the notebook-恋恋笔记本(英文版)-第10章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



She　didn’t　get　up　right　away。　Instead　she　picked　up　the　cup　and　drank　the　last　swallow　of　tea；　feeling　it　warm　her　throat。　She　took　the　evening　in。　Moon　higher　now；　temperature　dropping。

She　looked　at　Noah。　A　scar　was　visible　on　the　side　of　his　face　that　hadn’t　been　there　before。　She　wondered　if　it　had　happened　during　the　war。　He　hadn’t　mentioned　it　and　she　hadn’t　asked；　mostly　because　she　didn’t　want　to　imagine　him　being　hurt。

“I　should　go；”　she　finally　said；　handing　the　quilt　back　to　him。

Noah　nodded；　then　stood　without　a　word。　He　carried　the　quilt；　and　the　two　of　them　walked　to　her　car　while　fallen　leaves　crunched　beneath　their　feet。　She　started　to　take　off　the　shirt　he’d　lent　her　as　he　opened　the　door；　but　he　stopped　her。

“Keep　it；”　he　said。　“I　want　you　to　have　it。”

She　didn’t　ask　why；　because　she　wanted　to　keep　it；　too。　She　readjusted　it　and　crossed　her　arms　afterwards　to　ward　off　the　chill。　For　some　reason；　as　she　stood　there；　she　was　reminded　of　standing　on　her　front　porch　after　a　high…school　dance；　waiting　for　a　kiss。

“I　had　a　great　time　tonight；”　he　said；　“thank　you　for　finding　me。”

“I　did；　too；”　she　answered。

He　summoned　his　courage。　“Will　I　see　you　tomorrow？”

A　simple　question。　She　knew　what　the　answer　should　be。　“I　don’t　think　we　should；”　was　all　she　had　to　say；　and　it　would　end　right　here　and　now。　But　for　a　second　the　demon　of　choice　confronted　her；　teased　her；　challenged　her。　Why　couldn’t　she　say　it？　As　she　looked　in　his　eyes　to　find　the　answer　she　needed；　she　saw　the　man　she’d　once　fallen　in　love　with；　and　suddenly　it　all　came　clear。

“I’d　like　that。”

Noah　was　surprised。　He　hadn’t　expected　her　to　answer　this　way。　He　wanted　to　touch　her　then；　to　take　her　in　his　arms；　but　he　didn’t。

“Can　you　be　here　about　noon？”

“Sure。　What　do　you　want　to　do？”

“You’ll　see；”　he　answered。　“I　know　just　the　place　to　go。”

“Have　I　ever　been　there　before？”

“No；　but　it’s　a　special　place。　You’ll　love　it。”

She　moved　away　before　he　could　attempt　a　kiss。　She　didn’t　know　if　he　would　try　but　knew　for　some　reason　that；　if　he　did；　she　would　have　a　hard　time　stopping　him。　She　slid　behind　the　wheel；　breathing　a　sigh　of　relief。　He　shut　the　door　for　her；　and　she　started　the　engine。　As　the　car　idled；　she　rolled　down　the　window　just　a　hit。

“See　you　tomorrow；”　she　said；　her　eyes　reflecting　the　moonlight。

Noah　waved　as　she　turned　the　car　around　and　then　drove　up　the　lane；　heading　hack　towards　town。　He　watched　until　the　lights　vanished　behind　far…off　oak　trees　and　the　engine　noise　was　gone。　Clem　wandered　up　to　him　and　he　squatted　down　to　pet　her；　paying　special　attention　to　her　neck；　scratching　the　spot　she　couldn’t　reach　any　more。　Then　they　returned　to　the　back　porch　side　by　side。

He　sat　in　the　rocker　again；　trying　once　more　to　fathom　the　evening　that　had　just　passed。　Replaying　it。　Running　it　in　slow　motion。　“She’s　engaged；”　he　finally　whispered；　and　then　was　silent　for　hours；　his　rocker　making　the　only　noise。　The　night　was　quiet；　with　little　activity　except　for　Clem；　who　checked　on　him　occasionally　as　if　to　ask；　“Are　you　all　right？”

