CHAPTER 4
Leaning back in her seat, Dara closed her eyes in an attempt to stop her world from spinning. Suddenly realizing that she had forgotten something important her eyes opened wide in frustration. Noticing her distress, Lucas looked at her in deep concern;
"What's the matter, are you feeling dizzy again?"
Turning to look at him she sighed in resignation;
"Yes, but it's not that, I just realized that I forgot something important, that's all. It will wait."
Reaching into the back seat, Lucas brought forward the item that Dara was anxious about;
"Do you mean this?"
Clutching the bag to her, she offered him a look of gratitude as she demanded;
"How did it get here? I left it at the office."
Lucas couldn't help but grin broadly at the realization that he had managed to eliminate some of her worry by such a simple act as making certain that she had her purse.
"Well, since Floyd had to go and get my car, I gave Caleb your keys and told him to go get it before they came here. I figured that you would need it sooner or later and I didn't want you worrying about it. Don't worry about your car either; I've already had that taken to your house."
Dara couldn't help but shake her head in amazement; it appeared that this man seemed to think of everything.
"You're definitely handy to have around."
Although he knew that her words were said in jest, he couldn't help but feel pleasure as she said them. Seeking to lighten the mood a little and hide his own feelings, Lucas ventured;
"Well, maybe one of these days I can show you my cooking skills, and then we'll see if you still say that."
Despite the obvious pain that it caused her, Dara couldn't help but laugh. However, her mirth was short lived as she began reflecting on his actions and the puzzlement was obvious on her face. Despite the darkness in the confines of the car, Lucas could still see the concern on her face. Turning serious, he asked;
"Is there something that's bothering you?"
Considering the most tactful way to broach the subject, Dara asked;
"Well, now that you mentioned it, I was just curious; exactly how did you know where I live? I can't remember telling you or anything, so how did you know where to have my car sent?"
Lucas realized that, even in her battered state, she was still a very sharp and astute person. Keeping his eyes focused on the road as he tried to decide on the safest route to take in answering her, yet making sure that he was honest with her, he finally, he realized that the safest answer was going to be the truth.
"I'm the sheriff, remember? All that I had to do was pull up the DMV file from your tag, it has your address, but aside from that this is a small town so when someone new moves in it's not hard to figure out."
He could see by the expression on her face that she was mulling over his answer. Considering his words, Dara had to admit that what he said did make sense, this was a small town and he could have very easily found out the information, finally realizing that she was being rude, she offered;
"Thank you for having my car taken home. I was somewhat worried about it."
Nodding, he replied;
"You're more than welcome, if there's anything that I can do to help you just ask me."
Turning into her driveway, Lucas pulled to a stop in front of the house and couldn't help but stare at it in shock. He could tell that she had done a lot of work to the old place, having seen it beforehand.
"You've really spruced this old place up. I thought that is was just about ready for the wrecking ball."
Dara smiled proudly, she had done most of the work herself and she took great pride in the fact that it had turned out so well.
"Thank you, I tried really hard with this house. I loved it when I saw it, especially the pier at the river. I love the water, when I need to get away and find some peace I go down and sit there to think."
Lucas couldn't help but find the glimpse into her personality fascinating as he cut the motor before coming around to help her out of the car. This time, he allowed her to try walking on her own and she had managed to get about halfway to the front door when she was forced to stop so that she could get her balance back. She had grasped the tree trunk that she was standing next to as she attempted to get her vision back into focus and let the dizziness that was engulfing her pass. Sensing her dilemma as well as noticing her change in pallor, Lucas understood why she had stopped; apparently, dizziness wasn't the only issue that she was dealing with at the moment.
"You're sick on your stomach too, aren't you?"
He couldn't help but feel concerned when she swallowed hard as she tried pushing the nausea back down before nodding as he suggested;
"It's okay; it'll pass in a second."
Leaning back against the tree she closed her eyes as she tried to regain her composure before correcting his earlier statement;
"Somehow, I think that it's going to take longer than a minute."
Seeing that she was losing her battle, Lucas bent and swung her slight frame easily into his arms. Seeing that she was about to launch a protest, he quickly silenced her objections;
"Look, you're not that heavy and you're wearing yourself out trying to walk, so this is the best solution."
