Here With Me Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Beverly Long
one-inch
heel and it looked like the worn leather hadn’t yet dried all the
way.
Last night, she’d missed the fact that he had
lovely moss-green eyes with dark lashes so thick that if he’d been
a girl, she’d have discreetly leaned over and asked for a
recommendation on mascara.
It had been too dark to see that his skin was
tanned with a few lines around his eyes or that when he smiled, his
teeth were nice and straight with the exception of the slightest
overlap of his lower two front teeth. Had he been the kind of boy
who didn’t have time for a retainer?
What she had noticed was that he had a nice
voice and a wonderful sort of gentlemanly manner about him. That
was hard to miss.
She wondered if he was homeless. It seemed
rather obvious that he only had the clothes on his back. She’d
realized she was taking a chance when she’d offered him a ride. But
she couldn’t leave him stranded when he’d risked his life to save
hers.
They were just a few feet from the steps that
would take them up the steep cliff when he stopped to pick up what
looked to be a ten-by-ten square wood box. It had a latch and a
long leather strap that he looped over his shoulder. “What is
that?” she asked.
“My camera.”
She’d seen old cameras in similar boxes at
flea markets. “Oh, an antique one?”
He looked rather startled, like perhaps he
hadn’t expected her to ask that. “Yes, it is.” He motioned for her
to go first on the steps. She took them slowly, but even so, when
she got to the top she was breathing hard, keenly aware of every
one of the eight pounds she’d already gained.
“Maybe we should rest a minute,” he said.
She smiled at him. “I know this will surprise
you, but I used to live on the tenth floor of this huge apartment
building. I did the stairs every day.”
“Tenth floor,” he repeated, like he could
hardly believe her. She didn’t blame him. Not when she was
practically panting like a dog on a hot summer day.
“Fortunately for me,” she said, pointing to
her five-year-old green Grand Prix, which was the only car in the
small lot due to the time of the day, “we’re driving the rest of
the way.”
He stared at her car and his eyes showed a
myriad of emotions she couldn’t identify. She felt bad for him.
Maybe he’d had to give up his own car when he’d fallen on hard
times. Or God forbid, maybe he’d had to sleep in a car after he’d
lost his home. She kept walking, wanting to give him a moment. When
she reached the car, she looked over her shoulder. He was still
standing in the same spot.
Not sure what else to do or say, she opened
the door and got in on the driver’s side. That seemed to spur him
into action. He walked quickly to the other side, opened the door,
and when he sort of sank, half-dropped into the seat, he almost hit
his head on the roof.
“Careful,” she warned.
When he leaned forward and placed the camera
between his feet, she thought she saw his hand tremble. “I’m a very
good driver,” she assured him. “Just forget what I said earlier
about cutting across multiple lanes of traffic.” She fastened her
seatbelt and he did the same, although he fumbled around with the
catch.
When she pulled out of the lot, he sat up in
his seat and gripped the handle on the upholstered door. “There’s a
Target just up the street,” she said, trying hard not to be
offended. She was a good driver. “We can get some clothes
there.”
He kept staring out the front window. Ten
minutes later she pulled into a crowded strip mall lot and found a
space. When she turned to look at him, she was surprised to see how
pale he looked. “Oh no,” she said. “You’re not the carsick type,
are you?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so.” He sat
bone-straight in his seat.
Oh this was going to be such a fun drive. As
weird as her stomach had become, if he threw up, it would be a
matter of seconds before she joined him in sympathy.
How the heck had one little lie
heel and it looked like the worn leather hadn’t yet dried all the
way.
Last night, she’d missed the fact that he had
lovely moss-green eyes with dark lashes so thick that if he’d been
a girl, she’d have discreetly leaned over and asked for a
recommendation on mascara.
It had been too dark to see that his skin was
tanned with a few lines around his eyes or that when he smiled, his
teeth were nice and straight with the exception of the slightest
overlap of his lower two front teeth. Had he been the kind of boy
who didn’t have time for a retainer?
What she had noticed was that he had a nice
voice and a wonderful sort of gentlemanly manner about him. That
was hard to miss.
She wondered if he was homeless. It seemed
rather obvious that he only had the clothes on his back. She’d
realized she was taking a chance when she’d offered him a ride. But
she couldn’t leave him stranded when he’d risked his life to save
hers.
They were just a few feet from the steps that
would take them up the steep cliff when he stopped to pick up what
looked to be a ten-by-ten square wood box. It had a latch and a
long leather strap that he looped over his shoulder. “What is
that?” she asked.
“My camera.”
She’d seen old cameras in similar boxes at
flea markets. “Oh, an antique one?”
He looked rather startled, like perhaps he
hadn’t expected her to ask that. “Yes, it is.” He motioned for her
to go first on the steps. She took them slowly, but even so, when
she got to the top she was breathing hard, keenly aware of every
one of the eight pounds she’d already gained.
“Maybe we should rest a minute,” he said.
She smiled at him. “I know this will surprise
you, but I used to live on the tenth floor of this huge apartment
building. I did the stairs every day.”
“Tenth floor,” he repeated, like he could
hardly believe her. She didn’t blame him. Not when she was
practically panting like a dog on a hot summer day.
“Fortunately for me,” she said, pointing to
her five-year-old green Grand Prix, which was the only car in the
small lot due to the time of the day, “we’re driving the rest of
the way.”
He stared at her car and his eyes showed a
myriad of emotions she couldn’t identify. She felt bad for him.
Maybe he’d had to give up his own car when he’d fallen on hard
times. Or God forbid, maybe he’d had to sleep in a car after he’d
lost his home. She kept walking, wanting to give him a moment. When
she reached the car, she looked over her shoulder. He was still
standing in the same spot.
Not sure what else to do or say, she opened
the door and got in on the driver’s side. That seemed to spur him
into action. He walked quickly to the other side, opened the door,
and when he sort of sank, half-dropped into the seat, he almost hit
his head on the roof.
“Careful,” she warned.
When he leaned forward and placed the camera
between his feet, she thought she saw his hand tremble. “I’m a very
good driver,” she assured him. “Just forget what I said earlier
about cutting across multiple lanes of traffic.” She fastened her
seatbelt and he did the same, although he fumbled around with the
catch.
When she pulled out of the lot, he sat up in
his seat and gripped the handle on the upholstered door. “There’s a
Target just up the street,” she said, trying hard not to be
offended. She was a good driver. “We can get some clothes
there.”
He kept staring out the front window. Ten
minutes later she pulled into a crowded strip mall lot and found a
space. When she turned to look at him, she was surprised to see how
pale he looked. “Oh no,” she said. “You’re not the carsick type,
are you?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so.” He sat
bone-straight in his seat.
Oh this was going to be such a fun drive. As
weird as her stomach had become, if he threw up, it would be a
matter of seconds before she joined him in sympathy.
How the heck had one little lie