Read Online Microsoft Word - THE LAST MAN ON EARTH - Raine Weaver.doc by Administrator - Free Book Online
Book: Microsoft Word - THE LAST MAN ON EARTH - Raine Weaver.doc by Administrator
Read Free Book Online
Authors: Administrator
Ads: Link
Milton or Gary, or anybody else, because you’d secretly wanted me all along.” She sniffed, trying to smile. “Silly stuff, I know.”
“A crush,” he murmured, his sharp eyes holding hers. “It was just a schoolgirl crush. But maybe…maybe if I had known…”
Her fingernails sank painfully into her palms. “Maybe what?”
He tilted his head, staring at her mouth, and for a moment she thought he might kiss her. And then she found herself praying that he would. It might be their last chance. “Maybe I would have tried to wait.” He grazed her bottom lip with his thumb. “For you, Iris—maybe I would’ve waited until hell froze over.” He brusquely removed his hand and shoved it into his glove, gesturing toward the icy world outside. “And see? I did!”
She loosely wrapped her arms around his neck, hiding her tears behind her eyelids, afraid that if she held him too tightly she could not let him go.
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Raine Weaver
83
Russ gave her a gentle, friendly pat on her back, then quickly turned away, shoving the bolt back on the door. It immediately flew open, propelled by the gale, and he zipped his coat, prepared to do battle.
“I want you to stay down here, right here, by the fire,” he ordered, turning to her one last time. “Don’t let it go out, and don’t go wandering around the house. There are a few bad floorboards here and there. The radio in the kitchen’s set to ‘on’, so if the power comes back, grab a listen. Don’t leave, and don’t sit around worrying.
I don’t wanna worry about you worrying. And above all, you keep this door locked. If it’s not bolted, it has a tendency to gradually swing open. I’ve got my key, so don’t unlock it for anybody. If something has happened out here, there might be people…” He paused, and she understood that he was trying not to frighten her. “There might be people looking for a handout.”
She nodded, trying to find words, sure that her heart had given up the ghost. But she would not cry, refused to cry, even though her parting view of him was blurred by a veil of tears.
She couldn’t even feel the cold whipped in by the ferocious wind. She felt completely numb. “You hurry back, Russell Carr.
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Raine Weaver
84
Don’t you leave me here all alone. I need you. For the work, of course,” she added too hastily. “We have a business to run. We wouldn’t want to disappoint our customers.”
He seemed to be about to speak, but turned abruptly away, waving, and took his first cautious steps toward the car.
“Russ!!”
He stopped again and nearly fell, shielding his eyes from the pellets of ice as he struggled with the storm.
What to say? What could she say? She wanted to tell him that she loved him, that she had always loved him, that she really didn’t want him to go and that she would die if he didn’t come back to her…
“Never mind.”
“What?”
The wind was drowning out her voice. The voice of the little girl who couldn’t catch up. And maybe that was just as well. “Never mind about the Chinese food. Just drive safely!”
She saw his grin beneath the gap of the parka’s hood as he waved once again. “Then maybe I’ll have time to look up Charlene,”
he shouted back. “I hear she’s still in town…”
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Raine Weaver
85
She laughed, unable to stop herself, and slammed the door behind him. Running to the nearest window, she held her breath until she saw him climb into the car, let the engine warm, and take off at a snail’s pace down the drive.
And then she cried for all she was worth, burying her face in the hem of the shirt that still smelled of him as the storm relentlessly battered the building, the only sound now in the still, small silence.
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Raine Weaver
86
CHAPTER 6
A wayward shutter, loosened by the powerful winds, banged relentlessly against the upper floor of the house as Iris stared into
“A crush,” he murmured, his sharp eyes holding hers. “It was just a schoolgirl crush. But maybe…maybe if I had known…”
Her fingernails sank painfully into her palms. “Maybe what?”
He tilted his head, staring at her mouth, and for a moment she thought he might kiss her. And then she found herself praying that he would. It might be their last chance. “Maybe I would have tried to wait.” He grazed her bottom lip with his thumb. “For you, Iris—maybe I would’ve waited until hell froze over.” He brusquely removed his hand and shoved it into his glove, gesturing toward the icy world outside. “And see? I did!”
She loosely wrapped her arms around his neck, hiding her tears behind her eyelids, afraid that if she held him too tightly she could not let him go.
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Raine Weaver
83
Russ gave her a gentle, friendly pat on her back, then quickly turned away, shoving the bolt back on the door. It immediately flew open, propelled by the gale, and he zipped his coat, prepared to do battle.
“I want you to stay down here, right here, by the fire,” he ordered, turning to her one last time. “Don’t let it go out, and don’t go wandering around the house. There are a few bad floorboards here and there. The radio in the kitchen’s set to ‘on’, so if the power comes back, grab a listen. Don’t leave, and don’t sit around worrying.
I don’t wanna worry about you worrying. And above all, you keep this door locked. If it’s not bolted, it has a tendency to gradually swing open. I’ve got my key, so don’t unlock it for anybody. If something has happened out here, there might be people…” He paused, and she understood that he was trying not to frighten her. “There might be people looking for a handout.”
She nodded, trying to find words, sure that her heart had given up the ghost. But she would not cry, refused to cry, even though her parting view of him was blurred by a veil of tears.
She couldn’t even feel the cold whipped in by the ferocious wind. She felt completely numb. “You hurry back, Russell Carr.
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Raine Weaver
84
Don’t you leave me here all alone. I need you. For the work, of course,” she added too hastily. “We have a business to run. We wouldn’t want to disappoint our customers.”
He seemed to be about to speak, but turned abruptly away, waving, and took his first cautious steps toward the car.
“Russ!!”
He stopped again and nearly fell, shielding his eyes from the pellets of ice as he struggled with the storm.
What to say? What could she say? She wanted to tell him that she loved him, that she had always loved him, that she really didn’t want him to go and that she would die if he didn’t come back to her…
“Never mind.”
“What?”
The wind was drowning out her voice. The voice of the little girl who couldn’t catch up. And maybe that was just as well. “Never mind about the Chinese food. Just drive safely!”
She saw his grin beneath the gap of the parka’s hood as he waved once again. “Then maybe I’ll have time to look up Charlene,”
he shouted back. “I hear she’s still in town…”
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Raine Weaver
85
She laughed, unable to stop herself, and slammed the door behind him. Running to the nearest window, she held her breath until she saw him climb into the car, let the engine warm, and take off at a snail’s pace down the drive.
And then she cried for all she was worth, burying her face in the hem of the shirt that still smelled of him as the storm relentlessly battered the building, the only sound now in the still, small silence.
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Raine Weaver
86
CHAPTER 6
A wayward shutter, loosened by the powerful winds, banged relentlessly against the upper floor of the house as Iris stared into
Similar Books
