away.”
“Why? I’m finding your reaction fascinating. You know how curious I am.”
“I won’t be dissected.”
“Isn’t it my turn? You’ve probed me enough this afternoon and I still haven’t found out any more about you than you like pizza and hate artichokes.” His voice was soft, velvet persuasion.“Talk to me, Ysabel. How can I become acquainted with this new woman if you won’t trust me enough to let me in and get to know her.”
Dear Heaven, she wanted to talk to him, to let the words flow into him so she would no longer be alone. She opened her mouth to speak and then closed it. A moment later she said shakily, “Later. When we reach San Miguel.”
She could sense his sudden stiffening. His tone took on a sharp edge. “I’m getting very tired of that line. What difference does it make whether you tell me now or a day from now?”
She didn’t answer.
“No? Well, that puts me in my place, doesn’t it?” He turned on his heel and strode away from her.
She drew a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had hurt him. Her reaction to the thought of Jed in danger had startled her and it was as if something inside her had exploded. She had never thought she was capable of hurting Jed, but she knew pain too well herself not to recognize it when she heard it. She knew she wasn’t being fair, but fear and caution were too engraved in her mind and spirit to permit her to be open with him.
Jed was tough. He would get over it. They would reach San Miguel tomorrow and once there she would be able to be honest with him.
Yes, everything would be all right once they reached San Miguel.
Jed was grimly silent the rest of the afternoon and by the end of the evening meal even Ronniewas gazing at him with puzzlement and trepidation.
When he had finished eating, he strode out of the galley without a word.
“Whew!” Ronnie made a face as she stood up and began to stack the dishes. “What the heck did you do to him?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t tell me that. I know him.”
“He … thinks I don’t trust him.”
“Then tell him he’s wrong.”
Ysabel didn’t answer as she carried her own plate to the sink.
“You
don’t
trust him.” Ronnie gazed at her in disbelief. “Are you nuts? Jed’s like the Rock of Gibraltar. I thought you were savvy enough to realize that bad-boy persona was all publicity hype.”
Ysabel didn’t look at her as she unplugged the coffee maker. “I’m glad you’ve found him trustworthy.”
“Trustworthy? He’s saved my neck more than once,” Ronnie said. “He may growl and snap when things don’t go right, but he’s always there when the going gets rough and he stays until the shooting stops.”
“And what then?”
“What else do you want me to say?” Ronnie shook her head in bewilderment. “Isn’t that enough?”
Enough for Ronnie, who was as wary in her own way as Jed, but it wouldn’t be enough for Ysabel. “I’d rather not talk—”
“What the devil do I care what you want?” Ronnie’seyes were suddenly blazing. “You hurt him. Now go do something about it.”
Ysabel’s eyes widened. “And what do you suggest I do?”
“How do I know? You did the damage. Repair it.”
She felt as if she had been attacked by a bull-terrier. “You make it sound so simple.”
“It is simple. You screw up, you fix it.”
She gazed at Ronnie curiously. “And what would you do if I didn’t fix it?”
“Don’t ask.” Ronnie turned on the water. “I like you, but Jed and I go back a long way.”
There was no missing the implied threat in Ronnie’s words, and Ysabel’s smile slowly faded. The girl’s fierce loyalty to Jed was as passionate as all her other emotions, and Ysabel wondered wistfully what experiences had cemented that loyalty.
“Go on.” Ronnie began briskly scrubbing the dishes. “I’ll be busy here for a while and then I’m going to take my camera out on deck and work.”
“In the dark?”
Ronnie ignored the question.
“Why? I’m finding your reaction fascinating. You know how curious I am.”
“I won’t be dissected.”
“Isn’t it my turn? You’ve probed me enough this afternoon and I still haven’t found out any more about you than you like pizza and hate artichokes.” His voice was soft, velvet persuasion.“Talk to me, Ysabel. How can I become acquainted with this new woman if you won’t trust me enough to let me in and get to know her.”
Dear Heaven, she wanted to talk to him, to let the words flow into him so she would no longer be alone. She opened her mouth to speak and then closed it. A moment later she said shakily, “Later. When we reach San Miguel.”
She could sense his sudden stiffening. His tone took on a sharp edge. “I’m getting very tired of that line. What difference does it make whether you tell me now or a day from now?”
She didn’t answer.
“No? Well, that puts me in my place, doesn’t it?” He turned on his heel and strode away from her.
She drew a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had hurt him. Her reaction to the thought of Jed in danger had startled her and it was as if something inside her had exploded. She had never thought she was capable of hurting Jed, but she knew pain too well herself not to recognize it when she heard it. She knew she wasn’t being fair, but fear and caution were too engraved in her mind and spirit to permit her to be open with him.
Jed was tough. He would get over it. They would reach San Miguel tomorrow and once there she would be able to be honest with him.
Yes, everything would be all right once they reached San Miguel.
Jed was grimly silent the rest of the afternoon and by the end of the evening meal even Ronniewas gazing at him with puzzlement and trepidation.
When he had finished eating, he strode out of the galley without a word.
“Whew!” Ronnie made a face as she stood up and began to stack the dishes. “What the heck did you do to him?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t tell me that. I know him.”
“He … thinks I don’t trust him.”
“Then tell him he’s wrong.”
Ysabel didn’t answer as she carried her own plate to the sink.
“You
don’t
trust him.” Ronnie gazed at her in disbelief. “Are you nuts? Jed’s like the Rock of Gibraltar. I thought you were savvy enough to realize that bad-boy persona was all publicity hype.”
Ysabel didn’t look at her as she unplugged the coffee maker. “I’m glad you’ve found him trustworthy.”
“Trustworthy? He’s saved my neck more than once,” Ronnie said. “He may growl and snap when things don’t go right, but he’s always there when the going gets rough and he stays until the shooting stops.”
“And what then?”
“What else do you want me to say?” Ronnie shook her head in bewilderment. “Isn’t that enough?”
Enough for Ronnie, who was as wary in her own way as Jed, but it wouldn’t be enough for Ysabel. “I’d rather not talk—”
“What the devil do I care what you want?” Ronnie’seyes were suddenly blazing. “You hurt him. Now go do something about it.”
Ysabel’s eyes widened. “And what do you suggest I do?”
“How do I know? You did the damage. Repair it.”
She felt as if she had been attacked by a bull-terrier. “You make it sound so simple.”
“It is simple. You screw up, you fix it.”
She gazed at Ronnie curiously. “And what would you do if I didn’t fix it?”
“Don’t ask.” Ronnie turned on the water. “I like you, but Jed and I go back a long way.”
There was no missing the implied threat in Ronnie’s words, and Ysabel’s smile slowly faded. The girl’s fierce loyalty to Jed was as passionate as all her other emotions, and Ysabel wondered wistfully what experiences had cemented that loyalty.
“Go on.” Ronnie began briskly scrubbing the dishes. “I’ll be busy here for a while and then I’m going to take my camera out on deck and work.”
“In the dark?”
Ronnie ignored the question.
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