Chapter 21
Eric caught her arm as Valerie crash-landed on her butt.
“Careful.”
Valerie squinted as her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. They were high on a grassy slope that swept down to a private cove facing a sea, a vast sea of blue-green water and, Valerie was glad she was sitting down, lemon-yellow wave crests.
The only building was a house some distance along the glittering beach, its white sand so bright she couldn’t look at it for more than a moment or two. Even from here the house looked cozy and welcoming, a small house with a broad veranda. The day was impossibly beautiful. She could happily die and live out her days here. The air smelled of sea air, daisies, and just a hint of wild mint. It was pleasantly warm, which was good because she’d left her coat back in her apa
