Nonna, I wish you didn't have to leave so soon. We're going to be here all summer." Tonia hugged her great-grandmother's arm.
"I don't want to leave," Nonna said. "But Julie has to be back at work on Monday."
At that moment Stephen's eyes locked with Julie's, and Julie's hand began to tremble so much that she couldn't pour. She fled into the kitchen, even though Paul's cup could have used a refill. She splashed cold water on her face before sliding back into her seat at the table.
"I do wish you two could stay a bit longer," Paul said to Julie. "Claire's younger son, Eric, is coming home from camp on Sunday. He's a great kid, and I'd like you and Nonna to see him."
"I'm sorry that won't work out," Julie said, cutting into her slice of cake. "Perhaps the boys could come visit Nonna and me in Florida soon." This invitation was greeted with enthusiasm by Sam, who wanted to learn to water ski.
Throughout this exchange, Julie knew that Stephen was looking at her, his expression serious. The one time their eyes met, his probed hers disconcertingly. Why didn't he look somewhere else? Why did he have to stare? Someone would notice; someone would see. She was smothering in a tangle of emotions.
She heard them chattering around her, all the Andrassys, but she didn't know what they said. She saw them, but only peripherally. For Julie, Stephen was the only person at the table, and the others might as well have not been there at all.
In a daze she fancied that she could read his thoughts. Don't go away, he was crying out to her. Stay. His eyes pleaded, and she couldn't avoid them.
Quickly she stood and pushed her chair back with a clatter.
"I—I believe I'll go and lie down for a while," she stammered to no one in particular. "I think my experience with the tornado yesterday affected me more than I thought."
The family conversation dimmed like the volume turned down on a radio, and then it swelled again as she ran up the stairs. Then she was in the room she shared with Gabrielle and Eva, and she was alone. She shut the door and locked it before throwing herself across the bed.
He was in love with her. Even her limited experience had prepared her to recognize the intense emotion shining from Stephen's eyes. What should she do about it?
It depended on how she felt about him. She turned on her back and stared up at the light fixture on the ceiling. How did she feel about Stephen Martinovic-Andrassy?
She felt close to him. She had discovered that she could talk to him about serious personal concerns, and he was understanding, kind, and dealt with her worries in a straightforward, common-sense sort of way. And, after the other night in her car, she knew that she was incredibly aroused by him.
"Julie? Are you all right?" Eva rattled the doorknob.
"I'm okay," Julie said. She went and unlocked the door. "You can come in if you want."
"What is this hiding thing you're doing?"
"It's a headache thing. How could I possibly hide in this house?"
"Want an aspirin? I'll get you one."
"Not right now." Julie lay moodily back down on the bed.
"We're all going for a walk down to the barn. Or at least to where the barn used to be. We want to take a look at it before Paul's workmen start clearing the rubble tomorrow. Do you want to come along?"
Julie shook her head. "Negative. Over and out." She closed her eyes.
"Stephen insisted that I come up and make sure you weren't gasping your last. I'll reassure him, don't worry." Eva whirled around and ran downstairs.
Again, proof that Stephen cared about her, that he loved her. Julie knew she had not mistaken the passionate yearning in his eyes, the sense of deep attraction. Suddenly her spirits soared and she felt euphoric. He loved her! Shouldn't that be cause for happiness?
Her mood fizzled as quickly as it developed. All the safety precautions and reassurances didn't matter because in the end what counted was that Stephen walked a cable high above the ground, and in a split second he could
"I don't want to leave," Nonna said. "But Julie has to be back at work on Monday."
At that moment Stephen's eyes locked with Julie's, and Julie's hand began to tremble so much that she couldn't pour. She fled into the kitchen, even though Paul's cup could have used a refill. She splashed cold water on her face before sliding back into her seat at the table.
"I do wish you two could stay a bit longer," Paul said to Julie. "Claire's younger son, Eric, is coming home from camp on Sunday. He's a great kid, and I'd like you and Nonna to see him."
"I'm sorry that won't work out," Julie said, cutting into her slice of cake. "Perhaps the boys could come visit Nonna and me in Florida soon." This invitation was greeted with enthusiasm by Sam, who wanted to learn to water ski.
Throughout this exchange, Julie knew that Stephen was looking at her, his expression serious. The one time their eyes met, his probed hers disconcertingly. Why didn't he look somewhere else? Why did he have to stare? Someone would notice; someone would see. She was smothering in a tangle of emotions.
She heard them chattering around her, all the Andrassys, but she didn't know what they said. She saw them, but only peripherally. For Julie, Stephen was the only person at the table, and the others might as well have not been there at all.
In a daze she fancied that she could read his thoughts. Don't go away, he was crying out to her. Stay. His eyes pleaded, and she couldn't avoid them.
Quickly she stood and pushed her chair back with a clatter.
"I—I believe I'll go and lie down for a while," she stammered to no one in particular. "I think my experience with the tornado yesterday affected me more than I thought."
The family conversation dimmed like the volume turned down on a radio, and then it swelled again as she ran up the stairs. Then she was in the room she shared with Gabrielle and Eva, and she was alone. She shut the door and locked it before throwing herself across the bed.
He was in love with her. Even her limited experience had prepared her to recognize the intense emotion shining from Stephen's eyes. What should she do about it?
It depended on how she felt about him. She turned on her back and stared up at the light fixture on the ceiling. How did she feel about Stephen Martinovic-Andrassy?
She felt close to him. She had discovered that she could talk to him about serious personal concerns, and he was understanding, kind, and dealt with her worries in a straightforward, common-sense sort of way. And, after the other night in her car, she knew that she was incredibly aroused by him.
"Julie? Are you all right?" Eva rattled the doorknob.
"I'm okay," Julie said. She went and unlocked the door. "You can come in if you want."
"What is this hiding thing you're doing?"
"It's a headache thing. How could I possibly hide in this house?"
"Want an aspirin? I'll get you one."
"Not right now." Julie lay moodily back down on the bed.
"We're all going for a walk down to the barn. Or at least to where the barn used to be. We want to take a look at it before Paul's workmen start clearing the rubble tomorrow. Do you want to come along?"
Julie shook her head. "Negative. Over and out." She closed her eyes.
"Stephen insisted that I come up and make sure you weren't gasping your last. I'll reassure him, don't worry." Eva whirled around and ran downstairs.
Again, proof that Stephen cared about her, that he loved her. Julie knew she had not mistaken the passionate yearning in his eyes, the sense of deep attraction. Suddenly her spirits soared and she felt euphoric. He loved her! Shouldn't that be cause for happiness?
Her mood fizzled as quickly as it developed. All the safety precautions and reassurances didn't matter because in the end what counted was that Stephen walked a cable high above the ground, and in a split second he could
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