Free On Distant Shores by Sarah Sundin Page A

minute?”
    “Sure. Excuse me, everyone.” She followed Rose throughthe shallow waves and glanced over her shoulder. Hutch said something about the Athletics, and Tom countered about the Pirates. Why did men enjoy arguing about sports?
    “What is going on here?” Rose’s voice hardened.
    “What do you mean?”
    “Hutch. You made him sound like a pathetic little thing, afraid of his shadow.”
    “What? I just said he was lonely and unhappy.”
    “You didn’t say one word about him being tall, dark, and handsome.”
    Georgie couldn’t deny that little truth. She shrugged. “He’s engaged and getting married soon, and I have my Ward.”
    Rose glowered over the water toward the pharmacist. “I don’t like this.”
    A long sigh blew through her lips. Rose had a teenage crush on Ward, which only dissolved a few months ago when she fell in love with Clint. She probably still wanted to protect Ward. And Georgie too.
    She patted her friend’s arm. “Don’t worry. You know I’d never hurt Ward. And I trust Hutch. Besides, Mama taught me right. If that man lays even a pinky finger on me, I’ll slap him across the Mediterranean.”
    “You would, wouldn’t you?” Rose’s smile returned. She gathered her dark blonde hair over her shoulder and wrung out seawater. “Let me know if you do, because I want to watch.”
    Hutch’s laughter rolled into her ear, deep and infectious. Thank goodness he’d never give her the chance to slap him. Thank goodness she’d never have to test her resolve to do so.

10
    “To see Pegasus, you have to picture the great winged horse lying on his back.” Hutch pointed out the constellation for the dozen men and women gathered around his telescope. “Those four stars—that’s his body. Coming out from the lower corner, stretching this way, that’s his neck and head.”
    “I don’t see his wings,” Georgie said.
    Hutch smiled, but she wouldn’t be able to see it in the dark. “For that, you’ll have to use your imagination. You do have an imagination, don’t you?”
    “Funny.”
    “I thought so. You want to hear the story?”
    “Of course. I love Pegasus.” With her accent, she couldn’t sound anything but delighted.
    Hutch had picked the constellation for her horse-loving sake. “Pegasus couldn’t be tamed. Wherever he struck the earth with his hoof, springs of water gushed forth. One day Athena gave Bellerophon a golden bridle, and he sneaked up behind Pegasus and captured him. Bellerophon rode the great horse into battle with the Chimera, which he defeated. But then the hero got too full of himself and tried to ride Pegasus up to Mount Olympus. The horse threw him to earth and continued on alone to Olympus, where he served Zeus.”
    Georgie sighed. “I don’t think anything could be more beautiful than a winged horse, do you, Rose?”
    “Oh! And rainbows! And daisies! And kitty-cats!” Rose’s voice rang with affectionate mockery.
    “You’re such a tomboy.” Georgie giggled.
    Hutch adjusted the eyepiece of his telescope. “Who wants a closer look?”
    Clint stood and helped Rose to her feet. “Later. We’re heading back to the dance floor, if you can call it that.”
    The first chords of “String of Pearls” tickled his ears. If Phyllis were here, he’d dance too. “Have fun.”
    “We want more vino .” A group of men stood and brushed sand from their trousers. “Thanks, Hutch.”
    “You’re welcome.”
    Only Georgie remained. Hutch winced. She wouldn’t abandon him, but spending more time alone with her wouldn’t be wise. Even though she’d put her sundress on again. He could still see her sweet figure in her swimsuit, still see her graceful arm draped over her knee as she sat on the beach, still see the sand clinging to the curves of her legs.
    He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to burn his fading image of Phyllis back in place. A year and a half since he’d seen his fiancée.
    “Oh dear,” Georgie said. “I’m sorry they left. I’m sure