Seven Falls, French Territory
July 1707

They’d been meeting in secret for a year, and for a year they’d feared their families discovering them together. Their families were known enemies, but, somehow, their children had fallen in love with each other. Their relationship had begun as friendship and secretly evolved into more.

Now, both twenty years of age, they’d meet behind a different waterfall each night, and each night they would dream together of a future away from Seven Falls. The seven waterfalls that their town had been named for were the perfect meeting-place for the pair of lovers and held all of their secrets and plans. The New World was expanding westward and, perhaps, they, too, would join the colonists moving west. For now, though, they were content in Seven Falls, with each other.

When the barking of dogs was heard not fifty yards from the waterfall they had met in this night, they panicked. How had they been found out? Had someone seen them and sent word to their families?

He pulled her to her feet. “We must run or else they’ll surely tear us apart. Forever.”

“Let us leave then,” she agreed, choking back the fear that clogged her throat and made it difficult to breathe in the balmy July air.

Unable to see what it was they were running through, they stumbled over rocks and roots of trees. Not caring that thorns were scratching them, bloodying their clothes, ripping into skin, they ran, knowing with sheer certainty that, if caught, their very lives would be in danger. They were the prized children of two enemies but could easily be discarded in the brutal war that waged in Seven Falls.

When the lantern shone in their eyes, they froze.

“Well, well, well. Look who we have here.” The man who spoke was tall, menacing and held a large hunting rifle. “It’s our pretty cousin, isn’t it?”

“I wonder what she was doing out here, in the dark with…oh my. Look who it is, gentlemen,” a second man leered in their faces.

“I’m sure our loving aunt and uncle would appreciate if we properly disciplined our dear, wayward cousin, don’t you agree?” Murmurs of assent were heard through the group of six men. “Well, then. You first, boy.”

***

She stared at the man who had been her son. Tears of rage overpowered the tears of anguish in her eyes, in her heart. Rage turned her heart cold now, made her want to lash out at someone, anyone. How he could have dallied with that trollop was beyond her, but, here she was, looking at their lifeless corpses.

“You loved her enough to forsake family for her,” she spoke angrily to her son’s graying face. “I hope she was worth your life. For I know the both of you are worthy of my wrath.” She felt the power build within her, the same power that had flowed through her family’s bloodline. Now, it was vengeful power. “For your folly, your souls will not rest. Never rest,” she whispered harshly as a thick fog rolled in around her, and thunder rumbled. “By the power that is in me, these two shall remain by their beloved waterfalls for a hundred years times three. They shall have no respite and, at the end of three hundred years, if others have not found their love, they shall be torn from each other. As I will, so it shall be.”

A single bolt of lightning split the sky, and wind whipped around her. Kicking the dirt at her son’s feet, she vowed never to weep over her only child. He had chosen his way and would now reap the consequences. Unable to look any longer, she turned and walked away.

Seven Falls, New Hampshire
September 2006

Reena Phillips adjusted the flashbulb then leaned back to study her subject.

“Tilt your head to the right, just a bit,” she instructed. When her adolescent subject rolled her eyes and did so, Reena held back the smile. She, too, had hated the constant neck rolling photographers had tortured her with when she had been younger. “Okay, perfect! Smile big!”

Click. Flash.

“Next!” she called as the girl dashed out and away.

Tucking an auburn lock behind her ear, Reena fiddled with the knobs on her equipment, readying it for the next eighth grader. She was at Seven Falls Intermediate School for her first major job in the town of Seven Falls. Having moved to the sleepy New Hampshire hamlet with her sister six weeks ago, she hadn’t expected to be given work so quickly, but the mayor, Howard Dorough, had contacted her about doing official school portraits for the elementary, intermediate, and high schools. Shocked that she’d be given such a large workload so quickly, she’d jumped at the opportunity. And here she was.

“Hi.”

Reena glanced up at the young girl standing in front of the stool everyone sat on to have their pictures taken. She seemed shy, Reena noted as she accepted the ID sheet the girl handed to her. Her dark hair curled around her shoulders, and her deep green eyes watched Reena’s movements curiously, carefully.

“Uh, have a seat” she glanced down at the ID sheet “Kirby. Kirby Richardson. Just hop up on that stool and look at the flash bulb, right here.” Reena gestured, while she set up the camera for the shot.

Kirby cocked her head. “Why? If you have the camera there, why do I have to look at the flash? Won’t the pictures come out weird?”

When Reena gave her a surprised look, Kirby snapped her mouth shut.

“I don’t think anyone’s ever asked me that question before,” Reena admitted. “Actually, portrait shots tend to look better if the person is looking away from the camera. If you’re looking at the camera, the portrait comes out with you looking too direct, sharp. Trust me, it’s better if you look at the flash bulb.”

Kirby nodded then complied with Reena’s instructions. Thirty seconds later, Reena let her go, but Kirby stayed.

“Can I ask you how all this photography stuff works?” Kirby asked in a small voice.

Reena shrugged. “Um, sure. But, right now, I’ve actually got the rest of your class to finish, so if you want to come back in an hour…”

“I can’t,” Kirby said. “I’ve got a history test last period. I just want to know if you’re going to print them digitally or if you actually have a darkroom. I like taking pictures, but I always have to print them on the computer because my dad doesn’t have time to take me to Newport where they have darkrooms.”

“How about this,” Reena began, knowing she’d have to hurry with the next few students in order to keep in line with her schedule. “I do have a darkroom. It’s on Lincoln Avenue, between the flower shop and the bakery. You can stop by there if you want around three this afternoon. How’s that sound?”

Kirby flashed her a huge smile. “Thanks! Thanks so much, Miss…”

“Phillips,” Reena supplied.

“Miss Phillips. I’ll have my dad pick me up then from your shop after a little bit, so I don’t get in your way,” the girl assured her.

Reena shook her head. “You won’t be in my way. I’ll see you after school then.”

Kirby nodded then hurried out, hearing Reena call “Next!” She couldn’t wait to call her father and tell him that there was an actual photographer with a real darkroom in Seven Falls, and that she was letting Kirby in to see it.

***

“But I don’t wanna go!” Brian Littrell complained as he was dragged out of his cramped office. He tried to shake Howie Dorough’s hand loose but failed and ended up in the elevator.

“It was your idea, so you get to present it to the architect I brought in,” Howie said firmly.

Brian eyed his friend, trying to figure out a way to break his resolve. He didn’t want to go meet some architect who probably had no clue as to the spirit behind the memorial that the town had decided to commission for their one and only park. He’d much rather go back to his office and write his weekly column for the newspaper, then head over to coach his Little League team, followed by the daily hour-long inspirational radio show he did. Unfortunately, he thought, there was probably no shaking Howie once he was set on something. It was one of the things that made him such a good mayor for a town where everyone knew everyone else and changed their minds about the biggest decisions in the blink of an eye.

He slumped against the wall. “Fine. I guess I’ll go meet your architect. But if it looks like she doesn’t understand the true spirit of Seven Falls, I’m out of there.”

Howie hid his smile. Brian always came through, even when he didn’t want to. “Okay.” He glanced at his watch. “She’s supposed to be at my office in ten minutes. Walk fast,” he called over his shoulder as he rushed off the elevator.

Brian rolled his eyes but caught up to his friend. “So, tell me about this architect. Where does she come from? Have you seen her other work? Does she come with good recommendations?”

“Brian, do you really think I would’ve hired someone for a job like this if I hadn’t done all the background research on them that I possibly could? Besides, Callie has a good feeling about Gwendolyn Phillips.”

Brian tried not to sigh again. As much as he loved Howie’s wife, he just didn’t believe in her sorceress “hoo-hoo” and her “feelings”. So what if he believed wholeheartedly in the legend of the falls? It didn’t mean he believed that Callie Dorough was a descendant of the sorceress who’d cast the spell on her son and his lover. For some reason though, a good majority of the town did believe Callie, while Brian simply chose to agree to disagree with her.

“I’m trusting you on this one, pal,” Brian reminded Howie. “She better be good at capturing the essence of the legend. You know, the love, the despair, loss, and hope. The foundations of Seven Falls.”

“I know, Brian,” Howie muttered. “I’ve only heard this from you a thousand and one times in the last year or so, you know.”

Brian followed Howie into the city hall building. “Okay, jeez. I’m coming with you today, aren’t I?”

Howie held open his office door for Brian. “Yeah, you are. Sit and don’t say anything until you’ve heard her initial ideas, okay?”

Brian plopped into one of the cushy chairs sitting in front of Howie’s desk. “Scout’s honor.”

Howie rolled his eyes and hit his intercom button. “Jenny, is Miss Phillips here?”

“Yes, she is. Should I send her in?” his secretary’s voice squawked over the machine.

“Yes, please. And can you get us some iced tea, too? It’s disgustingly hot out there.”

“Of course.”

Satisfied, Howie sat behind his desk and pulled out the files he’d compiled for this particular project. The plan was to build a monument to the supposed three hundred year anniversary of the casting of the spell of the Seven Falls’ lovers. The legend was something everyone in the town had grown up with for centuries, and many had felt that a monument or memorial was long overdue. Since many, including his wife, claimed that they’d seen the ghosts of the lovers, they had voted to construct a memorial in the park at the last annual town meeting. Since then, Howie had searched for an architect and found Gwendolyn Phillips, a woman who had built other such memorials in other small towns across the country. He was hoping that she didn’t let him and the other Seven Falls residents down.

A knock on the door yanked Howie out of his thoughts and made Brian stand.

“Come in,” Howie called, then stood, too.

Gwen Phillips entered the room looking every bit the confident businesswoman and architect that she was not on the inside. Inside, she was quaking at finally meeting the mayor who had contacted her six months ago about a project that captured the heart and soul of a town. Despite the fact that she’d done other similar projects in her career, she was still nervous.

The nerves, though, didn’t show at all as she shook Howie’s hand. “It’s good to finally meet you in person, Mr. Dorough.”

“Please, call me Howie. Everyone else does. I hope you’ve moved in all right,” he said, gesturing her into a chair.

She nodded and set her briefcase on the floor next to her. “My sister and I are loving the town. I don’t think I can convey her immense gratitude at you giving her the entire school population to photograph. I believe she’s over there, right now.”

Howie smiled. “I saw her work and decided it was what I was looking for. Besides, the old photographer we used isn’t worth the trouble to pull him up here from Newport. By the way,” he pointed to Brian. “This is Brian Littrell. He had the initial idea for the memorial and has a few ideas for its shape. Brian, Gwen Phillips.”

Brian shook her outstretched hand, measuring her up. She seemed competent enough, he mused, from her pinned up brown hair to those wary brown eyes. She wore a pinstriped, no-nonsense business suit and hadn’t bothered with any jewelry other than tiny earrings. Pity, he thought. She’d look a lot better if she loosened up and wore the sparkles. He’d learned that the jewelry a woman wore clued others in to her personality. He hoped Gwen Phillips’ personality wouldn’t be as dry as her lack of jewelry.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, in a prim and proper tone, Brian thought again.

He gave her a wide smile. “I’ve been looking forward to hearing your ideas, Miss Phillips. Howie’s confident that you’ll capture the essence of our legend.”

“I’ll certainly do my best,” she assured him, knowing he already doubted her.

Brian sat as she did. “Howie is confident about your best being the best.”

“And you, Mr. Littrell?” she wondered. “Do you agree with him?”

Brian shrugged. “Let’s hear your ideas. Then, we’ll see.”

Rolling his eyes at the both of them, Howie opened his files. “Miss Phillips, Gwen. I’m hoping that you brought your initial plans with you today. My plan for the progression of this is to work with you to refine your ideas and drawings, get the town’s approval of them, then get started on the actual building of the memorial. If you don’t mind, I’d like to get started on the first step, now.”

She nodded. “Absolutely. I’ve spent time at the site that’s been picked out and have sketched some of the possible ideas that I had for the face of the memorial.” She pulled out a file and sketchbook from her briefcase and set them on Howie’s desk. Opening the sketchbook, she pulled several sheets out and spread them across the desk. “These are my initial ideas, all of which are, of course, up for proofing.”

Brian stood and, walking around Howie’s desk, leaned over his shoulder to study the sketches. She’d captured the scenic setting in the park, he noted first. The trees, the shrubbery, and the swingsets in the far background were exactly the way they appeared in reality. But…the ideas she’d had for the actual memorial were wrong, he thought. Whenever he’d thought of a monument to the legend, he’d never thought of having representations of the actual lovers. Besides, where were the waterfalls? They were the most important element of the legend, anyway.

“What about the waterfalls?” he wondered aloud.

Gwen looked up at him questioningly. “What about them?”

“You don’t have them anywhere in these sketches,” Brian pointed out, gesturing at the pages.

“And? Did I need them?”

“Did you…” Brian made a strangling sound and started turning red. “Howie! You! You said she understood!”

“Brian,” Howie prayed for patience. “Everyone has different feelings and different things they take away from the legend. I’m sure Gwen felt more strongly about the lovers than she did about the waterfalls where they are said to still walk. Am I right, Gwen?”

Annoyance coating her throat, she looked directly at Brian. “I read up on everything I could find about the legend, and I thought the lovers were the most tragic, and important, part of this legend. However, if the members of the town feel that the waterfalls should be included, I’m willing to be flexible. Does that work for you, Mr. Littrell?”

Brian found perverse pleasure in watching her eyes spark from temper. It was good to know she obviously wasn’t as cool and collected—boring—as she appeared. “I’m willing to work with that. Sorry I gave you a hard time,” he apologized, giving her a wide smile.

Her eyebrows rose. How had he managed to change moods so completely and quickly? “Uh, yeah. That’s fine. And, I’ve worked with more difficult people before,” she assured him before turning back to Howie. “Would you like me to change some of these sketches to incorporate the waterfalls?”

“Have you been up to the falls, yet?” Brian asked before Howie could speak.

She shook her head. “Not yet. I’ve been busy moving in and whatnot.”

Brian turned to Howie now. “I think she should see the falls before she makes any adjustments to the drawings. Don’t you think that would be a good idea?”

Howie nodded. “In order to capture the true essence, I think it’d be a good idea if you did go up there and see what they’re like, Gwen.”

“Okay.” She nodded. She wanted to do a good job and would do whatever it took.

“I think she should go up there with Kevin. I mean, he’s really good with telling the legend and giving people chills about the lovers. He’s seen them, too. What do you think, D?”

Howie considered. Kevin did have a knack for telling the tale, capturing the real feeling behind it, so it would probably be a good thing if he was the one who took Gwen up to see them for the first time. After all, first impressions were the most important. He just hoped today wasn’t one of Kevin’s “in the zone” days.

“Kevin Richardson,” he began, looking at Gwen again, “is a good friend of ours, who happens to be one of the best people to take you up to the falls. Any time anyone comes through Seven Falls wanting to know about the legend, we send them up with Kevin. He’ll tell you the tale better than anything you might have read in the town’s history. If you want, I can call him, and he could take you up there today. If you have time, of course.”

Gwen nodded, knowing the only thing left on her schedule for the day was making sure Reena didn’t burn dinner. “Sure. Thanks, I can fit that in to my schedule.”

“Well, then.” Brian stood. “I gotta go. My kids are probably waiting for me. I coach Little League,” he explained at Gwen’s confused look. “I’ll talk to you later, D.”

“Wait.” Brian stopped and looked back at Howie.

“Yeah, D?”

“What if,” Howie began, frowning at his fingers. “I think we need pictures of the falls, too. Do you think your sister could take care of those for us?” he asked Gwen.

She shrugged. “I don’t see why not. I know she’s probably busy in the darkroom with those portraits, but she’d make time. When do you want me to ask her to do them by?”

“Maybe the two of you could just go up there with Kevin?” Brian suggested.

Gwen nodded. “Good idea. I’ll ask her about it after I know if or when your friend will take me up there.”

“I’ll call him, now,” Howie replied.

“Have fun!” Brian called over his shoulder as he headed out.

Ding dong.

Dana Carter stifled a moan and stood on her aching feet again. She’d just gotten home from work. As a dance teacher at the high school she was on her feet almost all day. She’d barely had time for them to rest and already the doorbell was ringing.

“Coming!” she called, wincing as she made her way to the door. She pulled it open and let out a squeal. “Christine! You’re back!”

Christine McLean grinned at her sister-in-law and let herself be enveloped in the hug Dana gave her. Leaning back, she studied her friend’s face. “You look exhausted, Dane. Did you just get back?”

Dana ran a weary hand through her dark hair and held the door open so Christine could enter. “Yeah. I’ve only been back for two weeks, but crazy me. I decided to start teaching the hard steps now instead of building up to it for my advanced classes.”

Christine sat in a kitchen chair. “Well, what are you doing standing then? Sit, sit.”

Dana slid into a chair across from her friend. “What are you doing home so soon? Didn’t you just leave a month and a half ago?”

“I did,” Christine began. She was a doctor who’d ended up working with Doctors Without Borders and habitually took off for some of the most obscure corners of the world. She loved her work, and the only bad part she could see in it was that she had to leave her husband and friends behind constantly. “But…something came up.”

“Christine?” The two women glanced towards the door where Dana’s husband, Nick, stood. “It is you! What’re you doing back so soon?”

Christine grinned. “Well, I missed your ugly face so much, Nicky! I just couldn’t go on without it.”

“Ha ha. But, seriously, it’s great you’re back so soon. Was everything okay in Tanzania?” he wondered as he kissed her cheek.

She patted his cheek. “It was fine, and you smell like dog.”

“Honey,” he smiled. “I’m a vet. I’m supposed to be around animals a lot, so of course I smell like dog. Dana doesn’t mind, do you, baby?”

Dana shook her head. “I’m not answering that one. Chrissy, why don’t you tell us what came up that made you come back before Christmas?”

Christine smiled. “You’re the first to hear the news because I need your help.” She took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant! And I need your help to plan a special night for Alex, so I can tell him in style.”

***

Kevin grabbed a rag, soaked it with turpentine, and rubbed it over his fingers. Taking several steps back, he studied the progress he’d made today. He’d woken up in the middle of the night with the inspiration shooting through his mind and hadn’t been able to let it go. Until now. He wasn’t quite sure of the time, but he knew it had to be afternoon. He hoped Kirby had gotten to school in one piece, which she probably had if Callie had had anything to do with it.

Deciding there was nothing more he could do with his work when the muses had abandoned him for the day, he tossed the rag on his stool and left his studio, dreaming about a shower. When the doorbell rang, he detoured towards the stairs, rolling the stiffness out of his shoulders.

A beam of sunshine hit his tired eyes when he opened the door, and he grinned. “Hey, Astra. What’s up?”

“Not much, Uncle Kevin.” She cocked her head, studying him with an eleven year old’s focus. “Were you painting today?”

Kevin looked down at his paint-splattered clothes. “Yeah, I was. I guess I lost track of the time, huh?” Poking his head out the door, he glanced around the quiet street full of modest homes. “Where’s Kirby?”

Astra tugged on her straight blond hair. “That’s why I had to come. Kirby said she tried to call you, but you didn’t pick up the phone. She said something about seeing a darkroom on Lincoln Avenue next to the flower shop. You have to pick her up from there at four.”

Kevin frowned. What was his thirteen-year-old daughter doing in a darkroom? And since when did Seven Falls have a darkroom? “Who is she at the darkroom with, Astra?”

“Miss Phillips. She’s the lady Dad hired to do all of our school portraits. She and her sister moved to town after Dad got her sister to come out here to build the memorial,” Astra explained.

“Oh.” Well, that explained that. “So, I’m guessing I should go make myself presentable enough to leave the house, huh?”

Astra giggled. “You smell, Uncle Kev.” At the shout from across the street, she sighed. “That’s Mama. I’ll see you later, Uncle Kevin.”

“Yeah, see you, kid.” Kevin watched her cross the street and lifted a hand to wave to Callie. “Thanks for taking care of Kirby!” he called to her. She smiled and nodded before disappearing into the house behind her daughter.

“Well, Kevin. Seems like you’d better go clean up before you scold your daughter on her lack of caution, huh?” he muttered to himself as he headed back towards the shower.

***

“The stopbath is next,” Reena explained as she placed the photograph into the basin full of chemical with a pair of tongs.

Kirby watched carefully, noting everything Reena did. She wanted to be a photographer when she grew up, but, the way things were going, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to achieve that dream. Now, though, having a darkroom nearby along with someone willing to teach her, Kirby could taste her dreams coming to fruition.

“So, the whole process of developing a picture doesn’t really take that long, does it?” she wondered.

Reena shook her head and smiled at the look of utter concentration on the young girl’s face. It was difficult to miss the focus in those green eyes, even in the red light of the room. “Nope. And it’s not as difficult as you thought, right?”

“Yeah. Is it more, I don’t know, fulfilling if you print them like this than just plugging into a computer and hitting print?”

“Of course,” Reena answered without hesitation. “This way always makes me feel more involved in the process. If you want, you can try it out.”

She’d love to. But “I think my dad’s going to be here soon. It’s four,” Kirby told her.

“Well, then, why don’t we go out front and wait for him,” Reena suggested.

When they entered the front shop area of Reena’s property, Kevin pushed open the door and, stepping in, spotted his daughter accompanied by a redhead with fly-away curls and sharp green eyes.

“Hey, Dad.” Kirby started towards him. “I guess Astra got through to you, huh?”

He kissed the tip of her nose out of habit. “She did, but you’re still in trouble, young lady.”

Kirby winced. “Okay. But, Dad, there’s this awesome darkroom here that Reena’s got. She just showed me how the print-making process works and all. It’s so cool!”

Kevin glanced up at Reena now. “Hello. I’m Kevin.” He held out a hand that Reena shook.

“Reena Phillips.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Reena. I hope my daughter didn’t take up too much of your time.”

Reena shook her head. “It was good having her here. I didn’t mind. Actually,” she glanced between father and daughter. “I was thinking, if Kirby’s really interested in the photography process, I can teach her. Give her lessons every day or every other day. With your consent, of course,” she added.

Kirby’s face lit up. “Dad! Oh my god! Please? Pretty please? I’ll do double chores and you can dock my allowance, but, please, let me do this?”

Kevin knew he’d never be able to turn his daughter down. Especially not when she was pleading with him like this. “Thank you, Reena. I’ll talk it over with Kirby on how she can fit this into her schedule and get back to you.”

“Great!” Reena smiled. “I have to ask you something, though. You wouldn’t happen to be the Kevin Richardson whose paintings are hanging in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, are you?”

He smiled now. “Actually, that would be me. There’s only three of them, though, so I’m surprised you even knew they were there.”

“Oh, wow. No, I saw your painting of a set of seven waterfalls and fell in love. I even bought the print of it from the gift shop. It’s incredible! In fact,” Reena continued, “if you autographed it for me, you wouldn’t owe me anything for Kirby’s lessons.”

His grin was stretched so wide he was sure it would split his face. “Well, wow. That’s certainly an ego-booster. I’ll sign it, but I can’t let you teach my daughter for no payment.”

Reena opened her mouth to wave it off, but the shop door opened, and Gwen hurried in, her face red.

“Reena! You are not going to believe the horrible afternoon I spent today!” Gwen snarled as she tried to wrap her dark curls into a bun and failed as the band she was using broke. “Jesus! Won’t anything go right today?!” Spotting Kevin and Kirby, she blushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize anyone else was here. Just ignore the screaming fool,” she murmured.

Reena rolled her eyes. “Gwen, it’s okay. Gwen’s my older sister,” she explained to Kevin and Kirby. “Gwen, this is Kevin Richardson and his daughter, Kirby. I’m going to be teaching Kirby about photography. And Kevin happens to be”

“You weren’t picking up at your home or your cell phones!” Gwen realized who Kevin was. “Howie Dorough tried reaching you for an hour before he decided you were probably ‘in the zone’. Whatever that means.” She blushed even more furiously at her outburst. She wasn’t this used to getting angry with strangers and here she’d done it twice in one day. This time, it was to a man more gorgeous than should be allowed, she thought, feeling the heat in her face.

Kevin was fascinated by the brunette with the spitfire temper and sparking brown eyes. She’d managed to be angry with him, then gracefully blush, too. Under the shield he’d put up against feeling any sort of attraction to the opposite sex after his wife’s death years before, he felt the first glimmers of temptation.

“Um. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize Howie was trying to get in touch with me. I paint, and, some days, I get so involved that I don’t notice anything going on around me,” he explained, apologetic. “It’s nice to meet you, Gwen. I’m hoping you’ll tell me why Howie was trying to contact me, though.”

Embarrassed, she avoided meeting his gaze. Those eyes of his, she thought, should be made illegal in this state. “Uh, yeah. I’m actually trying to come up with ideas for the memorial to the Seven Falls legend, but I’ve never actually been up to the falls. Howie thought you’d be the best person to take me up there to see it. You, too,” she said, turning to Reena.

“Me?”

Gwen nodded. “He wants professional pictures of the falls, too. He thought, if Kevin wasn’t busy, he could take the two of us up to see the falls. Are you busy today?” she asked Kevin.

He glanced at his watch. “I could drop Kirby off at the Doroughs, then take you both up there, right now. If you want.”

“That’s fine,” Gwen agreed, but Reena shook her head.

“Sorry, I can’t. I have an order that needs to be finished for a customer by seven. I doubt you’ll still be up there then,” she added. “I could just go up some other time.”

“Uncle Bri could take you,” Kirby offered. “The falls are his special place, just like they’re special for Dad. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind taking you up there after his radio show, tonight. Right, Dad?”

Kevin mulled it over. “Yeah, I can talk to Brian about it. He’s my cousin,” he explained. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind taking you up around sunset. You could get some really great sunset shots of the place. Besides, the idea of the memorial was Brian’s idea to begin with, so you can’t go wrong with him.”

“Wait. Are you talking about Brian Littrell?” Gwen asked. At Kevin’s nod, she continued. “The man is so confusing! I met him, and he annoyed the hell out of me. At first. Then, his annoyingness disappears, and he turns into a nice guy! I couldn’t even be mad at him for long.”

“Yeah, that’s Uncle Brian,” Kirby told her. “It’s hard to be mad at him because he’s just too sweet and funny about everything. He has a hard time not being goofy.”

“So, he’ll take me up there for the photographs?” Reena asked.

Kevin nodded. “I’ll call him, but it shouldn’t be a problem. Meanwhile, Gwen, if you want to hop in my car, I can take you up there. I just need to drop Kirby at home first.”

In a car? With a man who looked like he could tempt you more easily than the Devil? Gwen swallowed. “Sounds great.”

Alex frowned and snapped the phone shut again. That was the third time he’d tried to contact his inspirational columnist. The same one who’d left the office unannounced in the middle of the day. He was also turning into a headache an overworked, thirty-year-old chief editor of a newspaper didn’t need. It didn’t matter that the inspirational column wasn’t due until the next morning at nine, Alex always liked to have all of the pieces on hand the night before. Unfortunately, it seemed that his goofy, lovable best friend had disappeared. The only reason he was worried was because Brian was always ahead of schedule with his column.

He had grown up next door to the Littrells and had been best friends with Brian since they wore diapers. They’d gone through the pains of school and growing up in a small town together and shared everything from secrets to enemies. Brian had played basketball, baseball, and sung in the church choir, while Alex had headed the school newspaper, yearbook, and had sat on the School Board as a student representative. Both of them, though, had always had a passion for writing. However, for Brian, writing was a second passion.

Alex remembered when Brian had gotten the audition for Julliard for his voice and had dragged him down to New York for it. They’d been excited and nervous, knowing that Brian was sure to get into Julliard with his voice. It would also mean that Alex, having been accepted early decision to Northwestern, would be fifteen hundred miles from Brian.

Unfortunately, the day of the audition, Brian had caught the flu and hadn’t been able to perform. Another audition was impossible to attain, and Brian had made the most of it by getting into Northwestern’s Medill. They’d spent the best times of their lives together, and Alex knew his friend inside and out.

He started the car and glanced at the clock. 5:35. Well, that would do it, he realized. Brian had probably left his phone in his car because he wouldn’t pick up while he was doing his hour-long radio show. Alex decided to tune in and fiddled with the buttons until he heard Brian’s cheerful voice on the local station.

“Thanks for calling, Mrs. Penny! What can I do for you on tonight’s show?”

“Oh, Brian, dear. You’re always so helpful,” an elderly woman’s voice crackled. “What’s a nice young man like yourself doing unmarried, huh? What’s the world coming to when the good, young, devout Christian men are still single?”

Alex grinned, wondering how Brian was going to evade their former babysitter’s question tactfully.

“Those are great questions, Mrs. P. I’ve often asked myself when I’ll find that right person for me, too! But, you know what I believe, Mrs. P?”

“Yes, dear?”

“Well, I believe that God has made one special person for all of us, and no one else will do. I’m just waiting for the day God gives me mine.”

“Well, then, you let me know the day you find her. I worry about you, child,” Mrs. Penny told him.

Brian chuckled. “You’ll be the first to know. And, because we’re in a very romantic mood on this show tonight, one of the interns here at WRTI has picked a song she thinks fits the mood. Here’s ‘Eighth World Wonder’.”

Alex pulled into his driveway and flicked the radio off as the first chords of the song filtered through the speakers. He stepped out of the car and breathed in the cooling evening air.

“Here’s to the beginning of another night full of work,” he muttered as he turned the key in the lock. “Maybe I’ll go bug Dana and Carter.” He thought of his sister and his friend, who lived three blocks away, before his thoughts swung to his wife.

He’d married his high school sweetheart when he’d come back to Seven Falls after graduating from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Christine had been in the middle of med school at Brown, but they’d gotten married anyway. Now, years later, she was more often than not overseas, working with Doctors Without Borders, while he was making sure the town paper was published each day. She loved her job, he loved his, and, while it meant lonely nights, they had both agreed being together this way was better than nothing at all.

He shut the door and turned. And stopped in his tracks. “Chris?”

She stepped into the foyer wearing a huge smile and a flowing white dress that made Alex think he was dreaming. There was no way that his wife could be here when she was halfway round the world.

He rubbed his eyes. “Damn. Too much work has got me hallucinating.”

Christine laughed, and he knew she was really there. “Surprise! I decided to cut this trip short,” she told him as he scooped her up and met her lips with his own.

“Why? I mean, not that I mind because, hey, you’re here! But, why did you decide to cut this session short?” he wondered when he let go of her—a little.

She took his hand and pulled him into the living room where candles glowed, flowers scented the air, and a dinner for two was set. “Why don’t we sit and have dinner first?” she suggested, uncorking the bottle of sparkling cider she’d chilled. They’d decided, years before, that they would avoid alcohol because Christine’s father had been an abusive alcoholic.

Alex took the glass she gave him and sat at the table. “I love you, Christine.”

She smiled and slid in across from him. “I love you, too.” She lifted her own glass to her lips but stopped and set it down. “Okay. Okay. I was going to wait to do this, but I can’t.” She stood and, squeezing her hands together, smiled hugely. “Alex, I’m pregnant!”

He sat, frozen in shock for a moment before he could think. A baby? Him? A father?

Unnerved by his silence, Christine fidgeted. “Alex? What do” she let out a muffled yelp as he swept her up and swung her around. “I’ll take that as you’re happy,” she murmured as his lips crushed down on hers.

***

Gwen picked her way down the narrow, gravel path that wound through thick Appalachian foliage. The birds were chirping in the trees that rose above her, and the smell of fall flowers was nearly intoxicating. The late afternoon sunlight filtered through the trees, gilding everything with gold. She could faintly hear a thundering sound and wondered if they were nearing the falls.

She and Kevin had been on the trail to the waterfalls for ten minutes with no sign of the reason she was there. She shifted her tote bag on her shoulder and wondered how much further they would have to walk. Not watching her step as she admired a bush blooming with flowers, she tripped on a stone and would have gone flying had a pair of strong arms not caught her.

“Careful, there,” Kevin murmured as he caught her before she flew headlong into a patch of poison ivy.

Gwen muttered a thanks and got out of his reach as soon as she could. Having his hands on her had tripled her heart rate, and she was pretty sure he knew the effect he was having on her. “How much further do we have?” she wondered aloud, trying to get rid of the butterflies in her stomach.

Kevin knew exactly what she was feeling and couldn’t help but smile. It had been a while since he’d played the attraction game, but it was coming back to him. “Just around the bend up ahead. You can hear the water from here, though.”

She could certainly hear it for it was nearly roaring, in her opinion. Curious now, she picked up the pace and hurried around the bend to see the famed falls. She pushed aside a leaf-covered branch and her breath caught in her throat.

“Oh, my.”

Kevin found her leaning against the railing on the lookout, staring, mesmerized, as water fell from seven points to a large pool of water that flowed into a river. He knew what captivated her and everyone else who had seen these waterfalls, a secret New Hampshire kept tucked away safe from the kitschy tourists. The sight of the seven waterfalls, each over one hundred feet tall and bordered by the dense Appalachian foliage was enough to stop people to wonder. The absolute peace in the area and the accompanying legend was enough to keep people there.

He knew some didn’t find peace here, but, instead, a sorrow and pain. Kevin squashed the wayward thought that would surely lead him into the painful past and concentrated on the woman he’d brought to see his favorite place to spend time.

“What do you think?”

She felt him step up next to her and turned to smile at him. “They’re great! I understand why Howie wanted me to see them, and why Brian made such a fuss about them being included in the final memorial. I can definitely understand why a pair of lovers would hide behind them, too.” She scanned the falls. “Did they hide behind the falls? Is there some way to get back there?”

Kevin was surprised. He hadn’t expected her to believe in the tale, nor had he expected her to want to go behind the falls. “There’s a rocky path you can take to descend down and behind the falls.” He studied the sun. “We have a little time to go back there if you want.”

“I do. And maybe you could tell me the story again. I’ve heard many variations, but I hear you’re the one I should hear it from.”

He guided her down the path, making sure her heeled feet didn’t stumble over the rocks and tree roots that speared up in their way. Concentrating on the tale he’d learned when he was young, the tale he’d seen in his dreams, he managed to avoid thinking about the sensations that were streaming through his system just from holding onto her arm.

“When Seven Falls was founded towards the end of the seventeenth century, it was by a group of French settlers. They figured the falls and the river would be a good way to send the furs they caught from their trappings down the river. There were two best friends who set up the town together, and their families were good friends. The town grew peacefully and flourished. Unfortunately…watch your step,” he told Gwen as he helped her skirt around fallen tree branch in the middle of the path. “Anyway. Unfortunately, their sons were greedy and, once their fathers were dead, they began to argue over who would control the town. Their fathers had been almost co-mayors of Seven Falls, but the sons were too proud to share. One night, after a vicious quarrel on the town green, one of the men quietly poisoned the other and ruled. The family of the fallen one was sure of the killer, but, because there was no proof, nothing could be done. This resulted in the town being split between the feuding families. The feud continued for several years with either side hurling insults against the other at any given time.” He paused as they reached the bottom of the path close to the first waterfall. “Gwen, if you wanted to sketch, this would be a great place to do it.”

“Hmm?” She looked up and found herself surrounded by the falls. They were immense, and she was overwhelmed by their grandeur. They were no Niagara Falls, but they had their own charm, their own appeal. “Actually, I think I will.” She whipped out her sketchbook and pencil and sat on a patch of grass off to the side of the path. “You can feel the water splashing here,” she noted, flipping open her book.

“We’re really close,” Kevin pointed out. “If you wanted to go behind the falls, this is the starting point. Once you go behind the Monday Fall, there is a trail inside that leads to all the rest.”

“Why is it called the Monday Fall?”

“It has to do with the lovers,” he replied.

She watched the falls and decided that if she were to roam a place for three centuries, this place was better than any others. “Well, then, go on and finish it please.”

Nodding, he settled down next to her and, staring up at the water, continued. “The grandchildren of the founders met when they were with their mothers at the market. Both were playful children and hid from their mothers together. Of course, they were scolded later, but they had fun doing it.”

“I bet,” Gwen murmured, a smile on her face as she drew. Kevin found he liked it, much as he liked her face.