Accepting his logic she laid her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes having decided that any attempts to argue would be useless, especially given that it was taking all of her concentration at the moment to fight keeping her nausea at bay. Finally, she felt as if she was gaining some semblance of control as she considered;
"Thank you, I think that you're right, I don't think that I could have walked another step without having been absolutely sick."
As if the thought suddenly struck her, she offered a rueful smile as she speculated;
"But if you keep this up you're going to end up with a bad back."
Just as Lucas' boot touched the top step of the front porch, he found the front door being thrown open as Mrs. Adams rushed out;
"Dara, dear, are you all right, what happened? Dr. Crower phoned and explained you had been involved in some sort of an incident and that you had been injured but that he was releasing you. Dear, if you need to be admitted I'll be more than happy to stay here with your mother so that she isn't alone, you know that I'll take good care of her."
Realizing how much could be divulged in her last statement, Dara's eyes opened quickly as she raised her head from Lucas' shoulder to begin furiously shaking her head, despite the dizziness and nausea. Just as quickly as she had raised her head, she found herself forced to lay her head back against Lucas shoulder as the pain and dizziness found her closing her eyes.
Mrs. Adams had been so anxious in her concern for the girl that she didn't realize, until after the fact, that she said more than might be prudent. She knew that Dara didn't want the fact that her mother's condition was a terminal one to become public knowledge and one thing that she knew without a doubt was that if there was anyone who needed to be the last person to know such a fact it was the man now holding Dara in his arms. She felt that her opinion was solidified when Dara cautiously opened her eyes and focused her attention on the woman as she demanded;
"You haven't said anything about it to Mama, have you?"
Quickly, Mrs. Adams understood her meaning as she noticed the covert sideways glance that Dara cast in Lucas' direction. Seeking to put the girl's mind at ease, she shook her head.
"No, dear, but I do intent to stay here with you for a couple of days; you really shouldn't be left alone. Do you think that you'll be alright long enough for me to go get some things? It shouldn't take me more than about fifteen minutes or so?"
Although he had remained silent during the course of it, Lucas didn't miss the interchange between the two women. Although he decided to let it go at that moment, he quickly realized that there was something that this girl didn't want to become common or public knowledge. Seeking to ease the situation, Lucas volunteered;
"I'm off duty, Mrs. Adams, I'll be more than happy to stay with Ms. Chambers so that you can go and get your things. You go on ahead."
Biting at her lip nervously, Mrs. Adams considered her options for a moment; she knew about Lucas Buck, having been a lifelong resident of Trinity, however, she was quite certain that Dara did not. Finally, she realized that there was simply no way to refuse his offer without raising his ire. Although, in her opinion, leaving Lucas Buck to watch over a woman, especially one as beautiful as Dara, was the equivalent of leaving a wolf to guard a flock of lambs; grabbing her purse, Mrs. Adams advised;
"I'll be back as quickly as I can, dear."
Entering the house, Lucas made his way into the living room to settle Dara on the sofa as he advised;
"Why don't you try to get comfortable, where's your kitchen?
Leaning her head against the sofa cushions, Dara pointed in the general direction. Lucas had no problems finding some ginger ale in the refrigerator, hoping that it would help ease her stomach he poured her a glass and retraced his steps to the living room. He was shocked as he approached the doorway and heard Dara, evidently, admonishing someone;
"You know that you're not supposed to take that off, Mama, why didn't you just ring your bell I would have gotten your longer one or your portable tank."
Standing in the doorway, unnoticed, Lucas couldn't help but quietly chuckle in humor as he heard a female voice that was obviously older but similar to Dara's as she quipped;
"Dara Cherice, you don't look as if you're able to take care of yourself at the moment, let alone me."
Deciding that he didn't want it to appear as if he had been eavesdropping, Lucas entered the room and offered;
"Here, I hope you don't mind but I found some ginger ale in your fridge and thought that it might help settle your nausea."
He couldn't help but notice the shocked look on the older woman's face as he had entered the room; despite the look of shock, there was no mistaking the close relationship that she bore to Dara, any doubts to that effect were quickly put to rest as Dara offered;
"Thank you; I definitely appreciate your thoughtfulness."
