gloomy that I drew the drapes and turned on the lamps.
“ Here’s my little gift.” Mike handed me a small rectangular package wrapped in silver paper with a thin silver ribbon. Alarm bells went off. The package was the size of a jewelry box.
“ Mike, I don’t need a gift.”
An eager tenderness filled his face. “It’s just something I want you to have. Go ahead. Open it.”
Standing there under his gaze, I struggled in my gloves to unwrap a small box covered with navy blue cloth. I was right. It was a jewelry box. A pearl necklace on a thin gold chain lay inside on a bed of white silk. The single pearl gleamed with a soft luster.
“ It’s beautiful.” My uneasiness quadrupled. The necklace had to be an expensive antique. “I don’t think I’m the right person for this. I don’t wear jewelry.”
“ Well, I want you to have it. There might be someplace you can wear it. Try it on.”
I took the necklace out. “I don’t know, Mike.”
“ Here, let me help you.” He fumbled with the clasp, lifted my long hair, put the necklace around my throat, and smoothed my hair over my shoulders. “You have such beautiful hair.”
More alarm bells went off, but I walked over to a small wall mirror and stared at the necklace. It was the kind of delicate jewelry an older woman might wear to an important dinner. Not exactly my style.
“ Is it an heirloom?” I asked.
That same eager tenderness passed across his face. “It belonged to my grandmother.”
“ Oh.” His grandmother. And then I got it. I felt so stupid because I hadn’t seen it until now. Mike was in love with me. The glances, the hovering, the way he always paid for everything, and now a precious family heirloom. I’d been so grief stricken about Ben and so caught up with the prisoner that I hadn’t paid much attention to the way Mike was always looking at me.
He came closer and kissed me on the mouth before I realized what he was doing. Seconds later, he pressed himself against me, moving his hands over my shoulders and down my arms, pulling me against him. I could feel his hard muscles and his warmth and breathed in his masculine scent.
“ No, stop it,” I told him, wrestling away. “I can’t do this.”
He looked aghast. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
I moved back, shaking with anger. “Look, I don’t want a boyfriend. I don’t. Get that through your head, okay? Ben just died and I can’t even think about anybody else. I can’t. I don’t know what you think I am.” I took the necklace off. “And I absolutely can’t accept this.”
“ I didn’t mean to upset you, Amy. I want you to have the necklace. It’s a gift.”
“ No, I can’t keep this thing.” I put the necklace in his hand.
He reached for his coat with a troubled face and went to the door. I thought he was going to leave without saying a word, but he turned around. I knew he was searching for something to make things right. “I’ll always be here if you ever need anything.”
“ Mike, you need to go.” When I shut the door I could still smell his scent and feel his hands on my sweater.
Chapter 12
I couldn’t believe I didn’t see it coming. We’d known each other for years. I wondered if he’d been watching me the whole time, hanging back in the shadows, hiding his feelings, not saying anything because Ben was always there.
The house phone jolted me out of my thoughts. It had to be Mike again. I hurried to the kitchen, shaking my head over his persistence, but by the time I grabbed the phone the ringing had stopped.
Unknown Caller. I waited for a message to come in, but nothing showed up.
It was probably a wrong number.
Uneasy, I wrote it off, peeled my gloves off, and returned to my obsession. I was going to the island one more time. I would never be able to get Ben back, but there was a small chance I could save the prisoner’s life. There had to be some way to communicate with the man if he was still alive.
Four
“ Here’s my little gift.” Mike handed me a small rectangular package wrapped in silver paper with a thin silver ribbon. Alarm bells went off. The package was the size of a jewelry box.
“ Mike, I don’t need a gift.”
An eager tenderness filled his face. “It’s just something I want you to have. Go ahead. Open it.”
Standing there under his gaze, I struggled in my gloves to unwrap a small box covered with navy blue cloth. I was right. It was a jewelry box. A pearl necklace on a thin gold chain lay inside on a bed of white silk. The single pearl gleamed with a soft luster.
“ It’s beautiful.” My uneasiness quadrupled. The necklace had to be an expensive antique. “I don’t think I’m the right person for this. I don’t wear jewelry.”
“ Well, I want you to have it. There might be someplace you can wear it. Try it on.”
I took the necklace out. “I don’t know, Mike.”
“ Here, let me help you.” He fumbled with the clasp, lifted my long hair, put the necklace around my throat, and smoothed my hair over my shoulders. “You have such beautiful hair.”
More alarm bells went off, but I walked over to a small wall mirror and stared at the necklace. It was the kind of delicate jewelry an older woman might wear to an important dinner. Not exactly my style.
“ Is it an heirloom?” I asked.
That same eager tenderness passed across his face. “It belonged to my grandmother.”
“ Oh.” His grandmother. And then I got it. I felt so stupid because I hadn’t seen it until now. Mike was in love with me. The glances, the hovering, the way he always paid for everything, and now a precious family heirloom. I’d been so grief stricken about Ben and so caught up with the prisoner that I hadn’t paid much attention to the way Mike was always looking at me.
He came closer and kissed me on the mouth before I realized what he was doing. Seconds later, he pressed himself against me, moving his hands over my shoulders and down my arms, pulling me against him. I could feel his hard muscles and his warmth and breathed in his masculine scent.
“ No, stop it,” I told him, wrestling away. “I can’t do this.”
He looked aghast. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
I moved back, shaking with anger. “Look, I don’t want a boyfriend. I don’t. Get that through your head, okay? Ben just died and I can’t even think about anybody else. I can’t. I don’t know what you think I am.” I took the necklace off. “And I absolutely can’t accept this.”
“ I didn’t mean to upset you, Amy. I want you to have the necklace. It’s a gift.”
“ No, I can’t keep this thing.” I put the necklace in his hand.
He reached for his coat with a troubled face and went to the door. I thought he was going to leave without saying a word, but he turned around. I knew he was searching for something to make things right. “I’ll always be here if you ever need anything.”
“ Mike, you need to go.” When I shut the door I could still smell his scent and feel his hands on my sweater.
Chapter 12
I couldn’t believe I didn’t see it coming. We’d known each other for years. I wondered if he’d been watching me the whole time, hanging back in the shadows, hiding his feelings, not saying anything because Ben was always there.
The house phone jolted me out of my thoughts. It had to be Mike again. I hurried to the kitchen, shaking my head over his persistence, but by the time I grabbed the phone the ringing had stopped.
Unknown Caller. I waited for a message to come in, but nothing showed up.
It was probably a wrong number.
Uneasy, I wrote it off, peeled my gloves off, and returned to my obsession. I was going to the island one more time. I would never be able to get Ben back, but there was a small chance I could save the prisoner’s life. There had to be some way to communicate with the man if he was still alive.
Four
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