for mere minutes, this stranger, had reached into her chest and taken her heart in his hand, crushing it in the power of his masculine, callused fist. She could not return to him, even to accept an apology! For what would he think of a girl who became so emotional over a stranger’s opinions?
“ Lauryn? Honey?” she heard her Nana call.
But she rushed on. Reaching the door leading to the passenger car, she fairly burst through it causing startled passengers to look up curiously. Lauryn noted the many sets of eyebrows that rose, astonished to see a young woman in tears charging toward her seat. Self-consciously, she sat down next to the window that such a short time before had been the object of her reflection. She marveled at the difference in the image looking back at her now. In an hour’s time she’d gone from an innocent, sweet girl looking forward to returning home to family and friends, to a young woman who knew sudden and immediate heartache at the hand of a complete stranger!
He knew her! Brant Masterson knew Lauralynn! All these years that Lauryn had been searching for her…trying to find where and when she died so the Captain could rest…all this time, Brant had known her. It was unfathomable! Surreal!
“ Honey, whatever is the matter?” Nana asked as she took the seat next to her granddaughter. Taking Lauryn’s hand she kissed the back of it tenderly and reached up smoothing a stray curl from Lauryn’s cheek.
For a moment, Lauryn could only shake her head, trying to stop her tears and swallow the lump in her throat. Finally she turned to her Nana and quietly asked, “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
Nana looked away guiltily for a moment. “About a boy who saw Lauralynn?” Lauryn nodded. Nana smiled. “Because I feared it would plague you to know that Laura was found…by someone. I feared it would frustrate you to know it…. make you unhappy and cause you to see your search for her as pointless.”
Lauryn nodded, instantly understanding the wisdom in her grandmother’s secrecy. For Lauryn knew herself. And it would’ve, indeed, plagued her and caused her great unhappiness had she known of Brant and his association with Lauralynn.
“ Oh, Brant. You’ve found us, then.” Lauryn looked up having heard her Nana’s greeting. Brant stood there, his hand on Dr. Nelson’s shoulder.
“ Nana,” Lauryn whispered as her grandmother motioned for Dr. Nelson to seat Brant directly across from Lauryn. “Don’t leave me with him,” she pleaded in an even softer whisper as her grandmother stood.
“ I’ve got to…finish makin’ the arrangements with Dr. Nelson, Lauryn. If we’re to have a guest…there’s things I should know,” Nana explained. Then, much to Lauryn’s astonishment, her Nana, still holding Lauryn’s hand, placed it in Brant’s. He held it tightly, signaling that there was no escape this time. He would have his say with her.
“ Thank you, Doc,” Brant mumbled.
“ Y’all be good, Captain,” Dr. Nelson warned. Brant nodded his frown deepening.
“ Nana?” Lauryn pleaded.
“ You have a good long talk with Mr. Masterson, honey. It’s about time. Don’t you think?” And with that Nana accepted Dr. Nelson’s arm and left her granddaughter in the company of the strange and unnervingly attractive Brant Masterson.
Lauryn immediately tried to pull her hand from Brant’s grasp. It was completely unsettling the way he held her fingers in both of his hands now, stroking the backs of them lightly with his thumbs. But he held tight, foiling any attempt to escape him without causing a disturbance. Instantly, Lauryn felt her tears begin anew, traveling the still moist path down her cheeks as she looked at the handsome, haunted man before her. He frightened her! The feeling in her bosom, as if she might explode with delight and pain at the same time as she looked at him, frightened her.
“ I’m sorry,” he said plainly and very sincerely. “I…I’m a brute. I had
“ Lauryn? Honey?” she heard her Nana call.
But she rushed on. Reaching the door leading to the passenger car, she fairly burst through it causing startled passengers to look up curiously. Lauryn noted the many sets of eyebrows that rose, astonished to see a young woman in tears charging toward her seat. Self-consciously, she sat down next to the window that such a short time before had been the object of her reflection. She marveled at the difference in the image looking back at her now. In an hour’s time she’d gone from an innocent, sweet girl looking forward to returning home to family and friends, to a young woman who knew sudden and immediate heartache at the hand of a complete stranger!
He knew her! Brant Masterson knew Lauralynn! All these years that Lauryn had been searching for her…trying to find where and when she died so the Captain could rest…all this time, Brant had known her. It was unfathomable! Surreal!
“ Honey, whatever is the matter?” Nana asked as she took the seat next to her granddaughter. Taking Lauryn’s hand she kissed the back of it tenderly and reached up smoothing a stray curl from Lauryn’s cheek.
For a moment, Lauryn could only shake her head, trying to stop her tears and swallow the lump in her throat. Finally she turned to her Nana and quietly asked, “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
Nana looked away guiltily for a moment. “About a boy who saw Lauralynn?” Lauryn nodded. Nana smiled. “Because I feared it would plague you to know that Laura was found…by someone. I feared it would frustrate you to know it…. make you unhappy and cause you to see your search for her as pointless.”
Lauryn nodded, instantly understanding the wisdom in her grandmother’s secrecy. For Lauryn knew herself. And it would’ve, indeed, plagued her and caused her great unhappiness had she known of Brant and his association with Lauralynn.
“ Oh, Brant. You’ve found us, then.” Lauryn looked up having heard her Nana’s greeting. Brant stood there, his hand on Dr. Nelson’s shoulder.
“ Nana,” Lauryn whispered as her grandmother motioned for Dr. Nelson to seat Brant directly across from Lauryn. “Don’t leave me with him,” she pleaded in an even softer whisper as her grandmother stood.
“ I’ve got to…finish makin’ the arrangements with Dr. Nelson, Lauryn. If we’re to have a guest…there’s things I should know,” Nana explained. Then, much to Lauryn’s astonishment, her Nana, still holding Lauryn’s hand, placed it in Brant’s. He held it tightly, signaling that there was no escape this time. He would have his say with her.
“ Thank you, Doc,” Brant mumbled.
“ Y’all be good, Captain,” Dr. Nelson warned. Brant nodded his frown deepening.
“ Nana?” Lauryn pleaded.
“ You have a good long talk with Mr. Masterson, honey. It’s about time. Don’t you think?” And with that Nana accepted Dr. Nelson’s arm and left her granddaughter in the company of the strange and unnervingly attractive Brant Masterson.
Lauryn immediately tried to pull her hand from Brant’s grasp. It was completely unsettling the way he held her fingers in both of his hands now, stroking the backs of them lightly with his thumbs. But he held tight, foiling any attempt to escape him without causing a disturbance. Instantly, Lauryn felt her tears begin anew, traveling the still moist path down her cheeks as she looked at the handsome, haunted man before her. He frightened her! The feeling in her bosom, as if she might explode with delight and pain at the same time as she looked at him, frightened her.
“ I’m sorry,” he said plainly and very sincerely. “I…I’m a brute. I had
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