but she knew he couldn’t. Kate ducked her head, avoiding his gaze, afraid to see the way he was looking at her. She sank down beside the lid and dusted lightly with her fingers, afraid of crumbling the old rock even more.
Matt waited silently as long as he could. There was the sound of the sea booming in the background. The echo of it pounded off the walls eerily. “Does it mean anything to you?” He tried to keep impatience from his voice when all he wanted to do was snatch Kate up and carry her out of the place.
Kate peered closer to decipher the words. Seven sisters. Seven Drake sisters. Her ancestors. They had bound something to earth, committed its spirit to the vent hole to protect something. She couldn’t read it exactly as parts of the letters were smashed and worn away, but she was afraid it was the townspeople who needed to be protected. She could also make out something to do with Christmas and fire and one who would be born who could bring peace. Kate looked up at Matt. There was no way to hide the terror in her eyes, and she didn’t bother to try. “I need to go home right now.”
chapter
4
A wreath of holly meant to greet
Looks much better tossed in the street
M ATT SAT IN HIS CAR WITH THE HEATER RUNNING and his favorite CD playing low. Joley Drake’s unique, sultry voice had taken her up the charts fast. He loved this particular collection, usually finding it soothing, but it wasn’t doing him any good now. He gripped the steering wheel and stared up at the blazing lights of the Christmas tree in front of the cliff house. The fog was beginning to roll in off the sea, stretching white fingers toward land and the house he was watching. There were no electric lights in the windows, yet he could see the flicker of candlelight and an occasional shadow as one of the Drake sisters moved past the glass.
The passenger door jerked open, and Jonas Harrington slid into the seat beside Matt, shutting the door against the cold.
“Dammit, Jonas, you scared the hell out of me!” Matt snapped. He hadn’t realized just how jumpy he was until Jonas had pulled the door open.
“Sorry about that.” Jonas sounded as pleasant as ever. Too pleasant. Matt turned his head to look at his childhood friend. “What are you doing out here? It’s cold, and the fog’s coming in. You aren’t stalking our Kate, are you?”
Matt studied his friend’s face. He was smiling, looking amicable, but his eyes were ice-cold. “Of course I’m stalking Kate. Do you think I’ve lost my mind? That woman belongs with me.” He grinned to relieve the tension gathering between them. “I just have to figure out how to convince her of that. What are you doing here? And why didn’t I see the headlights of your car?” He glanced in the rearview mirror and noted Jonas had cruised silently up behind him.
“I ran without headlights, didn’t want to scare you away. What happened tonight? Why are they all upset?” There was no obvious accusation in the voice, but Matt had been around Jonas his entire life, and he recognized the underlying note of suspicion.
“What the hell are you trying to say, Jonas? Spit it out and quit beating around the bush.” Temper was beginning to flare. “I’ve had a hell of an evening, and you aren’t helping.”
Jonas shrugged. “I did just spit it out. They’re upset. I can feel it. All of them, every single sister. Does it have something to do with you and Kate?”
“What kind of question is that? Hell, yes, I want Kate. And yes, I’d do just about anything to get her, but I sure wouldn’t lay a finger on her if she didn’t want me to, and I wouldn’t ever hurt her. Is that what you want to know?”
Jonas nodded. “That’s about what I was looking for. I’d hate to have to kick your ass, but if you hurt that girl, I’d have to do it.”
“As if you could.” Matt tapped his finger against the steering wheel, frowning while his temper settled. “What do you mean, you can feel
Matt waited silently as long as he could. There was the sound of the sea booming in the background. The echo of it pounded off the walls eerily. “Does it mean anything to you?” He tried to keep impatience from his voice when all he wanted to do was snatch Kate up and carry her out of the place.
Kate peered closer to decipher the words. Seven sisters. Seven Drake sisters. Her ancestors. They had bound something to earth, committed its spirit to the vent hole to protect something. She couldn’t read it exactly as parts of the letters were smashed and worn away, but she was afraid it was the townspeople who needed to be protected. She could also make out something to do with Christmas and fire and one who would be born who could bring peace. Kate looked up at Matt. There was no way to hide the terror in her eyes, and she didn’t bother to try. “I need to go home right now.”
chapter
4
A wreath of holly meant to greet
Looks much better tossed in the street
M ATT SAT IN HIS CAR WITH THE HEATER RUNNING and his favorite CD playing low. Joley Drake’s unique, sultry voice had taken her up the charts fast. He loved this particular collection, usually finding it soothing, but it wasn’t doing him any good now. He gripped the steering wheel and stared up at the blazing lights of the Christmas tree in front of the cliff house. The fog was beginning to roll in off the sea, stretching white fingers toward land and the house he was watching. There were no electric lights in the windows, yet he could see the flicker of candlelight and an occasional shadow as one of the Drake sisters moved past the glass.
The passenger door jerked open, and Jonas Harrington slid into the seat beside Matt, shutting the door against the cold.
“Dammit, Jonas, you scared the hell out of me!” Matt snapped. He hadn’t realized just how jumpy he was until Jonas had pulled the door open.
“Sorry about that.” Jonas sounded as pleasant as ever. Too pleasant. Matt turned his head to look at his childhood friend. “What are you doing out here? It’s cold, and the fog’s coming in. You aren’t stalking our Kate, are you?”
Matt studied his friend’s face. He was smiling, looking amicable, but his eyes were ice-cold. “Of course I’m stalking Kate. Do you think I’ve lost my mind? That woman belongs with me.” He grinned to relieve the tension gathering between them. “I just have to figure out how to convince her of that. What are you doing here? And why didn’t I see the headlights of your car?” He glanced in the rearview mirror and noted Jonas had cruised silently up behind him.
“I ran without headlights, didn’t want to scare you away. What happened tonight? Why are they all upset?” There was no obvious accusation in the voice, but Matt had been around Jonas his entire life, and he recognized the underlying note of suspicion.
“What the hell are you trying to say, Jonas? Spit it out and quit beating around the bush.” Temper was beginning to flare. “I’ve had a hell of an evening, and you aren’t helping.”
Jonas shrugged. “I did just spit it out. They’re upset. I can feel it. All of them, every single sister. Does it have something to do with you and Kate?”
“What kind of question is that? Hell, yes, I want Kate. And yes, I’d do just about anything to get her, but I sure wouldn’t lay a finger on her if she didn’t want me to, and I wouldn’t ever hurt her. Is that what you want to know?”
Jonas nodded. “That’s about what I was looking for. I’d hate to have to kick your ass, but if you hurt that girl, I’d have to do it.”
“As if you could.” Matt tapped his finger against the steering wheel, frowning while his temper settled. “What do you mean, you can feel
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