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.“Well.I suppose you have a point, Pearson.”Kelly nodded, fighting back a smile.She knew this was as close to an apology as she would get.“Now, I called you in because Waldo Teish has had a gall bladder attack and is under the knife as we speak.”Kelly’s boldness evaporated, replaced by concern.“Is he all right?”“Yes, yes.He’ll be fine, just indisposed for a time.Now, I know you’re trying to wrap up your manatee story and are working on the dry cleaner piece, but I have to have someone at the Cape Saturday morning for the shuttle launch.”When she wilted into the chair in front of him, Willis eyed her, looking confused.“Please, not the Cape,” she pleaded.“Isn’t there anyone else available to cover the launch? I’m right in the middle of my article, and I’ll lose my train of thought.”She could tell by his expression Willis wasn’t sure which Kelly Pearson was the real one—the whiny wimp or the confident journalist—and right now it didn’t matter.The last thing she wanted was to go to Cape Canaveral and run into Steve.“Bull, Pearson.What’s with you and the Cape? Your resume said you were a pro at handling numerous projects at once.That’s why I hired you.This is a small paper, and everyone here has to carry a load.You included.We cover every shuttle launch.Now cut the crap and do what you have to do, but be there, ya hear?”“Yes, I’ll be there,” she acquiesced, tarnished after her brief moment of glory when she’d stood up to the old fart.Chapter Thirty-FourNothing could soothe Kelly’s troubled soul better than the cry of sea gulls overhead or warm sand squishing between her toes.She stretched out on the beach towel and watched a bevy of fluffy white clouds skip across the blue sky.It was late Thursday afternoon.Earlier, she and Lacy had visited Waldo at the hospital with a bouquet of balloons and some Sudoku books to keep him busy.Kelly had also grabbed a quick guide to astrology, which had elicited a laugh from Waldo, causing him to wince with pain at the site of his new incision.When she and Lacy left, they’d grabbed a late lunch and decided to go to the beach.Work could wait.She had all night.The last two days had seemed so empty without Jill calling or Steve dropping by.She’d spent all day Wednesday and this morning digging through clips on previous shuttle launches.Scheduled for seven thirty Saturday morning, hundreds of spectators would be at the space center for the launch.Just thinking about running into Steve triggered the return of butterflies in her stomach, and she prayed for a larger than usual crowd of spectators.She assumed the more dense the crowd, the better she would be able to hide.On one hand, she wanted to see him, but only from a distance.She was too ashamed to face him after failing to trust him, accusing him of running off with her daughter.God, did I really do that? She cringed just thinking about it.It was ironic that she—an obsessive protector of her emotions, builder of the great emotional barrier—had turned out to be the one who had inflicted the pain.Steve probably hated her.He had a right to.At first she’d worried he might try to call her, until she realized just how offended he was by her impulsive actions.Looking back, she couldn’t believe she’d called the police, but at the time there seemed to have been no other choice.She didn’t think she would ever forget the astonishment on his face, the hurt in his eyes.As she sank deeper and deeper into her thoughts, Kelly’s sand drizzles grew heavier and heavier, finally collapsing one side of the delicate castle they’d spent all morning erecting.“Mommy, Mommy,” Lacy shrieked with dismay, jolting Kelly back to the present.“You’re ruining the castle.”“Oh, Lace, I’m sorry.” She patted the wall of sand back into place.Lacy seemed to sense her mother’s preoccupation.“It’s okay.The waves are gonna wreck it after we leave, anyway.We can build another one tomorrow.”Kelly was both amazed and enlightened by her daughter’s pragmatic and sensitive remark.“Come here, pumpkin.” She opened her sandy arms to her daughter.Lacy climbed onto her mom’s lap and leaned back against Kelly’s chest.Kelly’s gaze swept the length of her daughter’s long, skinny legs.Lacy was getting big.The waves, now warm and inviting, rolled in and out, breaking just beyond their feet, leaving behind scores of colorful periwinkles and sand crabs, scurrying to hide from the gulls hovering in the air currents above.Lacy’s eyelids grew heavy and she drifted off in her mother’s arms.Kelly sat quietly enjoying the closeness of mother and daughter.Out of the corner of her eye, a blur of movement caught Kelly’s attention.A large dog of mixed breed—mostly golden retriever—dashed into the surf, barking and snapping at the waves a good distance down the beach.