Forced to the Altar

The bullmastiffs’ paws pounded the ground with Richter-scale-measurable force. Then, suddenly, they were there, stopping on a dime, dust shrouding their bodies and rising up, their rear ends wriggling, tails wagging as they bumped affectionately against Zach’s legs.

He talked to them, petted their heads and scratched their ears. They whined blissfully. Then he introduced them to her.

“Archibald and Annabelle, otherwise known as Archie and Belle. This is Julianne. Be nice to her.”

The dogs nudged her hands. The animals were big, easily over one hundred pounds, and their heads came to her waist. While they didn’t give her the same loving greeting, they were friendly.

“How dangerous are they?” she asked.

“My security has never been breached.”

She didn’t ask the questions that popped into her mind, since she knew he wouldn’t answer them, but she was curious. Security for what? What did he do behind that locked door?

“Except for your ghost,” she pointed out. “I haven’t heard any sounds out of the ordinary, by the way. Except I thought I heard someone crying once. The same night that the helicopter landed.” She watched him for reaction. Nothing. Not a flicker.

“You must have been dreaming.”

“Or it was Elspeth,” she said.

“Could be.”

She wasn’t sure what to make of the ghost story, except he was so serious.

Chills danced down her spine. She decided to change the subject. “Why do you call the Moodys Mr. and Mrs.?”

“What should I call them?”

“They’re employees. I would think you would call them by their first names. We’re not a formal society anymore.”

“It’s a sign of my respect for them.”

She waited but he added nothing. The dogs started prancing.

“Go,” he said to them, and they took off, racing across the bluff, then out of sight. “They’ll be back. They’ll work off some steam first. Here,” he said, extending his hand. “This last part is steep.”

She was glad she hadn’t worn gloves. His larger hand engulfed hers with warmth. She almost floated up the path behind him until they reached a roadblock, a rocky ledge.

“Wait here a sec,” he said, then he leaped up the ledge like a surefooted mountain goat. He turned around, held both hands to her and pulled her up, tugging hard, although to his credit, not groaning at her weight.

She found a foothold. Her body shook as she tried to push off with her bottom leg, but finally let him yank her up. She staggered against him from the momentum, and his body turned to steel, keeping them from tumbling. His arms slipped around her. She held her breath, almost put her face against his chest, then he stepped back and released her.

The silence between them filled with the sound of surf hitting rock. He turned away from her and walked ahead, expecting her to follow, she supposed. Within a few feet she saw the horizon and the lights of the distant island she’d seen during her previous walks. Then she looked down. Her stomach did a somersault at the steep, staggering distance between her and the water, and the long, craggy drop that made her throat close. When she could focus, she saw the white foam of the waves crashing.

“Awesome,” she whispered, her body still humming from his touch, but her heart pounding at the vista before her.

“Not a sight a city girl sees very often.”

“No, never. I’ve been to grunion runs at night at the beach, but that’s on shore, not a cliff. This is kind of scary. But exhilarating, too.” Which pretty much defined her reaction to him, as well.

The thunder of paws sounded again. Zach took her by the arm and moved her back from the edge.

“Would the dogs knock me off?” she asked.

“Not on purpose.”

“Well, I didn’t mean it that way.” She saw them running straight at them.

“They can get rambunctious. I just want you in a safer spot.”

“If I’m alone here, should I stay away from the edge?”

“That’s the safest course, dogs or not.”

Archie and Belle came to a stop. Zach talked to them as people often talk to dogs, some words, some nonsense, his tone encouraging.

You would make a good father. The words lit up in her mind, their truth accepted instantly. She’d never thought that about anyone else. Well, maybe Jamey, but no man who’d interested her romantically. Zach parented his dogs with affection and discipline, like a good father would.

She almost groaned. Like she needed something else to like about him.

“Ready to go back?” he asked.

No, but it was probably wise to do so. “Sure. Thank you for bringing me. It’s amazing.”

He hopped down the ledge, landing with a quiet thud. “Sit down. You can slide a little, then I’ll catch you.”

Dirt clods loosened beneath her rear as she slid, her toes seeking a landing. His hands slid under her arms, slowing her descent. Distracted by his touch, she was barely aware when she hit ground. Her jacket was down-filled, warm but not too thick. Her breasts were too substantial for him to avoid touching their sides with his arms.

He didn’t let her go.

After a few seconds, she lifted her face and locked gazes. His hands didn’t move, yet she felt touched all over. Her nipples drew tight. She went up on tiptoe.

He jerked his head back. “This is a bad idea,” he said, stepping away.

“Oh, yeah. Right. Bad. Definitely bad.” She brushed the seat of her pants, looking at the ground, knowing her face would be flushed. “I was just…Well, anyway.”

He walked away.

She followed. They hiked in silence. He didn’t hurry, so she had no trouble keeping up, although she wished she’d brought a flashlight. Without him holding her hand, she felt unstable and unsure. She would have to come back on her own in the daylight and get accustomed to the land. She didn’t like not being in control, had only recently felt as if she’d finally found her direction in life. This was not a good way to keep moving forward.

They reached the castle.

“Are you going to watch television?” he asked.

“What time is it?”

“Nine.”

“Yes. For a while. How about you?”