Taking a quick sip, she shook her head in embarrassment;
"Lucas, I'm sorry."
Motioning to the older woman in the chair closest to the sofa, she explained;
"Lucas, this is my mother, Gwenna Chambers. Mama, this is Lucas Buck, he's the sheriff and he was nice enough to bring me home and make sure my car was brought home."
Extending his hand, Lucas took a moment to study the woman before offering;
"It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Chambers."
For her part, Gwenna was doing her own thorough appraisal of the man standing in front of her. He was definitely attractive and although she wasn't willing to venture taking a guess regarding his age, she had no doubt that he was significantly older than her daughter. However, she also couldn't help but think that, just maybe, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing either. Finally, she offered her own hand as she nodded;
"It's nice to meet you as well, Sheriff Buck, please call me Gwenna."
Lucas had no doubts that he was being sized up in the few moments that it had taken Gwenna to offer her own hand. However, considering that he was doing the same thing, he could hardly fault her for her actions especially given that her youngest child was at the heart of the matter. Eagerly taking her hand he offered a sincere smile as he returned;
"Thank you, but only if you'll call me Lucas."
Casting her glance in her daughter's direction, she addressed Lucas;
"I appreciate you're bringing Dara home and if you wouldn't think it too intrusive of me, Lucas, I'd like to ask if you happened to be at the hospital with her when the doctor saw her."
His gaze swinging from first mother to daughter and then back to Gwenna, he nodded;
"Yes, ma'am, as a matter of fact, I actually took your daughter to the hospital myself."
Her face taking on a look of determined stubbornness, Gwenna demanded;
"Since my daughter has a tendency to under play anything that she thinks might worry me, Lucas, would you please tell me EXACTLY what happened to cause my daughter to look as if she has been in a boxing ring."
Locking eyes with Dara, he could see that she wasn't going to balk at her mother's request. It wasn't hard for him to understand the look he found in her eyes; although she wasn't thrilled at the idea of her mother learning what happened, she also knew that withholding the information would only exasperate the woman's worry so there was no sense in even making such an attempt. Turning to face her mother, Lucas nodded as he related the earlier events of the day.
"Yes, ma'am. You see today was my son, Caleb's, first session with your daughter and we thought that it might be a good idea if we took a walk to the park to give Caleb a chance to get used to her. Well, while we were there we heard gun shots from the bank across the street, I told Dara and Caleb to stay put and out of the way while I went to see what was going on."
Gwenna couldn't help but notice how he was shaking his head in self reproach as he continued;
"Had I known that they were going to head for the park, I never would have left them; but they left the back way while I was going in the front and we missed each other. From what my son told me, Dara made him go hide and distracted them so they wouldn't find him. When I got back to the park she had been knocked unconscious and was being held hostage. Luckily, with my deputy's help, I was able to get Dara away from them and into custody."
Dara stared at him in disbelief of how understated his explanation had truly been. Turning to her mother she explained;
"He's not telling you everything, Mama. Caleb told me that, he kept the man with the shotgun from shooting me by jumping at him before he could pull the trigger. Not to mention, he also broke the man's jaw that did this."
Bringing her fingers up to her mouth and cheek she indicated the damage that had been inflicted on her cheek and mouth. Studying her daughter's bruised cheek and swollen mouth, she reached across the space to gently touch her child's face, as if trying to reassure herself that she was and would be fine. Leaning back in her chair as she sought to catch her breath, Gwenna turned to Lucas as she asked;
"You broke the man's jaw? Surely it was an accident."
Deciding to be as transparently truthful as possible where this woman was concerned, Lucas' jaw tightened in a determined look as he shook his head and explained with neither pride nor regret in his voice for his actions.
"No ma'am, it was not an accident. Your daughter was knocked unconscious, the man was twice her size and holding a shotgun to her head when he did that, it riled me to no end that he did that. He had no right to lay his hands on her; I don't care what she said to him."
Realizing that, as she had suspected, her daughter's sharp tongue may have played a hand in some of what had taken place, Gwenna turned to her child as she stated, rather than asked in a chastising tone;
"Alright, Little One, what did you say to them?"
