even agreed. Abby watched the sand trail through his
long fingers. It was soothing to watch all the little specks disperse so
easily, and think of them as her challenges. But her burdens were not made from
sand, nor were they mere waves. They would not disappear so easily.
“What
if your problemis a tidal wave?” Abby
questioned in a whisper, pulling her eyes from the falling sand to meet his
tender gaze. “Wouldn't you be better off letting yourself drown than fighting
the inevitable?”
“Never!”
he replied, as he stared passionately back at her. “Never, because it takes
every single one of these grains of sand to create this paradise, Abby. And
you’re part of it. No matter how much you think differently… you are part of
someone's paradise.”
Abby
laughed at that idea and shook her head as a light breeze blew the ends of her
ponytail across her face. “No, there's no one like that in my life.”
“Not
even your family?” Craig asked carefully. “Not even one little girl, who looks
at you and thinks you are the most amazing woman she has ever met?” Abby
cringed; she knew he meant Chloe. Then he inched a little closer, his lips
dangerously near hers. “Or a man who never thought he could care so deeply
about anyone again?”
Before
she could answer, his lips caressed hers gingerly in the most tentative of
kisses. There was barely any pressure to it, more of a light touch, like the
trail of a fingertip. Abby had dated a few men, but never in her life had she
been kissed so subtly, so sweetly.
“Craig,”
she whispered as he drew his mouth away from hers, “I'm not who you think I
am,” she insisted, her eyes tearing as her gaze met his.
“You
are exactly who I know you to be,” he replied, standing up and drawing
her up with him. Before them was the wide expanse of ocean; below them was the
rise of sand created by the wind’ssheer force.
He felt that power surge through him, as if nature had created this place, this
moment, just for them. He turned his head to face her once more, as if he might
kiss her again, but Abby turned and embraced him instead. She rested her cheek
against his, as his arms tightened around her, savoring the connection.
“Craig,
I'll never be Rachel,” she whispered beside his ear. His entire body stiffened
at her words. She realized then she might have said too much. He pulled back
from her , abruptly severing their physical
connection, and stared hard at the sky above them. She watched a maze of
expressions move over his face as Craig weighed his next words.
“Why
would you say something like that?” he questioned finally, his voice strong
enough to carry over the wind around them.
“Because,”
Abby winced. She knew what she had to say was not going to make him happy, but
felt it needed to beout in the open. He had
done so much to help her, perhaps in this small explanation she could give back
to him. “It seems to me like you have it in your head if you find a way to save
me, in a way, you'll be saving her.”
His
face paled. The laughter escaping his lips was more cruel than amused. He shook
his head as he glanced away from her. “Wow, you really think you're some great
shrink, don't you?” he lifted his gaze , his
dark green spheres hardening as they struck hers.
“Craig,
I didn't mean anything by it, I just-” Abby floundered as she attempted to
explain.
“You
just thought you had me all figured out,” he said quietly, and lowered his eyes
back to the ground.A soft breeze swept over
the dunes, ruffling his curls. He looked as if he were trying to decide whether
to stay, or leave. What he wanted to say, he thought might be better left
unspoken. In the end, his need to connect with Abby won out.
“Rachel
was an amazing woman.” His voice was as a whisper. “She was everything - fun,
lively, compassionate, loving.” His eyes misted over as he glanced up at Abby,
and then away again just as
long fingers. It was soothing to watch all the little specks disperse so
easily, and think of them as her challenges. But her burdens were not made from
sand, nor were they mere waves. They would not disappear so easily.
“What
if your problemis a tidal wave?” Abby
questioned in a whisper, pulling her eyes from the falling sand to meet his
tender gaze. “Wouldn't you be better off letting yourself drown than fighting
the inevitable?”
“Never!”
he replied, as he stared passionately back at her. “Never, because it takes
every single one of these grains of sand to create this paradise, Abby. And
you’re part of it. No matter how much you think differently… you are part of
someone's paradise.”
Abby
laughed at that idea and shook her head as a light breeze blew the ends of her
ponytail across her face. “No, there's no one like that in my life.”
“Not
even your family?” Craig asked carefully. “Not even one little girl, who looks
at you and thinks you are the most amazing woman she has ever met?” Abby
cringed; she knew he meant Chloe. Then he inched a little closer, his lips
dangerously near hers. “Or a man who never thought he could care so deeply
about anyone again?”
Before
she could answer, his lips caressed hers gingerly in the most tentative of
kisses. There was barely any pressure to it, more of a light touch, like the
trail of a fingertip. Abby had dated a few men, but never in her life had she
been kissed so subtly, so sweetly.
“Craig,”
she whispered as he drew his mouth away from hers, “I'm not who you think I
am,” she insisted, her eyes tearing as her gaze met his.
“You
are exactly who I know you to be,” he replied, standing up and drawing
her up with him. Before them was the wide expanse of ocean; below them was the
rise of sand created by the wind’ssheer force.
He felt that power surge through him, as if nature had created this place, this
moment, just for them. He turned his head to face her once more, as if he might
kiss her again, but Abby turned and embraced him instead. She rested her cheek
against his, as his arms tightened around her, savoring the connection.
“Craig,
I'll never be Rachel,” she whispered beside his ear. His entire body stiffened
at her words. She realized then she might have said too much. He pulled back
from her , abruptly severing their physical
connection, and stared hard at the sky above them. She watched a maze of
expressions move over his face as Craig weighed his next words.
“Why
would you say something like that?” he questioned finally, his voice strong
enough to carry over the wind around them.
“Because,”
Abby winced. She knew what she had to say was not going to make him happy, but
felt it needed to beout in the open. He had
done so much to help her, perhaps in this small explanation she could give back
to him. “It seems to me like you have it in your head if you find a way to save
me, in a way, you'll be saving her.”
His
face paled. The laughter escaping his lips was more cruel than amused. He shook
his head as he glanced away from her. “Wow, you really think you're some great
shrink, don't you?” he lifted his gaze , his
dark green spheres hardening as they struck hers.
“Craig,
I didn't mean anything by it, I just-” Abby floundered as she attempted to
explain.
“You
just thought you had me all figured out,” he said quietly, and lowered his eyes
back to the ground.A soft breeze swept over
the dunes, ruffling his curls. He looked as if he were trying to decide whether
to stay, or leave. What he wanted to say, he thought might be better left
unspoken. In the end, his need to connect with Abby won out.
“Rachel
was an amazing woman.” His voice was as a whisper. “She was everything - fun,
lively, compassionate, loving.” His eyes misted over as he glanced up at Abby,
and then away again just as
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