Reminding himself that he was only a guide for her, he returned to his tale. “Liliane Dormet and Laurent Montfolier quickly figured out that their families despised each other, but they found ways to play together. It was the falls that became their hiding spot for the docks the town used were built further down the river.”

“How do you know their names? I’ve read a lot of things, but their names were never in any of the documents,” Gwen wondered.

How could he explain that he’d heard them in his dreams? The only ones who believed his dreams were his cousin, Howie, Alex and Christine McLean, and Nick and Dana Carter. His wife hadn’t believed in the dreams he’d told to his daughter in the form of fairy tales.

“I found them once, long ago,” he lied. When she nodded, he sighed. “As they grew, Laurent and Liliane fell in love. I believe it was during their eighteenth year that the two professed their love for each other and knew the futility of it because of their families. The only place that let them be was the waterfalls.” He swept an arm out to gesture across the scenic spot. “They would meet in a different fall each night to avoid detection from anyone for the falls were popular for other lovers, too.” He grinned. “The falls are thus named for each day of the week.”

“So the first is Monday, then Tuesday, and so on?” Gwen wondered, watching the waterfalls. “That makes sense, I suppose.”

“It does. Unfortunately, their plan didn’t work for too long. In their twentieth year, they were spotted by another pair of lovers. Being the children of the most affluent and openly feuding families of the town, they were well-known and word quickly reached their families. Of course, the families were furious and sent out search parties to find them.”

Gwen set down her pencil and listened to Kevin’s voice. It had grown somber, and she knew the tragedy was about to come. Howie had been right. Sitting here and hearing the tale in Kevin’s deep, yet captivating, voice was enough to send shivers down her spine. She wondered if she, too, would see the ghosts others claimed to have seen.

“They were behind the Sunday Fall when they heard the dogs barking. Knowing that if they stayed, they’d be caught, Laurent grabbed Liliane and began to run. Unbeknownst to them, it had been Laurent’s family’s dogs they’d heard—not both families. Liliane’s family had circled around to the other side of the falls. Unable to see where they were going, it was Liliane’s not-so-merciful cousins they ran into.” Kevin paused. He hated the ending of the story and the feeling of helplessness he always felt. He hadn’t known the lovers, they weren’t his ancestors, yet he felt the most honor-bound to change their destinies. “Instead of taking Liliane back to her family and sending Laurent back to his, they beat both of them—to death. No one quite knows why or what motivated them to do such a heinous act, but it was done. The following day, Laurent’s mother arrived to see the bodies that had been left where they’d been killed. It is said that she had Merlin’s blood flowing through her bloodlines and was a sorceress in her own right. When she saw what remained of her oldest and only son, she was angry with him.”

“Why?” Tears clung to Gwen’s eyelashes, and Kevin tried to ignore them. Women’s tears always weakened him, made him want to protect and soothe.

“Pride. It always comes down to pride. She couldn’t believe her child had the nerve to betray her and their family with their enemy. So, she condemned him and Liliane to wander the falls for three hundred years,” Kevin finished.

Gwen hugged her arms, trying to fight the chill she felt from the tale. “It’s so sad, and Brian’s right. I have so much more I need to put into this memorial.” She brushed the tears from her cheeks and smiled at Kevin. “Thank you. Thanks for showing me the falls.” She stood and dusted herself off. “I guess we should be getting back. Your daughter’s probably waiting for you.”

He nodded and stood, too. “We can slip behind the fall for a minute if you want to see it.”

“Yeah?” She looked over at the waterfall. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

Within moments, Kevin had helped her slide easily behind the falling water and followed her in. She was delighted with the cave behind the water and reached out to brush her hand through the falling drops. When she turned back to him, her face was wet and laughing. The punch of lust shocked him and had him taking steps toward her.

“It’s fantastic! I’ve never been behind a waterfall before, but this is so cool!” She grinned up at him, but the grin slid away as he approached her, a serious expression on his face. What she saw in his eyes surprised and scared her, but she felt the same emotions thud through her. “Kevin?” she whispered.

He was going crazy. That was the only excuse he could come up with as he cupped her face and brushed the water off of it. He could see the confusion, fear, and, beneath it all, the thrill in her eyes.

“Gwen.” Kevin murmured her name once then, forgetting where they were, who they were, he pressed his lips to hers. She made a small sound, perhaps of surprise, before her arms came around him. The sensations pulsing through him were new, though he’d been in love before and had thought he’d felt all there was to feel. But Gwen was new, refreshingly different from Mia. The thought that he could gladly spend the rest of his life here with his lips on hers ran through his mind an instant before he ended the kiss.

Leaning back, he studied her face. When her eyes opened, they were still clouded with confusion, but, now, lust competed with it.

“Kevin? What…” she shook her head. “What was that?”

He shook his head and let go of her. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what got into me. I shouldn’t have done that. I’ll understand if you’re angry.” He cleared his throat. “Uh, we should get going.”

He turned to slip back out, but she caught his arm. “I’m not mad, just…curious, I guess. It was kind of out of nowhere, you know?” He nodded. “So, um, I think we can chalk it up to the magic of the place, right? The lovers, their tragedy, the romance of this place?”

She was giving him an out, and, wondering if he’d kick himself later, he took it. “Yeah, I think that must have been it. Out of sight, out of mind, now?”

Gwen nodded a little disappointed. “We should go.”

“Right.”

***

“I’m sorry, Brian, I just had this last-minute emergency patient call in,” Juliet Stevens explained. “I’m sure you’ll be fine without me.”

“Oh, I know,” Brian replied. “I just thought, you know, after I showed Reena around, you and me could spend some time out there. Alone.”

She understood what he was trying to say. She’d been dating Brian for the past six years and understood what he was saying most of the time. Of course, she figured it had more to do with the fact that she was in love with him and focused a good amount of time figuring him out. So he didn’t love her back…yet, she reminded herself. She would just keep working on it, though.

“Brian, baby, it sounds like a great idea, but…”

He sighed and imagined he could see her making a face. “You’ve got a patient. Got it. Don’t worry about it then. I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah. Sorry, Bri, I have to go. My patient’s here. I’ll find you later,” she promised before hanging up.

He stared at the cell phone he held and, shaking his head, snapped it shut.

“No romantic outing tonight, huh?”

Brian glanced up and found himself face-to-face with a striking face offset by sharp green eyes and tumbling auburn hair. The pretty, bow-shaped lips curved in a smile.

He found himself smiling back. “Nah, but I’ll make it up to her. Reena Phillips?”

Reena nodded and held out a hand. “I take it you’re the goofball Littrell I keep hearing about?”

“The one and only. It’s nice to meet you,” he said and shook her hand. When the touch sent a sizzle through his arm, he frowned slightly and let go easily. “Well, shall we get up to the falls, then? If you want sunset pictures, we don’t have much longer to do them.”

Reena nodded, unsettled by what had just happened. She rubbed her hand on her jeans and slid into Brian’s car.

***

“So you’re Gwen Phillips’ younger sister, huh?” Brian wondered aloud as he watched her snap picture after picture of the falls.

They were standing on the lookout that Kevin and Gwen had stood on a few hours earlier, and Reena had had much the same reaction that her sister had had. The surprise and delight had been channeled into her work, and she had taken what Brian judged to be at least two rolls of film already.

“Yup. She’s thirty, I’m twenty seven,” Reena told him as she adjusted the knobs on the camera.

“Cool. So why did you decide to move here with her? Didn’t you have another place in…I don’t think I know where you ladies moved from,” he admitted.

“Boston. I did have a shop there, but I had a…falling out with my partner. So when Gwen said she was moving up here, I thought, ‘Hey! Fresh start!’ And here I am.”

“Here you are,” Brian echoed and gazed out over the waterfalls. “I was born here,” he said after a few minutes of silence.

Reena looked over at him, surprised. “Really? Here? At the waterfalls?”

He grinned. “Actually, behind the waterfalls. My parents have always been really active, and they were hiking when my mom was about eight and a half months along. She claims she wanted to get fresh air, that it would ease the birthing process.” He rolled his eyes. “Anyway, they got out here, and she started having contractions. Since the falls were much more off the beaten track thirty years ago than they are now, my parents ended up using their Lamaze class knowledge, and I was born!”

“That’s why Kirby said you have a special connection to the falls,” Reena murmured.

Brian smiled. “Well, when you’re born somewhere this awesome, you’re going to want to keep coming back. I mean, it’s special all on its own, too.”

“I think you’re pretty lucky to have been born in such a powerful place, what with the legend and all.”

He nodded. “I think I’m lucky in all manner of things. I mean, I get to live my life the way I want, don’t I? Doing something I love. Well, some things I love.”

“Yeah? What do you do?”

“I write an inspirational column for the newspaper, coach basketball at the high school, and, right now, I’m coaching Little League baseball. Plus, every night, you can catch me on the local radio station doing a gospel music and inspirational hour.” He ticked off the activities on his fingers.

Reena grinned at him over her camera. “Yeah. You’re right. You’re pretty lucky, getting to do all those things. It’s an impressive amount. So,” she snapped another picture. “I take it you’re a pretty devoted Christian, huh?”

Brian snapped back to what she was saying instead of watching her pretty hands twist the dials on the camera. “Hmm? Oh, yeah, absolutely. I think God’s had the biggest hand in helping me get where I am in life, so praying and spending time glorifying him is the least I can do.”

She nodded. “I agree. I mean, Gwen and I weren’t brought up in a particularly religious family, but, a couple years ago, I was studying the Bible for a class I was taking and got sucked into it. I’m a regular ‘Bible-thumper’ now,” she added, jokingly.

“That’s great!” It also made her a lot more attractive than he was already finding her. She was smart, had a sense of humor, talented, and…what was he doing fantasizing about her when he was dating Juliet? He shook his head. Not for you, Littrell. Even if he did want to run his fingers through those russet curls and see if they were as soft as they looked.

Reena knew he was watching her, could feel those startlingly blue eyes on her. She had to admit he was attractive…really attractive. And taken, she reminded herself. He’d cancelled a date to take her up here, and here she was lusting after him. It was the voice and those eyes that got her, she thought. No, no. It was the voice and the smile. Or…well, screw it, she told herself. It was the whole thing.

Knowing she had taken all the photographs she could with the setting sun, she packed away her camera and turned to face him. “Well, that’s it for today,” she announced and watched his eyes turn from the falls to her.

“All done, huh?” He glanced at his watch. Maybe he’d still have time to lure Juliet out from her clinic and into a restaurant for a late dinner. When he looked up, Reena was a lot closer to him. When he saw the interest in her eyes, his pulse sped up. “Reena?”

She took his hand. “Brian, I’m gonna tell you, right now. I’ve never been one for beating around the bush, so I have to tell you that I’m attracted to you. Hell, if there was a patch of grass around here, I might just have my way with you. Just kidding,” she added, seeing the surprise on his face. “I haven’t known you long enough for that. But I have to do this or I won’t be able to sleep tonight,” she murmured, cupping his face in her hands and bringing it down so their lips met.

Later, he would tell himself it was surprise that made his fingers tighten in hers. It was shock that had him scooping her closer against him. It was astonishment that had his fingers running through her hair, as soft as he’d imagined, while his lips drank her in, the taste, the scent, Reena.

Shaken by the feelings that pulsed within her, the intoxication she felt in one kiss, Reena pulled back and rested her forehead against his shoulder and smiled as she felt his fingers slide through her hair. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and sighed.

“Reena.”

She pressed a finger to his lips and shook her head. “Don’t. Don’t say anything. Give me a second.”

He was quiet, not knowing what he would have said nor what he could say. The kiss had been more than he’d expected, and he would’ve loved to keep kissing her. His conscience, though, was a wicked thing, and Juliet’s image kept surfacing in his mind. He shouldn’t have enjoyed the kiss so much when he knew it would hurt Juliet if she found out.

Steadier now, Reena slipped out of his hold and lifted her equipment before turning back to face him. “I’m not going to lie, Brian. That was the most exhilarating kiss I’ve ever had, and I’m not sorry I kissed you. However, I am sorry because I know you’ll feel guilty because you’re involved with someone. We’ll just call this kiss an experiment, a highly successful one, and leave it at that. Is that okay?”

All his arguments had gone up in smoke at her words, and he wondered what was wrong with him that he found himself a little disappointed. But, he nodded. “That works, and, Reena? For the record, that’s one of the most amazing kisses I’ve ever had, too.”

But nothing could come of it, she wanted to scream at him. She had never been the romantic one, she’d left that to Gwen. Now, with another woman’s man, she found herself wishing that, against the backdrop of the tragic waterfalls, Brian had disagreed with her and, sweeping her into his arms again, kissed her into oblivion. It just wasn’t possible, though, and she’d have to live with it, she reminded herself as she followed him back to his car.

“You don’t always get what you want,” she whispered to herself and watched the last rays of sun fade.

The moonlight filtered through the trees and shone upon the river. Through the water, the light seemed ethereal, magical. If she believed in fairies, she’d believe that they’d be dancing in the moonlight tonight. The smell of flowers was intoxicating and blended with the scent of cool, clean water. The falls were more enchanted seeming than they’d ever been. Through the waterfall, she could make out their silhouettes.

“It’s lovely to see you, child.” Liliane smiled, her hand resting on Laurent’s.

Callie felt a burst of sadness inside. Though their hands were touching, they couldn’t feel each other. What must that feel like, she wondered, to be unable to feel the touch of the one you loved for three hundred years?

“Don’t think about it,” Laurent advised her, almost as though he’d read her thoughts.

“It’s hard not to,” she admitted. “I don’t think I could ever live three hundred years without my husband’s touch. You’re so strong, your story so inspiring.”

Liliane smiled again. “The time is coming when we will be freed. When we will no longer be separated, so neither of us is saddened any more.”

Callie frowned. “Do you mean that, once the three hundred years have lapsed, you’ll be together again?”

Laurent shook his head. “Callie, you have my blood running through you, so you know what will be. Even if you don’t want to see it.”

“How could I not want to see what will free you? I want both of you happy,” she reminded them.

“It is not yet time for you to know, but they’ll need your help,” Liliane told her. “Keep them on the right path. What your blood wronged, you will right.”

Callie woke and glanced around the darkened room. Her eyes fell on the clock on the nightstand.

“Three-thirty,” she murmured to herself then sighed. “What were you saying, Liliane? What did you mean ‘they’ll need your help’? Who?”

“Callie.” Howie’s voice was muffled by the pillow, but his arm snaked out from under the covers and pulled her against him. “Whatever you’re worried about, put it to rest for now. Morning’s soon enough to worry.”

She curled into his warmth and smiled as she felt his heart beat beneath her hand. The man she’d married was of the no-nonsense variety, and she couldn’t be more grateful. When she worried about her premonitions, he pushed straightforward reality in front of her and kept her focused on worldly matters. Like now. Howie was right. She couldn’t really do much for the lovers at the very moment. But, in the morning…

“I love you, Howie,” she whispered.

His eyes still closed, he brushed a kiss over her forehead. “I love you, too, Cal. But, at the moment, I really love sleep, too.”

She bit back a laugh. Howie’s sleeping habits were another legend she lived with.

***

“Hey, Brian. Got a minute?” Alex leaned against the door to Brian’s office, his fingers tapping the wood of the door frame. Tap tap tap.

Brian raised a brow at the nervous behavior on his friend’s part. The only thing he could think of that would cause the nerves would be a failed deadline. He knew for a fact that his own column had been turned in as soon as he’d gotten in to work that morning, so that couldn’t be it.

He shrugged. “Sure, what’s up?”

Alex stepped in, followed by Nick. Alex jerked a thumb in the younger man’s direction. “Carter stopped by this morning, so he’s coming along.”

Brian nodded. “What’s up, Nick?”

“Not much. Dana’s back to teaching, so things have gotten back to busy again.”

“Which means you have to cook after work, right?” Brian grinned at the idea of Nick in an apron, wielding a pot or a spatula.

Nick rolled his eyes, though a smile teased his lips. “Hey, at least I don’t have to cook all the time like a certain bachelor I know.”

“And I’m proud of it,” Brian announced.

“And, now, if the two of you are done with your banter, I’d like to make an announcement please,” Alex broke in.

The other two turned to look at him. “Yeah?”

Alex paced the small confines of Brian’s office. “Jesus, Brian. You could have a bigger office if you want, you know.”

“That’s the announcement you wanted to make?” Brian asked incredulously.

Alex waved a hand. “No, no. My announcement is…well, Christine came home yesterday.”

“Really?” Brian grinned. “Awesome! I’ll be over tonight to see her then.”

“Sure.” Alex shrugged. “But the announcement gets better. She, well, she came home because she found out that she’s pregnant.”

“I knew that,” Nick said simply. “That was your announcement?”

Alex narrowed his eyes at Nick. “What do you mean, you knew? How the hell could you know if Chris came home last night?”

“Because she came to see Dana to get help on setting the right ‘scene’ to tell you the big news. Guess the scene went well, eh?” Nick winked suggestively.

Brian launched himself at Alex and enveloped him in a hug. “You’re going to be a great dad! I can’t wait! How’s Chris? Is she getting sick? Has she gained any weight? What gender’s the baby?”

Alex patted Brian’s back before pushing him away to give himself space to breathe. “Jeez, Brian. I love ya, too, but don’t suffocate me before I can be a dad. Chris is fine, she’s not getting sick, she hasn’t gained weight that I can tell, and, no, we don’t know the baby’s gender, and we don’t want to. Does that answer your questions?”

Brian grinned. “I’m so excited for the two of you! Congratulations!” He turned to Nick. “Now, if you and Dana were to, you know, think about having one of your own…”

Nick held up his hands and backed away a little. “Oh, no. Not right now. We’re not ready for kids yet. We’ll let you know when we are.”

Brian shrugged. “Okay, relax. I was just kidding.”

“Well, what about you, Bri?” Alex asked. “Don’t you want to get married and have your own kids? I thought that was one of your dreams? I mean, you’ve been dating Juliet for years, so why don’t the two of you get married?”

Reena skidded through his mind, and Brian pushed her aside and thought of Juliet. “Uh, well, I don’t know. I mean, we both like our relationship the way it is.”

“She’s in love with you,” Nick pointed out. “It’s kinda hard to miss.”

Brian sighed. “I know, but I just don’t know if I feel the same way. I care about her, and I’m attracted to her, but…”

“Brian, you’re stuck in a rut,” Alex announced. “Maybe we should introduce you to some new women. I hear there’s a pair of sisters new in town. Howie’s working with both of them, so maybe he could introduce you.”

“I’ve met them,” Brian replied. “They’re…nice.” Reena popped into his mind again.

“When did you meet them?” Nick wondered.

Brian shrugged. “Yesterday. Howie said because the memorial was my idea, I should meet the person designing it. Gwen’s nice enough once she loosens up, and her sister’s a photographer. I took her up to the falls…” his voice trailed off, and Alex frowned. There was something Brian wasn’t saying.

“And?”

“And what?” He was getting irritable, and he knew it. He felt like he was being backed into a corner, and he disliked the feeling. It was bad enough that he’d kissed a woman other than the one he was dating, spent all night tossing and turning because the kiss had heated him up more than he’d thought possible, but, now, he had to face it in the daylight, too? “There’s nothing more to tell.”

Alex raised a brow. “Spill.”

They stared at each other for long moments, until Brian cursed under his breath. Alex had always won staring contests for as long as he could remember.

Brian started pacing now. “Okay! I give up! She kissed me! Reena and I kissed, and that’s all that happened! It was just a stupid, stupid kiss. Happy?” He slumped down into his chair.

Alex sat on the desk, and Nick leaned against a wall. Both watched him expectantly.

“Well?” Brian wondered when they’d say anything or if they’d just keep watching him like he was a science experiment that was doing something extraordinary.

“If it was just a kiss, why are you so cranky?” Alex wondered.

“Unless it was more than a kiss,” Nick suggested.

When they watched him, silent again, Brian sighed. “I feel like a jerk for kissing someone else when I’m with Juliet, but, the thing is, I liked the kiss. Hell, I was blown away by the kiss. I just don’t know what to do about it now.”

“What do you want to do about it?” Alex asked.

Brian bit his lip and stared hard at the blank computer screen. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I mean, Reena was the one who instigated it, but it wasn’t like I fought her off. Especially once I found my brain again and thought about how great it was. Which was why I barely slept last night. I kept seeing her eyes, feeling her hair between my fingers, and…”

“Damn. You’re hooked good,” Nick decided.

“And after only a kiss,” Alex agreed. He patted Brian’s shoulder. “Bri, we’ve been friends since we were babies, so I feel like I can say this. I think you should stop dating Juliet and try for something with this Reena woman. Of course, you should let me meet her first, but if you feel all this…”

“I barely know her,” Brian pointed out.

“And, what? You think you’ll get to know her without dating her? Spending time with her? Think again.” Alex shook his head. “You and Juliet are going nowhere. You care about her, but you’re not in love with her.”

“Says who?” Brian asked defensively.

“Says you,” Nick answered. “You never said you loved her, and, if you really did, don’t you think you would’ve married her years ago?”

Instead of answering, Brian turned and stared out the window at the view of Seven Falls. Alex rolled his eyes at the set look on his friend’s face. When Brian got in this stubborn mood, there was no moving him.

“I’m gonna throw a barbecue,” Brian decided, after long, silent moments passed.

“Huh?” Nick wondered at the change in topic, then realized this was Brian’s way of tabling the discussion. “Okay.”

Brian turned to look at Alex and gave him a small smile. “In honor of the new baby, of course. I’ll call Kevin, Howie, their families, you guys…It’ll be good. Tomorrow night. Are you busy?”

Alex flipped through his mental calendar. “Nope. All free.”

“Nick?”

“I’m good, so’s Dane. We’ll be there.”

“Good.” Brian nodded. “Now, go. I have work to do that’s not going to do itself.”

Alex rolled his eyes. You’d think the man was the chief editor or something the way he carried on sometimes. Honestly.

***

“So, what do you think?” Gwen tried to watch Howie’s face to see if she could glimpse his reaction to the two sketches she’d handed over. “I mean, I sketched them last night, and they’re really rough, but…”

“Gwen.” Howie looked up. “Relax.”

“Huh?” She frowned. “Oh, okay.”

He smiled and held one of the sketches up. “I like this one.”

Gwen leaned forward to see which one it was and smiled when she recognized it. The newest sketch she’d done was of seven waterfalls set in a semi-circle. The memorial would be made of a metal, and she was hoping to give it the effect of water tumbling down into a river. The river flowed out six feet, and two willows, one on each bank of the river, leaned across towards each other.

“I take it the willows represent the lovers bridging the gap between their feuding families?” Howie wondered.

Gwen nodded. “I think symbolism is good. Willows are usually the tree I think of when I imagine symbolizing sadness and hope in nature. Plus, they’re romantic, too. So, it’s good?” she asked hopefully.

“I like it a lot. It’s what I had in mind when I envisioned the project months ago,” Howie assured her. “The town is going to need to approve it, though, before I can give you the go-ahead. I’ve called for a meeting for Thursday night in the town hall, so I’ll let you know by Friday morning what was decided. Or you could come on Thursday and present the project, too. Whatever you feel comfortable with.”

“Oh. Well, I suppose I could present it.” She hated oral presentations. Stage fright was her biggest opponent in the public sphere. “I can answer any questions people might have.”

Howie nodded. “That’s what I was thinking, too. So, it’s settled then. You’ll present your idea on Thursday night. Thanks, Gwen.”

“Hey, you’re paying me,” she reminded him. “It’s no problem, though. I really enjoyed the falls.” She tried not to think of Kevin’s kiss. “And I actually have a suggestion for my own idea.”

“Go ahead.”

“Well, I-I’m not a great writer, but I think the memorial is certainly going to need some sort of poem or script on a plaque near it. Something describing its legend of love, hope, loss, and despair.” She paused. “What do you think?”

“I think I would’ve suggested that somewhere down the line,” Howie admitted. He smiled. “I’m glad I picked you to work with Gwen. I think you’re starting to understand the spirit of Seven Falls.”

“I hope so,” she murmured. It was the people, though, that had her completely confused. Especially Kevin.

“I’m sorry Dad forgot to pick me up,” Kirby apologized as she sat in Reena’s car.

Reena made a left turn and smiled over at the teen. “Don’t worry about it. Like you said, he probably got really involved in his painting and lost track of the time.”

“He’s not a bad dad,” Kirby told her firmly.

Reena’s brows lifted. “Honey, I never said he was a bad father. He’s just absentminded.”

Kirby shook her head. “Actually, Dad’s really sharp when he’s paying attention. I mean, the last couple months he was really all together, but I think he got inspiration the other night. He’s been “in the zone” again. I heard him painting all Sunday night, and he probably painted all day yesterday and today, too.”

“Wow.”

Kirby shrugged. “Mom used to stick a plate of food near the easel every six hours and leave him to it.”

“What happened to your mother, Kirby?”

Kirby shrugged and looked out the window. “She died. I was seven, and I was supposed to get a younger sibling. Mom was pregnant, and then she wasn’t. A couple days later, Dad told me she was dead.”

“So you don’t know what happened?” Reena was surprised. What could have caused a woman to die so young?

“Nope. You can turn right here.” Kirby gestured to the street they were approaching. “It’s the sixth house on the left with the blue shutters.”

Reena found the house and pulled into the drive. Kirby climbed out of the car just as the front door flew open, and Kevin ran out looking frantic. When he saw Kirby, he stopped and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. Reena noted that he obviously hadn’t shaved nor had he changed, since there was paint splattered on his clothes and forearms.

“I’m so sorry, kiddo. I got”

“Involved with the painting?” Kirby finished. “Yeah, I figured. So I got Reena to drive me home.”

Kevin looked over as Reena leaned against her car. “Thanks. I’m so sorry to put you through the trouble.”

Reena waved it off. “No problem. Actually, if you don’t mind, could you sign that print I have? I stuck it in my car today for when you came to pick Kirby up, but, well, here you are.”

“Sure. Come on in, and I’ll find a pen.” Kevin left the door open, and Reena found her print and brought it into the house.

The house was certainly a surprise for her. Where she’d expected some sort of artistic flair to the décor, considering Kevin’s profession, instead, she found a homey, cozy place. There were deep, comfy couches in the living room and den with mahogany end tables as accents. There was a handmade afghan tossed over an armchair, and pictures, candles, and books filled the tables, shelves, and any other space where they’d fit. All in all, Reena decided she liked it. It felt lived in.

When she walked into the kitchen, Kirby was sitting on a stool at the breakfast bar with a glass of juice, while Kevin shuffled through a drawer, muttering to himself. After a moment, he “aha-ed” and held up a sharpie.

“Let’s see which print you have.” He held out his hand, and Reena opened the rolled print and laid it across the counter. “I remember this.”

“I realized you’d painted the Falls after I saw them yesterday,” Reena explained. “The only thing I can’t figure out is how you painted them at this angle. There isn’t anywhere where you could have set up to get this view. I checked,” she added.

Kevin shrugged as he scrawled across one of the bottom corners of the poster. “I didn’t go there and paint it. I painted it from a dream.”

“What?”

“Yeah.” He looked up at her and grinned. “I saw it in a dream and knew I had to paint it. It’s okay if you don’t believe it; a lot of people don’t.”

Reena shook her head. “I didn’t say I don’t believe you. I just…wow. That’s interesting.”

“Which is something Dad says people say when they want to be nice,” Kirby spoke up.

Kevin shook his head. “I have dreams about the falls and the lovers. I’ve had them since I was six years old. When I was eighteen, I dreamed this view of the falls, and Liliane telling me that I needed to immortalize it. And here it is.” He gestured to the painting.

“I believe you,” Reena said after several moments. “It’s incredible. Everything related to the Falls and the lovers is incredible. Brian told me the story yesterday. I’d never heard it before, not even when Gwen was studying up on it. But, I do believe you.”

Kevin smiled. “I’m glad. You’re one of the few.” He found himself wondering if her sister would believe him. Not yours, he reminded himself.

“Well.” Reena examined the print. “Thanks for the autograph! I feel like some teenybopper who finally got her idol’s signature, but thanks!” She glanced at the clock in the kitchen. “I’d love to stay, but I have to get going. I’ll see you on Thursday, Kirby.”

“Thanks for the first lesson!” Kirby called.

Reena pushed open the front door. “No problem. Have a great night!”

Kevin made sure she left safely before turning back to his daughter. “I really am sorry, Kirby.”

She shrugged. “I know you’re working on a painting. It’s okay, Dad. I’m used to it.”

“But it’s still not fair to you that I keep doing this,” Kevin told her.

Kirby rolled her eyes and patted the stool next to her. “I have to tell you something, Dad.” She waited until he sat, wondering why she had such a serious look on her face. “I had a dream last night. With mom.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Kevin was surprised she’d dreamed of Mia as he’d expected that she didn’t remember her mother so well after six years.

“I wanted to think about what it meant,” Kirby replied. “It was a weird dream. She was giving me advice, and we were at the Falls.”

Kevin held his daughter’s hand. “Tell me.”

“Your father loves this place,” Mia stated as she gazed out at the waterfalls. She turned to look at her daughter and smiled. “You’ve grown so beautifully, Kirby. I’m so proud of the young woman you’re becoming. Kevin’s doing a great job with you. Even if he forgets sometimes,” she added.

“I don’t mind, but I wish you hadn’t left us, Mom.”

Mia sighed and shook her head, her blond curls lifting in the breeze. “I had to, honey. I didn’t know it at the time, but it’s the only way everything could work out for the best.”

“For the best? Mom, I have to live without a mother! How is that for the best?” Kirby’s eyes spat green fire much like Kevin’s when he was angry.

“Baby, some things you’ll learn when you figure out your gift.” She cupped her daughter’s face. “I couldn’t See. Not then. But I can See it now. There are things that need to happen, things greater than just you and me. Your father is a part of it—a large part. But he won’t be any good until he lets go.”

“Lets go?”

Mia nodded. “I fell in love with Kevin when we were eight, Kirby. I always knew we’d end up together, but some things are not meant to last. Fate doesn’t always play kindly with our lives. We’ve learned that the hard way. You need to help Kevin deal with Fate.”

“How? Why?”

“The time is coming, Kirby.” Mia looked out over the falls again, her gray eyes distant. “Tell him to let go. Just let go, and everything will work out.” She looked at Kirby again, a smile playing around her mouth. “He doesn’t realize he’s still holding on, but he needs to let go. Help him. Tell him.”

“And then I woke up,” Kirby finished. “Dad, I don’t understand any of the Fate things, but she said something about a gift I have. What’s that supposed to mean?”

Kevin sighed. The day had come. He’d wondered when he’d have to explain it to her, but she deserved to know about her heritage. “Kirby, you know your mother’s Callie’s sister,” he began. “The thing is, Callie and Mia, their ancestor was the sorceress who cast the spell on the lovers.”

“Really? Does that mean…whoa.” Kirby’s eyes widened. “That means I have Merlin’s blood in me? Which means the gift Mom was talking about is magic! That’s so cool!”

Kevin shook his head. “No, hon. Your gift is the ability to See. You can see, well, the future.”

“Like a fortuneteller?”

He shrugged. “I don’t really know, but your mother could See some things. Like she knew we’d have a daughter, that the Met would call for my work, that Howie would marry Callie, and so on. Callie’s got the ability to See, too. If you really want to know, you should go talk to her.”

“Cool!” Kirby grinned. “I never put two and two together to think that if my aunt was magic, that I might be, too. Or that Mom was. But, what’s all that stuff about me telling you to let go?”

He was wondering that, too. And drawing a blank. “I don’t know, but I guess I’ll figure it out sooner or later if I’m supposed to help Fate, huh?”

“Yeah.” Kirby stared at the juice left in her glass before looking up at her father. “Maybe Mom thinks you need to stop wondering why she died or how or whatever and get over her. Maybe she thinks you need to move on.”

“Maybe.” He sighed. “Either way, I’m sure I’ll figure it out some time. But, right now, I need to get cleaned up.”

“Okay. Do you think I can run over to Aunt Callie’s and ask her about the whole Seeing thing?”

“Sure. Just remember, dinner’s at six. And, speaking of dinner, what do you want?” Kevin rubbed at the paint flecks on his arm.

Kirby stopped at the door. “Uh…anything that’s edible.”

He rolled his eyes but grinned. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go on. I’ll fix up something edible.”

He heard his daughter laugh and the slam of the door behind her. He was amazed at the fact that she’d seen Mia, and Mia wanted him to let go. Whatever that meant.

Kevin ran his fingers wearily through his hair as he headed towards the shower. What was he holding on to that he had to let go? The only things that preyed on his mind were Kirby, his friends, family, the legend, and his work. Anything else was not so important. But, maybe, subconsciously, there was something else. Whatever it was, his dead wife knew it.

Thinking that maybe he would pay a visit to the falls later to think, he turned on the shower and stepped into the steaming water.

***

“This is nice,” Juliet remarked, her gray eyes sparkling with pleasure.

Brian smiled. “Well, it’s the least I could do after cancelling our plans last night. Besides,” he looked around the restaurant, “I didn’t feel like cooking for myself tonight, anyway.”

She chuckled. “Mac and cheese, huh? I know the way to your heart, Brian.”

He tried not to think about whether or not there was an underlying message in that. “So did my mom,” he told her. “But, tonight, mac and cheese is not on the menu.”

“No.” Juliet looked down at the menu for the only expensive restaurant in Seven Falls. “It’s Italian, but there’s definitely no macaroni on here. I think I’m going with the shrimp primavera.”

He gestured to the waiter standing at a discreet distance. “I think we’re ready to order.”

“Of course. What can I get for you tonight?” The waiter poised his pen over the pad.

Juliet smiled up at him. “I’ll have the shrimp primavera, please.”

“I think I’m going to go with the linguini special for today,” Brian decided. The waiter nodded and bustled off. Brian turned back to Juliet. “How was your day?”

“Not bad. The only real problems this time of year are fall allergies, the occasional cold, and Jenny Inson’s broken ankle from roller-skating. Other than that, things were good,” she replied.

“You heard about Christine and Alex, right?”

She grinned. “I’m so excited! I mean, my best friend is going to be a mother. There’s going to be a baby to hold, and the next seven and a half months are going to be too long.”

“Yeah. Alex is through the roof and nervous at the same time,” Brian told her. “But something tells me they’re going to be good parents.”

“They will,” Juliet said firmly. “I can’t imagine what it must be like to know you’re going to have a child. I mean, I’ve always wanted one, you know? Or two or three, too.” She shrugged. “I just want a family of my own.”

Brian nodded. “Me, too. My parents were a great example, and I just want to follow in their footsteps and settle down one day. Hopefully soon,” he added.

It was the opening she’d been waiting for. Juliet leaned forward. “Brian, I’ve been thinking,” but she was cut off by the arrival of their dinner.

When the waiter had distributed their meal and cleared away their appetizer dishes, Brian lifted a forkful of linguini and dug in.

“What were you saying?” he asked between forkfuls.

Juliet swallowed. “I said I’d been thinking about the whole wanting a family thing.” She paused. “Brian, I’m not getting any younger, and I always imagined I’d be married by now. We’re both thirty years old, we both want a family, a solid marriage, children.”

“Yeah. And?” He was getting a little nervous about where the conversation was headed.

She set her fork down and tugged nervously on a piece of her dark hair. “I think we should get married.”

He was sure he hadn’t heard her right. “Excuse me?”

“We both want the same things, and we’ve been dating on and off for years, Brian. I think it’s time we stop playing around and get married. I love you, and I know you care about me. It’s only a matter of time before you’ll love me back, and…” she trailed off, seeing his blue eyes spark.

“So you’re suggesting a marriage of convenience? You expect me to fall in line, fall in love with you, and marry you?” His hold on temper was slipping as the idea of marriage to someone he wasn’t in love with started freaking him out. “Juliet, I care about you, but I don’t think I can think of marriage that simply. I just…can’t.”

