Read Online Return to Tomorrow by Marisa Carroll - Free Book Online Page A

out of a year’s growth.”
    The girl looked puzzled and disturbed. “I did not mean to,” she said contritely.
    Rachel laughed. “It’s just a saying. It means you startled me because my attention was on something else.”
    â€œWhat?” Ahnle asked with all the curiosity of a child.
    â€œNothing. Let’s go back to the cottage. It is time to eat.”
    â€œI am hungry, too.”
    Rachel stood a moment longer at the edge of the wide, dusty main street that began at the camp gates and ended at the front steps of the administration building where Father Dolph had his office. The two men were still inside the guards’ office. What would Brett Jackson and Billy Todd be doing here? The sun was going down, hiding its light behind the sharp edges of the western ridge of the valley. The shadows were long, making bright, confusing patterns as they played hide and seek with the setting sun. The two men’s actions were no concern of hers anyway. She turned away.
    â€œMrs. Phillips.”
    Rachel stopped, turned slowly to face the man whose voice she couldn’t forget. “Brett.” His name slipped out before she could stop herself from saying it. “Hello, Rachel.”
    â€œHello.”
    He didn’t return her smile. He stood before her, tall, stern, as unyielding as the mountains at his back.
    â€œAfternoon, ma’am.” Billy Todd touched his fingertip to his temple in a casual half salute.
    â€œHello, Billy.” Rachel let her smile grow brighter, more assured. “I never expected to see you here.”
    â€œWe stop to check up on Father Dolph every now an’ again, when we’re in the neighborhood.”
    Rachel looked away, into the hills, remembering. “I suppose we aren’t very far…from the place we first met. As the crow flies.”
    â€œNo, ma’am,” Billy answered with a laugh.
    â€œYou didn’t tell anyone here about the temple, did you?” Brett asked, his deep voice grating on every word.
    â€œOf course not.” Rachel’s eyes flashed. Billy grinned harder at her spirited response. “I saw no reason to discuss our meeting with anyone here.”
    â€œWho’s this?” Billy asked. Rachel tore her eyes away from Brett’s hard blue gaze. Billy was looking at Ahnle.
    â€œThis is my helper, Ahnle.” Rachel made the introduction in English. Her smile returned, soft and loving. “She is also my new friend.”
    Ahnle looked up, smiled shyly, wonderingly, at Billy but remained silent. Rachel realized it was probably thefirst time the girl had ever seen a black man, but she didn’t seem afraid. She had come a long way from the timid, childish creature Rachel had met in Father Dolph’s office that day. She was proud of Ahnle’s newfound poise and air of composure.
    â€œFather Dolph is hearing confession,” she told the men when the silence threatened to grow too long. “He’ll probably be busy for quite a while. It’s Holy Week,” she added, in case they didn’t know. A fair number of the camp’s residents were Khmer, relocated from the huge camps along the Thai-Kampuchean border. Many of them were devout Catholics.
    â€œI imagine Brother Gabriel can find some use for this, if the padre’s tied up.” Billy pulled a wad of bills from the back pocket of his faded jeans. Rachel glimpsed American dollars, Thai baht , Indian rupees. It was a considerable sum in any currency.
    Where had all that money come from? she found herself wondering. The sale of teak logs? It didn’t seem likely. Simon’s warnings about Tiger Jackson’s line of work came back to her in a cold rush of disappointment and renewed suspicion. Her lips thinned into a straight line. She looked up to find Brett Jackson watching her with a scowl on his bronzed face. She looked away, confused and upset.
    â€œI know where Brother Gabriel is,” Ahnle said