The Inn At Shadow Lake

Zach’s heart told him that Julie was unaware of the goings-on from her lodge. His mind told him he needed facts to prove his instincts. Zach could not assume Julie was innocent. He had seen too much in his life to be that naive.

Someone had killed the inn’s groundskeeper, an ex-KGB agent trying to make a fresh start. His death had led the Bureau to Shadow Lake Inn. When was Julie planning to tell him about that? Why was she deliberately keeping the cold-blooded murder a secret, covering it up?

Julie turned to him. “I enjoyed having dinner with you tonight, Zach.” She sighed softly and smiled.

“Yeah, me, too. It’s…good to see you again, Julie,” he whispered, gently pulling her to him. His fingers automatically intertwined with hers. It was as if his body was reacting on autopilot. Zach’s heart filled with happy memories of the two of them together. She felt so right in his arms. It had been a long time since he held a woman this way—and too long since he’d held Julie.

His gaze rested on her moist, parted lips. He wanted to kiss her. He slowly pulled her closer. She felt so warm and soft. He rested his chin on her head. Against his better judgment, he drank in the clean fragrance of her long hair, letting its softness run through his fingers. He would kiss her during this assignment, no doubt about it, but not yet. It was all part of his job—getting close and then zeroing in for the takedown.

Swallowing a groan, he emotionally placed some distance between them, silently cursing the investigation and all it entailed. He could not let himself trust her. No matter what he felt. He needed to seize control of the intense physical and emotional reaction he had to her. Now, before he got lost in her arms, in her kisses.

Julie gently squeezed his hand. “Come on, I’ll show you the rest of the house.”

Taking his arm in hers, she walked him through a wide archway leading directly into the dining room. Antique mahogany furniture came into view as she flipped a wall switch allowing the crystal chandelier to light the room. Zach whistled. The deep dark tones and lines of the furniture were beautiful and classy. Elegant. It suited her.

Just as the photos had indicated, the furniture was expensive. The background check they did showed there was no way she could afford the cost, and there were no records of the purchase. Had she paid for everything in cash? Money earned by selling out her country? “This must have set you back a few bucks,” he managed, his voice more gruff than he intended.

“It was my grandmother’s. She left it to me when she passed away. The furniture and all the fine crystal and china she loved to use. I never could have afforded all this on my own.” She turned to him and smiled. Julie’s eyes filled with fondness as she spoke about her grandmother. “After all these years, I still miss her. She used to make me tea and honey.” Her gaze met and locked with his. “And homemade lemon cookies.”

How could this sweet woman be a spy?

Zach realized there was a lot he didn’t know about Julie. He vowed to change that, to solve the case, of course. He would verify the grandmother’s inheritance by morning.

“Are you bored yet?” Julie asked after she had shown him the family room. “We can stop anytime.” She laughed lightly.

“Upstairs, Jewels.” Zach smiled in spite of thoughts of her involvement in the grueling investigation. He wanted to know more about the home she had made for herself—before he locked her up in federal prison.

She led him up the stairway and Zach admired her slim, feminine body. He forced his gaze away in order to memorize every detail about her home that hadn’t shown up in the surveillance photos he’d studied. The fourth step creaked under his foot. He made a mental note of it. The information he gathered might prove useful in saving precious seconds that could save lives. Too many agents had already died or disappeared on this assignment.

“This is my room. I recently redecorated and bought new furniture.” Julie flipped another wall switch to light the room and walked inside. “I couldn’t resist a sale I found at a shop in Seattle. The furniture was just delivered a few days ago.”

The bed was new, all right. It hadn’t been in the photographs he’d seen. The rich dark wood of the four-poster bed contrasted with the pale green comforter and floral dust ruffle. Several matching overstuffed pillows leaned against the large hand-carved mahogany headboard.

Zach imagined Julie there, her blond hair draped across the pillows. He drew in a quick breath.

He’d never forgotten her. Even after all the years. Even though he’d married and fathered a child.

Zach cleared his throat and forced the unsettling thoughts from his mind. Glancing around the room, memorizing every detail, he noticed a thick pillar candle inside an attractive heavy glass holder. Arranged with green ivy trailing around its base, the candle arrangement complimented the dark wood of her night table. That was why the room held the light, pleasant scent of vanilla. Zach wondered why Julie felt the need for a fancy, scented candle. And such an intimate atmosphere.

Did she entertain up here?

