Read Online Falling for a Stranger by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Freethy
Ads: Link
Wharf right before Thanksgiving. And now I'm sure it was you."
"I don't remember seeing you."
She was lying again.
"After I saw you," he continued. "I called Juan at Sea Charters, and I asked him if you or anyone else on your boat had been rescued after I left. He said no and that the tragedy still haunted him."
She stiffened. "I wish you hadn't done that."
"Why?"
"Because it's complicated."
"The fact that you're alive when you're supposed to be dead is complicated? Yeah, that's an understatement."
"I didn't go back to the island after I was rescued. I wasn't particularly close to anyone there, and it was time to come back to the States." She paused. "Did you call anyone else besides Juan?"
"I also spoke to Martin at the bar. He said he'd made peace with the fact that you'd died doing something you love. I wonder how they'll both react when they find out you're alive."
"You can't tell them," she said quickly.
"Why not?"
"I have my reasons."
"Tell me what they are."
"I can't."
"Then I'll make some calls."
This time it was Ria who grabbed his arm. "Drew, you can't do that."
"I need to know why. Are you in trouble?"
"I'm trying to avoid being in trouble," she said pointedly.
"Maybe I can help."
"You can help by leaving me alone. Just go away and forget you ever knew me."
Considering the fact that he'd been dreaming about her nonstop for the last five months, and for the year before that, he doubted that would be possible. "I'm going to need more information." He glanced at her dark jacket, at the yacht club emblem on the chest pocket. "Do you work for the yacht club?"
She hesitated, then nodded, and said, "Yes. I give sailing lessons and run private boat charters."
"So being lost at sea didn't make you lose your love for the water?"
"The sea is the one place where I never feel scared. I trust the ocean to do what it's meant to. People are much more unpredictable."
Her cryptic words were tinged with pain and bitterness, maybe even a little anger, but he didn't think all of her emotions were about his unexpected appearance. "I can't just walk away, Ria. Not like this."
She let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, we had an incredible night together, Drew. I'll never forget it, but it's not going to happen again. I'm not that woman anymore, and I never will be again."
"Why not? What happened to you? What changed? "
"Everything," she said with a wave of her hand. "My whole world is different now. And there's no room for you in it. I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings, but that's the way it is."
"This isn't about hurt feelings. If you're not interested, I can take it."
"Then why are we still talking?" she challenged.
"Because your behavior is odd, and your explanations don't make sense. I feel like you're saying one thing with your words, but your eyes tell another story."
"That is crap," she said angrily. "You are reading way too much into my desire not to speak to you anymore. I'm leaving."
She spun on her heel, and he knew she was three seconds from disappearing out of his life for the third time.
"I have your necklace," he said abruptly.
Her step faltered. She turned slowly back to face him. "What did you say?"
"The gold chain with the heart entwined around an emerald. You said it belonged to your grandmother. I have it."
"Where did you find it?"
"In the sea, near the site of the explosion. It floated right past me when I was looking for you. For a few minutes, I had renewed hope that you were close by, but that hope eventually died."
She put a hand to her neck, as if she could still feel the chain. "It came off when I jumped overboard. I felt it slip away, but I couldn't stop to look for it. I had to get away from the boat."
"Do you want it back?"
"Yes."
"Then we'll have to meet again. When?"
"You could leave it for me at the yacht club."
"Do you really think you're going to get off that easy? You want the necklace, Ria, you'll have to talk to me. Can you meet me tonight?"
She shook her
"I don't remember seeing you."
She was lying again.
"After I saw you," he continued. "I called Juan at Sea Charters, and I asked him if you or anyone else on your boat had been rescued after I left. He said no and that the tragedy still haunted him."
She stiffened. "I wish you hadn't done that."
"Why?"
"Because it's complicated."
"The fact that you're alive when you're supposed to be dead is complicated? Yeah, that's an understatement."
"I didn't go back to the island after I was rescued. I wasn't particularly close to anyone there, and it was time to come back to the States." She paused. "Did you call anyone else besides Juan?"
"I also spoke to Martin at the bar. He said he'd made peace with the fact that you'd died doing something you love. I wonder how they'll both react when they find out you're alive."
"You can't tell them," she said quickly.
"Why not?"
"I have my reasons."
"Tell me what they are."
"I can't."
"Then I'll make some calls."
This time it was Ria who grabbed his arm. "Drew, you can't do that."
"I need to know why. Are you in trouble?"
"I'm trying to avoid being in trouble," she said pointedly.
"Maybe I can help."
"You can help by leaving me alone. Just go away and forget you ever knew me."
Considering the fact that he'd been dreaming about her nonstop for the last five months, and for the year before that, he doubted that would be possible. "I'm going to need more information." He glanced at her dark jacket, at the yacht club emblem on the chest pocket. "Do you work for the yacht club?"
She hesitated, then nodded, and said, "Yes. I give sailing lessons and run private boat charters."
"So being lost at sea didn't make you lose your love for the water?"
"The sea is the one place where I never feel scared. I trust the ocean to do what it's meant to. People are much more unpredictable."
Her cryptic words were tinged with pain and bitterness, maybe even a little anger, but he didn't think all of her emotions were about his unexpected appearance. "I can't just walk away, Ria. Not like this."
She let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, we had an incredible night together, Drew. I'll never forget it, but it's not going to happen again. I'm not that woman anymore, and I never will be again."
"Why not? What happened to you? What changed? "
"Everything," she said with a wave of her hand. "My whole world is different now. And there's no room for you in it. I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings, but that's the way it is."
"This isn't about hurt feelings. If you're not interested, I can take it."
"Then why are we still talking?" she challenged.
"Because your behavior is odd, and your explanations don't make sense. I feel like you're saying one thing with your words, but your eyes tell another story."
"That is crap," she said angrily. "You are reading way too much into my desire not to speak to you anymore. I'm leaving."
She spun on her heel, and he knew she was three seconds from disappearing out of his life for the third time.
"I have your necklace," he said abruptly.
Her step faltered. She turned slowly back to face him. "What did you say?"
"The gold chain with the heart entwined around an emerald. You said it belonged to your grandmother. I have it."
"Where did you find it?"
"In the sea, near the site of the explosion. It floated right past me when I was looking for you. For a few minutes, I had renewed hope that you were close by, but that hope eventually died."
She put a hand to her neck, as if she could still feel the chain. "It came off when I jumped overboard. I felt it slip away, but I couldn't stop to look for it. I had to get away from the boat."
"Do you want it back?"
"Yes."
"Then we'll have to meet again. When?"
"You could leave it for me at the yacht club."
"Do you really think you're going to get off that easy? You want the necklace, Ria, you'll have to talk to me. Can you meet me tonight?"
She shook her
Similar Books
