Read Online Promises to Keep by Rose Marie Ferris - Free Book Online
Authors: Rose Marie Ferris
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with his hands resting on his hips, and that she had succeeded only in amusing him became obvious when he laughed outright. This goaded her into a further display of temperament.
"Oooh!" she wailed. "A person can't win with you. It makes me want to stamp my feet and scream."
"So?" He arched a condescending eyebrow at her. "Don't let me stop you. Lord knows you never have before."
Infuriated by this additional taunt, she actually did stamp her foot. As soon as she gave in to the impulse, she was embarrassed that she'd indulged in such childish histrionics. In a turmoil of anger and shame and confusion, she spun on her heel to dash away from Garth and into the pines. When she heard him calling her name, chasing her, she ran even faster. She felt as though she were being pursued by demons and she left the trail to dodge in and out among the trees and crash headlong through the underbrush.
In truth, her flight soon approached the proportions of a nightmare. From every side, branches and thorns reached out to clutch at her, to pluck at her clothing, to tear at her hair and skin. In her distraught state of mind, even the trunks of the trees seemed to assume frightening shapes.
Initially the pounding of Garth's steps and the snapping of twigs breaking beneath his feet kept pace with her and this was the most alarming aspect of all. But somehow she managed to elude him until she tapped her reserves of stamina for an additional burst of speed.
Julie could not begin to estimate how far she had run before she slowed to a walk. She no longer heard Garth so close behind and she knew only that she could not go any farther. Her legs gave way and she collapsed to sit on a fallen log. Her lungs were burning with a need for air and her chest was heaving as she labored to fill them. Her heart thudded erratically beneath her breastbone.
After a time it struck her that these sounds were the only ones she could hear and she held her breath to listen for some sign of Garth, but there were only the trilling notes of birdsong and the drowsy hum of insects. Even the wind was still and the silence was ominous.
"Garth," she whispered. Her heart skipped a beat and again she was breathless, this time with foreboding. More loudly, she called, "Garth!"
When there was no answer, she began backtracking along the path she had made, stopping now and again to listen and call his name. She was becoming more panicky with each step she took and relief swept over her when she heard a faint sound of movement in the brush ahead.
"Ga-a-arth!" she shouted as loudly as she could and this time her cry was followed by a muffled moan. She rushed in the direction from which it had come. She was shaking with fear when she entered a sunlit clearing and saw him lying so deathly still on the ground. She ran to him and dropped to her knees at his side, one hand searching anxiously for his pulse.
"Garth," she sobbed brokenly, "oh, Garth! Are you hurt?"
His eyes opened and with blinding speed he grasped her wrist and pulled her diagonally across his chest. With the impetus of the same fluid motion, he rolled her over onto her back. Taken by surprise, she found herself pinned to the springy carpet of the forest floor by the full weight of his body.
For a moment she looked up at him, entranced by the gold-flecked green of his eyes. They were at the same time unfathomable and piercing. She recalled the facility with which he could divine her thoughts and, fearful of what her own eyes might reveal, she averted them to stare at the coarse curling hair that was just visible in the opening of his shirt collar.
"You louse!" she choked. "You were faking."
"Sorry to disappoint you," he drawled.
"If this is supposed to be some kind of joke, I fail to see the humor in it. You scared me half to death."
"It was no joke." Their eyes met again as she scowled at him. "You think
you
were scared! I was afraid you'd get lost or injured and how else was I to stop you?" Her scowl
"Oooh!" she wailed. "A person can't win with you. It makes me want to stamp my feet and scream."
"So?" He arched a condescending eyebrow at her. "Don't let me stop you. Lord knows you never have before."
Infuriated by this additional taunt, she actually did stamp her foot. As soon as she gave in to the impulse, she was embarrassed that she'd indulged in such childish histrionics. In a turmoil of anger and shame and confusion, she spun on her heel to dash away from Garth and into the pines. When she heard him calling her name, chasing her, she ran even faster. She felt as though she were being pursued by demons and she left the trail to dodge in and out among the trees and crash headlong through the underbrush.
In truth, her flight soon approached the proportions of a nightmare. From every side, branches and thorns reached out to clutch at her, to pluck at her clothing, to tear at her hair and skin. In her distraught state of mind, even the trunks of the trees seemed to assume frightening shapes.
Initially the pounding of Garth's steps and the snapping of twigs breaking beneath his feet kept pace with her and this was the most alarming aspect of all. But somehow she managed to elude him until she tapped her reserves of stamina for an additional burst of speed.
Julie could not begin to estimate how far she had run before she slowed to a walk. She no longer heard Garth so close behind and she knew only that she could not go any farther. Her legs gave way and she collapsed to sit on a fallen log. Her lungs were burning with a need for air and her chest was heaving as she labored to fill them. Her heart thudded erratically beneath her breastbone.
After a time it struck her that these sounds were the only ones she could hear and she held her breath to listen for some sign of Garth, but there were only the trilling notes of birdsong and the drowsy hum of insects. Even the wind was still and the silence was ominous.
"Garth," she whispered. Her heart skipped a beat and again she was breathless, this time with foreboding. More loudly, she called, "Garth!"
When there was no answer, she began backtracking along the path she had made, stopping now and again to listen and call his name. She was becoming more panicky with each step she took and relief swept over her when she heard a faint sound of movement in the brush ahead.
"Ga-a-arth!" she shouted as loudly as she could and this time her cry was followed by a muffled moan. She rushed in the direction from which it had come. She was shaking with fear when she entered a sunlit clearing and saw him lying so deathly still on the ground. She ran to him and dropped to her knees at his side, one hand searching anxiously for his pulse.
"Garth," she sobbed brokenly, "oh, Garth! Are you hurt?"
His eyes opened and with blinding speed he grasped her wrist and pulled her diagonally across his chest. With the impetus of the same fluid motion, he rolled her over onto her back. Taken by surprise, she found herself pinned to the springy carpet of the forest floor by the full weight of his body.
For a moment she looked up at him, entranced by the gold-flecked green of his eyes. They were at the same time unfathomable and piercing. She recalled the facility with which he could divine her thoughts and, fearful of what her own eyes might reveal, she averted them to stare at the coarse curling hair that was just visible in the opening of his shirt collar.
"You louse!" she choked. "You were faking."
"Sorry to disappoint you," he drawled.
"If this is supposed to be some kind of joke, I fail to see the humor in it. You scared me half to death."
"It was no joke." Their eyes met again as she scowled at him. "You think
you
were scared! I was afraid you'd get lost or injured and how else was I to stop you?" Her scowl
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