Read Online Accompanying Alice by Terese Ramin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Terese Ramin
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I—”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” he said softly. “I heard you with your daughter on the phone. I watched you with your sisters. Things don’t stop you because they’re difficult or because you aren’t sure what to do. Or because you find out that maybe what you were doing was the wrong thing. You handle what life throws at you.” He touched her hand, and his voice roughened. “Because you break down once in a while doesn’t mean you lack courage or can’t
handle it. It means you’re human whether you want to be or not.”
What was he saying? And who was he saying it to? Her, or to himself?
He touched her cheek and smiled at her because it seemed the natural thing to do. “You’ve got almost too much courage, lady. No one else would have done what you did for me this morning — not even the major. I still owe you for that”
His eyes were dark, deep, unending—too seeing, too close. In consternation, Alice looked at her hands. How many times had she needed to hear just those words, needed to be reassured in just this way that she wasn’t merely run of the mill, wasn’t cowardly in the way she dealt with life? How many times had she wanted someone else simply to notice that she was more than she appeared to be? And now that someone had...
She shifted awkwardly, once again aware of him as she’d never been aware of anyone, aware of feelings and sensations roused by confusion and... Excitement and anticipation. “I don’t know any other way,” she said, pulling herself from her thoughts. “I was taught people count, no matter what they are.”
Gabriel smothered a grin and ignored the implication, nodding. “I was taught that, too, but I forget it sometimes.”
They looked at one another and something passed between them, a measure of trust, a bond of understanding, a sense of intimacy that made them both uncomfortable. Recognition drew them apart immediately. While Alice blew her nose and fled to the kitchen doorway, Gabriel white-knuckled the back of a dining room chair. From these safer vantage points they eyed one another again.
“I-I’ll go down and get your jeans,” Alice said. “They must be dry by now. Your shirt was kind of a wreck . I threw it out, but you can keep my sweatshirt, and there’s some men’s Tshirts the girls and I have slept in. I don’t know about socks. We may have some men’s winter ones and there’s probably some boxer shorts left from when the girls were wearing them and—”
“It’s fine, Alice, really. It’s fine.”
“But you’ll need—”
“And I’ll get, don’t worry.”
“Oh.” She twisted her ear, unsure of what to say next, needing to say something. “Thank you for helping me with my sisters.”
“My pleasure.”
“And what Helen decided—you don’t have to come to the wedding, let alone be in it. I’ll just tell her you were a-a...fling.”
“You don’t have flings, Alice.”
“How do you...” she began indignantly, then blushed. “ No.”
‘‘I’ll be at the wedding. I’d like to. It’ll be a good place to hide in plain sight.”
“You think—”
“I don’t know.”
Alice nodded thoughtfully. “Okay.” Then she laughed. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. My family, weddings... You’ve only met two of my sisters and you haven’t survived my mother yet. Individually we all make great grown - ups, but you put us all together in a room full of hearts and flowers and—”
Gabriel smiled. “Will you be wearing full skirts?”
“Uh, yeah—what?”
“When the going gets tough, I’ll hide behind ‘em.”
Alice laughed. “I don’t think they’re that full.”
They shared a momentary grin, then Gabriel said seriously, “It’ll be all right No matter what happens, this won’t come to the same end as a botched undercover might, so don’t worry about it. I’m a survivor.”
“Hmm,” Alice muttered dubiously. “We’ll see.”
*
The afternoon passed
“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” he said softly. “I heard you with your daughter on the phone. I watched you with your sisters. Things don’t stop you because they’re difficult or because you aren’t sure what to do. Or because you find out that maybe what you were doing was the wrong thing. You handle what life throws at you.” He touched her hand, and his voice roughened. “Because you break down once in a while doesn’t mean you lack courage or can’t
handle it. It means you’re human whether you want to be or not.”
What was he saying? And who was he saying it to? Her, or to himself?
He touched her cheek and smiled at her because it seemed the natural thing to do. “You’ve got almost too much courage, lady. No one else would have done what you did for me this morning — not even the major. I still owe you for that”
His eyes were dark, deep, unending—too seeing, too close. In consternation, Alice looked at her hands. How many times had she needed to hear just those words, needed to be reassured in just this way that she wasn’t merely run of the mill, wasn’t cowardly in the way she dealt with life? How many times had she wanted someone else simply to notice that she was more than she appeared to be? And now that someone had...
She shifted awkwardly, once again aware of him as she’d never been aware of anyone, aware of feelings and sensations roused by confusion and... Excitement and anticipation. “I don’t know any other way,” she said, pulling herself from her thoughts. “I was taught people count, no matter what they are.”
Gabriel smothered a grin and ignored the implication, nodding. “I was taught that, too, but I forget it sometimes.”
They looked at one another and something passed between them, a measure of trust, a bond of understanding, a sense of intimacy that made them both uncomfortable. Recognition drew them apart immediately. While Alice blew her nose and fled to the kitchen doorway, Gabriel white-knuckled the back of a dining room chair. From these safer vantage points they eyed one another again.
“I-I’ll go down and get your jeans,” Alice said. “They must be dry by now. Your shirt was kind of a wreck . I threw it out, but you can keep my sweatshirt, and there’s some men’s Tshirts the girls and I have slept in. I don’t know about socks. We may have some men’s winter ones and there’s probably some boxer shorts left from when the girls were wearing them and—”
“It’s fine, Alice, really. It’s fine.”
“But you’ll need—”
“And I’ll get, don’t worry.”
“Oh.” She twisted her ear, unsure of what to say next, needing to say something. “Thank you for helping me with my sisters.”
“My pleasure.”
“And what Helen decided—you don’t have to come to the wedding, let alone be in it. I’ll just tell her you were a-a...fling.”
“You don’t have flings, Alice.”
“How do you...” she began indignantly, then blushed. “ No.”
‘‘I’ll be at the wedding. I’d like to. It’ll be a good place to hide in plain sight.”
“You think—”
“I don’t know.”
Alice nodded thoughtfully. “Okay.” Then she laughed. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. My family, weddings... You’ve only met two of my sisters and you haven’t survived my mother yet. Individually we all make great grown - ups, but you put us all together in a room full of hearts and flowers and—”
Gabriel smiled. “Will you be wearing full skirts?”
“Uh, yeah—what?”
“When the going gets tough, I’ll hide behind ‘em.”
Alice laughed. “I don’t think they’re that full.”
They shared a momentary grin, then Gabriel said seriously, “It’ll be all right No matter what happens, this won’t come to the same end as a botched undercover might, so don’t worry about it. I’m a survivor.”
“Hmm,” Alice muttered dubiously. “We’ll see.”
*
The afternoon passed
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