thout turning

ietly. "I'm sorry. The

he foot of the bed for a long moment, and then he did something her

I s

before she un

s caught the side of his face-the same sharp jaw, the same dark eyes, the same mouth that had never once kissed her

Singapore. They cancelled the flight. I turned

d have asked why Mr. Dray hadn't updated her card. In

ll right?"

m f

Like a fact he had observed and was sorry for. "You've lo

otice

rse I n

ad spent six months being invisible in thi

ea?" he asked. "Y

know how I

lemon if you have it. You had it

yone that. It was a small thing, a tiny, insignificant thing, b

he said.

ootsteps returning. When he came back, he handed her the tea and sat on the floor bes

ut your fath

hy

talk about him. Bec

and the bad days. About the way her father asked about the ships, and how she lied to him every single time.

rrupt. He didn't check his

"You should bring him photograph

t remember

ll remember you bri

ooked at him, and for a mom

you?" s

ad smile that didn't

hould have com

to sunlight and an empty be

office. Dinn

otes Mr. Dray delivered on her breakfast tray. The dash was sh

lf she was ima

n her knee, and she heard him before she saw him at the front door, the footsteps,

in the doorway, he wa

thought we could eat in the su

him. "You br

dn't cook it." He smiled, and it was almost shy. "I'

r brought di

it: two containers, two sets of utensils, a bottle of wine he

Not the usual questions,s not about the foundation or the luncheons or the calendar. Questions about

father's ships, learning the routes. About the way the water looked at dawn like the whole world

ee it?"

tebook was private. T

ose dark eyes, and he was waiting

ded it

ul fingers. When he looked up, his expression w

aid. "The berth numbers. The

I have lef

table between them. "It's you. You're what's left of hi

alled beautiful. She had been called decorative. Sh

ver called h

toast, and laughed at his own ineptitude. He drew her a bath when her shoulders ached and

said. "The gray one. I thin

n it. It'

out. Don't tell Margueri

,d rusty, unfamiliar. She couldn't

ssed her forehead and brushed her hair. When she tensed, he stopped

night, s

d night,

woke to an empty bed an

re. Nine days.

astian's. The S looped the way it always d

, staring at the note, and she didn't know wha