Free Dancing in the Dark by Sandra Marton Page A

true, Mother.” Wendy’s voice trembled. “I wasn’t me anymore. I’m still not the person I was, the person Seth knew and fell in love with....” She bit her lip. “Seth and I had our time, and we lost it.” She wouldn’t cry. Wouldn’t give in to the almost overwhelming desire to lay her head on her mother’s shoulder and sob. She hadn’t done that, not once, not even when she’d first awakened to a world in which pain was the only constant. Instead, she reached for Gina’s hands and held them tightly in hers. “But that’s not the reason I ended things.”
    “You decided you weren’t in love with Seth.”
    “We were wrong for each other.” It was the truth, in a way. “And I knew I had to do something about it.”
    “I understand. No, don’t shake your head. I really do. Brushes with—with death make people see things differently.” Gina gave a little laugh. “Oprah 101. But it’s true. And I promise, that’s the end of that. No more comments from me, I swear.” She looked down at their joined hands for a long moment. When she lifted her head, her eyes were damp but she was smiling. “Okay,” she said briskly, “it’s time to take on the mall.”
    “Mom? Would you mind very much if we put it off?”
    “No. Of course not. If you’re tired—”
    “I’m not. And before you ask, yes, my leg’s fine. I just thought I might go out for a while, take a look around and see what’s changed.”
    “In Cooper’s Corner?” Gina grinned. “You’re joking.”
    “Alison said there’s a new B and B.”
    “Yes. And that’s it, unless you want to count the new gum ball machine down at the grocery store. Why don’t you call Alison and see if she’s free for lunch? I’m sure you two still have lots of catching up to do. Take my car, go for a drive—the snow’s not serious. It should be all done in another hour or two. Besides, my car has four-wheel drive. And those anti-lock brakes. Just remember, if you need to stop fast...” Gina rolled her eyes. “Good grief. I’m treating you as if you were a teenager.”
    Wendy laughed as she rose to her feet. “Yes, Mother, ” she said, putting deliberate emphasis on the word, “you are.”
    “Well, I’m not going to apologize. Being a nag is one of the perks of being a mom.” Gina smiled. “Someday you’ll find that out for yourself.”
    “Maybe,” Wendy said, her smile tilting. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
    She managed to hold the smile until Gina returned to the kitchen. Wendy wasn’t in the mood for company, not even Alison’s, but maybe her mother was right. Lunch might be fun. If nothing else, it would be a distraction.
    She phoned the post office. Alison said yes, lunch sounded like a great idea.
    “How about the Burger Barn? We never did get there the other day.”
    “Terrific.” Wendy got her down parka from the closet, tucked the phone between her ear and her shoulder and worked her arm into a sleeve. “At noon? Is that good for you?”
    Alison asked her to hold on for a second while she checked to see if the other clerk would swap his lunch hour with her.
    “Yeah,” she said, “that’s fine. See you at noon.”
    Wendy hung up the phone, zipped her jacket, yelled a goodbye to her mother and headed out into the morning.
    Maybe a drive and a bit of cold, clean air would help clear her head of memories that had no place in her life anymore.
    * * *
    S ETH FELT LIKE James Bond.
    Forget that. The suave Mr. Bond wouldn’t be driving a country road, hanging four car lengths behind a blue Volvo driven by a woman he’d once loved. Correction. A woman he’d thought he once loved. No, old James wouldn’t do such a stupid thing. He wouldn’t have stood silent while Wendy all but pointed to the door and told him to get out of her house, either.
    All right. Seth hadn’t expected her to throw herself into his arms with joy. He’d only stopped by out of courtesy, to ask her how things were