He crossed to the huge bay window and brushed the lacy white curtains aside. Through the open blinds, he could see the distant lights in the windows of the lodge, even with the numerous tall trees on the property. He turned to face her. “Nice view.”

Nodding, she stood in the doorway and smiled. The pale pink Victorian lamp on the dresser gently lit her face. Zach’s heart filled with memories of the tender love they once shared. It felt unnatural not to pull her close and kiss her as he used to.

“It is a pretty view, isn’t it?” She crossed to where he stood at the window.

“That it is,” Zach whispered, his voice suddenly giving out.

Did she enjoy sleeping in such a huge bed alone?

Had any men slept there with her, held her close afterward? Julie had never been one to sleep around. Maybe she’d changed. Zach realized he would be disappointed if she had. He’d loved her innocence, her sweetness. Was she still the same woman he knew back then?

The Bureau expected him to use his past with Julie to bring closure to this international assignment. His mission was to stick close until she inadvertently led them to leaders of the terrorist group.

For the first time in his professional career, Zach wondered if he was in over his head. Because of his emotional involvement with Julie, was he in danger of losing his edge? If that were true, he was as good as dead.

“Come on, I’ll show you Emmie’s room,” Julie said, interrupting his thoughts. “It’s just across the hall.”

Emmie’s room.

Zach felt as if he’d been kicked in the gut. He should’ve thought of that possibility before now. Would he be able to face a little girl’s bedroom without feeling the heartache of what could have been? Drawing a deep breath, he raked a hand through his hair and swallowed hard. “I’m…right behind you.”

Julie flipped on the light switch and Emmie’s room came alive. No matter how hard Zach braced himself for the impact, a wave of painful emotions washed over him as he stood frozen in place.

He’d dealt with apprehending vicious criminals before with no problem. He’d worked through the horrors at Ground Zero, but all it took was the sight of a little girl’s bedroom to freeze him in his tracks.

An oak bed with a matching dresser and mirror filled the small room. Julie had decorated the twin bed with a pastel pink-and-white gingham comforter that matched the dust ruffle and canopy. A pink floral wallpaper border made its way across the top of the cream-colored walls. A vast array of stuffed animals lay peacefully arranged across the pillows.

Stuffed animals.

Zach recalled his daughter’s crib. Picturing it clearly in his mind, he could almost reach out and touch the cherrywood railings…and Ashley. Taking her little bed apart, saving some toys and giving away the rest, had been the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. No mission had ever compared to the heartache of that task. No mission ever could.

“I did Emmie’s room over, also.” Julie smiled up at him, a tender look in her eyes when she talked about her little girl. “I asked her to help me choose the fabric and furniture. I was surprised that she had so many opinions on the subject.” She laughed lightly. “This is what we agreed on.”

“It’s nice,” Zach managed. Surprised that his feet weren’t glued to the floor, he made his way over to a child-sized table under one of the windows. A small, crayon-filled wicker basket rested on a chair. Several of Emmie’s drawings lay scattered across the top. Zach stopped to touch one of them. It showed a house, several trees and an animal that appeared to be a horse, but maybe it was a dog. “I see Emmie likes to draw,” he said, turning to her.

Julie nodded. Love and obvious pride in her daughter reflected in her eyes. “She doesn’t usually give her pictures away. You must have made quite an impression.”

Forgetting his job for a brief moment, Zach’s heart filled with happiness for Julie. He was glad she had her little girl to love after the loss of her husband. “Has it been hard for you, raising her on your own?” He pulled out one of the little chairs. Sitting as best as he could on the tiny piece of furniture, he flipped through the rest of the drawings.

Julie sat on another small chair next to him. “Yes, at times it has been difficult, of course.” She sighed. “But my family has been so helpful. My mom and dad are always there, never in an overbearing way, but just when I needed them the most.” Taking a quick breath, she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “Tim…was twelve years older than me and had no family to speak of. He was an only child. His parents passed away before we met.”

Zach couldn’t bear to see her eyes filling with tears. He had to do something to lighten the moment. “What is this? A horse? A dog? A…dinosaur?” He smiled and tapped a finger on the animal in the drawing.

Julie laughed. “Oh, that.” She sighed. “That’s Emmie’s dream house, as she calls it.” Leaning closer Julie touched the image of the animal her daughter had drawn. “This…is a horse.” Her eyes lit in amusement. “You were right the first time.”