And　some　time　after　midnight　on　that　clear　October　evening；　Noah　was　overe　with　longing。　And　if　anyone　had　seen　him；　they　would　have　seen　what　looked　like　an　old　man；　someone　who’d　aged　a　lifetime　in　just　a　couple　of　hours。　Someone　bent　over　in　his　rocker　with　his　face　in　his　hands　and　tears　in　his　eyes。

He　didn’t　know　how　to　stop　them。

CHAPTER　FOUR：　PHONE　CALLS

LON　HUNG　up　the　phone。　He　had　called　at　seven；　then　at　eight　thirty；　and　now　he　checked　his　watch　again。　Nine　forty…five。

Where　was　she？

He　knew　she　was　where　she　had　said　she　would　he　because　he　had　spoken　to　the　manager。　Yes；　she　had　checked　in　and　he　had　last　seen　her　around　six。　Going　to　dinner；　he　thought。　No；　he　hadn’t　seen　her　since。

Lon　shook　his　head　and　leaned　hack　in　his　chair。　He　was　the　last　one　in　the　office　as　usual。　That　was　normal　with　an　ongoing　trial；　even　if　the　trial　was　going　well。　Law　was　his　passion；　and　the　late　hours　alone　gave　him　the　opportunity　to　catch　up　on　his　work　without　interruption。

He　knew　he　would　win　the　case　because　he　mastered　the　law　and　charmed　the　jury。　He　always　did；　and　losses　were　infrequent　now。　Part　of　it　came　from　being　able　to　select　the　cases　he　had　the　expertise　to　win。　Only　a　select　few　lawyers　in　the　city　had　that　kind　of　stature；　and　his　earnings　reflected　it。

But　most　of　his　success　came　from　hard　work。　He　had　always　paid　attention　to　details；　especially　when　he’d　begun　his　practice。　Little　things；　obscure　things；　and　it　had　bee　a　habit　now。

And　now　a　little　detail　bothered　him。

Not　about　the　case。　That　was　fine。　It　was　something　else。　Something　about　Allie。　But　damn；　he　couldn’t　put　his　finger　on　it。　Some　time　after　her　call；　maybe　an　hour　or　so；　something　clicked　in　his　mind。　The　little　detail。　Detail。　。　。　。　Something　insignificant？　Something　important？

Think。　。　。。　Damn；　what　was　it？

His　mind　clicked。　Something。　。　。　something。　。　。　something　said？

Something　had　been　said？　Yes；　that　was　it。　But　what　was　it？　Had　Allie　said　anything　on　the　phone？　That　had　been　when　it　started；　and　he　ran　through　the　conversation　again。　What　had　she　said？　Her　trip　was　good；　she　had　checked　in；　had　done　some　shopping。　Left　her　number。　That’s　about　all。

He　thought　about　her　then。　He　loved　her；　he　was　sure　of　that。　Not　only　was　she　beautiful　and　charming；　but　she’d　bee　his　source　of　stability　and　best　friend　as　well。　After　a　hard　day　at　work；　she　was　the　first　person　he　would　call。　She　would　listen　to　him；　laugh　at　the　right　moments；　and　had　a　sixth　sense　about　what　he　needed　to　hear。　He　knew　he　should　spend　more　time　with　her。　But　practising　law　made　limiting　his　hours　impossible。　She’d　always　understood；　but　still　he　cursed　himself　for　not　making　the　time。　Once　he　was　married　he’d　shorten　his　hours；　he　promised　himself。　He’d　have　his　secretary　check　his　schedule　to　make　sure　he　wasn’t　overextending　himself。

Check？　。

And　his　mind　clicked　another　notch。　Check　。　。　。　checking…　。　checking　in？　He　looked　to　the　ceiling。　Checking　in？

