Page 35 of Allie's Shelter
The taste of him lingered on her lips and the silly girlish part of her hoped she could carry that hot longing with her forever. What was it about him that made her go soft inside?
At the edge of the tree line she hesitated, stunned by the slate blue of the lake stretching out before her. The patch of sunlight on the shore beckoned, but it meant standing out in the open. Her rose-colored romantic thoughts were replaced by the very serious worries of her terrible predicament.
Stepping into the sunshine meant leaving the protective cover of the trees. She resisted the idea of exposure and yet, she slowly realized this was the first time in days she didn’t feel any eyes on her. Immensely relieved, feeling more confident than she had since this ordeal began, she strolled closer to the lake’s edge.
A breeze ruffled the water and she smiled at a pair of ducks cruising around.
She flopped down on the fading grass comparing her last visit to this spot against today. She and Ross had been trespassing then. It was hard to believe he’d bought this parcel of land. She would never have had the courage to tie herself to the place that held such bittersweet memories.
Smiling, she wished for the courage to tell him what she really thought of him. Then and now. He’d overcome such a dreadful home life to get out and create a life that mattered for himself. She wasn’t surprised Ross had been a great soldier, or become a successful business owner, but she was baffled that he’d kept ties so close to Haleswood.
He’d told her more than once during their last year of high school that he would’ve simply walked away from the chaos at home—if not for her. Seeing how he turned out, she was glad she’d been able to steady him then. Even though it broke her heart when he’d lumped her in with the past and the pain when he left it all behind.
She closed her eyes, indulging a few last tears for the boy she’d missed so desperately, for the best friend who’d gone off to basic training and abandoned their fragile plans for the future.
The letters she’d written and been unable to send still haunted her sometimes. He’d promised to write, to give her an address and stay in touch. She tried not to think of it as a lie, tried to remember the sincerity in his eyes when he’d made that promise to her in this very spot.
There had been moonlight on the water then, a wool blanket beneath them, and the scent of passion in the humid summer air. She could see it now as clearly as she’d lived it then. Every detail, every sigh, every promise.
This small piece of lakeshore had been their secret getaway where they could be themselves without the pressure from the nosy Haleswood gossips who speculated over their every move.
That last day they’d come to this spot for a picnic and she’d finally agreed to skinny dip after the sun went down. Eyes closed, she remembered the muscles in his shoulders, the light dusting of hair across his chest, and the smug tilt to his mouth when he caught her staring.
She had perfect recall because knowing his plans to enlist in the Army, she’d savored each of their last moments together, determined the memory would carry her through until they could be together.
God, he’d been beautiful, but she hadn’t dared phrase it that way at the time.
She opened her eyes and shook her head, chasing away the past with the lovely, quiet view of the present. If she thought about it too long, she was still stunned that more than a decade had passed before she laid eyes on him again. The ache of his continued silence had torn her up at first and yet she’d pushed herself on toward her own goals, always hoping for some word from him.
When it never came, she’d even sent a letter to his house, only to have it returned unopened because his dad had been evicted. Allie wondered if scenarios and challenges she couldn’t imagine had had any bearing on what happened between her and Ross.
Did any of the past matter here and now? Pondering the answer, she plucked a blade of the soft grass and trailed it across her fingers the way he’d done that day.
It wasn’t quite the same feeling, but then nothing could be. There really was no turning back the clock. They’d been foolish children once and she should resist the urge to be a foolish adult.
“You shouldn’t be out here.”
She turned toward Ross’s voice, startled by both his appearance and the ragged edge in his deep voice. Self-conscious, she dropped the blade of grass, hoping he didn’t remember and wouldn’t guess what that had been about. Maybe he hadn’t even seen it, since he seemed rooted at the end of the path, shadowed by the trees.
“Have you been there long?” And why hadn’t her overactive paranoia warned her about his observation the way it had been going off since she’d confronted her boss?
“A minute or two.” He waved her closer. “Come on, let’s get back inside.”
“But it’s such a lovely afternoon.”
“It’ll be dark soon.”
What was bothering him? The two of them could never get lost out here. “I had to have some fresh air. Besides, wouldn’t darkness mean I could stay longer?”
“Allie, don’t push me.”
Suddenly that’s all she wanted. To push him, to demand an explanation for his abandonment and all the years of silence. “But…” Her personal needs faded as she recognized the tension in his shoulders, the hand fisting at his side and the way his eyes scanned the area. Her stomach pitched. “What happened?”
He only extended his hand into the soft light, curling his fingers in a gesture that meant she needed to go to him.
She obeyed immediately. “Tell me.”
“Cochran got a call from your aunt. She’s received a death threat.”