Page 12 of A Second Chance for Carys
The sea sparkled.
James chuckled.
“Not so disappointed now, I see,” he drawled.
She didn’t turn to him when she answered on a breath. “No.”
How could she be? She had never seen anything more beautiful. Even though she had imagined this moment many times, the reality surpassed her imagination. Would she have been as struck had it not been a sunny day and the sea not sparkled so, she wondered?
Yes. Somehow, she was certain that even under leaden skies, the view would have taken her breath away.
“Come,” James said quietly. “We need to get closer. I know the best place to go.”
After a short ride down gentle slopes, they finally reached their destination. They hitched the horses to a cluster of trees that seemed made for that purpose and walked toward the edge of the water, which was coming and retreating rhythmically, creating a sort of foam as it did. Was it supposed to do that? Carys had never seen anything like it. One glance at James made it clear he was unconcerned. Perhaps everything was as it should be. Feeling somewhat ridiculous at her lack of knowledge, she edged closer.
“It’s nothing like the lake near the village,” she observed under her breath.
“No. I can imagine. It will be much bigger.”
“Yes. And rather daunting. Peaceful. Unfamiliar. Soothing.”
“All this?”
“All this. And more.”
He seemed delighted by her reaction, which puzzled her. What had she done save give her honest opinion? But now that she thought of it, he always seemed to enjoy watching her enjoy something. Perhaps because his own reactions were so subdued, he liked seeing someone experience things to the full? It would make sense. Well, if he enjoyed that, he had definitely come to the right person. Carys was incapable of keeping her reactions, be they good or bad, to herself. She wore her heart on her sleeve and she was not afraid to let her emotions show, especially delight. Expressing them out loud seemed to allow her to feel them with more intensity.
“Do you want to dip your feet in?” James suggested when she was about to ask if they could get even closer. “It would be a pity to have come all this way and not even enjoy the feel of the water against your skin, don’t you think?”
Yes, it would be.
James wanted Carys to make the most of the moment, not only for her sake, but for his also. He would derive even morepleasure from watching her than he would from feeling the cool water snake around his ankles. After all, it was nothing new to him. But he knew she would love it.
“Is it safe? I don’t know how to swim,” she admitted with a delicious blush.
“You won’t need to. The water is very shallow for several yards around here,” he explained, trying not to dwell on how that blush became her. It made it impossible to look anywhere else but at her beautiful face. “It’s perfectly safe.”
“Can you swim?”
“Yes. So there is nothing to fear, I’ll catch you if you slip.” He would even enjoy it. “I will come in the water with you, so you can hold on to my arm if you need to.”
That seemed to decide her. Without further ado, she sat down to remove her shoes and stockings. The gesture was so artless, it denoted such enthusiasm, he felt something tighten inside him. What that might be, he wasn’t sure but he suspected it might be joy. The simple joy of being with someone who enjoyed what life had to offer. After having been alone for so long, after having almost died, that was exactly what he needed.
But even if it hadn’t been, he could not have prevented himself from wanting to be with Carys. He’d been attracted to her from the start, and he was more attracted to her than ever, which was little wonder.
How could she appear so youthful with two grown daughters, he asked himself for the hundredth time? Her face was perfection, her hair the most extraordinary color. He could tell it had been a rich auburn when she was younger. But the silver strands time had woven through it, instead of being spread throughout, as it was in other people, himself included, were focused in two wide streaks either side of her head. They followed the shell of her ear, starting at her temple, and running all the way to the end of the long locks, which hung in soft wavesover her shoulders. The effect was striking, unlike anything he had ever seen.
Was it enough to explain the fascination she exerted over him? No. But combined with her smile, the sparkle in her eyes, her boundless enthusiasm and the lilting accent giving her every declaration an entrancing quality, it was more than enough.
Without ceremony, she bunched her skirts in one hand and walked toward the lapping waves. As spring was still a few weeks away, he knew the water would be cold. The sea was also rather agitated that morning, but he didn’t mention anything, since it was safe, as he’d said. There was no point in worrying her for nothing.
“Are you not waiting for me then?” he asked, as he started to remove his boots.
“No. You’re taking forever, and I’m impa—” She let out a little shriek when the first wave hit her toes.
“Cold?” he asked, amused.
“Yes. And tickly,” she replied, retreating hastily. As she did so, she wavered, unused to the sensation of having sand being sucked from under her feet. Fortunately, he had reached her by then and he steadied her with an arm about the waist.
