was already too late. He knew now that he would never forget her.
She was thinking about his question about who she’d like to meet in Hollywood, and finally with a smile as she drifted on the swing, she answered, “Clark Gable. And maybe Gary Cooper.”
“Sounds reasonable. And then what would you want to do in Hollywood?”
She laughed, playing with her own dreams, and him a little bit. “I’d like to be in a movie. Or maybe sing.” He had never heard the voice that had haunted the people in the valley, even those who didn’t like her.
“Maybe you will one day.” They both laughed at that. Movies were for movie stars, not for real people. And life couldn’t have been more real for her, no matter how beautiful she was. She knew her life would never include being in movies. “You’re pretty enough to be. You’re beautiful.” His voice was gentle, as the swing slowly stopped moving again and she looked at him. There was something startling about the way he had said it. The force of his words surprised both of them into silence, and then she only shook her head with a sad smile. She was already mourning the thought of his leaving.
“Hiroko is beautiful, I’m not.”
“Yes, she is,” he agreed, “but so are you.” His voice was so soft she could barely hear it.
And then suddenly, feeling brave, she asked him the question she’d wondered since she first saw him that morning.
“Why did you come today?” To see Boyd … Hiroko … Tom … Becky’s baby … there werehalf a dozen plausible answers and only one that had brought him here. And as he looked into her eyes he knew he had to tell her. And she had to know it.
“I wanted to see you before I left.” He spoke softly and she nodded. It was what she had wanted to hear, but now the words frightened her a little. This very handsome man, from another world, had actually come to see her. And she didn’t quite understand what he wanted of her. Nor did Spencer himself, which made it all the more confusing.
She quietly left the swing, coming to stand next to him, looking up at him with the lavender-blue eyes he had never forgotten. “Thank you.” They stood together for a long moment, and then from the corner of his eye, Spencer saw her father approach them. He was waving at Crystal, and for a moment, Spencer was afraid he was angry, as though he had read the younger man’s mind and didn’t like what he saw there. In fact, he had been watching them for a long time, and had wondered what they were saying. There was something about the man he liked, and he knew that he was only passing through. And it was good for a man like that to admire her. Tad Wyatt was only sorry there weren’t more like him in the valley. But he had other things on his mind as he approached them with warm eyes, and a smile that was reminiscent of Crystal’s.
“You two were looking awfully serious, way over here. Solving the problems of the world, were you, young ’uns?” The words teased, but the wise old eyes took Spencer in. He liked what he saw. He had from the first, although he also knew that he was too old for Crystal. He saw something in her face that he had never seen there before, except once or twice, when she had looked up at him with open adoration. But it was something different this time, something both happy and sad. And suddenly,Tad Wyatt realized that his baby had become a woman. He turned to Spencer then, and spoke in his deep, quiet voice. “You’ve a treat in store, Captain Hill.” He smiled at Crystal proudly. “That is, if Crystal will agree. The folks want to hear you sing, little one. Will you do it?”
She blushed and shook her head, the long pale mane sweeping over part of her face, the tree casting shadows on the other side, as the sunlight caught the platinum of her hair, and both men were momentarily stunned into silence by her beauty. She looked up at her father then, and the lavender eyes were filled with shy laughter. “There are
She was thinking about his question about who she’d like to meet in Hollywood, and finally with a smile as she drifted on the swing, she answered, “Clark Gable. And maybe Gary Cooper.”
“Sounds reasonable. And then what would you want to do in Hollywood?”
She laughed, playing with her own dreams, and him a little bit. “I’d like to be in a movie. Or maybe sing.” He had never heard the voice that had haunted the people in the valley, even those who didn’t like her.
“Maybe you will one day.” They both laughed at that. Movies were for movie stars, not for real people. And life couldn’t have been more real for her, no matter how beautiful she was. She knew her life would never include being in movies. “You’re pretty enough to be. You’re beautiful.” His voice was gentle, as the swing slowly stopped moving again and she looked at him. There was something startling about the way he had said it. The force of his words surprised both of them into silence, and then she only shook her head with a sad smile. She was already mourning the thought of his leaving.
“Hiroko is beautiful, I’m not.”
“Yes, she is,” he agreed, “but so are you.” His voice was so soft she could barely hear it.
And then suddenly, feeling brave, she asked him the question she’d wondered since she first saw him that morning.
“Why did you come today?” To see Boyd … Hiroko … Tom … Becky’s baby … there werehalf a dozen plausible answers and only one that had brought him here. And as he looked into her eyes he knew he had to tell her. And she had to know it.
“I wanted to see you before I left.” He spoke softly and she nodded. It was what she had wanted to hear, but now the words frightened her a little. This very handsome man, from another world, had actually come to see her. And she didn’t quite understand what he wanted of her. Nor did Spencer himself, which made it all the more confusing.
She quietly left the swing, coming to stand next to him, looking up at him with the lavender-blue eyes he had never forgotten. “Thank you.” They stood together for a long moment, and then from the corner of his eye, Spencer saw her father approach them. He was waving at Crystal, and for a moment, Spencer was afraid he was angry, as though he had read the younger man’s mind and didn’t like what he saw there. In fact, he had been watching them for a long time, and had wondered what they were saying. There was something about the man he liked, and he knew that he was only passing through. And it was good for a man like that to admire her. Tad Wyatt was only sorry there weren’t more like him in the valley. But he had other things on his mind as he approached them with warm eyes, and a smile that was reminiscent of Crystal’s.
“You two were looking awfully serious, way over here. Solving the problems of the world, were you, young ’uns?” The words teased, but the wise old eyes took Spencer in. He liked what he saw. He had from the first, although he also knew that he was too old for Crystal. He saw something in her face that he had never seen there before, except once or twice, when she had looked up at him with open adoration. But it was something different this time, something both happy and sad. And suddenly,Tad Wyatt realized that his baby had become a woman. He turned to Spencer then, and spoke in his deep, quiet voice. “You’ve a treat in store, Captain Hill.” He smiled at Crystal proudly. “That is, if Crystal will agree. The folks want to hear you sing, little one. Will you do it?”
She blushed and shook her head, the long pale mane sweeping over part of her face, the tree casting shadows on the other side, as the sunlight caught the platinum of her hair, and both men were momentarily stunned into silence by her beauty. She looked up at her father then, and the lavender eyes were filled with shy laughter. “There are
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