Heart of the Storm Read Online Free PDF Page A

straining against the wet fabric, and the narrow curve of her hips.
    Again she laid her head on his leg. She was falling asleep. In this cold, that wasn’t good.
    “Where is your husband?” he said, determined to keep her talking.
    Startled, she opened her eyes. Confusion and fear flashed in their blue depths before they cleared. She shifted her gaze out to the sea. “He’s dead.”
    “How long?”
    “Not long.”
    The news should have meant nothing to him. Widow or married, it shouldn’t matter either way to him.
    But it did.
    He waited for her to elaborate, but she didn’t.
    Her silence spoke volumes.
    Ben frowned. It wasn’t simply the cold that was affecting her now.
    Rachel Davis was hiding something.
     
    The tide had been more brutal than Mr. Mitchell had first thought. He told Timothy as much when he’d ordered him to the oars. The boy had taken his place by Ben and together they rowed to shore. It seemed there was a time or two that Mr. Mitchell and Timothy looked worried.
    However, fifteen minutes later, the boat bottom scraped the sand. The rain had all but stopped, the heavy winds had thinned and the thick clouds had parted. Moonlight shone down on the beach and the dunes.
    The wind sliced through her wet clothes like a knife. Rachel feared she’d never be warm again.
    She sat up, pulling free of Mr. Mitchell’s embrace. “Where are we?”
    “Off the coast of North Carolina, Mrs. Davis,” he said. “Between Corolla and Hatteras.” He rose. “Stay put. I’ll be back.”
    Leaving her, he climbed out of the boat. Immediately she missed the heat of his body.
    Mr. Mitchell grabbed the side of the boat.Waves crashed around his feet. His biceps bunched and corded muscles in his neck strained as he and Timothy yanked the boat ashore.
    Her mind, befuddled by the cold, marveled that Mr. Mitchell could stand so tall and strong after such an exhausting rescue. The fact that he could pull the heavy boat ashore was nothing short of a miracle. The man’s tenacity simply wasn’t human.
    She glanced up and down the long beaches that stretched and curved into the horizon. She could make out the outline of the dunes topped with sea oats that swayed in the wind. There wasn’t a soul to be found in either direction.
    Hundreds of miles separated this isolated land from Peter and Washington, but she feared it wasn’t enough. His reach could be quite far.
    Her stomach tightened, warning her that she’d have to move on soon. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart.
    “I’ll put the boat up, Ben,” the young man said. “And I’ll take the rest of tonight’s shift.”
    “Thanks.” Mr. Mitchell walked over to her and held out his hand. “Ready to go, Mrs. Davis?”
    Automatically she rose and took his hand. Steady, warm fingers closed around her hand.
    Yet despite her best efforts to stand tall, she started to crumble. Her legs wobbled under theweight of her skirts and her head began to spin. Fisting her hand around the blanket, she drew in deep breaths, trying to will her body to move.
    Heavy hands cupped her shoulders. “I’ve got you.” He lifted her out of the boat.
    She leaned into him. If she could just rest a moment and catch her breath. “I can’t stay here. I have to leave. Is there a town nearby where I can buy clothes?”
    A humorless smile tipped the edges of his mouth. “Lady, you’re not going anywhere.”
    Rachel’s head spun and her stomach churned. “I have to go.”
    “Let me help you,” he whispered against her ear.
    Lord, but she was a pitiable creature. She glared up at him. A grim smile lifted the edge of his lips. She was aware that Timothy was also staring at her. “I need to go.”
    “Where?” he demanded.
    “South.”
    His gaze grew serious. “Is there someone expecting you?”
    Hunting me. “No.”
    “Then give up the fight for tonight. Your skin is like ice. I’ve a warm bed at the lightkeeper’s cottage. Tomorrow you can leave.”
    The offer was