Book of Days_ A Novel - James L. Rubart [91]
Ann nodded.
"And second?"
"Even if he were a Christian, he wouldn't be ready for a relationship. He wears a band of pain around his neck." She glanced at Taylor. "The same band you wear."
"Really? Which one is that?"
"One of hanging on to a past love, not able to let go of her, and letting the burden of carrying that weight affect everyone around him."
"You're doing the blunt thing to me again."
"I'm sorry, would you like me to stop?"
Taylor shook his head. "No, it reminds me of someone I knew a long time ago."
By the time they finished their third lap around the park, Ann had fallen for Taylor Stone. Would her sentiment ever be returned? Even if he wasn't a blood relative, he was her uncle; he was family.
The only family she had.
Over time he could tell her more and more about her mom, and in time she might be able to listen. But forgive? She pushed the question out of her mind.
Ann leaned into Taylor and he gave her a quick sideways squeeze. It was enough. Ann didn't care what he knew or didn't know about the Book of Days. She just hoped she'd found a friend.
CHAPTER 34
Two Years, One Month Earlier
Cameron was in the middle of voicing a corporate video for Wiley's Water Ski Shop when his cell phone rang.
Great. And the take had been perfect so far. He needed to remember to put his cell on mute when he was cutting tracks. "Hello?"
"Hey, it's me."
"Hi, babe. Love you. What's up?"
"Can you talk?" Jessie said.
Cameron glanced at Brandon sitting in the booth drumming his fingers on the mixing board. He pointed at his watch and then made a motion like he was handing out dollar bills.
"Not really, I forgot to shut my phone off. We're in the middle of recording a voice-over and this studio isn't cheap. Someday we'll get our own—"
"No problem. I'll talk to—"
"Wait, Jess." Something in her voice said it was important. "Talk to me." He held up his forefinger to Brandon as if to say "one minute."
"I want us to go to Oregon."
"Uh, we've been to Oregon, honey. Remember the coast last summer?"
"Soon, we need to go again soon."
"Sorry to repeat myself, but we've been there. You okay?"
"Central Oregon. We've never been there together."
"Can we talk about this when I get home?"
"I'm sorry, Cam. I know you're in the middle of work. It's bad timing on my part, but it's time to go."
"Why?"
"We need to look for something, find something there."
"What?"
"Something I saw when I was a kid."
"What? The thing you saw when you were ten? That thing?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"To see if it's real."
"If what is real?"
"I can't tell you over the phone."
"You took trips there when you were a kid, right? Girl Scouts?"
"Yes."
"Why the sudden interest in going back?"
"I'll explain when we get there."
"Yeah, but what is the something?"
"I told you, I can't tell you."
"Listen Jess, I'm not tracking. I'm in the middle of this VO. Can we yak about this when I get home tonight? I mean, we can go there if you want, but I gotta get this thing done, all right?"
"Sure."
"Okay, love. See you then."
When he'd gotten home that evening, Jessie was asleep and she didn't bring it up in the morning. He didn't either and the conversation faded from memory.
Cameron stood with Ann on Sunday morning at the base of a 5.10 climb, fear pinging around his stomach like a gyroscope. "Are you sure you're up for this?"
Ann nodded but didn't look at him. She'd been cool the entire drive to the climb site, responding to him with one-word answers, her head turned toward the passenger side window.
So much for the thawed-out Ann he'd enjoyed the past few days. The Ice Queen returneth.
He stared at their climbing gear laid out in front of them. They'd checked and double-checked to make sure they had a full climbing rack of carabineers, nuts, cams, and quick-draws as if that could make the fright of the last climb fade away.
The accident three days earlier had shaken both of them. But the longer they waited to get back on a cliff the more doubt would grow in the fertile soil of fear.
Ann