[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
After visiting Mrs. Tabor and checking on several other villagers, Fiona returned home carrying her
umbrella. There had been rain earlier in the day, but now the sky had cleared. It looked as if there was
going to be a beautiful sunset.
She paused on her walk home to gaze at the vista of rolling hills and glints of water that were so much a
part of the western Highlands. All else considered, she had chosen a lovely place in which to deal with
her grief.
Fiona gave a sigh of contentment and continued on her way. For hernoonmeal, she'd eaten some fruit,
homemade bread given to her by the mother of one of her patients and some cheese. Now she was
ready for a hot meal.
Would Greg have known to look for food in her kitchen? She'd neglected to tell him to help himself to
whatever he found. Well, if he weren't willing to search for food, it would be his own fault if he went
hungry.
Light had faded from the sky by the time she reached home and saw a gleaming lamp beckoning through
the front window. Fiona found it unexpectedly charming to come home to a lighted window and to
someone with whom to visit before bedtime.
She had a flash of what it might be like not to go to her bed alone. With that thoughtcame the sudden
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
flood of emotions that swept over her every time she thought about the brief intimacy she'd shared with
Greg. That night had awakened her to another world, one of sensuous pleasure. She would never be the
same again.
Stop mooning over a stranger you can't have and think about what you're going to prepare for dinner,
she scolded herself.
* * *
Greg took a break from his search about midafternoon. He hadn't wanted to overlook something, so he
had carefully read enough data from each file to know it wasn't the one he was searching for.
He'd made more coffee midmorning, and atnoonhe'd found the ingredients for a sandwich. Now he
stopped and warmed the coffee. Once it was ready, he returned to the living room and glanced at the
time. It was close toeight o'clockinQueens. Tina would be almost ready for bed.
He hadn't spoken to her in almost a week and decided it was past time for him to call her. He used his
calling card and soon heard Helen and GeorgeSantini's phone ringing.
Helen answered on the third ring.
"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," Greg said.
"Greg! Oh, it's wonderful to hear your voice. Hold on, will you?"
He listened as she called to Tina. "Tina! Your daddy's on the phone." She spoke into the phone. "I'm
sorry to do this at the beginning of the call, but she has been pestering me for several days, wondering
when you'll be home."
"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" Tina's voice bounced through the phone. "When are you coming home,
Daddy? I miss you! And I have lots and lots to tell you!"
"You do, huh? Then why don't you tell me now?"
"Oh. Well, I got to wear a new dress to school today because they took our pictures."
"They did? How come I didn't know about it?"
"'Cause they only told us like maybe yesterday. Or sometime like that."
He heard Helen say, "The teacher sent a note home last Friday."
"Yeah," Tina said, "on Friday."
"What kind of dress did you wear?"
"Abeeootiful one.Gramma picked it out for me. It's got red and green in it."
"A plaid," Helen said in the background.
"A plaid," Tina dutifully repeated. "Grammasaid it's the kind they wear where you are."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Ah, a Scottish plaid. I can hardly wait to see it."
"Grammatook pictures when I was ready to go to school so you can see them when you come home.
When are you coming home, Daddy? You've been gone for weeks and weeks."
He rubbed the frown lines between his eyebrows. "Honey, I really don't know. Daddy's looking for
something for a client. I need to stay here until I find it."
"Oh." After a brief pause, she said, "But you said it would only take a few days and it's been longer than
a few, Daddy. It's been aloooooong time!"
"I know, baby. It's been a long time for me, too." He cleared his throat. "It's time for you to go to bed
now, isn't it?"
"Uh-huh.Granpa said he'd read me a story like you do."
"Good forGranpa . I love you, sweetheart. Why don't you let me talk toGramma now?"
When Helen came back on the line, he said, "I'm sorry this is taking longer than expected."
"Oh, Greg. I know you'd be here if you could. She's been very good, except for getting a note from her
teacher about talking in class, but that doesn't surprise any of us who know her."
They both chuckled at the thought of Tina, the magpie, being quiet in class.
"How's your case going?" Helen asked.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]