Silent Run - Barbara Freethy [120]
Dylan tossed another shot down his throat, pushing back the ridiculous thought that he was jealous of their happiness. While he loved his brother, he did not yearn for marriage and a family of his own. Having grown up in a broken home, he didn’t intend to repeat the experience. Although he hoped Jake and Sarah would make it, and that they would beat the odds of divorce.
A cool evening breeze blew through the open patio doors, drawing goose bumps down his arms. However, it wasn’t the wind that put his nerves on edge; it was the woman who slid onto the bar stool next to his.
“Are you drinking to your brother’s happiness or to the demise of yet another bachelor?” Catherine Hilliard asked.
He ordered another shot as he considered the woman next to him. Catherine had cleaned up pretty well since their first meeting. There were no paint spatters on her clothes today, and instead of bare feet, she had on a pair of very high heels. She wore a gorgeous, sexy black dress with a low-cut halter top that showed off her beautiful breasts. He loved the way the freckles danced across her chest. He had the sudden urge to see whether she had freckles all over her body.
He tugged on his tie, feeling tightness in his chest at the very bad ideas flooding through his brain. Catherine was an old friend of Sarah’s and, as far as he was concerned, off-limits, not to mention the fact that she was a little on the crazy side. He was grateful for her help in getting Sarah and Jake back together, but he didn’t intend to have any kind of personal relationship with her.
“Hello,” Catherine said pointedly. “You’re staring.”
“You’re stunning,” he replied, unable to stop the words from crossing his lips.
She gave him a quick smile. “That’s a good start to the conversation. The wedding was lovely, didn’t you think? Jake and Sarah make a good match. I think they have a chance.”
“A chance, huh? That’s an enthusiastic endorsement,” he said dryly, hearing the same note of cynicism that echoed through his own head.
Catherine shrugged. “I haven’t seen a lot of happy marriages in my time.”
“Neither have I. So, how have you been? Painting a lot?”
“Every night. I even painted you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “No kidding? Do I want to see it?”
Her smiled widened. “Maybe I’ll show you sometime.”
“I don’t get down the coast much.”
Catherine accepted a glass of champagne from the bartender. “I brought the painting with me. I wanted to work on it some more. I’m staying here at the lodge for a few days. The mountains are beautiful. The air is clear and fresh, and everywhere I look the view is dazzling. It’s not the ocean, but the lake has a peacefulness about it, a depth and a secrecy that appeal to me.”
Dylan didn’t see the lake the way she did, but he had always enjoyed Tahoe. For years he and Jake had come here with friends or family members to escape the overbearing presence of their father, who luckily for them never left the city. Dylan wasn’t surprised Jake had wanted to get married here. It was a good start to his new life, although Jake and Sarah wouldn’t be staying in Tahoe long. They were taking a late-night flight to Hawaii, where they would spend the week with Caitlyn, as well as Teresa, who’d offered to babysit. Dylan thought having a baby and a babysitter along on a honeymoon would cramp his style, but neither Sarah nor Jake had wanted to be away from Caitlyn for even a day.
“What about you?” Catherine asked, interrupting his thoughts. “Are you staying past the weekend?”
“I leave in the morning.”
“Are you sure?”
His gaze narrowed. “What does that mean?”
Her dark blue eyes grew mysterious. “Do you remember what I told you about the two women entering your life? It starts here.”
“What starts here?” he began, and then quickly backtracked. “You know what? I don’t want to know. I don’t believe in your psychic visions. I’m sorry. That’s just the way it is.”
“I understand,” she said, raising her glass to her