jump or...whatever one called a hang-gliding session, the more random wisps of hair there were. Her face was free of makeup, her complexion smooth, soft-looking. She smiled and her eyes sparkled with excitement in just about every picture, even when she was floating above the earth with what looked like minimal control over her situation.
He began reading the article and was soon engaged by her writing, in spite of his distaste for the subject. After a few minutes, he turned off the shower and wandered back to his room, flopping onto the bed to keep reading.
When he finished the story, he paged through the rest of the issue, looking for other writing by or about Katie, but found nothing. So he turned back to the beginning of her article again. He skimmed through it a second time and had no trouble acknowledging the fact that she was a talented writer.
The truth of the matter was she scared him. Zest for life was one thing, but the activities she pursued in the course of her job were senseless and dangerous. He didn’t understand for a minute why someone would actually seek out ways to flirt with injury or death. Wasn’t there enough chance of that without trying to fly?
She was a contradiction. Intelligent, a gifted writer who had the knack of making you feel as if you were right there next to her, experiencing the daredevil stunt of the day along with her, and yet she didn’t value her life enough to take care of herself and try to stay safe. She thought nothing of stepping off a cliff with some sort of winged contraption strapped onto her.
He didn’t understand it. Didn’t understand her.
And he’d unwisely confided in her a part of the worst day of his life. He regretted opening up at all. It hadn’t convinced her that he was not a hero. Now she would act differently toward him—as if they shared a secret.
It was a puzzling situation. Obviously something had moved him to confide in her, despite the fact that he’d had no intention of doing so. He’d have to raise his guard if he ran into her again. He had no business getting any closer to this attractive woman who clearly lacked sanity and sense.
* * *
“W HAT IF YOU AND M ICHAEL bought Dad’s house?” Katie asked Savannah, trying to sound nonchalant. She sat cross-legged on the bed as Savannah rushed around her bedroom getting ready to go out. Savannah had always been contrary, and if she thought Katie really cared about something, she was generally inclined to do the exact opposite. Savannah dropped the silver hoop earring she’d been trying to put on and bent down to retrieve it. “Why would we do that?”
“Because it’s the family house. Because Dad wants to move out.”
“Noah Fletcher’s already interested in it.”
“Exactly.” It made Katie’s stomach hurt. It didn’t matter how she felt about what he’d revealed to her. She still didn’t want to see him move into their house.
“So...I don’t understand the problem. Dad wants to sell. Dr. Fletcher may want to buy. How and why would that concern me?”
“You’re jumping to conclusions that he’ll buy it.”
“There are exactly three houses for sale in Lone Oak—I checked. The other two are a tiny broken-down dump and an isolated farmhouse. If he wants to buy something normal, he’ll grab ours.”
Katie tried to keep the panic from showing on her face. “That’s why you should move fast.”
“I think I’m missing something here. Why would we want to compete with someone who wants to buy the house?”
“It’s the Salinger home, Savannah. It’s been ours for more than twenty years. Don’t you think it should stay in the family?”
“If you’re so in love with the Salinger homestead, why don’t you shell out the bucks for it?” Savannah hurried off to the kitchen, apparently not taking Katie’s suggestion seriously. Katie followed her.
She had given thought to buying it herself. Maybe even seeing if her dad would work out a rent-to-own deal, since she was
He began reading the article and was soon engaged by her writing, in spite of his distaste for the subject. After a few minutes, he turned off the shower and wandered back to his room, flopping onto the bed to keep reading.
When he finished the story, he paged through the rest of the issue, looking for other writing by or about Katie, but found nothing. So he turned back to the beginning of her article again. He skimmed through it a second time and had no trouble acknowledging the fact that she was a talented writer.
The truth of the matter was she scared him. Zest for life was one thing, but the activities she pursued in the course of her job were senseless and dangerous. He didn’t understand for a minute why someone would actually seek out ways to flirt with injury or death. Wasn’t there enough chance of that without trying to fly?
She was a contradiction. Intelligent, a gifted writer who had the knack of making you feel as if you were right there next to her, experiencing the daredevil stunt of the day along with her, and yet she didn’t value her life enough to take care of herself and try to stay safe. She thought nothing of stepping off a cliff with some sort of winged contraption strapped onto her.
He didn’t understand it. Didn’t understand her.
And he’d unwisely confided in her a part of the worst day of his life. He regretted opening up at all. It hadn’t convinced her that he was not a hero. Now she would act differently toward him—as if they shared a secret.
It was a puzzling situation. Obviously something had moved him to confide in her, despite the fact that he’d had no intention of doing so. He’d have to raise his guard if he ran into her again. He had no business getting any closer to this attractive woman who clearly lacked sanity and sense.
* * *
“W HAT IF YOU AND M ICHAEL bought Dad’s house?” Katie asked Savannah, trying to sound nonchalant. She sat cross-legged on the bed as Savannah rushed around her bedroom getting ready to go out. Savannah had always been contrary, and if she thought Katie really cared about something, she was generally inclined to do the exact opposite. Savannah dropped the silver hoop earring she’d been trying to put on and bent down to retrieve it. “Why would we do that?”
“Because it’s the family house. Because Dad wants to move out.”
“Noah Fletcher’s already interested in it.”
“Exactly.” It made Katie’s stomach hurt. It didn’t matter how she felt about what he’d revealed to her. She still didn’t want to see him move into their house.
“So...I don’t understand the problem. Dad wants to sell. Dr. Fletcher may want to buy. How and why would that concern me?”
“You’re jumping to conclusions that he’ll buy it.”
“There are exactly three houses for sale in Lone Oak—I checked. The other two are a tiny broken-down dump and an isolated farmhouse. If he wants to buy something normal, he’ll grab ours.”
Katie tried to keep the panic from showing on her face. “That’s why you should move fast.”
“I think I’m missing something here. Why would we want to compete with someone who wants to buy the house?”
“It’s the Salinger home, Savannah. It’s been ours for more than twenty years. Don’t you think it should stay in the family?”
“If you’re so in love with the Salinger homestead, why don’t you shell out the bucks for it?” Savannah hurried off to the kitchen, apparently not taking Katie’s suggestion seriously. Katie followed her.
She had given thought to buying it herself. Maybe even seeing if her dad would work out a rent-to-own deal, since she was
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