It was odd. Annie had imagined that someone would someday rescue her from her lonely existence. And her white knight had always looked exactly like Rourke Quinn. From the moment hed defended her against the town bullies, hed become her hero. And now, here he was, coming to her rescue again. Only she wasnt a child anymore. She was a twenty-five-year-old woman.
Over the years, her fantasies had given way to a simple reality. She was alone and no one was coming to ease her loneliness. So shed accepted her life as it was and learned to be happy.
Maybe it seemed strange to others on the island, but it was a life shed come to enjoy, even love. She had her paintings and her poetry and plenty of time for her own thoughts. Still, she couldnt deny that she was grateful for the company, especially with the approaching storm.
It wasnt just because he was handsome or sexy or even a tiny bit dangerous. Annie had weathered storms in the past and theyd always left her shaken, filled with bad memories of her parents deaths. Perhaps if she had someone with her during the worst of it, it wouldnt be so traumatic.
The door flew open and Rourke stepped back inside, his arms loaded with firewood. He strode to the hearth and carefully stacked the wood on the stone apron. Then, he tossed a few birch logs onto the flickering embers. A moment later, flames licked at the white bark.
He sat back on his heels and stared into the fire. How do you feel? he asked.
Better, she said. Thank you. For rescuing me.
He turned to look at her and she took in the details of his face. There was something so kind about his eyes, even set in an expression that seemed less than happy. You should go. You dont want to be caught out here when the storm rolls in.
I have some tools in my truck, he said. The wind is supposed to be bad. Im going to get your shutters squared away and then Ill leave.
You dont have to
No, Im not sure I could leave you here without making this place a little safer.
Its held up to almost a hundred years of storms. Im sure it will hold up to one more, Annie said.
Im not so sure, Rourke replied. This is supposed to be a bad one.
Annie shrugged. I cant stop it from coming, so worrying about the wind never did much good. Whatever will happen, will happen.
He gave her an odd look. How is your head? Are you confused?
Annie pulled the towel away. I think its stopped bleeding.
Just stay put, he said. Lie down and rest. Do you want me to light the stove? I could make you a cup of tea.
No, Ill be fine. She paused. Why are you doing this, Rourke Quinn?
Because no one else seems to be worried about you, he said. He went to the door and stepped outside.
How long had it been since shed thought about him? When had she let go of that fantasy? Annie hadnt realized how much shed missed himand her fantasiesuntil now. But something had changed. Her fantasies were now much moreerotic.
She sank back into the down pillows and stared up at the ceiling, smiling to herself. Now that she had him here, what would she do with him?
She hadnt been completely isolated over the years. There had been men who wandered in and out of her life, usually in the summer months when the population of the island swelled from the tourists. There had been a fellow artist a few years back who had come to paint her lighthouse and ended up staying until the first frost. And then the guy from the coast guard who came to check the light every three months. Theyd occasionally indulged in a night of pleasure after a few glasses of wine.
What would it take to get Rourke to stay for the night? Would he be so easy to seduce? Annie groaned softly. Shed come to the realization that most single men were quite willing to indulge, especially when there were no strings attached. But not all of them understood her rather unconventional thoughts about sex.
So yes, shed lived a very simple life since she was a child. Left without a means of support, shed managed to eke out an existence in a house that had no phone, no electricity and very crude plumbing. She didnt own a television or a computer.
Annie understood exactly what was necessary to sustain life. She ate a simple and natural diet, supplemented occasionally with fish or crab or oysters she gathered herself, and eggs from a local farmer. Her clothes werent purchased for beauty but for functionality and durability. And her men, well, they were chosen to satisfy a very natural and powerful need. Like everything else in her life, sex, and the intimacy it brought, was essential to her existence. Like water...or oxygen...or warmth.
Reaching for the book on her bedside table, Annie tried to distract herself by reading. But it was impossible to think about anything but Rourke. She listened as he moved from window to window, closing the shutters and then fastening them with screws. As the last of the natural light disappeared, she crawled from the bed and began to light the kerosene lamps scattered around the room.
