The Love Letter Read Free Page B

her face. “She’s right, you know,” David declared with a grin.
    “About the sunscreen?” she asked impishly.
    He lightly touched her reddened skin. “Well, yes, she was right about that, but I was referring to her other comment. I would have risked more than sunburn to spend the afternoon with you.”
    “That’s very nice of you to say. ”
    “I meant every word. I haven’t enjoyed myself so much in a long time. ”
    Before Sabrina could reply to this, Casey rejoined them. After they finished their drinks, David excused himself, leaving the sisters alone. Sabrina bore the speculative glance Casey sent her way with a resigned smile.
    “It was just a bike ride , Casey, nothing to get excited about.”
    “Don’t tell me that; I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
    Sabrina considered telling her about David’s reasons for coming to the island and then decided against it. He’d seemed hesitant to admit his purpose to her; he probably didn’t want anyone else to know. “I have, too. He’s alone and bored – that’s the only reason he invited me along.”
    Casey stood up and placed her hands on her slim hips. “ Whatever his reason, he appears to like you. I suggest you make the most of it.” She didn’t wait around to hear what Sabrina thought.
    When David didn’t appear for tea, Casey went through every scenario she could think of before deciding to blame Sabrina. “You have to give a man some encouragement. I bet you didn’t even remind him about tea.”
    “You’re being ridiculous. If he’s as interested as you believe, he won’t require any help from me. In the meantime, concentrate on your own affairs.”
    “My affairs run smoothly because I know how to treat a man. I’m beginning to think you’ve deliberately forgotten everything you knew. I’m through worrying about you. I’ve got a date to get ready for.”
    Smiling at her sister’s expression, Sabrina gently removed the tray from her hands. “Go ahead. I’ll finish up here.”
    After Casey departed, leaving behind an invisible cloud of expensive perfume, Sabrina made her way to the reception area. She and Casey took turns manning the front desk in the evenings. It wasn’t so much difficult as tedious. Sabrina usually spent the time checking supplies, sorting brochures and reading. She was doing the latter when the door opened, and David strolled in.
    “It s mells, um, very nice in here,” he commented as he walked toward her.
    “ Be honest – it’s overpowering. Casey was trying a new perfume, but she got a little carried away.”
    “Are you allowed to eat when you’re on duty? I was thinking of getting pizza.”
    “I can eat on duty, and I’d love to share your pizza.”
    “ Great. I’ll be back shortly.”
    Sabrina cleared the magazines from the round table in the paneled parlor and collected plates and napkins from the kitchen. As she filled tall glasses with ice, she found herself smiling. David was a little overpowering, but she couldn’t help liking him. Beyond that she refused to think; it had been a long time since she’d been in the company of a man.
    Once the pizza had been eaten, David sat down on the couch facing the fireplace and patted the seat next to him.
    “ Since you were kind enough not to laugh in my face, I thought I would give you a ‘Heather’ update. After I left you today, I remembered that she used to babysit my neighbor’s grandkids. This afternoon, I went to see if my neighbor still lived there. I wasn’t sure she would remember me, but she did. I steered the conversation in the right direction and found out Heather left the island about six weeks ago.”
    “Where did she go?”
    “As far from here as possible - California.”
    “ That’s too bad. I’m sorry, David.”
    “All I could think on the way back here was how ridiculous I’m behaving over this. Even if I’d come back sooner, there’s no guarantee anything would have come of it. Too much time has gone by; I’ve been