Page 9 (2/2)

Still, the delay couldn’t diet her hopes up, but she wanted so badly to relive her tih all the steps they’d taken before

She wanted his would never be the sa with her Her only hope was for hiht before, she’d forever have to live with the fact that at least so lovers

"Penny for your thoughts?"

She griated her way down the interstate "They aren’t worth that much"

"Then don’t think them"

To her surprise, he leaned over, curled his hand around her nape and h her thick hair It was te to close her eyes and lean her head all the way back but then they’d have a wreck and never get off this damn interstate

"I’ if she shouldn’t just shut up, but she’d always had this habit of being completely honest It wasn’t in her makeup to shy away froured if people talked more about their issues then there wouldn’t be so many issues

Rafael--the old Rafael--hadn’tconversations and she’d always told hihts

But now, she had a newfound reservation against being so forthright She hated feeling so unsure of herself

"Why are you nervous?" he asked softly

"You Me Us What if this doesn’t work? I feel like this is my only chance and that if you don’t reainto disappear just because I can’t remember the details of his conception"

"You sound like you’ve accepted that I’ed "I’ve e, I choose to think of it as my child"

Her heart did a little squeeze in her chest "Thank you for that For now it’s enough Until we figure out everything else, it’s enough that you accept our baby"

"And you"

She turned to glance quickly at hihway

He lowered his hand fro "There is definitely soether, surely I have to accept that ere lovers, that youto me?"

"I hope I did," she said softly

"Tell me, Bryony, do you still love me?"

There was a note of raw curiosity in his voice Almost as if he wasn’t sure hoanted her to answer

"That’s unfair," she said in a low voice "You can’t expectout when there’s a real possibility we’ll never be e once were to each other You can’t expecta er," he corrected "I’ve already ad to each other"

"So," she said painfully "Don’t ask me, Rafael Not until you remember ht I’ll ask you then"

Ten

After what seemed an interminable time, Bryony drove her little car onto the ferry and was immediately sandwiched by vehicles twice the size of hers

Rafael had serious reservations about her driving around with a newborn in soer than a Matchbox car

To his surprise, she opened her door and started to cli?"

She ducked down to look at hih theand flashed a wide smile "Come on It’s a beautiful sunset We can watch it fro"

Her exuberance shouldn’t have surprised hiotten a taste of it in bits and pieces, but now that they’d left the city, she seeo back…?

There was no doubt that he wanted to regain hishole in his mind wasn’t at all acceptable to someone like him, as used to control in every aspect of his life Noas dependent on souide him and itwhat happened during those lost weeks, he found hiht even if it e for him He wasn’t at all sure he was ready for fatherhood and a relationship Love If Bryony was to be believed… Love It baffled hiued him all at the same time

He didn’t want to hurt her At this point he’d do anything to keep fro her and so he hoped that some miracle had occurred on this island and that he’d be able to find that saain

He clis He inhaled deeply, enjoying the tang of the salty air A breeze ruffled his hair, but he noted it was a war The air was heavier here but…cleaner, if that made sense

Bryony, in her i coed hiathered Some had chosen to remain inside their vehicles, but others, like he and Bryony were leaning over the side and staring at the burst of gold on the horizon Pink-and-purple hues ers until the entire sky looked as if it were alive and breathing fire

"It’s beautiful, isn’t it?"

He glanced down at Bryony and nodded "Yes, it is"

"You don’t see too ly

"What’s that supposed to ed "You mentioned before e used to sit out onyou ever had ti a hurry So I was determined to show you as et to do it all over again Oh, look! Dolphins!"

He looked to where she was pointing to see several sleek, gray bodies arc out of the water and then disappear below the surface

"They follow the ferry quite a bit," she said "I look for them every tiht up in theas they resurfaced "There they are again!"

She s hi in the world to extricate his ar as the dolphins raced through the water, with her tucked up close to his side

He shook his head at the absurdity of it all Here he ithout his phone or an internet connection He’d left his BlackBerry in the car He was on a ferry, of all things, watching dolphins play as he held the mother of his child