apart the engine of the old Ford LTD he used to own. Didn’t prisoners in solitary confinement do that to keep from going crazy?
After they’d browsed the stained, dog-eared menus and made their selections, Victoria got downright chatty. She asked him all sorts of questions about his childhood, his education, his work. He actually found the conversation pleasant, since it kept his mind off other, more forbidden subjects. Was it possible he and Victoria were becoming … friends?
When their sandwiches arrived, he turned the tables on Victoria, asking her about her childhood, her friends, her garden, her job at the Weather Service, how she got hooked up with Amos. And she answered obligingly,much more open about herself now that the parameters of their relationship had been established.
Only one of his questions produced any hesitation, and that was when he asked her about her father.
“He died when I was twelve, very suddenly,” she replied in clipped tones. “Fortunately, he left my mother and me very well provided for.” And that was all she offered.
Sensing the subject was somehow tender for her, he didn’t push—just as she didn’t push when he made a similarly brief mention of his younger sister’s death. They were starting to trust each other, but that trust stretched only so far.
As she paid their bill at the cash register, Roan noticed an advertisement for a bungee-jumping attraction. “Hey, look at this,” he said, pointing out the flyer in the window to Victoria.
“Hmm?” she said distractedly, still stuffing her change into her purse.
“Bungee jumping. Ever tried it?”
Her eyes widened. “Certainly not. And I suppose you have?”
“Actually, no. I’ve always thought it sounded like fun, but I never really had the opportunity. Want to go take a look?”
She appeared horrified. “Absolutely not. Bungee jumping”—and she said it with a delicate curl of her upper lip—“isn’t on our agenda.”
“But you said yourself that we have hours to spare, and we’re smack in the middle of the target area. If we have time to kill—”
She shook her head vehemently. “No, thanks. Time to kill doesn’t mean time to kill ourselves.”
“Okay, then, how about if I hitch out there while you do your computer thing, and then you can pick me up on your way out of town.”
Now she seemed downright agitated. “No, really, Roan, I don’t think you should. You could break your neck.”
“Aw, come on, you sound like my mother.”
“Well, I’m sorry, but it
is
dangerous. I saw this piece on that home video TV show where the rope broke and this guy was paralyzed—”
“The rope won’t break. That’s a one-in-a-million occurrence.”
She pursed her lips and looked down at her feet.
The diner’s cashier, a middle-aged woman with a mountain of dyed black hair atop her head and painted-on eyebrows, chose that moment to interrupt. “Say, if you’re thinking about that bungee-jumping thing, I’d highly recommend it,” she said. “I did it yesterday—biggest thrill of my life, I’m telling you. My kid did it twice. And some of the profits are going toward the Lion’s Club summer camp program, so it’s for a good cause.”
“See there?” Roan said. “What do you think?”
“I can’t stop you from doing it, if that’s really what you want to do,” Victoria said quietly. “But I don’t see the point in risking your life merely for the sake of a thrill. I just … wish you wouldn’t, that’s all.”
God, her lower lip was trembling. Did the thought of him breaking his neck really upset her that much?“Okay, I won’t do it,” he said. “But let’s at least go out there and watch. I’d love to get some pictures. And frankly, if this tornado thing doesn’t pan out into some decent video footage, I need to make this two weeks count for something in the bank.”
Once he’d capitulated, she immediately softened. “Okay, we’ll go watch.”
They went back to the
After they’d browsed the stained, dog-eared menus and made their selections, Victoria got downright chatty. She asked him all sorts of questions about his childhood, his education, his work. He actually found the conversation pleasant, since it kept his mind off other, more forbidden subjects. Was it possible he and Victoria were becoming … friends?
When their sandwiches arrived, he turned the tables on Victoria, asking her about her childhood, her friends, her garden, her job at the Weather Service, how she got hooked up with Amos. And she answered obligingly,much more open about herself now that the parameters of their relationship had been established.
Only one of his questions produced any hesitation, and that was when he asked her about her father.
“He died when I was twelve, very suddenly,” she replied in clipped tones. “Fortunately, he left my mother and me very well provided for.” And that was all she offered.
Sensing the subject was somehow tender for her, he didn’t push—just as she didn’t push when he made a similarly brief mention of his younger sister’s death. They were starting to trust each other, but that trust stretched only so far.
As she paid their bill at the cash register, Roan noticed an advertisement for a bungee-jumping attraction. “Hey, look at this,” he said, pointing out the flyer in the window to Victoria.
“Hmm?” she said distractedly, still stuffing her change into her purse.
“Bungee jumping. Ever tried it?”
Her eyes widened. “Certainly not. And I suppose you have?”
“Actually, no. I’ve always thought it sounded like fun, but I never really had the opportunity. Want to go take a look?”
She appeared horrified. “Absolutely not. Bungee jumping”—and she said it with a delicate curl of her upper lip—“isn’t on our agenda.”
“But you said yourself that we have hours to spare, and we’re smack in the middle of the target area. If we have time to kill—”
She shook her head vehemently. “No, thanks. Time to kill doesn’t mean time to kill ourselves.”
“Okay, then, how about if I hitch out there while you do your computer thing, and then you can pick me up on your way out of town.”
Now she seemed downright agitated. “No, really, Roan, I don’t think you should. You could break your neck.”
“Aw, come on, you sound like my mother.”
“Well, I’m sorry, but it
is
dangerous. I saw this piece on that home video TV show where the rope broke and this guy was paralyzed—”
“The rope won’t break. That’s a one-in-a-million occurrence.”
She pursed her lips and looked down at her feet.
The diner’s cashier, a middle-aged woman with a mountain of dyed black hair atop her head and painted-on eyebrows, chose that moment to interrupt. “Say, if you’re thinking about that bungee-jumping thing, I’d highly recommend it,” she said. “I did it yesterday—biggest thrill of my life, I’m telling you. My kid did it twice. And some of the profits are going toward the Lion’s Club summer camp program, so it’s for a good cause.”
“See there?” Roan said. “What do you think?”
“I can’t stop you from doing it, if that’s really what you want to do,” Victoria said quietly. “But I don’t see the point in risking your life merely for the sake of a thrill. I just … wish you wouldn’t, that’s all.”
God, her lower lip was trembling. Did the thought of him breaking his neck really upset her that much?“Okay, I won’t do it,” he said. “But let’s at least go out there and watch. I’d love to get some pictures. And frankly, if this tornado thing doesn’t pan out into some decent video footage, I need to make this two weeks count for something in the bank.”
Once he’d capitulated, she immediately softened. “Okay, we’ll go watch.”
They went back to the
Similar Books