He left the two windows on the porch uncovered, probably choosing to wait until the wind got worse. Then she heard his truck start. Frowning, Annie crawled out of bed and hurried to the door, wondering if hed chosen to leave after all. But just as she reached the door, it swung open again, nearly hitting her in the face. Kit, her dog, slipped in ahead of him.
What are you doing out of bed? he asked, raking his hands through his windblown hair.
II thought you were leaving. I wanted to say goodbye. And to thank you.
Im not going anywhere, he said. I just moved my truck closer to the cottage. What else do you need?
Im fine, she said.
He stared at her for a long moment. When he finally looked away, Annie felt the butterflies in her stomach intensify. It was clear he was attracted to her. He wasnt even trying to hide it.
Tea, he said. Ill make some tea. He shrugged out of his jacket and then moved to the sink. She watched as he glanced around, looking for the water faucet.
You have to pump it, she said. There is no indoor plumbing.
No indoor He turned to face her. You dont have a shower? Or a toilet?
Sure. But they run on a rainwater catch system. I put it in about five years ago. Theres a shower in the lighthouse with a water heater. But here in the house, theres just a bath, with water from the hand pump heated on the stove.
Theres no electricity either?
Annie shook her head. I dont really need it. Theres nothing I need to run.
No television? No computer?
I have a phone. I recharge that in the lighthouse. Theres a little refrigerator out there, too, but I rarely use it. Its really not that unusual. A lot of people live this way.
For this day and age it is, he said. Where do you get the firewood?
Sam Decker brings it around, she said. Except for food and taxes, its my only expense.
Sam Decker had been one of the bullies who had taunted her as a child, making fun of her stammer by doing a dead-on imitation of her. But hed come to regret his actions and one day, after her grandmother had passed away, hed shown up on her front porch with a cord of split wood and an apology.
Since then, hed brought wood every month and helped her with little jobs around the house. Though they were both adults now, and they were able to be cordial, even friendly, the wounds ran deep. Shed outgrown her stammer, but she still couldnt fully trust Sam. And so she kept him at arms length.
Since then, hed brought wood every month and helped her with little jobs around the house. Though they were both adults now, and they were able to be cordial, even friendly, the wounds ran deep. Shed outgrown her stammer, but she still couldnt fully trust Sam. And so she kept him at arms length.
Annie knew Sam had romantic feelings for her and hoped for something more than just friendship. But there was absolutely no attraction on her end. When there was attraction, she couldnt deny it...like now...with Rourke.
She watched as he built a fire in the stove, studying his backside, clad in faded denim. He added small pieces of kindling from the basket beneath the sink and when the flames were high enough, he dropped a log on top of the fire. Rourke closed the cast-iron door, then worked to fill the battered kettle with water from the pump.
Annie walked over to the cabinets above the sink. She pulled back the gingham fabric and revealed two jars of loose tea. I have black or green. Which do you prefer?
Black, he said.
She retrieved an old china teapot from the breakfront and set it on the stove, then scooped a measure of the tea into it. After that, she found a pair of mugs and set them beside the pot. I dont have real cream. Or milk. Just powdered milk, she said.
Just a little sugar would be good, he said.
* * *
ROURKE WASNT QUITE sure what to think about all of this. Of course, hed known there were people in the world who lived without the trappings of technology. Hed never actually met one, though. And a single woman living alone seemed like an unlikely candidate for pioneer of the year.
What are you thinking? she asked, watching him with an inquisitive expression.
Im just...I dont know. Surprised. Maybe a little confused.
About how I live?
He nodded. That...among other things.
I didnt really choose this life, she said. I guess it chose meout of necessity. I dont have a lot of money, so I have to be careful what I spend. Youd be surprised at how little you can live on when you simplify things.
I can imagine, he said.
I think everyone should at least try to reduce the impact they have on our environment. Its just healthier. For me and the planet.
What about a car?
