71 A Child Saved, A Tense Repast
71 A Child Saved, A Tense Repast
Beck’s face drained of color as he took in the sight of his soaking wet niece in ra’s arms. He rushed forward, his eyes wide with panic.
“Shanice! What happened?” He reached out, taking the trembling child from ra’s
arms.
“She fell into the hot spring,” ra exined, adjusting her robe tighter around herself. “I was there and pulled her out immediately.”
Beck clutched Shanice to his chest, his expression shifting from fear to relief to intense gratitude. “Thank you. God, thank you so much.”
Shanice buried her face against her uncle’s neck, her small body still shaking. “I’m sorry, Uncle Beck. I wanted to see the magic water.”
“I was on a call for just a minute,” Beck said, his voice unsteady. He looked at ra with genuine remorse. “I thought she was watching TV in the room.”
ra nodded, feeling a sudden awkwardness as she stood there in just her bathrobe. “Children can disappear in seconds. She’s fine, just scared.”
“I don’t know how to thank you.” Beck’s voice was thick with emotion. “If you hadn’t been there..”
“No need to think about that,” ra cut him off gently. “You should get her into dry clothes before she catches cold.”
Beck nodded, seeming to notice ra’s state of undress for the first time. He quickly averted his eyes. “Of course. I’ll take her back to our room now.”
ra turned to leave, eager to retreat to her own room and change.
“Mrs. Thorne,” Beck called after her.
She stiffened at the name but/turned back.
“Thank you again,” he said softly. “I’m truly in your debt.”
She gave a small nod and hurried away, wanting nothing more than to distance herself from any connection to the Thorne world.
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71 A Child Saved, A Tonse Repast
The next morning, ra sat alone at a corner table in the resort’s buffet restaurant. She had deliberately chosen to eat carly, hoping to avoid most <b>of </b>her colleagues<b>. </b>After the incidentst night, she needed some quiet time to gather her thoughts.
She was halfway through her coffee when she spotted Beck entering the dining area with Shanice in tow. The little girl was chattering animatedly, looking none the worse for her adventure the previous night.
ra quickly lowered her gaze to her te, hoping they wouldn’t notice her. The <bst </b>thing she wanted was another interaction with someone from Damien’s circle.
Her hope was in vain.
“Mrs. Thor–I mean, ra?” Beck’s voice came from beside her table.
She looked up, forcing a polite smile. “Good morning.”
Shanice peeked out from behind her uncle’s leg, suddenly shy.
“Would you mind if we joined you?” Beck asked, his expression tentative. “Shanice has something she’d like to say.”
ra hesitated. Every fiber of her being wanted to refuse, to protect the new life she was building from any remnants of her past. But the hopeful look on the little girl’s face made it impossible to say no.
“Of course,” she replied, gesturing to the empty chairs.
“Thank you.
I’ll just get our food first,” Beck said. He turned to Shanice. “Stay with ra for a minute, okay? I’ll be right back.”
Before ra could protest, Beck was walking toward the buffet, leaving his niece standing awkwardly beside the table.
“Would you like to sit down?” ra asked, pulling out a chair for the child.
Shanice climbed onto the chair, her legs swinging above the floor. She studied ra with curious eyes.
“Uncle Beck says you saved me from drowning,” she said matter–of–factly.
“You slipped and fell in,” ra exined gently. “I was just there to help.”
71 A Child Saved, A Tense Repast
Shanice nodded solemnly. “He said I could have died.”
ra winced at the blunt statement. “Well, hot springs can be dangerous. That’s why ra winced at the blunt there are signs saying children need supervision.”
“I can read,” Shanice informed her proudly. “I just didn’t listen.”
Despite herself, ra smiled. The girl reminded her of Cora at that age–curious and fearless to a fault.
Beck returned carrying two tes piled with breakfast foods. He set one in front of Shanice and took the seat across from ra.
“Shanice,” he prompted. “Remember what we talked about?”
for
The little girl straightened in her seat and looked directly at ra. “Thank you saving me from the magic water, Mrs. ra. I promise I won’t go exploring by myself again.”
“You’re very wee,” ra replied, touched by the formal little speech. “And it’s just ra.”
“Now eat your breakfast,” Beck told his niece, who immediately attacked her pancakes with enthusiasm.
An ufortable silence settled between the adults. ra sipped her coffee, desperately wishing for an excuse to leave.
“Are you here alone?” Beck finally asked.
ra shook her head. “I’m with colleagues. It’s a team–building weekend.”
Beck’s brow furrowed slightly. “From Thorne Industries?”
“No,” she replied, her tone cooling. “I don’t work there anymore.”
“Oh.” Beck looked genuinely surprised. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry if I—‘
“It’s fine,” ra cut him off. “It’s been some time now.”
The tension at the table was palpable. Shanice, oblivious to the adult difort,
happily devoured her breakfast while humming to herself.
Beck cleared his throat. “Listen, I know we’ve had our… disagreements in the past, but I
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71 A Child Saved, A Tense Repast
want to thank you properly for what you didst night. Shanice is everything to me?
ra softened slightly at the obvious love in his voice. “She seems like a wonderful
child.”
“She is,” Beck agreed, his face lighting up. “Too clever for her own good sometimes, but wonderful.”
For a brief moment, the awkwardness between them eased as they both watched Shanice carefully arranging her strawberries into a smiley face on her te.
Then Beck asked, “How’s Cora doing? She must be getting big now.”
The question sent a sharp pain through ra’s chest. She opened her mouth to respond when she spotted Julian across the room, looking around as if searching for
someone.
“Excuse me,” she said, seizing the opportunity. “I need to speak with my colleague.”
She stood quickly, not waiting for Beck’s response, and made her way across the dining room to where Julian stood.
“Good morning,” she greeted him with relief. “I was just about toe find you.”
Julian smiled at her but his eyes moved past her shoulder. “Who’s that you were sitting
with?”
ra turned slightly, seeing Beck watching them with a puzzled expression. The question hung in the air between them, forcing ra to confront a piece of her past she’d hoped to leave behind.