Ashleigh's Dilemma (12 page)
Read Ashleigh's Dilemma Online
Authors: J. D. Reid
Patrick pushed himself upright and turned so he was on his knees facing her.
“Have you ever been kissed on a stone beach, in the middle of… as the sun…?”
“Don’t even think of it!” she laughed.
Late that night, dinner done, the pots and dishes cleaned, the first stars out, the chill and dampness slipping down the sides of the mountains and creeping out from the dark cavern of the fo
rest, the sea perfectly calm mirroring the sky and the distant mountains, they sat close together staring into the dancing flames. She sat with her back against him for added warmth; he sat next to her with his wrapped about her, with the promise of the evening, and even the rest of their lives, still ahead of them.
A light mist was rising before the nearest island almost black against the undisturbed and sun-scattered sound. The tide was in and there was a slight swell reaching up the shore and sweeping back; he could hear the tumbling of the rocks as the waves retreated. He could also hear Ashleigh stepping across the stones to the edge of pool – short steps, hesitant, almost the only sound in a perfect morning. There was a long pause – and then she was in. He could hear her hit the water – glass and ice breaking and scattering away - and then her scream. He laughed quietly but didn’t turn about. He heard her splashing, “Soap, soap, soap!” and another splash, a gasp: “Argh! Hair, hair, hair! God it’s cold!” Another splash, a hesitant silence: “Argh!” He heard her climb out, her bare feet once again on the gravel; he imagined her reaching for her towel and lifting it. He turned. She was drying herself off, scrubbing herself down, bringing circulation back into her flaming limbs. She glanced up, caught his eye, and laughed, making no attempt to hide herself. He watched her run naked up from the beach, gingerly jumping from stone to stone, “Ouch, ouch, ouch!” and heading directly toward him and the sun-warmed rock where she had left her clothing. He knew then that he loved her. He loved her for a thousand reasons not the least of which was her smile and the echoing sound of her laughter.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Mary Alice Marsh for setting me upon this road. Patti who taught me all I know, or think I know, about love.
Robin for her instruction in the finer mysteries of a woman’s heart. Jim (aka, Mister Wood!) for his support and many years of friendship. And, lastly, Neil Bobroff for his wit, insight, friendship, and support.
j. d. Reid lives an ageless but eclectic lifestyle immersed in isolation, beautiful views, dark skies, and a deep passion to write. He likes music, art, English literature, astronomy, paleontology, anthropology, entomology, psychology, even religion, but finds all of us the most interesting of all. He has holed himself up on an island where the Great Lakes merge into the St Lawrence River to see what happens. He is a Canadian and a proud American. He has English roots, some Scottish peat in his blood, and even a tingle of the Irish. He's not a very good-looking chap. :>)
"The Girl on the Ferry" is his first novel and there are two more currently in progress, next one out in the spring of 2013. He has a pact to restrict his writing solely to the mystery and beauty in the world. He does little to promote his work and hopes readers will do that for him by simply reading it. For now, he spends his time writing. Luckily, his overhead is not
all that high.
He can be contacted at [email protected] when the wind is right.
If you liked this work, you might like his first novel,
The Girl on the Ferry
.
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