Read Online Twelve Across by Barbara Delinsky - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Delinsky
Tags: Romance, Contemporary
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own sweaters. " Clean and dry. "
She accepted it with a quiet thanks and made her escape q to the bathroom.
He was working at the fireplace when she q. " came out. She suddenly realized that though the fire had gone out during the night, the cabin had stayed warm.
"How do you manage for heat and electricity? " she asked, bracing her hands on the back of the sofa.
He added a final log to the arrangement and reached for a match. "There s a generator out back: '
"And food? If you can't get to the store in this weather.. : '
"I stocked up last week: Sitting back on his heels, he watched the flames take hold. Anyone who's lived through mud season once knows to be prepared.
The freezer is full, and the cabinets. I picked up more fresh stuff a couple of days ago, but I'm afraid the bacon we had Eor breakfast is the last of it for a while: ' He d have had some left for tomorrow if he hadn't had to share. Leah's feelings of guilt remained unexpressed, though; there was nothing more boring than a person who constantly apologized.
Garrick stood and turned to face her, then wished he hadn't. She was wearing his sweater. It was far too large for her, of course, and she d rolled the sleeqves to a proper length, but the way it fell around her shoulders and breasts was far more suggestive than he'd have dreamed.
She looked adorable.
And unsure.
He gestured toward the soea. With a tight smile, she took possession of a corner cushion, drew up her knees and tucked her feet beneath her.
That was when he caught sight of the tear in her slacks.
"Horv s the leg? "
"Okay"
"Did you change the dressing? "
"No: '
"Have you looked under it? "
"I'd be able to see if sotnething was oozing through the gauze. Nothing is: ' She hadn't looked, he decided. Either she was squeamish , or the gash didn't bother her enough to warrant attention He wanted to know which it was.
Facing her on the sofa, he eased back the tom knit of her slacks.
"It's fine. Really"
But he was quickly tugging at the adhesive and, less quickly, lifting the gauze. "doesn't look fine, " he muttered. "I'll bet it hurts like hell : With cautious fingertips he probed the angry flesh around the wound. Leah's soft intake of breath confirmed his guess. " It probably should have been stitched, but the nearest hospital's sixty miles away.
We wouldn't have made it off the mountain: '
"It's not bleeding. It'll be okay"
"You 11 have a scar"
"What's one more scar. "
He met her eyes. "You have others? "
Oh, yes, but only one was visible to the naked eye. "I had my appendix out when I was twelve: ' He imagined the way her stomach would be, smooth and soft, warm, touchable.
When the blood that flowed through his veins grew warmer, he tried. to imagine an ugly line marring that flesh, but couldn't. Nor, at that moment, could he tear his eyes from hers.
Pain and loneliness. That was what he saw. She blinked once, as though to will the feelings away, but they remained , swelling against her self-restraint.
He saw, heard, felt. He wanted to ask her, to tell her, to share the pain and ease the burden. He wanted to reach out.
But he didn't.
Instead, he rose quickly and strode off, returning moments later with a tube of ointment and fresh bandages. When he'd dressed the injury to his satisfaction, he replaceq the first-aid supplies in the cupboard, took a down vest, then a hoodeql rain jacket from the closet, stepped into a pair of crusty work boots and went out into the storm.
Leah stared after him, belatedly aware that she was trembling. She didn't understand what had happened just then, any more than she d understood it when it had happened the night before. His eyes had reflected every one of her emotions. Could he know what she felt?
On a more mundane level, she was puzzled by his abrupt departure, mystified as to where he d be going in the rain. A short time later she had an answer when a distinct and easily recognizable sound joined that of the steady patter on the roof.
She accepted it with a quiet thanks and made her escape q to the bathroom.
He was working at the fireplace when she q. " came out. She suddenly realized that though the fire had gone out during the night, the cabin had stayed warm.
"How do you manage for heat and electricity? " she asked, bracing her hands on the back of the sofa.
He added a final log to the arrangement and reached for a match. "There s a generator out back: '
"And food? If you can't get to the store in this weather.. : '
"I stocked up last week: Sitting back on his heels, he watched the flames take hold. Anyone who's lived through mud season once knows to be prepared.
The freezer is full, and the cabinets. I picked up more fresh stuff a couple of days ago, but I'm afraid the bacon we had Eor breakfast is the last of it for a while: ' He d have had some left for tomorrow if he hadn't had to share. Leah's feelings of guilt remained unexpressed, though; there was nothing more boring than a person who constantly apologized.
Garrick stood and turned to face her, then wished he hadn't. She was wearing his sweater. It was far too large for her, of course, and she d rolled the sleeqves to a proper length, but the way it fell around her shoulders and breasts was far more suggestive than he'd have dreamed.
She looked adorable.
And unsure.
He gestured toward the soea. With a tight smile, she took possession of a corner cushion, drew up her knees and tucked her feet beneath her.
That was when he caught sight of the tear in her slacks.
"Horv s the leg? "
"Okay"
"Did you change the dressing? "
"No: '
"Have you looked under it? "
"I'd be able to see if sotnething was oozing through the gauze. Nothing is: ' She hadn't looked, he decided. Either she was squeamish , or the gash didn't bother her enough to warrant attention He wanted to know which it was.
Facing her on the sofa, he eased back the tom knit of her slacks.
"It's fine. Really"
But he was quickly tugging at the adhesive and, less quickly, lifting the gauze. "doesn't look fine, " he muttered. "I'll bet it hurts like hell : With cautious fingertips he probed the angry flesh around the wound. Leah's soft intake of breath confirmed his guess. " It probably should have been stitched, but the nearest hospital's sixty miles away.
We wouldn't have made it off the mountain: '
"It's not bleeding. It'll be okay"
"You 11 have a scar"
"What's one more scar. "
He met her eyes. "You have others? "
Oh, yes, but only one was visible to the naked eye. "I had my appendix out when I was twelve: ' He imagined the way her stomach would be, smooth and soft, warm, touchable.
When the blood that flowed through his veins grew warmer, he tried. to imagine an ugly line marring that flesh, but couldn't. Nor, at that moment, could he tear his eyes from hers.
Pain and loneliness. That was what he saw. She blinked once, as though to will the feelings away, but they remained , swelling against her self-restraint.
He saw, heard, felt. He wanted to ask her, to tell her, to share the pain and ease the burden. He wanted to reach out.
But he didn't.
Instead, he rose quickly and strode off, returning moments later with a tube of ointment and fresh bandages. When he'd dressed the injury to his satisfaction, he replaceq the first-aid supplies in the cupboard, took a down vest, then a hoodeql rain jacket from the closet, stepped into a pair of crusty work boots and went out into the storm.
Leah stared after him, belatedly aware that she was trembling. She didn't understand what had happened just then, any more than she d understood it when it had happened the night before. His eyes had reflected every one of her emotions. Could he know what she felt?
On a more mundane level, she was puzzled by his abrupt departure, mystified as to where he d be going in the rain. A short time later she had an answer when a distinct and easily recognizable sound joined that of the steady patter on the roof.
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