“Is it marriage that’s got you worried, Brian? Or is it the idea of marrying me?” Her voice was quiet and hid her deep hurt.

“Honestly? I don’t know.” He sighed, staring down at the plate in front of him. His appetite had disappeared. “Maybe we need to take a step back, take some space. Some time apart to figure out what we really want.”

“I see.” Though she didn’t, not at all. All she could see was the red haze in front of her as she realized that she’d put her heart out on the line, and he’d turned it away. How dare he? “Maybe you’re right.”

Maybe, Brian thought, desperately wanting to get away. But he knew that he’d hurt her and to leave now would destroy her. So he waited until they’d finished dinner in silence, and, after he’d paid the bill, he followed her to her car, making sure she would be fine.

“Good night,” she murmured, sliding into the driver’s seat.

He nodded. “’Night.” He couldn’t think of anything better to say and watched her car drive off.

Once in his car, he realized he couldn’t just go home. Not with all the rampant, crazy thoughts crowding his brain. How could he relax? Maybe he’d go spend time with Christine and Alex, but, on second thought, he realized that Juliet would go there first and talk to Chris. They were close friends, after all.

No, Brian thought, staring at the road in front of him. He’d go where he’d gone since the day he’d been born. The place that would always call to his heart, his soul, no matter where he was in the world.

***

The last glimmers of sunlight were fading quickly as he made his way down the forest path towards the falls. If he was lucky, no one else would be there to mar his peaceful time. Or to suffer from his anger and annoyance for he was still unsettled and likely to snap at someone.

As he rounded the bend in the path, he heard a voice, but it wasn’t talking.

“Seven days and seven nights of wonder,” the voice sang in an alto that Brian immediately approved of even as he recognized the song it was singing. “The water’s rising and I’m slipping under…”

He pushed aside the branches in his way and stepped onto the overlook. “Reena?”

She stopped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Brian! What-what are you doing here? I mean, I didn’t think anyone would be here.”

“It’s okay. There usually isn’t anyone here, so I thought I’d come out here. It’s my thinking place,” he explained. Somehow, his anger had disappeared when he’d heard her sing and was silently marveling at that fact. “You have a great voice. I’m sorry you stopped singing.”

Reena shook her head. He’d startled her, but she found that, after the initial surprise, she was glad that he was there. “I usually sing when I don’t think anyone’s going to hear me. It makes me self-conscious, you know?”

“Yeah, but you really do have a good voice. It’s pretty,” he assured her.

She blushed. “Um, well, thanks. I used to want sing professionally,” she blurted out. Surprised at herself for revealing something that had always been a secret, she waited for his response.

He grinned. “Really? I did, too! Why are you photographing instead of singing with that voice of yours?”

“Lack of courage,” she admitted. “I mean, I did everything musical in high school and college, but I was always afraid to trust my voice enough to go any further.”

“Oh. You should’ve.” He couldn’t help but notice that her eyes seemed to glow deep green in the last light of day.

She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I like photography, and singing is just something I save for the shower or when I’m alone.” Did he always look gorgeous? she wondered. “What about you? Why don’t you sing?”

Brian smiled. “I do. I mean, I was ready to go to Julliard with my voice, but, the day of my audition, I got the flu. There went my chance.” He smiled sadly. “I’ve often wondered what could’ve been, but I figure I’m where I’m supposed to be. Not that no Julliard has stopped me from belting it out,” he added. “If you ask anyone, they’ll tell you I’m the first to grab a hold of the microphone.”

Reena grinned. “I bet you are. Do you sing on the radio show you do?”

“You mean you didn’t listen today?” He feigned hurt when she shook her head. “You knew I had a show, but you didn’t turn it on? Well, then, I guess the only way you’ll get your answer is if you turn it on tomorrow, huh?”

She rolled her eyes, enjoying him. “You’re too cute, you know that?”

Brian grinned cheekily. “That’s what I’ve been told. But, I was waiting all my life to hear you tell me that. Now, I can die happy.” He sighed exaggeratedly.

Even knowing he was joking, something fluttered in her stomach. “Well, I’m glad I could help out.” She glanced up at the sky. “You can see all the stars here,” she murmured. “In Boston, there’s so much light pollution that it’s hard to see a single star.”

“Yeah, I remember what it was like in Chicago. It’s why I came back to Seven Falls when I finished at Northwestern,” Brian replied. “I missed the sky.”

She smiled at him. “I came out here because I wanted to see the ghosts,” she admitted. “I’ve always been practical, but I can’t help but believe in the legend.”

“You? Practical? Really?” He couldn’t help but think she was kidding. Gwen seemed like the practical sister.

Reena nodded. “Gwen’s the one who cries at the end of sappy movies, while I’m happier with action and adventure. I’m not a romantic at all, but the legend makes me feel, I don’t know…”

“Sad? Hopeful? Both at the same time?” He wished he could reach out and run his hands through her soft, soft hair. Or maybe just hold her. Especially now when she had that wistful look on her face, and her sharp eyes had gone soft and dreamy.

“Yeah. Sad because they died so horribly, and hopeful because three hundred years are almost over,” she murmured. She smiled ruefully at him. “Can you imagine spending three hundred years roaming this place and being unable to reach out and hold the one you love? It must be worse than hell.”

Brian reached out and brushed aside the curl of hair that had fallen out of her bun. His hand lingered a little on her cheek, and, instead of pushing it aside, Reena held it against her skin. “I can’t imagine it,” he told her. “I don’t know how anyone could survive something like that.”

“They don’t have a choice,” Reena whispered. His hand felt perfect in hers, and she wished they could stay there forever.

He was starting to wonder if he had a choice, or if he would feel compelled to reach for her every time he saw her. It had only been a day since he’d met her, but she’d been in every other thought he’d had all day. He was beginning to think he’d think of her every day for the rest of his life. He wondered, vaguely, what that meant. His free hand slid around her waist and drew her close, close enough that he could see whatever it was he was feeling reflected in her eyes. Not wanting to examine the way he reacted to her presence, physically and emotionally, and unable to resist, his lips found hers, and he sank into the kiss.

Warmth flooded her, enveloping her senses as fully as Brian’s arms had. The kiss was soft, gentle and turned her knees to jelly. Everything in her turned loose, and liquid desire flowed through her. Her arms wrapped around him, her fingers diving into his hair. She’d never felt this kind of wanting before, Reena thought distantly even as her lips trembled open, and she breathed him in. Never thought that she could want like this.

He’d never been the kind of man who could easily kiss a woman he’d just met, but, with Reena, he’d been breaking all kinds of personal rules. Holding her felt right, and he heard her moan even as he tried to rein in the sudden desperate need he felt. For Reena. He’d never felt like this with Juliet, his mind murmured.

Juliet.

And, suddenly, Brian pulled away and turned to stare blindly out at the waterfalls. His breathing was ragged, and, though he knew he wanted nothing more than to take Reena back in his arms, he controlled the desire. For the second time in twenty-four hours, he’d kissed Reena when he was still committed to a relationship with Juliet. Part of him was ashamed for betraying Juliet, but another, larger part of him said it was about time he found what he’d been looking for.

“Brian?” Reena wondered what he was thinking. She couldn’t see his face, but his back was stiff.

He turned to her and smiled slightly. “Reena, I can’t do this. I’m supposed to be with someone else, but I can’t stop wanting to be with you. I’ve only known you for a day, and you’re already making me crazy. I feel like a hormone-crazed teenage boy.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought. “Really? I’m flattered.”

“Reena. I’m serious.” One look at his face, and she knew he wasn’t joking.

“Well, what do you want me to do? Stop being me? Stay away from you?” She began pacing. “Brian, whatever’s happening between us is hard for me to resist. I…I’m ridiculously attracted to you, and those kisses…” she trailed off, not knowing what to say.

“Are amazing?” he suggested. “I know. I’m gonna be honest with you, Reena. I’ve been dating one woman for the past six years because it was comfortable and easy. The thing is, even though I’m not in love with her, she’s in love with me. I can’t just disregard her feelings just because we have some incredible chemistry between us.” He sighed. “I care about her too much to hurt her.”

Reena nodded. “Okay. I like you, Brian, and I think it’s incredibly noble that you want to protect the woman you’re with.”

“But it doesn’t change the fact that I do have feelings for you,” he told her.

“I—you do?” Maybe there was still hope.

Brian nodded. “I just need time to figure some things out, right now.” He grinned. “You know, the day before yesterday, my life was really simple. Suddenly, it’s gotten complicated. I like you, Reena, and I’d like to think that, whatever happens, we can be friends anyway.”

Reena smiled back. “I think that’s a great idea. And, Brian? You make me feel like a hormone-crazed teenage girl, too.”

“Hey, Kirby.” Kevin leaned against the door to his daughter’s room. He supposed it didn’t really look like what he’d always imagined a teenage girl’s room looked like. Instead of posters of bands or actors, there were black and white photographs arranged artfully. The walls were a pale green, and the furniture was a mahogany—like all other furniture Kirby liked. Currently, his child was curled up in her bed with a book on Ansel Adams; one he remembered giving her for her twelfth birthday.

She looked up. “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”

“I’m gonna head up to the Falls for a while. Are you going to be all right for a couple hours?” he asked.

Kirby glanced at the clock. “It’s eleven-thirty. Why are you going up there so late?”

He shrugged. “I need to think, kid. Besides, you’re supposed to be asleep by now. You’ve got school in the morning.”

“Did you finish the painting?”

“Almost. The muses ran away on me again, so I’ve gotta wait until they’re back before I can finish it,” Kevin replied.

She nodded. “’Kay. Don’t stay out too long. I’ll see you in the morning?”

“Yeah. ‘Night, hon.” He kissed her cheek.

“Dad.” Kevin turned from the door to look back. “Mom wants you happy. Whatever it is you have to do to be happy, do it. I believe in you.”

He smiled. “I love you, Kirby.”

“I love you, too, Dad.”

***

“I don’t know, Howie. It’s been bothering me all day,” Callie said worriedly, pacing their bedroom.

Howie sat on the bed and wondered when she’d run out of steam. “Callie. Maybe all Liliane meant was the three hundred year mark would set them free.”

“No! Howie, you weren’t listening! She said that I had to help ‘them’, that I had to fix what my ‘blood wronged’. The sorceress was my ancestor, which means that there’s something that I need to fix that she did wrong. The only thing I can imagine is that there’s something I have to help someone do to make set Laurent and Liliane free.” Callie took a deep breath, but Howie spoke up before she could dive back in again.

“Callie, maybe it has to do with the monument. Maybe building it and allowing it to memorialize them for future generations is all it takes,” Howie suggested. “Maybe, now that there’s definite plans for it, the lovers are finding peace.”

“Where do I fit into that?” she asked, plopping onto the bed. “What’s my part in the memorial?”

Howie cast around in his mind. “I…I know! The memorial needs a sort of epitaph for it, and I think you’re the perfect person to write it. A writer, an epitaph—perfect!”

She had to smile at his efforts, even if she didn’t think that the memorial was what Liliane had been talking about. Then again… “I’ll write it,” she agreed. “I just feel like there’s something else, something more definitive that I have to do.”

“Have you talked to Kevin? Asked if he’s had any dreams lately?” Howie remembered that Kevin had always dreamt vividly of the lovers and knew things that no one else did. Like their names.

Callie shook her head. “No, I haven’t, but Kirby did. She was over earlier. Apparently, Mia came to her and told her that Kevin had to let go in order to let Fate run its course. That Mia was supposed to die for something greater to happen.” She sighed. “She told Kirby about our gift, and I’m thinking I’ll start teaching her about it.”

“Well, that’s something then.” Howie mulled it over. “Do you think Mia was talking about the legend? Maybe Kevin has a part in whatever you think Liliane was referring to.”

“Maybe.” But what? Callie wondered. “I suppose he must as he’s been dreaming about the lovers since we were kids. There has to be a reason for that. Maybe my sister does know something.”

“Well, it’s got to be easier to see clearly when you’re no longer in the middle of it,” Howie said. “But, Callie, you’re not going to figure it out right this minute. Why don’t you just turn it off for the night?”

Callie sighed. “You might be right.” She brightened. “I might dream again and get more answers! Howard, you’re a genius!” She kissed him enthusiastically before crawling under the covers.

Howie smiled as he turned off the lights. “Well, I certainly try.”

***

“Do I sound crazy?”

Kevin looked over at her damp face and noticed the droplets clinging to her lashes. He curled his fingers into his palm to keep from reaching out to brush them off. “No, not really. The falls are really peaceful. I come here to think or be alone a lot.”

Gwen nodded. “The story got to me, Kevin. I don’t know why, but something inside me was affected by it. I was talking to Reena, and she said the same thing. I wonder why that is.”

“It happens to some people,” Kevin told her. “The legend’s never far from my mind, or Brian’s. If you ask Howie, the legend is the third wheel in his marriage as his wife is one of the living descendants of Laurent’s family.”

“Really? Wow.” She watched as the moonlight sparkled through the falling water. She liked the way it gave everything in the tiny cave an ethereal glow, including Kevin. She had to admit she was having a hard time breathing with him by her side, looking the way he did in the darkened space.

“I’ve dreamt of the lovers for years. Seen things that I couldn’t possibly have known from any of the stories that I’d heard before.”

“That’s amazing. Do you think the dreams are the truth?”

He wondered if she’d believe him if he told her that he’d seen everything in the legend happen in his dreams. “A lot of people think I’m crazy, but, yeah, I know they’re real. It’s where I heard their names for the first time, the only time,” he admitted. “They feel too real to not be real.”

“I believe you,” she murmured. “It’s hard not to believe in the impossible after hearing their tale, seeing this place.”

“Thanks.”

When they lapsed into a content silence, Gwen studied him furtively. His face was serious as he watched the water fall five feet from where they sat. His eyes were distant, and a tiny frown line marred his forehead. She wondered what he was thinking.

Kevin figured she was watching him and would’ve loved to watch her right back. He’d come to the falls for answers, and, when he’d watched the water tumbling over rocks, he’d been thrust back into the past, seven years before.

“Mia? What are you doing here?” Kevin studied his wife’s drawn, saddened face. Her usually sparkling eyes had lost their luster, her face was pale.

She shook her head sadly as she continued to stare at the water. “I can’t stay, Kevin. It’s too much to handle.”

“We’ll handle it together, Mia. Come home with me, and we’ll get through this together.” He reached for her, but she took a step back—a step closer to the edge.

“How can I go back, Kevin? How can I see everyone again? What are they going to think?”

“That it was a tragedy. Mia, what happened was God’s will, and we can’t change it. Don’t you think it hurts me, too? Do you think you’re the only one who suffered loss?” He shook his head at his own bitter words. “Mia, we’re young. We can try again. Please, just come home. Kirby needs you.”

“You can take care of her,” Mia told him. “She hangs on every word you say. She believes in the magic of the falls.”

“And you don’t?”

Her laugh was bitter. “I live with them inside of me, Kevin. How could I not believe in them? But I can’t love them the way you do. The way you’ve taught Kirby to love them.”

He was worried about her proximity to the edge of the cliff and took a step forward. “Mia, step away from the ledge. Please. Let’s just go home. I love you.”

“I know you do.” Her voice softened. “I love you and Kirby, too.” He took another step forward and panic flashed on her face. “Don’t! Kevin, don’t come closer!” She took a step back in retreat. “Kevin.”

He looked into her eyes and felt his blood run cold. “Mia, no. No!”

“Kevin?” Gwen’s hand on his shoulder jerked him out of his thoughts. “Where are you?”

He shook himself a little and smiled at the concern in her eyes. “Right here.”

“It seemed like you were far away. You looked so sad,” she murmured.

Kevin sighed. “I guess I was. I was thinking about my wife. The day she died.”

“You don’t have to talk about it,” Gwen assured him. “If it hurts too much, you don’t have to say anything.”

He shook his head. “I think I’ve been keeping it inside me for too long. After Mia was gone, I didn’t talk to anyone, not even Kirby, about it. I couldn’t.” He ran a hand wearily through his hair. “Maybe it’s time I did. Seven years is a long time.”

“It is,” she agreed.

“I trust you, Gwen,” he said, and she stared at him, surprised.

“You do? But-but we haven’t even known each other that long.”

He shrugged. “Time is irrelevant. I trust you, and I can’t really explain why or how. I just do. Which is why I want to tell you what I haven’t told anyone. Ever.”

She nodded and placed a hand over his. He laced his fingers with hers and told her of the night, seven years before, when he’d found Mia at the falls. She listened quietly and didn’t ask questions, afraid that she’d stop his flow. When he’d finished, she let it sink in.

“Well?”

“She was pregnant?” Gwen asked.

Kevin shook his head. “She’d been eight months along, and everything had seemed fine. One day, she woke up and knew something was going to happen. I didn’t believe it, but I took her to the hospital anyway. The doctor ran some tests and, when we tried to listen to the fetal heartbeat, there wasn’t one. The baby was gone.”

“Oh, Kevin.” Her fingers squeezed his reassuringly. “I’m sorry.”

“Me, too. Mia was inconsolable afterwards. She went around in a daze, partly from the sedatives and partly from shock. She wouldn’t talk to anyone except to say that it was her fault. That she knew everyone blamed her.” Kevin sighed.

“Did the doctors figure out why? What happened?”

He shook his head. “No. And six days later, Mia went to the falls.”

“Do you think she meant to fall?” Gwen wondered.

“You mean do I think Mia meant to take her life?” Kevin stared hard at the beams of moonlight. The question had haunted him for seven years and still… “I don’t know. Honestly, I’ve asked myself over and over if there was any hint that she’d purposely let herself slip, and I just don’t know.”

“But it bothers you still,” she said, watching his face.

He sighed. “Yeah, it does. Especially now that Kirby had a dream about her.”

“About Mia?”

“Yeah. Mia told her to tell me to ‘let go’. Whatever that means,” Kevin muttered, still perplexed as to the meaning of his dead wife’s advice.

“Kevin.” He looked down at Gwen. “Can’t you see what she means? You just explained it to me.”

“What?”

“Mia, Kevin. She wants you to let go of her. She probably wants you to stop worrying over her and move on with your life. I mean, and this is going to sound really personal so don’t answer if you don’t want to, but have you dated anyone since she died?” Gwen tried not to blush at the personal nature of a question she found she needed to know.

Kevin sighed again. “No. I haven’t.” He was quiet for a few moments before he spoke again. “Maybe you’re right. Kirby hinted at that, too, but I didn’t really think I was holding onto Mia after all this time.”

“But you are,” Gwen insisted. “The fact that you still question yourself about the truth behind her leap over the edge is proof.”

He mulled it over and slowly realization dawned. They were right. Kirby and Gwen had figured out what he’d been unable to see. He really had been holding on, hadn’t he? Did that make Mia’s spirit uneasy? Probably. She must feel guilty as hell for keeping him from being happy, but…he was happy. Right?

“You’re not happy, Kevin.” It was as though Gwen had read his mind, and he looked at her sharply. “What? It’s true. You’ve surrounded yourself with the legend and ghosts, including Mia’s, and, from what I’ve heard, you rarely venture out anymore. Apparently, you used to be quite the party animal to be around.” She smiled slightly at his questioning look. “I was talking to Sally Stone at the Pancake Place this morning. She was telling me that, in high school, all the girls followed you around and swooned over you. But you had eyes only for Mia.”

He smiled a little, too, remembering. “I did. She was it for me.”

“So, because you think you found the only woman for you and lost her, you can’t be happy with or date anyone else?” Gwen wondered.

Kevin studied her, now. He had thought that for years, hadn’t he? He firmly believed in The One, and he’d found his already. But, now, seeing Gwen and remembering what it had felt like to hold her, kiss her, he wasn’t so sure. She was the first woman, since Mia, that he’d felt any attraction towards, and he wasn’t sure what to do about it.

“I used to think that,” he admitted.

She raised a brow. “Used to? When did you change your mind?”

He grinned now. “When I met you yesterday.”

Her pulse bumped up and started racing. That smile really should be illegal, she thought, her palms going damp. She scooted away a little, eliciting another smile from Kevin.

“Do I make you nervous, Miss Phillips?” His voice was low, and she could see the amusement, and desire, simmering in his eyes.

She shook her head. “N-no. Of course not. Why would I be nervous around you? I’m glad you’ve discovered that you don’t have to go through life alone.”

“Indeed, I don’t.” He reached out and stopped her from moving further by curling a hand over her leg. Gently, he pulled her back until their knees bumped. “Are you trying to run, Gwen?”

“Why would I run?” She made certain her voice was steady as her eyes met his.

He shrugged. “Maybe because you feel the same way I do, and it scares you like it scares me?”

“What” her voice broke. “What do you feel?”

“I want you, Gwen,” he murmured and lowered his mouth to hers.

Whatever she’d been about to say slid back down her throat as his lips overwhelmed hers, and an instant heat sizzled through her system. Gwen would have been the first to admit that she was awful at the man-woman attraction game, but, with Kevin’s lips on hers, she figured she’d go down swinging. Happily.

When he’d kissed her the day before, he’d found her sweet, so sweet, and now was no different. Mia had been aggressive, and he’d always enjoyed her strength. Gwen, though, was melting in his arms, and he was tempted to pull her into his arms completely and just take her. Her hands were clutching his shirt one second and, the next, they’d loosened and her arms had banded around him. His own hands had slid into her hair and tangled there as he tilted her head, giving him better access to the taste he suddenly found he needed. Desperately.

Control. He had to find his control before he did something he’d regret. No matter how badly the wanting for her was racing through his system, he knew that he couldn’t—wouldn’t—take her. Not now. Not when she’d sat by his side and helped him solve his own problems. Not when he still didn’t know what he wanted to do with all the feelings that were pulsing through him.

Slowly, he let go of her and watched her face as she surfaced. Her eyes were clouded but cleared quickly as she focused on him again. She lifted her fingers to her lips, and he wondered what she was thinking.

“Gwen?”

“Kevin?”

He smiled. “What are you thinking?”

“That you need a restraining order for that mouth of yours.” The response was immediate, and he grinned. He was realizing that he liked that wit of hers.

“I was thinking that I was wrong.”

“About?”

“Yesterday, I thought that the kiss was amazing for me because I hadn’t been involved with anyone for seven years, so I probably thought it was more than it really was.”

“And now?”

“Now?” He reached out and took her hands in his. “Now I’m thinking that the kiss was amazing because you are. Amazing,” he clarified.

Gwen blushed. “You don’t have to be nice, Kevin.”

He frowned. “I’m not. Didn’t you think it was incredible?”

“I-I…yes,” she confessed. “But what does it mean?”

He lifted her hand to his lips and studied her over it. “You’re the first woman I’ve had feelings for since Mia. That’s a big thing for me. What makes it even bigger is that these feelings are different from the flash and burn I felt for Mia. You make me feel…”

“Alive? Warm? Safe?” she suggested.

Kevin nodded. “Those and more. I can’t describe it, but I feel it. Do you?” When she nodded, he sighed. “Gwen, I don’t know what to do with these feelings, though. I mean, I just realized that I’ve been subconsciously holding tight to Mia for so long, and now I’m finding that I’m outrageously attracted to you, too. I really don’t know what to do.”

She smiled now. “Why don’t we just take it as it comes, then?”

“Hmm?”

“For example, I could say something like, ‘Kevin, would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?’” Gwen said, wondering what his answer would be.

His grin flashed. “I’d love to, but Brian’s having people over for a barbecue tomorrow. Alex and Christine McLean, who I don’t think you’ve met yet, found out that they’re expecting their first child. Alex is Brian’s best friend, so Bri decided to throw a barbecue bash in honor of the big announcement.”

“Oh. No, I haven’t met the McLean’s, but congratulations to them,” she said.

“Why don’t you come with me? Be my date?”

“Uhh…”

“Come on, Gwen. It’ll be fun, and you’ll get to meet other people, too,” Kevin tried to persuade her.

She gave in. “Oh, what the heck. I’ll go. You’ve got yourself a date, Mr. Richardson.”

He kissed her again.

She stumbled over rocks and skidded down the rough path. The spray dampened her face as she steadied herself and continued on. She’d figured that there was a cave behind each of the Falls, and the path led to them. She wanted the adventure that came hand in hand with standing behind a waterfall—an adventure she’d never before experienced. Now, if she could only figure out where exactly to slip behind…Ah.

Though she got the majority of her clothing wet, she managed to climb into the small, cozy cave. It was exactly as she’d imagined it would be with its ceiling just high enough for a person to stand, and its width was ten steps across. It didn’t surprise her so much as it delighted her. What surprised her was the man she found inside.

“Brian?”

He turned, and, though he bore a resemblance to Brian from behind, the face and build was completely different.

“Welcome, Reena.” He smiled as her mouth dropped open in shock.

“L-Laurent?” she was amazed her voice didn’t crack.

He nodded and his smile made his eyes gleam. “It pleases me to see your heart brings you here. I’d wondered who he would pick.”

“Who?” Why did ghosts always talk in riddles? she wondered distantly.

Laurent shook his head, and Reena noticed that she could see the water through him. She really was seeing a ghost. “Inside, Reena. Inside you, there is the answer to so much. All you have to do is listen.”

“I-I’m sorry. I’m confused,” she began, but he smiled again.

“Reena. It is not for me to tell you the answers.”

“Then why…?”

“Am I appearing to you?” He touched her cheek, and Reena felt the warmth from the touch though his hand passed through her skin. “Because Liliane and I need your help. Three hundred years are coming to a close, but what we need is out of our reach. All we can do is give advice, perhaps even guide. We are so close, Reena. Just listen to what’s inside you. Listen to your heart.”

Reena woke, and her gaze scanned the room wildly. Gone were the waterfalls, the cave, Laurent. It had seemed so real, she thought, climbing out of bed. Her knees shook when she tried to stand, so she ended up sitting on the bed again. Her imagination had been vivid when she’d been younger, but this dream had been above and beyond her childhood imaginings. She’d felt Laurent’s ghostly touch, felt the spray from the water, smelled the woodsy scent of the place. And, now…

Her heart rate slowly settling, she swept a hand through her hair and…It was wet. Her pulse bumped up again as she stared at the water droplets on her hand. Reena held her hair up to her eyes and realized it really was wet.

What the hell is going on?

Flicking on her bedside lamp, she stared at the clock on the wall. It ticked to five o’clock, and Reena knew she’d never be able to sleep. She needed to tell someone, see what the dream had meant and why it had been so real that she was, even now, sitting on her bed with damp hair.

When the thought came, she didn’t bother hesitating. He’d shown her the falls, given her the tale, so he may as well be the one who answer her questions, too, her mind told her. Even as she thought it, she’d grabbed her cell phone and found the new number she’d put in only a day ago. So what that it was dawn, that the sun hadn’t risen yet? She needed answers and doubted she’d be able to get to sleep again.

***

“Hello?” Who on earth was calling at the crack of dawn? he wondered, even as he yanked the cell phone out of the pocket of his shorts.

“Brian, it’s Reena. I need to talk to you, please.” Her voice sounded shaky, and he wondered what had happened.

“Reena? Is everything okay?”

“Yes…no. I don’t know. I know it’s early, but I have questions that need to be answered. Please, Brian, I wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t important.” She sounded as though she might cry, and Brian found that it was the last thing he wanted.

Staring hard at the light that just teased the horizon, he ran a hand through his hair. “No problem, then. I’m, uh, at the falls actually.”

“Really?” Was that surprise or fear he heard in her voice?

“Yeah. Wanna meet me out here? If you bring your camera, I’m pretty sure you’ll get some great sunrise shots,” he added.

There was a short silence before she responded. “Okay, sure. I’ll be there in a bit. Don’t go anywhere.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Brian murmured even as he heard the click on the other end of the line.

He picked his way down the path to the falls and seated himself on a large rock. Wondering what it was that was so important she was calling him at, literally, the crack of dawn, he dipped a hand into the small pool of water that had collected near the base of the rock. When he heard the startled ribbit, he grinned at the frog that watched him with large eyes.

Reena found him sitting on the rock, a frog cradled in his palm. He was talking nonsense to it, and she had a second to think it was really cute, before she interrupted him.

“Brian?”

He looked up and grinned at her. “Hey! You’re just in time! Fred and I were just talking about what breakfast we were going to have. Fred seriously thinks flies and crawly bugs are the way to go, but I have my doubts.” When she didn’t smile as he’d hoped she would, he scooted over and patted the space next to him. “Have a seat and tell Uncle Brian what’s bothering you.”

“I don’t think I can think of you as an uncle,” she muttered, but sat. “What are you doing here so early?”

Brian shrugged. “I come to run every morning. It’s a great way to start the day, you know.”

“Do you ever sleep?”

He grinned. “Of course, I do! I just have a lot of energy when I wake up, so, a few years back, I decided I’d come here to run every day. And, ta-da! Here I am.”

“Yeah.” When she was silent, he nudged her knee.

“What’s up, Reena?”

She frowned as Fred the frog hopped from his hand onto her leg. “I had a dream.”

“About?”

She pointed to the waterfall. “That. Here. Laurent.”

“What?” He touched her chin, enough to cause her to look at him. Even in the blue light of dawn, his eyes were intense.

“I had a dream about Laurent,” she repeated. “We were in the cave behind the first waterfall. The weird thing is, I’ve never been back there, but I bet I could tell you exactly what it looks like.”

“I bet you could.” He let go of her and nudged Fred back into his pool. “Why don’t you tell me what you and Laurent chatted about?”

When she’d described her dream and the advice Laurent had given her, he was quiet for a few moments, frowning at his hands. She wondered if he thought she was crazy, absolutely nuts, as Kevin had told her many people thought he was for having strange dreams. Finally, Brian looked up at her and studied her face.

His voice was thoughtful when he spoke. “I’ve never dreamt about the Falls. I was born here, run here, but I’ve never dreamt of this place. I’ve never seen the ghosts, not even in dreams. You’re here not two days, and they’ve already snuck into your dreams.” He sighed. “I can’t help you, Reena. Kevin, on the other hand, has plenty of experience with dreams. He and Callie would probably be really interested in hearing what Laurent told you. I think you’ll be better off talking to them.”

“Thank you for helping. I’m sorry it makes you sad that, for whatever reason, the legend’s sucked me into it.” She kissed his cheek. “If it’s any consolation, I’d rather you have these dreams than me. I’d rather be a bystander in it. You, on the other hand, are more a part of this place” she gestured around them “than I am.”

He shook his head. “How do you get into my head, woman? But, no, I’m not sad, so much as wondering why I’ve always felt attracted to this place if I wasn’t meant to do something for the lovers. Kevin’s immortalized them in art, Callie in her books, Gwen and Howie will with the memorial. I can’t help wondering what I’m doing.” When he realized how whiny he sounded, he shook his head and slid off the rock. “Come on.”

“Where?”

Brian held out a hand. “Just come. I hope you brought your camera.” He pointed to the sky overhead. Pink was seeping its way through the blues and purples staining the atmosphere. “The sun’s coming out. You should get some great shots, but you have to hurry.”

Nodding, she grabbed her bag and let him help her off the rock. They trudged back up the path towards the same overlook she’d photographed from before. Though the only time they spoke was when he invited her to a barbecue at his home later that day, Reena found herself enjoying the content silence that fell just as she was realizing how much she enjoyed being around him. She hadn’t experienced that with a man since…No. She forced her mind away from the past to see the way the colors of the sky were changing and making the forest glow with soft light. It was beautiful, and she understood why so many people she’d met in Seven Falls appreciated the place.

“Reena.” Brian’s voice turned her attention from the woods to the direction his hand was gesturing.

“Oh!” Her delight in the sun that edged over the horizon and tinted the falls a rosy hue had her reaching for her camera.

Brian watched as Reena snapped picture after picture, stopping every so often to adjust her shutter and muttered about angles and depth. He’d lied when he’d said that he had slept. He hadn’t slept. At least not during the night that had just passed. He’d tossed and turned, trying to figure out why, in six years, he’d never felt for Juliet what he now felt for Reena. Sure, Juliet was smart, funny, caring, and sweet to the core, but so was Reena. So why was it that he felt compelled to spend all the time in the world with Reena—the time he’d never felt the need to spend with Juliet? Not to mention he couldn’t seem to stop himself from wanting to touch her, hold her, hear that low voice with its faint Boston accent.

The sun broke upon the earth fully and flooded the falls with light.

“Reena.”

Though he’d spoken her name quietly, she heard him through the amazement she felt at watching the scenery come alive. When she turned, he was already reaching for her, and, instead of stepping away, she went into his arms willingly. As their lips met, a bird began to sing.

***

“Callie Marie Dorough! What the hell are you doing knocking on my door at six in the freaking morning?!”

Callie didn’t cringe, didn’t even take a step back at the anger of a man who loomed several inches over her. Instead, she brushed past him into his home and settled into an armchair in his living room. Unable to prevent it, Kevin followed her, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

He was barely awake and, here was Callie, pounding on his door at the crack of dawn. He hadn’t gone to bed until three as he hadn’t returned from the falls until almost half past two. He’d wanted to spend as much time as possible with Gwen and found himself thinking about her even as he wanted to strangle his good friend’s wife for waking him not three hours after he’d gone to bed.

“What is it, Callie? What could possibly be so important that you would feel it necessary to wake me up at the crack of dawn?” Kevin was spitting mad and wasn’t going to take it. Unless there was a good reason behind this wake up call.

Callie leaned forward, and he spotted the anxiety in her eyes. “Kevin, when was the last time you dreamt about the legend?”

“Huh?” That was the last thing he’d expected. “I-I don’t know. Not for a while. I think…maybe in April or May?” He shrugged. “What’s going on, Cal?”

“Something’s going to happen and soon. I’ve been having dreams about them,” Callie began. “They seem happy, and they said something about being free soon.”

“It’s almost the three hundred year anniversary,” Kevin pointed out.

She shook her head. “Come on, Kevin. You know it can’t be that easy to break the spell. Liliane told me I had to help someone fulfill something in order to set them free. What I can’t figure out is who and what.”

He frowned slightly. “That’s weird, but I haven’t had any dreams about them in months. I don’t know what to tell you. The last dream about the legend that I heard was from Kirby. She dreamt about Mia at the falls.”

Callie caught his wrist in a firm grip. “Tell me everything.”

Kevin complied and, when he’d finished, she sat back and sighed. “You’re a part of it.”

“Me? Part of what? Whatever’s going to break this spell?” He shook his head. “No way, Callie. I’m not related to Laurent or Liliane. All that connects me is the dreams.”

“And your paintings,” Callie reminded him.

“Yeah. So what? How does anything Mia said have anything to do with me breaking the spell?”

“Think, Kev. She said her death was a part of something greater than just your family. My sister may not have liked her gift, but she respected it. Understood it. Do you think it’s mere coincidence that she appears to Kirby with a message for you to help Fate on the same night that Laurent and Liliane come to me?” She shook her head. “There’s something happening, and we have to figure it out.”

“Why? I mean, if Fate is going to do what it’s going to do anyway, why can’t we just go along with the flow of it all? Why do we need to know what’s happening? Don’t you think that would hinder progress if we overthink our every action?”

Callie shook her head. “The lovers and Mia wouldn’t have given advice if they’d thought we could do whatever it is we have to do without help. There’s something missing to the puzzle of the legend, Kevin, and we have to figure it out. I can’t see the past, I can only see the future. You, on the other hand, can see the past. Try to look back and find the missing link. Please.”

“Callie, I can’t just dream on demand. It’s never been that way,” he reminded her.

“Please, Kevin. If you can’t, then try to go back to the falls and see if there’s a clue up there. Maybe you’ll see them, and they’ll give you another clue. Please,” Callie insisted.

Knowing that, no matter what he did, he’d always be embroiled in the legend, he gave in. Callie would never leave him alone unless he helped, and his own curiosity had been sparked, too. “Okay, Callie. I’ll go up and see what’s what. But, I have to tell you, I was up there last night and the night before. If I’m supposed to sense something, I pretty much failed.”