Yes；　that　was　it。　He　closed　his　eyes　and　thought　for　a　second。　What；　then？　C’mon；　don’t　fail　now。　Think；　damn　it；　think。

New　Bern。

The　thought　popped　into　his　head。　Yes。　New　Bern。　That　was　it。　The　little　detail；　or　part　of　it。　What　else；　though？

New　Bern；　he　thought　again；　and　knew　the　name。　Knew　the　town　a　little；　mainly　from　a　few　trials　he　had　been　in。　Stopped　there　a　few　times　on　the　way　to　the　coast。　Nothing　special。　He　and　Allie　had　never　been　there　together。

But　Allie　had　been　there　before。

And　the　rack　tightened　its　grip；　another　part　ing　together。

Allie；　New　Bern　。　。　。　and　。　。　。　something　at　a　party。　A　ment　in　passing。　From　Allie’s　mother。　What　had　she　said？

Lon　paled　then；　remembering。　Remembering　what　Allie’s　mother　had　said　so　long　ago。　It　was　something　about　Allie　being　in　love　one　time　with　a　young　man　from　New　Bern。　Called　it　puppy　love。　So　what；　he　had　thought　when　he’d　heard　it；　and　had　turned　to　smile　at　Allie。　But　she　hadn’t　smiled。　She　was　angry。　And　then　Lon　guessed　that　she　had　loved　that　person　far　more　deeply　than　her　mother　had　suggested。　Maybe　more　deeply　than　she　loved　Lon。

And　now　she　was　there。　Interesting。　Lon　brought　his　palms　together；　as　though　he　were　praying；　resting　his　fingertips　against　his　lips。　Coincidence？　Could　he　nothing。　Could　he　exactly　what　she　said。　Could　be　stress　and　antique　shopping。　Possible。　Even　probable。

Yet　。　。　。　what　if？　Lon　considered　the　other　possibility；　and　for　the　first　time　in　a　long　while　he　became　frightened。　What　if　she’s　with　him？

He　made　up　his　mind　then　that　he　would　do　anything　it　took　to　keep　her。　She　was　everything　he’d　always　needed；　and　he’d　never　find　another　quite　like　her。

So；　with　trembling　hands；　he　dialled　the　phone　for　the　fourth　and　last　time　that　evening。

And　again　there　was　no　answer。

CHAPTER　FIVE：　KAYAKS　AND　FORGOTTEN　DREAMS

ALLIE　WOKE　early　the　next　morning。　She’d　slept　in　the　shirt　he’d　given　her；　and　she　smelt　him　once　again　while　thinking　about　the　evening　they’d　spent　together。　The　easy　laughter　and　conversation　came　hack　to　her；　and　she　especially　remembered　the　way　he’d　talked　about　her　painting。　It　was　so　unexpected；　yet　uplifting；　and　she　realized　how　sorry　she　would　have　been　had　she　decided　not　to　see　him　again。

She　looked　out　of　the　window　and　watched　the　chattering　birds　search　for　food　in　the　early　light。　Noah；　she　knew；　had　always　been　a　morning　person。　She　knew　he　liked　to　kayak　or　canoe；　and　she　remembered　one　morning　she’d　spent　with　him　in　his　canoe；　watching　the　sun　e　up。　She’d　had　to　sneak　out　of　her　window　to　do　it　because　her　parents　wouldn’t　allow　it；　but　she　hadn’t　been　caught　and　she　remembered　how　Noah　had　slipped　his　arm　around　her　and　pulled　her　close　as　dawn　began　to　unfold。　“Look　there；”　he’d　whispered；　and　she’d　watched　her　first　sunrise　with　her　head　on　his　shoulder；　wondering　if　anything　could　he　better　than　that　moment。

As　she　got　out　of　bed　to　take　her　bath；　feeling　the　cold　floor　beneath　her　feet；　she　wondered　if　he’d　been　on　the　water　this　morning　watchi