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Authors: Cynthia Freeman
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it,” he explained. “I’ll be waiting for you in New York. But don’t keep me waiting too long.”
Phil lay naked beneath the pile of comforters on the bed. He listened to the faint sound of Kathy’s regular breathing. Yeah, she was asleep, he told himself confidently. Hell, she ought to be, the way they’d made love. He felt a smug approval that she had been so responsive.
Wouldn’t David be pissed when he realized that his cousin had moved in where he had never made it! David was such a loser. He wouldn’t have to say anything to David. David would understand just from seeing them together.
He knew when he asked Kathy to come with him to Paris that he’d propose. She was beautiful and bright and hot. After two years of fighting a war he wanted a steady woman in his life. No more having to chase after girls—he’d have a woman of his own. Chuck and he had talked a lot about that.
He waited another few moments, just to make sure Kathy was asleep for the night, then slid from under the comforters with a silent oath as he emerged into the dank cold. Swiftly he dressed, with constant glances at the bed to make sure Kathy was asleep.
He walked down the stairs, out through the kitchen into the backyard. He’d find a shovel in the toolshed. It was almost as though the calendar had swung backward and he was heading with Chuck to bury the paintings. Only that had been a scorching night in August and they’d worried about being seen in the spill of moonlight.
The paintings had to be here, he thought with sudden apprehension as he found a shovel. Who else knew about them? He counted off paces from the back steps, then began to dig, no longer cold with the physical effort required of him. Damn, how far down had they planted the canvases? Then the shovel hit the metal lid of the oversized toolbox in which they had cached their secret treasure.
Gloating in relief, he brought out the box and opened it. The paintings had not suffered through the course of being buried; He could take the art and bury the box again, cover it up. Nobody would know he’d been digging out here. And if they got curious, so what? Nobody knew who he was. By tomorrow afternoon Kathy and he would be heading back to Hamburg. Just an ex-GI and his girlfriend out for a weekend in Paree.
He’d have Kathy bring in the paintings, he decided as he made his way back into the house. He’d just ask her to stuff a box of film into one of her valises. The box would be sealed up; she wouldn’t bother trying to open it.
“I’ve got so damn much film I can’t squeeze this batch into my luggage. Bring it in for me, honey. ”
David watched in private torment while Phil presented each of the girls of the group with a bottle of French perfume.
“A gift,” Phil stressed with an air of gallantry.
It wasn’t the perfume that upset David. He knew from the glint in Phil’s eyes, from the possessive way he dropped an arm about Kathy’s shoulders, that his cousin had made yet another conquest. How could Kathy fall for that line of shit that Phil spread around?
“I’ll be sailing out of here in about eight days,” Phil told them. “Provided, of course, my magazine gets the ticket here in time. You know the problem we’re having with mail these days,” he reminded grimly.
“Take my place on the group’s return trip, Phil.” David turned to Brian. “That’ll be okay, won’t it?”
“What about you, David?” Brian seemed troubled.
“I’m going on to Berlin,” he said. “I’ll probably stay there.”
“You mean for good?” Rhoda asked.
“For good,” David acknowledged. “I’d like to pick up where my father left off.” He made a point of avoiding Kathy’s eyes. Why did she look so shocked?
“Why don’t you come back home with us and give it some thought?” Brian urged. “It’s a serious decision.”
“I know,” David said quietly. “It’s what I have to do. Thanks for bringing me over, Brian. This has been a very
Phil lay naked beneath the pile of comforters on the bed. He listened to the faint sound of Kathy’s regular breathing. Yeah, she was asleep, he told himself confidently. Hell, she ought to be, the way they’d made love. He felt a smug approval that she had been so responsive.
Wouldn’t David be pissed when he realized that his cousin had moved in where he had never made it! David was such a loser. He wouldn’t have to say anything to David. David would understand just from seeing them together.
He knew when he asked Kathy to come with him to Paris that he’d propose. She was beautiful and bright and hot. After two years of fighting a war he wanted a steady woman in his life. No more having to chase after girls—he’d have a woman of his own. Chuck and he had talked a lot about that.
He waited another few moments, just to make sure Kathy was asleep for the night, then slid from under the comforters with a silent oath as he emerged into the dank cold. Swiftly he dressed, with constant glances at the bed to make sure Kathy was asleep.
He walked down the stairs, out through the kitchen into the backyard. He’d find a shovel in the toolshed. It was almost as though the calendar had swung backward and he was heading with Chuck to bury the paintings. Only that had been a scorching night in August and they’d worried about being seen in the spill of moonlight.
The paintings had to be here, he thought with sudden apprehension as he found a shovel. Who else knew about them? He counted off paces from the back steps, then began to dig, no longer cold with the physical effort required of him. Damn, how far down had they planted the canvases? Then the shovel hit the metal lid of the oversized toolbox in which they had cached their secret treasure.
Gloating in relief, he brought out the box and opened it. The paintings had not suffered through the course of being buried; He could take the art and bury the box again, cover it up. Nobody would know he’d been digging out here. And if they got curious, so what? Nobody knew who he was. By tomorrow afternoon Kathy and he would be heading back to Hamburg. Just an ex-GI and his girlfriend out for a weekend in Paree.
He’d have Kathy bring in the paintings, he decided as he made his way back into the house. He’d just ask her to stuff a box of film into one of her valises. The box would be sealed up; she wouldn’t bother trying to open it.
“I’ve got so damn much film I can’t squeeze this batch into my luggage. Bring it in for me, honey. ”
David watched in private torment while Phil presented each of the girls of the group with a bottle of French perfume.
“A gift,” Phil stressed with an air of gallantry.
It wasn’t the perfume that upset David. He knew from the glint in Phil’s eyes, from the possessive way he dropped an arm about Kathy’s shoulders, that his cousin had made yet another conquest. How could Kathy fall for that line of shit that Phil spread around?
“I’ll be sailing out of here in about eight days,” Phil told them. “Provided, of course, my magazine gets the ticket here in time. You know the problem we’re having with mail these days,” he reminded grimly.
“Take my place on the group’s return trip, Phil.” David turned to Brian. “That’ll be okay, won’t it?”
“What about you, David?” Brian seemed troubled.
“I’m going on to Berlin,” he said. “I’ll probably stay there.”
“You mean for good?” Rhoda asked.
“For good,” David acknowledged. “I’d like to pick up where my father left off.” He made a point of avoiding Kathy’s eyes. Why did she look so shocked?
“Why don’t you come back home with us and give it some thought?” Brian urged. “It’s a serious decision.”
“I know,” David said quietly. “It’s what I have to do. Thanks for bringing me over, Brian. This has been a very
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