“Just go, Kevin. Please. Meanwhile, I’m going to try to dig through old journals that have been passed down through my family. Maybe there’s a clue in them.” She sighed and noted the sun was fully up and beaming through the windows. She gave him a small smile. “Sorry about dragging you out of bed, but I haven’t been able to sleep with this in my head.”

Kevin sighed. “No problem, Callie.”

She stood. “Well, I guess I’d better get back and get Astra ready for school. Do you want me to take Kirby today?”

“Nah. I’ll drive her over. Thanks for all the help the past couple mornings,” Kevin said apologetically. “And, you may as well have coffee before you go. I’m up and probably won’t go back to bed anytime soon.”

She grinned. “You’re the best!”

Juliet dialed the number then waited. She had a patient waiting for her in an examining room, but she hadn’t been able to sleep all night. The only thing she’d thought about was Brian and their relationship. She’d gone over every angle of their conversation and tried to figure out what she could have done better, what would have kept him. Now, she was terrified that she was about to lose him. For good.

“Hello, and welcome to the Brian Littrell show! How may I accommodate you?”

Juliet nearly lost it when she heard his goofy greeting. She loved him. How could she bear to let him go? “Brian, it’s me.”

She heard his sharp intake of breath before he spoke. “Hey, Juliet. How are you?”

“I-I’m okay. I just, Brian, I can’t stop thinking about how badly I messed up,” she whispered.

“Juliet…”

“Please don’t say you’re sorry that things are turning out the way they are,” she pleaded. “It’s just that we’ve been together for so long, and I’m so in love with you. Brian, I don’t want to live without you by my side. I can’t just let us go like this. Please tell me that I didn’t screw everything up so badly that you can’t even think about being with me again.” Screw pride, she thought. She was desperate to hold onto the man she loved.

There was a long silence, and she thought he’d hung up. When she heard his voice again, she had a moment to be relieved that he was still talking to her before he cut her off at the knees.

“I’m sorry, Juliet. I have a meeting to get to. We’ll definitely talk. I promise.” He paused. “I-I’ll see you later.”

When she heard the click, she stared at the receiver for long moments. The tears that blurred her vision streamed down her face. Juliet barely felt them as her heart shattered. He’d just dismissed her feelings for a meeting? He wouldn’t have meant to be cruel, she knew, but that action had smashed her heart.

Knowing she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on healing, she called the nurse practitioner she had as a substitute. When the other woman had arrived, she stepped out into the bright sunlight and wondered how the sun could shine when, inside, she was as cold as the Arctic tundra.

***

“I think all the two of you need is time,” Christine said for the hundredth time as she watched one of her closest friends dissolve into a puddle of tears again.

She hated seeing Juliet, usually one of the strongest women she knew, broken like this. How could she tell Juliet that the man she loved didn’t love her? Well, Brian loved her, but he wasn’t in love with her, and that made all the difference. Christine had asked him once why, if he wasn’t in love with Juliet, he bothered to stay with her. His answer had been that he cared about her and didn’t want anyone else at the moment. What had happened, Christine wondered, to change all that in a few days?

Juliet brushed the tears aside and lifted her bloodshot eyes. “He’s never going to love me, is he? I mean, if he hasn’t fallen in love with me in six years, he’s never going to love me the way I need, right?”

“I don’t know.” Which was the truth, Christine reminded herself. “Then again, it’s not as though the two of you have been together for every day of the past six years, either. You broke up and got back together more times than I can remember.”

“Yes, but those times were mutually decided upon,” Juliet began but Christine cut her off.

“Honey, if you’re deciding to break up, then there was something wrong. The fact that you kept separating then getting back together again should have told you that you didn’t have the best of relationships,” Christine pointed out. “If he’d really wanted to be with you from the start, he wouldn’t have let you go so many times.”

“Yes, but…” What could she say to the truth? Juliet thought sadly. “So, now what?”

Christine handed her a box of tissues and studied her friend’s face. “You could just give him time, like he said. Maybe things will start to work out now that you’ve pretty much slapped your feelings in his face.”

“Or maybe they’ll get worse?”

“Think positive, Jules!” Christine shook her head. “In the meantime, don’t dwell on it too much.”

“I’ll try,” Juliet murmured.

Christine squeezed her hand comfortingly. “You’ll get through this. One way or other.” She patted her belly. “So, you’re still coming to the barbecue tonight, right? I mean, you’re not going to let Brian’s lack of feelings chase you off, are you?”

“What barbecue?”

Christine’s brows shot up. “You weren’t invited? That’s…surprising.” She shook her head. “Brian’s throwing a barbecue tonight at his place. It’s in celebration of my pregnancy.”

The pang hit like an arrow in her heart, and Juliet tried to fight off the hurt she felt when she realized that Brian hadn’t even brought up the barbecue when they’d been discussing Alex and Christine’s child. Had she missed the signs that signaled that their relationship had been heading nowhere?

“Come anyway.”

“What?” Juliet glanced over, surprised. “I can’t just go when I wasn’t invited, Chris. That’s rude.”

Christine waved it off. “You’re a close friend of mine, and the bash happens to be for me and the little one I’m carrying.” She laid a hand over her stomach. “If I say you’re coming, you’re coming. Brian can just deal with it.”

Though she found herself agreeing to go, Juliet couldn’t help but wonder if she was just bringing on more heartbreak for herself.

***

“You’re giving me a day and a half to paint this?” Kevin frowned at the phone he held. “Howie, I’m not a freaking miracle worker. Stuff like this takes time.”

“Kev, just look at the sketch and then tell me if you’re not inspired to paint the whole thing ASAP.” Howie was calm as a lake.

Kevin rolled his eyes. “Fine. Fax it over, and I’ll get back to you.”

“Thanks, Kev. I owe you one.” There was a pause. “I’m not going to fax it so much as I’m sending it over to you.”

“You’re coming by?” Kevin tried to remember the last time he’d seen his best friend, though the man lived across the street.

Howie chuckled at the surprise in Kevin’s voice. “No, unfortunately, I don’t have that much time in my schedule. I’m sending it over with Gwen. I figure, she’s the artist, so she can point you in the right direction with the design. Is that okay?”

Gwen. He’d spent all morning thinking about her and how he’d see her again for dinner. He was well on his way to being truly hooked, and he knew it. Though he wasn’t sure how he felt about that, he was sure he liked the feelings she stirred in him.

He grinned at the thought of having her in his home. Alone.

“Kevin?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. That’s fine. Send Gwen over. I’ll do your painting, Howie.”

“Great! Then I’ll see you tonight at Brian’s?”

“Yeah. See ya later.”

Kevin paced the house and wondered if everything was clean enough for the unexpected visit. True, the books were shelved a little haphazardly, and all the candles were certainly a fire hazard, but it wasn’t as though Gwen would want to light a candle. He flicked a finger over the coffee table in the den and frowned at the smudge of dust on his finger. Maybe he could dust a little bit before she came.

When the doorbell chimed, he sighed. Well, dirty or not, Gwen would be in his home, and he fought back the nerves he felt. It wasn’t as though she was the only woman in the world, and he had to impress her, he reminded himself. She wasn’t coming to play anyway. She was coming over in a professional capacity, and that was how he’d deal with her at the moment. Later…

When the doorbell rang again, he hurried to the door and pulled it open. “Hey!”

Gwen smiled cautiously. “Hi. I hope I’m not interrupting anything important, but Howie said it was fine if I came over.”

“Yeah, it’s fine. Come on in.” He held the door open for her and found himself grinning foolishly as he breathed in the scent of her light perfume. Professional capacity, he reminded himself and followed her into the living room.

It felt right, Gwen thought the instant her feet entered Kevin’s house. Everything was so cozy, welcoming, and she wondered why she’d been nervous about visiting him. Though she loved neatness, she was enjoying the clutter of his home. There were knickknacks scattered over every possible shelf and table, alongside books and scented candles. She wondered if the candles were his idea or Kirby’s.

“So,” Kevin began, pulling her out of her study of his home. “Let’s see this sketch that I need to paint.”

She pulled out a manila folder and handed it to him. He took it, opened it, and studied the sheet of paper. She tried to gauge his reaction to her idea, but his face gave nothing away. Seconds dragged as she wondered what it was that could be keeping him so caught up in a simple ink drawing. Her nerves were beginning to scream, and he continued to turn the paper this way and that.

Finally, when she was sure she’d scream, he looked up at her and smiled. “It’s perfect.”

“Really?” Her breath whooshed out. “I thought, from the way you were scrutinizing it, that it wasn’t meeting your standards.”

Kevin reached over and took her hand in his. “Gwen, I don’t have really high standards. Even if I did, this sketch, your idea…it’s perfect. I mean, it wasn’t what I’d imagined for the memorial whenever I thought about it, but it’s great! It’s exactly right.”

“But if it wasn’t what you’d thought, how can it be perfect?”

“Sometimes, someone else knows exactly what you need, even if you didn’t think you needed it. This is one of those times,” he told her.

When she nodded a little, he tipped her chin up so he could see her eyes. The nerves were still apparent, and he wondered at how she’d managed to work in such a high power job when she constantly worried about her abilities. Knowing she needed reassurance, he told himself to screw professional capacity. It was for Wall Street businessmen, and he was an artist.

Leaning over, he laid his lips on hers in a kiss that was gentle, comforting, and he found himself lingering over it even as it turned from simple reassurance to something that caused his pulse to race. He broke away softly and smiled at the perplexed look on her face.

Kevin stood and held out a hand. “Come with me.”

“Where?”

He waved the sheet he still held. “To start the painting, Gwen. I’ve got a little more than twenty four hours to do it, so I’ve got to get started right away.” He winked. “Good thing I have a partner.”

***

“I’m thinking a bronze tone.” She tilted her head as he mixed paint. “I mean, the bronze will be warmer than, say, titanium. Silvers and golds always seem so cold, and the legend needs something warmer to symbolize it. Right?”

Kevin nodded. “Bronze is what I think a lot of people imagined when they thought about the memorial. At the town meeting last year, when Bri first brought the idea up, he wanted something in a copper. But, I think if we can find a metal, or create an alloy, that’s a mix of copper and something else that’ll make it a little lighter, add a flicker of gold…it’ll be perfect.”

“Can you paint that color?” Gwen wondered as she watched his hands add paint, stir, dab, and stir again. Her sketch was beginning to come to life on his canvas, and she had to admit it was exciting.

He nodded. “I think it shouldn’t be too difficult.” He dropped a kiss on her lips before turning back to the canvas.

Gwen lifted a hand to her mouth as she turned in a circle to admire his studio for the umpteenth time. She couldn’t believe all the canvases that lay on the floor, leaned against the wall, and sat in stacks. There were gorgeous paintings of what she now recognized as different angles of Seven Falls and its surroundings. The paintings were vivid and colorful, and she knew she’d have to be blind to not see the love Kevin felt for his corner of the world. The love that burst out of all of his work.

“You don’t paint people,” she murmured.

“Hmm?”

She turned to him. “Kevin, why don’t you paint people? I mean, I love your landscapes, but what about painting people?”

He set the color palette on a table and moved to where she stood studying a set of paintings of a forest. His arms went around her as he lightly nuzzled her neck.

Gwen leaned back into his arms and the strength she’d been discovering for the past two and a half days. The past three hours with him, though, had been the best. They’d worked together on transferring her sketch onto the canvas, and, in between arguments on angles and perspectives, he’d held her, kissed her, and showered her with physical affection.

It wasn’t just the physical affection, though, that was keeping her captivated. The night before, they’d discussed everything from art to politics, and the discussion had been restarted while he’d been painting. He was intelligent, quick, and had such conviction in the environmental cause. All of it, all of him, overwhelmed her because she’d never thought a man like him could ever be interested in someone like her. He was also stirring up feelings in her she’d never expected to feel again.

“You’re thinking worrisome thoughts,” he murmured against her neck. “I can hear them.”

She turned in his arms and rested her head against his shoulder. “Kevin, you’re not answering my question.”

“What was it again?” His voice was amused.

“Why don’t you paint people?”

He was quiet for a few moments; long enough that she leaned back to look up at his face. “Kevin?”

“I used to,” he murmured. “I used to draw my mother and my older brothers when I was younger. Later, I painted Mia and Kirby all the time, enough times that Mia thought I was edging into obsession with the two of them. When she was pregnant the second time, I did so many studies of her.” He let go of Gwen and spun away to pace, one hand running through his hair restlessly. “I loved her so much, and I couldn’t get enough. When she was gone, I stopped painting people. I couldn’t handle looking at the canvases that threw Mia in my face every time I turned around.”

“What happened to all the paintings?”

He glanced over at her. Gwen stood amid his work, her hands folded, her eyes solemn. He didn’t want the sympathy he saw in her eyes. “I was going to burn them. Callie stopped me. Callie Dorough, Howie’s wife, is Mia’s sister,” he explained. “So, instead of burning the paintings, Cal took them all. I don’t know what she did, but I don’t think I could bear to look at them again.”

“Maybe you should. Maybe it’s all a part of letting her go,” Gwen pointed out quietly.

Why wasn’t she upset? Kevin wondered. Why wasn’t she hurt that he was talking about his wife when, only minutes before, he’d been holding her? He grabbed her arms, forcing her eyes to meet his.

“I loved her, Gwen. I was crazy in love with my wife for more than half of my life, and, God help me, if it wasn’t for Kirby, I would’ve followed her into death. Do you understand that?”

If he’d thought he would shock her with that confession, she realized that she wasn’t shocked. “I do.” But she was afraid. Terrified that, by opening himself up like this, he’d pushed her closer to the edge—one that she’d tried to avoid for so many years. She didn’t want this jittery feeling in her heart, didn’t want to start needing him. Need, after all, was one step away from love, and to love Kevin would be…

Everything.

Kevin saw the emotions flit through her eyes and saw something other than the fear he’d thought he’d see after the statement he’d just made. He wasn’t sure of her feelings, let alone his own. Whatever was happening was too much, too soon for him. And yet, he was drawn to her like a moth to flame.

“Gwen.” His voice was quiet now. “I’ve never told anyone that before, but I need you to know. I don’t want to be unfair to you, to make you believe that I can offer you something when I don’t know if I’m completely over my wife.”

She lifted a hand to his cheek and smiled. “It’s only been a few days since I met you, Kevin, and I don’t want to have you disappear on me now. Trust me to tell you when I feel neglected.” She shook her head slightly. “I don’t think I’ll ever feel that from you, though. But…can you trust me?”

“I told you last night, Gwen. I do trust you.” His lips brushed over her forehead even as a feeling of relief that he hadn’t scared her off slid through him. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For understanding what I’m feeling when I don’t know what I’m feeling.” He grinned. “I’ve never had someone know what’s going through my head in quite the same way you do.”

“Well.” She patted his cheek. “There’s a first time for everything.”

“Gwen, stop fidgeting.” Reena watched her sister’s fingers drum against the windowsill before she turned her attention back to the road. “Seriously, it’s just a barbecue, no big deal.”

“No big deal? Reena, these are Kevin’s friends we’re going to meet.” Her fingers tapped faster. “It’s not ‘no big deal,’ it’s a freaking huge deal!”

Reena stifled a smile at her sister’s nerves. She couldn’t help it; she hadn’t seen Gwen so caught up in a man in…ever. True, there had been Paul, but that had been years ago. Even then, Gwen had always been calm and collected, never nervous and anxious as she was now.

“You really like Kevin, huh?”

Gwen turned to look at her sister. “I know, it sounds crazy, doesn’t it? I mean, I met the guy forty-eight hours ago, and I feel like I’ve known him my entire life. We just…clicked.”

“I’m glad, Gwendolyn. You need someone like that in your life. It’s about time you found him.”

Gwen bit her lip and stared at the rows of houses they were passing. “It’s not like we’re getting married, Reena. I mean, he’s still stuck on his wife. He’s still in love with her, even though he’s convincing himself that he’s moving on. I just don’t want to get my heart set on anyone. Not now.”

“Is it that he really is still in love with his dead wife, or would you rather he was still fixated on her so you won’t have to admit that you might, just might, be able to see something big happening with him?” Reena wondered aloud.

When Gwen’s fingers stopped their drumming, Reena glanced over at her older sister again. There was a frown on her face as she stared at something in the distance. Reena wondered what Gwen was thinking.

“You’re going to miss the turn,” Gwen said quietly, and Reena’s attention snapped back to driving as she made the left turn onto a street full of large homes.

“Whoa,” Reena murmured. “I didn’t know journalism, radio, and coaching brought in this kind of money.” How loaded was Brian, and how had he gotten it all?

Gwen watched her sister now. “Reena? Where did you go this morning at five?”

“Huh?”

“This morning, I heard you leave before sunrise. Where did you go?” Gwen asked again.

“Oh.” The tiniest of blushes crept up on Reena’s cheeks. “I, uh, I went to the Falls.”

“Why?”

“I had a dream about the Seven Falls legend, and I wanted answers,” Reena explained. “Oh, look! This is the house, 2237 Robin Egg Lane!”

She hoped their arrival would help her evade the rest of her sister’s questions. She didn’t really want to think about what it was she and Brian were doing. He was still dating the local physician, but he’d kissed Reena enough that they both knew that there was something special between the two of them. Something neither of them could resist—no matter how wrong it was.

Reena parked at the curb and noted the row of other cars that was clustered around Brian’s driveway before her attention was drawn to the house. She climbed out of the car and stared up at the three story, brick and stone mansion. She wondered how it was that he could happily live in it alone, but the place looked lived-in and loved from the whimsical wind chimes fluttering in the breeze to the colorful flower beds to the cheerful sounds she could hear coming from the back. Suddenly, all she wanted to do was get back in the car and drive away.

Gwen watched the flicker of anxiety on her sister’s face. “Reena? Brian was at the Falls this morning, wasn’t he?” When her sister nodded, her gaze still stuck on the house, Gwen sighed. “Reena, what’s going on with the two of you? I thought he was dating Dr. Stevens?”

Reena tore her gaze away from the house that seemed to symbolize Brian to look at Gwen. “He is. But we…Gwen, we hit it off really well, and I don’t really know what either of us really wants.”

Gwen patted her shoulder. “Well, then, I guess we’re both taking things as they come, huh?”

“Yeah.” Reena sighed before squaring her shoulders. “Let’s go in, Gwen. We’re already a little late.”

***

Brian was trying desperately to avoid her. He’d been a jerk this morning, and he knew it. He’d hung up on her after she’d spilled her heart at his feet, and, from the look on her face every time he caught her watching him, he was sure that she hated him for breaking her heart. It made him wince to know that’s what he’d done though he’d never wanted to break anyone’s heart. It had just happened.

“The best intentions,” he muttered to himself as he slid marinated steaks onto the grill.

“Talking to yourself again?” Alex slung an arm around his shoulder and grinned. “I’m glad you did this, Bri. We haven’t just hung out in a while like this, with everyone.”

Brian studied the scene in his backyard and smiled. Kirby and Astra were in the pool, Howie, Kevin, and Nick were playing a half-hearted game of poker as they sipped from the giant margarita glasses Brian had found in Brazil, and Dana, Christine, and Juliet were lounging on the lawn chairs, talking.

“It is good, isn’t it?” he agreed.

His gaze was drawn to the gate into the backyard, and he watched Gwen enter the yard and look around at those gathered. He had a moment to be relieved that Reena hadn’t come, since it would be really awkward with both Reena and Juliet in the same place, before Reena followed her sister in. Though his stomach dropped to his feet, his heart did a somersault when he saw her. He wondered what either of those feelings meant.

“Hey, are those the Phillips sisters?” Alex wondered, already moving away to meet them. “Hello, ladies! I’m Alex, you must be Gwen and Reena.”

Kevin had already caught Gwen’s hand in his own and brushed a kiss over her lips, one that had every adult raising their brows. “You came.”

She blushed furiously. “Of course, I did. And it’s nice to meet you, Alex. I’m Gwen.”

“Wow, Kevy-Kev. Talk about moving fast,” Alex teased him. “You’re going at lightning speed, aren’t you?”

Kevin shrugged. “I like her,” he said simply, before he tugged Gwen over to where he’d been sitting and introduced her to their friends.

Reena watched as her sister was spoke to the group settled in chairs around the patio. Gwen, the one always worried about making a good impression on people, was charming the socks off of everyone already. Of course, it wasn’t new news as that’s how it always went. Gwen was the charmer, and Reena was the one who went her own way—a way most people usually were cautious about.

“Hi! I’m Juliet.” A hand was stuck into Reena’s line of sight, and she looked up into somber gray eyes. Juliet. So this was the woman whose love she was stealing away, Reena realized. She couldn’t help but feel awful about herself as she saw the lines of strain in the other woman’s face, despite the cheerful smile she wore.

Would you be so happy to meet me if you knew what it was I’m doing to you? Reena thought, and felt ashamed. She caught Brian watching them, a worried look on his face and knew that he was genuinely sorry that they were hurting Juliet by carrying on the way they had been.

She pasted a smile on her face. “It’s nice to meet you, Juliet. I’m Reena.” She shook Juliet’s hand and allowed herself to be led over to the circle of chairs where everyone sat.

“Reena, right?” A petite woman with deep blonde curls smiled at her. “I’m Christine—Alex’s wife.” She jerked her thumb in the direction of her husband who had settled down to ask Gwen everything about herself. “If he comes over to ask you your life story, ignore him.”

“Once a reporter, always a reporter,” another woman, this one a brunette with amber eyes, added. “I’m Dana, by the way. Alex’s younger sister. It’s nice to meet you. I was the one who decided we needed a new photographer for the school portraits.”

“Oh. Well, then, I should thank you for my success so far in Seven Falls.” Reena smiled. “It’s great to meet all of you, and congratulations, Christine, on the baby.”

Green eyes lit up. “It was such a surprise, to be perfectly honest. We weren’t exactly planning it, what with me on the other side of the world nine months of the year. But, it’s exactly right.”

“It’s perfect!” Alex called over to his wife, grinning when she shot him a look full of amused exasperation.

“Did I mention the man has ears like you wouldn’t believe? It’s the reporter thing again,” Christine jokingly apologized.

“Did you ladies want a drink?” Nick wandered over, a smile full of boyish enthusiasm plastered across his face. Reena had a moment to think that the law should control that smile before he’d turned it on her. “So you’re Reena, huh? Brian mentioned you to me, yesterday. It’s great to meet you!”

Everyone but Brian missed the look Juliet shot Reena at the mention of Brian.

“Nick, babe. You didn’t tell her your name,” Dana pointed out.

Nick grinned again. “Sorry. Nick Carter, Dana’s husband.”

“Oh.” Reena nodded. “Well, then, I’m glad to meet you, too. Gosh, I feel like I’ve said that a thousand times since moving to town.”

Nick shrugged. “Don’t you love moving and getting to meet a thousand new people?” His smile flashed again. “I moved here two years ago, and I hated that phrase with a passion.”

“Until he met me, of course,” Dana reminded him, poking his side.

“Well, yeah.” His arm went around her as he sat next to her. “Then I loved that sentence because it was true. We met when she brought her cat in to be put down, and I held her hand while she cried. Six months later, we were married and settled in together.”

“That’s great!” Reena smiled.

“So, drinks, anyone?” Nick asked again.

Dana patted his cheek. “I’ve got you so well-trained, don’t I?”

“Honey,” Christine turned to them. “If he was any more trained, I’d put his veterinary ass up for those dog shows instead of the dogs he doctors.”

“So, you’re a vet?” Reena asked him.

He nodded. “Yep. I’d always loved animals, but my mother wanted me to be a doctor. We hit a compromise, and here I am.”

“Which is good,” Howie spoke up. “Because I’m not sure what we’d do without a vet in our little corner of the world.”

Reena looked around at the group that was gathered and grinned. “So I take it you’ve all been friends for a good, long time, huh? I mean, besides Nick, here.”

Kevin nodded. “Yeah. Brian’s my cousin, so it’s obvious I’ve known him my entire life. He grew up next door to Alex, and they were best friends. Both of them are four years younger than me, though, but I got to know Alex through Bri. Howie was my next door neighbor, so we were always doing things together, even though I’m two years older. Callie, Howie’s wife, is my, uh, wife’s younger sister. I married Mia when we were twenty and we had our daughter a year later. Howie and Callie got married when Callie graduated high school, and then they had Astra a couple years later.”

“Can I cut in?” Alex wondered. “I think I’m gonna tell my life story.”

“Sure.” Kevin shrugged, grinning.

Alex rubbed his hands together. “Let’s see, we finished Kevin and Howie’s life stories, so it’s my turn!” Christine rolled her eyes. “Christine and I dated all through high school, and then, when I finished up at Northwestern, I asked her to marry me even though she was only halfway done at Brown’s med school. Brian and I went to Northwestern together, and, when we both came back with journalism degrees, the newspaper here was looking for help, so we got the jobs.”

“Then, Nick came here a couple years ago, and he married Dana,” Howie finished. “And that’s our happy, little group story.”

“Wow.” Gwen smiled. “You must have such stories to tell about growing up together, huh?”

Dana rolled her eyes. “They did some pretty stupid things, but, yeah, there are some stories that will always be classics. Like the first time Alex got a tattoo, and Kevin found out he was getting it. Oh man, Kevin tore into that tattoo parlor like a crazy man and freaked out the artist so bad that he put some lines in Alex’s skin that weren’t supposed to be there.”

“Yeah.” Alex mock glared at Kevin. “Good thing the guy was creative and could fix it.”

“That and the fact that it’s on your back where I don’t have to see it all that often,” Christine reminded him. “It’s actually rather ugly,” she admitted to Reena and Gwen.

“Hey!”


***

“So, Reena.” Alex slid an arm around Christine’s waist and settled back in his chair. “We know Howie brought Gwen here for work, so what brings you to our fair town?”

Everyone was sitting in a large circle on Brian’s porch as the sun began to set. For the past hour, they’d talked, eaten, laughed, and joked, and the five men had even proven their musical talents by singing together. Though they’d never get a recording contract, mostly because they’d never wanted to, their impromptu performance had been special. Both Reena and Gwen were beginning to feel like part of the group. Of course, it wasn’t hard to feel that way, since each one of the friends was welcoming and easy to be around.

Reena was especially thankful because they’d all accepted Gwen and Kevin’s budding relationship happily and joked that it was about time Kevin dated again. They’d all been worried he was turning into a hermit—never leaving the house, painting all the time, and so on. As for herself and Brian…Well, Brian hadn’t been subtle at all about avoiding her. True, no one else had noticed that he’d stayed far away from her and Juliet and had avoided talking to both of them, but Reena knew what was what. Part of her agreed, but another part of her wanted him to hold her hand the way Kevin was holding Gwen’s. Even now, he was sitting far enough away from her that they could avoid eye contact entirely.

Shoving those thoughts aside, she remembered Alex’s question. “Why did I come to Seven Falls? Well, I guess you could say it’s work-related. I used to have a photo studio in Boston, but my partner and I stopped agreeing on things, so I left. I’m much happier here, though. Especially with all the interest in my work.” She beamed at Howie, who smiled back.

“Plus, she’s giving Kirby dark room lessons,” Kevin added.

Reena shrugged. “It’s not a problem. I like Kirby, and I couldn’t be happier to teach what I love.”

“So what kinds of things did you stop agreeing on with that ex-partner of yours?” Alex wondered. When Gwen made a small sound of surprise, he frowned. “Was it that bad?”

“No.” She’d figured the truth would come out sooner or later, so she figured, why not sooner? “Actually, we disagreed on the fact that, despite our engagement, he didn’t believe in the no cheating rule. I, of course, didn’t know about his view on it until I walked into the dark room one day and found him with my former best friend. Let’s just say they weren’t developing photos.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Reena saw Brian nearly drop the glass he held and wondered what he was thinking. Everyone else was absolutely silent, and she found the looks they were giving her were sympathetic.

“Wow,” Juliet finally spoke. “I’m sorry, Reena. It’s always tough when the person you love turns out to be completely different from what you thought.”

Though she felt shame flood her again, she shrugged. “It was six months ago, and I’m over it. I’ve moved on, and, last I heard, they got married. End of story.”

Gwen shot her a reassuring smile, but, before anyone else could speak up, the gate burst open again, and Callie rushed in.

“I’m so sorry I missed everything!” she exclaimed. “I got busy with the diaries and lost track of time. I’d meant to be here an hour ago, but…”

“Callie.” Brian stood and gave her his chair. “It’s okay. Sit. I’ll get you a plate.”

Callie plopped down and smiled absently at Gwen and Reena. “Hello. You must be the Phillips. Howie’s been telling me about the two of you…”

Brian escaped into the house. He needed something to do, anything that would keep his mind off of Reena’s revelations. She’d been engaged? She had been in love with a guy enough that she’d decided to marry him? He yanked open the oven where he’d stowed the leftovers. When the door clanged open, he frowned.

“There’s no point in being angry, Littrell,” he told himself. “This is what you get for cheating on Juliet and getting involved with a woman you’ve known for two days.” Not that it made him feel any better to know that Juliet had quietly stabbed at him with her comment. Of course, she didn’t know who Reena was to Brian, but if she had…

“Best not to think about that one, either,” he pointed out.

“Brian?”

He turned slowly until he was facing Reena. “Hi.”

She smiled slightly. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

“Can you blame me?”

She shook her head, sending her colorful earrings spinning. “No.” She paused. “Juliet’s very sweet.”

“Yes, she is.”

Reena squeezed her eyes shut. “Brian, I like her. I really do.” Her eyes opened again. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to leave her for me.”

“Wait. What?”

“She’s hurting, Brian, and I feel awful knowing I’m a part of the reason why she’s got a breaking heart. If you care about her at all, you should stay with her.”

He took a step towards Reena, partly because he couldn’t stop himself and partly because he wanted to shake her for making him feel even worse than he’d already been feeling. “And what about us? What about the way you feel? The way I feel?”

She’d been wrong when she’d thought it would be easy to nip this illicit relationship in the bud. Brian was making it difficult. “You care about Juliet, Brian. You’ve got a history with her, and I’m just a…a…fling. Just something that you need to get out of your system. Now that we’ve had a few kisses, I think we should stop. It was fun for two days, but it can’t last.”

He did shake her now, forcing her to look at him. “How can you say that? We-we’ve got a connection, we clicked, I’m too attracted to you to just stop. How the hell can you just brush it off like it’s nothing?”

She would not cry. She would not cry. The mantra echoed in her head as her gaze locked with furious blue eyes. “Because it’s nothing. It doesn’t mean anything to me, Brian. I’m attracted to lots of men, I’ve even kissed some of them. None of them ever meant anything to me. That’s why I can brush this off, too.”

“Did you brush off that fiancé of yours the same way, Reena?”

His grip on her arms was viselike, and she could see the hurt behind the fury in his eyes. “It doesn’t matter.”

“No?” How could it not? he wondered. Was she that cold-hearted that she could walk away from a man she’d wanted to spend her life with without a care in the world? Perhaps he’d been wrong about her. After all, she was right—they’d only known each other a few days.

Reena shook her head and drew out of his hold. “I’m sorry, Brian, but I can’t stand by and watch someone in pain because of me.” She glanced around the roomy kitchen with its top-of-the-line appliances and cozy décor. “I should get going. I just stopped in to say thank you for inviting me, and that we should stop whatever it is we were starting.” She smiled a little. “You’re a great guy, Brian. Make Juliet happy.”

And she was gone, leaving Brian to stand in his kitchen and wonder what the hell had just happened.

“Kevin? Can I ask you something?” Reena tapped his shoulder lightly.

He nodded. “Sure. What do you need?”

“It’s about the legend.” She gestured him over to a more private part of Brian’s backyard.

“What about the legend?”

Reena took a deep breath, wanting to tell Kevin fast and then get off of Brian’s property. “You said you had dreams about the lovers, the legend, right?” When he nodded, she rushed out an explanation of the dream she’d had and watched his brows shoot up in surprise. When she’d finished, she let out a deep breath. “Well? What do you think?”

“I think there’s something happening with the legend because Callie’s very antsy about it, too,” he admitted. “I’ll have to talk to her about this because I have no idea what’s happening anymore. I’ll let her know about your dream, and then she’ll probably want to talk to you.”

“Okay. Just as long as I’m not losing my mind.” Reena nodded. “Thanks, Kevin. I, well, I’ve gotta get going, so I’ll talk to you later, then?”

“Definitely.”

He watched her meet up with Gwen at the gate as both of them left. Then, he made a beeline for Callie. She had to know the newest piece to the legend’s puzzle, and, much as he hated to complicate his life, he could feel himself getting sucked into it by his curiosity.

When he’d told Callie about Reena’s dream, she sighed. “She’s a part of it, too. These dreams are so cryptic, Kev. Who’s the ‘he’ Laurent told her about? Who does she have a connection with that could possibly help break the spell? You?”

When she looked up at him, he held up his hands. “Cal, it’s not me. I mean, maybe if Gwen had the dream, I’d be convinced that something’s supposed to happen between us, but she hasn’t had the dream, Reena has.”

“Still,” Callie insisted. “You have to admit something’s happening what with everyone having these dreams, now.”

“Okay, yeah,” he admitted. “I’m curious now.”

“Then you know you have to go up there soon. See if the ghosts come out. Or maybe you’ll have a dream.” She ran her hands through her hair, frustrated. “I don’t know! Something has to happen. This is so infuriatingly exasperating.”

Kevin rubbed a hand over her shoulder. “Relax, Callie. What’s the worst that’ll happen if we don’t figure it out? We’re not going to die, are we?”

“No.” She watched him now. “Kevin, what would it be like if you were stuck on earth for three centuries unable to be with the woman you loved, knowing that there was a way that you could be with her but you had to get a group of mortals to solve the puzzle first? And what if those mortals refused to take it seriously? Would it make you sad, angry? Would it be worse knowing that, if they didn’t solve it and three hundred years lapsed, you’d lose the woman you loved forever? Laurent’s one of my ancestors, he’s one of Kirby’s ancestors. Kevin, I’d feel awful if I didn’t help them. It’s my duty, and I’m trying the best that I can.”

Well, when she put it that way… “You’re right, Callie.” He sighed. “I guess I’ll make a trip up there tonight, then. Does that make you feel any better?”

“Yeah.” She gave him a small smile. “Much. Thanks, Kev.”

Well, at least he’d been able to put her mind at rest, Kevin thought. It was his night that was going to be disrupted again. The last time he’d actually slept a whole six hours had been Saturday night. Four days ago, he thought. But, he knew that the legend was important, not just to Callie, but to all of his friends. They’d all been affected by the legend in one way or another, and he didn’t want to let them down if his actions were going to make or break the spell.

Which was why he found himself cursing at the rocks he was stumbling over as he walked down the path in the darkness. The moonlight was barely touching him because he was in the shade of large, leafy oak trees. It would be a miracle, he decided, if he got to the bottom without killing himself.

He wondered if he’d actually find anything worthwhile on this trip. After all, most of what he knew of the legend came from his dreams. Only a few select things he’d learned while at the falls, and they’d come when he’d actually seen Laurent and Liliane’s ghosts. Maybe he’d see their ghosts, then.

Kevin stepped out from under the canopy of the forest and the falls speared up in front of him, illuminated by the moonlight. He loved them when they looked like this. They seemed magical in the almost blue light, and he’d always believe them enchanted, ghosts or not.

He didn’t want to take the risk of climbing into any of the caves in the dark and hoped he’d sense something just by being near the water. Settling on top of a large boulder, he studied the falls. They’d been his special place all of his life. He couldn’t remember when he’d started coming here just to sit and wonder. The first time his parents had brought him, he’d been four and enthralled with all the water falling down. As he’d gotten older, he’d convinced his father to keep bringing him on the weekends. He’d spend entire days here, drawing the falls or just dreaming. The dreams had started when he’d been eight, and, soon after, he’d begun riding his bike up to the falls. His family had lived only a fifteen minutes’ ride away, so it hadn’t been to difficult to make his way to where his heart had always found solace.

