Sunshine and the Shadowmaster by Christine Rimmer

closed the door of the café behind her, she realized she’d never in her life been so glad to see a workday come to an end. She marched over to the post office and picked up three day’s worth of mail, then stopped by the grocery store for some butter and eggs.
    But when she reached her house, she almost wished she were back at work. She had to run the gauntlet of news-hungry reporters to get to her own front door. Inside she was greeted by Tawny, who had a list of messages a mile long.
    Again, Tawny stayed until Heather had indulged in a nice, long bath and opened all her mail. Then, with Tawny relieved of duty, Heather went over the list of messages to see if there was anything she could handle for Lucas. There wasn’t.
    As the evening approached, Heather found herself both anticipating and dreading the moment Lucas would walk in the door. She felt pulled in a hundred different directions at once. She was scared to death for Mark. She prayed continuously, a silent litany to God. Let him be well. Please, God. Return him to us. Let him come back safe....
    She just couldn’t relax. She was too keyed up. The phone calls were driving her crazy. But when the phone didn’t ring, her memories wouldn’t leave her alone.
    She relived that awful, shattering moment when they had told her about Jason Lee. She hadn’t made it to the hospital in time to be with him. They came out and told her that he had died while they were operating on him.
    She kept seeing herself. Standing in that waiting room, feeling utterly alone, though her father and Eden and Grandpa Oggie had all been there.
    The doctor had said, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Conley. He didn’t make it.”
    And she had made this strange, low, moaning sound and clutched her middle, where there was no baby. Nothing left. Of her lifelong love....
    And now, not even a year later, there was this. Mark vanished. And Lucas, hurting, reaching out to her, needing any comfort she could give him.
    And tempting her with so much more.
    * * *
    Lucas returned at twilight, as he had the two previous nights. Heather was waiting for him in the living room.
    At the sight of him, she had to school her expression to hide her dismay. He looked like a man who’d already seen his son in the grave.
    â€œAnything?” she asked.
    â€œNothing. And tomorrow they’ll be going to half the number of search teams. They’re all starting to believe he must have left the area. No one seems to know where else to look.”
    Heather had risen from her chair when he came in. Now she sank back into it. “I see.”
    He looked away. “I want to get cleaned up.”
    â€œOf course.”
    She waited to hand him the endless list of phone messages until he’d washed off the day’s dust and changed his clothes.
    He quickly scanned the pages. “Nothing urgent here.”
    â€œI thought the same thing when I looked them over to see if there were any I could take care of for you.”
    He looked up from the tablet, a weary approximation of a smile on his haggard face. “You’re terrific, you know?”
    Her hand itched to reach out, to reassure him with a touch. She clenched it at her side. “I only wish I could do more.”
    â€œYou’ve done a lot. More than I deserve, that’s for damn sure.”
    â€œNo...”
    â€œYes.” He raked a hand back through his still-damp hair. “And I’m sorry. About last night. I hope you’ll forgive me. I was out of hand—and out of control.”
    â€œIt’s okay,” she said, and realized she meant it. Now that he was here, and they were talking honestly, she found she felt better than she had all through the endless, awful day that just passed.
    â€œThanks,” he said, then added low, “You’re keeping me sane, you know. Single-handedly. I’m going to owe you for the rest of my miserable life.”
    His words made a warm glow all