suddenly realized his eyes as
he studied her were filled, not with humor, but confusion,
then...speculation? And ... fear? No, that was
ridiculous.
Their gazes locked and a bolt of
recognition struck Annabelle right in her heart. I know him, she
thought. Yet she knew she'd never met the man before. She tried to
put off the familiarity to the fact that she'd heard his voice the
day before on Lucas's answering machine. Even as she formed the
thought, she dismissed it. She knew him from somewhere else. But
where?
Dr. Riley seemed to be having the same
reaction. In the deepening silence, his eyes mapped her face,
seeking. He tipped his head and squinted. Then his eyes moved down.
Her entire body warmed under his examination.
Erin cleared her throat, reminding them
they were not alone.
* * * *
Gaelen recovered first. "A delight,
Miss Tinker," he said, breaking his gaze from hers
reluctantly.
It couldn't be. He shook the eeriness
of recognition from his head. It couldn't be the same
girl.
But she did have the same warm brown
eyes, the same long, chocolate brown hair hanging softly over her
shoulders. However, everything else had changed. No longer was she
long-legged in the gangly way of a filly. No, sir, there were
curves and...
He snapped himself out of his
stupor.
"I'm sorry, Miss Tinker. I don't mean
to stare, but..." He struggled for words. "I have the overwhelming
feeling we've met before. Were you a student at the
university?"
"No," she said, her voice weak, as
though she, too, were affected by their meeting. "I went to St.
Mary's in Raleigh."
"An excellent school."
"But I grew up in Chapel Hill. Our
father was an assistant athletic director at the
university."
Realization dawned. Of course, that's
where he must have seen her, at some university gathering. "Jumbo
Tinker?" At her nod, he forced a sad smile. "Let me offer my
condolences. He was a fine man and I was pleased to know
him."
"Thank you," she whispered.
Thank Bridget. Being Jumbo Tinker's
daughter explained a great many things, not only her familiarity,
but also the feyness he'd sensed about her. In the few seconds of
their silent communion, she'd scared the hell out of
him.
In self-defense, Gaelen turned back to
Erin, relieved the mystery of Annabelle Tinker had been
explained.
"I had expected to run into Lucas. Has
he been here?"
Erin's wide eyes darted to her sister.
Her mouth worked as though she was trying out different answers.
Gaelen followed her pleading glance at Annabelle. He watched the
colors radiating from her. Her aura glowed cool blue, fading and
recharging as a copper-red. He hid his smile. She was about to
lie.
"He was here, but he had to leave,"
Annabelle's hurried explanation cut Erin off.
She knows where he is, but she doesn't
want to tell me. Why?
"Did I just miss him, then?" He turned
back to Erin. "Too bad, for I haven't seen Lucas for awhile. The
reports of your experience have me somewhat uneasy about him." He
weighed his words. "Erin, is Lucas all right?"
"Of course," Erin said, her voice a
little too loud. "Why wouldn't he be?"
"Well," Gaelen said with a little
chuckle, "the story is all over town that he disappeared. Poof."
All humor vanished from his voice. "Did he truly leave you out by
the lake alone?"
"Yes, but, he--"
"What Erin is trying to say, Dr.
Riley," Annabelle broke in, "is she and Lucas had a little tiff,
and yes, in his anger, Lucas did leave her for a time, but it was a
misunderstanding only. Right, Erin?"
She gave Erin such an exaggerated,
wide-eyed you'd-better-go-along-with-me look Gaelen almost laughed
out loud.
"Oh! Oh, yes." Erin nodded furiously.
"Right."
"Then how did you end up in the
psychiatric ward of University Hospital?" Gaelen asked, thinking
he'd painted the two ladies into a corner.
Erin gulped and looked to Annabelle for
help. Gaelen followed her gaze. Annabelle's eyes sparkled and she
put on a smile. Silver had replaced copper-red, creativity
replacing deceit.
