Phoenix Reborn (Woodland Creek)(16)

“How do you do that?” she asked as they wandered along the sidewalk. “I would have thought you’d be inundated with autograph requests from the locals.”

“I suppose I exude a little hostility on occasion,” he said. “When I need to.”

“I can’t even imagine. You seem very…warm…to me,” she said, surprised at her own forwardness. “I can’t quite see you being hostile.”

“Oh, I can be very hostile,” he said, his tone more serious than she was used to.

“Like on movie sets when you don’t get your way?” she laughed.

“Yes — and no,” he said, his tone stoic. “More when I need to look after something. I have a life beyond my job.”

“Of course you do. I didn’t mean…”

“Oh, I know. I only mean that I can be protective, if someone I care about is in trouble.” His voice had softened once again. “Speaking of people I care about — Ashling, would you come with me? I want to show you something.”

“Sure,” she said. The truth was that no part of her wanted to do anything but accompany him. She felt a little as though she would have followed him into an active volcano, had he asked. It was a little crazy, the effect that this man had on her. But all of it was positive; he made her feel at peace, happy. It reminded her of their youth, of how comfortable she’d been with him, and excited at the same time.

“You’re surprised, you say, at some aspects of my nature,” he told her as they walked. “But you’d be more surprised at yourself.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I believe there’s someone — something — inside you that you don’t understand yet. You may be afraid of it, but it’s there and you need to learn to embrace it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Knots tied themselves in her stomach as she considered his words. What did he mean? Did this have something to do with the incident in high school?

“Let’s just say that you’re not alone,” he said. “That’s all you need to know for now. And you never need to feel alone again.”

“I don’t feel alone when I’m around you,” she said softly. “Somehow, it’s like when we were kids. You used to keep me company. Do you remember?”

“Of course I do. I liked your company,” he said. “More than anyone else’s. I loved it, in fact.” The word was laced with deep meaning. Was he saying that he’d had feelings for her, as she’d had for him?

Ashling was flooded with warmth in that moment. With a closeness she’d never experienced, a bond formed through the simplicity of speech.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. You were so…special. And I knew it. I wanted to be around you, to look after you. I wanted to talk to you about everything.”

“Everything?”

“Everything. And I wish I could now. But that’s probably a bad idea.”

Ashling turned to him, stopping in her tracks. “You can talk to me, you know,” she said. “I know I act hesitant — I’m just so used to being afraid.”

He reached out and pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. Ashling closed her eyes, savouring the moment; that touch of his.

“You don’t need to be afraid with me,” he said quietly. “I would never hurt you.”

Again her heart leapt, soaring inside her chest, wanting to expose itself to him. Wanting him to know what it was that he did to her. I would never hurt you. If he knew how he could break her heart all over again, he would run a thousand miles away.

“Come on,” he said, grinning as he took her hand and began to walk again. He guided her down Main Street and turned right.

“Are we going to the Observatory again?” she asked.

“Yes. Is that all right?”

“I suppose…”

“There won’t be anyone around and we can have some privacy,” he said. “If that’s okay.”

Privacy? Why was he looking for privacy? Was Hawke Turner going to kiss her, or more?

Good lord, she was like a thirteen year old girl hoping for her first kiss. Of course, she’d been kissed before. But never by him. Never by such a man as this.

Her breath went shallow as her heart unrelentingly pounded in her chest, and as they walked she tried to deepen her inhales and exhales to counteract the effect that he was having on her body.

When at last they’d climbed the hill, Hawke pointed to the sky.

“This is what I want to show you. Up there, far in the distance,” he said, “Is Venus. To you it looks like another star. But I can see so much more; every subtle variation in its surface.”

“With the telescope in the Observatory, you mean.”

“No. With my eyes.”

“But how can you? Have you had some sort of high tech implant?”

Hawke laughed, turning towards her and taking both of her hands in his. “You are lovely,” he said. “Do you know that?”

“No.” She looked away, feeling mocked. But she held onto his hands.

“Ashling, years ago you became famous in this town for your little stunt with firewood. No one at that party knew what you did, or how. No one but me.”