Her face taking on a look of innocence, Dara demanded;
"Mama, why on earth would you assume that I said something?"
Holding her ground as she remained silent, Gwenna gave her daughter 'the look', as it was referred to by her children. The glance was one of neither accusation nor censure, simply one that showed she knew the answer already but simply wanted her child's verbal confirmation. Finally, Dara rolled her eyes as she blurted;
"Okay, fine. Yes I said something to them. It made me mad that he was waving the gun in my face so I told him to hand me the shotgun and then bend over and I would demonstrate the principles of a puppet on a stick to him."
Closing her eyes momentarily at her daughter's confession, Gwenna couldn't help the smile that found its way to her face as she began chuckling with thinly veiled humor. Turning to Lucas, who couldn't help but stare in shock at the exchange, Gwenna motioned to her daughter;
"I should probably turn her over my knee, but as you can clearly see, Lucas, my daughter happens to be no shrinking violet. What she lacks in size she most definitely makes up for in heart, courage and, to be honest, a smart ass attitude when she chooses to use it."
Her mouth dropped open in shock as Dara chastised;
"MOTHER!"
Lucas could see that despite the slight chastisement, Gwenna was proud of her daughter's strength and willingness to demonstrate the fact that she possessed it. However, he could also see that the woman was concerned at the amount of danger her daughter had willingly placed herself in to see to the safety of another. Seeking to change the tone of the mood in the room, he ventured;
"If it makes you feel any better to know it, Dr. Crower examined her thoroughly and did a CAT scan. He said that she had no damage just the bruises and soreness. And.."
Reaching into his hip pocket he produced the two bottles of pills as he set them on the coffee table before explaining;
"He said that he knows about your migraines so those are to help you if you should have one and the other is for pain if you need it."
Nodding as she glanced at the bottles Dara brought her eyes up to meet his;
"By the way, I never really got around to thanking you for saving my life today, I'm very grateful."
Despite the presence of her mother, Lucas decided to take the initiative as he smiled and leaned forward;
"Then how about going out to dinner with me tomorrow night, provided that you're feeling better of course, I happen to know one of the best seafood restaurants in the state."
Dara looked at him regretfully;
"I'm sorry, but…"
Before she could complete her statement, Gwenna decided that her daughter was in desperate need of some guidance as she suggested;
"But tomorrow night wouldn't be a good idea, Lucas. I mean, the bruises and what have you, she wouldn't really be able to enjoy herself in her shape, maybe in a couple of days or so?"
Lucas couldn't help but smile at the woman as he realized that he seemed to have found an ally. Hearing Mrs. Adams at the front door, he decided that discretion was the better part of valor as he rose from the sofa, just as she entered the living room, especially since he had to regroup having found himself shocked before Gwenna's well timed interruption. He had no doubt that Dara was about to refuse his invitation and that was something new for him; usually he was on the giving end of refusals not the receiving end.
Ellen Adams entered the room and immediately placed her hands on her hips in admonishment as she lightly chastised;
"Gwenna, why are you not resting and where is your oxygen?"
Quickly she approached the chair as she sternly addressed;
"You are going to get back in that bed this minute."
Motioning towards, Lucas, Gwenna explained;
"I wanted to find out what happened to my daughter, Ellen, and thank Sheriff Buck for what he did for her today. From what I understand he saved Little One's life and the least that I can do is thank the man."
Holding his hand up, Lucas shook his head;
"You don't have to thank me, ma'am, it was my pleasure, I assure you. I need to get back to the station and sign those reports anyway."
Turning to Dara and oblivious to the two elder women's presence, he took her hand as he ventured;
"If you need anything at all, you just pick up the phone and let me know. When you're feeling better we'll have dinner."
With that, he placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand as he stated;
"Good night, sweet lady. I hope that you feel better soon."
Rising to his full height he turned to the two elder women, who were staring at him in shock as he nodded;
"Good night. It was very nice to meet you, Gwenna and it was nice to see you again, Mrs. Adams."
Motioning toward Dara, he addressed them;
"Take care of my girl here."
With that, he left them, sitting in shock until they heard the front door close and the sound of a car motor as it pulled away.
