Read Online Nantucket Romance 3-in-1 Bundle by Denise Hunter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Denise Hunter
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thought put a smile on her lips.
Sam was inside the lighthouse, and through the tiny window she saw her mom in her boat, the current carrying her farther from shore.
“Wait, Mom! Come back!” She screamed the words.
Someone in the boat stood. Landon. Landon was leaving. She called his name, but he didn’t hear her, didn’t see her.
Rain battered her face through the opening in the stone, and she turned to race down the stairs, but there were no stairs. Instead, she was in the yacht club at Landon’s going-away party. His parents were talking to their school principal, and his mom laughed at something.
“Someone help!” Sam called, but no one heard her. “My mom needs help! Landon’s leaving!” She scanned the room for Bailey. He would help her. But she couldn’t find him. Why wouldn’t anyone listen?
Across the room, Emmett lounged on the arm of a chair, a drink in hand. He stared at Sam, the only one who saw her.
She ran toward him and took his arm. “Help me! They’re leaving, Mom and Landon. I forgot to tie up the boat, and it’s floating away.” She tugged his arm, but he jerked it from her.
“I’ll leave you too. Everyone will. No one hears you, and no one cares.” He pushed himself off the chair and walked away.
“Somebody, help me . . . somebody, help me . . .”
Sam’s eyes opened, and the sound of her own breathing filled her ears. Darkness pressed in on her. She looked around to orient herself. The window, the closet, shadows of furniture.
She trembled, wanting to leave the bed but somehow afraid to. The dream had been so real. Emmett and the Reeds. Landon and her mom. The vividness of it hollowed her stomach, leaving a void. And Bailey. Dear Bailey.
Sam
stared at the ceiling, afraid to close her eyes again, afraid the dream would haunt her sleep. Beside her, Caden lay still, undisturbed. Sam turned to the window and looked toward Landon’s house. From where she lay, she could see the roofline in the moonlight.
She remembered the way he looked at her earlier, but this time the memory didn’t warm her. This time it chilled her skin, making her shiver under the quilt.
Nine
T here was nothing on TV but old reruns and depressing news. She flicked the TV off and settled against the sofa. The nightmare had chased her from bed. While awake, she could rein in her thoughts, but sleep allowed her untamed mind to run wild. Now that she was wide awake, the quietness of the cottage haunted her.
It didn’t help that the smells and sounds of this house jerked her back to her past faster than the snap of a flag. Just being here made her feel like a lonely, motherless child again. She forgot sometimes that she was a full-grown woman with her own eleven-year-old child.
A knock sounded on the door, and she jumped. The clock read 11:32. Miss Biddle would have been in bed at dark, and Sam couldn’t imagine why Landon would come back. She slid her finger between the drapes and peeked out.
The porch was dark except for the little bit of moonlight, but Landon’s silhouette was easy enough to distinguish. She wondered what he could want.
Sam opened the door. “Hey.”
He looked up as if she’d interrupted his thoughts. “Hey. I know it’s late, but I saw your TV on. Can we talk for a minute?”
Sam glanced back toward the bedroom where Caden slept. “Sure.”
He stepped backward, allowing her to slip outside so they wouldn’t let the bugs in. The light flooding the window gilded his face. “I was wondering if you’d like to go somewhere next Saturday.”
She wasn’t sure what she’d expected him to say, but it wasn’t this. “Where?”
“Anywhere.” He cleared his throat, then his Adam’s apple bobbed. “I’m asking you on a date.”
The hollow spot inside her filled with something pleasant. Hope. For an instant Sam wanted to say yes. But just as quickly, fear funneled into the spot and washed everything else away. Her nerves clanged like pots and pans in the hands of her
Sam was inside the lighthouse, and through the tiny window she saw her mom in her boat, the current carrying her farther from shore.
“Wait, Mom! Come back!” She screamed the words.
Someone in the boat stood. Landon. Landon was leaving. She called his name, but he didn’t hear her, didn’t see her.
Rain battered her face through the opening in the stone, and she turned to race down the stairs, but there were no stairs. Instead, she was in the yacht club at Landon’s going-away party. His parents were talking to their school principal, and his mom laughed at something.
“Someone help!” Sam called, but no one heard her. “My mom needs help! Landon’s leaving!” She scanned the room for Bailey. He would help her. But she couldn’t find him. Why wouldn’t anyone listen?
Across the room, Emmett lounged on the arm of a chair, a drink in hand. He stared at Sam, the only one who saw her.
She ran toward him and took his arm. “Help me! They’re leaving, Mom and Landon. I forgot to tie up the boat, and it’s floating away.” She tugged his arm, but he jerked it from her.
“I’ll leave you too. Everyone will. No one hears you, and no one cares.” He pushed himself off the chair and walked away.
“Somebody, help me . . . somebody, help me . . .”
Sam’s eyes opened, and the sound of her own breathing filled her ears. Darkness pressed in on her. She looked around to orient herself. The window, the closet, shadows of furniture.
She trembled, wanting to leave the bed but somehow afraid to. The dream had been so real. Emmett and the Reeds. Landon and her mom. The vividness of it hollowed her stomach, leaving a void. And Bailey. Dear Bailey.
Sam
stared at the ceiling, afraid to close her eyes again, afraid the dream would haunt her sleep. Beside her, Caden lay still, undisturbed. Sam turned to the window and looked toward Landon’s house. From where she lay, she could see the roofline in the moonlight.
She remembered the way he looked at her earlier, but this time the memory didn’t warm her. This time it chilled her skin, making her shiver under the quilt.
Nine
T here was nothing on TV but old reruns and depressing news. She flicked the TV off and settled against the sofa. The nightmare had chased her from bed. While awake, she could rein in her thoughts, but sleep allowed her untamed mind to run wild. Now that she was wide awake, the quietness of the cottage haunted her.
It didn’t help that the smells and sounds of this house jerked her back to her past faster than the snap of a flag. Just being here made her feel like a lonely, motherless child again. She forgot sometimes that she was a full-grown woman with her own eleven-year-old child.
A knock sounded on the door, and she jumped. The clock read 11:32. Miss Biddle would have been in bed at dark, and Sam couldn’t imagine why Landon would come back. She slid her finger between the drapes and peeked out.
The porch was dark except for the little bit of moonlight, but Landon’s silhouette was easy enough to distinguish. She wondered what he could want.
Sam opened the door. “Hey.”
He looked up as if she’d interrupted his thoughts. “Hey. I know it’s late, but I saw your TV on. Can we talk for a minute?”
Sam glanced back toward the bedroom where Caden slept. “Sure.”
He stepped backward, allowing her to slip outside so they wouldn’t let the bugs in. The light flooding the window gilded his face. “I was wondering if you’d like to go somewhere next Saturday.”
She wasn’t sure what she’d expected him to say, but it wasn’t this. “Where?”
“Anywhere.” He cleared his throat, then his Adam’s apple bobbed. “I’m asking you on a date.”
The hollow spot inside her filled with something pleasant. Hope. For an instant Sam wanted to say yes. But just as quickly, fear funneled into the spot and washed everything else away. Her nerves clanged like pots and pans in the hands of her
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