Read Online Reilly's Woman by Janet Dailey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Janet Dailey
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of his mouth an impersonal mask had slipped over his face. "I'm going to go and fill the canteen and bring down the firewood."
A broken sigh of frustration slipped from her constricting throat.
"What if the plane comes back while you're gone?"
"Wave the blanket and yell for me."
When he had disappeared up the slope, Leah collapsed on her knees. Her fingers relaxed their death grip on the blanket and it lay beside her, the shiny aluminum side catching the sun's rays. She was exhausted and emotionally drained.
She wanted to bury her head in her arms and cry silently at her stupidity, but she didn't dare. There was a chance that the plane might fly back this way. She couldn't risk being caught unaware a second time.
Sniffing back the tears, she wiped the salty dampness from her cheeks and started scanning the skies. Her ears strained to hear the drone of an airplane engine. There was only the desert mountain silence until the rolling of stones down the slope heralded Reilly's return.
After setting the armload of wood on the ground a few feet away from the fire, Reilly handed the canteen to Leah. "Have a drink."
She looked at it as if it were poison. She was hot and tired and very thirsty, but no matter how parched her throat might be, she didn't want to drink the water that might get them rescued.
"No," she refused with quiet firmness.
Exasperation straightened the line of his mouth. "A swallow isn't going to do any harm. Take a drink," he ordered.
Reluctantly Leah obeyed, taking a small sip and letting it roll around to wet her dry mouth before swallowing it. Moistening her lips with her tongue, she handed the canteen back to him, aware of the alert greenness of his eyes watching her, but unable to meet it.
The canteen was set in the shade of the firewood. Without a word Reilly walked over and picked up the thin blanket lying on the ground beside Leah. She frowned, wondering what he intended to do with it, then saw him erecting the lean-to.
Her frown deepened. "Won't we need the blanket to signal the plane?"
Reilly didn't turn away from his task as he answered. "It can be torn down in seconds if we see the plane. In the meantime it will be of more service as a sunshade."
Leah stared at the crackling fire. It burned cleanly, a thin wisp of smoke rising and disappearing in the clear desert air almost immediately. Shimmering heat waves danced above the fire.
"The plane flew almost directly over us," she said quietly. "I didn't hear it coming until it was almost here. Why couldn't they see us?"
"In the first place," Reilly secured the last corner of the lean-to, "they were flying into the morning sun. Their vision was impaired. And in the second place, they were looking for airplane wreckage." His head nodded in the general direction of the slide. "Ours is buried beneath that."
"They would have seen the smoke signal, though," she sighed, gazing into the morning sky. "It's my fault."
"Stop feeling sorry for yourself," Reilly ordered firmly.
"I'm not!" Leah protested indignantly.
"Yes, you are, and it's not going to change anything."
"I never said it would," she retorted.
"Then let's stop discussing what happened and be prepared in case the plane flies back this way."
Leah paused. Something in his voice made her ask, "Do you think it will?"
"I don't know." Nothing in his expression revealed what Reilly really thought or believed.
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Chapter Five
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A CLOUD BLOCKED out the western sun. A halo of gold formed around its gray-white shape, then streamed to earth to bronze the sage-covered ground.
Leah's blouse was damp with perspiration, clinging to her like a second skin. Her arm ached with an agonizing throb. That morning's exertion when she had tried and failed to use it to wave the blanket at the plane had increased its soreness. Â
Wearily she pressed her right hand against her forehead for a few seconds, then lifted her head, her hand pushing the hair away from her face. All day they had
A broken sigh of frustration slipped from her constricting throat.
"What if the plane comes back while you're gone?"
"Wave the blanket and yell for me."
When he had disappeared up the slope, Leah collapsed on her knees. Her fingers relaxed their death grip on the blanket and it lay beside her, the shiny aluminum side catching the sun's rays. She was exhausted and emotionally drained.
She wanted to bury her head in her arms and cry silently at her stupidity, but she didn't dare. There was a chance that the plane might fly back this way. She couldn't risk being caught unaware a second time.
Sniffing back the tears, she wiped the salty dampness from her cheeks and started scanning the skies. Her ears strained to hear the drone of an airplane engine. There was only the desert mountain silence until the rolling of stones down the slope heralded Reilly's return.
After setting the armload of wood on the ground a few feet away from the fire, Reilly handed the canteen to Leah. "Have a drink."
She looked at it as if it were poison. She was hot and tired and very thirsty, but no matter how parched her throat might be, she didn't want to drink the water that might get them rescued.
"No," she refused with quiet firmness.
Exasperation straightened the line of his mouth. "A swallow isn't going to do any harm. Take a drink," he ordered.
Reluctantly Leah obeyed, taking a small sip and letting it roll around to wet her dry mouth before swallowing it. Moistening her lips with her tongue, she handed the canteen back to him, aware of the alert greenness of his eyes watching her, but unable to meet it.
The canteen was set in the shade of the firewood. Without a word Reilly walked over and picked up the thin blanket lying on the ground beside Leah. She frowned, wondering what he intended to do with it, then saw him erecting the lean-to.
Her frown deepened. "Won't we need the blanket to signal the plane?"
Reilly didn't turn away from his task as he answered. "It can be torn down in seconds if we see the plane. In the meantime it will be of more service as a sunshade."
Leah stared at the crackling fire. It burned cleanly, a thin wisp of smoke rising and disappearing in the clear desert air almost immediately. Shimmering heat waves danced above the fire.
"The plane flew almost directly over us," she said quietly. "I didn't hear it coming until it was almost here. Why couldn't they see us?"
"In the first place," Reilly secured the last corner of the lean-to, "they were flying into the morning sun. Their vision was impaired. And in the second place, they were looking for airplane wreckage." His head nodded in the general direction of the slide. "Ours is buried beneath that."
"They would have seen the smoke signal, though," she sighed, gazing into the morning sky. "It's my fault."
"Stop feeling sorry for yourself," Reilly ordered firmly.
"I'm not!" Leah protested indignantly.
"Yes, you are, and it's not going to change anything."
"I never said it would," she retorted.
"Then let's stop discussing what happened and be prepared in case the plane flies back this way."
Leah paused. Something in his voice made her ask, "Do you think it will?"
"I don't know." Nothing in his expression revealed what Reilly really thought or believed.
Â
Â
Chapter Five
Â
A CLOUD BLOCKED out the western sun. A halo of gold formed around its gray-white shape, then streamed to earth to bronze the sage-covered ground.
Leah's blouse was damp with perspiration, clinging to her like a second skin. Her arm ached with an agonizing throb. That morning's exertion when she had tried and failed to use it to wave the blanket at the plane had increased its soreness. Â
Wearily she pressed her right hand against her forehead for a few seconds, then lifted her head, her hand pushing the hair away from her face. All day they had
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