She picked up her car keys and headed to the door, reminding herself to buy a cherry pie, rather than some other dessert. Elaine made a face. She always found the local bakery’s pies to be a little dry.
What I’d give for a butter tart from the Lake Gemini Bakery. Connor loves those butter tarts.
In that moment, she considered driving all the way into Lake Gemini. After all, they had the best butter tarts in Northern Ontario.
She stood still, clutching her keys, her knuckles white. It seemed ridiculous to drive an hour in each direction just for some silly butter tarts.
Of course, it was Saturday, and she had the time. Her dad had taken the kids to the park so they wouldn’t be back for a while and she’d already helped her mom clean up the house.
Nothing wrong with a little Saturday drive, was there?
And everyone knew those butter tarts were gooier and flakier than any others.
Yes. Elaine’s bear stood and pawed at her ribs.Go now!
What if she saw Connor there? What if he happened to be craving sweets at the same time? It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
What would she do if she saw him?
“You’re being stupid.” There was a perfectly good bakery right down the road, but she was willing to drive all over God’s creation for a tart?
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
She put her hand on the doorknob and turned. As she looked past the little window in the door, a flash of movement caught her eye across the street.
A man with dark hair and a dark beard.
Elaine did a double take.
Connor?
She blinked and opened the door, but he was gone.
Racing outside, she looked up and down the street. There was no one there.
Was she seeing things now?
She decided not to drive into Lake Gemini after all. Her will was too weak. If she drove all that way, she’d find a boat to take her to the island, and if she did that, she’d be knocking on Connor’s door in no time. She’d fall to her knees and beg him to take her back. He might be angry with her, but anger would surrender to temptation, and before she knew it, they’d be naked.
Naked. On the first available surface. With Connor.
Completely vulnerable.
Goddamn it. Cherry pie would have to do.
* * * *
That night, long after her mother’s card group had gone home, Elaine saw a mountain lion outside the house.
Everyone else had gone to bed hours ago. Restless, as she always was at night, she’d gotten up for a drink. Standing at the kitchen window, sipping her water, she spied the great cat in the darkness. It prowled on the edge of her parents’ property, barely hidden by the shrubbery.
Of course, wild mountain lions were often spotted in this part of the world.
But this was no wild creature, rooting for scraps.
This washermountain lion.
She touched the window frame.Connor.
