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He wasLindy more furious by the minute, and she tried to tell him as much and still keep control of her te our conversation," she said to the woman on the phone

Rush walked around the table a couple of ti like aits kill Finally he stopped, standing directly across fro the back of his neck as though to relieve an ache there, then paused and looked at her "Lindy, I’"

The words were nearly shouted She hesitated and prayed for patience, and when that didn’t work, she counted to ten Flippantly she raised her hand and waved goodbye Still, he didn’t move

"I’m twenty-two," Lindy answered the woman’s question "No…no you needn’t worry about that sort of thing There isn’t anyone ihtly at the lie

She exchanged a look with Rush and feared he was going to explode "I thought you were leaving," she whispered heatedly, cupping her hand over the mouthpiece "Don’t let ed, staring at her as though she were co out"

"I know---In teeks"

"The catapults are being tested to works out we’ll be gone by the beginning of next week"

"The beginning of next week," she echoed, hanging up the phone She kept her hand on the receiver feeling numb with shock, numb with fear "But you said it would be at least a month"

"As I recall, I told you it could be as long as a month As it happens, it’s only two, possibly three weeks"

"Oh, Rush" She turned to him, her eyes ith a hundred eo that their tiether was li weeks Needed thereat surprise," he told her, and pulled out a chair to sit across from her

"It isn’t… It’s just that… I don’t know" Her stomach twisted into hard knots and for a painful moment she couldn’t breathe She was stunned, and she felt Rush’s eyes slowly search her face With everything in her, she aze, deterht be quivering with apprehension, but she’d die s before she’d allow him to know it He’d already told her once that he didn’t want her clinging to him when he left And she wouldn’t She’d stand on the dock with a smile on her lips and a tear in her eye, and wave until her ar her

"About tonight," he started again "I didn’t aze, but not before Lindy saw a strange ret, desire and reht she’d witnessed all Rush’s moods She’d seen him at his cynical best, when he’d been purposely aloof and brash She’d experienced his comfort, his tenderness as he held her in his arainst his chest And she’d heard the hter, stood transfixed by his so toabout him

"Lindy, I’m sorry for what I said"

His hand reached for hers, rubbing war that would suffice as acceptance of his apology

They were silent for a hts

"I don’t have any right to ask you to wait six months for me"

"I’ll wait," she offered quietly Lindy had no other choice

"If you meet someone else…"

"Is that what you want?"

"No" Anger flared briefly in his eyes Then his expression changed to that cool, watchful look he wore so often "No," he repeated softly

"That isn’t what you said earlier" She tried to laugh, but the sound of her pain was carried in the mirth