He’d wanted to propose to Mia here, but, when he’d discovered how much she’d disliked the falls, he’d ended up asking her to marry him in her parents’ home. It had never occurred to Kevin that it was an omen of things to come that the woman he loved didn’t care at all for the place his heart had always been called to. In retrospect, he could admit that, though they’d loved fiercely, a secret part of him had always wondered if they’d last. Mia had been headstrong, capricious, and selfish. Not in a bad way, Kevin reminded himself. She’d been selfish about the people she loved, but, oftentimes, that selfishness smothered him. She’d always believed she knew what it was that was good for him, that he needed. The falls, most assuredly, had not been a part of that list.

After Mia’s death, a part of him had secretly been relieved that he’d never know what might have been. Though he could look back on those memories with nothing but the sweet pangs of days gone by, he couldn’t help but be worried that he would never be able to let those days go—that he’d never be able to move on enough to be with Gwen.

When the weeping began, he turned, confused, thinking it was a broken-hearted teenager, as they were often compelled to come to the spot for crying jags. Instead of a teenager, though, Kevin found a soft blue light emanating from behind one of the trees lining the path he’d taken.

Quietly, he crept close to the tree until he could peek around it. There, sitting in the nook that the tree’s roots had created, was Liliane—or her ghost. She wore what Kevin assumed had been the typical French woman’s dress in the early eighteenth century, and her hands were covering her face as she wept. Her hair had come undone, so her dark curls hung around her face. Her sobs were heart-wrenching, and Kevin wondered what had happened. He’d never seen Liliane without Laurent, and he’d never seen either of them anything but hopeful.

“It’s awful,” she moaned to no one. “What can I do now? How do I tell Laurent? How will we be safe if anyone finds out?” Her sobs quieted as she began to rub the tears from her cheeks. “We’ll go,” she told herself in a stronger voice. “I’ll tell Laurent, and we’ll secretly join one of the caravans headed west. The New World has much land, and we’ll go make our own home. They’ll never stop us if we’re away from here. We won’t be in danger.” Her arms curled around her waist as she hugged herself in comfort.

Kevin took a step towards her, and Liliane looked up. Her jade green eyes warmed and looked older than they had seconds earlier. “Kevin. You’ve come.”

“Why…?” He found himself a little breathless, and his pulse was racing. How often had he talked to a ghost? he wondered dimly. “Why were you crying?”

Her eyes closed for several moments, and nothing could be heard except for Kevin’s breathing and insect song. When her eyes opened again, her face was solemn.

“I cannot give you the answers you truly need as it is not permitted,” she told him. “Look inside you, Kevin. In your heart is the answer that I need. You stopped listening to your heart years ago. Yes, you did,” she assured him when a stubborn look set in his features. “Open your heart. You’re not as hopeless as you think. Just believe.”

She stood and, stepping close to him, smiled quietly. “I believe in you, Kevin. You’ve done wonderful things with your art, and I like knowing I’ve had a hand in it. Listen to me again, please. Just believe in what you will find inside you.” Her hand lifted to his cheek, and he felt a soft, tingling sensation on his cheek. Then she was gone.

“What…?” He turned in a circle, but she was gone, and he was, once again, left in the dark. Muttering to himself, he pushed out of the forest again and stopped when he saw Gwen. Her face was tear-streaked, and tears still clung to her lashes. She was watching him quietly. “Gwen.”

“I saw her,” she spoke quietly. “I saw Liliane, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget this experience.”

“No.” He shook his head. “I’ve only had one encounter before this with them. That was nearly eighteen years ago, but it was nothing like this. For one thing, they never talked directly to me.”

“She wants you to look inside you, huh?” Gwen smiled. “I guess you must be suppressing something that you need to let loose.”

“Maybe.” He shrugged, studying her face. “Why are you crying, Gwen? What upset you?” He brushed a tear from her cheek before pulling her into his arms completely.

She burrowed into him and sighed. “It’s just…when she was crying. It was heart-wrenching.”

“Yeah. I wish I knew what it was that happened then to cause her to be so upset.”

“I know.” When he said nothing, she leaned back so she could see his face. “Kevin, I know why she was crying.”

His brows shot up. “Really? Why?”

Gwen took a deep breath and stepped out of his arms. “She was pregnant.”

Brian hated pacing more than anything else in the world. It was a waste of a person’s perfectly good physical energy—an energy he could put into doing lots of other things. Such as kicking the desk out of frustration—for starters.

“Yeah, Mom, I’m still here.” He sighed and turned to stare out his office window at the slightly overcast morning sky.

His mother’s voice was cheerful. “I thought you said I wasn’t interrupting your work because, if I am, feel free to let me know. I’ll call you at home later.”

He felt guilty immediately and rushed to make it up to his mother. “No, really, Mom. It’s okay. I’m glad you called. How are the Himalayas?”

Brian’s parents were explorers at heart, though his father had been a real estate agent and his mother an accountant before they’d retired. Every vacation Brian could remember from his childhood had been filled with treks through forests, canoe trips down rivers, and one memorable week spent in the Amazon. As a result, he’d grown up with a thirst for his own adventures and a deep, abiding love for his own corner of the world. Sometimes, he’d learned, a person had to go away and come back to find that what he’d always yearned for had been there all along.

“We’re really enjoying Nepal, hon. Are you sure you don’t want us to bring home something for you? They’ve got some interesting hats here that are really quite warm.”

Brian grinned. “Nope. I’m just wondering when you’re gonna drop by Seven Falls again? Or have you decided to go on another adventure first?”

“Well, we were thinking about dropping down to Australia, but I want to see my darling son. We’ll be coming back at the end of next week,” his mother informed him.

“Great! I can’t wait! I hope you’ve taken tons of good pictures.”

“You know we have. So, tell me, Brian, how’s Juliet doing?”

At the mention of the woman he was supposed to be dating, the frown returned to his face. “She’s all right, Mom. She’s busy with work and all.”

“Of course. And how are the two of you doing—together?” Jackie Littrell wasn’t stupid. She knew her son well and had always known that, despite his affection for the good doctor, he’d never fallen in love with her. Now, there was something in his voice…

Brian shrugged. “We’re…I don’t know, Mom. It’s so confusing, and I’m trying to figure out what to do. I don’t want to hurt her, but there’s someone else. You have to meet her. She and her sister just moved here, and Reena’s something else. Part of me feels like it’s been waiting for her all along, but then there’s…Juliet.” Everything in him froze when she appeared in his doorway.

“Reena? That’s a lovely name, but, you’re right, you do have to think of the relationship you have with Juliet. Brian, honey, I know you’ve been content with her, but I’ve always wondered if you’d ever be happy, and…Brian?”

He snapped back to his mother’s voice. “Mom? I have to go. Juliet’s here, and I need to talk to her. I’ll see you next week, then?”

“Of course. And, Brian? Do the right thing.”

“I will. I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too.”

Hanging up, Brian turned to face Juliet and immediately felt guilty when he saw the dark circles under her eyes and the obvious unhappiness etched on her face. She managed a small smile as she stepped into the room.

“I thought I’d drop by before going into work. I hope that’s all right.” Her voice was tired.

He gestured her into a chair then sat across from her. “You look exhausted.”

“I am.” She sighed. “I hate that we’re at odds, Brian. I do love you, but I’m not stupid enough to pretend that you love me back and we’ll live happily ever after. I want it to be that way, but it’s not reality.”

Brian reached out and took her hand in his. “Juliet. I care about you—a lot. The thing is, I’ve never been in love with you, and I don’t know if I ever will be. No matter how much time I give myself,” he added, anticipating her protest. “I wish we could go back to the way things were before Tuesday night, but I don’t think I can.”

She nodded, though her heart was slowly cracking into pieces. “Of course, it would be awkward.”

“Exactly.”

“So, now what?”

Brian swallowed. “I don’t want to do this, Juliet. I mean, I know we’ve been together for six years.”

“Off and on,” she reminded both of them.

“Right. Six years is a lot of time, and I can’t overlook that either. The thing is, I can’t give you what you deserve, and I think it’s best if we split—permanently. I want to be your friend, Juliet, and I want you to go out there and find someone who’ll love you. You’re a wonderful woman, and I want you happy.”

And if I can’t be happy without you? she wanted to scream at him. Then what will you do? Instead, she nodded and ruthlessly forced the tears back. “Thank you for wanting the best for me. I want to be your friend as well, Brian.” She squeezed his hand. “I can’t promise that I’ll fall out of love so quickly, but I know putting six years behind me is going to be difficult.”

The guilt was stabbing him in the chest repeatedly. “You know you can always count on me, right? I’ll always be there when you need me.”

She nodded. “You’re a good guy, Brian.”

“Juliet…I have to tell you the truth, too. I don’t think I would have broken us up so soon if it hadn’t been for you asking me to marry you and me meeting someone new.”

Just when she thought her heart couldn’t break anymore… “Someone new? I mean, that’s good. I hope she sees what a great person you are to be with.”

Brian remembered the tears in Reena’s eyes when she’d told him they couldn’t be together. “I think she might, but she’s holding me at arm’s length.” He shook it off, though. “Either way, I’m sorry for hurting you, Juliet. It was the last thing I’d ever want to do, and I hope you’ll forgive me.”

Juliet briefly let herself wonder who it was he’d met before she nodded. “Of course, I forgive you.” She stood and held out a hand. “No regrets?”

He studied her face, calm and composed, before taking her hand. “No regrets.”

“Well, then.” She slid her hand out of his. “I’ve got to get back to the clinic.” At the door, she turned back to him. “Brian, are you in love with her? Whoever this new woman is?”

He sighed. That question had caused him a lot of unhappy moments late at night. “I think I might be,” he answered honestly, knowing it was the least he owed her after breaking her heart.

Juliet nodded, her heart officially stomped to dust and scattered. “Thanks for the truth. I’ll see you.”

“Yeah.” Brian sank into the desk chair and happily cursed at himself. “I’m such an ass,” he muttered. “She’s a perfectly good woman, and I’ve been happy with her for so long. But no, I just had to go and break her heart. What the hell is wrong with me?”

“Do you really want me to answer that? Because I don’t know where I’d start.” Alex grinned at the startled look on Brian’s face as he walked into the room and took the seat Juliet had recently vacated. “What’s wrong, pal?”

“I broke up with Juliet.”

“Oh. Well, you’ve done that before, haven’t you?”

Brian looked up at Alex. “It’s permanent this time, and I broke her heart in the process. I don’t think there are enough curses to use on myself to make me feel like half the slime I am.”

Alex leaned back in the chair and got comfortable. “Well, this is going to be a fun conversation. Tell me, Brian, did you make her fall in love with you?”

“Uh, no.”

“Did you wave a big sign in her face that said ‘Fall for me, Juliet!’?”

Brian shook his head. “No. Where are you going with this?”

“Brian, I’ve known you all my life, and you’ve never been the kind of person who’s wanted to deliberately hurt someone else. It’s not your fault that you happen to be the man Juliet fell for. You didn’t make her fall in love with you, and you can’t control her emotions.” Alex leaned forward. “Juliet’s a big girl, and she will pick herself up and move on.”

“That sounds harsh,” Brian murmured, but he did understand what Alex was getting at.

Alex shook his head. “It’s not harsh, it’s a good, healthy dose of reality. Juliet told Christine what happened on Tuesday, and even Chris told her that it was possible that the two of you aren’t meant to work out.”

“She did?”

Alex nodded. “Yeah, she did. Don’t beat yourself up over all of this, Brian. I know you care about her and want her happy, but it’s up to Juliet to do that now. Just like it’s up to you to find your own happiness. And speaking of your happiness…” Alex grinned. “I like the pretty photographer. I think she’ll make you work for her.”

Brian scowled at the keyboard in front of him. “She already is. She told me to stick with Juliet, that she didn’t want any part in hurting another woman.”

“So she brushed you off? Wow, she’s good.”

“Shut up, McLean.”

Alex shook his head. “No, no. This is amazing! Brian Littrell, the one all the girls want, is brushed off by the one he wants. I can’t believe it! I should go bake her a cake and give it to her.”

Brian snorted at the image of Alex baking a cake. “Shut up. I think I’m falling for her.”

“What?” Alex studied his best friend. “You’re serious?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Brian sighed. “I like her. A lot. We have a lot of things in common, and I like her energy, her humor.”

“She’s hot.”

“You have a wife,” Brian reminded him.

Alex shrugged. “So? Chris knows I check other women out, but, at the end of the day, I’m all hers.”

“Whatever.” Brian rolled his eyes. “I want her, Alex. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted another woman quite so badly before, and not just for sex. When I’m around her, I can’t keep myself from touching her, needing to hold her. I love just being around her, talking to her, hearing her voice. And I’m terrified that this is all a dream, and, when I wake up, she’ll be gone. OW!” He rubbed his arm. “What the hell was that for?”

“To make sure you were awake.” Alex tapped his chin. “Let me see. We have a beautiful woman, one who shares common interests with you, is energetic, funny, smart, and you want the hell out of her, but she wants you to back off?”

“To sum it up…yeah.” Brian sighed. “What do I do?”

“Go get her.”

***

He dabbed paint onto the canvas, controlling the urge to just slap the colors on and call it a day. He’d never been quite so antsy with a piece of work before, but he knew, this time, the jumpiness didn’t come from the actual painting as it did from what the painting represented. Gwen’s model was nearly completed on his easel, but the questions he had from the revelations of the night before still circled in his mind.

After her shocking words, Gwen had practically disappeared on him, leaving him to stare at her retreating figure. By the time he’d recovered enough to go after her, she’d been gone.

So Liliane had been pregnant. He didn’t doubt Gwen’s words for a second, but he wondered at the look in her eyes when she’d revealed the news. There had been a lingering sadness, and he wondered what had caused it. But, again, he hadn’t had a chance as she’d run off.

“First chance I get, I’m prying it out of her,” Kevin muttered to himself as he put the finishing touches on the bronze willows. “You can’t just run off after something big like that.”

He stepped away from the canvas and set the palette down. The model for the town meeting later that day was done, and he hoped Gwen would come by to pick it up. He needed to know how she’d known Liliane was pregnant. Of course, he didn’t doubt her words because, after thinking about it, he’d realized that it was the only logical conclusion to why Liliane had been upset.

“Probably didn’t have birth control in those days,” he reminded himself. And if Liliane and Laurent had been lovers, it would have been simple to conceive…Not so simple to carry the child to term with the family feud as it was, though. Which was probably why she’d been upset over it.

The whole thing was confusing, Kevin had to admit. He’d been involved with the legend for all thirty-four years of his life, and it was still a mystery. Especially now with everyone having dreams all over the place that were related to the lovers. No one knew what it meant, though, and Kevin knew that, after the events of the previous night, he was more confused than he’d ever been about the legend.

There was no denying the fact that breaking the spell would not be as easy as waiting for the three-century mark to pass, but the actual method to breaking the spell remained a mystery.

Of course, the dream he’d had confused him even more than all the rest. He’d finally dreamt of the falls, but it hadn’t been a dream with the lovers. It had been Mia.

“I like her.” Mia smiled at him as her blonde curls flew around her face.

Kevin frowned. “Who?”

“Gwen, Kevin. Keep up. We’re talking about your love life.” She chuckled. “I can’t say I’d ever imagined talking to you about your love life with other women, but, well, things do change.”

He shrugged. “You told Kirby that I had to move on. Am I moving on?”

The smile disappeared. “Oh, Kevin. Only you can answer that question. I can only tell you that I’m happy you’re with someone who cares about you and will frustrate you as much as you might frustrate her. Good luck!”

“What about the legend? Do you know what we need to do?”

The flicker in her eyes told him she knew something though she shook her head. “You’ve always been good about looking into the past, Kevin. That’s really all I can give you—all I’m allowed to give you.” She smiled wistfully. “I’ll always love you, Kevin, and I’m happy for you.”

Before he’d been able to ponder over the oddity of his wife’s delight in his newfound love life, Kevin had woken, mist from the falls dewing his face as it had often done in previous dreams. After a night full of mostly tossing and turning with Gwen’s words playing repeatedly in his mind, he’d managed to conk out at dawn and fallen into Mia’s presence.

He’d been excited to see her as she was still as beautiful as she’d been in life. She’d been nearly the same as she’d always been, with the exception of her sheer happiness. Mia had lacked that in the last few months of her life, and Kevin had often wondered if the hormones from her pregnancy had caused her depression. And then she’d been gone.

In his dream, though, she’d been happy that he was with someone else, and Kevin was pleased with that fact. Perhaps he really was doing what Mia had told Kirby to relay to him. Of course, she’d said the same thing about listening to his heart that Liliane had, which was starting to annoy him.

Kevin glanced over at the drying painting again and reached for the telephone. “Damn ghosts and their crazy riddles,” he muttered as he dialed. “If they’d just give me a straight answer, I could help out more easily. But no…” He put the phone up to his ear and tapped his foot. “Hey, Howie. Yeah, the painting’s done…Listen, do you have time later today and tomorrow, maybe? I need your help and the history of Seven Falls that’s in the town hall vault…I know, but I think there’s something in there about the legend that we’ve overlooked…Really? Great! I’m dragging Alex, Brian, and Nick into this, too. They should pull their weight, right…Sure. I’ll see you then.”

“Tell me again why I’m here instead of treating Mrs. Adams’ guinea pig?” Nick wondered aloud as he and Alex followed Kevin through the town hall to Howie’s office.

Kevin looked over his shoulder. “Because I asked you to, and, besides, you said yourself that the guinea pig is perfectly fine, and Mrs. Adams is just freaking out over nothing.”

“Well, that’s true, but still.”

Kevin pushed open the door to the office. “Nick, we have to go through the giant files in the vault because there is something in them about the legend and how to solve it.” At least, he hoped there was for what else could Mia have meant by looking into the past? As far as he knew, the town’s very detailed past was in print in the town vault.

Howie’s secretary looked up. “Kevin Richardson! I haven’t seen you out of your home in months! How’ve you been?”

He grinned. “Not so bad. Can you tell Howie we’re here? He’s expecting us.”

“Of course.”

“Kev, don’t you think if there was something in the history, it would’ve been found by now? How can you be so sure that there’s something in there?” Alex asked him.

Kevin shrugged. “I don’t know for sure, but I have a hunch. I’m following it, and I thought I’d use your reporter’s instincts to find it.”

“Okay, well, that explains why McLean’s here. Why isn’t Brian here? He’s a reporter, too. And what the hell am I doing here?” Nick asked again. “How am I supposed to help out?”

“Brian’s got an important job to do at the moment,” Alex told him, remembering where Brian had told him he’d be.

“Besides, you’ve got sharp eyes, Nicky,” Howie said, stepping out of his office. “You play at being dumb, but we know better. That’s why Kevin and I want you helping out.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “Fine. What are we waiting for?”

“Nothing. Shall we?” Howie held up a set of keys and gestured towards the door, before turning to his secretary. “If I get any calls, tell them I’ll call them back first chance I get.”

“Sure.” She smiled. “You men have fun now.”

Alex smiled at her, ever the flirt. “We sure will. You’re always welcome to come along.”

Howie shoved him out the door. “Jenny, ignore the ass. He’s supposed to be married.”

“Poor Christine,” Jenny murmured as she watched them go. Shaking her head and laughing a little, she turned back to her paperwork.

They followed Howie down a long, twisting corridor lined with pictures of former mayors of Seven Falls to a large door set with double bolts and three keyholes.

“Jeez. Do you think it’s secure enough?” Nick muttered, watching Howie unlock the door. “I mean, really. What kind of secrets does a small town really have that need to be locked up so tight?”

Alex, too, was a little surprised at the security. “Is there an alarm system inside, too?”

“Yup.” Howie and Kevin pushed open the bolts, and, stepping inside, Howie punched in the security code on the number pad. “We might be a small town, but we still have valuables we want to protect.”

Nick shrugged and followed them in. “Whatever.” He looked around the room full of antique sofas, large paintings, and the expensive-looking mahogany and gilt-edged décor. “Wow. This is supposed to be a vault?”

“Were you expecting something more like a safe?” Kevin wondered as he watched Howie unlock a drawer in the large desk set in the middle of the room.

“Wait. You’ve been in here before?” Alex asked, noting Kevin wasn’t that surprised at the appearance of the vault.

Kevin pointed to a large, framed portrait. “Of course, I’ve been here. How else would my painting have been put in the proper place in this room?”

Alex studied the painting of Seven Falls. It looked like it had been done from a bird’s eye view, and each detail of the town was finely brushed onto the canvas.

“Where did you paint this? From an airplane?”

“No, from my dreams,” Kevin answered, helping Howie untie the bindings on a large, weathered box.

Nick wandered over to help them. “How old is this thing?”

“As old as the town,” Howie replied.

Nick let out a low whistle. “You’re kidding, right? Come on, Mr. Mayor. There’s no way that this box is three hundred years old.”

Howie pulled out a box of latex gloves from another drawer and passed it around the group. “You have to wear these, or you can’t touch the parchment. There’s oil on your hands that’s dangerous to these pages. They could crumble if you touch them with bare hands.”

When all of them wore the gloves, Howie lifted out the first packet of yellowed parchment that was tied with leather string.

“I think our best bet is to start at the beginning of the legend. The legend and other historical accounts agree that Laurent and Liliane lived at the turn of the eighteenth century. This packet is the town’s history, written by the mayor’s appointed scribe, from January 1700 to December 1704.” Howie held up the papers with gentle hands. “I think our best bet is to go through each entry and write down any mention of the Dormets and the Montfoliers.”

“But isn’t 1704 too early for the legend?” Nick asked.

Alex shook his head. “If the key to the spell is the lovers themselves, then our best bet is to learn their personal histories. So, anything pertaining to them is important to note—no matter how small.”

“Gotcha. Hey, D, I can take the first set if you want,” Nick volunteered.

“I’ll help you with that,” Kevin offered, and the two went and hunched over the sheaf of parchment on another table.

Alex and Howie teamed up over the next batch of papers, and all four waited for the first clue to emerge from the annals of history.

***

The bells over the door jingled, and Reena looked up from the frame job she was working on to see Brian step into the door and proceed to poke around the shop. As he moved from the print section to the frames, she couldn’t help but watch him.

The night before, after seeing the sheer misery in Juliet’s eyes when she’d watched Brian, Reena had known that the noble and right thing to do was to step back. She didn’t have any history with Brian, nothing to tie them together other than a few kisses. She certainly didn’t have the six-year bond with Brian that Juliet had, and it was certainly wrong of her to want another woman’s man.

Oh, but he made her mouth water. He moved gracefully as though he was a dancer rather than an athlete. When he’d held her, she’d felt all those lovely muscles he hid beneath the blue shirt he wore now, and she couldn’t control the punch of lust she felt when he ran a hand through his deep blond curls. She’d always been a sucker for a man with good hair and good eyes, and Brian hit the spot on both. She absolutely loved the way his hair fell over his deep blue eyes and hoped he wouldn’t cut it.

Unfortunately, she’d made a pact with herself, and Brian was off-limits. No way was she going to lust after him, even if she felt all these crazy things for him, too.

She stepped out from the back and smiled when he spotted her. “Did you get lost on your lunch hour or are you here for something?”

“I meant to come here.” His voice was serious. “Can we talk?”

Reena sighed. “Brian, I said all I needed to say last night. Let’s just put everything behind us and try to be friends, okay?”

“Why didn’t you tell me about your fiancé?”

Okay, so she hadn’t expected that to be the first thing he said. “Um, because there’s nothing to tell?”

“Oh, please. Reena, you honestly expect me to believe that you loved someone enough to marry him, but, once he cheated on you and you left, he means nothing to you? That whole part of your life doesn’t matter anymore?” His hands held her arms now.

Reena swallowed. “Brian, I don’t know what you want me to tell you, but I’m telling you the truth when I say it truly is behind me. I’ve had time to recover, and I’m over it.”

“Do you have ice water for blood?” he wondered, shaking her a little.

It hit her like a quick sting in the heart, but she managed to meet his gaze. “It’s my life, Brian, and my heart. I’ve known you for three and a half days, so what the hell gives you the right to pry into my life, to demand answers from me that I don’t want to give you?”

She spoke quietly, and he could see the hurt in her eyes—hurt that he had caused. He let go of her and stepped back. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I don’t have any right to ask you about your past. I’ve told you about me, my life, but I don’t think it’s really necessary for you to return the favor. I’ll get out of your way now as I’m sure you have work to do.” Brian stopped at the door and turned to look back at her one more time. “I’m sorry I hurt you, and I’d like it if you gave it a few days before you offer friendship again.”

“Brian, wait!” Reena rushed to the door, but he’d already climbed into his car and pulled onto the road. “I’m sorry,” she whispered miserably. “I didn’t mean to hurt you either.”

***

“Well, troops. Anything?” Kevin asked the other three as they began to wrap the parchment up again.

Alex shook his head. “Nada. Not a single thing that we didn’t already know.”

“There were the same old reports of the tragic deaths of the lovers, but not really much else. Liliane’s cousins were run out of town, Laurent was buried on Montfolier property, which, ha-ha, happens to be owned by my wife, of course, and Liliane was laid to rest in the town cemetery,” Howie informed them. “But we already know all of that.”

“Even in death, they wouldn’t let them be together,” Nick pointed out. “That’s terrible.”

“It’s why their spirits need peace.” Kevin paced the room. “Maybe we’re supposed to put their bodies together?” But he shook his head. “That wouldn’t explain why Liliane and Callie think that I’m supposed to do something. What are we missing?”

Nick shrugged. “Knowing our luck, it’s probably right in front of our eyes, and we can’t see it.”

Howie sighed. “Listen, I’d really love to discuss this, but I do have a town to run. We’ve spent two hours on this already, why don’t we call it a day?”

Alex and Nick agreed, while Kevin gave in reluctantly. There was something here, and he was sure of it. He just needed time to weed it out of the lines of script.

“Can I come back tomorrow?” he asked Howie as they locked up the vault again.

Howie glanced at his watch and calculated how much time he had to prepare for the town meeting. “Sure, yeah. Just drop by tomorrow and get the keys. Do you have the model you were supposed to paint?”

“It’s in the car.”

“Great. Are you coming to the meeting tonight?” Howie asked as he followed Kevin outside.

Kevin shrugged. “I was thinking I’d be there to give Gwen support, you know?”

“You’re starting to get hooked and reeled into her, aren’t you?” Howie grinned when Kevin shot him a look. “Come on, Kev. I think it’s great that you’re showing interest in another woman again. It’s been seven years since Mia died, and I think you’ve punished yourself long enough.”

Kevin stopped next to his car. “Do you really think I’ve been punishing myself for her death?”

“Well, honestly? I think you have, even though everyone knows it wasn’t your fault.” Howie patted his shoulder. “Kevin, she slipped on the wet rock, and you know it because you saw it.”

“But don’t you think people blamed me for her death?”

Howie shrugged. “Our in-laws didn’t.” He remembered that Callie and Mia’s parents had been devastated by the loss of their daughter, but they’d never blamed her husband. “And if anyone else murmured about it, they didn’t have enough fuel for their fire. We all know you loved Mia, Kevin. You’d never have wanted to cause her any harm, and what happened that day was an accident. Stop being so hard on yourself.”

Kevin shrugged and turned to open the trunk. “I’ve spent seven years wondering if it was my fault or if there was something I could’ve done to prevent that fall.”

“And did you figure anything out?”

He handed Howie the wrapped painting and shook his head. “No, and, when I’m around Gwen, I forget about it completely.”

“Maybe you’re supposed to forget. Maybe that’s part of moving on.” Howie paused. “Or maybe not forget, exactly, but accept. I think you should accept that what happened happened, and you can’t go back and change it. You just move forward with your life and live it to its fullest. Do you think Mia would have wanted you to be a monk for the rest of your life?”

Kevin remembered the dream he’d had. “No, she wouldn’t.”

“Then there’s your solution.” Howie shifted the painting to hold it beneath his arm. “Stop worrying so much, Kevin, and live your life. I’ll see you at the meeting tonight.”

“Yeah.” He watched Howie head back to the building and sighed. “I hope you’re right.”

“Are you okay?”

Reena glanced up from showing Kirby how to adjust the dials on the magnifier to size photographs. “What?”

Kirby bit her lip. “I don’t mean to be rude, but you just looked upset, so I was wondering if everything was okay?”

“Are you sure you’re only thirteen?” Reena wondered, smiling slightly.

“Last time I checked, yeah. So, are you okay?” Kirby asked again.

Reena sat back on her stool and sighed. “I think I hurt your dad’s cousin.”

“Uncle Brian?”

“Yeah.”

Kirby’s brows lifted. “That’s kind of hard to do because he’s always really upbeat about everything. What did you do?”

“I told him I didn’t want to date him because he’s already dating Dr. Stevens,” Reena explained, wondering how appropriate it was that she was telling a teenager this sort of stuff.

“But he’s not dating Juliet anymore,” Kirby told her.

“Excuse me?”

Kirby nodded. “Yeah, he broke up with her this morning. I heard Aunt Chris telling Aunt Callie about it when I was at Astra’s house after school.”

“Well.” Reena was glad she was already sitting for it felt like the floor beneath her had been pulled out. Brian had come to talk to her after he’d broken up with Juliet? The thought made her feel…well, she wasn’t quite sure. What she was even more uncertain about was whether or not Brian had broken up with Juliet because of her or because he’d felt that their relationship wasn’t what he wanted anymore. “Well,” she repeated for lack of anything else to say. “He’s still upset with me, Kirby, and the fact that he’s no longer with Juliet doesn’t change that.”

“You’re sorry you hurt him, right?”

“Well, of course, I am!” Reena sighed again. “I don’t like hurting people, and Brian’s been nothing but gracious to me since I met him. I guess I’m just hoping I can make it up to him.”

Kirby scrunched her nose as she thought for a few moments. “You really want to get on his good side and make him feel better?” Reena nodded. “Well, Uncle Bri really loves macaroni and cheese, and I’m thinking that if you made it for him and took it over to his house, he’d probably forgive you. He forgives really easily.”

“Really?” She was finding it hard to believe it would be that simple to fix things between her and Brian. “Well, I guess I’ll give it a shot.”

“Great.” Kirby grinned. “Now, do you think you could explain that whole part about the magnifier again?”

***

Gwen pressed a hand to her stomach where the butterflies were mercilessly beating their wings. She was sitting next to Howie at the table on the high school auditorium’s stage. The painting Kevin had done of her model of the Seven Falls memorial sat on an easel next to the table, and she was hoping the three hundred people gathered together in the room would approve of it.

“Relax.” Brian smiled at her as he took the seat next to hers.

“What are you doing up here?” she wondered.

He gestured to the painting. “I initiated this project, and I’m chair of the committee supervising this. Why did you think Howie had me come meet you on Monday?”

“Oh. I thought it was because it had just been your idea.”

Brian shook his head. “Well that, too.” He nodded at one of the women in the front row of seats, who was smiling flirtatiously up at him. “Damn it. I hate being in front of people.”

“Aww, poor Brian doesn’t like women ogling him?” Gwen patted his arm and realized her butterflies were nearly gone.

“It’s not that I don’t like women, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t like when they stare at me like they want to eat me up.” He gulped visibly as another woman winked and waved to him. “Man.”

Gwen couldn’t help but chuckle. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from their lecherous advances.”

“Why, thank you, Gwen. Whatever would I have done without you here to save me?” He fluttered his lashes but stopped when he saw Reena take a seat towards the back of the room. “Your sister’s here to give you support, huh?”

Gwen scanned the rows and grinned when she saw Reena. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t she be?” She looked over at Brian, who was frowning. “Do I have to ask what’s going on with the two of you?”

“Nothing’s happening because she said it wouldn’t.” Brian tore his gaze away from Reena’s face. “That’s the beginning and end of it.”

Gwen opened her mouth to say something, but Howie stood now and called the meeting to order.

“We’re all here tonight to begin the next phase of the Seven Falls memorial project,” Howie began. “Last year, Brian Littrell brought up the idea to commemorate the Seven Falls legend and its tri-centennial anniversary with a memorial in Dormet Park. We voted unanimously to do so, and, two months ago, architect Gwendolyn Phillips moved to town to begin her work on the project. Tonight, Miss Phillips’s proposed structure for the memorial is up for approval by the assembly gathered here tonight.” Howie gestured to the painting next to him. “This is an artist’s rendering of the proposed memorial. Everyone is welcome to come up here and look it over. Miss Phillips and Brian Littrell, who is also the head of the supervising committee for the project, are here to answer any questions you may have. Again, we’ve allotted thirty minutes to allow everyone to review the proposal and ask any questions before we vote.”

When Howie had sat again, he patted Gwen’s hand as they watched the town members come up in groups to go over the model. Some occasionally had questions about the materials that would be used, others asked about the estimated cost, and yet others asked Gwen whether she believed in the legend or not. She answered the questions the best that she could, remembering her conversation with Kevin about using an alloy, and assured others that she did indeed believe in the legend. After spending time with Kevin and knowing her sister had had dreams about Laurent, how could she not believe it? When it came to the matter of the cost, Howie answered as diplomatically as he could.

“Great job,” Kevin told her when he’d managed to find room to step up onto the stage. He kissed her cheek. “Of course, I knew you’d be fine.”

“Thanks, and it’s nice to know someone believes in me, even if I don’t.” She smiled up at him and found herself breathless when he smiled back. My goodness, her brain murmured, dazed. The man is breathtakingly beautiful.

Before her brain found its function again, Reena had stepped up next to Kevin, and, not meeting Brian’s eyes, hugged her sister. “You’re winning them over! I heard a lot of them talking about how great it is, and how they’ll probably vote in the affirmative for the project. Congratulations!” She finally looked over at Brian. “Both of you.”

He shrugged. “It was all your sister’s idea. I just had the good sense to send her up to the Falls before she could decide on something else.”

“Either way, both of you are going to win this meeting,” Reena assured him. When Gwen’s attention shifted to an elderly man who’d approached her with a question, Reena moved closer to Brian. “I dropped by your house before coming here. I-I wanted to talk to you.”

“There’s nothing more to talk about,” he replied, throwing her words from that morning back at her.

Reena took a deep breath. “Brian, please. I really do need to talk to you in private. Please.”

How could he say no, Brian wondered, when she was looking at him with those gorgeous green eyes cloaked in remorse? “Okay.” He sighed. “I’m heading up to the Thursday Fall right after this meeting. Can you meet me there?”

“Sure, of course,” she answered quickly before he’d had a chance to change his mind. “Brian, thank you. Really.”

“No problem.” He glanced over to see Howie and Alex ushering people back to their seats. “I think it’s time to vote. You’d better get back to your seat.”

Reena nodded and headed off the stage, relieved that Brian wasn’t so hurt that he refused to see her.

When everyone had taken their seats again, Howie stood. “Well, now that everyone has had a chance to review the model and ask their questions, we’ll begin the voting procedure. We’re a small enough town that we can trust each other not to vote multiple times or sabotage the vote in any way. I have a list here of each registered member,” he held up a file. “When Jenny calls your name, please answer with an “aye” or “nay” depending on whether or not you approve of the Phillips model.” He handed the file to his secretary. “Jenny, you may begin.”

Jenny flipped open the file and leaned forward to speak into her microphone. “We’ll be voting alphabetically. The first member is Daniel Adams.”

A middle-aged man stood. “Aye.”

“Michelle Adams.”

“Aye.”

“Linda Allen.”

“Aye.”

“Robert Allen…”

Half an hour later, Gwen let Kevin pull her out the back door of the auditorium. When he pulled her off the ground and swung her around, she grinned down into his eyes.

“You did it, Gwen! Your plan was approved! Congratulations, baby!” He punctuated his cheer with a kiss.

She ran her hands through the dark waves of his hair and kissed him back. “Thank you for painting it,” she murmured as she broke the kiss. “I couldn’t have done it without you taking me up to the falls, giving me the legend. Kevin, you were my inspiration.” And she was starting to believe he was more than that to her, too. It scared her how much she felt for him in such a short amount of time, but she didn’t want to worry about that now.

