Joan Kilby - Spencer's Child

Spencer turned to Meg with a self-satisfied grin.

She rolled her eyes. “I need a coffee.”

They went upstairs to the cafeteria and got coffee to go.

“Outside,” Spencer said, and led the way to the bow where the wind blew their hair straight back and the green shapes of the Gulf Islands were spread out before them. Blue water, blue sky, glaucous-winged gulls wheeling overhead, and the majestic white prow of the Queen of Nanaimo as she came around the point.

Spencer leaned against the rail and drank in the fresh salt air. Being on the water always put him in a more mellow mood. “I’d forgotten how beautiful it is up here.”

“You never would have known if you hadn’t come back.”

He glanced at Meg. She’d spoken lightly, yet he sensed a change in her mood, too, only she’d gotten serious. Still, there was history between them and her words meant something whether he acknowledged them or not. “I shouldn’t have left without saying goodbye.”

A swift glance, as blue as the sky. And then she was clutching her foam cup so hard it bent. “You hurt me,” she said quietly. “I thought we were friends.”

“We were friends.” The sudden tensing of her mouth told him he’d hurt her again, unwittingly. God, he was inadequate when it came to the spoken word. He tried to catch her eye and communicate his caring. But she wouldn’t look at him.

“Were you happy at all when you lived here before, Spencer?”

He was surprised at the question. Surprised at himself for not knowing the answer. “Sometimes you can’t tell if you’re happy until you go back to a place and see what feelings it evokes.”

“That is the statement of someone completely out of touch with their emotions.” A loose strand of hair blew across her face and she brushed it away. “So, what feelings does Victoria evoke in you?”

She hadn’t asked about Saltspring, although they were nearing the island. That would have been too loaded a question. But the edge to her voice told him she meant what feelings did she evoke. He’d repressed those feelings for so long he wasn’t sure he could define them. He only knew she shouldn’t expect too much from him. “I don’t know. Guess I’m still out of touch.”

She was silent, watching the timber-and-glass houses perched on the island’s steep shoreline slip past.

He didn’t want her to want something he couldn’t give her. But to say so would be presumptuous. “I’ve applied to Bergen for a research position.”

“Bergen? You mean in Norway?”

“Yes, at the marine research institute there. The position may come up before the year is over.”

She nodded. “I thought it would be something like that.”

When the announcement telling passengers to return to their vehicles came on, Spencer was relieved. He tossed his empty cup into a bin and held the door open for Meg. Her hair whipped around his bare elbow, anchoring her to him for a moment. Their eyes met as she pulled it away. There was sadness in her gaze.

Spencer hated himself for putting it there.

THE DEEP BLUE WATER off the north end of Saltspring Island sparkled invitingly. Meg stood on the edge of the cobble beach while her kayak rocked gently in the shallows at her feet. In spite of the warmth of the sun, a cool breeze blew over the water and she was glad of her fleece pullover.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.