rhythm as ancient as time, singing a farewell to this day and a blessing on the next.
Jann took hold of Alex's hand and gently stroked his palm. Even in his sleep, his fingers grasped hers with the instinct of the newborn.
Her hand tightened protectively around his smaller one. She had promised Claire she would care for Alex and she wasn't about to break that promise. Peter didn't love this child as she did and all the money and security in the world couldn't make up for that.
"It's like a promise."
She looked at Peter, stunned. "What do you mean?" Was he reading her mind again?
"When the sky looks like that..."
But he wasn't looking at the sky now. He was looking at her. She could drown in eyes like his as easily as in the ocean.
"...it's as though the pain you feel today is over and will never come back. It almost makes you believe in promises."
Her pulse faded to nothing. "I've always believed in promises." She stared into his eyes as deeply as she dared. "Especially the ones I make."
Chapter 5
Jann's head sank lower and lower until her chin brushed the top of her handlebars. Her legs pumped rapidly, her thigh muscles screaming for relief. Sweat dripped from her face and she could barely feel the pressure of the pedals on her feet, they spun so rapidly around the shaft.
It felt good when she could move like this, streaking along as fast as her muscles would allow. She could forget about Peter Strickland then and the knot now permanently lodged in her throat.
There was a man sitting on Claire's bench.
Her fingers tightened convulsively on her handbrakes and the bike stopped so suddenly she had to lower her feet to steady herself.
It was Peter. There was no escaping him. He was everywhere; on her boat, in her thoughts, in the shape of Alex's eyes... and now here.
But he hadn't seen her yet. Maybe she could simply head back to the boat. Maybe.... No, he'd be there shortly anyway, as he had been every morning for the past six days, every morning since their trip to Sunset Beach.
Filling Jann with fear. For Alex had become more and more enamored of his uncle as each day passed, judging Peter by some curious baby standard and finding him perfect.
She slowly placed her feet back on the pedals. If Peter's intention was to wear her down, he was succeeding.
She pedaled closer, was almost upon him before he looked up. She stifled a gasp. Peter's skin seemed too tight for his face and his lips were a mere line in his face. For one long endless moment, he simply stared at her, his eyes blank and unseeing. Then, as though mustering the determination from somewhere deep within, he rearranged his features into a tight-lipped smile.
Resting her feet uncertainly on either side of her bicycle, Jann remained where she was, fighting again the overwhelming inclination to flee.
That he was in pain was obvious. What she should do about it, she didn't know.
"What are you doing here?" Peter asked.
"I ride by here every day," Jann mumbled, slowly getting off her bike and laying it down on the grass. She moved toward the bench and sat down.
"That's right," he said bitterly, "this is where you met Claire."
"Yes," Jann answered, touched by the grief written on his face. "Were you thinking about her just now?"
He didn't answer, but his eyes were too bright. Then even as she watched, that trace of vulnerability disappeared.
"Were you with her when she died?" he asked.
The nightmare of Claire's death flooded straight from Jann's heart to her brain. Her face drained of heat and Peter's face looked every bit as bad. His eyes burned like two lanterns in the night, locking her gaze to his and refusing to let go.
"Tell me what happened," he demanded hoarsely.
Sympathy surged through her. It seemed to have cost Peter everything to ask, as it had cost her everything to watch.
"Just days after Alex was born," Jann began, hugging herself with her arms, her body suddenly chilled, "Claire got a headache." More than a
Jann took hold of Alex's hand and gently stroked his palm. Even in his sleep, his fingers grasped hers with the instinct of the newborn.
Her hand tightened protectively around his smaller one. She had promised Claire she would care for Alex and she wasn't about to break that promise. Peter didn't love this child as she did and all the money and security in the world couldn't make up for that.
"It's like a promise."
She looked at Peter, stunned. "What do you mean?" Was he reading her mind again?
"When the sky looks like that..."
But he wasn't looking at the sky now. He was looking at her. She could drown in eyes like his as easily as in the ocean.
"...it's as though the pain you feel today is over and will never come back. It almost makes you believe in promises."
Her pulse faded to nothing. "I've always believed in promises." She stared into his eyes as deeply as she dared. "Especially the ones I make."
Chapter 5
Jann's head sank lower and lower until her chin brushed the top of her handlebars. Her legs pumped rapidly, her thigh muscles screaming for relief. Sweat dripped from her face and she could barely feel the pressure of the pedals on her feet, they spun so rapidly around the shaft.
It felt good when she could move like this, streaking along as fast as her muscles would allow. She could forget about Peter Strickland then and the knot now permanently lodged in her throat.
There was a man sitting on Claire's bench.
Her fingers tightened convulsively on her handbrakes and the bike stopped so suddenly she had to lower her feet to steady herself.
It was Peter. There was no escaping him. He was everywhere; on her boat, in her thoughts, in the shape of Alex's eyes... and now here.
But he hadn't seen her yet. Maybe she could simply head back to the boat. Maybe.... No, he'd be there shortly anyway, as he had been every morning for the past six days, every morning since their trip to Sunset Beach.
Filling Jann with fear. For Alex had become more and more enamored of his uncle as each day passed, judging Peter by some curious baby standard and finding him perfect.
She slowly placed her feet back on the pedals. If Peter's intention was to wear her down, he was succeeding.
She pedaled closer, was almost upon him before he looked up. She stifled a gasp. Peter's skin seemed too tight for his face and his lips were a mere line in his face. For one long endless moment, he simply stared at her, his eyes blank and unseeing. Then, as though mustering the determination from somewhere deep within, he rearranged his features into a tight-lipped smile.
Resting her feet uncertainly on either side of her bicycle, Jann remained where she was, fighting again the overwhelming inclination to flee.
That he was in pain was obvious. What she should do about it, she didn't know.
"What are you doing here?" Peter asked.
"I ride by here every day," Jann mumbled, slowly getting off her bike and laying it down on the grass. She moved toward the bench and sat down.
"That's right," he said bitterly, "this is where you met Claire."
"Yes," Jann answered, touched by the grief written on his face. "Were you thinking about her just now?"
He didn't answer, but his eyes were too bright. Then even as she watched, that trace of vulnerability disappeared.
"Were you with her when she died?" he asked.
The nightmare of Claire's death flooded straight from Jann's heart to her brain. Her face drained of heat and Peter's face looked every bit as bad. His eyes burned like two lanterns in the night, locking her gaze to his and refusing to let go.
"Tell me what happened," he demanded hoarsely.
Sympathy surged through her. It seemed to have cost Peter everything to ask, as it had cost her everything to watch.
"Just days after Alex was born," Jann began, hugging herself with her arms, her body suddenly chilled, "Claire got a headache." More than a
Similar Books
