A Ghost of a Chance by Evelyn Klebert Read Free Book Online Page A

evident even to Gabriella in her state of upset that he had spent much of his time outdoors amongst the elements. His hair was a light brown, nearly of a chestnut shade, as was the well-clipped beard on his face. But it was his eyes that were astonishing. They were not like the dark obsidian pools of Samory but rather a deep blue hue, clear and vibrant like the living ocean. She smiled involuntarily as something distant and almost unfamiliar coursed through her veins – the sudden, sweet, desperate rush of hope.
    And then she stopped. Hallie’s hands froze, paralyzed over the keyboard. Something had gripped her, like a vise descending – a crushing sudden feeling of panic and confusion that was targeted around her heart area. She sat, breathing shallowly, feeling completely stunned. Jack felt it too. It was obvious that something was violently resisting this. He sensed the tangible blast of iciness directed toward Hallie. Scanning the room, he again could perceive nothing visual.
    “ Where the hell are you, you coward?” He demanded angrily. But there was no response, only the persistant, relentless cold.
    Then as though something was guiding him an idea crossed his mind. He tried to mentally picture Hallie surrounded by a blanket of warm air that would block the chill that had come into the room. He focused intensely with all his concentration on the image. Beside him he could hear her breathing deeply.
    “ Okay, take it easy,” he whispered.
    Several times her fingers reached out to touch the keyboard and then withdrew. He bent in close to her and spoke softly in her ear. “It’s all right. She looks into his deep blue eyes.”
    She nodded, as if to reassure herself, and then started typing.
    “ I’m sorry Sir. You look as though you recognize me from somewhere.”
    He smiled in an enigmatic fashion that made Gabriella exceedingly uncomfortable. “I must admit that I have come a long way to find you Mademoiselle. You are undoubtedly Gabriella Martresse.”
    She stood up, self-consciously straightening out her long, satiny skirt that had been crushed momentarily while she was kneeling. “I am sorry, sir. You have me at a disadvantage. You know who I am, but I have no idea who you are.”
    The stranger smiled widely with a curious glint in his eyes that almost made her blush under the scrutiny of his gaze. “Forgive me my lady, I am the captain of a seafaring vessel that has originated from the ports of the Americas. My name is Jacob, Jacob McFarin and, if I may speak bluntly, I am here to rescue you.”
     
    The little black dog followed Hallie around the house in a state of what Jack could only perceive as bewilderment. She would move from one room to another with what seemed to be deliberate purpose and then leave off drifting away in thought, absently passing by the love-starved pup. Jack Jr. had several times wandered near him in a state of confusion. He didn’t understand as Jack did that his owner was preoccupied, caught in another world of her own making.
    She had only written a brief introduction of Jacob Mcfarin’s character but even that seemed to bother her. At first, he thought perhaps it was the struggle that had taken place with the unknown entity, but the expressions reflecting on her face were not of upset or concern.
    Once and awhile he could detect the slightest flicker of a smile. If she were another woman, he would have said she had just met someone new, someone who interested her – perhaps even attracted her.
    When she finally settled in one spot for a while, she curled up on the recliner in the den holding a delicate heart-shaped necklace in her hand that she had picked up in the bedroom. It was one he hadn’t seen her with before. He stood across from her, silently focusing in on her eyes. They had a faraway look that leapt out at him. It was actually physically tormenting to him, at least as physical as he could be. Jack knew women, and he knew that Hallie was daydreaming. And if he