Castle Cay Read Online Free PDF

she understood. He wants to apologize… in
private.
    “Sure, that would be nice.”
    They started walking down the path to the
left that ran along the river, away from the large crowd at the
Band Shell. A couple, holding hands, approached them, heading in
the opposite direction, toward the music. They smiled and
passed.
    Julie was quiet…waiting.
    “I just wanted to say that I was wrong,
Julie…wrong about you.”
    What am I supposed to say to that?
    “Will you forgive me? I was a jerk.”
    Now, that’s better…
    “Of course I forgive you.”
    “By the way, that was great,” he said.
    “What was?” asked Julie, puzzled.
    “The way you spoke up for everybody at
Solomon Chrysler in your interview with the Globe. I know we didn’t
make it easy for you at the dealership. I was probably the worst of
all.”
    “Probably?”
    They burst out laughing, the tentative mood
changed completely.
    The boats glided by on the river, and the
crowd thinned and disappeared as they strolled along, talking.
Engrossed, they had walked quite a distance from the Band Shell
when they found themselves standing before a darkened boathouse.
There was a rack of narrow racing sculls to the left of it and a
dock behind it.
    Dan cocked his head toward the boathouse,
smiling.
    “We’d have a great view of the fireworks from
that dock.”
    “We sure would,” said Julie.
    He took her hand and - giggling like kids -
they ducked and ran around to the left rear of the boathouse. There
was a chain-link fence dipping down into the water.
    “I’m game if you are,” said Julie.
    Dan kicked off his loafers, rolled up his
pant legs and stepped into the water. Holding the bottom of her
white sundress and sandals in her left hand, Julie followed him in,
hanging on to the chain-link with her right.
    “Oh shit! It’s all mucky!” she said.
    “Did you just say ‘shit’?”
    “Of course. Who do you think I am…Goody
No-Shoes?”
    They broke-up with laughter again, and made
their way around the fence. As Dan grabbed Julie’s hand to help her
up the riverbank, he put his forefinger to his lips.
    “Sh-h-h…”
    Snickering quietly, they ran barefoot along
the riverbank past the neatly racked racing boats toward the dock.
Dan climbed up first and pulled Julie up behind him. To their
delight, there were folding beach chairs amidst some boxes and
canvas on the wide deck, just a few steps above them. Dan ran up
and got two of them.
    They sat, hearts still pounding from their
escapade, looking down the moonlit river to where the boats were
gathered near the Band Shell. After a while, they began to relax,
chatting comfortably and listening to the beautiful music drifting
toward them.
    Dan rose, smiling, and executed a deep,
theatrical bow in front of Julie.
    “May I have this dance, Miss Scarlet?”
    “Why, yes, of course, Mr. Butler.”
    Laughing, Julie went into his arms.
    And everything changed.
    They danced slowly, her head on his shoulder,
her arms around his neck, their bodies pressed together, fitting
perfectly. Wordlessly, they searched each other’s eyes. Dan kissed
her, softly…hungrily. The thin straps of her sundress fell from her
shoulders. His hand slipped into the top, caressing her breast.
    Julie’s mind was buzzing. She was swirling in
a maelstrom, incapable of coherent thought. Dan’s touch created an
exquisite sensation pulsing deep inside her body that obliterated
everything else. His leg slid between hers and she moved urgently
against it.
    Then he was leading her up the stairs. He
grabbed the canvas there and spread it on the darkened deck. In the
next moment, they were standing entwined again, Julie’s back
against the deck railing.
    Dan’s big hands were up under her dress,
pulling her close. Her head was thrown back and he was kissing her
neck. Julie moaned unconsciously, lost in new and wonderful
world…but her daze betrayed her innocence.
    Dan pulled himself back, unused to the
situation.
    “Don’t stop,” said