Page 60 (2/2)

"Hello," she repeated, louder this tiuessed it could be hi" His voice sounded strange

If her heart was racing, her ently

"Don’t think so"

His words were slightly slurred "Have you been drinking?"

"You could say that" His laugh was more of a snicker "You askedproblem"

"I remember"

"Do you re so hard she could hear the echo of it in her ear

"I said, and it’s the honest truth, I didn’t until that day" He snorted with a short-lived laugh "Had more alcohol in the last week than in the last two years, and you knoho I have to thank?"

"Me?" Not exactly a wild guess

"Wrong I blaain?"

"Beth"

"Right"

Sunshine set her book aside "Peter," she said gently, "Why are you callingup, because I will?"

"How did you get my number?" she asked instead

"I have my ways It isn’t as difficult as you think"

"Are you alone?" she asked, wondering if he was in any danger

"Why do you want to know?"

She pressed the phone closer to her ear, unsure he’d like her answer "I was thinking about you earlier"

"Thought about you, too … every minute Don’t want to Don’t want you inme crazy"

"You’ve been on h "You pity h I aood life"

"You’re not the only one Answerup and I swear by all I hold holy, which unfortunately is daain"

"No, don’t promise me that I want you to feel free to call me if you’d like"

Silence followed as if her words had shocked him

Sunshine bit into the corner of her lip "What is it you want to know?"

"Why you never married I don’t understand it Never have Was it because of me, Sunshine? Did I destroy your ability to trust another man?"