recognising that something in him she could trust until her dying day, she stared, white-faced, into his concerned eyes.
‘The ambulance is on its way, but can you take me to the hospital to be with Rosa? Please? I don’t have a car and …’
‘You got it.’
As Ethan grabbed his own jacket from the hall stand and wrapped it around her shoulders, he knew it would take more than a coat to stop this precious woman from shivering. He had watched when her world had fallen apart once before, and he had been a boy. Powerless to help her, he had been forced to just stand back and watch her pain.
No longer.
She faltered on the icy steps and as he held her tighter around the waist, taking her weight, he felt her heart beating under herthin dress in the cold night air and he knew his fate was sealed.
Doomed.
In that fraction of a second it took for his arm to wrap around Mari’s body, he knew that there was a chance that she could forgive him for Kit’s death—a small chance, but a chance nevertheless. And that meant more to him than he could say.
Ten years ago he had walked away from Mari without telling her how he felt about her. How could he? She had accused him of being reckless and not caring about anything but winning the race the day that Kit died. And she had been right about that. He had wanted to win. And maybe he had pushed the boat and Kit beyond what they were capable of doing, but no one could have predicted that wave hitting their boat so hard that it capsized. It had not seemed possible.
A series of unexpected events were responsible for Kit dying that day while he survived and he had relived those few minutes so many times in so many ways to know that there was not one thing that he could have done differently.
Strange how it didn’t make any difference. His life had been changed forever since that morning all those years ago. And perhapsMari was right to blame him. Because he certainly blamed himself and had gone on blaming himself, year after year, to the point when the only way he could escape the pain was by relentless action. Kit would never have the opportunity to sail in the great yacht races around the world—so he put himself through every extreme to win. For both of them.
He had run away from Mari on the morning after he had kissed her, filled with guilt and self-reproach.
Well, he wasn’t running now. Mari needed him and it was obvious that she still linked him to Kit’s death. It was time to make a stand.
He was making a commitment to Marigold Chance. All over again. And this time it had nothing to do with Kit and everything to do with Mari and how he felt just seeing her again.
He had his arm around Mari at precisely the time when he should be concentrating on getting back to Florida to plan the next phase of fund-raising for the charity. And the feeling was so amazing and yet so crazy and foolish that Ethan almost laughed out loud.
Her life was in computing in California. His life was in competitive sailing in Florida. In a few days he would leave Swanhaven ingood hands and get back to a full workload teaching teens to sail for the next six months.
He was no good for her. All he had to do was make his heart believe it.
Mari turned over and pulled the duvet a little closer around her shoulders as she snuggled down into the cushion and gave a little sigh of contentment.
Mmm.
She had enjoyed such a sweet dream where Ethan Chandler had sat with her on this very sofa until she fell asleep. Lovely. This was such a comfy warm bed. She could lie here all day.
Her eyes creaked open and some part of her brain registered that daylight was peeking in around the corner of the thin curtains, which looked different somehow. And it was strange that her alarm clock had not gone off. It was the last thing she checked every night without fail.
She stretched out her arm towards the bedside cabinet and her fingers scrabbled about in vain to find the clock. Her right eye opened just a little
‘The ambulance is on its way, but can you take me to the hospital to be with Rosa? Please? I don’t have a car and …’
‘You got it.’
As Ethan grabbed his own jacket from the hall stand and wrapped it around her shoulders, he knew it would take more than a coat to stop this precious woman from shivering. He had watched when her world had fallen apart once before, and he had been a boy. Powerless to help her, he had been forced to just stand back and watch her pain.
No longer.
She faltered on the icy steps and as he held her tighter around the waist, taking her weight, he felt her heart beating under herthin dress in the cold night air and he knew his fate was sealed.
Doomed.
In that fraction of a second it took for his arm to wrap around Mari’s body, he knew that there was a chance that she could forgive him for Kit’s death—a small chance, but a chance nevertheless. And that meant more to him than he could say.
Ten years ago he had walked away from Mari without telling her how he felt about her. How could he? She had accused him of being reckless and not caring about anything but winning the race the day that Kit died. And she had been right about that. He had wanted to win. And maybe he had pushed the boat and Kit beyond what they were capable of doing, but no one could have predicted that wave hitting their boat so hard that it capsized. It had not seemed possible.
A series of unexpected events were responsible for Kit dying that day while he survived and he had relived those few minutes so many times in so many ways to know that there was not one thing that he could have done differently.
Strange how it didn’t make any difference. His life had been changed forever since that morning all those years ago. And perhapsMari was right to blame him. Because he certainly blamed himself and had gone on blaming himself, year after year, to the point when the only way he could escape the pain was by relentless action. Kit would never have the opportunity to sail in the great yacht races around the world—so he put himself through every extreme to win. For both of them.
He had run away from Mari on the morning after he had kissed her, filled with guilt and self-reproach.
Well, he wasn’t running now. Mari needed him and it was obvious that she still linked him to Kit’s death. It was time to make a stand.
He was making a commitment to Marigold Chance. All over again. And this time it had nothing to do with Kit and everything to do with Mari and how he felt just seeing her again.
He had his arm around Mari at precisely the time when he should be concentrating on getting back to Florida to plan the next phase of fund-raising for the charity. And the feeling was so amazing and yet so crazy and foolish that Ethan almost laughed out loud.
Her life was in computing in California. His life was in competitive sailing in Florida. In a few days he would leave Swanhaven ingood hands and get back to a full workload teaching teens to sail for the next six months.
He was no good for her. All he had to do was make his heart believe it.
Mari turned over and pulled the duvet a little closer around her shoulders as she snuggled down into the cushion and gave a little sigh of contentment.
Mmm.
She had enjoyed such a sweet dream where Ethan Chandler had sat with her on this very sofa until she fell asleep. Lovely. This was such a comfy warm bed. She could lie here all day.
Her eyes creaked open and some part of her brain registered that daylight was peeking in around the corner of the thin curtains, which looked different somehow. And it was strange that her alarm clock had not gone off. It was the last thing she checked every night without fail.
She stretched out her arm towards the bedside cabinet and her fingers scrabbled about in vain to find the clock. Her right eye opened just a little
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