“Junker! Come here, boy,” Steve hollered at his dog over the sounds of the surf and seagulls.Kelly’s heart began a race it could never win.Steve was with a friend—another man, his back turned to Kelly while Junker frolicked in the waves.Of course, Kelly didn’t know the other man.She didn’t know any of Steve’s friends.Steve ran into the water after Junker.Clad in a pair of navy bathing shorts, his strong tan legs stretched and flexed with every step.He splashed the dog, and Junker snapped at the water.The other man laughed and said something, but they were just far enough away that his words were unclear.They climbed out of the surf, stepping high over the waves, and headed back down the beach, Steve’s broad, well defined shoulders rolling with the rhythm of his stride.Every female within fifty yards had her eyes on him.Junker jumped up and licked him in the face.Steve pulled his head back and laughed.He hadn’t seen her yet, and she didn’t want him to, but she couldn’t take her eyes off him.A pang of bitterness she had no right to feel soured her mood.He isn’t mourning his losses.Sunlight played across the angular planes of his chest, and she recalled the hard feel of it against the soft fullness of her own.A chill, with no roots from the wind, traveled up her spine and tightened her nipples beneath her scant bikini top.The gentle caress of his firm hand cupping her breast burned in her memory.A flash of heat seared her skin, having nothing to do with the sun, and she groaned with frustration, resenting his effect on her.She grabbed Lacy and jumped up, startling the child.Collecting their towels, she slipped her feet into her flip-flops then helped Lacy into hers.They scurried through the soft sand back toward the dune.Looking over her shoulder, Lacy exclaimed, “Wait, Mommy.There’s Steve and Junker.”“We can’t stay, Lacy.Steve isn’t our friend anymore.” She pulled Lacy along and when the child began to cry, Kelly wasn’t sure if it was Lacy’s crying or the pounding of her own heart that threatened to bring tears to her own eyes.When they reached the front door, her cell phone started ringing.Ignoring the phone, Kelly jiggled the key in the lock, almost pushed the door off its hinges, then answered the cell mid-sprint.“Kelly? It’s Jill [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.“Well.I suppose you have a point, Pearson.”Kelly nodded, fighting back a smile.She knew this was as close to an apology as she would get.“Now, I called you in because Waldo Teish has had a gall bladder attack and is under the knife as we speak.”Kelly’s boldness evaporated, replaced by concern.“Is he all right?”“Yes, yes.He’ll be fine, just indisposed for a time.Now, I know you’re trying to wrap up your manatee story and are working on the dry cleaner piece, but I have to have someone at the Cape Saturday morning for the shuttle launch.”When she wilted into the chair in front of him, Willis eyed her, looking confused.“Please, not the Cape,” she pleaded.“Isn’t there anyone else available to cover the launch? I’m right in the middle of my article, and I’ll lose my train of thought.”She could tell by his expression Willis wasn’t sure which Kelly Pearson was the real one—the whiny wimp or the confident journalist—and right now it didn’t matter.The last thing she wanted was to go to Cape Canaveral and run into Steve.“Bull, Pearson.What’s with you and the Cape? Your resume said you were a pro at handling numerous projects at once.That’s why I hired you.This is a small paper, and everyone here has to carry a load.You included.We cover every shuttle launch.Now cut the crap and do what you have to do, but be there, ya hear?”“Yes, I’ll be there,” she acquiesced, tarnished after her brief moment of glory when she’d stood up to the old fart.Chapter Thirty-FourNothing could soothe Kelly’s troubled soul better than the cry of sea gulls overhead or warm sand squishing between her toes.She stretched out on the beach towel and watched a bevy of fluffy white clouds skip across the blue sky.It was late Thursday afternoon.Earlier, she and Lacy had visited Waldo at the hospital with a bouquet of balloons and some Sudoku books to keep him busy.Kelly had also grabbed a quick guide to astrology, which had elicited a laugh from Waldo, causing him to wince with pain at the site of his new incision.When she and Lacy left, they’d grabbed a late lunch and decided to go to the beach.Work could wait.She had all night.The last two days had seemed so empty without Jill calling or Steve dropping by.She’d spent all day Wednesday and this morning digging through clips on previous shuttle launches.Scheduled for seven thirty Saturday