Part 30 (1/2)

”Thanks, anyway.” Matt gave a wave and revved up the engine. Then he let out a breath and turned to Annabelle as the other boat took off. ”We might as well turn around.”

She gazed at him, hating to agree with him, yet knowing he was right.

”Mom, she's still out there.” Lincoln's plea was quiet, but there was a desperation about it, too.

Annabelle turned to him. ”I know. But it's too dangerous to stay out on the water looking.”

”I don't care! She's here! I can feel it!” Lincoln's eyes filled with tears.

Annabelle put a hand on his arm and fought to control her own tears. ”Lincoln, try and understand.” Her voice shook. ”I can't risk you to try and find her.”

Chapter 22.

Jack wished he believed that Frick and Frack would actually notify somebody to come out and pick up a couple of castaways. As he and Gen kept guard over Brogan, occasionally taking out his gag to give him some water, Jack watched the light fade and tried to tell himself help was on the way. He wasn't convinced.

The seals had started communicating from wherever they were, but this time Jack didn't mistake the barking and bleating for human laughter. Last time he'd heard the seals, he and Gen were on the brink of a wild s.e.xual adventure. Tonight neither of them had mentioned the one remaining condom. Jack had pocketed it, not wanting anyone to find it. If nothing else, he'd have one h.e.l.l of a souvenir.

They were down to a half-bottle of water each, including Brogan. They'd eaten the guava, giving a little of that to the sleazeball, too. Jack figured Gen had to be starving, since he was ready to start munching on sand himself. They'd decided not to go after more guavas, though, and risk being on the wrong side of the island when help arrived. If help arrived.

Gen, however, was the eternal optimist on that subject. On most subjects, come to think of it.

”Those guys gave us water, so they'll also send help,” she announced with confidence. Then she gave Brogan another sip of water before stuffing the makeup bag back in his mouth and tightening the belt to keep it in place.

Jack was glad to see that Gen had no sympathy for Brogan. She just wanted him alive so Matt could maybe get his money back. Jack pretended Brogan wasn't even there, so he could try to enjoy the rest of this time alone with Gen.

”Are you going to be okay getting on a helicopter if that's what they send?” he asked her. ”It's even scarier than the Sky King.”

”I would climb on the back of an albatross if that's what it took to get home again.”

Jack smiled. ”That bird sure showed up at the right time.”

”Sure did. I'm really glad Nick didn't kill it, though. I would have felt terrible about that.”

”Yeah, me, too.” Jack took another drink of his water. ”I seem to remember reading about an albatross in school. A guy with one around his neck or something like that. An albatross was bad juju, at least in that story.”

”Birds are never bad luck for me.” Gen stretched her legs out in front of her. ”In the Hollow folks think an owl hooting means somebody will die, but I don't. I used to love sitting on the porch listening to an owl. Or a whip-poorwill.”

”Tell me more about what it was like back there.”

”You're sure you're not bored?”

”Positively sure.” As she described the backwoods area where she'd spent the first fifteen years of her life, Jack couldn't take his eyes off of her. He'd asked to have the gla.s.ses again, making up some excuse about wanting to see if he could spot the seals. All he'd really wanted was a clear view of Gen before they lost this intimacy, maybe forever.

He'd taken a gazillion mental pictures of her sitting on the sand, her skin brushed with light from the setting sun, her hair loose around her shoulders. He'd made love to this G.o.ddess. He, Jackson Farley, had held her in his arms and made her moan.

”I'm through being ashamed of my raising, Jack,” she said at last.

”Good. Because you shouldn't be.”

”I realize that now.” Then she fell silent and gazed off into the distance, as if talking about the Hollow had put her back there.

Jack liked hearing about her childhood, but he didn't want her drifting away from him. He decided to broach the subject nearest and dearest to his heart. ”Gen, you've said you don't want to take a chance on having s.e.x once we get back because you think it wouldn't be as good as it was here.”

She turned to look at him, her gaze cautious. ”That's right.”

”You're so optimistic about everything else, why not be optimistic about us?”

”It's one thing to be a positive thinker. It's another to ignore reality completely.”

”You don't know what the reality would be. You won't even give it a chance.”

She sighed. ”I've watched you for months at Rainbow. Once you get excited about a project, you forget everything else, and don't tell me you don't. You'd stand me up, Jack. You think you wouldn't, but you would.”

Jack didn't believe for a minute that he'd stand her up, but this didn't seem to be an argument he could win. ”How about if we test that theory with something really small? What if right now, we make a date to go out for ice cream?”

She licked her lips. ”Ice cream sounds wonderful right now.”

Brogan moaned, but Jack ignored him. ”It does, doesn't it? Two scoops on a sugar cone. Double fudge and strawberry cheesecake.”

Gen closed her eyes. ”Fresh peach and cappuccino.”

”We'd have to eat fast, because it melts quick in the summer.”

She kept her eyes closed. ”But I'd try to eat it slow. I'd want the cappuccino on the bottom and the peach on top. But even if the peach drips on the cappuccino, that's okay. Those flavors go great together.” She licked her lips again and sighed.

”So, is it a date?”

Eyes still closed, she smiled lazily. ”Oh, yeah.” Then her eyes snapped open. ”Wait a minute. You tricked me into that.”

”You said it. You said yes. This is just for ice cream. Nothing else. No big deal. If I can't even show up for an ice cream date, then you're right, I'm hopeless. I won't bother you ever again.”

She shook her head. ”This is ridiculous. You're setting yourself up for failure. Once we get back, you'll have tons of work. If we had a really big date, and you thought we'd have s.e.x afterward, you might remember, but not just a little ice cream date.”

”Then it's a perfect test. Three nights from tonight, I'll be at your house at seven-thirty.”

”No, you won't.”

”Yes, I will.”

”I tell you, Jack, you won't. But if you want to think that you'll-” She stopped talking and grew very still.

”What?”

”Shh. What's that noise?”

Jack listened. Was that a motor?