“Listen.” Kevin set her down and slid an arm around her waist as they walked to his car. “I’ve got something special planned for you. To celebrate.”

“Oh, but you didn’t”

He pressed a finger to her lips. “Of course, I did have to. And I did. I’ll pick you up around eleven thirty tonight. Is that okay?”

“Isn’t that a little late?”

He kissed her again. “Not at all. Trust me, Gwen?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then I’ll see you in a few hours, and don’t wear anything too special. Just be you.”

She frowned. “Okay. I’ll see you then.” And she watched his car leave, wondering what on earth he’d planned for them.

***

Reena clutched the sack she carried and tried to maneuver down the path that curved behind the waterfalls. She knew her hair was a good deal wet, but she didn’t really want to think about how frizzy it would be when it began to dry. At the moment, she only cared about making it to the Thursday Fall alive.

After another five minutes of stumbling and feeling her way along the rock walls, she stepped into the cave behind the fourth waterfall. Brian sat watching the water drip around him, his face pensive. When she entered, he glanced over at her then directed his gaze back to the water and the late evening sunlight filtering through the liquid droplets.

“I was born here,” he said quietly when she sat next to him.

Reena studied his face. “Really? Right here behind this waterfall?”

Brian nodded, turning to look at her. “Right here. My parents have always liked adventure, and having me behind a raging waterfall was yet another adventure.”

“Wow. What do they do for work? I mean, with that sort of thirst for whatever life has to offer, they’ve got to have unique careers.”

Brian grinned now. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you? Nah, my dad was a real estate agent who made a huge killing in hotels down in Newport, and my mom was his accountant. They were a good team and made a great home. Now, they’re retired and exploring their way across the world. This morning, my mom called from Nepal.”

“That’s really amazing! Have you ever gone with them?”

He nodded. “When I was younger, every vacation we went on was to somewhere unique. We never went to Disney World like all the other families. Instead, we went to the Amazon, to Egypt and the pyramids, and to see the stone dances in Ireland.” He shrugged. “Not your normal family vacations.”

“No, definitely not. The most memorable place my family went was to the amusement park. We didn’t have that much money,” she explained when she saw Brian’s brow arch.

“Oh.” He smiled. “Well, I would have taken rollercoasters over a choppy whitewater rafting trip any day. I was couldn’t stop shaking for hours after that ride.”

Reena took her chances and placed her hand over his on his knee. “Thank you.”

“For?”

“Forgiving me. After the way you helped me out all week, you didn’t deserve the way I hurt you. You were right—I didn’t tell you much about my past, mostly because coming to Seven Falls was my way of running from it,” she explained. “Chase cheating on me was the last straw in a long line of disappointments in my life, and I just wanted to start fresh and not have to worry about what happened before.”

Brian turned his hand over to grip hers. “Then I’m sorry I was pushy. I didn’t mean to be, but I don’t want to let you go so fast. You’ve caused all sorts of feelings in me, ones I didn’t think I was capable of feeling. Reena,” he lifted her hand to his lips. “I don’t care that I’ve only known you for four days. I care about you. A lot.”

Her heart did a somersault in her chest, and it felt absolutely lovely. “I care about you, too, Brian. It’s just…after I met Juliet yesterday and saw how hurt she was by the way your relationship wasn’t working, I felt awful. She didn’t deserve that.”

“No, she doesn’t. In all honesty, I’ve been unfair to her, keeping her dangling for so long when, deep down, I knew we weren’t really headed anywhere.” Brian sighed. “That’s why I broke things off with her this morning. And, in the way of small towns, I’m sure you already know that.”

“Kirby told me she overheard Christine and Callie talking about it,” Reena admitted.

Brian grinned. “See? It’s the blessing, and curse, of living in a town where you know everyone and they know you.”

“I think it’s nice.” She paused and wallowed in the stunning smile he gave her. It made his eyes sparkle and created irresistible crinkles at the corners of his eyes. “Brian. What now? I mean,” she swallowed nervously. “Does this mean that you want us to be, you know…”

“Together?” Brian suggested. “I want to, Reena. I want to be with you so much, but I won’t push you. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Knowing that he was still wondering and worrying about her ex-fiancé, Reena leaned her head against his shoulder. “Brian, I met Chase three years ago. I’d just gotten out of an internship I did with a professional photographer, and I needed work. When I saw the Hiring sign in this small shop, I went in and asked. Chase took me on right away, and I thought he was the greatest man. He’s five years older than me and was willing to take me on as a partner in his established place. I don’t know when our professional relationship turned into a romantic one, but, one day, he asked me to marry him.” She sighed.

“You don’t have to finish, Reena. I get the picture,” Brian murmured, pressing his lips to her hair.

She shook her head. “You deserve the truth, so here’s the rest. I didn’t know if I was in love with him, but I believed that I was. All my life, I’d wanted acceptance from someone who wasn’t family and obligated to love me. Gwen was always the head of this club or president of the student body or whatever in high school, and I was always expected to follow in her footsteps. When I didn’t, teachers frowned down on me, and I felt obligated to be different, willful, less conforming.” She sighed. “So having Chase tell me he loved me and wanted to marry me felt like a godsend. We’d been engaged three months and would have married last month if it wasn’t for the fact that I did walk in on him all over a woman I considered my best friend. When Gwen called to say she was moving here, I broke ties with the shop and left.”

When she was quiet for several moments, Brian tipped her chin up so he could see her eyes. They were troubled, and he didn’t like that he’d made her take a trip into a less than happy past. He wanted to convince her that he cared about her, maybe even was in love with her, but he didn’t think she’d believe him if he told her now.

“Reena,” he searched for the right words and spotted the bag she’d brought with her. “What’s that?”

“Hmm?” She looked to where he was pointing and smiled. “I was going to bribe your forgiveness with macaroni and cheese,” she admitted, pulling out a Tupperware container filled with cheese-covered noodles.

He couldn’t help but grin. “Seriously?”

“Seriously. Kirby told me it was foolproof.”

Brian took the bowl from her and set it aside. Framing her face with his hands, he smiled into her eyes. “I think I’m crazy about you,” he told her before his lips met hers.

Reena sighed happily against his lips as her arms wound around his neck, her fingers skimming through his hair. “Does this mean you like the peace offering?” she asked.

He leaned back. “Like? Hell, I love it! You’ve found the way to my heart.”

Her heart leaped as he found the forks she’d brought along and tasted her cooking. “Brian?”

“Baby, this is great! Better than my own recipe,” he complimented her.

“Brian.” She was terrified of what was happening to her heart, her feelings.

He looked up at her when he heard the quiet urgency in her voice. “What’s wrong?”

Reena shook her head. “It’s just…Brian, I think I’m crazy about you, too. I’ve never said this to another man, but I-I need you. Here. With me.”

She’d expected him to laugh it off, smile, or even pat her hand affectionately. So when Brian’s arms came around her and crushed her close to him while his lips found hers, Reena let herself get lost in his embrace and stopped worrying.

***

“This is nicer than what I thought you had planned,” Gwen admitted, sipping from the champagne Kevin had poured and toasted her with.

It was midnight, and she was sitting on a picnic blanket with a basketful of food, leaning against Kevin with moonlight illuminating them and the falls that rose in the distance. Instead of taking her to a restaurant, or dancing, or wherever, Kevin had brought her to the waterfalls and surprised her with a romantic, moonlight picnic. They were far enough away from the falls that they wouldn’t be dewed with the mist, but still close enough to see them spearing up into the night sky.

“I’m glad,” Kevin replied. “I would have hated to be predictable.”

She smiled. “Kevin Richardson? Predictable? Absolutely not.” She popped a juicy grape in her mouth and decided there was something about the scene she was in that made even a grape taste a hundred times better.

Kevin watched her and was glad that she was enjoying herself. He hadn’t seen her all day until the meeting where she’d won over the town with her idea for the memorial, and he was beaming with pride for her. The picnic had been an impulsive idea he’d come up with at the end of the meeting, and he was thrilled that she loved it. He didn’t think he’d ever seen another woman as lovely as Gwen when she was caught up in success and happiness. Which was why he was putting off asking her about her knowledge of Liliane’s pregnancy.

“I’m proud of you, Gwen,” he spoke quietly and watched as her blush was apparent even in the dim light from the moon.

“Thanks.” She kissed him softly. “We make a good team.”

He couldn’t deny that. “We do, but it was your idea that inspired it all. Gwen, I…” he trailed off, the need to tell her what he felt for her nearly bursting out of him. But he didn’t want to frighten her off with the intensity of his feelings.

“What is it, Kevin?” She wasn’t sure what she saw in his eyes. They were filled with swirling emotions that a part of her was afraid to see, while another part of her held its breath in anticipation.

He cupped her cheek. “I feel like I’ve known you all my life instead of just a few days. I can’t imagine not knowing you, not feeling how I feel when I’m around you or even think of you.”

Her heart trembled. “I feel the same way,” she admitted.

His breath whooshed out in relief. “You do? I mean, I thought I was going crazy because I’ve never felt so strongly for someone in so short a time. Not even Mia,” he added, hoping she’d believe him because it was the truth.

“I—wow. Um, and here I thought it was me who’d lost her mind.” Gwen laughed softly. “What’s happening to us, Kevin?”

In answer, he pressed his lips to hers and felt her arms wrap around him. It shouldn’t be possible, he knew, that a woman could affect him like this so quickly, but he didn’t care. He wanted, needed, Gwen, and rational thought meant nothing.

Kevin rested his head against hers. “Gwen?”

She heard the question he didn’t ask and realized that she couldn’t stop herself. “Kevin.”

“I need you, Gwen.”

The joy that rushed through her at the simple declaration launched her into his arms and had him tumbling back into the grass as she pressed kisses over his face. When their lips finally met, his hands gripped her hips before running under her top and over smooth skin before he tugged the top off.

Gwen arched under his touch, and, her lips still against his, her fingers unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it aside. Scattering kisses over his shoulders and chest, she moaned, delighted, when his arms stroked over her, unclasping her bra on the way. When Kevin slid the zipper on her jeans down, it was the most natural thing in the world to surrender herself to him and all the feelings he’d made bubble within her.

***

A long while later, they lay quiet, wrapped in each other’s arms. Her skin was still tingling all over from the way his lips had caressed it, and she was astonished to find that she wanted him all over again. Gwen pressed a kiss to his collarbone and snuggled in when his arms tightened around her.

Kevin hadn’t planned on the night turning out this way, but he’d always known that the best things in life were often unplanned. Gwen’s entrance into his life certainly was, but he could only be thankful to whatever higher power had given her to him. His fingers were tangled in her hair, and he was sure his heart was just as tangled up in her.

“Kevin?” Her voice was soft as she lifted her head to look into his eyes. “I have to tell you how I knew about Liliane’s pregnancy.”

He shook his head. “I don’t care. I don’t need to know right now.” He tugged her back down. “I just want to be here with you like this. Let’s not let the legend in on this, too.”

“I was pregnant once,” she blurted out then clapped her hands over her mouth.

Slowly, very slowly, Kevin sat up and pulled her up next to him. He grasped her chin, so he could see her eyes. “Say that again?”

Gwen swallowed nervously. “I was pregnant once, which is how I know Liliane was pregnant. When I saw the way she was sitting, her arms around her belly like she was protecting whatever was in there, I knew. Every pregnant woman has a different way of carrying herself, but I recognized Liliane’s stance because I’d been that way.”

“When?” He didn’t trust himself to say anything other than one-word questions.

“Twelve years ago,” she replied. “I had just graduated from high school and had a full scholarship to go to college. Money was tight in my family, so knowing that my brains had gotten me into a top school for architecture was a point of pride for me. While I was getting ready to go to school, I didn’t know that my father had made a bad deal, one of those ‘get rich quick’ deals, that went sour.” She sighed. “He was desperate to hold onto his life, so he bartered me for his life.”

“What?!” Kevin grabbed her arms. “He gave his daughter up to a lowlife to save himself? What kind of coward was he?”

Gwen shook her head. The sting and anger from the past had long-since worn off. “He loved me, but he was weak, Kevin. For three short weeks, I was the girl toy for a man who had connections to the Mafia. He wasn’t anything like what I thought a criminal would be like. He was kind, sweet, and I couldn’t help but like him.” She looked out at the falls in the distance. “I think maybe I let myself care about him even though I knew he was slime. Three weeks after I was taken, an enemy of his killed him. There wasn’t anyone to prevent me from leaving, so I went home and went to school.”

He couldn’t digest all the information, was finding it difficult to restrain his anger. But he knew that she needed to finish. “You found out you were pregnant?”

“Yeah. Two weeks into the first semester,” she said quietly. “I was terrified and had no idea what to do. All I knew was that I had conceived a child, and it must have been for a reason. So I explored my options and decided that I would give it up for adoption. My family didn’t have the money to support another child, and I wanted my baby to have a better home.” She paused. “Part of it was selfishness, too. I wouldn’t be able to finish up school and be what I wanted to be if I was a mother, so I thought adoption was the best route. I lost the baby when I was four months along.” The breeze blowing lightly raised goosebumps on her skin, so she shrugged back into her shirt. “Anyway, that’s how I knew Liliane had been pregnant. I guess it’s a sort of mother to mother instinct, maybe.”

Not knowing what to say, he did what felt right. Reaching out, he pulled her into his arms and cradled her. And she held on.

The puppy’s barks broke her concentration and had her looking around, confused. Gwen stepped out of the small room she’d turned into a makeshift studio in the apartment she and Reena shared, and caught her dog as he came barreling up to her.

“What is it, Chip?” she murmured to him, rubbing his back. “What’s got you so antsy?” When the knock sounded again, she frowned. “We weren’t expecting anyone, were we?”

She set the pup down and made her way to the door, Chip running in circles around her as she did. She grinned down at him but lost the smile when she saw her visitor. “Kirby! Wh-what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in school?”

Kirby smiled, butterflies doing somersaults in her belly. “Um, it’s an in-service day today, so we don’t have school. I was wondering if I could talk to you. Reena told me where you lived, so I came over. I hope I’m not bothering you.” The words tumbled out quickly, and Gwen realized the girl was nervous.

Her smile was genuinely warm when it came this time. “Of course you’re not bothering me. Come on in!” She held the door open just wide enough for Kirby to slip in, and Chip couldn’t escape.

The puppy began to yip joyfully around the stranger, and Kirby knelt down with him, delighted. “You have a dog! That’s so cool!” She rubbed his belly when he flopped over and had him rolling his eyes in ecstasy. “I always wanted a dog, but Dad said that after his dog died when he was younger, he just didn’t have the heart to get attached to another one again.” She looked up at Gwen. “What’s his name?”

Gwen tried not to let her mind slide towards Kevin, which was difficult to do as his daughter was sitting in her apartment. She wasn’t sure if Kirby was aware of her father’s relationship and talking to his daughter felt awkward. Not because Kirby was difficult to talk to, Gwen mused, remembering spending time with the teen at the barbecue. No, it was the fact that Kirby might be hurt by the fact that her father was seeing someone else—someone who wasn’t her mother.

Gwen swallowed nervously. “His name’s Chip. And I’m sorry about your father’s dog. I’ve never had a puppy before, but Chip’s great. And, look, he likes you already,” she added as the pup leapt up to lick Kirby’s face, causing her to giggle.

“Are they hard to take care of? Because maybe I could convince my dad to let me get one if I take care of it and he doesn’t have to spend time with it. That way, he won’t get attached, right?” Kirby watched her with hopeful eyes, and Gwen sighed.

“You can certainly try,” she agreed.

Kirby grinned. “Cool! And if Dad still doesn’t agree, maybe you could talk him into it because you guys are dating, right? And if you’re dating, Dad’s going to listen to you more than he’ll listen to me.”

“Ex-excuse me?” Gwen was sure her jaw was on the ground. “How…why do you think your father and I are dating?”

Kirby shrugged. “Reena said you were, and that’s sort of why I’m here. I mean, I could tell that Dad likes you when we were at Uncle Bri’s house because he kept kissing your fingers, but, after Reena told me you’re dating, well, that just makes it official. And I just wanted to ask, um, I-I don’t know,” she finished lamely.

Not sure of her footing, Gwen decided to step cautiously. “Why don’t we have a seat, Kirby? Would you like anything to eat? I made cookies yesterday,” she offered, guiding the young girl into the living room.

“I had breakfast an hour ago, so no thank you.” She studied the pictures scattered across the room along with the art and little decorative figurines. “I like this. It’s cute.” Kirby picked up a green frog wearing a crown on its head. “I guess it’s like kissing a frog to find your prince, huh?” She smiled up at Gwen.

“That’s what Reena and I keep it for. Sort of a reminder that we do have to kiss plenty of frogs before we’ll find our princes,” Gwen explained.

Kirby smiled down at the frog before setting it down. “Do you think my dad could be your prince?”

Gwen’s stomach flip-flopped. Kirby wasted no time, did she? “I don’t know. I mean, we’ve only known each other a few days, so it’s hard to tell, but…Well, jeez.” She sighed. “Kirby, can I tell you something that you will promise to keep a secret until I’m ready for other people to know about it?”

“Sure!” Kirby leaned forward, eager to share in adult secrets.

Gwen took a deep breath before looking up into green eyes. So much like her father’s, she thought. Trusting the father implicitly, she decided to trust his daughter, too. “I don’t know how your father feels about me, but I think I’m falling in love with Kevin.” She blew out a breath and sat back. “Wow. I can’t believe I said that out loud. It’s…a relief, actually,” she said with a half laugh. “So, what do you think?”

Kirby’s face was solemn. “If you love my dad, and he ends up loving you back, will the two of you get married?”

“Uh, well, I-um. Honestly?” Kirby nodded. “Honestly, Kirby, I don’t know. All of this is really sudden, you know? Right now, I’m just wallowing in the fact that someone as amazing as your father is interested in me.”

“He’s pretty cool, isn’t he?” Kirby agreed. The smile she gave Gwen was brilliant. “I think it’s awesome that you love Dad. I think he might love you, too.”

“Really?” Gwen’s heart leapt. “How do you know?”

Kirby shrugged. “He’s always humming now, and he never used to do that before. At least, not since Mom died. He smiles a lot more, too, and, this morning, I heard him singing a really bad version of ‘There She Goes’.” She shook her head. “Don’t tell him I told you, but he sounds like a frog when he sings in the shower.”

Gwen stifled a chuckle. “I promise I won’t tell him.” But she smiled at Kirby. “I’m glad you’re okay with all of this. I wasn’t sure if you would be hurt that your dad is dating someone, and I don’t want you to think that I’m stealing him away from you.”

“Stealing him away?” Kirby frowned. “I didn’t even think of that one. I know you won’t because Dad and I are a team. We’re always going to stick together. You couldn’t steal him away.”

“Oh. Well, that’s good.” But her smile had disappeared. If Kevin and Kirby were so close, was there room for her in their little equation?

Kirby seemed to sense something was off. “Gwen? Just because Dad and I are a team, it doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t make room for one more.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Kirby held out a hand. “I’d like to welcome you to Team Richardson if Dad hasn’t done it yet.”

“Ah, no. He hasn’t.” She grinned. “Team Richardson? I’d be honored.” She shook Kirby’s hand then enveloped her in a hug. “Thanks, Kirby.”

“No problem. Now that you’re a part of Team Richardson, I was wondering if maybe you and me could spend some time together. Like bonding?” Kirby tried not to let her voice waver with the nerves she felt. She’d wanted a mother for so long, and now she had a chance for one. She was afraid, though, that Gwen might reject her still.

Gwen blinked in surprise, then pleasure. A smile spread across her face. “Absolutely! How about we start today?”

“Really?” Kirby was stunned. “I mean, yeah! Sure! What are we going to do?”

“Anything you want.”

***

The pitch was thrown, bat connected to ball, and the play was made. First out and bases were empty. The next batter came up to the plate and squinted into the mid-September sun before watching for the pitch. Brian hardly noticed when the thwack of the ball against the bat sounded again.

“I look at her, she looks at me, she’s got me thinking about her constantly,” he sang quietly, gazing out absently at the baseball field. “But she don’t know how I feel. Yeah, she carries on without a doubt, I wonder if she’s figured out, I’m crazy for this girl. Yeah, I’m crazy for this girl.”

“Coach?”

Brian continued to sing away.

“Coach!”

Brian looked down at the big, brown eyes watching him. Amusement glinted in them. “What’s up, Conrad?”

The ten-year-old fought back the giggle. “You were singing kinda loud, Coach. Are you okay?”

“I was singing, huh?” Brian ruffled the boy’s hair. “You’ve got big ears, Conrad. I don’t think anyone else heard.”

Conrad shook his head. “No, Coach. We all heard, but I’m the only one who wanted to say anything.”

“Really?” Brian grinned before turning towards his kids out on the field. “Jamie! Get back on the bench! Conrad’s gonna pitch the next inning!” Hearing the groan next to him, he lifted a brow. “Now, Conrad. Let this be a lesson that you don’t bring up my mistakes unless you want to suffer right next to me. Got it?”

“Got it.” But the laugh was back in his eyes. “My mom said you sang good. I guess she was right.”

“Yeah?” He was pleased, remembering that Conrad’s mother had been in his graduating class in high school. “Well, that’s great, but it’s not getting you out of pitching. Go on.” He tugged on the young boy’s cap before sending him out. “And the rest of you out there!” Brian raised his voice so the players could hear him. “I know this is just a practice, but we’ve got Regionals coming up in a few weeks, and y’all are playing like you’re fifty years old! Let’s see some real action, huh? Jones, watch the ball when you’re running backwards to catch it! Andy, bend your knees a little when you bat!” When he was satisfied, he nodded. “All right, team! Show me what we’re made of!”

Brian sat on the bench next to his twelve-year-old assistant and watched them play. The in-service day had been the perfect opportunity to get another practice in, he thought. They weren’t a bad team, but extra practices would only help improve their skills in time for the Little League Regionals competition. Last year, this team had taken Brian to States, and he was determined to do just as well this year.

Of course, baseball couldn’t prevent his mind from veering right back to Reena. To say the time he’d spent with her the night before was amazing would be an understatement. Last night had been beyond phenomenal and edging into something more than he’d ever dreamed. He’d fallen in love with Reena, and he couldn’t be happier. The grass really did seem greener, the sky bluer now that he knew his heart no longer beat only for himself. Now, he had Reena.

Of course, it helped that her macaroni and cheese was as phenomenal as her, but he couldn’t help it that the way to his heart was through his stomach—sort of. Nevertheless, he really was happy he’d found the one he was sure he was meant to be with. They’d done nothing but talk and hold each other, but, in that time, he’d realized that those moments could last him the rest of his life if things somehow didn’t work out between them. Not that that was even a remote possibility, Brian told himself. He loved her, and he was sure that she had equally strong feelings for him.

Twenty minutes later, he announced the end of practice for the day and watched as his team cheered good-naturedly. When one or two of them commented on his singing corny love songs, he grinned easily and told them they’d soon see what it felt like, too. At the cringes and gasps, Brian cracked up and sent them home.

As he collected his own things, his phone began to ring. Brian tugged it out of his pocket and grinned at the number. “Hey!”

On the other end, Reena smiled at the enthusiasm in his voice. “Hey, I hope it’s not too early to call you.”

“Too early?” His watch read eleven-thirty. “Nope. Not early at all. What’s up, baby?”

“Not too much,” she replied. “I was working on the school portraits and kept thinking about you, so I decided to stop wasting my time and call you. So, hi.”

“Hi back. I was thinking about you, too. My team thought it was hysterical that Coach was singing love songs.” He grinned when he heard her chuckle.

“Thinking about me makes you sing love songs?” She wished she’d heard him. “I feel special.”

“You should. Not everyone is worthy of the honor.” He popped open his trunk and stowed away the mitts, bats, and extra balls. “Wanna do something later on?”

“Sure. When?”

Brian calculated what he had left to do for the day. “How about in an hour and a half or so? Are you busy then?”

Reena, too, looked at the clock and over at her work. “I can take a break. What are we doing?”

“You made dinner last night. I’ll do lunch today. How’s that sound?” He opened his car door and leaned against it.

“You’re going to cook for me?” She felt ridiculously pleased. “It sounds great!”

He grinned. “Good. Do you want me to pick you up or do you want to meet up somewhere?”

“Hmm. Can you meet me at the Falls again? I mean, I know we’ve been there an awful lot lately, but I need to get a few more shots for Howie, and this would be the perfect opportunity.”

He shrugged, though she couldn’t see it. “The Falls sounds good. I’ll see you there at one-thirty?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you then.”

“I can’t wait!” Grinning foolishly, he hung up. “If this is love,” he told himself, “I don’t want it to end.”

“Thanks for wanting to help out.” Kevin unlocked the door to the vault and punched in the security code Howie had given him.

Callie followed him into the vault. “No problem. It’s the least I could do, considering I’m the one who’s causing all this urgency.”

“Mind telling me why you feel such a hurry to figure all this out?” He moved over to the desk to take out the old wooden box again.

Callie pulled on the latex gloves and helped untie the parchment. “It feels like there’s something inside me that’s stretching, growing. I feel like my skin’s going to burst if we don’t figure it out soon. The legend is all I can think about, waking or sleeping. I haven’t dreamt about the lovers since Monday night, but I keep seeing the falls in dreams. Kevin, I feel like something big is about to happen, and we need to break the spell soon.”

“Well, in that case, let’s find the answers.”

Twenty minutes later, there was a frantic knocking on the vault door, and Kevin tugged off his gloves and opened the door. Brian grinned from the other side before stepping in.

“Sorry, I’m late. I scheduled a practice for the boys this morning.” He pulled up a chair at the desk. “What are we doing?”

Callie gave him a smile. “Thanks for wanting to help.”

“Hey, no problem. I’m happy to help.” Brian peered at the parchment. “This is ancient. What are we looking for?”

Kevin handed him a pair of gloves. “Clues. We’re looking for the missing link in the legend.”

“Oh.”

Callie arched a brow. “Thanks for having faith in our venture.”

“What?” He caught her expression. “Oh. No, no. I do believe in the legend. Come on, Cal, you know I’ve always believed it.”

“But not my feelings or senses in the, let’s call it, the supernatural.” Callie arched a brow. “Or do you?”

Brian sighed. “Callie, I love you. And, even if I’ve never truly believed it, it doesn’t mean I discredit whatever instincts you have in this.” He laid a hand over hers. “I want to help, and I’m helping. I don’t want to argue.”

“Okay.” She nodded and squeezed his hand. “Thank you.”

Kevin cleared his throat. “Are we ready?”

“Yeah.” Brian grinned and rubbed his gloved hands together. “Where do we start and how do we know when we’ve found what it is we’re looking for even if we don’t know exactly what it is that we’re looking for?”

“Somehow, I followed that,” Kevin muttered but explained the procedure that they’d used the day before.

Brian nodded. “Good plan. Do we have a copy of the actual spell here somewhere? I just want to brush up on it, since I haven’t heard it in a while.”

“Sure.” Callie sifted through a few pieces of parchment before holding one up. “The journals I have from Laurent’s older sister don’t really have much in them. The only thing she says is something about the most potent of all powers will break the spell. Whatever that is,” she added with a shrug.

“Interesting.” Kevin mulled it over for a moment. “Well, keep looking. I was told to look in the past, so this has to be it. There’s nothing else.”

For several minutes the only sound that could be heard in the room was the rustling of paper and the scratch of pen on paper as both Kevin and Callie took notes. Brian kept staring at the sheet that held the actual spell. Finally, he pushed away from the table and paced with it.

“Brian?”

He looked over at Kevin and Callie, who were both watching him concernedly. “Yeah?”

“Is something bothering you?”

Brian held up the paper he held. “This spell is so simple, don’t you think? I mean, this whole bit about no respite and all—it’s incredibly harsh. She held back no punches when she made this incantation, so whatever it is has got to be in here, right? And if it were meant to be broken, she had to have stated it when she made the spell. At least, that’s how I always figured stuff like this works.” The other two frowned but nodded, following his logic. “Then there’s that part Callie said about the most potent power, but what is that if not for magic?” He sat in his chair again. “Sorry. All I’ve given you guys so far are more questions. I don’t think I’m much help in this whole legend business. I mean, I haven’t had dreams or anything. The only thing that ties me to it is this connection I feel to the Falls. So, my last question is, if I’m not really important to the legend, why do I feel so drawn to it?”

Kevin sighed. “Bri, living in this town is reason enough to have a connection to it. Besides, you were born behind the Falls. That’s something not many people can claim.”

“Maybe.” He lifted a shoulder. “I just don’t think I’m the best person to help you out.” He glanced down at his watch. “And I have to get going. I’m meeting Reena at, ha-ha, the falls. So, I’ll see you later?” Kevin nodded. “Good luck with all this.”

“Brian.” Callie’s quiet voice stopped him at the door. “Thank you. Really.”

He shrugged. “No problem.” He paused. “Is there more to the spell, Callie? Maybe there’s a part that got lost in translation from French to English or even in passing it down. I may not believe in the sixth sense that you have, but I do believe in instincts. Mine are saying there’s something we’re not seeing, and it’s in that spell.” He pointed to the parchment in her hands. “Anyway, I gotta go.”

Callie watched him leave before looking down at the paper in her hands. “Maybe he’s right.” She looked up at Kevin. “Is there anything in the box that’s in French?”

Kevin opened the weathered box and shuffled through it before holding up a small, leather-bound book. “There’s this. How good is your French?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she asked with a small smile.

“Hey, if it helps to solve this, then yeah.” He watched as she opened the book carefully and flipped through the first few pages.

“It’s a diary that belonged to a servant of the sorceress. Apparently, he was also the town’s scribe during those years.” She looked up at Kevin, excitement gleaming in her eyes. “Kevin, do you know what this means?”

“You know French better than I thought?”

Callie rolled her eyes. “No. It means that the servant may have known what happened and have written something down. I’m going to have to read this all the way through.”

“Take your time.” Kevin watched her mutter the translations under her breath before turning back to his own. Maybe they were finally onto something, he hoped.

***

“When are you going to tell Dad that you love him?” Kirby asked excitedly.

Gwen’s hands froze on the compass and pencil she held. “What?”

“You said you’re in love with Dad. So when are you going to tell him?”

Gwen was starting to think that spending the day with Kirby was finally having its disadvantages. They’d gone out for lunch and rented a comedy before Kirby had expressed an interest in seeing Gwen’s work. So Gwen had shown her work for her other clients that she was working on. They’d been having fun until Kirby had popped her new question. Out of the blue, Gwen thought.

“Well. Actually, I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “Admitting big feelings like this to someone is scary, and I don’t think I’m ready to do that yet.” Kirby’s face fell. “Kirby, hon. I think your dad and I are happy where we are right now. It’s still early days yet, and it’s definitely not the norm to be in love so quickly. I don’t want to intimidate him, and guys get freaked out when girls start talking about big feelings too fast. Can you understand that?”

Kirby pondered it for a few moments before shrugging. “I guess guys are really bad at the whole feelings thing, huh? So, yeah, I get it. It’s okay, Gwen. I guess I just want Dad to be happy, and I know if he had someone to love and who loved him he’d be really happy.”

“You think so?”

Kirby smiled. “I know so.”

***

“No way.”

“Yeah way.”

Kevin blinked. “I can’t believe it was just that easy.”

“Brian definitely had a role to play in the whole legend. More than we all thought, huh?” Callie grinned. “This has to be it.”

“Uhh…Can you repeat that?” He still couldn’t believe that she’d found it.

Callie squinted at the French. “It basically says that the only way the spell will be broken is if another pair of lovers discovers the same love that Laurent and Liliane shared. Which certainly explains the most potent of magic—love.”

Kevin took a deep breath. “Okay. Okay, so let’s say that all that has to happen is for a couple to fall in love at the Falls. How the hell do Reena, you, and I work into that equation? We’ve all had dreams telling us that we are involved, but none of the three of us is, uh, romantically involved with the other. How do you explain that?”

“I think I’m in it because I’m a descendant.” Callie frowned down at the diary again before looking up at Kevin with narrowed eyes. “You’re seeing Gwen Phillips. And you just started this week, right?”

“Right.”

Callie nodded, the idea forming in her head. “The dreams you and Kirby had. Mia never appeared before this week, right?”

“Right.” He was afraid he was seeing where she was headed.

“And Mia told Kirby and you that she wants you, Kevin, to move on.”

“So what you’re getting at is that Gwen and I are involved because it’s going to help break this spell?” He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be annoyed. “There’s gotta be another explanation.” The current one was pissing him off.

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I think you’re going to break the spell, Kevin, just by being you.” She looked up at the clock. “I think we’ve found the key, so it’s up to you to figure out the rest. It’s your heart that holds the answer.” Reaching out, she rubbed his shoulder. “I’d stay, but I have to pick Astra up from gymnastics. Call me if you need anything else.”

Kevin waited until she was gone before he packed everything up carefully. So his heart was the key to breaking the spell, was it? Two ghosts needed saving, and he had to fall in love to do it? He had no choice in the matter, it seemed, and it bothered him. What if he didn’t like that idea? What if he didn’t want Gwen?

At the thought, he had a flash of her laughing, the moonlight streaming over her smooth skin. It made him ache, but he shoved the thought aside.

“I’m not going to fall in love with anyone because it’s going to help break a spell,” he muttered. “I’m not just going to fall in line with all of this because some sorceress ordained it. Over my dead body. I do what I want, when I want. And no one’s going to make me feel something I’m not ready for or don’t want.”

And that was that.

When he’d locked up the vault again and was heading to Howie’s office to drop off the keys, his cell phone beeped. The ID listed the caller as Gwen like it was Fate, and he shoved the phone back in his pocket. He’d be damned, he thought, if he was going to be a pawn in some chess game Fate and magic were playing in Seven Falls.

“Guess who?”

Reena lifted her hands to cover the ones over her eyes. “Dan?”

“Who?”

She had to laugh at the outraged expression on his face. “Sorry. I mean, Brian! You’re here!” She patted his cheek. “And you’re cute when you’re gullible and angry.”

“Ha ha.” Brian rolled his eyes but leaned in to lay his lips over hers in a kiss that left her breathless and holding onto him. “Who’s Dan?” he asked as he broke the kiss gently.

“Huh?” She had to press a hand to her head to keep it from floating away. “Dan who?”

He chuckled. “That’s what I thought.”

Reena’s eyes cleared and her head settled back on her shoulders. “You think you’re so funny.” She picked up her camera again. “I’ll bet your ego’s the size of the moon now that you think your kiss blew me away, right?” She sniffed. “Well, forget it.”

“You telling me that it didn’t?”

She turned around again. “For your information,” she began, but he interrupted her with another searing kiss, and she found she had no choice but to wrap her arms around him and let him hold her close. “Brian,” she murmured between kisses.

“I missed you,” he whispered against her lips, cutting off any protest she might have had. Just seeing her standing on the overlook with her camera had backed up the breath in his lungs. He’d felt as though he’d been punched. In the heart, he thought now. Because that was what she held now. His heart.

She wanted to shrug it off, but pressed her face to his throat to breathe him in. “You saw me last night.”

“Doesn’t matter.” He pressed a kiss to her hair. “Not being with you all the time is getting to be unbearable.” He leaned her back to look into her eyes. “Reena, what are we doing to each other?”

Reena framed his face with her hands. “Does it matter? I like the way I feel when you’re around, and I like that I think about you every other second when you’re not around. I like you, Brian. More than I’d expected to.”

He turned his face into her hand to press a kiss to her palm. “I like you, too.” He grinned, wanting to lighten the intensity that was building in his chest. “You know what else I like?”

She smiled. “What?”

Brian lifted a brown paper bag. “Food!”

He’d brought a picnic blanket, and they settled onto a grassy knoll not too far from the falls. Though they couldn’t see them, they could hear the patter of water, and Reena appreciated the ambience of the chirping birds, pretty sunlight, and the green of the surrounding forest. When Brian pulled out a basket of chicken, she cracked up.

“This is your attempt at cooking, huh? The Colonel?”

