the mother of the boys - the police
gave her this number. She phoned to thank you for saving her son’s
life.” His face became grave. “Apparently the older boy reckoned he
wouldn’t have been able to hold his brother’s head out of the water
much longer. If you hadn’t arrived when you did ...”
Jenna shuddered, remembering the wide-eyed
fear on the boy’s face. “Thank God I heard them calling.” She
glanced down to see Caitlin smiling up at her as though in full
agreement. Sometimes it puzzled her, the way Caitlin serenely
accepted whatever she did. Jenna had never before encountered such
instant and implicit trust. And she still hadn’t discovered the
reason for it.
“I realise you did what you thought was
expedient at the time, Jenna, but I’m still not happy with you
leaving Caitlin here by herself.” Braden’s voice was casual but she
could sense his concern.
“I gave the police this address, Braden, and
also asked them to contact you if they hadn’t reached the boat in
fifteen minutes. I’m not irresponsible.”
“No,” he admitted, “you’re far from it.” He
walked over to the refrigerator and took out a stubby of beer.
“Would you like a beer?” he offered. “Or something else to
drink?”
She shook her head, the curls bouncing around
her face in a cascade of dark flame.
“No, thanks. I don’t drink.” She saw his
curious look but he said nothing, and she was grateful. She hadn’t
told him about her asthma, and she was even less inclined to inform
him how badly she reacted to alcohol.
In the past she had encountered reservations
and pity from some people when she had revealed her allergic
reactions and although she always put them on her medical records
she had made a habit of not discussing them. Her chronic asthma had
waned in her early teens, but in her early twenties she had
developed acute reactions to certain triggers. But she avoided
these triggers and always kept her puffer and medication handy. So
she could see no need to alert anyone to a problem that might never
occur.
“A fruit juice would be nice, though,” she
amended.
He poured juice into two glasses, placed them
on a tray with his beer and added a small bowl of nuts and savoury
biscuits.
“Would you ladies like to accompany me
outside in the cool and fill me in on all the details?” he smiled a
charming good-natured smile that had all Jenna’s thoughts of
leaving flying out the window. Her treacherous heart lurched back
under the spell of eyes that were growing bluer by the second. They
lingered on her just a fraction of a second longer than necessary
and she could feel the heady pull of his attraction.
She took two deep breaths to steady her
rapidly beating heart as she followed Braden and Caitlin out to the
courtyard.
"I've brought the video camera back with me,
Caitlin." Braden said as he passed the girl her glass. "Tomorrow
I'll take some shots of you and Jenna together so Jenna can send
them home to show Jeff and her parents. They must be wondering what
she looks like after being away from home so long. Do you think
that's a good idea?"
Jenna was pleased to see the eager smile on
Caitlin's face. She glanced up at Braden and he flashed her a
conspiratorial grin that wreaked havoc with her insides. Her knees
turned to jelly and she sank down onto a patio chair. Oh, if only
she wasn't so susceptible to him! All he had to do was smile at her
and she fell under his spell.
Braden swung his video camera around. Jenna
was playing ball with Caitlin, occasionally hitting the ball a
little wild deliberately so the girl would be forced to run to
catch it. Her limp was still evident, but greatly diminished. It
was exactly what Braden wanted to capture to show Alicia how much
her daughter had improved.
It was the first time Braden had seen Caitlin
wear shorts since the accident. The scar on her thigh was still
noticeable but she no longer seemed to care if people saw it. He
could hardly believe the change
gave her this number. She phoned to thank you for saving her son’s
life.” His face became grave. “Apparently the older boy reckoned he
wouldn’t have been able to hold his brother’s head out of the water
much longer. If you hadn’t arrived when you did ...”
Jenna shuddered, remembering the wide-eyed
fear on the boy’s face. “Thank God I heard them calling.” She
glanced down to see Caitlin smiling up at her as though in full
agreement. Sometimes it puzzled her, the way Caitlin serenely
accepted whatever she did. Jenna had never before encountered such
instant and implicit trust. And she still hadn’t discovered the
reason for it.
“I realise you did what you thought was
expedient at the time, Jenna, but I’m still not happy with you
leaving Caitlin here by herself.” Braden’s voice was casual but she
could sense his concern.
“I gave the police this address, Braden, and
also asked them to contact you if they hadn’t reached the boat in
fifteen minutes. I’m not irresponsible.”
“No,” he admitted, “you’re far from it.” He
walked over to the refrigerator and took out a stubby of beer.
“Would you like a beer?” he offered. “Or something else to
drink?”
She shook her head, the curls bouncing around
her face in a cascade of dark flame.
“No, thanks. I don’t drink.” She saw his
curious look but he said nothing, and she was grateful. She hadn’t
told him about her asthma, and she was even less inclined to inform
him how badly she reacted to alcohol.
In the past she had encountered reservations
and pity from some people when she had revealed her allergic
reactions and although she always put them on her medical records
she had made a habit of not discussing them. Her chronic asthma had
waned in her early teens, but in her early twenties she had
developed acute reactions to certain triggers. But she avoided
these triggers and always kept her puffer and medication handy. So
she could see no need to alert anyone to a problem that might never
occur.
“A fruit juice would be nice, though,” she
amended.
He poured juice into two glasses, placed them
on a tray with his beer and added a small bowl of nuts and savoury
biscuits.
“Would you ladies like to accompany me
outside in the cool and fill me in on all the details?” he smiled a
charming good-natured smile that had all Jenna’s thoughts of
leaving flying out the window. Her treacherous heart lurched back
under the spell of eyes that were growing bluer by the second. They
lingered on her just a fraction of a second longer than necessary
and she could feel the heady pull of his attraction.
She took two deep breaths to steady her
rapidly beating heart as she followed Braden and Caitlin out to the
courtyard.
"I've brought the video camera back with me,
Caitlin." Braden said as he passed the girl her glass. "Tomorrow
I'll take some shots of you and Jenna together so Jenna can send
them home to show Jeff and her parents. They must be wondering what
she looks like after being away from home so long. Do you think
that's a good idea?"
Jenna was pleased to see the eager smile on
Caitlin's face. She glanced up at Braden and he flashed her a
conspiratorial grin that wreaked havoc with her insides. Her knees
turned to jelly and she sank down onto a patio chair. Oh, if only
she wasn't so susceptible to him! All he had to do was smile at her
and she fell under his spell.
Braden swung his video camera around. Jenna
was playing ball with Caitlin, occasionally hitting the ball a
little wild deliberately so the girl would be forced to run to
catch it. Her limp was still evident, but greatly diminished. It
was exactly what Braden wanted to capture to show Alicia how much
her daughter had improved.
It was the first time Braden had seen Caitlin
wear shorts since the accident. The scar on her thigh was still
noticeable but she no longer seemed to care if people saw it. He
could hardly believe the change
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