her.
Someone had put on a lively polka in her absence. The Australian sailor was whirling Mrs. McDonald around the room and Ken's mother was laughing and wheezing, plainly having the time of her life. As Laurie watched, the music stopped and the two dancers collapsed in a heap on the sofa amid a rousing applause from the other guests.
She felt someone close behind her and stiffened as Ken put an arm around her shoulder.
"Where have you been?"
She didn't want to finish the evening arguing with Ken again about her work at the radio station. But when she turned to face him she was surprised to find no sign of the anger she expected.
"I saw Bev go upstairs a while ago. I figured you'd gone up after her, but I didn't think you'd be so long. Let's dance."
"Let's," she agreed, moving into his arms.
Sooner or later she would have to tell Ken where she had been tonight, but it didn't have to be this minute. Right now she could relax, try to forget about airplanes, storms... disaster.
Someone turned the lights down. The room dimmed to a romantic haze and Ken slipped both his arms around her. She concentrated on the pleasant feel of his arms, slowly relaxing. It has been a wild day and now was the time for romance. Soft, moody music filled the half-lit room and the dancers moved slowly, each couple in a world of their own.
Slowly the magic seeped in through her nerves and she was able to move in a haze, forgetting the events of the day. She let her arms slip around Ken's neck and he drew her closer.
"I want you to myself," he murmured in her ear. He spread his fingers so that each one touched her back separately, moving his hands on her so that she felt his suggestion although no one else could notice. "Let's find somewhere we can be alone."
"We can't walk out on Bev."
When Ken asked her to marry him, she'd said yes. They'd known each other forever so their love was quieter than the fantasy novels, filled with real life and moments snatched from their busy schedules. Booking evenings together was challenging with the demands of her job. Sometimes she wished they could be over the moon crazy in love, but she knew that wasn't real life.
"We'll go up to the cabin," said Ken. "We can stay the weekend, come back Sunday night."
The McDonald cabin was isolated enough that they could be certain of privacy. Mr. McDonald had always kept the cabin fully provisioned for hunting and fishing trips. Since his death, Ken had continued using the cabin. Everything they needed would be there.
She wanted to feel close to him, but she couldn't get the images of an airplane crashing to the ground out of her mind.
When he bent his head, she turned her lips away and kissed his cheek and they swayed together with the rhythm of the music.
Luke Lucas had looked exhausted from the search, but his eyes had raked every detail of her scornfully. She had taken twenty minutes from her party to ask him questions, while he concentrated his efforts on trying to find a missing planeload of men. He had searched all through the evening and would search again in the morning. She could have pushed him, might have got a few words out of him, but she had let him walk away from her because she why he didn't want to talk to her.
To him, she must have seemed like a frivolous party girl.
"Let's go," Ken murmured in her ear.
Soon she and Ken would spend all their nights together, but not tonight. She was haunted, too frozen inside to share herself with the man she loved. And there were the practicalities. She needed to get the interview with Dave Hall to the newsroom before morning so that Anna, the weekend announcer, could play it on Saturday's news.
She said, "Bev's come home for her visit. We can't just walk out."
The music stopped and they stood, arms around each other, until the next piece started. Ken started to move, but the sudden shift to loud, wild music stopped him. Someone complained loudly at the change and was shouted down.
Laurie moved with the
Someone had put on a lively polka in her absence. The Australian sailor was whirling Mrs. McDonald around the room and Ken's mother was laughing and wheezing, plainly having the time of her life. As Laurie watched, the music stopped and the two dancers collapsed in a heap on the sofa amid a rousing applause from the other guests.
She felt someone close behind her and stiffened as Ken put an arm around her shoulder.
"Where have you been?"
She didn't want to finish the evening arguing with Ken again about her work at the radio station. But when she turned to face him she was surprised to find no sign of the anger she expected.
"I saw Bev go upstairs a while ago. I figured you'd gone up after her, but I didn't think you'd be so long. Let's dance."
"Let's," she agreed, moving into his arms.
Sooner or later she would have to tell Ken where she had been tonight, but it didn't have to be this minute. Right now she could relax, try to forget about airplanes, storms... disaster.
Someone turned the lights down. The room dimmed to a romantic haze and Ken slipped both his arms around her. She concentrated on the pleasant feel of his arms, slowly relaxing. It has been a wild day and now was the time for romance. Soft, moody music filled the half-lit room and the dancers moved slowly, each couple in a world of their own.
Slowly the magic seeped in through her nerves and she was able to move in a haze, forgetting the events of the day. She let her arms slip around Ken's neck and he drew her closer.
"I want you to myself," he murmured in her ear. He spread his fingers so that each one touched her back separately, moving his hands on her so that she felt his suggestion although no one else could notice. "Let's find somewhere we can be alone."
"We can't walk out on Bev."
When Ken asked her to marry him, she'd said yes. They'd known each other forever so their love was quieter than the fantasy novels, filled with real life and moments snatched from their busy schedules. Booking evenings together was challenging with the demands of her job. Sometimes she wished they could be over the moon crazy in love, but she knew that wasn't real life.
"We'll go up to the cabin," said Ken. "We can stay the weekend, come back Sunday night."
The McDonald cabin was isolated enough that they could be certain of privacy. Mr. McDonald had always kept the cabin fully provisioned for hunting and fishing trips. Since his death, Ken had continued using the cabin. Everything they needed would be there.
She wanted to feel close to him, but she couldn't get the images of an airplane crashing to the ground out of her mind.
When he bent his head, she turned her lips away and kissed his cheek and they swayed together with the rhythm of the music.
Luke Lucas had looked exhausted from the search, but his eyes had raked every detail of her scornfully. She had taken twenty minutes from her party to ask him questions, while he concentrated his efforts on trying to find a missing planeload of men. He had searched all through the evening and would search again in the morning. She could have pushed him, might have got a few words out of him, but she had let him walk away from her because she why he didn't want to talk to her.
To him, she must have seemed like a frivolous party girl.
"Let's go," Ken murmured in her ear.
Soon she and Ken would spend all their nights together, but not tonight. She was haunted, too frozen inside to share herself with the man she loved. And there were the practicalities. She needed to get the interview with Dave Hall to the newsroom before morning so that Anna, the weekend announcer, could play it on Saturday's news.
She said, "Bev's come home for her visit. We can't just walk out."
The music stopped and they stood, arms around each other, until the next piece started. Ken started to move, but the sudden shift to loud, wild music stopped him. Someone complained loudly at the change and was shouted down.
Laurie moved with the
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