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Authors: Loucinda McGary
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removed the cover on the remaining plate to reveal two slices of chocolate cheesecake. "0700 sharp," he reminded Rip. Then he limped to the door and was gone.
Rip finished off his meal and scooted his piece of cheesecake into his plate before he handed her the remaining slice. "Please, Avery, for once do what I ask and stay in this room until 1:30."
Glaring at him, she took the plate. "You don't have to go, you know."
His broad shoulders sagged as if he'd been carrying a boulder around all day. "Believe me, the thought has crossed my mind at least once an hour all damn day." His fingers went to the fresh scab on his arm and he scowled. "But I'm not dodging any more bullets. The answers are on Benezet and I intend to find them."
Arguing with him was pointless, especially when Avery knew she'd do the same if she were in his place. Resignedly, she picked up her fork, but in spite of her love for chocolate and cheesecake, she could only force herself to eat two bites. Of course, Rip had already wolfed his down, so she got up and handed him her plate.
"Here, you can finish mine, too. I'm going to take a shower, if I can find a dry towel."
His expression didn't soften. "Do us both a favor and keep those sweatpants on under that ugly night gown tonight. I don't know how many more cold showers I can stand."
When she finished up in the bathroom, Rip was watching yet another football program. She had no idea so many existed. Pulling her supplies out of the nightstand drawer, she worked on her fingernails tonight. He didn't comment about her sweatpants and nightshirt.
Rip's show ended and he'd just started channel surfing when the phone signal sounded. "I'll go this time." He tossed the remote onto her lap and went to the door.
Taking great care not to smudge her nails, she hit the channel changer. After punching several times, she ran across the recorded announcement of Ginger telling guests what to expect when they landed in Martinique. Her roommate's grating voice and simpering smile left a sour taste in Avery's mouth. She didn't doubt for a moment that Ginger was using her absence to thoroughly cement herself into full-blown cruise director status, and Avery was not about to play assistant to her. She gave the remote a vicious click and the screen winked off.
A moment later, Nadeesh arrived, apologetic as always. Tomorrow's breakfast looked meager, a four-pack of plastic containers of yogurt, two bowls of granola and two banana nut muffins.
"Don't worry about it," Rip assured the distressed butler. "You've done a great job."
"Thank you, sir, and please, sir, be very careful tomorrow," Nadeesh babbled as he backed out the door.
While Rip hung his blue work coveralls in the closet, Avery put the yogurt and muffins in the fridge. Rip was welcome to all of it. She doubted she would feel like eating anything tomorrow.
The classic movie tonight was a John Wayne war epic. Avery gritted her teeth and buried her nose in one of the slick magazines provided by the cruise line that showed lots of high end jewelry and accessories. After an hour with no sounds coming from Rip's side of the room, she put the book down and saw that he was dozing, chin against his chest.
She got up and gently removed the remote from his hand. He never stirred, but looking at his face in repose made her heart pound and her knees wobble. Crazy thoughts of what might have been whirled through her brain. She shook them away, crawled back into her bed and turned off the lights.
But sleep eluded her. For what felt like endless hours, Avery tossed and turned and imagined she had said yes instead of no ten years ago.
The sound of the shower awakened Avery from a restless sleep. She bolted up-right, hit the light and stared at the bedside clock -- 6:45. Rip would be gone in fifteen minutes! But that couldn't be.
She stumbled over to the vanity and saw the empty bowl, two yogurt containers and orange peels. He'd managed to eat without waking her up. She
Rip finished off his meal and scooted his piece of cheesecake into his plate before he handed her the remaining slice. "Please, Avery, for once do what I ask and stay in this room until 1:30."
Glaring at him, she took the plate. "You don't have to go, you know."
His broad shoulders sagged as if he'd been carrying a boulder around all day. "Believe me, the thought has crossed my mind at least once an hour all damn day." His fingers went to the fresh scab on his arm and he scowled. "But I'm not dodging any more bullets. The answers are on Benezet and I intend to find them."
Arguing with him was pointless, especially when Avery knew she'd do the same if she were in his place. Resignedly, she picked up her fork, but in spite of her love for chocolate and cheesecake, she could only force herself to eat two bites. Of course, Rip had already wolfed his down, so she got up and handed him her plate.
"Here, you can finish mine, too. I'm going to take a shower, if I can find a dry towel."
His expression didn't soften. "Do us both a favor and keep those sweatpants on under that ugly night gown tonight. I don't know how many more cold showers I can stand."
When she finished up in the bathroom, Rip was watching yet another football program. She had no idea so many existed. Pulling her supplies out of the nightstand drawer, she worked on her fingernails tonight. He didn't comment about her sweatpants and nightshirt.
Rip's show ended and he'd just started channel surfing when the phone signal sounded. "I'll go this time." He tossed the remote onto her lap and went to the door.
Taking great care not to smudge her nails, she hit the channel changer. After punching several times, she ran across the recorded announcement of Ginger telling guests what to expect when they landed in Martinique. Her roommate's grating voice and simpering smile left a sour taste in Avery's mouth. She didn't doubt for a moment that Ginger was using her absence to thoroughly cement herself into full-blown cruise director status, and Avery was not about to play assistant to her. She gave the remote a vicious click and the screen winked off.
A moment later, Nadeesh arrived, apologetic as always. Tomorrow's breakfast looked meager, a four-pack of plastic containers of yogurt, two bowls of granola and two banana nut muffins.
"Don't worry about it," Rip assured the distressed butler. "You've done a great job."
"Thank you, sir, and please, sir, be very careful tomorrow," Nadeesh babbled as he backed out the door.
While Rip hung his blue work coveralls in the closet, Avery put the yogurt and muffins in the fridge. Rip was welcome to all of it. She doubted she would feel like eating anything tomorrow.
The classic movie tonight was a John Wayne war epic. Avery gritted her teeth and buried her nose in one of the slick magazines provided by the cruise line that showed lots of high end jewelry and accessories. After an hour with no sounds coming from Rip's side of the room, she put the book down and saw that he was dozing, chin against his chest.
She got up and gently removed the remote from his hand. He never stirred, but looking at his face in repose made her heart pound and her knees wobble. Crazy thoughts of what might have been whirled through her brain. She shook them away, crawled back into her bed and turned off the lights.
But sleep eluded her. For what felt like endless hours, Avery tossed and turned and imagined she had said yes instead of no ten years ago.
The sound of the shower awakened Avery from a restless sleep. She bolted up-right, hit the light and stared at the bedside clock -- 6:45. Rip would be gone in fifteen minutes! But that couldn't be.
She stumbled over to the vanity and saw the empty bowl, two yogurt containers and orange peels. He'd managed to eat without waking her up. She
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