Silent Run

himself to let go of any lingering resentment. As long as Jake was happy, that was really all that mattered.
    â€œThanks for being my best man,” Jake said.
    As he left the receiving line, Dylan wandered over to the bar, grabbed a seat, and ordered a shot of Jack Daniels. He enjoyed the burn as the liquor slid down his throat. After draining the glass, he immediately ordered another. He didn’t like weddings, and usually avoided them at all costs, but this one he hadn’t been able to miss. He was thankful that he’d finished his formal duties as best man. He just had to get through the next hour before he could call it a night.
    Glancing across the room, he watched Jake and Sarah share their first dance on the back deck of the Woodlake Mountain Lodge. In the glow of candlelight and the backdrop of the purple-blue twilight sky, they looked exceedingly happy, as if the past year hadn’t tested their love in every possible way. But they’d come through the bad times. From here on out, it would be nothing but smooth sailing -- at least Dylan hoped so. He smiled as Teresa brought Caitlyn to the dance floor. Jake’s eighteen-month-old blond angel was the hit of the wedding, and as usual Caitlyn wanted to be part of the action. Jake swung his baby daughter into his arms, and the three of them danced together like the family they were.
    Dylan tossed another shot down his throat, pushing back the ridiculous thought that he was jealous of their happiness. While he loved his brother, he did not yearn for marriage and a family of his own. Having grown up in a broken home, he didn’t intend to repeat the experience. Although he hoped Jake and Sarah would make it, and that they would beat the odds of divorce.
    A cool evening breeze blew through the open patio doors, drawing goose bumps down his arms. However, it wasn’t the wind that put his nerves on edge; it was the woman who slid onto the bar stool next to his.
    â€œAre you drinking to your brother’s happiness or to the demise of yet another bachelor?” Catherine Hilliard asked.
    He ordered another shot as he considered the woman next to him. Catherine had cleaned up pretty well since their first meeting. There were no paint spatters on her clothes today, and instead of bare feet, she had on a pair of very high heels. She wore a gorgeous, sexy black dress with a low-cut halter top that showed off her beautiful breasts. He loved the way the freckles danced across her chest. He had the sudden urge to see whether she had freckles all over her body.
    He tugged on his tie, feeling tightness in his chest at the very bad ideas flooding through his brain. Catherine was an old friend of Sarah’s and, as far as he was concerned, off-limits, not to mention the fact that she was a little on the crazy side. He was grateful for her help in getting Sarah and Jake back together, but he didn’t intend to have any kind of personal relationship with her.
    â€œHello,” Catherine said pointedly. “You’re staring."
    â€œYou’re stunning,” he replied, unable to stop the words from crossing his lips.
    She gave him a quick smile. “That’s a good start to the conversation. The wedding was lovely, didn’t you think? Jake and Sarah make a good match. I think they have a chance."
    â€œA chance, huh? That’s an enthusiastic endorsement,” he said dryly, hearing the same note of cynicism that echoed through his own head.
    Catherine shrugged. “I haven’t seen a lot of happy marriages in my time."
    â€œNeither have I. So, how have you been? Painting a lot?"
    â€œEvery night. I even painted you."
    He raised an eyebrow. “No kidding? Do I want to see it?"
    Her smiled widened. “Maybe I’ll show you sometime."
    â€œI don’t get down the coast much."
    Catherine accepted a glass of champagne from the bartender. “I brought the painting with me. I wanted to work on it some more. I’m staying here at the lodge for a few days. The mountains are beautiful. The air is clear and fresh, and everywhere I look the view is dazzling. It’s not the ocean, but the lake has a peacefulness about it, a depth and a secrecy that appeal to me."
    Dylan didn’t see the lake the way she did, but he had always enjoyed Tahoe. For years he and Jake had come here with friends or family members to escape the overbearing presence of their father, who luckily for them never left the city.