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Narrowing his eyes first, Bart answered sharply, "So now I' Jory's accident--and deliberately ruining the best time I've had until he was hurt Why, it's just like it used to be when I was nine and ten My fault, everything was always my fault When Clover died, you both presuiving ain you thought it was me, when you knew I loved both Clover and Apple I've never killed anything Even when you found out later it was John Ah hell before you said you were sorry Well, say you're sorry now, for damned if I'll take the blame for Jory's broken back!"

I wanted to believe him so much tears ca forward and reaching for his hand "Somebody did"

His dark eyes went bleak "Several of the workhands dislikedtoo bossybut I don't really think they would do anything to hurt Jory After all, it wasn't me up there"

For so about the wet sand, and when I met Chris's eyes, I kneas convinced as well But in asking, we'd alienated Bartagain

He sat silently now, not slimpsed Joel in the shadows of dense shrubbery as if he'd been eavesdropping on our conversation while pretending to admire the flowers in bloom

"Forgive us if we hurt you, Bart Please, do what you can to help us find out who did wet the sand But for that, Jory would have the use of his legs"

Wisely Cindy had kept very quiet during all of this

Bart started to reply, but at thatus Quickly I sed a light breakfast, then rose to go I had to do so back Melodie's sense of responsibility "Excuse me, Chris, Cindy Take your time and finish your breakfast I'll join you later"

Joel slipped out of the shadows of the dense shrubbery and seated hilance back overI couldn't make out

Feeling heavy of heart, I headed for the room that Melodie now used

Face down on the bed she and Jory had shared, Melodie was crying I perched on the side of her bed, thinking about all the right words to say--but where were the right words? "He's alive, Melodie, and that counts, doesn't it? He's still with us With you You can reach out and touch his I wish I'd said to his father Go to the hospital Every day you stay away, he dies a bit o, if you just stay here and feel sorry for yourself, you'll live to regret it Jory can still hear you, Melodie Don't leave him now He needs you now more than he's ever needed you before"

Wild and hysterical, she turned to beat atinjured

"But I can't face him, Cathy! I've known he lies there, silent and alone where I can't reach him He doesn't anshen you speak, so ould he respond to , I'd die inside Besides, you don't really know him, not like I do You're his mother, not his wife You don't realize just how important his sexual life is to him Noon't have any Do you have any idea of what that one thing is doing to hi up his career He so wanted to prove himself for his father's sake-- his real father's sake And you kid yourself to think he's alive He isn't He's already left you, Cathy Left me, too He doesn't have to die He's already dead while he's still alive"

How her i me Maybe because they were all too true

I panicked inside, realizing that Jory could very well do as Julian had done--find a way to end his life I tried to console myself Jory was not like his father, he was like Chris Eventually Jory would come around and make the best of what he had left