Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon Read Free Book Online Page A

Adam’s voice, calling me back to consciousness.
    I obeyed him and opened my eyes, trying to focus on his. I was lying in Adam’s arms on the slipway. His face was so close to mine I could hear his ragged breath and taste the warmth of it.
    “There you are.” He smiled in relief.
    The sun was shining behind him and I couldn’t see his face clearly. I tried to sit up and coughed, attempting to clear the burning stinging in my throat. I became acutely aware of a throbbing sensation in my head; it spun and little stars twinkled around Adam’s face.
    I gasped at the pain and put my hand to the back of my head. It felt warm and sticky. When I looked at my hand, it was all bloody. I tried to get to my feet, but fell forward. Adam’s strong, warm arms caught me.
    “Whoa, take it slowly.”
    He put my arm around his shoulders and his arm around my back to support me. I gasped at the warmth and closeness of his body; it was like a static shock. Misinterpreting my gasp as pain, he swung me up into his arms.
    An orange lifeboat pulled alongside the slipway. “Hi, Adam, you need help? We were just coming in from a call and noticed all the commotion,” a crew member shouted up.
    “We’re all good here now, thanks, Dave. Actually, can you do me a favor and see that the class gets the dinghies back into the yard, while I look after this one?”
    “Sure thing,” Dave replied.
    As Caitlin walked past me up the slipway she gave me a tearful smile. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay? I’m so sorry; I let go of the rope that controls the boom and it just shot out.”
    “Don’t worry; I’m good.”
    “Go on, Caitlin; join the rest of the class,” Adam said.
    It was quiet and calm for a moment, and then I remembered I was in Adam’s arms. I was sure I weighed a ton, but I felt faint and my head pounded. I let it fall against his chest. I could hear his heart thudding away. I was so comfortable there; I felt so safe. My eyes were fluttering again, and the last thing I saw before losing the battle with them was the gray monk, standing at the gates to the yacht club. His watery, expressionless eyes met mine; then a hint of a smile touched his lips.
    My head was throbbing. I opened my eyes and reached for the back of my head, only to encounter a hand and an ice pack. Startled, I sat up.
    “Dad!”
    My dad’s worried face softened into a smile. “God, Meg, you gave me a fright! How do you feel?”
    “Sore. Where am I?”
    “The Kinsale clinic. I wanted to take you to the hospital.” I stiffened. I hadn’t set foot in a hospital since the crash and I intended to keep it that way. My dad reacted immediately. “It’s okay, I won’t make you go. Let’s see what Dr. Forrest has to say, okay? Look, here he is now.”
    “So, Megan, how are you feeling?” Dr. Forrest asked, shining a light into my eyes.
    “Okay, I guess. My head hurts.”
    “Luckily the wound is superficial, but even so, I’d like to have you under observation for twenty-four hours.” He looked sternly from me to my dad.
    My dad squeezed me tighter. “I’ll keep a close watch on her at home.”
    Dr. Forrest smiled. “Good. Well, here’s a prescription for the pain. If there’s any swelling or nausea, call me immediately.”
    My dad helped me up from the bench and opened the door of the exam room. “We better let Adam know you’re all right.”
    “What! He’s still here?” I gasped, stepping into the waiting room. Sure enough, there he was, sitting in a low, comfy chair, a small smile playing on his face.
    Oh, cringe . I just wanted to get out of the room. And what was he smiling about, anyway? For God’s sake, it was hardly a big smiley moment.
    I couldn’t talk to him with my dad in such close proximity, but Adam’s eyes met mine, this time holding them. What was that in his gaze? Humor? No, but there was something, an intensity. Something had changed. I yearned to know what. His eyes were laden with meaning and questions; I was