Second Chances(23)

There was a future waiting for her here in San Diego, of that she was certain. The question was, was the future's starting point located at the small apartment her friend Linda had arranged for her or was it waiting for her up in room five twenty-one of this very hotel?

Or maybe, more accurately, awaiting her in room five twenty-three.

It could have been five minutes later or it could have been an hour, Paige had lost all track of time. She finally rose and traced Nathan's steps, stopping almost exactly where he had. She slipped her hand into her purse and pulled out a quarter. She closed her eyes and moments later heard the plop of the quarter breaking the water's surface. She knew the pool was no wishing-well, just as she was certain Nathan did. And while she highly doubted that the magic properties of the wishing-well extended to hotel pools, like Nathan, she had made a wish just the same.





CHAPTER SEVENTEEN



She tossed back the covers and uttered a curse under her breath. The clock on the small bedside table informed her it was now two-thirty in the morning, only seven minutes from the last time she had checked. She was now hot again. She'd now tried every combination of blanket, cover and thermostat setting she could think of and was still unable to get comfortable enough to fall asleep for more than five minutes at a time.

She got up, muttering to herself the entire time. Even as she first told herself it was the temperature of the room or that perhaps because it was a strange bed or even the most obvious excuse of the stress of the past day, she knew she was lying. The truth was that the sandman and her weren't good friends even under the best of circumstances.

She turned on the light yet again, this time knowing it would be staying on. She paced around the room for a few minutes before opening one of her suitcases and pulling out an oversized green sweatshirt. She slipped it on over her pink flowered gray pajamas. She crossed the room, pulled back the curtain and unlatched the door.

She stood there for a moment, her hand on the door handle and her eyes on the lit pool and marina beyond. A light breeze was blowing and she could see the gentle bobbing of the boats in the marina. She opened the door and stepped out onto the balcony. The stone was cool on her bare feet, but she gave no thought to going back inside for her shoes. She eased past the two chairs to the iron railing.

"I was wondering when you'd come out. For a while there I was beginning to think you were sending coded messages."

Paige jumped, almost lost her balance and pitched forward a bit. She felt his hand on her arm just long enough to steady her and then it was gone.

She turned to the balcony next door.

Nathan stood on his own balcony, leaning up against the railing separating them, he held his hands up in front of him.

"Sorry," he whispered. "Didn't mean to startle you."

"Didn't mean to? What did you think? That I'd be expecting someone else to be out on my balcony in the middle of the night."

"Wasn't on your balcony."

"You know what I mean," Paige insisted.

"Yes. I am sorry. I guess I figured it would be better if you knew right away that I was out here. So, you know, you wouldn't turn to see me here and think I was spying or something."

He looked down and away from her, as if he had suddenly spotted something fascinating in the pool. For a moment she pictured him as a small boy standing scolded before his mother. She didn't know where that image had come from, but she was forced to stifle a laugh.

She cleared her throat. "Messages?"

"What?"

"You said you thought I was sending messages."

"Just joking. Your lights kept going on and off."

"You were watching?"

"No, not really. I've been sitting out here all night, kind of hard not to notice the lights going on and off."

"Oh. All night?"

"Most of it anyway."

"Can't sleep?"

"No," Nathan said. "Not something I am good at anymore. I miss...anyway that isn't all. I guess in a way I am afraid to."

"Afraid to sleep?"

"Yeah. I mean I am scared that if I fall asleep I may wake up to find this was all a dream. And I don't want this to be a dream."

Paige looked at him. He was mostly hidden among the shadows, but enough light from her room shone to see that he was still dressed as he'd been at dinner. She remembered that all he'd carried with him had been the computer case and she knew that there hadn't been a change of clothing in there.

"I'll buy something new tomorrow."

"I wish you'd stop doing that."

Nathan laughed, it was soft, genuine and made Paige smile.

"That was nothing. It doesn't take much to understand that look. I am sure I look like an absolute mess and before too long I will likely stink. If I don't already that is. I won't impose on you further by asking you to sniff me."