Being the first to recover, Dara sought to divert her thoughts as she addressed a more immediate concern;
"Come on, Mama, let's get you back on your oxygen and in your bed and then we'll see about getting you fed."
With Mrs. Adams assistance, Dara was able to have her mother settled and comfortable with little effort. Once she had made certain that her mother's oxygen was back in place and on the correct setting, Dara sat on the edge of her mother's hospital bed as Mrs. Adams advised;
"I stopped and got some supper for us, I'll go get it good and warm."
Dara nodded as she offered;
"I'll be along in a second."
After the woman left the room, she turned to her mother as she demanded;
"Mama, why would you tell him that I would go out to dinner with him? You've never interfered in my dating life before."
Shifting in her bed as she motioned to her side, Gwenna waited until her daughter had laid next to her as she did when she was a child, with her arm around her as Dara's head rested on her chest. Absently, she found herself twirling the curling tresses of her child's hair, as she did when the girl was small, before venturing;
"Dara, Little One, tell me honestly, do you like this man?"
Sighing in resignation, Dara knew that trying to hide anything from her mother was a useless endeavor. One of the aspects of her mother's character that Dara had always found amazing and had come to count on was the fact that, no matter what it was, Gwenna always seemed to know when something was bothering her children, especially her youngest child. Tilting her head to look into her mother's eyes, she tried to put her feelings into words;
"Mama, I just met him a short time ago."
Shaking her head, Gwenna admonished;
"That isn't an answer Dara Cherice."
Dara sat, silent, as she pondered her own emotions. Logically, she felt it was too soon to say yes or no to such a question, however, she couldn't deny that she felt flattered when she learned how Lucas had taken matters into his own hands to make certain that she was safe as well as his invitation to dinner. Rising to turn and lock eyes with her mother, she bit at her bottom lip in indecision as she swallowed hard;
"I don't know, Mama. I can't say that I wasn't flattered that he put himself in harm's way to help me today, or by his dinner invitation. But, maybe that's simply because of what I did to make sure that Caleb stayed safe."
The tenderness that she felt for her child evident in her eyes as she brought her hand up to place on her daughter's cheek, careful of the bruising, Gwenna gave a slight shake of her head;
"Little One, I can assure you of one thing, without a doubt, that man did not do what he did today simply because of what you did for his son. He did it because he CARES for you; there are some things that you can fake, but I don't believe those types of feelings fall into that category."
Seeing the turmoil that her daughter was going through, Gwenna patted her hand as she suggested;
"Sweetie, I'm not saying that you should make a decision right this second but I think that, in all fairness, you at least owe it to yourself to go have dinner with him and then judge from there. Fair enough?"
Dara couldn't help but smile as she questioned;
"You're not going to give me a break on this, are you, Mama?"
Gwenna shook her head vehemently;
"No, I'm not. If you find that you really don't like or enjoy his company, then that's one thing, Dara, but, I'm not going to let you miss out on something that might be worthwhile because you're too afraid to take a chance."
Although she wanted to argue with her mother, Dara knew that she really couldn't offer a valid reason that would sway the woman's opinion, so to that end she finally agreed;
"Alright, Mama, I'll go and I promise that I will be open minded and fair."
Before Gwenna could reply, Mrs. Adams entered the room bearing a tray with Gwenna's evening meal. Dara took the opportunity to excuse herself as she made her way to the kitchen to find her own sustenance. She had just taken a seat at the kitchen table as Mrs. Adams entered the room and nodded her silent approval as saw that Dara had begun her meal. Busying herself with clearing up the dishes from the meal, she waited until the girl had finished with her plate before motioning to the chair across from her;
"Would you mind if I sat with you for a few minutes?"
Shaking her head, Dara eagerly offered;
"No, please by all means."
Once she had settled in her seat with a cup of coffee, Mrs. Adams glanced covertly at the girl over the rim of her cup as she began her line of inquiry;
"Dara, dear, how is it that you know Lucas Buck, I mean, I know that he was there today and that you weren't able to drive so he brought you home. But, I get the impression that there is something more there then just him doing his civic duty. How did you come into contact with him?"