Brian feigned hurt and pouted. “Hey! I taught the Colonel all he knows about fried chicken, so you take that remark back.” He poked her knee.

“Nope. I don’t believe you,” Reena replied and took a piece. “Mmm. Man, they sure know how to make chicken down South.”

“I told you, it was all me,” Brian insisted. “Therefore, it’s not southern, it’s all New Hampshire.”

Reena rolled her eyes and kept eating. “Whoever did it, it’s good. So thank you.” She kissed his cheek. “Now you have a greasy lip mark on you.”

He narrowed his eyes then caught her mouth with his. “Mmm-hmm!” He smacked his lips together. “And I taste good chicken, too! You’re forgiven.”

“Like there was anything to forgive,” she muttered but smiled nevertheless. “So what have you been up to today? What havoc have you wreaked?”

“Havoc?” Brian turned indignant. “I do not wreak havoc. I am a well-mannered gentleman, therefore I could not possibly wreak any kind of havoc.” He paused. “I had a practice for my team this morning. We’ve got Regionals coming up, and I want to be ready. Other than that, I was helping Callie and Kevin out for a half hour with stuff for the legend.”

“Oh?” Reena’s ears perked up. “What about the legend?”

Brian leaned back against a tree trunk and frowned at the chicken leg he held. “They’re almost desperate to find the answer to breaking the spell. I don’t really think I helped out any, but it’s always interesting to look back at the Seven Falls history. We may be a small town, but we’ve got a rich past.”

She was beginning to see it. “And you’re proud of it.”

He wiped his fingers off and poured both of them the sparkling cider he’d brought along. “I am proud of it. I don’t think I’d want to live anywhere but right here.” He handed her the cup. “After college, I would go on little trips here and there because I felt like there was something I needed to find, that maybe Seven Falls wasn’t the place I was meant to be.”

“But it is.”

Brian laced his fingers with hers. “Yeah, it is. It took a few trips to the other side of the world before I came back and realized that this is where my heart really is. This,” he gestured to the forest, “this is home. And so here is where I’m going to stay for always.”

“I think it’s happy to have you,” Reena murmured.

“I hope so.” His fingers tightened on hers. “I’m glad you’re here, Reena. Whatever brought you here, whatever happened in the past—I’m glad it happened because it’s brought you here. To me.”

His eyes were intense as they held hers. “Brian.” She raised their joined hands to her lips. “I’m glad I’m here, too.”

“Good.” His smile was huge and bright as he cleared up their picnic and tugged her to her feet. “I want to show you the rest of the Falls. Behind the scenes, of course. It occurred to me that last night was your first time back there, and you didn’t get to have fun walking back there.”

She remembered the previous evening. “Actually, I did have fun.”

“No, no. I mean real fun. You know, without all the lovey-dovey stuff,” he explained. “Plain and simple fun.”

“Oh.” Well, in that case. “Sure. Lead on, oh tour guide.” She gestured in the direction of the falls and let Brian drag her down the path.

Walking behind the falls was certainly an experience that Reena had never experienced before moving to the enchanting town that she now considered home. True, she’d been back there once before, but her thoughts had been so troubled with the prospects of her meeting with Brian that she hadn’t really taken notice of the sheer beauty of the site.

The rock walls were unyielding as water tumbled over them, and the path seemed like a miracle that had been carved into the side of the rising stone. It was just wide enough for one person to walk very carefully along, and, at the moment, Reena was glad it was Brian who was walking in front of her to guide. The path wasn’t completely behind the waterfalls at all times for there were small spaces along the way that were dry between the falls and sunlight shone upon them. Though Brian had warned her not to look down, she had and had found that she could see nothing but the foaming liquid at the bottom of the waterfalls’ descent. Instead of scaring her, she was awed.

“Let’s stop here,” Brian suggested, ushering her into a small cove behind one of the falls.

Reena looked around as she settled onto the slightly damp floor. “Which fall are we behind? I think I lost count.”

“I think you were too busy being in awe to remember to count,” he corrected her. She shrugged. “We’re behind Saturday Fall, so we’re a day ahead of ourselves.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Reena murmured. “I never thought I’d actually see what was behind a waterfall. I remember going to Niagara Falls once, and there was a tour that would take you to this small cave behind the one waterfall. I wanted to go, but I was so terrified that I chickened out and didn’t go.”

Brian sat next to her and, looping an arm around her shoulders, pulled her against him. “How old were you?”

She rested her head against his shoulder and decided she’d love to freeze the moment and live in it for the rest of her life. “I was a sophomore in college. My friends and I were nearly broke, but we splurged and rented a car to drive up to Niagara during spring break. I always thought those waterfalls were the most amazing natural wonder that I’d ever see.”

“But?”

She smiled. “I was wrong. The Seven Falls are just as incredible because they have the legend to go along with them. It adds mystique.”

“It does.” He nodded, and then, because he felt the need rippling through him, tilted her chin up and laid his lips over hers in a kiss that tasted of hopes, dreams, and soft, lovely wishes.

But Reena astonished him and turned the kiss from gentle into something so much more suited to the dark. And, Brian realized dimly, to the legend. In an instant, they went from just holding each other to grappling with buttons and zippers.

“I feel like I’m a teenager again,” Reena gasped as Brian’s hands streaked under her shirt to caress her skin. She tugged his denim jacket off and pressed her lips to his throat in a line of kisses.

He’d never felt the punch of lust quite so forcefully as it was hitting him at the moment, and Brian struggled with the buttons of her shirt with fingers that seemed to have suddenly become incredibly clumsy.

“Holy God, I think I’m gonna die if I don’t have you, Reena,” he muttered, his lips finding hers again.

She pushed his hands away. “Here. Here, Brian. I can…Lord, I need you to touch me.”

“Where?” But his hands ran the length of her torso beneath the shirt she was now struggling to unbutton. When his lips brushed along her jaw to return to her lips, he sank into the kiss. He had never thought a kiss could taste so sweet, so perfect…So right. Not until Reena. He needed more.

“Brian?”

As suddenly as the passion had come, it vanished. Both of them froze, their eyes drifting to the entrance of the cove. Juliet stood, one hand pressed to the wall, her eyes glittering with unshed tears.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice was low but trembled. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Brian scrambled himself together. “No, wait. Juliet. You, ah, you’re not…”

“Don’t, Brian. Just don’t.” Juliet could do nothing more but stare between the man she loved and a woman she had begun to consider a friend. They were disheveled, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what was happening. Her gaze returned to Brian, sharpened. “I guess I know who you were talking about now.”

He tugged his jacket back on and barely glanced at Reena, who had buttoned and pulled herself back together. “Juliet. What I said yesterday was the truth. I didn’t and don’t want to hurt you.”

“Of course not.” The tears were falling now and blinding her. She turned away from them. “I’m sorry. I have to go.” And she stumbled out.

“Brian, we have to get her.” Reena’s voice reached him, and, not sparing her a glance, he rushed out after Juliet.

His heart was pounding as he followed Juliet’s retreating figure. The path was slippery with the spray and if a person was to slip…No. Brian pushed the thought aside. He just needed to make sure she got out of the falls safely. Then he could talk to her, hopefully more rationally than the short exchange had just been.

His pulse tripled as Juliet seemed to stumble. “Juliet! Stop! Please, don’t run! It’s too dangerous!”

Her sobs reached him over the roar of the water. “Leave me alone. Just leave me alone.”

Reena knew that she’d see the scene in slow motion for the rest of her life and always, always wonder if she could have done anything differently.

Juliet was hurrying along the path in one of the sunlit sections and, just as the path was about to duck behind the water again, she tripped.

Brian’s vision grayed at the edges as he watched her sway, and the prayers fell from his lips rapidly.

They were in vain.

Instead of falling forward, Juliet fell over the edge of the path. Her scream was echoing and ended as quickly as it had begun.

“What happened?” Howie held her hands, noting the dilated pupils and the way her teeth chattered in the warm sunlight. Shock.

Reena’s gaze was locked on the waterfalls and the men that milled around them. “Brian,” she whispered. “Where’s Brian?”

Howie sighed. He was hoping she’d be too shocked to remember. “He’s looking for…for the body.”

Would the tears never come? Reena thought, disgusted with herself. She’d killed a woman, one who’d never done her any wrong. “Oh, god. Howie, I killed her. How could I have done it?”

He wrapped the blanket tighter around her and led her over to a large boulder, nudging her onto it. “Reena. Look at me.” He shook her hands. “Reena.” When her eyes finally met his, he could see the shock had dulled. “You didn’t kill Juliet. You told the police she tripped. Is that true?”

Her breath shuddered in and out. “Howie, I’m a murderer.”

“Did she trip?”

Reena swallowed painfully and hated the taste of guilt. “Yes. But don’t you see? She wouldn’t have tripped if I hadn’t hurt her. It’s my fault she’s floating in there somewhere.”

When her gaze would have returned to the waterfalls, Howie knew he would have to be harsh. Sometimes, he thought, it sucked to do the right thing. “Reena Phillips. You did not kill anyone. Juliet tripped and fell. It was an accident. Do you understand?”

His voice was sharp and made her wince. “Yes.”

“I want you to sit right here and don’t move. If you even think about moving, I’ll have you arrested.” Howie straightened. “I’ll be right back. Don’t move a muscle.”

Howie headed over to the members of the rescue team who were standing ashore. The rest had gone into the water and were scouring the river for Juliet. He was hoping they’d dragged Brian out of the water. From what he could tell, Reena had called Howie as soon as Juliet had fallen, and Brian had dived in after her. Guilt, Howie thought, could be a killer.

“Mr. Dorough.” One of the officers shook his hand. “We haven’t found her yet. The current is moving fast, and we’re thinking the body drifted downstream.”

“Why is Brian Littrell still in the water?”

“I’m not.”

Howie turned to watch Brian stand from his perch on a rock. His hair was wet, and a blanket was wrapped around him. His lips were still tinged with blue from the cold, but Howie was relieved to see him out of the water. Safe and alive.

“You shouldn’t have gone into the water in the first place,” Howie told him. “You could just easily have been the one we’re looking for, too.”

Brian shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.” His gaze swept the water. “I shouldn’t have broken her heart, Howie.”

“It’s in the past, Brian. What happened was nobody’s fault. Besides, Juliet could still be alive. She may have swam onto the bank and passed out.” Even as he said it, he knew it was doubtful. No one could survive the force of the water at the bottom of the waterfalls. The suction would kill a strong man so easily. “Come on.”

Brian looked at him. “Where?”

“Over here. To the side. Don’t worry,” he said, seeing Brian’s expression. “We’ll be near enough to know what happens.”

Brian didn’t want to but followed Howie, his eyes still trained over his shoulder at the water’s edge. He wanted to pray, but he couldn’t think of anything to say that would encompass the incredible need he had to see Juliet alive. He’d never forgive himself if she hadn’t survived.

“Brian!” Reena’s arms were around him before he’d even had time to see her. He wanted to lean into her, let her comfort him. Instead, his arms fell to his side.

Howie made them both sit, and neither spoke. Reena was worried at the blank look on Brian’s face when he’d seen her, and Brian was focused wholly on Juliet.

“Brian, I-” Reena began, but she was cut off by a shout.

“Howie! Brian!” One of the rescue team waved to them. “I think you need to come down here.”

Both men leapt up, and Reena rose to follow them. Brian turned back to her, and the look in his eyes froze her to the spot. “Don’t.”

Nodding numbly, she sank back onto the boulder. She’d thought the fear she’d been feeling was more than she’d ever feel, but she’d been wrong. Reena was horrified of the cold look in Brian’s eyes. He blamed her, she thought. And how foolish of her to realize she was in love with him at the instant before her heart was ripped to pieces.

The weeping she heard was not her own. When her head turned, she saw the ripple of a full-skirted gown and the tearful face of a young woman.

I’m sorry. The words sounded in her head. Why is it we always love what seems so hopeless, so impossible?

“I don’t know,” Reena whispered in response. “I don’t know.”

When she blinked again, the woman was gone. Reena pressed a hand to her heart, where the ache was nearly unbearable, and watched Howie return to kneel in front of her.

“They’ve found her,” Howie told her. “She’s alive, but barely. The rescue team is taking her to the hospital as we speak.” The roar of a helicopter sounded, and both watched as it lowered to the opposite end of the falls.

Reena reached out a hand to Howie’s. “Brian,” she whispered. “Where’s Brian?”

Howie squeezed her hand. “He’s going with her.”

***

“Wait, what?” Gwen was sure she hadn’t heard properly.

Kevin didn’t spare her a glance as he waited for his daughter to collect her things from Gwen’s apartment. “Juliet tripped and fell into the waterfalls. They just found her and took her to the hospital.”

“Oh, my…Is she going to be okay?”

He sighed. “I don’t know. Howie said they’re giving her a ten percent chance of living.” He looked up into Gwen’s horrified eyes and fought back the urge to take her in his arms and assure himself that she was okay. When he’d heard that Juliet had fallen, he’d immediately needed to find Kirby and hold onto her. Now, he felt the need to do the same with Gwen. But he remembered the spell. “Reena and Brian were there when she fell.”

“They—what? But they’re okay, right?” They had to be okay, Gwen thought frantically. Reena had to be okay or she didn’t know what she’d do.

Kevin softened enough to lay a hand over hers briefly. “She’s okay.”

“I’m ready!” Kirby announced hurrying to the door, and Kevin let go of Gwen’s hand. “Ready, Dad?”

He forced himself to look away from Gwen. “Yeah. Let’s go.” He followed Kirby out the door and didn’t bother to look back.

Gwen watched them go and felt as though her heart had been stomped on. Had it been her imagination or had Kevin seemed distant? He hadn’t kissed her and, except for that briefest of touches on her hand, hadn’t touched her. In fact, he’d barely looked at her. Was he rethinking his feelings about her after she’d told him about her past?

She sank onto the couch, dread filling her. She didn’t think she could bear losing him, but she was afraid that’s what was happening.

“Gwen.” Her name was a whisper on Reena’s lips as she stumbled in the door.

Gwen leapt up, all thoughts of Kevin forgotten. “Reena!” She enveloped her sister in a fierce hug. “You’re okay! I heard what happened.” She helped Reena to her room. “You need to get out of these wet clothes and lay down.”

“No. Gwen, it’s my fault.” Reena let her sister tug the wet clothes off.

“What? Oh, honey, it’s not your fault she fell.” Gwen dumped the clothes into the hamper.

Reena crawled under the covers of her bed, desperately needing to be warm. “Brian and I were in a cove, and we were…we were going to make love.” Thinking of it made her heart bleed fresh, and she squeezed her eyes shut. “Juliet came, and it was awful. She ran, tripped, and fell. It’s my fault, and even Brian blames me.”

“No, he doesn’t.” Gwen sat on the edge of the bed, stroking her hair.

“Yes, he does. You didn’t see the look on his face, Gwen. He hates me,” she whispered, sleep drifting through her tired system. “I love him, and he hates me. How crazy is the world that things like this happen? This was supposed to be my safe place. My happy place…”

Gwen listened to her breathing even and let her own tears fall. “Oh, honey. You and me, both.”

***

He didn’t know how long he’d been sitting by her bedside, but a glance out the window showed him that night had fallen. The respirator was keeping Juliet alive, and he could only pray that her lungs would recover. He knew he’d never be able to live with himself if she died. It was a miracle that she was alive, but she wasn’t out of the woods yet.

If only he hadn’t left her, Brian thought for the thousandth time. He should’ve been able to control his feelings for Reena, but he hadn’t. Now, Juliet was in the hospital, fighting for her life. And it was his fault.

“Brian.” The hand that rested on his shoulder was gentle. Christine gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze though her face was grief-ravaged. “You need to take a break.”

He shook his head. “I can’t. Not until Juliet wakes up.”

Christine looked down at the woman she’d considered her best friend for twenty years. “Brian, she’s not going anywhere. She’d understand if you left for a few minutes.”

“Christine, I can’t.”

When he resisted, Christine sighed. “Listen, I need to talk to you. I’m in this room illegally, since the limit is one person. Can you please oblige a pregnant woman and just come out into the hall?”

Brian rubbed his hands over his face. “I—okay.” He followed her out and waited until she’d sat in a chair. “What is it?”

“I don’t want you to blame yourself for what happened. Please.” She held out a hand.

He shook his head but, taking her hand, sat in the seat next to hers. “Chris, I’m the reason why she was at the Falls. Callie told her I was up there, and Juliet went. I broke her heart yesterday, and she didn’t deserve seeing me with Reena that way.”

“Be that as it may, you have to know by now that you can’t make yourself feel something for someone. Juliet loves you. No, let me finish,” she said when he began to protest. “Jules loves you, but I knew you didn’t love her. I’ve told her that, and she clung to the hope that you would love her one day. Don’t blame yourself for feeling something for Reena Phillips and acting on it, Brian. Juliet is responsible for her feelings and knew that she was setting herself up for heartbreak every time she tried to convince herself that you loved her.” Christine squeezed his hand. “She’d hate it if you blamed yourself because, deep down, she knows the truth. And she doesn’t blame and wouldn’t blame you.”

But he would blame himself, Brian knew. Because he truly believed that he was at fault. There were so many if’s running through his brain, and he wished he could turn back time and fix things. But he couldn’t. So he would sit with Juliet until she could survive without machines again, though the doctors didn’t believe she’d make it through the night.

He would pray. He would pray that she could find the strength to pull through, and that he would find the strength to stay away from Reena.

“We’ve lost,” Liliane wept, burying her face in her hands as Laurent’s arms wrapped around her in comfort.

He turned to Callie as he rocked his lover. “She’s a little upset.”

“A little?” Callie didn’t think so. “What happened? We’ve figured out the key. All Kevin and Gwen have to do is say they love each other, and the spell will be broken. Right?” When neither of the ghosts responded, she asked again, “That’s all there is to it, right? There’s no other catch to it?”

Laurent sighed. “Callie, that’s all there is to the spell. You certainly found the key, the answer. Following through on the key is more difficult than you think.”

“Why? Kevin loves Gwen, and I’m pretty sure she’s got to love him, too. I mean, yeah, they’ve only known each other a few days, but they look at each other like, like…like you and Liliane look at each other.” Callie gestured to them and had Liliane lifting her face to listen silently. “Kevin knows what the key is now, so all he has to do is tell her. How is that so difficult?”

“Pride is a terrible thing,” Liliane murmured. “Pride has always been the downfall of all great men and women. Our families would not have been in such a feud if it hadn’t been for pride, but there you are. It’s such an innate part of human nature, and it’s one of our biggest foes.” She placed her hand on Callie’s. “You are not the first we’ve enlisted to help us break the spell.”

“What?”

Laurent stood and paced. “Did you really think that in three hundred years, your friends would be the first that we tried to work with in order to help us? Because you’re not. Every generation, starting with the one after ours, we’ve found a man and woman that seem to be in love, and we start nudging them towards each other. Unfortunately, things have not worked out the way we’ve wanted, and our efforts have been fruitless.”

Callie was shocked. “No way. How could that be true? There’s no documentation of anyone having dreams or anything the way we are.”

“You’ve heard the stories of how people have seen us, no?” Liliane stood with her beloved.

“Well, yes, but…They were the ones that you were trying to help?”

“Time is running out, Callie. You and your friends are our last chance. Please, you’re our last hope. Please help.”

***

“Have you heard anything new?” Kevin asked, sliding into a chair next to Howie’s.

Howie poked at the plate of eggs in front of him and shook his head. “Nothing new. Her condition is still critical, and she’s still in the ICU. Brian hasn’t left her side all night, even though Christine tried to get him to move.” He sighed. “Honestly, Kev? I didn’t think she’d ever make it to morning.”

“It’s a miracle,” Kevin agreed, then looked up as Nick made his way through the diner to them. “Hey. How’s Dana doing?”

Nick shrugged as he snagged Kevin’s coffee and drank it down. “She stayed at the hospital all night with Christine. None of us slept. I just got away an hour ago and went home to take a shower.” He ran his fingers through his wet blond locks. “I’ve got an hour before my first appointment, and I need to refuel.”

Howie pushed his plate across the table. “Have mine. I’m not really hungry, anyway.”

As Nick happily began to plow through the food, Kevin watched Howie. “Did you sleep at all?”

“Callie had dreams all night and kept waking up talking about pride and Laurent and Liliane.” He closed his eyes briefly. “She said something about you, too. I’m wondering if you’ll elaborate.”

He didn’t want to elaborate, didn’t want to tell Howie that he didn’t plan on going through with fulfilling the path that would break the spell. He’d already decided that there was no way in hell that he’d let a pair of ghosts dictate his life. If that meant not seeing Gwen, well, he’d do it. Even if it killed him.

“Hey, did you go back to the vault yesterday?” Nick asked, interrupting Kevin’s thoughts and distracting Howie’s question.

Kevin nodded. “Yeah, Callie and I went. Which is probably why she was saying my name,” he explained to Howie. “If she’s dreaming about the legend, it probably stems from our search.”

“Oh.” Howie decided it was as good an excuse as he’d ever get from the look on Kevin’s face. “Well, gentlemen. I’d love to stay, but somebody’s got to run this town.”

“And it might as well be you,” Nick replied. “I’m thinking about taking Brian a change of clothes and some fresh food. I bet anything other than hospital food would be good, but I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to the hospital and back before my appointment.”

“I’ll take it by,” Kevin volunteered. The task would take his mind off of the fact that he was going to do whatever it took to avoid Gwen like the plague.

Howie smiled slightly. “Thanks for doing that. I was about to volunteer, but I can’t. I’ve got a media storm to deal with at the office over this whole mess. Plus, I’ve got to gear up for the state government’s phone calls that are bound to come through because of the accident. If we’re not careful, no one will be able to go up to Seven Falls because the place will be deemed too dangerous.”

“They can’t do that!” Kevin sat up. “This is the first time anyone in recorded history has fallen there. They can’t shut the place up.”

Howie ran his hands wearily through his hair. “I’m trying to stop that from happening, Kevin. I’ll let you know how it goes.”

“I see it this way,” Nick began, once Howie had left. “If, God forbid, something does happen to Juliet, the media will crash through town, and the waterfalls will be famous. Or infamous. Either way, it’ll bring more business to this town and more people who are curious about the falls. People will finally start paying attention to this jewel of a place.”

Kevin sighed. “I don’t want people to know about it because someone died, Nick. It puts a bad spin on the whole thing. Hopefully, nothing is going to happen to poor Juliet. The last thing we need as we construct a monument to the legend is the place claiming an innocent life.”

***

“Howie!”

Howie turned in mid-stride to see who’d called him. “Hey. Good morning!”

Reena stepped around a janitor who was sweeping the corridor. “I’m glad I caught you. I wasn’t sure if you were going to be in to work or not.”

“I’m here. There’s been a lot of media interest in the accident, and I’ve been fielding calls since yesterday.” He took her hand and continued to move towards his office. “How are you feeling?”

She shrugged. “How do I look?”

He wanted to say “Awful,” but didn’t. “You look tired. Did you not sleep well?”

“How could I sleep at all?” she wondered. “I’m the reason Juliet Stevens is in the hospital right now. It’s a miracle she lived, and I’m praying with all I’ve got that she’ll make it through. I managed to sleep for a half hour here and there, but I keep seeing her fall over the edge.” She suppressed a shudder and followed Howie into his office.

“Have a seat.” He gestured her towards a chair as he picked up the stack of notes his secretary had left him. Stifling a sigh, he sat and watched Reena twist her fingers nervously. “Tell me what else is bothering you.”

She laughed nervously. “You can tell? Boy, you are good.” The smile disappeared. “I’m leaving town.”

“For how long?”

He didn’t seem upset by her declaration. “Uh, forever. I can’t stay here. Not now, not after this. Gwen’s staying, but I can’t.”

Howie shook his head. “Don’t go.”

“Howie, if something happens to Juliet, I couldn’t live with myself. I couldn’t live in this town and be a constant reminder to everyone of what happened to her.” She pressed a hand to her lips to hold back the sobs. “I can’t stay,” she whispered.

He didn’t want to press her, but he knew that running wouldn’t solve anything. “So you’re willing to leave Brian? You’re just going to leave him here to deal with a broken heart and a guilty conscience?”

“He’d be happier that I’m gone,” Reena replied. “He blames me for being the reason Juliet’s in the hospital. He’s too good to tell me to my face, but I couldn’t stay and make him feel guiltier.”

“So you’re set on going?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I just thought I’d drop by and tell you that I’m going to try to finish up the elementary school portraits today. The rest I’ll send to you when I get back to Boston. I hope that’s all right.”

“Of course. Reena, when are you leaving?”

She smiled thinly. “Tomorrow afternoon.”

Kevin hated hospitals as they reminded him of the time he’d spent in them, watching both of his parents die. His mother had gone first when he’d been sixteen. Her car had spun on black ice in the middle of winter and hit a telephone pole. She’d spent ten agonizing hours in the ICU before slipping quietly away. He’d had Mia to help him through the loss, but he wondered how his father would have made it if he, Kevin, hadn’t been around.

An only child, he’d been the light of his parents’ lives, and they’d been proud of his creativity. His father had pushed Kevin through design school and struggled alongside him to get his pieces the acclaim they deserved. When he’d been twenty six years old, his first piece had been placed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. His father had thrown a large celebration for Kevin, and, in the wee hours of the morning after, he’d had a heart attack and, after a day in the hospital, had passed on. Kevin considered the only good thing to come out of it was that his father had seen his efforts reach fruition.

Now, as he rode the elevator up to the Intensive Care Unit, he was thrust back into those two days he’d spent pacing the quiet floors. The nearly silent patter of the nurses’ crepe-soled shoes still set his teeth on edge, while the antiseptic smell of the entire place turned his stomach. Gripping the bags of food and clothes for his cousin tightly, he stepped off the elevator.

Before a nurse could inquire which patient he’d come to see, he spotted Christine making her way down the hallway and waved to her.

“Kevin!” She smiled wearily when she got closer. “It’s good to see you here.”

He hugged her then tipped her chin up to see the strain and worry in her eyes. “How’s Juliet doing?”

Christine rested her head against his shoulder for a moment. “She’s about the same. Still on the respirator, and her heart rate is dependent on that. Brian hasn’t left her side for more than a few minutes,” she murmured as an afterthought.

“He feels guilty, doesn’t he?” Kevin walked down the hall with her. “I can see why, but it’s ridiculous. I think he’s going to make himself sick.”

“Probably,” Christine agreed. “Listen, I’m going to drag him out of that room for a bit as I’m assuming what’s in the bags is for him. I need to sit with my best friend for a while, too.”

Kevin nodded. “Good idea. Let me know if you have trouble kicking my cousin out.”

She may have had a little bit of trouble, he thought when Brian stumbled into the waiting room five minutes later. He looked as though he hadn’t slept in years and the strain was etched into every line on his face. Finding a chair empty between Kevin and Dana, who was still waiting, too, Brian collapsed into it.

“Morning,” Kevin murmured.

Brian’s eyes were shut. “Morning.”

“I brought you food and clothes. I remembered where the spare key was.” He held up the bag containing clothes and a toothbrush. “How about you go change and look more human? You can eat afterwards and then go back to Juliet. How’s that sound?”

Brian shrugged but took the bag. “Thanks, Kevin. I owe you.”

“Not really, pal,” Kevin murmured as he watched his cousin drag his feet leaving the room.

Ten minutes later, Brian came back. Though he looked more awake than he’d been before, his eyes were still red-rimmed. He’d spent a minute indulging himself with a flood of frustrated tears over the hopelessness of the entire situation. The fact that he was in love with a woman, which had landed his ex in the hospital, was no easy burden. The idea that he had to let her go was, while noble, extremely painful. His heart was torn.

Kevin handed him a cup of coffee, and he drank it down as though it were water. “Nothing says morning like coffee,” he murmured gratefully but still turned down the takeout box of pancakes. “I’m not hungry.”

“Don’t be so childish and take the damn pancakes, Brian. You’re no help to anyone if you make yourself sick.” Kevin shoved the box into his hands. “Eat the whole thing.”

He dug in reluctantly but soon found himself gulping it all down. Maybe he had been hungrier than he’d thought.

“Did anyone call Juliet’s family?” Kevin asked him after a few minutes.

Brian nodded. “Christine called them last night. Her siblings should be here in a couple hours, but her parents are stuck in Chicago. There’s a huge storm in Ohio that they can’t fly through or around.”

“She’s pulled through so far, Bri, she’ll make it,” Kevin assured him, hoping that through some miracle he’d be proven right.

Brian polished off the last bit of pancake and sighed. “I don’t know. I’m praying and hoping beyond all hope that she’ll be okay. But she hasn’t been taken off the respirator yet, and she…” He shut his eyes as the thought that she wouldn’t survive rang in his mind again.

“She’s going to make it through, Brian,” Dana spoke up, squeezing his shoulder. “And nobody blames you, so why are you blaming yourself?”

He couldn’t answer that but couldn’t prevent himself from thinking it all the same. “Thanks for the food, Kevin.”

“No problem. Like I said, I don’t want you getting sick over all of this.” Kevin followed him towards Juliet’s room. “Have you talked to Reena today?”

His gut clenched at the thought of the woman he loved. “No. I don’t think I’m going to either.”

The cold reply shocked Kevin. “Uh, okay. Don’t you think she’s feeling guilty like you are?”

The response was a shrug. “It doesn’t matter anymore. What’s her guilt going to solve? She shouldn’t bother to worry. Besides, if you’re so worried about her, why don’t you ask Gwen?”

“Because I’m staying away from Gwen from now on,” Kevin said quietly.

Brian stopped in the middle of the corridor and spun to face his cousin. “What the hell are you doing that for? You’re in love with her, why are you leaving her? That doesn’t make any sense, Kevin. Why can’t somebody have a happy ending to their week, huh?”

Kevin shook his head. “It’s not a matter of happy endings. I just realized that Gwen’s not what I thought I wanted. I mean, she was, but what I want has changed.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it,” Brian told him. “You’re running away because you’re scared that she’s perfect for you. You don’t want to lose her the way you lost Mia.”

“Who the hell would want to go through another loss like that?” Kevin tossed back. “You want to think that’s why I’m breaking it off with her, fine. Go ahead.”

Brian cursed under his breath. “Look-” He was cut off by the sounding of an alarm from Juliet’s room and moved out of the way as doctors and nurses rushed into the room. “What’s going on?” he tried to ask one of the doctors, but hearing the words “Code Blue” from one of the nurses froze him to the spot.

Kevin grabbed his arm and tried to lead him away, but Brian was rooted to the spot. “Kevin, she’s dying. Oh, God. She’s going to die.”

When his knees started to buckle, Kevin dragged him up. “Brian, she’s going to be okay. It’s just a false alarm. You’ll see.”

Christine stumbled out of the room, her face white. When he saw her, Brian’s legs found their strength again, and he let her hold onto him. “What happened?” he asked when her face was buried against his shoulder.

“I was sitting next to the bed,” she whispered. “All of a sudden, the machines started going haywire, and her heart rate…God, it began to drop. I saw the lines on the monitor straighten out, and I hit the button for the doctors. Brian, what if she doesn’t make it?” She was trembling, and Brian began to pray silently as they waited.

***

“Are you in love with Kevin?”

Gwen bobbled the glass of water she held and stared at Callie. “Pardon me?”

Callie sighed. “Gwen, I need to know if you love Kevin or not.”

“We know it’s a little personal,” Alex spoke up. “But we need to know. It’s important to the legend.”

Gwen’s brows lifted. “How can you worry about the legend while a friend of yours is struggling to hang onto life?”

“They’re equally important. We’re looking at the big picture, Gwen.” Callie studied the other woman’s reactions. Gwen was certainly a bit jumpier than she normally was, and a flush was rising on her cheeks.

“People you care about being hurt isn’t part of the big picture?” Gwen wondered.

Alex leaned forward. “Listen, for the moment, Jules is holding on. I talked to Christine an hour ago, and her condition was critical but mostly stable. Meanwhile, we have to believe that this is somehow connected to the legend. Your feelings for Kevin and his in return are important to that. Please, Gwen. Contribute to the greater good.”

“I saw Liliane yesterday.” Three heads turned towards the doorway where Reena stood with a large box in her arms. She shrugged when they continued to watch her quizzically. “When Juliet was pulled out of the water, Howie and Brian went to help, and that’s when I saw her. I mean, I didn’t know it was her…but I did. Does that sound crazy?”

Callie shook her head as an idea began to take seed in her mind. “It’s not crazy. I know what you mean.”

“Okay. Well, she was crying, and I heard her talking. But it was in my head. She asked why we always seem to love what seems most painful, most difficult.” Reena set the box down and leaned against the doorjamb. “And then she disappeared.”

“Do you love Brian?” Alex figured he should know as Brian was his best friend.

Reena stiffened, but he could see the look in her eyes. “It doesn’t matter,” she said after a few moments.

“I think it does,” Alex replied. “It matters a great deal. What’s with the boxes?” he asked, changing the subject for a moment to sate his curiosity.

She looked down, remembering, and picked up the box again. “My things.”

“You’re still unpacking?” Callie wondered.

Reena shook her head. “I’m leaving.”

“What?!” Even Gwen seemed in shock as this was news to her also.

“I need to go,” Reena said simply, fighting back the tears. “It’s not a big deal.”

Alex’s phone beeped before the other three could respond, and he picked up quietly. Meanwhile, Gwen had found her voice.

“What do you mean you’re leaving? You can’t leave, Reena!” She stood toe-to-toe with her younger sister. “Where do you think you’ll go? Boston? Did you forget that there’s nothing there for you anymore? You’ve got so much here, Reena.”

“No.” Reena shook her head. “I don’t have that much here.”

“What about Brian?” Callie asked softly. “You care about him, don’t you? He’ll be upset if you go.”

Reena squeezed her eyes shut as her heart ripped again. “He’ll be okay. He’ll be perfectly fine. There’s no need to try to guilt me into staying,” she added.

“Ladies.” Alex’s voice interrupted them. When they turned to him, his face was solemn. “That was Kevin. Juliet died ten minutes ago.”

The water was cold but nowhere near as cold as he felt inside. Though the sun shone brightly overhead and filtered soft light through the trees shading him, he couldn’t feel it. He couldn’t feel anything. The cold simply masked the numbness he felt. His world had been altered in less than a week. He’d fallen in love, broken another’s heart, and watched a woman he’d cared for die. Currently stuck between self-loathing and grief, he’d settled for the mindless state of numb. At least he couldn’t feel any sort of pain. At the moment.

Brian watched his feet slide through the clear, cool water of his pool and wondered at how the water, seemingly so tranquil, hid a dangerous face. True, it made up the majority of the human body, but it had the power to destroy that body, annihilate the life that dwelt inside it. He’d always thought that the place of his birth, along with water, were the most powerful symbols in his life—good ones—but now he wasn’t as sure. How could anything that had the ability to kill be a good thing?

Juliet’s family had arrived within an hour after her death, and Brian had been unable to do much more but stand nearby and offer them a shoulder to weep on. Her brothers and sister were inconsolable, while her mother had slid into a deep state of grief. Only Juliet’s father was able to coherently speak with doctors and the friends that had gathered. Brian had tried desperately to stay in the background and go unnoticed, but Jerry Stevens had been gifted with eyes sharp enough to slice away the bullshit surrounding him.

“She wouldn’t blame you,” he’d told Brian, laying a sympathetic hand over Brian’s shoulder. “And neither do we. What happened was no one’s fault.” He’d blinked the tears from his red-rimmed eyes. “I just want to thank you for caring for her and supporting her for so many years. You made my daughter a happy woman.”

Brian hadn’t been able to take the gratitude and, murmuring his condolences and offering to help with anything the Stevens would need while making funeral preparations, he’d slipped away from the hospital. He’d been unable to sleep once at home, and his appetite had disappeared. After staring at the television without comprehending anything for twelve hours, he’d crept out to the pool when the quiet morning light had flickered at the edges of his curtains.