I dont have one. I bike into town. In the winter, I walk. Its only three miles. Its good exercise.
Hed never known anyone quite like her. And Rourke had known a lot of women. Though hed admired beauty and wit in the opposite sex, there had always been something he found lacking in his female companions. But here was a woman who was strong and independent. She had courage and determination and a quiet confidence that he found endlessly attractive.
He was curious about her life. How had she transformed herself from that painfully shy girl with the stutter into a strong, capable woman? You remembered my name, he said.
Annie nodded. You were kind to me once.
Youve changed. A lot.
Ive grown up. She paused. You probably mean the stammer? That disappeared after I got out of school. I didnt want to live my life in a constant state of fear and I reached a point where I just stopped fighting. I didnt feel it necessary to defend myself anymore. I found an inner calm and I think my mind caught up with my words.
You seem happy, Rourke said.
I am.
But you dont have many friends on the island.
I dont need a lot of friends. Those that I have are good to me. Besides, how many true friends do we really have? Most people in your life are acquaintances not friends. How many would come to you if you called?
He shrugged. She was right. He didnt have that many good friends. He could count them on one hand. The whistle from the teakettle shattered the silence between them and Rourke stood up and walked back to the stove. He poured the water into the pot.
Theres a strainer on the stove, she said.
He tossed the strainer into one of the mugs, then carried everything over to the hearth, carefully setting the china pot on the flat stone. Dont you ever get lonely?
All the time, she said. But theres really not much I can do about it. Leaving the island would be like cutting out a part of my heart.
Have you ever left the island? he asked.
This brought a laugh. Of course I have. All the time.
He could see it in her eyes. She was lying. But now was not the time to call her on it. I live in New York, he said.
Good for you. When I imagine living my life there, it seems as difficult to me as my life here seems to you.
A gust of wind rattled the windows and they both turned to look. Its going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
Annie crawled out of her chair and sat down next to him on the hearth. Rourke felt his pulse quicken and he held tight to his tea in an effort not to reach out and touch her. But she had other ideas. She set her mug down and reached out, placing her hand on his cheek. Then, her gaze fixed on his, she leaned forward and touched her lips to his.
The contact sent a jolt running through him, like being struck by lightning. Only it wasnt painful, but warm and pleasurable. He set his mug down beside him and slipped his fingers through her hair, pulling her into another kiss, this one deeper and more urgent than the first.
Rourke wasnt sure what was happening, but he wasnt about to stop it. From the moment hed seen her in the hardware store, hed wanted this to happen. Hed just never expected to get the chance. And now that he was here, Rourke wasnt going to waste another moment.
His fingers twisted in the damp strands of her hair, but suddenly he heard her gasp and Rourke drew back. Hed forgotten about the cut on her scalp. Let me look, he said.
Its really much better, she said. It just stings a little.
The interior of the cabin was dimly lit, the sun already down and the lamps providing a feeble kind of light. He gently examined her injury by the glow of the fire and found the spot. There was a substantial knot around the cut, but it looked as if it had stopped bleeding.
I dont think it will need stitches.
Good, she said. I hate going to the doctor.
What the hell were you doing out there? Rourke asked. Youve lived by the ocean your entire life. Surely you know better than anyone how dangerous it can be. He paused. And what was the herring for? Who buys twenty pounds of bait before a storm?
Are you hungry? I should make us something for dinner.
You didnt answer my question, he asked. What were you doing?
Talking to the sea, she said. When it gets like this, sometimes I think I can hear voices in the wind. If I just listen hard enough, I think I might be able to hear what theyre saying.
Voices? Whose voices?
My parents, she said softly. He saw a blush rise on her cheeks. Its silly. I know.
Rourke said, No, its not. Its not. He wanted to ask her what had happened. Town gossip had never gone into great detail. He knew theyd both drowned, but he wasnt sure of the circumstances. No one in town had ever offered an explanation and until now, it really hadnt mattered to him.
I really should stop. This time it almost got me killed.