And poor Annie,” she added.

  Doc waited. “Well, what?” he asked.

  Theenie gave a sorrowful sigh. “I could tell you, but you wouldn’t believe me.”

  “Well, somebody needs to tell me,” he said loudly.

  “It all started the day you left,” Lovelle said, beginning with his gardener finding Charles’s body. She quickly filled him in on the rest.

  Doc frowned at Annie. “You were arrested?”

  The last thing Annie wanted was for Doc to worry about her. “It’ll be okay,” she said. “Max Holt hired a big shot lawyer who is confident I’ll get off.”

  Doc’s ninety-year-old face suddenly took on more creases. “Are you sure?”

  “Do I look worried?” she asked lightly. “My lawyer has already told me that no jury would convict me because there is absolutely no proof.” Annie hated to lie, but she didn’t want Doc losing sleep over her problems.

  “You let me know if you need money, you hear? Or anything else,” he added.

  “Let me help you up,” Annie told Wes. “We need to get you inside.”

  He stood on his own. “Am I going to have to scale the walls and climb through the attic window or am I allowed to use the back door like everybody else?”

  “Your Honor, this is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,” Nunamaker said to his brother-in-law, who’d agreed to hear Destiny’s case first thing that morning. A male nurse and a social worker had driven Destiny to the courthouse, and the social worker had handed the judge a sheaf of papers and Dr. Smithers’s report.

  The judge glanced over the report. “Dr. Smithers seems to think your client is dangerous and delusional.” He frowned. “Something about a spirit and a murder?”

  Nunamaker waved it off. “The whole thing is preposterous. Dr. Smithers only saw my client once and for a very brief period. I have highly credible witnesses who are prepared to attest to the fact that Miss Moultrie is perfectly sane.”

  He motioned toward Max and Jamie, who were sitting in the front row in the small courtroom. They both nodded. “Furthermore, my client is not involved with any murder, nor is she under investigation.” He paused and squared his shoulders. “I resent these frivolous accusations against Miss Moultrie, as well as the unorthodox measures Dr. Smithers took to have her committed. The magistrate who signed the commitment papers never even spoke to my client.”

  “Dead people following her around?” the judge said. He arched one brow.

  Nunamaker shrugged. “Miss Moultrie has psychic abilities. It’s common knowledge that those with her gifts are more perceptive to these phenomena. Miss Moultrie donates her time to helping others through a newspaper column. She writes as the Divine Love Goddess Adviser.”

  The judge looked at Destiny. “So that’s where I recognize you from. My wife and I read your column. Your advice always seems to be right on-target.”

  “Thank you, Your Honor,” Destiny said, speaking for the first time since she’d entered the courtroom. “I’m very proud of the work I do, for both the living and the dead.”

  The judge leaned forward. “I’m not going to pretend to understand everything you do, Miss Moultrie, but you seem perfectly sane to me.” He turned to the social worker. “I’m going to deny Dr. Smithers’s recommendation to hold Miss Moultrie for further observation.” He smiled at Destiny. “You’re free to go.”

&nb
sp; “Thank you, Your Honor,” she said.

  The judge stood, brandishing a brand-new tennis racket in one hand.

  Annie was dressed and waiting for Danny when Wes came downstairs in his denim jacket, his camera hanging from his neck. Theenie had treated the needlelike puncture wounds and applied small, round Band-Aids to the worst of them.

  “Where are you headed?” Annie asked.

  “I have work to do.”

  “Are you sure you’re up to it?”

  “Hey, you’re looking at one tough guy here. Want to see my muscles?”

  Annie would have enjoyed reminding him she had already seen his muscles and she liked them just fine, but she knew Theenie and Lovelle were taking in every word. She tried to hold back her smile as they exchanged looks, and Annie knew he was thinking about how they’d spent the previous night.

  “We all have plans for tonight,” she told him, “but there are plenty of leftovers in the refrigerator.”

  “I’ll grab something while I’m out,” he said, although he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave. He just stood there looking at her, a half smile playing on his lips.

  Annie tried not to remember what those lips were capable of.

  “Oh, look at the time,” Theenie said. “If Danny doesn’t get here soon, the two of you won’t have much time to eat before the movie.”

  Annie knew Theenie had mentioned the fact she was going out with Danny for Wes’s benefit.

  Wes looked Annie over. “I’d better let you go so you can fix yourself up for your big date.”

  Annie glanced down at her neat slacks and best white blouse. She’d even taken special care with hair and makeup. “I am fixed up.”

  “Oh well, my mistake.” He winked once and walked out the back door.

  “Very funny,” Annie mumbled under her breath.

  Danny arrived shortly after. “So how about a nice, thick steak?” he said.

  “You want to know what I’ve been dying for?” she said. “A big, fat, juicy hamburger, onion rings, and a thick strawberry milk shake.”

  “You mean Harry’s Place? I offer you steak and you’d rather eat grease?”

  “Yeah, ain’t it sinful?”