The pleasant, light floral fragrance she wore filled his senses. Zach resisted the powerful temptation to reach out and pull her into his arms. He wanted to comfort her, protect her. Tell her everything would be all right.

But how was a guy supposed to comfort a possible spy?

“A horse, huh? She hasn’t seen any real horses, has she?” Raising an eyebrow, he smiled.

“No, she hasn’t. Not yet. Maybe I should do something about that.” Julie’s gaze met his and she smiled.

“Yeah.” And maybe he should do something about the undeniable feelings he had to hold Julie close. Keep her safe from the evil forces surrounding her and the inn.

Clearing the all-too-vivid intimate scenario lingering in his mind, Zach leaned back in the tiny seat. “If you’re ever in Montana, I can show her plenty of horses. We breed them.”

“Oh! So you went back to the ranch you loved,” Julie said, smiling as if she’d won a prize.

Zach laughed. “Well, that’s part of the story. Happy now?”

“Not until I know the rest,” Julie teased.

How could he share his grief without the pain that always gripped his heart? Somehow, he would have to allow the anguish he’d been hiding to resurface in order to solve the case.

Yet here he was talking with Julie in her daughter’s room. Instead of sadness overcoming his soul, he was sitting at a little girl’s table, laughing. In place of the usual heaviness settling in his heart, there was a spark of joy.

Zach cleared his head. He had a case to solve. Suspects to track and bring to justice. The Bureau depended on him. If one more agent went down, they were all in danger. He could not let that happen. He needed a keen eye and an analytical mind to apprehend the spies.

Even if one of them was…Julie.

They sat so close that their knees touched beneath the small table. If he leaned in a few inches he’d be able to steal a kiss. Slowly, his gaze drifted to her mouth. Soft, full lips like Julie’s were meant to be kissed.

Often. By him. Just as he used to.

Abruptly, Zach rose to his feet. “I’d…better go. You sure you want to get up so early on a Saturday?”

“No problem. Besides, you’re not getting out of this.” Smiling, she reached for his hand and led him out of the room. “You’re going to tell me everything tomorrow, remember?”

“Right.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

After making their way down the stairway, Zach grabbed his jacket from the coatrack. He confirmed no dead bolts on her door. No alarm system, either. The team of agents would have no problem installing the electronic bugs, the pinhole cameras and microphones.

Zach and his unit would be able to hear every word and see every move inside her home once he had a Federal judge approve the wiretap. On an emergency level, he could get the authorization he needed in six hours, maybe even four. His gut knotted with worry realizing that Julie would be here alone tonight in her unsecured house.

Or would she?

Maybe she was seeing someone with Emmie conveniently tucked away at her folks’ house, thanks to him. Whoever her date was, he’d investigate the guy from the day he was born.

Zach pulled on his jacket and opened the door. Turning to Julie, he gently ran a finger along her jaw. “Lock the door behind me.”

“I will,” she whispered softly. Smiling, she surprised him with a quick hug. “See you in the morning.”

The door clicked as she shut and locked it behind him. A lot of good that lock would do. He could slide a credit card through and let himself back inside in a heartbeat, or kick the door in just as quickly.

Zach scanned the area along the lake. He took in the pleasant scent of tall Douglas fir trees that cast dark shadows along the narrow pathway that led back to the inn. The wind picked up and the sounds of waves breaking along the shore spread through the otherwise quiet night.

There were too many hiding places in this remote part of the grounds. Too many places for snipers to focus their scopes on unsuspecting souls and special agents who were onto them.

A steady rain fell as Zach jogged back to his room. Senior Agent in Charge John Castlerock, aka John Rockwell the chef, would be waiting for him with the newest evidence concerning this case.

They would be up all night going over the details on several unanswered mysteries—finding Agent Tomasino, who hadn’t been heard from in months, determining who could have taken shots at Zach, and figuring out who had killed the groundskeeper.

An uneasy feeling that he was missing something settled in his gut. While Zach was pleased that John had established his cover at the inn, he had the distinct feeling that his boss was holding something back. Besides the fact that Julie had a daughter, what other details had the Bureau hidden from him?

Zach’s intuitive nature overwhelmed him with two unshakable conclusions.

Julie was in grave danger.

And so was he.

He could be falling for her…all over again.

