Long Voyage Back Read Online Free

that he'd developed feelings for her beyond friendship. But she wasn't so much rejecting his feelings as kind of ducking and letting them slide past her.
    `Frank, hi. Everything still on for the sailing?'
    `Hi, Jeannie. Sure,' he replied, smiling at nothing. 'Only I've had to change my travel plans about getting to the boat.'
    Àre you still coming here this evening?'
    `No, that's just it. I can't get a flight into Washington, but I got one to the Eastern Shore, to Salisbury, and I'm meeting the boat at Crisfield - that's just across the bay on the eastern side.'
    Ì know. You want us all to meet you there?'
    'No no. We'll sail over to Point Lookout and pick you up. Unless something goes wrong we should still get there late this evening.'
    `That's great. I'm sorry you're not going to be here though.'
    Frank felt himself flush with pleasure. 'We'll see so much of each other in the next ten days you'll probably remember with great fondness your last evening without me.'
    Jeanne laughed. 'I like you, Frank,' she countered, 'but I
    confess I'm a little nervous about spending that much time on the Bay. I prefer water in a glass or a bathtub.'
    `Baloney.'
    `No, it's true. Now that you've finally got me to sail with you I'm going to be the worst sort of landlubber.'
    `You're a terrific swimmer,' said Frank.
    Ònly when I can see both the bottom and other end of the pool,' she commented. 'Hold it a sec,' she added, and her next words were spoken to someone in the room with her. `
    What's that, Rita? No. In the second drawer, I think. With the clippings from the Post . . . Sorry, Frank, where were we?'
    `What was all that about?'
    `My anti-nuke group is meeting here today,' she answered. Èmergency meeting because of the Arabian mess.'
    Òh, yeah, right,' said Frank, made uncomfortable by the subject. Jeannie became too emotional about any kind of war scare. He thought of making a joke about her group's being sure to stop the war for at least ten more days so they could finish their cruise, but stopped himself. 'It's a tough situation,' he finally said lamely. Ì've lost heart,' she replied with unexpected weariness. `We haven't achieved anything in these four years. And now it's really hopeless. I feel like a fool for even trying.'
    `Well, maybe that's good,' Frank said. 'Shows you need a vacation.'
    Ì suppose so,' she replied after a pause. 'Some of my friends think I'm going off to fiddle while Rome burns.'
    `No, you don't,' he said firmly. 'You've promised me. Let Rome burn.'
    Ì know, Frank, I'll be there. Tonight I hope, or tomorrow morning at the latest.'
    Àt Point Lookout.'
    `Fine. What, Rita? . . . Okay. Frank, look, I guess I've got to go. I'm looking forward to the sail and . . . I've got to go.' `Sure, Jeannie. See you soon.'
    `Bye, Frank.'
    Frank lowered the receiver slowly back into its cradle and sighed, feeling that ridiculous tingling she somehow created in him. Then he shook his head and grunted. Why did she bother with that stuff? Peace groups had been marching and protesting for five years but they'd never stopped a war and never would. They only weakened the poor nation that let them get too influential.
    Sighing, he leaned back in his chair, rocking slightly, looking out at the sky above the harbour past the Twin Trade Towers. He had finally got her to go sailing with him, though. In the past he'd invited her and her husband Bob and always ended up being stuck with just Bob. It was strange. An outdoorsy woman like her, good swimmer, tennis player, hiker - why the resistance to water? Was it her way of resisting him? He knew that he liked her a lot more than was probably wise for either of them, but he wasn't doing anything about it. And now for ten days they'd be together on Vagabond. His intercom buzzed and Rosie's crisp voice informed him that his wife was on the line. He remembered he'd promised to call her.
    `Hi, sweetheart,' he boomed out when he heard her soft musical voice on the phone. '
    Yep.