Public Secrets Part 214

as it was for her? Would his palms be wet with nerves? Would his heart

be trembling?

He didn't touch her. Didn't dare. But he struggled to find a voice as

casual as his smile. "It's good to see you."

"And you." She fought to relax her death grip on her bag.

"You look ..." Beautiful, wonderful. "Well."

"Thank you. I am. This is all marvelous for Emma, isn't it?" She

glanced over, but Emma had slipped away. Walls of people had closed in

around them. "You must be very proud of her."

"Yes." He took a long swallow of the whiskey he held. "Can I get you a

drink?"

So polite, Bev thought. So b.l.o.o.d.y civil. "No, thanks. I'm going to

wander around a bit and look. I may just buy something myself" But

first she was going to find that ladies' room and have a cry of her own.

"It was nice seeing you again, Bri."

"Bev-" It was foolish to think that she could still care for him.

"Goodbye."

Emma watched them from across the room and wanted to scream at both of

them. Couldn't they see? It wasn't just her imagination, or wishful

thinking. She was much too good at studying people, and seeing what

they felt. In the eyes, in a gesture, in the set of the body. They

were still in love. And still afraid. She drew a deep breath and

started toward her father. Perhaps if she talked to him ...

"Emmy luy." Johnno caught her around the waist. "I'm about to make my

escape."

"You can't go yet." She straightened his lapels. He was into retro

clothing these days, and they were almost as wide as the palm of her

hand. "Bev's here."

"Is she? Well, I'll have to go see if she's ready to run away with me

yet. But in the meantime, I've run into someone from your past."

"My past." She laughed. "I don't have a past."

"Ah, but you do. A sultry summer day on the beach. A hunk in blue

trunks." Like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, he swept his arm

aside.

"Michael?"

How odd to see him there, she thought, looking handsome and

uncomfortable in a suit and tie. His dark hair was thick, and still

unstyled. His face had fined down, was lean and bony with the slightly

crooked nose an appealing flaw. He had his hands in his pockets, and

looked as though he'd rather be anywhere else on earth.

"I- ah-was in town, so-"

She was laughing when she threw her arms around him. He thought his

heart stopped. He knew his brain did. Slowly, carefully, he pulled his

hands free and pressed them lightly to her back. She felt as he'd

remembered, as he'd always imagined she would feel. Slender and firm

and fragile.

"This is wonderful. I can't believe you're really here." Everything

rushed through her so quickly. An afternoon on the beach. Two

afternoons. What she'd felt as a child, then as a woman, slammed into

her so fast, so unexpectedly, that she held him close, and held him too