Oh, this one is
he studied her were filled, not with humor, but confusion,
then...speculation? And ... fear? No, that was
ridiculous.
Their gazes locked and a bolt of
recognition struck Annabelle right in her heart. I know him, she
thought. Yet she knew she'd never met the man before. She tried to
put off the familiarity to the fact that she'd heard his voice the
day before on Lucas's answering machine. Even as she formed the
thought, she dismissed it. She knew him from somewhere else. But
where?
Dr. Riley seemed to be having the same
reaction. In the deepening silence, his eyes mapped her face,
seeking. He tipped his head and squinted. Then his eyes moved down.
Her entire body warmed under his examination.
Erin cleared her throat, reminding them
they were not alone.
* * * *
Gaelen recovered first. "A delight,
Miss Tinker," he said, breaking his gaze from hers
reluctantly.
It couldn't be. He shook the eeriness
of recognition from his head. It couldn't be the same
girl.
But she did have the same warm brown
eyes, the same long, chocolate brown hair hanging softly over her
shoulders. However, everything else had changed. No longer was she
long-legged in the gangly way of a filly. No, sir, there were
curves and...
He snapped himself out of his
stupor.
"I'm sorry, Miss Tinker. I don't mean
to stare, but..." He struggled for words. "I have the overwhelming
feeling we've met before. Were you a student at the
university?"
"No," she said, her voice weak, as
though she, too, were affected by their meeting. "I went to St.
Mary's in Raleigh."
"An excellent school."
"But I grew up in Chapel Hill. Our
father was an assistant athletic director at the
university."
Realization dawned. Of course, that's
where he must have seen her, at some university gathering. "Jumbo
Tinker?" At her nod, he forced a sad smile. "Let me offer my
condolences. He was a fine man and I was pleased to know
him."
"Thank you," she whispered.
Thank Bridget. Being Jumbo Tinker's
daughter explained a great many things, not only her familiarity,
but also the feyness he'd sensed about her. In the few seconds of
their silent communion, she'd scared the hell out of
him.
In self-defense, Gaelen turned back to
Erin, relieved the mystery of Annabelle Tinker had been
explained.
"I had expected to run into Lucas. Has
he been here?"
Erin's wide eyes darted to her sister.
Her mouth worked as though she was trying out different answers.
Gaelen followed her pleading glance at Annabelle. He watched the
colors radiating from her. Her aura glowed cool blue, fading and
recharging as a copper-red. He hid his smile. She was about to
lie.
"He was here, but he had to leave,"
Annabelle's hurried explanation cut Erin off.
She knows where he is, but she doesn't
want to tell me. Why?
"Did I just miss him, then?" He turned
back to Erin. "Too bad, for I haven't seen Lucas for awhile. The
reports of your experience have me somewhat uneasy about him." He
weighed his words. "Erin, is Lucas all right?"
"Of course," Erin said, her voice a
little too loud. "Why wouldn't he be?"
"Well," Gaelen said with a little
chuckle, "the story is all over town that he disappeared. Poof."
All humor vanished from his voice. "Did he truly leave you out by
the lake alone?"
"Yes, but, he--"
"What Erin is trying to say, Dr.
Riley," Annabelle broke in, "is she and Lucas had a little tiff,
and yes, in his anger, Lucas did leave her for a time, but it was a
misunderstanding only. Right, Erin?"
She gave Erin such an exaggerated,
wide-eyed you'd-better-go-along-with-me look Gaelen almost laughed
out loud.
"Oh! Oh, yes." Erin nodded furiously.
"Right."
"Then how did you end up in the
psychiatric ward of University Hospital?" Gaelen asked, thinking
he'd painted the two ladies into a corner.
Erin gulped and looked to Annabelle for
help. Gaelen followed her gaze. Annabelle's eyes sparkled and she
put on a smile. Silver had replaced copper-red, creativity
replacing deceit.
Oh, this one is
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