Read Online Reilly's Woman by Janet Dailey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Janet Dailey
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contentedly. When they were rescued, she decided she was going to laze in a bathtub full of bubbles for an hour, or possibly more. She tugged on her clean socks and shook the sand out of her shoes a second time.
As she slipped on the first shoe, she heard a humming sound. She frowned, listening intently , trying to recognize the cause. She couldn't tell which direction the sound was coming from, yet it seemed to be growing louder.
Her eyes widened in recognition. It was the drone of an airplane engine. She looked immediately toward the western sky. It was unbelievably near their position and flying toward it. The breeze from the east must have carried the sound until it was nearly above her.
With an excited shout to Reilly, Leah grabbed for the canteen and dumped the water on the fire. Only a trickle came out, sizzling to a tiny puff of smoke as it touched the fire. She stared at the insignificant puff in disbelief.
"You fool!" she muttered. "Why did you use all that water to wash your feet?"
The roar of the plane's engine came from overhead. Wrenching her gaze away from the fire, she looked above her head. There was no indication that they had been seen as it flew onward to the east into the sun.
"Here we are!" she shouted, running after the plane's shadow and waving her arms frantically. "Here we are! Down here!"
Reilly came racing down the slope, a miniature avalanche of small rocks rolling before him. "Pour water on the fire!" he shouted.
Leah stopped. "There isn't any water. I used it all."
His expression hardened at her statement, but there was no comment on her stupidity. Without breaking stride, he hit the level ground at the bottom of the slope. He paused long enough to pick up the wrinkled red cloth that had been their blanket and tossed it to her.
"Wave that in the air!" he snapped out the order. "The aluminum side up!"
As she obeyed, she was conscious of Reilly kneeling beside her cosmetic case, but she was more aware of the plane flying away from them. Then Reilly was standing beside her, the rectangular mirror from the lid of her cosmetic case in his hand.
While she waved the blanket until she thought her arm would drop off, he wigwagged the mirror in the sun, trying to pinpoint the flashing light on the plane. But the plane never wavered from its course.
"Come back!" Leah screamed. Her arm hung limply at her side, without the strength to raise the blanket one more time, her injured left arm cradled across her waist.
It disappeared into the sun. A tear slipped from her lashes, then another and another until there was a silent, steady stream down her cheeks. Her lips were salty with the taste of her tears.
"They didn't see us," she whispered in a choked, tight voice.
Her chin trembled as she turned to look at Reilly. His hands were on his hips in a stance of angry disgust. He was staring into the emptiness where the plane had been. He turned, turbulent green eyes briefly meeting hers before he walked back to the fire.
"I'm sorry, Reilly." Leah followed him. The stiff blanket was still clutched in her fingers, trailing along the ground behind her. "It's all my fault. I'd used all the water to wash my feet and I threw it away without thinking."
"Your feet?" he repeated dryly, his speaking glance saying all the things he didn't put into words.
"They were dirty," she offered lamely in defence.
Reilly began stacking the few remaining logs on to the fire. His silence was more crushing than any verbal condemnation. Finally Leah couldn't take it any more, and her anger and hurt erupted like a volcano.
"Why don't you say something?" she accused. "Why don't you shout at me and tell me what a stupid idiotic thing it was to do? We both know it was, so why don't you say it! Get angry or something! Don't just keep putting wood on the fire as if nothing had happened!"
"There wouldn't be any point," Reilly answered calmly, rising to his feet and brushing his hands on his thighs. Except for the grim tightness
As she slipped on the first shoe, she heard a humming sound. She frowned, listening intently , trying to recognize the cause. She couldn't tell which direction the sound was coming from, yet it seemed to be growing louder.
Her eyes widened in recognition. It was the drone of an airplane engine. She looked immediately toward the western sky. It was unbelievably near their position and flying toward it. The breeze from the east must have carried the sound until it was nearly above her.
With an excited shout to Reilly, Leah grabbed for the canteen and dumped the water on the fire. Only a trickle came out, sizzling to a tiny puff of smoke as it touched the fire. She stared at the insignificant puff in disbelief.
"You fool!" she muttered. "Why did you use all that water to wash your feet?"
The roar of the plane's engine came from overhead. Wrenching her gaze away from the fire, she looked above her head. There was no indication that they had been seen as it flew onward to the east into the sun.
"Here we are!" she shouted, running after the plane's shadow and waving her arms frantically. "Here we are! Down here!"
Reilly came racing down the slope, a miniature avalanche of small rocks rolling before him. "Pour water on the fire!" he shouted.
Leah stopped. "There isn't any water. I used it all."
His expression hardened at her statement, but there was no comment on her stupidity. Without breaking stride, he hit the level ground at the bottom of the slope. He paused long enough to pick up the wrinkled red cloth that had been their blanket and tossed it to her.
"Wave that in the air!" he snapped out the order. "The aluminum side up!"
As she obeyed, she was conscious of Reilly kneeling beside her cosmetic case, but she was more aware of the plane flying away from them. Then Reilly was standing beside her, the rectangular mirror from the lid of her cosmetic case in his hand.
While she waved the blanket until she thought her arm would drop off, he wigwagged the mirror in the sun, trying to pinpoint the flashing light on the plane. But the plane never wavered from its course.
"Come back!" Leah screamed. Her arm hung limply at her side, without the strength to raise the blanket one more time, her injured left arm cradled across her waist.
It disappeared into the sun. A tear slipped from her lashes, then another and another until there was a silent, steady stream down her cheeks. Her lips were salty with the taste of her tears.
"They didn't see us," she whispered in a choked, tight voice.
Her chin trembled as she turned to look at Reilly. His hands were on his hips in a stance of angry disgust. He was staring into the emptiness where the plane had been. He turned, turbulent green eyes briefly meeting hers before he walked back to the fire.
"I'm sorry, Reilly." Leah followed him. The stiff blanket was still clutched in her fingers, trailing along the ground behind her. "It's all my fault. I'd used all the water to wash my feet and I threw it away without thinking."
"Your feet?" he repeated dryly, his speaking glance saying all the things he didn't put into words.
"They were dirty," she offered lamely in defence.
Reilly began stacking the few remaining logs on to the fire. His silence was more crushing than any verbal condemnation. Finally Leah couldn't take it any more, and her anger and hurt erupted like a volcano.
"Why don't you say something?" she accused. "Why don't you shout at me and tell me what a stupid idiotic thing it was to do? We both know it was, so why don't you say it! Get angry or something! Don't just keep putting wood on the fire as if nothing had happened!"
"There wouldn't be any point," Reilly answered calmly, rising to his feet and brushing his hands on his thighs. Except for the grim tightness
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