Page 60 of Eclipse Bay

“I’ll only hang around for a little while. Whatever it is showed up between midnight and two the last couple of times, right?”

“Yes.”

“It’s almost two. I’ll leave soon.”

“Rafe—”

“Go to sleep,” he said softly.

She clutched the phone more tightly. “Rafe, about tonight—”

“What about it?”

“I apologize for acting like a complete idiot. Asking you whether or not what happened between us was all about Dreamscape was inexcusable. I knew better than that.”

“Whatever is going on between you and me, it’s not about the house.”

She hesitated. “A lot of people in town will think it is.”

“Everyone in Eclipse Bay thinks that I seduced you on the beach eight years ago, too.” The dismissive shrug in his voice was loud and clear. “Do you really care what people think?”

She contemplated the question for a long moment. “No.”

“Neither do I.”

“Rafe?”

“Yeah?”

“If what happened tonight wasn’t about Dreamscape, what was it about?”

“Good question. When you figure out the answer, let me know.”

“Rafe?”

“Yeah?”

“Sometimes you remind me an awful lot of Winston when it comes to communicating.”

“Probably a guy thing.”

“Good night, Rafe.”

“Don’t forget to call me in the morning.”

She hung up the phone and climbed into bed. She did not even attempt to close her eyes until she heard the muted purr of his car’s engine recede into the distance sometime later. She glanced at the clock. It was two-fifteen.

At the foot of the bed, Winston was sound asleep.

chapter 13

The next morning she waited until ten o’clock to call.

“Don’t want to look too eager,” she told Winston as she punched out the number on the kitchen cordless. “Guys sense it if you’re too eager.”

Winston looked bored. He went to the door and looked back at her with an expectant expression.

“You’ve already been out twice this morning.” She listened to the phone ring on the other end. “I think you’re getting addicted to the beach.”

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