Unable to prevent herself from giving the woman an odd look, Dara couldn't help but wonder at Mrs. Adam's questions; she made Lucas sound as though he were some contagious disease that should be avoided at all costs. Finally, she offered;
"Well, my office is across the street from the Sheriff's office and when I was moving my things in he helped me with some boxes. Now, I'm counseling his son, Caleb. Why do you ask?"
Mrs. Adams chose her words carefully;
"Tell me exactly what happened today."
Sighing as she began thinking of the events of the day, Dara shook her head;
"You know, I honestly can't remember most of it, I was unconscious for a while."
Unwilling to let the matter go, she demanded;
"Do you remember any of Lucas' actions?"
Dara thought carefully and, remembering what Caleb had told her, nodded her head;
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Caleb told me when I came to about how his father had broken the gunman's jaw."
Although she had the feeling that she already knew the answer, Mrs. Adams still asked;
"Did he give you any reason for why he did it?"
Dara couldn't help but stare at the woman questioningly as she thought; 'Why is she asking me all of these questions about Lucas Buck of all people?' Sighing in thinly veiled frustration, she nodded;
"Well, I did ask him, he said that it made him angry because the man had struck me. I'll admit that it was a little unnecessary, but I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't flattered, why?"
Squaring her shoulders, Mrs. Adams decided that someone needed to warn the girl about Lucas Buck and if not her, then who?
"Dear, I realize that he is an attractive and very charming man. But, there is something dark and dangerous about him as well. Earlier, when he referred to you as 'his girl', I don't believe that he was joking. Something tells me that he considers you to be his. Please understand, I'm not trying to persuade you in one direction of the other, but judge for yourself. Lucas can make things happen in this town."
Unable to prevent herself from chuckling humorously, Dara quipped;
"I thought that was his job, Mrs. Adams. I mean, I would think that would be a welcome change; a politician who can make things happen."
Seeing that there was no amusement on the older woman's face, Dara couldn't help but cast a look of disbelief as she demanded;
"Surely you're joking, you can't be serious. Just exactly who is he supposed to be; the devil himself?"
Sighing sadly in resignation that she may well be wasting her efforts as well as breath, Mrs. Adams ventured;
"That's what some say; others say he's a demon and still others; a man who has no heart, soul or conscience. There are other derivations, but they all seem to run on the same line of thought."
The disbelief on her face evident as well as the sorrow in her eyes, Dara shook her head vehemently;
"I don't believe you. I'm sorry, but I simply don't."
Mrs. Adams sighed as she nodded her head in understanding.
"Somehow, I knew that you wouldn't; but all that I can ask is that you judge for yourself. Do your own investigation; there are things that aren't so easily explained away where that man is concerned. Do you know about Gail Emory?"
Thinking for a moment, Dara recalled;
"That's Caleb's cousin, the one who died. Lucas told me about her."
Despite her efforts to the contrary, Mrs. Adams couldn't constrain the sarcastic tone that her voice held as she demanded;
"Did he also tell you the she put a gun in her mouth and pulled the trigger after burning what was left of her parent's newspaper office? This, mind you, was after she had recovered from the coma that she had lapsed into after having suffered a miscarriage; mind you he was the father of the child. You know that Caleb belongs to him, but did he happen to mention how Caleb's mother died, or the fact that Judith Temple was married to another man when Caleb was conceived? There are other things as well; just ask Selena Coombs or Dr. Crower, there's a man who could tell you a great deal about Sheriff Buck. He had Matt committed to Juniper House after he tried to shoot Lucas; of course no one understands why Matt tried to kill him."
Placing her hand over Dara's she softened her tone as she beseeched;
"All that I'm asking is that you keep yourself distanced from the man until you reach your own conclusions; he tends to have a powerful hold on people."
Before anything more could be said they heard the bell from Gwenna's room. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to hide her concern over her conversation with Mrs. Adams from her mother, Dara turned to the woman;
"Would you mind going? I'd like to go ahead and take my shower and maybe turn in a little early."
Seeing the concern on the young girl's face, Mrs. Adams silently shook her head as she began to rise from her chair, only to find her progress halted as Dara grabbed her hand;
"I appreciate your concern, but not one word about any of this to Mama. I don't want her to worry about anything more than can possibly be helped."
