The Trickster's Lullaby by Barbara Fradkin

Author:Barbara Fradkin [Fradkin, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dundurn
Published: 2017-08-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Amanda was just rolling up her sleeping bag when she heard the rumble of an engine outside. The room she’d been given for the final night was tucked under the eaves on the third floor of Sebastien and Sylvie’s farmhouse, and it was chilly. She peered out the tiny attic window, hoping to see the van arriving from Montreal to transport the students back home. Instead, a black pickup crunched to a stop on the icy drive, the driver’s door opened, and a lanky, parka-clad man unfolded himself.

Kaylee, who had joined her at the window, barked and wagged her tail. Amanda took a little longer to recognize Chris Tymko. A thousand butterflies took flight inside her, warming her to the tips of her fingers and paralyzing her for a moment before she raced down the two flights of stairs and out the front door.

Kaylee beat her to it, hurling herself at Chris and whirling around his legs in a frenzy of red silk. He crouched to pet her, smiling his big, crinkly grin as she covered his face in licks. When he straightened to face Amanda, the grin wavered a little at the edges.

They had not seen each other since her last night in Newfoundland six months ago. At that time, their harrowing ordeal had ignited a spark between them, and they had committed to staying in touch, but Amanda had said goodbye to too many good friends during her foreign service years, and she wasn’t sure she had the stomach for prolonging the pain. For the ache of loss and the promises of reunions that never came.

Over time, she had walled herself in.

Now, however, the six months dissolved in a rush of affection. She walked up and took his gloved hands in hers. “Hello, you,” she murmured.

His grin widened as he enveloped her in a hug. She inhaled his scent — wool, leather, and musky aftershave — and allowed herself to revel in his arms, remembering how they had soothed and stirred her all those months ago. Finally, reluctant but embarrassed, she pulled back to peer up at him. Same merry blue eyes and ski jump nose, same cropped dark curls barely visible beneath his hat. In deference to his prairie farm roots, a Winnipeg Jets toque.

She tugged it down over his eyes teasingly. “Them’s fighting words around here. You might want to get yourself a Montreal Canadiens one.”

“And have my grandmother haunting my dreams? But if you’ve got any hot coffee in there, I might be persuaded.”

She turned to see a small contingent of curious students in the doorway. “Absolutely. We’ve just finished breakfast but for you, I’ll make a fresh pot.”

As they made their way through the throng, she paused to introduce him as ‘mon ami Chris,’ evoking knowing smiles from some of them. She laughed. “If you can get your minds out of the gutter, the bus will be here any minute. So when you finish packing, put your bags by the front door.”

In the large farm kitchen, they found Sylvie washing up the breakfast dishes.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.