Green Lake Read Free Page A

ourselves.”
    He stopped the vehicle at a point that overlooked the lake a nd smiled. “Look at that water, so beautiful and still. I love to come here in the morning, before the boaters and skiers arrive.”
    “It's pretty,” Madeleine agreed, looking at the glassy surface of the lake. “Where do you fish?”
    “I have my favorite little coves. You must always be careful, though. Some of these people are very private, and do not enjoy intrusion.”
    “For example?”
    Manuel shrugged. “One man has a private dock and frequently swims nude, as do his many guests. I think nothing of it, but Jacqueline says he is an orgy-meister.”
    Madeleine cleared her throat. “Is there a public swimming area?”
    “I will show you, although I will caution you about this also, as last summer a young woman reported an attack.”
    “On the swimming beach?”
    “One evening around dusk,” said Manuel as he guided the Jeep down to the designated area.
    When he stopped, Madeleine gazed around herself with dismay. There was no beach, only a small sandbar that appeared to be getting smaller with each lap of the lake's waves.
    “Do many people swim here?” she asked.
    “Oh yes. More of them later in the summer, as you can guess. The water is still cold in May.”
    Madeleine opened her door and stepped out onto the ground. Manuel got out, as well, but he stayed near the Jeep while Madeleine walked down onto the sandbar. She slipped off one sandal and dipped her toes into the water.
    It was ice cold.
    When she looked at Manuel, she saw another vehicle appear behind his, an official-looking truck with a logo of some kind on the side. She squinted as she saw the driver get out, and she knew immediately it was Eris Renard.
    He was tall, dressed in a khaki shirt and olive trousers. A long black ponytail hung beneath his hat.
    He spoke to Manuel and handed him something before looking at Madeleine from behind dark sunglasses. Madeleine's cheeks heated and her first impulse was to ignore Manuel's beckoning wave. Grudgingly she made her way up to them and stood biting the insides of her cheeks as Manuel introduced her.
    “Miss Heron,” Renard said and touched his hat.
    Madeleine said nothing to him. Up close she saw the pits in his cheeks and her lip began to curl as she was reminded of another pitted face. Renard's face wasn't as bad as Alpha's, being brown in color, but the distaste had already set in Madeleine's mouth, and she was helpless to disguise her reaction.
    Manuel cleared his throat in embarrassment, but Renard had already turned and walked back to his truck.
    When he was gone, Madeleine turned to her angry brother-in-law. “I apologize, Manuel. I'm sorry if I was rude.”
    Manuel refused to look at her. He climbed behind the wheel and waited for her to get in the passenger seat. Madeleine got in and placed her hands in her lap.
    “It was not as if he intentionally ogled you last night,” said Manuel in a tight voice.
    “That wasn't—” Madeleine began, but then she stopped. She wouldn't tell him she had been rude not because the man had seen her nearly naked, but because his face was pitted and he was an Indian and she'd had her fill of pitted faces and had her own face literally shoved in the dirt by more than one white-hating Indian.
    “Madeleine, the man is going to be your neighbor. You cannot practice such rudeness.”
    “Yes, Manuel, I know. I've said I'm sorry. I will apologize to Mr. Renard at the first opportunity. Please don't tell Jacqueline.”
    “I don't understand you,” said Manuel, shaking his head. “Jacqueline does not understand you, either. You have changed.”
    “I know,” said Madeleine.
    ‘‘You know?”
    “Yes, I do.”
    “Well?”
    “Well, what, Manuel?”
    He threw up a hand. “You should fit in very well here I think, Madeleine.”
    Madeleine flared her nostrils at the apparent insult, but she said nothing. There was nothing to say.

 
     
     
    CHAPTER TWO
     
     
    No one was more