I’ll Become the Sea Read Online Free PDF Page B

He stayed in his seat.
    She reached for her gloves, rising, trying to hide her blush behind the business of dressing and leaving. She finished before he did and stood, hot in the steam of the coffee shop, left with nothing to do but watch him fasten the buttons on his coat. His careful grace in this mindless act stoked something inside her. She headed for the door.
    He rose to follow her. Outside, thick flakes of snow whipped into their faces. David’s truck was already draped in white.
    She turned to say goodbye. The motion tipped her balance and she slipped, her boot losing contact with a slick track of ice hidden under the snow. David reached out by reflex to steady her. She held his arm for a moment, then backed away.
    “I’d love to see one of your shows sometime.”
    “Great.”
    His truck was a few rows away, but he didn’t move. She stood beside him on the sidewalk, waiting for him to say goodbye.
    “Well. I guess I’ll be seeing you then. You’re walking home? I can give you a ride.”
    “Oh, that’s okay. It’s just a few blocks.”
    “You sure? I don’t mind.”
    “It’s okay.” She patted the small grocery bag at her side. “I don’t have much to carry, and it’s really only a few blocks. Thanks, though.”
    “Okay. Thanks for the coffee.”
    He smiled and turned toward his car.
    “David?”
    “Yes?”
    “How will I know when you’re playing?”
    “I’ll call you. If that’s okay. I have your number from Raymond’s referral.”
    “Right. Okay. I’ll talk to you soon then.”
    “Okay.”
    She gave him a salute and headed toward the street. To keep herself from looking back, she counted the steps to the sidewalk.

Chapter Seven
    The walk home was harrowing in the snow, and she told herself she deserved it. Innocent as it was, she shouldn’t have been spending time with a man she was clearly attracted to.
    There was no use denying it. David was gorgeous. Most likely he was bored, restless from the coming storm and glad for a diversion. Nothing more than that. Even so, she could still feel his hand on her arm in the parking lot, the way he had held her when she’d nearly fallen on the ice.
    She thought of Ben, wondering what he was doing this afternoon. It was still early in California, probably sunny and seventy-five degrees. She sighed. Perhaps if she talked to him, made some kind of connection, she could get her head on straight.
    Nudging open the door, grocery bag in hand, she saw the light on her answering machine blinking. She lowered the bags and pressed play.
    “Janie, it’s me.”
    She sat down at the sound of her mother’s voice.
    “Listen, I know you don’t want to hear this, but somebody has to talk some sense into you. You have to decide. It’s not like it’s going to affect you one way or the other. You have to stop thinking about yourself.”
    Jane closed her eyes.
    “I don’t like to bring this up, but you are the one…Well, you know how I feel about that. I think you owe him this. You owe it to me.” Her voice started to break. “I’m all alone, Jane. I don’t know what I’ll do if he doesn’t get out. I just…I’ll have to do something. Oh, hell. Forget I said that. Just call me.”
    She heard the beep and sat there for a few moments, staring at the floor. She picked up the phone and dialed. Ben answered on the fifth ring.
    “Hey, Jane.”
    She smiled at the sound of his voice. “Hi.”
    “What’s going on?”
    “Oh, nothing. Just wanted to see how you’re doing. You sound busy.”
    “Yeah, I’m buried here. There’s already fifty hours of footage to go through. Just trying to organize some of it before we get to the family interviews.”
    “How’s it going?”
    “Slow.”
    “You want to talk later?”
    He hesitated. “I would, but I have plans later. I’m grabbing a drink with Ana, then a movie if it’s not too late.”
    “Oh.”
    “Is that a problem?”
    “Of course not.”
    “I need a break, Jane. I’m working fourteen hour