Ray of Light Read Online Free PDF Page B

colored dresses and blue skies, everything seemed better.
    Even the heat coming off the hot cement felt rejuvenating, like he was suddenly alive after sleeping too long in a dark room.
    He envied everyone who was fortunate enough to live in such a place for months at a time.
    When a group of men their fathers’ ages invited them to play shuffleboard, he jumped right in, but wasn’t too disappointed when he was eliminated after the first round. He enjoyed people-watching as much as anything.
    Though most of the people were either Mennonite or Amish, being in Pinecraft had afforded Roman an unusual opportunity to be around men and women from all parts of the country. Many Amish came here for vacation, a way to be away from home but still among their people. The relaxed atmosphere gave him the chance to notice the differences in everything from women’s kapps to men’s hats and dialects.
    Evan, Jonah, and Paul seemed to understand his preference to simply observe. When Roman took a seat on a bench and stretched out his legs, none of them seemed to care that he was sitting alone and watching the game.
    And then he saw her.
    Amanda was walking toward him on the sidewalk, her hand clasped around a little girl’s. Amanda was wearing the same apricot-colored dress that she’d had on that morning. Her daughter’s dress was a more vibrant shade of orange, and the combination of their bright dresses made Roman smile.
    As did their expressions. Both were chuckling as they sidestepped the men who were gathered around the shuffleboard courts and the older ladies who’d stopped for a quick chat.
    When they moved off the sidewalk to pet someone’s puppy, Roman found himself moving to one side of the bench and craning his neck to see them better.
    His focus was probably obvious. Maybe bordering on rude.
    But for the life of him, Roman couldn’t find the will to look away. Not even when Amanda glanced in his direction, caught sight of him, and then looked a little apprehensive. Obviously she was finding his unwavering attention more than a little off-putting.
    The smart thing to do would be to look away. To turn back to the men he was with. To let her have her space.
    But instead, he approached her, just as if his feet had a mind of their own.
    â€œHi, Amanda,” he said. “I thought that was you.” As if he could have been mistaken.
    Politely, Amanda stopped, but she didn’t look all that happy about it. “ Gut matin . Again.” She reached for her daughter’s hand again—an unmistakable sign of protectiveness.
    He ignored it. “I’m Roman,” he said to her daughter. “I met your mamm this morning on the beach. She said you’ve been playing with my niece, Lindy.”
    There, he was no longer a stranger, and had effectively eliminated any opportunity Amanda might have taken to keep them apart.
    Looking at him with wide blue eyes, her daughter stared at him warily.
    â€œThis is Regina,” Amanda said. “She’s a little shy.”
    Roman inwardly chastised himself. He shouldn’t have been so gregarious. “It’s nice to meet you, Regina,” he said softly.
    After a few seconds of studying him, she held up the hand Amanda wasn’t holding and displayed a bright blue bandage on one of her fingers. “I have a Band-Aid.”
    He bent down so he could examine it more closely. “Indeed you do. What happened?”
    Her lips pursed. “I was stung by a bee.”
    â€œOh my goodness, that hurts.”
    Patting Regina’s back, Amanda said, “She was a brave girl.”
    After studying Roman again, Regina blurted, “I cried, but I’m okay now.” Then she waved her finger as if to illustrate its good condition. “Mamm put some ice on my finger and wrapped it up.”
    He noticed that pink unicorns decorated the bandage. “I like those horses.”
    â€œThey’re unicorns, not horses.