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“Da

“Wait here I’ll be right back” Abby rushed off but within ain

“Keys!” she announced, triu a cluster of old keys “I found them in a drawer downstairs I’ll bet one of these will fit” Breathless, she handed hi

He hit pay dirt on the third try The lock snicked back and the door swung open to reveal a s and then a staircase that turne

d and disappeared He held out his hand “You co?”

“There are spiders in there”

“Probably I’ll kill therinned at her God, he loved old houses And the little boy in hies and sea chests, even if the only treasure uncovered so far was some old dresses It reminded hio looking for the legendary buried treasure at Fiddler’s Rock “Coled his fingers

She see ers were soft and cool to the touch Her hand was a lady’s hand, and soh hi and the steps beyond It was cool and dark in the stairway, utterly silent except for the sound of their steps and it felt ridiculously like sneaking around It was the kind of hidden place that lent itself to forbidden kisses and late-night liaisons The farther down they went, the tighter her fingers grasped his This was the second time he’d held Abby’s hand and he couldn’t re as siail Foster came to town When was the last time he’d been so very aware of a woman?

He wanted her house He did not want her, he reminded himself Except that he did In the confined darkness of the stairway, he wanted to press her body into the cool wall and feel her slowly ers in her sweet-s hair and taste her soft, unpainted lips

Jesus, he had to stop thinking this way He planned to work for her Besides, Abby wasn’t the type of girl you seduced and walked away from, and after Erin, he wasn’t ready to take the risk of so more Especially on so around

Unsettled, he led on until they reached the bottom of the stairs and were faced with another broad door He reached inside his pocket for the key ring and searched for the right one

With a breath of relief, To the door open and pulled Abby into the musty kitchen

Abby’s relief at being out of the claustrophobic column of the stairas brief As Tom turned to lead her into the kitchen, her heart stopped Over To in front of the fireplace Sad eyes watched her from a pale face Dark hair curled around her shoulders and her simple, pale blue dress fell just to her knee

Before Abby could e faded for just a ht, soination Because the other alternative was that Abby was looking at a ghost, and just thinking the as coht in the rooure was still there, faint but there just the sa her with a look of expectation on her face A shiver crept up Abby’s spine as the ed Her eyes flashed, her lips thinned, and the air in the room chilled in a cold, frustrated wave