about you?”
“Yes,” she said. “This was supposed to be just sex.”
“Well, maybe I like you. Maybe I think you’re funny and beautiful and strange and inscrutable and—”
“I’m inscrutable?”
“You are...a bit difficult to figure out. But I enjoy the challenge. And I enjoy being with you. So, no, it isn’t just about the sex. At least not for me. And you know what? I don’t care what you think about that.”
“Gee, well, you certainly did tell me,” Annie said, her eyebrow arched, her words laced with sarcasm.
He heard the defensive young girl in her voice and knew he’d pushed her too far. But he didn’t care. “And I plan to keep telling you,” Rourke added, tossing the covers aside and crawling out of bed. He grabbed his jeans from the floor and tugged them on. “We need more wood.”
“No, we don’t,” she said.
“All right, I need to get more wood.” He turned to face her. “For a woman I barely know, you sure know how to push my buttons. You know, I really wish you had a television. Right now, I could use a good football game.”
Kit stood at the door, his tail wagging, his gaze expectant. Rourke grabbed his jacket and slipped his bare feet into his boots, then walked outside, slamming the door behind him. Rourke stood on the porch, the hard rain stinging his skin. The ice from the night before had already melted, but there was still a chill in the air.
He moved to grab some wood, then froze, his gaze fixed on a spot at the bottom of the porch steps. At first he thought it was some sort of debris, blown in by the storm. But then it blinked at him and he found himself staring into dark, liquid eyes. “Jaysus,” he muttered to the seal. “Where did you come from?”
Kit bounded out into the rain, not even bothering to stop and sniff at the seal. Rourke slowly backed up toward the door. The seal looked perfectly healthy. In truth, it looked as if it was just hanging around, waiting for someone to come outside.
He reached for the door and slipped back in the house. Annie had pulled on a sweater and jeans and was standing next to the hearth, poking at the embers.
“We have a visitor,” Rourke said.
“Is Sam back?”
“No. There’s a seal outside. Just sitting there at the bottom of the steps.”
A slow smile broke across her face. “She’s back!” Annie grabbed her jacket and tugged on her boots, then rushed past him to the door. Rourke followed her outside and found her, her hand outstretched to the animal.
“Be careful,” Rourke warned.
“Don’t worry,” Annie said. “We’re old friends. I’ve been waiting for her.”
The herring. That’s what she’d come to the hardware store to buy. He glanced around and saw a bucket sitting on the corner of the porch. He walked over and lifted the lid. The scent of fish wafted into the chilly air. He grabbed the handle and carried it down the steps, setting it beside her.
Annie plucked a fish from the bucket and held it up. The seal arched its neck and grabbed the herring from her hand, swallowing it in one gulp. As Rourke watched her, he barely even noticed the cold and the rain and the wind. For the first time since he had arrived on her doorstep, she seemed completely happy.
Rourke sat down beside her and pulled her hood up over her damp hair. Her hands were red with cold, yet she continued to hold herring out to the seal. She handed him a fish and he dropped it into the creature’s mouth. After about ten minutes and a half bucket of herring, the seal suddenly turned and flopped its way back toward the water.
Annie stood and watched it until it disappeared from view. Droplets of water trickled down her cheeks and Rourke knew that they were tears, not rain. He grabbed her cold hands and held them between his. “Will she be back?”
Annie nodded. “Tomorrow...I hope.” She turned and walked to the door, leaving it open behind her.
“Should we leave Kit out?” he called.
“Let him run,” she said.
“Yes,” she said. “This was supposed to be just sex.”
“Well, maybe I like you. Maybe I think you’re funny and beautiful and strange and inscrutable and—”
“I’m inscrutable?”
“You are...a bit difficult to figure out. But I enjoy the challenge. And I enjoy being with you. So, no, it isn’t just about the sex. At least not for me. And you know what? I don’t care what you think about that.”
“Gee, well, you certainly did tell me,” Annie said, her eyebrow arched, her words laced with sarcasm.
He heard the defensive young girl in her voice and knew he’d pushed her too far. But he didn’t care. “And I plan to keep telling you,” Rourke added, tossing the covers aside and crawling out of bed. He grabbed his jeans from the floor and tugged them on. “We need more wood.”
“No, we don’t,” she said.
“All right, I need to get more wood.” He turned to face her. “For a woman I barely know, you sure know how to push my buttons. You know, I really wish you had a television. Right now, I could use a good football game.”
Kit stood at the door, his tail wagging, his gaze expectant. Rourke grabbed his jacket and slipped his bare feet into his boots, then walked outside, slamming the door behind him. Rourke stood on the porch, the hard rain stinging his skin. The ice from the night before had already melted, but there was still a chill in the air.
He moved to grab some wood, then froze, his gaze fixed on a spot at the bottom of the porch steps. At first he thought it was some sort of debris, blown in by the storm. But then it blinked at him and he found himself staring into dark, liquid eyes. “Jaysus,” he muttered to the seal. “Where did you come from?”
Kit bounded out into the rain, not even bothering to stop and sniff at the seal. Rourke slowly backed up toward the door. The seal looked perfectly healthy. In truth, it looked as if it was just hanging around, waiting for someone to come outside.
He reached for the door and slipped back in the house. Annie had pulled on a sweater and jeans and was standing next to the hearth, poking at the embers.
“We have a visitor,” Rourke said.
“Is Sam back?”
“No. There’s a seal outside. Just sitting there at the bottom of the steps.”
A slow smile broke across her face. “She’s back!” Annie grabbed her jacket and tugged on her boots, then rushed past him to the door. Rourke followed her outside and found her, her hand outstretched to the animal.
“Be careful,” Rourke warned.
“Don’t worry,” Annie said. “We’re old friends. I’ve been waiting for her.”
The herring. That’s what she’d come to the hardware store to buy. He glanced around and saw a bucket sitting on the corner of the porch. He walked over and lifted the lid. The scent of fish wafted into the chilly air. He grabbed the handle and carried it down the steps, setting it beside her.
Annie plucked a fish from the bucket and held it up. The seal arched its neck and grabbed the herring from her hand, swallowing it in one gulp. As Rourke watched her, he barely even noticed the cold and the rain and the wind. For the first time since he had arrived on her doorstep, she seemed completely happy.
Rourke sat down beside her and pulled her hood up over her damp hair. Her hands were red with cold, yet she continued to hold herring out to the seal. She handed him a fish and he dropped it into the creature’s mouth. After about ten minutes and a half bucket of herring, the seal suddenly turned and flopped its way back toward the water.
Annie stood and watched it until it disappeared from view. Droplets of water trickled down her cheeks and Rourke knew that they were tears, not rain. He grabbed her cold hands and held them between his. “Will she be back?”
Annie nodded. “Tomorrow...I hope.” She turned and walked to the door, leaving it open behind her.
“Should we leave Kit out?” he called.
“Let him run,” she said.
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