Nodding her agreement as the girl released her hand, she vowed;
"I promise, I won't say anything."
Dara sat mulling over the older woman's words for a few minutes before she pushed her chair back from the table and made her way to her bedroom.
Even as she stood letting the warm water of the shower wash over her to ease the tension from her body she couldn't help but think about Mrs. Adams' words. She didn't doubt that her warning was coming from a place of caring and concern, but at the same time she also couldn't dismiss her mother's earlier advice either.
Deciding that nothing was going to be accomplished by letting herself become mired in confusion over the subject of Lucas Buck, she quickly finished rinsing her hair before stepping from the shower and wrapping a towel around her body. Once she had finished towel drying the curling mass and brushed it out, she slipped her gown on before crawling into her bed to flip the switch on her bedside lamp, covering the room in veiled darkness. As soon as she laid her head on her pillow she fell asleep; that's when her dreams began.
She had never dreamed anything like this; ever! She was standing on the pier at the river in her gown; the gentle breeze swirling the silky material around her body, as well as blowing her long hair around her like a gossamer curtain. She turned towards the water to enjoy the coolness and the sound of the lapping waves as the current carried the water to break upon the edges of the banks. Feeling a presence behind her she turned to find Lucas Buck standing there, staring into her eyes as if he had lost himself in their depths.
Saying nothing, he simply began running his hands up and down her arms as if he was trying to bring warmth into her body. Feeling the beginning of a flickering of heat at the center of her being, Dara found herself searching his eyes as she asked;
"What is it that you want from me?"
The Lucas of her dream gently placed his finger under her chin to lift her face before descending to take possession of her mouth, kissing her in a way that Dara had not thought could exist. Beginning very tenderly, he then deepened the kiss until Dara thought that she would shatter into a million tiny pieces, lifting his mouth from hers', he replied;
I want you, EVERYTHING that there is to you; your heart, your mind, your body and your soul; but most of all I want your love."
Suddenly, Dara shot upright in her bed and realized that she had been dreaming. The memories of her dream flooding her mind she couldn't help but blush as she glanced around the room. Noticing the open window she couldn't help but think aloud;
"That's strange, I thought that I closed it, I guess I must have forgotten it."
With that she got up and crossed the space between her bed and the window to push it down before latching it. She couldn't be quite certain, but she thought that she saw the figure of a man outside by the trees close to the river. Shaking her head, she lightly admonished;
"I'm seeing things, it must be the medication."
With that last thought, she got back into her bed and once again fell asleep, this time without dreaming.
Outside, standing next to the Cypress tree by the riverbank, Lucas Buck stood looking at the window, watching as the room was once more cloaked in darkness. He knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he wanted her more than ever; no, he didn't want her, he needed her. Although he couldn't quite admit it to himself yet, he knew that, deep within himself, he loved her. He had wanted to take her in what she thought was a dream, but he knew that if he was to truly have all of her that he would have to go slow with her. Although he realized shortly after he had met her that she was vastly different from the others, Lucas knew without a doubt that she was definitely not like the rest; Judith, Selena, Gail, Sabbath and Jana. Even Jana, who he had cared for deeply and wanted desperately, hadn't possessed this much power over him. They had all loved the sex, had even craved it.
However, Dara was different; he knew that for her there wasn't such a thing as sex without love. He couldn't help but admit to himself that, truth be told, he didn't want to simply 'have sex with her', he wanted to make love to her and to cherish her the way that he had never done with the others. Lucas realized that he wanted to give her pleasure instead of pain, as had been the case with the others. Another first that he found himself shocked to admit was the fact that he couldn't deny that when he considered the idea of having a child with this woman it wasn't because he was anxious for an heir to carry on the traditions of the Buck family; it was because he wanted a child that was a part of himself and the woman he loved, something he had never considered before.
Lucas believed that if he went slowly and showed her that he truly loved her and that whatever had been before in his life would change that she would love him in return. He would start tomorrow, Selena needed to go; permanently! He knew that Dara would never accept sharing him with another woman and, more importantly, he didn't want her to share; he knew that everything that he had to give was hers' for the asking. His mind set on his course of action, Lucas left the riverbank as quietly as he had come.