Now, here he was, dangling his feet in the water nearly three hours later. He’d heard the phone ringing inside for hours, but he hadn’t bothered to pick up. The doorbell had rung the previous evening and once this morning, but Brian had no plans to answer it. He didn’t want to see anyone, not when he was certain that he was a murderer and didn’t deserve the concern of others.

When his thoughts slid to Reena, he forced them back ruthlessly to where he was, once again, thinking of nothing. Feeling nothing. Reena had been a pretty face, one he’d convinced himself he’d fallen in love with and, in the process, he’d killed a woman he’d cared for deeply. No, Reena was better off without him.

“Meditation, huh? And by the pool, no less. That’s something I’ve yet to try.”

The unexpected voice startled Brian out of his troubled thoughts and had his head whipping around to see who’d managed to get into his home. Gwen strolled towards him looking slightly cheerful, though a small smile curved her lips when she noticed she had his attention.

“How did you get in?” His voice sounded rusty with disuse, and he dimly remembered that he hadn’t spoken in over twenty hours.

Gwen jerked a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of his fence and the gate built into it. “You forgot to lock your gate. It just swung right open.”

“And you thought you’d just walk right in? That’s trespassing.” He tried to sound indignant but knew he sounded tired instead.

“What are you going to do?” Gwen wondered, plopping down next to him and sliding her feet into the pool, too. “Call the cops? Have me locked up?”

Brian stared at her and wondered why he felt the urge to laugh hysterically. “I don’t like you.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Go away.”

“And what? Leave you here to suffer and feel guilty all alone?” She shook her head. “I don’t think so. And you do like me. You’re just trying to convince yourself that you don’t deserve the care and love that others have to offer you.”

“You don’t know what I’m thinking.” Now he knew he sounded like an irritable child. A cranky one.

Gwen leaned close and placed her hand on his arm. “No one blames you but you. If anyone who loves you thought that you were simply grieving, we would have left you alone. But you’re not and we can’t. Brian.” She waited until his gaze met hers. “When I met you, I thought you were exasperating and unbearable.”

“Aren’t I?”

She patted his arm. “You’re the furthest thing from it. You’re kind, smart, generous with your time and your affection. I like you, Brian, and I’m so glad that you and Reena found each other. You’re just what she needs.”

“I don’t want to talk about her.” Brian pulled his arm away from Gwen’s hand. “Reena and I have nothing to do with each other.”

“No?” Gwen frowned slightly. “I think you do. I think you’re perfect for each other, but you’re running because you both feel responsible for something that was out of your control.”

He glared at her now. “A woman I cared for just died, Gwen. I watched her fall over the edge and into that river. She would still be alive if it hadn’t been for the fact that seeing Reena and I together made her run. Juliet didn’t deserve the way I treated her.”

“So you’re going to punish yourself and my sister because you feel guilty?” Gwen made a sound of annoyance. “Why you and Reena feel the need to be martyrs I’ll never understand. Why can’t the two of you see that running away from what happened isn’t right? Yes, Juliet is gone, but nothing you do is going to bring that back. It doesn’t matter if you stay in this house and suffocate. It doesn’t matter that Reena leaves town. It won’t change the fact that Juliet is gone and nothing you did or could have done would’ve prevented it.”

“Reena’s leaving town?” He’d tried not to think of her, but Gwen’s words had dug into his heart.

Gwen rolled her eyes and stood. “Yes, she’s leaving. She’s thinking about heading back to Boston, but I know she won’t last there. This town was perfect for her, but the guilt she shares with you is driving her out, and nothing I say or do is going to stop her.”

Brian scrubbed his hands over his face wearily. “Maybe it’s best that she goes.”

“Oh, you think so, do you? It doesn’t bother you in the least that she’s leaving in an hour or two, that she has no idea where she’s going or what she’ll do when she gets there? Of course not,” Gwen answered for him. “The two of you are so stupid.”

“Well, what the hell do you want me to do?” Brian exploded, leaping up to glare at her. “I’m too busy wallowing in guilt and grief to really worry, right now. Reena’s a grown woman who knows her own mind. She doesn’t need you or me to hold her hand and guide her. If she wants to leave, who the hell am I to stop her?” He sighed heavily, the temper drained in a snap. “Just leave me alone, Gwen. Reena and I are adults, who know what we’re doing. Just let it go.”

She watched him head back into his home and tried not to kick a lounge chair. “Oh, yeah. You’re definitely adults,” she muttered. “But just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean you don’t do stupid things.” Take Kevin, for example, her mind muttered, but Gwen pushed him aside. That man was even more stubborn and idiotic than his cousin, and she was tired of both. All she wanted was for her sister to be happy, and, unfortunately, the man who held the key to that happiness was as depressed as the woman who loved him.

***

“You should talk to him.”

“Me? He won’t listen to me. Knowing him, he’d toss me out the door.” Alex shook his head. “Nope. We have to find someone who’s really going to get through to him.”

Callie sighed. “The only person he’s bound to listen to is his closest friends, and you’re the only one who isn’t busy picking up the pieces that Juliet left behind.”

His brows shot up. “In case you’ve forgotten, my wife and Juliet were best friends. My wife is grieving upstairs and, on top of being pregnant, she doesn’t need this added stress. I can’t leave her to go coax a man out of the cave he’s made for himself. If he chooses to stifle his feelings and go on as though he’s perfectly fine, that’s his choice.” He stood. “Sorry, Callie. You’re going to have to find someone else.”

“Who?”

Alex shrugged. “I don’t know who could help you with that. The only thing I do know is that the woman I love is in pain, and I’m going to go take care of her.”

He was nearly out of the room when Callie stopped him. “Alex. Tell Christine I’m sorry and that I wish it had turned out differently. Juliet was my friend, too.”

“I know.” He smiled slightly. “I’ll tell her. Thanks, Cal.”

“No problem.” But, once she was sitting in her car again, Callie rested her head against the steering wheel and wondered how to fix the mess that had suddenly sprung up around her. Howie was stuck in the midst of a bureaucratic and media frenzy to convince the public that the falls really weren’t dangerous, that Juliet’s accident was the first in the town’s history. Nick was with his grieving wife as Dana, Christine, and Juliet had been the best of friends, and Dana was suffering as Christine was. And though Callie did feel grief over the loss of a friend, she’d channeled it into focusing on how to solve the puzzle of the legend. “Although, we already did solve it,” she muttered to herself. “If only Kevin would stop being so stubborn.”

For Kevin and his heart were the crux of the problem. Until he acknowledged the fact that he loved Gwen, nothing was certain.

“Dad?”

Kevin looked up from the cup of coffee he was currently stirring to death. “Hey, hon.” He smiled wearily. “Did you have breakfast?”

“Yeah.” Kirby slid into the chair across from his at the table. “You look awful.”

He lifted a shoulder. “I didn’t sleep much last night, kid.”

“I heard you go up to the studio. Did you paint anything?”

Kevin reached out and tugged at her ear. “You’ve got sharp ears, Kirby.”

“I know, but did you paint or were you just thinking?” she asked again. “Because a lot’s been happening. I mean, Dr. Stevens died, Dad. That’s scary.”

He squeezed her hand. “I know, and it’s sad. It’s awful for everyone who loved and cared for her.”

“But it makes you think about life a lot differently, right? I mean, up until now, death was sort of distant for me. I was too little to really understand what exactly Mom’s death meant for everyone, but Dr. Stevens’ death sort of made me think about everything a lot differently,” Kirby explained and had Kevin raising a brow.

“Baby, I didn’t know Juliet’s death would affect you so much. I’m right here, though, if you need to talk.”

She nodded. “I know, and I kind of wanted to talk to you about something that I’ve thought about a lot.”

“Yeah? Go on, tell me.” Kevin pushed aside the coffee mug and held his daughter’s hands in his. Right before his eyes, he could swear she was growing up so fast. A little too fast for him, but he knew he couldn’t shield her from everything life would throw at her. Death was one of them.

“You and me, Dad, we’re a team. Even after Mom died, I never felt like I needed a mother because you’ve been the best dad a girl could want. I guess I kind of figured that you and me could be a team for the rest of our lives and never need anyone else.” Kirby paused and lifted solemn green eyes to meet her father’s. “But it’s different now.”

“Kirby, if this is about Gwen…”

She shook her head. “No, at least, not totally. Life’s too short to waste time. I want you happy, Daddy.”

“Oh, honey.” Emotion clogging his throat, Kevin shoved back from the table and skirted around it to gather his daughter in his arms. “I am happy. I have all I need right here in my arms. You’re my whole world, Kirby. You’re all I need.”

“But I want more,” Kirby admitted and watched the puzzled frown appear on her father’s face. “I want a mother, too. I want to go prom dress shopping with my mom or gossip over boys with her. Dad, as much as I love you, there are a lot of things that guys don’t like to talk about.”

Boys. Oh, boy, Kevin thought. His little girl really was all grown up. But if any guy tried to touch her… “Kirby. I don’t know what to say.”

“I know Mama can’t come back from the dead. It’d be a little freaky if she did, but…” She bit her lip. “I think we have a chance to expand Team Richardson. I think we should.”

Unsure of what to say, Kevin opened his mouth, but the doorbell ringing cut off his words. “I wonder who that is,” he murmured to himself as he hurried to the door.

“Kevin.” Brian stumbled through the door when Kevin opened it. His hair was disheveled, and he looked as though he hadn’t slept in years. “I need your help.”

Kevin grabbed his cousin’s arms before Brian nearly tripped over the foyer rug. “Whoa, buddy. Maybe we should sit down. When was the last time you slept?” he asked, helping Brian into the living room where Kirby watched them with curiosity and concern.

“That doesn’t matter,” Brian waved it off. “I need your advice.”

Kevin sat next to him. “Okay, tell me what’s wrong.”

“Juliet’s dead.”

Obviously the man was starting to lose it. It was a wonder what grief did to a man, Kevin thought, concerned. “I know,” he said gently. “It wasn’t your fault, Bri, and there’s nothing any of us can do to fix it.”

“I love Reena,” Brian said abruptly. “Juliet loved me, but I love Reena. Now, Juliet is gone, and Reena’s leaving town. Maybe she already left.” His gaze swept the room wildly. “What time is it?”

“It’s eleven-thirty,” Kirby supplied.

Brian gave her a tired smile. “Thanks, Kirby. Kevin,” he turned back to his cousin. “What do I do? Do I just let her go because, if I’m with her, I’d be dishonoring Juliet? Or do I just say screw it and go after the woman I’ve waited for my whole life?”

“How do you know Reena’s leaving?” Kevin asked.

Brian pressed his fingers to his aching head. “Uh, Gwen broke into my house this morning to tell me. She thinks Reena’s wrong to leave and I’m wrong to stay away from her. She thinks we shouldn’t blame ourselves for what happened and to stop punishing ourselves for it.”

“She’s right.” Kevin realized he had no choice but to think of Gwen. “What do you want to do? What was your first instinct when you heard that Reena was leaving?”

Brian sighed. “To go to her and tell her to stay. With me.”

“Good!” When her father and uncle looked over at her, Kirby slapped a hand over her mouth.

Kevin grinned. “Well, I think I’d have to agree with my daughter, Bri. I think you should hold on to Reena if you truly love her. If she’s the one you’ve been waiting for, don’t let her slip away from you.”

***

“I’m sorry, Brian.” Howie watched his friend closely and noted the sadness set into his face. “Reena left twenty minutes ago.”

Brian collapsed onto one of the couches in Gwen and Reena’s apartment and buried his face in his hands. He’d sped through town to get to their place and stop Reena from leaving, and now Howie was here telling him that Reena was gone. He felt like he was in a movie—one of the ones where the ending is one that the main characters aren’t happy with but critics rave about it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t raving.

Though she could feel his stare drilling holes in her head, Gwen ignored Kevin’s presence and, instead, reached out to take Brian’s hand in hers. “Why do you want to find her?”

“Because I…” His voice trailed off as he lifted his head to meet her knowing gaze. “Because I love her. Because I need her to stay here, in Seven Falls with me. You were right, Gwen. I was being stupid. Juliet is gone and, while the majority of the blame isn’t on me, I still will have to live with the fact that part of the reason she slipped was because she was running away from me. No,” he shook his head when all three opened their mouths to protest. “You know I’m right in this one thing. What I was wrong about was that, because I felt guilty, I had to stay away from Reena. I don’t think Juliet would want that. She once told me that she wanted me happy because that’s what you want for those you love. I’ll be happy when I find Reena, and I think Jules would have been fine with that.”

There was a long silence that followed his speech, and Brian’s nerves began to scream. All he wanted was to find out how to get Reena to come home, where she belonged. Where they both knew she was meant to be. Finally, when he was about to leap up and demand that Gwen call her sister’s cell and yank her back, Gwen spoke.

“She left her cell phone here, Brian.”

“What?”

Gwen shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’d call her back, but she didn’t take her cell phone. I think she forgot it, but I’ve no idea how to reach her and have her come back.”

His heart sinking, Brian sat back and tried to come up with other ideas. Meanwhile, Kevin turned to Howie. “Why are you here, D? Aren’t you supposed to be fielding calls from the state and the media?”

Howie shrugged. “They’re not that important. And, besides, I’ve left them with a written statement. It’ll have to stave their disgusting appetites. I wanted to be here to see Reena off because I felt that someone should, right?” He smiled supportively at Gwen.

“Yeah. Yeah, thanks, Howie. I’m sure it meant a lot to Reena that someone was here to prove that she did matter to someone in this town.” Gwen looked over at Brian. “Though I think she has no idea that she means the whole world to him.”

Brian looked up at his three friends watching him and winced. “I feel like I’m a lab rat with the way you’re staring at me. It’s creepy.” He paused. “Hey, Gwen? Do you know where in Boston she’s going to be staying? Maybe I could intercept her there and surprise her.”

“Maybe.” Gwen smiled a little. “Brian, I’d love it if you could convince her to come back, but I don’t think Reena has any idea where she’s going to be staying either. At this point, I have no way of contacting my little sister, and it’s scaring me. I mean, what if something happens to her? How am I going to find out? She’s the only family I’ve got.”

Though Kevin winced at her words, Howie put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Gwen, I’m sure nothing is going to happen to Reena. She’s going to be fine, and she’ll find a job and place to stay in no time. She doesn’t strike me as the kind of woman who’d end up on a street somewhere.”

“I know. I just wish there was some way that I could…Wait a minute.” Gwen sat up. “Howie, didn’t she say there was somewhere that she had to stop by before she headed out of town?”

Howie’s brow furrowed as he tried to recall. “I think she did, but I thought she just meant that she was going to pick up something to eat on the road.”

But Brian had already leapt up and was heading for the door. Kevin followed him out and managed to stop him on the landing. “Brian, where are you going?”

“To find Reena. I know where she is!” Brian’s face lit up with excitement. “I have to go, Kev. This is my last chance. If I don’t get to her now, I think I’ll lose her forever.”

Kevin watched him race down the stairs. “But where are you going?” he murmured and began to hope that Brian would find Reena. That someone would have a happy ending.

***

The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and this little corner of the world held all the peace that she was desperately searching for. She felt stuck in her own personal soap opera, one that didn’t have as convoluted an ending as most did, but it was still painful. She wasn’t ready to leave Seven Falls, but she didn’t have a choice. It was either leave or spend her time constantly avoiding the man she was hopelessly in love with. Neither option appealed to her, but she’d decided that the first one left her a chance to start over.

Start over. Wasn’t that what she’d come to Seven Falls to do in the first place? Several weeks ago, she’d transplanted herself to this tiny town in order to escape the past and her broken heart. Now, she was transplanting herself again. And, as before, it was to escape another broken heart. Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure that she’d ever recover from this one.

Everything inside her seemed to be torn to pieces. She hadn’t had the energy to pack up her things, but faced with the choice of spending time in a place where she wasn’t wanted and the chance to leave, she’d mustered up the energy and the spirits to gather her belongings and run.

Not “run,” she corrected herself. Running indicated that she was a coward who couldn’t face up to the consequences of her actions. No, she was dealing with the consequences of those actions. With Juliet’s death, she’d not only lost a new friend but, in the process, had destroyed one of the most important relationships she’d ever had. Running wasn’t the word she’d use to describe her reaction to the losses. She was moving on.

“Reena! Oh, thank God.” When she was spun around then crushed close, she had a split second to inhale the familiar scent of his skin before Brian was dragging her away and shaking her. “How could you just leave like that? You didn’t give any warnings, no good-byes. Do you care for us so little?”

Dazed that he was here, Reena shook her head. “I, uh, Brian…What are you doing here?”

Knowing he was acting irrationally but unable to stop it, he clenched his hands around her wrists. His relief in seeing that she wasn’t out of his reach had been overcome by the anger that she had planned to leave without seeing him. “I came to find you, Reena. Did you think you could just leave town that easily? Did you really think no one would try to stop you?”

“Gwen tried,” she began but he shook her again and had her mouth dropping open in surprise. She’d never seen Brian angry like this before.

“And if you weren’t so damn stubborn, I’m sure you would’ve listened to Gwen. Unfortunately, she’s a pushover. Fortunately, I’m not. If you want to leave Seven Falls, you’re going to have to get through me.” Brian pulled her slightly closer and watched anxiety and something else flash through her eyes. “Reena. You can’t go,” he whispered, his anger evaporating as suddenly as it had appeared.

Reena pushed his hands away and stalked to the overlook. Taking a deep breath, she glanced over at the waterfalls and allowed herself a moment to think that, though she knew they could be lethal, she was still amazed by their beauty. Then, she turned back to face Brian. “I can’t stay, Brian, and you know it. Juliet would still be alive if I hadn’t gotten involved with you, if I had just kept my distance.”

“That’s right. She probably would still be alive,” Brian admitted, noting the shock that swept over her features. “The fact is, she’s not. Things happened that we couldn’t control, and Juliet is gone. It’s devastating, but nothing we do can change what happened. Reena, leaving this town, leaving me is not going to solve anything.” He placed his hands gently on her shoulders and pulled her closer. “Don’t go, baby.”

His voice was soft and the emotion in his eyes nearly sent her flying into his arms, but she knew better than that, she told herself. “I’m sorry, Brian. I can’t see any reason why I should stay because we both know that everyone thinks I’m a murderer. I can’t live like that.”

“No one’s calling you a murderer, baby. No one blames either of us for Juliet’s death. I thought I’d spend a good amount of time blaming myself, but I was wrong.” Brian pressed a kiss to her forehead. “And so are you. No one’s chasing you out or painting you as a killer. Besides, there’s one very good reason why you should stay in Seven Falls.”

The temptation to let herself lean against him was huge, but Reena tried to keep her distance. “What’s that?”

“I love you.” Brian smiled at the expression on her face before he leaned in and kissed her softly. “I’m in love with you, Reena Phillips. I can’t live without you here, so, as far as I’m concerned, you’re going to stay right here.”

“You’re not mad?” she asked hesitantly.

Brian frowned. “Mad? At you? For what?”

“On Friday, right after they found Juliet in the river, you gave me such an awful look. I thought you hated me for sure.” And she was afraid that he didn’t mean what he’d just said.

Remembering what she was referring to, he gathered her close. “I wasn’t mad at you. I was mad at myself, and, in order to punish myself, I thought that I couldn’t have you. I had to find a way to make you leave, and I’m sorry if I made you feel that I was angry with you.” He tipped her chin up to look into her eyes. “I love you, Reena, and you’re not going anywhere. Except maybe back to my place.”

She grinned and felt as though her face would crack from how wide it was. It was amazing how her heart felt light as a feather at that moment when, just minutes before, it had been dragging on the ground behind her. “I’d love to, but there’s something I have to tell you, too.”

“Is it important?” Brian asked, starting to pull her down the path towards his car.

Reena stopped him. “I think it is. Brian, I’m in love with you, too.”

Moments later, when he’d set her back down, she felt the laugh bubbling through her and, swinging her arms around his neck, she let it free.

“You’re not going anywhere, right?” Brian asked as they headed down the path again.

She shook her head. “Nope. Not ever.”

“Good.” He grinned. “Because you’re stuck here for the next fifty or so years.”

Reena’s eyes widened when she understood his words. “Brian, are you…Are you asking me to marry you?”

“Well, I was thinking now was sort of early to ask you because we’ve only known each other a week. I was planning on romancing you for the next few months and then popping the question.” He smiled foolishly. “I can’t help it, Reena. I can’t imagine life without you.”

“I can’t imagine mine without you, either,” she admitted. “If you wanted to ask now, I wouldn’t think it was too soon.”

Brian’s brows shot up seconds before the smile spread across his face. Stopping next to their cars, he took her hands in his and looked around them at the expanse of greenery and the sounds of the waterfalls in the distance. “I think this was meant to happen here. It’s probably got a lot to do with destiny, fate, and blah blah blah. None of that matters to me as long as it means that I’ve got you with me forever. So, Miss Reena Phillips, will you do me the honor of marrying me and sticking by me for the adventure that our life together is sure to be?”

Her smile grew to match his. “Why, Mr. Littrell, I can think of nothing that would make me happier.”

As he swung her into his arms and kissed her, neither noticed the way the woods exploded into sound and colors. Birds hooted and whistled while the water in the river babbled joyfully. Above the cheerful music of the forest, laughter was heard for a moment before it faded out, and the trees were quiet again.

He was still standing on the landing of Gwen’s apartment building when Alex’s beat up Volkswagen pulled into the parking lot. He watched the younger man and his wife get out of the car and hurry towards the door. When he heard their voices below him, Kevin leaned over the railing and watched their progress up the stairs.

“This building needs a damn elevator,” Alex was complaining. “It’s not fair to pregnant women to walk all the way up. Let me carry you, Chris.”

Christine batted his hand away and blew her nose into the tissue she carried. Her voice wavered when she spoke. “I can walk up the stairs, Alex. I may be a friggin’ mess because I’m happy and sad at the same time, but I can walk up a set of stairs without falling over. I’m a doctor, for crying out loud. I know what I can and can’t handle.”

“And that sounds like a happily married couple,” Kevin commented and had both of their heads whipping around before they caught sight of him one floor up. “What’s going on?”

“Jesus, Kev. Why don’t you just shoot me dead?” Alex wondered, irritably. “Maybe you’d shock me less that way.”

Christine shushed him as they reached Kevin’s floor. “He’s just being dramatic. Is that Gwen’s apartment?” she asked, gesturing to the door behind Kevin.

“Yeah.” He jerked a thumb in the apartment’s direction. “Gwen and Howie are in there. Brian was here, but he went tearing out of here almost an hour ago. And, I hate to repeat myself, but what’s going on?”

“Inside.” Alex pushed open the door and grinned at a startled Howie and Gwen, who were surprised to see Gwen’s unexpected guests. “Hey, guys. Chris and I have great news.”

Howie arched a brow. “Alex, we already know that Christine is pregnant. Would you like to sit, Chris?” He gestured towards the couch.

“Thanks.” Christine sank down and glanced up at her husband expectantly. “Well, tell them, babe.”

Alex grinned hugely. “I just got a phone call from my very good friend, Brian.” That got everyone’s attention.

“Did he find Reena?” Gwen demanded.

He wiggled his brows. “Even better. He asked her to marry him, and she accepted.”

“Oh my…” Gwen found she needed to sit as her legs had disappeared beneath her.

Kevin pulled her into a chair before turning back to Alex. “Where are they now?”

“On their way back to his place. They said they’d come by Gwen’s to celebrate later. They sounded a little…distracted.” He grinned wickedly. “I’ll bet they’ll be by much later.”

“As long as they’re happy, I don’t care when they come over,” Gwen replied. “It’s good to know that they’re finally where they’re supposed to be. But,” she turned to Christine, “are you okay with all of this?”

Christine looked confused. “Why wouldn’t I be? A good friend of mine is happy because he’s found the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. I couldn’t be more excited and pleased for him.” She paused for a moment. “Oh. I guess you meant Juliet. I lost one of my best friends, which is devastating. However, I don’t blame your sister or Brian for anything that happened. I’ve known since the beginning that Brian would never fall in love with Juliet, and it’s not his fault. You can’t make yourself feel something for anyone, and I always appreciated the fact that Brian cared for Jules enough to stick by her through the years. It certainly wasn’t his fault that she continued to hope for something that most of us knew would never happen. Yes, Juliet is gone, but I’d like to think that she’d be happy for Brian as well.”

“Well, that’s gracious of you,” Gwen told her, and Christine rolled her eyes.

“Gracious, I am not. It’s the truth, and it needs to be said. That doesn’t mean that I’m not upset over Juliet at the same time that I’m happy for Brian. I’m both,” she added, dabbing at her eyes again. “I’m celebrating Brian’s engagement, and, now, I have to go sit with her family and take care of funeral arrangements. It hurts, but life does go on.”

Howie patted her shoulder as she stood and reached for Alex’s hand. “Thanks for coming by with the good news, Chris. Alex. I’d like it if you could tell the Stevenses that I’ll stop by in an hour to speak with them about the accident and anything they’d like to ask me about.”

“Sure, yeah.” Christine smiled. “Thanks, Howie. I’m sure they’ll appreciate everything you’re doing for them.”

“I’m the mayor,” Howie replied. “Even if I hadn’t been Juliet’s friend, it’s my job to help the people I work for.”

“You’re the best, Dorough. We’ll talk later,” Alex told him as he ushered his wife out the door.

Howie turned to Gwen and Kevin. “Well, I’ve got to be getting on. Things to do, people to see. I’m glad your sister’s staying, Gwen.”

“Yeah, me too.” Gwen watched Howie collect his things and leave. Then she was left facing Kevin.

They stood and watched each other silently for long moments, and butterflies began churning in her stomach. What was she supposed to say to him? He hadn’t spoken to her since they’d made love three nights before. Was he upset because she’d been awful or was something else about her bothering him? Before she could think up a coherent question, Kevin moved towards the door.

“I, uh, I should go, too,” he said quietly. “Congratulations on your sister’s engagement.”

“Uh, you, too,” Gwen replied. “I mean, for your cousin’s engagement,” she added, seeing his questioning look.

He nodded. “Good-bye, Gwen.”

At a loss for words, she watched him go and the door shut behind him. After a long moment, she walked over to the door and, locking it, rested her head against it. “Good-bye, Kevin.”

***

“You’re being an ass,” Callie declared as she paced the kitchen. “I mean, really. How long are you planning on playing the martyr? You’re in love with the woman, Kevin. And anyone with eyes could see that she’s in love with you back. Though at the moment, why any sane woman would love you escapes me.”

“I take offense to that,” Kevin interrupted her from his seat at the kitchen table. “My mother was a sane woman, and she loved me.”

Callie made a muffled screeching noise. “Kevin! You are so insufferable! I don’t understand why you can’t just tell her you love her. Not only would you be cementing a really good relationship with a fantastic woman, but you’d also be breaking the spell. Though Brian may have done that already,” she muttered to herself.

“Pardon me?” Kevin’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean about Brian breaking the spell?”

Callie rolled her eyes. “Do you think you’re the only man who could fall in love with a woman and help break the spell? Brian offered up his heart to Reena at the falls today, and I have a feeling they solved everything without knowing anything.”

“So…Huh.” Kevin frowned down at his hands. “So Liliane and Laurent really didn’t need me?”

“Please. Spare me the ego bruising,” Callie said. “I’m not here about the spell so much as I’m here because I think you are being ridiculous. You’re hurting Gwen, and she has no clue what she’s done. Can you stop thinking of yourself for once and focus on someone else?”

Through the initial annoyance he felt at her words, he was beginning to feel guilty. “Can I just have a second to think this all through, please?”

“What’s there to think through? Do you or don’t you love Gwen?”

“I do,” he answered without hesitation.

Callie threw up her hands in frustration. “Then what’s the problem? Why are you here instead of with her? Howie said the two of you acted like strangers earlier. Get it together, Kevin.”

“I’m trying, Cal. If I could just have some time and space to think this through” he began but was cut off as Callie stormed towards his front door.

“Take all the time and space you need, Kevin! I hope you don’t do anything to mess this up,” she called over her shoulder. “If you do, you can bet your ass Mia will come back from the dead to berate you about it, too.” And the door shut.

Left in the silence of his kitchen, Kevin listened to his clock chime five o’clock and wondered how he’d fix his mistakes.

Hours later, he pushed away from the table and rushed towards his studio. On his way to the stairs, the front door opened to let Kirby in. Her eyes widened as she watched her father bolt up the stairs.

“Dad!” She ran after him, wondering what was wrong. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Kevin stopped at the foot of the staircase leading up to his studio. “Kirby, honey, did you mean what you said this morning about wanting to expand our two-man team?”

“Uh, yeah,” she answered slowly. “Did you think about it?”

He grinned wildly. “I’ve thought about it, and I couldn’t agree with you more.”

“Wow.” Kirby could hardly believe it. “What’s this mean?”

Kevin grabbed her up in a bear hug. “I’m going to get Gwen.” He set her down and continued to smile hugely. “I mean, I don’t know if she’ll say yes right away because I haven’t been the best guy in the world to her lately. But if she can forgive me, I think we have a shot.”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Kirby asked, smiling. “Go get her, Dad.”

***

Gwen leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes. Around her, she could hear the forest come alive with insect song and the rushing sound from water hitting the rocks. Though she knew a life had ended brutally because of the falls, it didn’t detract from her fascination and admiration of the spot. If for nothing else, she owed Kevin for introducing her to the place.

At the thought of Kevin, she sighed heavily. She and Kevin had been a lovely dream come true. Too good to be true, she told herself now. He was everything she’d never thought she’d want but had realized she needed. No matter how short their affair had lasted and no matter how it had ended, she knew she’d always be grateful to him for showing her how much she could feel. She was sure she’d never feel anything close to what she’d felt for him ever again.

As the thought sent an ache through her heart, Gwen opened her eyes and let out a shriek. “Oh, God! Don’t ever do that again!”

Kevin loomed over her and smiled apologetically. “Sorry,” he apologized as he knelt next to her. “I didn’t mean to scare you. You just looked so peaceful and pretty that I didn’t want to wake you.”

“I wasn’t sleeping,” she replied.

“Okay. Well, I…Can we talk?”

She shrugged. “Sure.”

“Okay.” Suddenly, every speech he’d mentally prepared flew out of his mind, and his palms went damp. “Um, did you see Reena and Brian?”

Her sister? He was here to ask her about his cousin and Reena? “Yeah, they dropped by, and we had ourselves a little toast. It was good.”

“Good, that’s good.” Kevin nodded. “I’m glad they’re happy together.”

She had to smile at the thought of Reena’s excitement and euphoria. “Me, too.” Then, because she was wondering, she asked, “Why are you here, Kevin? How did you know where to find me?”

He shrugged. “A hunch, I guess. Or maybe,” he looked around them, “it might be fate.” Remembering what he held, he offered her the package. “This is for you. I worked on it last night and into this morning. The paint dried just before I wrapped it.”

“Kevin, you didn’t have to,” Gwen began then her breath caught at the picture he’d created. In the moonlight, she couldn’t make out the exact colors, but she was still astounded by what he’d painted. When she looked up at him, he could see the emotions wetting her eyes. “It’s beautiful. I just don’t know what to say,” she whispered.

Kevin lifted her chin to look into her eyes. “You don’t have to say anything because I need to explain why I’ve been so distant to you the past few days.”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t need the explanations.”

“But I need to tell you, so let me,” he said quietly. When she nodded, he laced his fingers with hers. “I was researching everything I could about the legend on Friday in the hopes that I might find the key to breaking the spell. What I found, with Callie and Brian’s help, was a diary. In it, the sorceress’ servant detailed the spell, and we learned that, in order to break the spell, two people had to pledge their love—the way Laurent and Liliane had.”

“Their love? I don’t…I don’t see what…” she trailed off as realization dawned and had her turning widened eyes to look into his. “Kevin.”

“I’m in love with you, Gwen,” he confessed and watched a tear slip down her cheek. “I don’t mean to make you cry, but I do love you. I knew I did before I found that diary. Please, don’t cry,” he whispered, reaching out to brush the tear away.

She shook her head. “No, no. It’s happy crying,” she assured him. “Please, finish what you were saying.”

“Okay.” Her hand felt right in his, and he continued. “When I read that part about a couple falling in love, all I could think was that the ghosts had somehow conned me into falling in love with you. It’s stupid, I know, but that’s how I felt. I didn’t like knowing that I’d fallen prey to their conniving, and I lashed out by closing you out.”

“You didn’t like feeling as though you’d been manipulated,” Gwen murmured. “I probably would have done the same thing.”

He lifted her hand and brushed his lips over it. “Thank you for understanding,” he said softly. “I don’t deserve it, but I thought I was doing what was best. It didn’t seem fair to me that we were both supposedly being used as pawns in a chess game. But I was wrong.” He waited until her eyes met his again. “My feelings, the love I have for you has nothing to do with the legend and everything to do with you and me, Gwen.”

“Kevin.” She raised her hand to lay it against his cheek. “I’m in love with you, too. I, uh, I thought I was crazy for feeling so much so fast, but when it’s right, it’s right.”

“More than right,” he murmured and laid his lips over hers. “I love you. I’m so in love with you.”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she snuggled into his arms. “I don’t think I’ve ever been as happy as I am at this moment.”

“I know the feeling.” His lips curved as he brushed a kiss over her hair. “Listen.”

“Hmm?”

“Shh. Listen to the forest,” he whispered. “Can you hear it?”

Gwen lifted her head and, looking around, frowned. “What?”

“Laurent and Liliane. They’re gone.” Kevin grinned. “You could always hear them in the wind or the rustling of the leaves, but not anymore. They’re finally at peace.”

“But not because of us. Right?” She looked over at him for confirmation.

He nodded. “It was Reena and Brian who took care of that.”

“And they probably don’t even know it,” Gwen murmured as she rested her head against his shoulder. “Good for them.”

“Absolutely.”

They were quiet for a few moments before Gwen sat up again. “What about Kirby?”

“Hmm?”

“What about Kirby?” she repeated. “What is she going to think about the two of us being together? I mean, she told me she’d be happy with it, but I wonder at what she’ll say now that it’s sort of official.”

Kevin tugged her back down. “Kirby and I had a talk today. She approached me with an idea to expand Team Richardson. I was surprised, to say the least, but she has a very specific person she wants to add to the team.”

“She does?” Her heart was fluttering rapidly, and she was surprised it hadn’t burst out of her chest yet.

He smiled at her obvious apprehension. “Yes, she does. What do you think, Gwendolyn? Will you join the team?”

“I…Kevin.” She swallowed the ball of anxiety in her throat. “What are you asking?”

He squeezed her fingers in his. “Will you become part of my family, Gwen? I mean, it’s small, but I was thinking that, if you don’t mind, we could continue to add more. But that’s totally up to you,” he added, nervous about her response.

Gwen found that her heart had settled back into place. “If you’re asking me to marry you, I will. I’d love to.” She kissed him softly. “And I’ve always wanted children, so I don’t see why we couldn’t give Kirby a sibling or two over the next few years.”

“I was hoping you’d say yes.” Kevin kissed her back and felt his world settle into place. “Welcome to Seven Falls, Gwen. Welcome home.”

As they lay wrapped up in each other, the night sky sparkled with thousands of stars. Though no one would ever notice, two seemed to shine more brightly for a moment before they dimmed again and resumed their watch over the world once more.

Woke up early this morning
Made my coffee like I always do
Then it hit me from nowhere
Everything I feel about me and you
The way you kiss me crazy
Baby you're so amazing

Seven days and seven nights of thunder
The waters rising and I'm slipping under
I think I fell in love with the 8th world wonder

I guess that I'm just falling
Deeper into something I've never known, yeah
But the way that I'm feeling
Makes me realize that it can't be wrong
Your love's like a summer rain
Washing my doubts away

It's only been a week
But it's coming over me
It's making me believe
That you're the one for me

Seven days and seven nights of thunder
The waters rising and I'm slipping under
I think I fell in love with the 8th world wonder