Message in a Bottle (1998) by Sparks Nicholas

Author:Sparks, Nicholas [Sparks, Nicholas]
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2010-12-26T00:41:44.186000+00:00

Chapter 9

"What do you mean, you can't have lunch with me today? We've been doing this for years-how could you forget?"

"I didn't forget, Dad, I just can't do it today. We'll pick it up again next week, okay?"

Jeb Blake paused on the other end of the phone, drumming his fingers on the desktop.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me something?"

"There's nothing to tell."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Theresa called to Garrett from the shower, asking him to bring her a towel. Garrett covered the mouthpiece and told her he'd be right there. When he returned his attention to the phone, he heard his father inhale sharply.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Then, in a tone of sudden understanding: "That Theresa gal's there, isn't she?"

Knowing he couldn't hide the truth from him now, Garrett replied: "Yeah, she's here."

Jeb whistled, obviously pleased. "It's about damn time."

Garrett tried to downplay it. "Dad, don't make a big deal out of this. . . ."

"I won't-I promise."

"Thanks."

"But can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Garrett sighed.

"Does she make you happy?"

It took a moment for him to answer. "Yeah, she does," he said finally.

"It's about damn time," he said again with a laugh before hanging up. Garrett stared at the phone as he replaced it in its cradle.

"She really does," he whispered to himself with a small smile on his face. "She really does."

Theresa emerged from the bedroom a few minutes later, looking rested and fresh. Smelling coffee brewing, she went to the kitchen for a cup. After putting a piece of bread in the toaster, Garrett walked to her side.

"Good morning, again," he said, kissing the back of her neck.

"Good morning again to you, too."

"Sorry about leaving the bedroom last night."

"Hey, it's okay. . . . I understand."

"You mean that?"

"Of course I do." She turned and faced him with a smile. "I had a wonderful night."

"So did I," he said. Fishing a coffee cup out of the cupboard for Theresa, he asked over his shoulder, "Do you want to do something today? I called the shop and told them I wasn't coming in."

"What did you have in mind?"

"How about showing you around Wilmington?"

"We could do that." She didn't sound convinced.

"Did you have anything else you wanted to do instead?"

"How about we just sort of hang around here today?"

"And do what?"

"Oh, I can think of a couple of things," she said, putting her arms around him. "That is, if you don't have a problem with that."

"No," he said with a grin. "No problem at all."

For the next four days, Theresa and Garrett were inseparable. Garrett ceded control of the shop to Ian, even allowing him to teach the dive classes on Saturday, something he'd never done before. Twice, Garrett and Theresa went sailing; on the second night they stayed out all night on the ocean, lying together in the cabin, rocked by the gentle swells of the Atlantic. Later that evening she asked him to tell her more adventure stories about early sailors, and she stroked his hair as the sound of his voice reverberated against the interior of the hull.

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