Heartwishes Read online

  All in all, her tutoring and the subsequent workouts had changed how she looked at men. When she’d entered college, she’d imagined that someday she’d have an academic family. She’d be married to a college professor, with two intellectually oriented children. She’d have the same type of relationship with them that she’d had with her father. They’d constantly visit museums, and history books would be their main pleasure.

  But the truth was that Gemma’d had more fun with the boys she taught than she’d ever before had in her life. And also, based on her months with one of the assistant coaches, she’d found that sex with an athlete was a great deal better than with a page-turner.

  And now, this Colin Frazier seemed to be all that she liked in men in one beautiful package. He was smart, educated, resourceful, and an athlete. In the short time she’d been with him, the sight of his muscles under his shirt had come close to making her break into a sweat.

  She remembered climbing on him this morning, standing on his broad shoulders, then later, being held in his arms. She didn’t know when she’d ever felt such desire.

  But Colin wasn’t available. He belonged to Jean Caldwell.

  Gemma wanted to think that she was above interfering with what seemed to be a very happy union, but she wondered what she’d do if Colin ever looked at her as something other than a friend.

  “Probably make a fool of myself,” she murmured.

  “What was that?” Colin asked as he stood beside her.

  “I was just thinking about Tristan and hoping that I don’t make a fool of myself over him on our date. He’s very nice-looking and a doctor too.” She watched Colin’s face closely. She didn’t know what she was hoping for, a hint of jealousy, maybe? But there was none.

  “He’s a great guy,” Colin said. “Hey! You should get him to tell you about his family. They’ve been doctors for generations, and he has a couple of scandals in his past that would probably interest you.”

  “Like what?” In front of them, at the end of the driveway, was a black utility vehicle, and Colin motioned for her to get in. “Until your side heals, you’re to take it easy, understand?”

  “Yes, Sheriff Frazier,” she said, smiling.

  “Good attitude.” He held her hand as she stepped into the small truck. When Colin got in beside her, her side was pressed against his, and she felt her heart begin to flutter. What are you? she silently asked herself. Fourteen?

  “Unmarried mothers,” Colin said.

  She had no idea what he was talking about and her face said so.

  “You asked about Tris’s family scandals. I don’t know much about them except that a long time ago two Aldredge girls came home to Edilean pregnant but they weren’t married.”

  “Sisters?”

  “No. If I remember correctly, they were about fifty years apart.”

  “Single mothers are common in any family tree.” She paused. “One of the people in the letter I read was named Winnie. I assume that’s Winifred. Know anyone by that name?”

  “No.”

  “How about a woman named Tamsen?”

  “Not that I remember,” Colin said. “You should talk to Luke’s wife, Jocelyn. She’s done a lot on the genealogy of people in Edilean.”

  “Luke the writer? The man who had sense enough to get out of your way?”

  “Sorry about that,” Colin said. “When there’s an emergency—”

  “You get there as quickly as you can so you can help people,” Gemma finished for him.

  “Yeah, I do.” They had reached the guesthouse, and at the sight of it, Gemma gave a sigh.

  “Looks like home to you?”

  “More or less.”

  Colin unlocked the door. “It’s a bit isolated back here, so I want you to keep the doors locked. Okay?”

  “Sure.” She stepped inside the living room. Off the kitchen was a small, round table that was set up with service for two.

  “I guess Rachel thought . . .” He didn’t continue.

  She didn’t want him to leave, and from the way he was hesitating, maybe he wanted to stay. “Hungry? We can eat and I’ll ask you about the Stone that grants wishes.”

  “A Stone? Wishes?” Colin looked at her in surprise. “You didn’t mention wishes before, or a Stone.”

  “I guess not. Do you know anything about them?”

  “Actually, I think I do. I may know what you read about, but I have to go get something. I’ll be right back and—” He glanced at the table.

  “I’ll have everything ready.”

  “Great. I missed lunch too.”

  “Think Rachel made enough?”

  Colin looked serious. “A salad is all I need,” he said, then hurried out the door.

  Smiling at his jest, she watched out the window as he tore across the property in the little truck. She wasn’t sure, but she didn’t think the manufacturer meant for the vehicle to go that fast. When he was out of sight, she went to the refrigerator and began pulling out glass containers filled with the delicious-looking food Rachel had prepared. Gemma hurriedly put dishes in the microwave and emptied bowls onto plates. By the time Colin returned, everything was ready.

  He looked at the many dishes spread on the counter and grinned. “I guess Rachel knew a Frazier would be staying to eat.”

  As he picked up a plate, he handed her an old spiral notebook. On the battered cover was written in big block letters PRIVATE PROPERTY OF COLIN FRAZIER. SNEAKS WILL BE PUNISHED. THIS MEANS YOU LANNY. “I’m about to see all your secrets?”

  Colin had his mouth full of deviled eggs and olives. “All of them in the year I was thirteen.” He wiped his hands on a napkin and took the notebook from her. “My grandfather—Dad’s father—used to tell us kids stories about our ancestors. I think half of them were a pack of lies, but I still wrote them down.”

  “What kind of lies?” Gemma was filling her own plate.

  “According to my grandfather,” Colin said, “it was our family, the Fraziers, who started this town, not the McTerns or the Harcourts. But only my sister, Ariel, believed him. We used to tease her that she wanted to be a princess so much that she’d believe anything.”

  “Sounds like she had a real fun childhood.”

  “Don’t worry about Ariel. She can hold her own. Anyway, I used to write down some of the stories Gramps told us. Unfortunately, I decided that Mr. Wilson’s geometry class was the best time for me to write. I still don’t know how to use a protractor. Here it is. The Heartwishes Stone.”

  “Heartwishes?”

  Colin handed the notebook to her, filled his plate, then sat down at the table.

  Gemma sat across from him and read aloud.

  Grandpa Frazier’s story number 7

  The Heartwishes Stone was given to a Frazier man who saved his clan. He was a big, strong man who moved a rock that had sealed them in a cave. A witch gave him the Stone to say thanks. She said that any Frazier who made a wish from his heart would get the wish if the Stone was nearby. It works for lady Fraziers too.

  “Think I’ll win a Pulitzer?” Colin asked.

  “Half of my football players can’t write this well.” She was rereading the little story and wondering if this was a subject for her dissertation. Family myth. It was a possibility.

  “You look like a calculator started clicking in your mind.”

  She looked across the table at him. “I have an ulterior motive for wanting this job.”

  “Oh?” he asked as he buttered a slice of homemade bread.

  She told him about her need of an original subject to write about for her dissertation.

  “Finding something around here that’s old but has never been written about shouldn’t be too hard,” he said. “Jean says Edi-lean is as weird as if a bunch of Martians had set up a town in the U.S.”

  “From what I’ve seen, I agree with her. Is there any crime here?” Gemma cut into a slice of cold roast beef.

  “We had more than our share last fall, what with all those agent