Free Interior Designs by Pamela Browning

to talk to Selby half as much as I'd like, and when I do, Talma's always listening. I wish it were easier."
    A silence. "You must miss Selby very much," Cathryn said carefully.
    "I feel as though part of my heart has been torn out," he said fiercely, and the anguish in his tone startled her. But she was also touched by his pained acknowledgment. What affected her so deeply was that Drew trusted her enough to her to pour out his heart. In her estimation, it took a lot of guts for him to do that.
    There was nothing to do then but to reach out for him and somehow to share the pain. All the compassion within her welled up and went out to him, and her arms of their own volition opened up and clasped him in a strong and supportive embrace. He held on to her with a forlorn desperation as though she were all the things that he had been forced to relinquish. This strong man, who had impressed her with his commanding presence, was as vulnerable as she was.
    His dark head bent toward hers, and her warm cheek found its place against his. There was no evidence of sexuality in this embrace, only comfort. And although Cathryn was glad to be able to give this comfort, she felt even more relieved that this was a man who didn't feel uneasy about receiving it. His arms tightened around her, as if drawing strength from her body.
    "Let's put the doll away," he said quietly when they had held each other for a time, she didn't know how long. "Would you like to see Selby's room?"
    She nodded. "I'd like that," she said, touched.
    He took her hand in his and, holding Raggedy Ann in the other hand, he led her down a long hall and opened the first door on the right.
    In this room nothing was hidden by dust covers. Everything was clean and bright and ready, as though the room's occupant were only going to be out for the day and then return to sleep in the narrow bed as usual.
    The room was decorated in a circus motif, with a parade of clowns and elephants dancing around the wallpaper border just below the ceiling. The spread was a handsome handmade circus quilt, and big, bright throw pillows were scattered about the floor for informal seating.
    Drew set the Raggedy Ann doll carefully on the bed and looked at it for a moment before reluctantly pulling his eyes away. He led Cathryn to a framed photograph on the wall. It was of a little girl with glossy black hair and blue eyes, and she was laughing at Drew. She was perhaps six years old.
    "This is Selby," he said.
    Cathryn studied the picture. Father and daughter looked very much alike. In the long gallery she had noticed the portrait of a woman she suspected was Talma, but she'd averted her eyes when she saw it, so she didn't know if Selby resembled her mother at all.
    "Selby's extremely pretty."
    "Yes, she is. Of course, this picture was taken over a year ago. She lives in New York with her mother now. I have legal recourse but feel that a custody battle at this time might be too difficult for Selby. We were very close."
    He ran a hand over his eyes for a moment, then continued. "Her mother left me, presumably to pursue a career as an actress, but really to be with an actor, Alfredo Something-or-other, whom she met when he was working at the Palm Beach Theater. I'd give anything to have Selby with me. In fact, I'd prefer it, because I don't think Talma's a fit mother. As I said, I'm afraid of the effect a custody battle would have on Selby right now, so all I can do is negotiate to have her visit this summer, and I hope she will."
    Cathryn nodded. "Then will you open up this house?"
    Drew shrugged, and the sad expression behind his eyes grew even more intense. "I don't know. I suppose it depends on Selby. I'm not sure her memories of her final days here are pleasant ones. There was a lot of anger between Talma and me, and Selby cried inconsolably when we told her about the divorce. She was distraught by the time she and Talma finally left. Otherwise she never would have left Raggedy Ann behind. I wonder