morning, hundreds of spectators would be at the space center for the launch.Just thinking about running into Steve triggered the return of butterflies in her stomach, and she prayed for a larger than usual crowd of spectators.She assumed the more dense the crowd, the better she would be able to hide.On one hand, she wanted to see him, but only from a distance.She was too ashamed to face him after failing to trust him, accusing him of running off with her daughter.God, did I really do that? She cringed just thinking about it.It was ironic that she—an obsessive protector of her emotions, builder of the great emotional barrier—had turned out to be the one who had inflicted the pain.Steve probably hated her.He had a right to.At first she’d worried he might try to call her, until she realized just how offended he was by her impulsive actions.Looking back, she couldn’t believe she’d called the police, but at the time there seemed to have been no other choice.She didn’t think she would ever forget the astonishment on his face, the hurt in his eyes.As she sank deeper and deeper into her thoughts, Kelly’s sand drizzles grew heavier and heavier, finally collapsing one side of the delicate castle they’d spent all morning erecting.“Mommy, Mommy,” Lacy shrieked with dismay, jolting Kelly back to the present.“You’re ruining the castle.”“Oh, Lace, I’m sorry.” She patted the wall of sand back into place.Lacy seemed to sense her mother’s preoccupation.“It’s okay.The waves are gonna wreck it after we leave, anyway.We can build another one tomorrow.”Kelly was both amazed and enlightened by her daughter’s pragmatic and sensitive remark.“Come here, pumpkin.” She opened her sandy arms to her daughter.Lacy climbed onto her mom’s lap and leaned back against Kelly’s chest.Kelly’s gaze swept the length of her daughter’s long, skinny legs.Lacy was getting big.The waves, now warm and inviting, rolled in and out, breaking just beyond their feet, leaving behind scores of colorful periwinkles and sand crabs, scurrying to hide from the gulls hovering in the air currents above.Lacy’s eyelids grew heavy and she drifted off in her mother’s arms.Kelly sat quietly enjoying the closeness of mother and daughter.Out of the corner of her eye, a blur of movement caught Kelly’s attention.A large dog of mixed breed—mostly golden retriever—dashed into the surf, barking and snapping at the waves a good distance down the beach.“Junker! Come here, boy,” Steve hollered at his dog over the sounds of the surf and seagulls.Kelly’s heart began a race it could never win.Steve was with a friend—another man, his back turned to Kelly while Junker frolicked in the waves.Of course, Kelly didn’t know the other man.She didn’t know any of Steve’s friends.Steve ran into the water after Junker.Clad in a pair of navy bathing shorts, his strong tan legs stretched and flexed with every step.He splashed the dog, and Junker snapped at the water.The other man laughed and said something, but they were just far enough away that his words were unclear.They climbed out of the surf, stepping high over the waves, and headed back down the beach, Steve’s broad, well defined shoulders rolling with the rhythm of his stride.Every female within fifty yards had her eyes on him.Junker jumped up and licked him in the face.Steve pulled his head back and laughed.He hadn’t seen her yet, and she didn’t want him to, but she couldn’t take her eyes off him.A pang of bitterness she had no right to feel soured her mood.He isn’t mourning his losses.Sunlight played across the angular planes of his chest, and she recalled the hard feel of it against the soft fullness of her own.A chill, with no roots from the wind, traveled up her spine and tightened her nipples beneath her scant bikini top.The gentle caress of his firm hand cupping her breast burned in her memory.A flash of heat seared her skin, having nothing to do with the sun, and she groaned with frustration, resenting his effect on her.She grabbed Lacy and jumped up, startling the child.Collecting their towels, she slipped her feet into her flip-flops then helped Lacy into hers.They scurried through the soft sand back toward the dune.Looking over her shoulder, Lacy exclaimed, “Wait, Mommy.There’s Steve and Junker.”“We can’t stay, Lacy.Steve isn’t our friend anymore.” She pulled Lacy along and when the child began to cry, Kelly wasn’t sure if it was Lacy’s crying or the pounding of her own heart that threatened to bring tears to her own eyes.When they reached the front door, her cell phone started ringing.Ignoring the phone, Kelly jiggled the key in the lock, almost pushed the door off its hinges, then answered the cell mid-sprint.“Kelly? It’s Jill [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]