Walking through his front door, Lucas was greeted by the sound of his telephone ringing off the hook. Realizing that the machine must not be on, he swore to himself;
"Damn, I must've forgotten to turn it on when I left this morning."
Thinking that it could be Ben or Caleb, he quickly snatched it from its cradle as he greeted;
"Hello?"
He cringed inwardly as the unmistakable voice of his grandmother, Lucilla Buck, blurted out, without tact;
"Boy, what do you think you're doing with that girl? You know the way that things are supposed to be and she doesn't fit into it anywhere."
'Damn', he thought; 'why couldn't she just leave him alone or lie down and die; anything, just stay the hell out of his personal life.'
He could hear her tsk, tsk, at the other end, realizing that she had fathomed his thoughts, he wasn't shocked as she ventured;
"Now you know that I can't lie down until I know that I've got another great grand son. You know better than that, Lucas."
Giving careful consideration to his words for a moment, Lucas knew that it was better for him to solidify his position on the matter with her now as opposed to waiting and, possibly, subjecting Dara to any unpleasantness that might result if he procrastinated. Although he was frustrated with her now, Lucas' grandmother was the closest thing to a mother that he had known; having raised him after his own mother had abandoned him and his father had died when he was a boy, that being the case he would prefer her support and blessing. However, whether she approved or not, he had no intentions of letting her come between he and Dara. Finally, he made his declaration;
"Alright, Mama, since you want to discuss this matter, then let me tell you HOW it's going to be. The deal is that if you get another great grandchild it's either going to by this woman or no one at all. And before you even begin to think about it, if she comes to any sort of harm thanks to something you've done, you won't have to worry about your time coming; I'll deliver you to the River Styx myself. De we understand each other?"
The other end of the receiver became conspicuously silent as Lucilla pondered this new dilemma; she had to admit that there weren't anymore Cross women, the girl who Lucas had been interested in that died in a car wreck had been the last of that family's line. Considering how adamantly Lucas had been about his position, she considered that, just maybe; it was time for some new blood in the Buck family.
"Alright, boy, I get your meaning, no interference, at least from me. But, I am going to tell you this much, you're going to get some interference from some other areas; it seems that everyone wants the lamb to be able to spot the wolf; if you get my drift."
Having already considered that possibility, Lucas nodded;
"Yeah, I get you. But let me tell you something Mama Lucy, this one is different, and I don't intend for her to be treated like the rest; when I say 'I do', it's going to be for life and with her only. Understand?"
Hearing his grandmother chuckling at the other end, he wasn't surprised when she stated;
"Yeah, I understand. You just see that if you promise it to that girl that you keep your promise. She isn't going to go the way the other women did, Lucas, she's a strong woman, but something tells me that strength is just what's needed around here. Night, boy."
With that the phone went silent except for the clicking and dial tone. Placing the receiver back on the hook, Lucas shook his head as he made his way up the staircase to his bedroom. After undressing and showering, Lucas crawled into his own bed; for the first time without the benefit of a warm body beside him, yet, he had no urge for another woman; if he couldn't have Dara, he didn't want anyone. He laid awake for, what seemed like, an eternity before he finally drifted off to sleep.
He could see her on the pier again, with her long fall of hair floating on the breeze all around her and her long gown billowing around her body, like a cloud of blue gossamer. He walked up to her and took her in his arms as she smiled invitingly up at him as he kissed her deeply. When he lifted his mouth from hers', she lifted her eyes to meet his as her voice floated over him like a velvet cloud, wrapping him in its warmth;
"I've been waiting for you to come to me."
He swept her up in his arms before walking a short distance to a place under one of the huge old Oak trees where the grass was as soft as feathers to lay her on her back as he shrugged out of his coat. As she began slowly unbuttoning his shirt, he began trailing his mouth over her throat and neck to follow her collarbone down to the area just above her breasts that was exposed by her gown. Gently, he began unbuttoning the top of her nightgown before sliding the fabric down her arms to bare her breasts to his hungry gaze as he began tracing a delicate pattern with his mouth. When he raised his head to look into her face, she looked into his eyes and said the words that he was desperate to hear;
"I do love you; please make me yours'."
Lucas suddenly woke form his dream, full of wonder and aggravation.