Ikon Read Online Free PDF Page B

reached forward a little nearer and kissed him again. ‘This is work,’ she said. ‘I’m talking about swimming, or surfing, or climbing up mountains and making love on the snowline.’
    ‘Oh, yes? And who’s going to take care of Susie?’
    ‘Don’t you have a friendly old couple who could take her in for a week or two?’
    Daniel stirred onions, and then reached for the seasoning. ‘I’d miss her,’ he said.
    There was a long pause. Then Cara said, ‘Would you mind if I stuck around for a little while? Maybe a day or two?’
    Daniel glanced at her, and smiled. ‘You’re welcome, if that’s what you want.’
    Cara took his wrist, and nudged back the shirt she was wearing, and held his hand firmly over her bare left breast. She stared at him challengingly, and he felt her nipple crinkle and rise against the palm of his hand. ‘Destiny/ she said.
    ‘What is?’ he asked her.
    ‘You and me, meeting. Destiny. Not great destiny. Not thunder and lightning and whole continents catching fire. But good sweet destiny; something we can both remember for ever, when the mood comes over us.’
    He kept staring into those pale blue eyes of hers, and gently rotating the palm of his hand around her breast. ‘Cara,’ he said. ‘Cara from South Dakota. I don’t even know your surname.’
    ‘Does it matter?’
    Just then, there was a rattling knock at the kitchen window; and through the frosted glass, Daniel could see the blurry outline of a man’s face. ‘Daniel! You there? Daniel!’
    ‘Willy?’ called Daniel. ‘Hold on a second, I’ll let you in.’ He turned to Cara, and said, ‘It’s a friend of mine. Do you want to go get dressed?’
    Cara looked down at herself. ‘Oh, sure,she said. She blew him a kiss, and then, with a sassy twirl, turned around and pranced back upstairs.
    ‘Holy shit,’ came Susie’s voice from the diner next door, although Daniel had paddled her twice in the past week for talking like a trucker. But sometimes women knew when they could get away with it, and Susie was no exception.
    Three
    Daniel lowered the gas under the onions and went to open the back door. Willy Monahan came tumbling in with his usual awkwardness, brushing dust off his Air Force uniform. ‘Whose damn chickens are those? Are they your damn chickens? Damn things almost pecked the laces straight out of my damn shoes!’
    They’re Bill’s,’ said Daniel, mildly. Tima Indian who lives out back there, he’s peaceful enough and gives me plenty of eggs, too. Do you want some coffee? You’re early.’
    ‘I’m not early, I’m damn late,’ Willy retorted. He hung up his major’s cap next to a huge Hungarian salami, ‘I’ve been working all night in the armoury.’ He sniffed, and fhen he said, What’s that smell?’
    ‘Onions.’
    ‘No, the other smell. The subtle, sensual, underlying smell. Do I detect woman with a capital W?’
    Susie came into the kitchen, carrying a stack of clean red gingham napkins. ‘Hi, Uncle Willy.’
    ‘Hi yourself. Don’t tell me the old man has company again.’
    Susie nodded. ‘Redhead. From South Dakota.’
    Daniel took down another skillet, and scraped some more lard into it. ‘I’m outnumbered, you know that? My daughter, my best friend, who’s it going to be next? Just because a pretty young lady from Woonsocket decides to spend a little time here, helping me out - ‘
    ‘Woonsocket? You’re serious?’ asked Willy.
    ‘Of course I’m serious. Woonsocket is in Sanborn County, a couple of hundred miles south of Huron.’
    ‘Oh, that Woonsocket,’ teased Willy. ‘Well, my friend, if if s that Woonsocket, you don’t have much to worry about. They’re known for their obliging redheads. In fact eight Woonsocket women out of ten are redheads. They’re also known for the Woonsocket Jew’s Harp Orchestra, and Woonsocket Pie, which is a whole gopher in a flaky pastry crust.’
    Susie giggled, but Daniel closed his eyes and raised his head as if he were appealing to the