[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
given himself time to grieve.
Here we are.
Amazing. The view took her breath away.
Johnny s backyard consisted of a glorious jade green meadow speckled with an array
of fuchsia, violet and navy blue wildflowers. Directly in the center was a small pond
decorated with lily pads to accommodate the many types of wildlife that called the pond
their home.
Still looks the same after all these years. Johnny led Tess into the meadow.
Just like I remember.
We spent a lot of time here.
Can you believe we carried all these stones from over the hill and put them around
that edge of the pond? Tess walked to the other end of the small pool, thinking back on
www.samhainpublishing.com 91
Amy Mistretta
an easier time where there were no stalkers, no eerie voices, no tension between her and
Johnny.
We made quite the team, didn t we?
Yeah, we did. She knelt down at the water s edge.
She wished she could turn back the hands of time. She would have done things
differently and was almost positive that Johnny would ve, too.
The water was as clear as could be, with plenty of activity going on below the
surface. Salamanders were swimming leisurely without a care in the world. Polliwogs
were showing the first signs of maturing into frogs, little legs beginning to form from the
end of their bodies.
Tess ran her hand along the top of the grass that bordered the bank of the pond.
Some things never changed& Anxious frogs jumped into the water for fear of being
caught by human hands.
Tess stood, turned and faced Johnny.
Did you used to bring Lindsey here, too? Somehow she couldn t help but mention
the past.
No. Johnny shook his head, the sadness apparent in his eyes.
I m sorry. She hadn t meant to bring up Lindsey, but being at that house, in that
meadow, had sucked Tess right back in time.
Johnny held up a hand to halt her from saying anything further, as if begging her to
let it go.
Tess left him at the edge of the pond and walked to the outer edge of the meadow,
wondering if the names were still engraved in the mammoth maple tree. She remembered
how deep Johnny had carved the letters.
Making a path through the tall grass, she approached the third tree, slowly lifted her
gaze to its trunk. There it was. A little worn from the weather but still legible. Johnny
Sawyer and Tess Fenmore 1984.
They had been so young. Johnny had torn into that tree like a pro. For hours he had
sat there, making sure each and every letter was neat.
She lifted her fingers to touch the outline as she had done before, after he had
finished his work of art. If only it were possible to go back in time, just for one day, but
that wasn t practical thinking.
92 www.samhainpublishing.com
Undying Passions
Being back in this meadow did more for her than simply reestablish the happy
childhood memories. It scared her. No matter how much she denied it, she was still more
in love with Johnny than she could have ever thought possible.
How could she go on with her life and be truly happy without him in it? She wanted
to finish their conversation from the night before, wished she hadn t hidden in her
bathroom like a coward. She had questions about how Johnny had felt back then, about
his marriage to Lindsey, about how he felt now.
Tess glanced over her shoulder, doubting her courage. Johnny was slowly
approaching her, his thoughts, like hers, weighing heavily on his face.
She should have been grateful he had joined her by the tree. This place wasn t
complete without the two of them there together. After the events of the last twenty-four
hours, they had both created emotional walls to protect their hidden feelings, and Tess
wasn t sure if she had the strength to let hers down.
You re right, you know? Johnny sat in the grass and glanced up at Tess.
Right about what?
His statement had thrown her off guard, and she wasn t certain what he was
implying.
I should ve fought harder for you. He rubbed at his jawline as if deep in thought,
scuffing his fingers against the stubble on his face. Like I said, things were different
then, and we can t go back.
No, we can t, but I think if we talk about it, we can make things right. Tess was
willing to try if Johnny was. I want to know about you, about the last eleven years of
your life.
What s there to tell? I went into the police academy, became a cop. I was married,
now I m not.
He wasn t making this easy on her.
Tell me about your marriage. Talking about Lindsey might give Johnny some
closure and, at the same time, give her some acceptance.
He hesitated for a moment. We were married for nine years.
That s a long time.
Yeah, it was. Johnny plucked a tall blade of grass from the ground. And the last
couple of years& Well, it doesn t matter now.
You must have been happy.
www.samhainpublishing.com 93
Amy Mistretta
There s so much you don t know, and I m not even sure it s worth stirring up at this
point. Johnny tore the blade of grass in half, then tossed it to the side. Lindsey s dead,
and I can t change what became of our marriage, just wish I could make sense of it.
The last thing I want to do is rehash the past again, but I can tell something s eating
away at you. Whether it was something you did, something Lindsey did, I don t know,
but sooner or later it s going to take over you. She had crossed the line. His gaze told her
as much. However, she had come this far. There was no sense in holding back now.
Johnny& About last night, what happened between us
It should ve never happened. He stood. It won t happen again. I brought you here
to keep you safe, and that s about all I can handle right now.
Tess stomped after Johnny, following him into the house.
This hot and cold attitude of yours really stinks, she said, blown away by his
dismissal.
If you don t mind& He yawned, tilting his neck from side to side, a nervous habit
that had never ceased. I ve probably had all of five minutes of sleep in the last thirty-six
hours. I called the station, told them I d be working from home today. After I get a couple
of hours of sleep, I plan on thoroughly going over that case file.
That s all you have to say?
That s all I care to say. Johnny left the dining room and Tess followed him into the
kitchen. Want something to eat before I head upstairs?
I couldn t eat if I wanted to.
Once again, Johnny Sawyer had managed to sting her with hurtful words. More than
ever, Tess regretted having called him for help. If he had brought her to his home out of
obligation, to ease his lingering guilt, she didn t want his kind of help.
Suit yourself. When you re ready, you can rest in the spare room upstairs, second
door on the right. Johnny headed up the back stairwell, off the kitchen, pulling his shirt
over his head as he disappeared out of sight.
* * *
Johnny went to his room but sleep didn t come easy. Too many factors to too many
lives were in his hands, Tess s being at the top of his list.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]