Tattered Innocence by Ann Lee Miller

Author:Ann Lee Miller
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: adultery, sailing, christian, dyslexia, relationships and family, forgiveness and healing
Publisher: Ann Lee Miller

Jake knifed the oars into the smooth water of the cove as he watched Rachel disappear over the rise of the bank. Solitude draped his shoulders like a twenty-pound overcoat. Terrors crouched in the cavern of his chest—hurricane winds blasting the Queen against the trees, Rachel, gone like Gabs.

He’d struck out trading up at Gilford Prep, the Tri Delts in college, and Gabs. Now he’d run off someone from his own social strata. Maybe he should try picking up girls outside Walmart. He slammed Rachel’s basketball against the side of the dinghy with his foot.

He had no claim on Rachel. She was free to walk anytime. Even in the middle of a hurricane. And maybe it was better if she did. How was he supposed to know kissing her would make him want to throw out all the plans he’d made for his life? All the love he’d felt for Gabrielle.

He rowed—dig, heave, replace. Dig, heave, replace. Dig, heave, replace—the rhythmic expulsion of energy raked off the top layer of his ragged emotions.

He should have gone with the instinct that told him kissing Rachel would screw up their working relationship. All he wanted was to go on kissing her. Instead, he might lose one of the closest friends he’d ever had and a superb crewman. Brilliant.

As he neared the Queen, the wind screeched through the rigging. Right now he needed to survive this hurricane. Alone.

That night he lay in his bunk in the dark conserving the marine battery. Wind whistled through the cove, clanging the rigging overhead. He popped up and peered out the porthole to see if the Queen dragged anchor. The National Weather Service had downgraded Kendra to a tropical storm as she veered northeast back into the Atlantic.

Tell that to the wind.

If Rachel were here, they’d swap histories to get through the storm. Since meeting Hall last week, he wanted to know the rest of her family. He wanted to know everything about her—like why the cartwheels over a C minus? But he didn’t know if he’d get the chance to find out. And he couldn’t envision the business thriving without her.

He sighed, feeling again Rachel’s angles melt into him in their kiss, all softness and heat. Of course, he wanted her—wanted her now, just remembering the kiss. Any guy would respond to a kiss like that. But that didn’t mean he’d lose control. Geez, didn’t a year of good behavior with Gabs count for anything? Too many years of good behavior before that? She didn’t have to run away from him. And a world-class kiss was nothing to be embarrassed about.

He had kissed Gabs hundreds of times, but she’d only dished out teaspoons of herself. All of Rachel came through her kiss—her heart, body, trust, essence.

The kiss had been a spontaneous celebration of their dangerous run along the coast. But it morphed into more the instant his lips touched hers—connecting them deeper than the physical, deeper than he wanted to connect. Could they rewind to friendship?

He sat up and tossed his sleeping bag to the stern, all hope of sleep abandoned.

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