Secrets in the Lowcountry--The River Read Online Free PDF Page A

into her ear . “ W hether w e arrive in fifteen minutes or a half hour, the situation w on’t change.”
    She didn’t respond , but she eased back on the throttle and the boat settled into a more comfortable ride .
    “ Thank you,” he said in a normal tone.
    “You’re w elcome,” she managed.
    “ Do you have binoculars aboard?” I nstead of his death hold on the console, he leaned his back against it as if for additional support .
    “Actually, t w o pairs,” she said.
    “T w o?”
    “ Dad and Mary enjoy w atching the w ildlife along the river, so they each have a pair .” She opened the console dra w er and handed him the first set, then slipped the strap for the other binoculars over her head and let them dangle.
    He thanked her again, as he, too, eased the strap over his head, before picking up the binoculars and surveying the river’s edge. Only the green spartan a grass and the small rivul ets of w ater that fed the Broad stared back at him.
    “Ho w coul d Rod do this?” S he shook her head as if in disbelief.
    “Taylor , you and I met the guy on the same day in school t w enty years ago. ”
    “ W hat has that to do w ith anything?” She r eturn ed to her previous angry state .
    “If you’ d listen for a minute, ” he pleaded.
    She nodded and the annoyed expression softened .
    Turning his atte ntion to the bank of the river, so he w ouldn ’t have to w atch her face , he continued, “ You kne w him as w ell as I did. S ince I haven’t seen much of him since graduating high school ten years ago, you kno w the man he’s become better than I do.”
    “ But, y ou’ re his best friend. ”
    He believed he could feel her staring at him, but pretended to sustain his survey of the river bank . Actually, he gave the edge of the river only a portion of his attention. E ven k no w ing ho w I felt to w ard you, Rod had to make a play and eventually steal you a w ay, ending any relationship between us .
    “ Rod w as my best friend all through m iddle school and high school, but I never fully understood him. ” Jeff still kept his eyes trained on the marshy , bro w n river’s bank. T he man’s a selfish bastard , and al w ays has been. Y ou’ve never seen that part of him or if you did , you choose to ignore it.
    “You said, ‘ w as your best friend’. W hat happened bet w een the t w o of you?”
    W ould she accept the truth? Even if she did, this w asn’t the time to tell her. “ W e w ent to different universities, gained ne w friends, found diverse goals. I moved a w ay and w ould still be up north if this teaching position hadn’t come up and if Dad hadn’t had a stroke. Life changes one’s plans. If Mom w ere alive, perhaps I w ouldn ’t have come, but I’m Dad’s only family, so I returned .” To his o w n ears, he heard the lack of enthusiasm.
    “Aren’t you glad to be back in the Lo w coun try ?”
    Obviously, Taylor had heard his doubts. He shifted hi s attention from the shore line to her. Her tall, slim figure, her classic face, and her gorgeous, long auburn hair tied in a ponytail w ith strands w hipping around her face caused his heart to ache. She w ould never be his. She never had been his. E ven though he’d al w ays w anted more, he’d accepted she’ d never be more than his friend. R egardless of w hom she married, he w ould be here for her.
    “Jeff?” she pushed , dropping her glasses and staring at him .
    W ondering ho w to ans w er honestly, he t w isted so that he could see the area to be searched . “I’m glad an opportunity cam e up to teach at the University. I’m enjoying the kids and the staff, so I guess the ans w er is yes.” He intensifi ed his search of the marsh, glad to have a reason to avoid Taylor’s eyes.
    “Aren’t you pleased to see me and all your other old friends? ” S he eased back on the throttle as she turned into the W hale Branch River .
    She didn’t kno w ho w glad he w as to see her or ho w much it hurt to be w ith her.