Carrington. Elly was grateful. "Sarah said to tell you that she could do the stained-glass designs whenever you were ready. The sooner the better, Jess."
It was obvious Jess still had other things on his mind. He frowned down at Elly . "Why sooner? I've got that work scheduled a couple of months downstream."
"There's been no word from Mark. No money either."
Jess nodded abruptly. "I get it. The bastard's skipped, huh? Okay, I'll talk to her tomorrow. I'll give her an advance on the job. That should hold her for a while."
"Thank you, Jess." A good man, Elly thought.
" Elly ?"
"Yes?"
"I meant what I said a minute ago. Stay away from Carrington. He's poison."
It occurred to Elly that she had never seen Jess Winter so passionate about anything before, except for those brief moments last night when he had finally begun to make love to her. "It's obvious the Carringtons , brother and sister, had a fairly traumatic effect on you, Jess."
"It's trauma I can do without repeating. Remember how you once told me that you loved to live near the ocean, that you like looking at it, watching the changing weather on it, walking alongside it, but that you never ever went swimming in it?"
"I remember." It was the truth. She never swam in the sea.
"Well, treat Damon Carrington the same way."
"Look, but don't touch?"
"I don't even want you looking at him."
She smiled tremulously and not without a touch of hope. "Are you telling me that you might be capable of feeling a little jealousy over me?"
The ill-advised remark stopped him in his tracks. "Lady, you don't know what you're talking about. You haven't got the least idea of what jealousy does to people, so don't try to tease me. I want your word of honor that you'll steer clear of Carrington."
"Oh, Jess, I never meant..."
"Your word, Elly ," he repeated roughly, his fingers sinking almost painfully into her shoulders.
She looked up at him with gentle assurance. "Jess, you don't have to worry about Carrington putting a spell on me. I feel toward him very much the way Compass Rose does."
He watched her for a moment and then seemed to come to some inner conclusion. "Good. Keep it that way."
She would, Elly thought with a sense of resignation, because she loved Jess too much ever to let herself be used against him, even if it was only his pride that was at stake. But she couldn 't help wishing that more than his pride and self -respect were involved.
A part of her wished Jess loved her so passionately that he might truly be vulnerable to the fear of losing her to another man. As it was, she was very much aware that his reactions to Carrington stemmed from the unpleasant ness of the past and from an angry pride that refused to let a woman lead him through hell again.
Four
On Monday morning Elly gave in to the impulse to take a walk on the beach before opening The Natural Choice. She'd taken Sunday off as usual, but the day had not been a particularly relaxing one. This morning she was tense and restless.
Jess had left for Portland the previous evening. At least he'd stopped pressuring her for an answer to his proposal, Elly thought unhappily. He finally seemed to sense that she needed more time to come to terms with the situation. She had known instinctively that he hadn't wanted to give her that additional time, and in a way it surprised her. Until now Jess had acted as if there was no rush about anything in life. He had been content to let matters take their course. But, then, that was probably because until now Jess had set the course himself. The schedule might have seemed loose, Elly decided, but it had been in place. Subtly, calmly, quietly, Jess Winter had been in control of events all along. Until the past had intruded.
There had been no sign of Damon Carrington since Saturday afternoon. No one in town seemed to have seen him and that apparently reassured Jess. Elly had a hunch that if there had been any indication that Carrington was still around, Jess
It was obvious Jess still had other things on his mind. He frowned down at Elly . "Why sooner? I've got that work scheduled a couple of months downstream."
"There's been no word from Mark. No money either."
Jess nodded abruptly. "I get it. The bastard's skipped, huh? Okay, I'll talk to her tomorrow. I'll give her an advance on the job. That should hold her for a while."
"Thank you, Jess." A good man, Elly thought.
" Elly ?"
"Yes?"
"I meant what I said a minute ago. Stay away from Carrington. He's poison."
It occurred to Elly that she had never seen Jess Winter so passionate about anything before, except for those brief moments last night when he had finally begun to make love to her. "It's obvious the Carringtons , brother and sister, had a fairly traumatic effect on you, Jess."
"It's trauma I can do without repeating. Remember how you once told me that you loved to live near the ocean, that you like looking at it, watching the changing weather on it, walking alongside it, but that you never ever went swimming in it?"
"I remember." It was the truth. She never swam in the sea.
"Well, treat Damon Carrington the same way."
"Look, but don't touch?"
"I don't even want you looking at him."
She smiled tremulously and not without a touch of hope. "Are you telling me that you might be capable of feeling a little jealousy over me?"
The ill-advised remark stopped him in his tracks. "Lady, you don't know what you're talking about. You haven't got the least idea of what jealousy does to people, so don't try to tease me. I want your word of honor that you'll steer clear of Carrington."
"Oh, Jess, I never meant..."
"Your word, Elly ," he repeated roughly, his fingers sinking almost painfully into her shoulders.
She looked up at him with gentle assurance. "Jess, you don't have to worry about Carrington putting a spell on me. I feel toward him very much the way Compass Rose does."
He watched her for a moment and then seemed to come to some inner conclusion. "Good. Keep it that way."
She would, Elly thought with a sense of resignation, because she loved Jess too much ever to let herself be used against him, even if it was only his pride that was at stake. But she couldn 't help wishing that more than his pride and self -respect were involved.
A part of her wished Jess loved her so passionately that he might truly be vulnerable to the fear of losing her to another man. As it was, she was very much aware that his reactions to Carrington stemmed from the unpleasant ness of the past and from an angry pride that refused to let a woman lead him through hell again.
Four
On Monday morning Elly gave in to the impulse to take a walk on the beach before opening The Natural Choice. She'd taken Sunday off as usual, but the day had not been a particularly relaxing one. This morning she was tense and restless.
Jess had left for Portland the previous evening. At least he'd stopped pressuring her for an answer to his proposal, Elly thought unhappily. He finally seemed to sense that she needed more time to come to terms with the situation. She had known instinctively that he hadn't wanted to give her that additional time, and in a way it surprised her. Until now Jess had acted as if there was no rush about anything in life. He had been content to let matters take their course. But, then, that was probably because until now Jess had set the course himself. The schedule might have seemed loose, Elly decided, but it had been in place. Subtly, calmly, quietly, Jess Winter had been in control of events all along. Until the past had intruded.
There had been no sign of Damon Carrington since Saturday afternoon. No one in town seemed to have seen him and that apparently reassured Jess. Elly had a hunch that if there had been any indication that Carrington was still around, Jess
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