FOUR

“What kind of evidence?” Zach sank into a molded steel chair in the industrial-sized kitchen. Glancing around the huge room, he noted the various copper pots and pans hanging from a ceiling fixture and confirmed that he and Agent Castlerock were alone.

“More surveillance photos,” John answered scanning the entrance to the room.

“Hand them over.”

John unlocked the briefcase he’d secretly stowed inside a cabinet underneath the granite countertop and offered the large manila envelope to Zach. “Take a look for yourself.”

Zach slid its contents onto the counter. Several newer incriminating pictures stared back at him. Julie sitting comfortably next to their number one suspect, Viktor Ivanov, laughing and sharing dinner at some fancy dining establishment in Seattle. Another photograph revealed them kissing on her front porch. Inwardly Zach cursed.

“Satisfied?” John slapped him on the back in a gesture of camaraderie.

“For all we know, she was just dating the jerk,” Zach answered. But he knew better. The evidence against Julie was piling up.

“I suppose there’s a remote chance Julie is only dating him.” John frowned. “I’ll give you that.” He ran a hand over his brow. “There’s more news. Agent Robbins spotted Viktor’s boss, Yuri, in Seattle last night.”

“Yuri?” Zach stood. “So we’re close.”

John nodded. “She’ll work her way into his life. Once we know where he’s headquartered, we’ll tap the place. Getting to him is just a matter of time. When it’s all said and done, we’ll see where Julie fits into all of this.”

“Right. But we’ll have to move fast.” At the sound of approaching footsteps, Zach pushed the photos back into the envelope and handed the folder to Agent Castlerock. John slid the evidence into the attaché case, locking and stowing it back in its hiding place seconds before Beatrice entered the kitchen.

“Oh. You’re here early, John.” She cleared her throat. “So, what kind of breakfast pastries are you baking today?”

“Anything you want, Trixie.” Smiling and pouring on the charm, John gave Beatrice a wink.

“That’s Beatrice, if you please. No American nicknames for me.” She turned to Zach. “What are you doing here so early?”

Zach rested a hand on the dark granite counter. “Julie and I are taking a day trip into Olympic National Park. I was wondering if the lodge could prepare a lunch. I was just asking John what he could rustle up.” He flashed his best smile.

“Yeah, he wants to know what kind of baked treats Julie would like,” John said, turning to Beatrice. “What’s her favorite? You should know, having been here in the States for what, six months now?”

“Seven months, remember? I already told you.” She shook her head in mock annoyance and turned to Zach. “Cranberry-orange muffins. Julie loves them.”

“I think I can arrange that,” John answered.

“I’ll prepare the lunch. Picnic basket, too.” Beatrice pushed up the sleeves of her dark green sweater. She grabbed a white apron from one of the drawers. “She can certainly use some time off. When are you leaving?” she asked, turning back to Zach.

“I’m picking her up at six.”

“What?” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s a good thing I got up early. I’ll have just enough time.”

Time. Did they have the time they needed to solve this case? Turning to glance out the small window, Zach watched the dawn of another drizzly day. Maybe it was time he came to his senses about Julie and realize she was not the sweet, young woman he once loved. She might be nothing more than a coldhearted spy.

“I’m being ridiculous.” Julie paced the kitchen as she spoke to her best friend, Tiffany, on the phone. Knowing she was usually awake at dawn, Julie had called to fill her in on Zach’s unexpected arrival at Shadow Lake Inn.

“Your feelings for Zach run deep.” Tiff sighed. “I remember you two back in college. You were so much in love. I was envious, you know.”

“You were?”

“Sure. Who wouldn’t be? The special way Zach always looked at you, the tender way he treated you? He was so obviously in love, it made me really think about my life. Then, thank goodness, I met Kenny. Oh, hold on a sec.” Julie heard the phone being placed onto a countertop. “AJ,” Tiff called to her four-year-old son, “don’t push your sister.” There was a commotion and then Tiff returned to the phone. “You still there?”

“Yes.” Julie smiled and checked her watch. It was just a few minutes before six. Zach would be at her door in a few minutes and Julie needed her best friend’s practical advice. “Talk some sense into me before I make a fool of myself and…kiss him.”

“Here’s my take on Zach, Julie, whether you want it or not.” Tiff laughed. “Kiss him already.”

“Not a good idea.” Julie paced the room and tucked a strand of hair behind an ear. “Zach and I have nothing in common. He’s like a tornado…and I’m more like the immovable tree firmly planted in the ground.”

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