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Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

She wasn’t wearing a bra.

He closed his eyes, trying to unsee the girls, then opened his eyes again and went to work washing her back, her arms, her feet, her legs... This injured woman, this lost soul had come into his care, and lascivious thoughts seemed the ultimate in selfish and off-color. Was this his punishment for withdrawing from the human race? He couldn’t express his relief when she took the cloth and soap and said, “I’ll do the rest.”

“I’ll find you clean clothes.” He gave her the handheld, took her clothes and dashed out to avoid watching her wash...more.

He stopped halfway between the shower and the house and scanned the horizon. He couldn’t forget this morning’s uneasy sense of being observed. A man with his history did well to always be constantly vigilant. Elle’s appearance in his life reminded him that he paid the price for failing to protect himself, but when he had vowed to care for another and failed, the sin, the guilt and the sorrow stained his soul forever.

He would not fail again.

7

ELLE DIDN’T SO MUCH go to bed as collapse onto the bed, asleep.

Adam stood and stared down at her morosely. His whole day—breakfast, the beach, discovering her body, seeing her revive, helping her up the cliff, that shower, dressing her in one of his old T-shirts and boxers, feeding her sips of broth...All of it had taken hours. Hours and hours, which had been exhausting to a man who hadn’t slept the night before.

Now it was nine in the evening, she was unconscious in his California queen bed, and he was doomed to find whatever sleep he could on the diminutive love seat in his miniature living room.

But not yet. First he needed to establish her identity, where she came from and if someone was looking for her. He left the door open to allow him to hear her if she stirred. He took her pile of clothes and put them in the compact washing machine on his back porch. Her T-shirt gave him pause. The print across the chest declared Machu Picchu Rocks.

What could he deduce from that? That she’d been to Peru, eight thousand feet up in the Andes, and visited the Incan citadel, Machu Picchu? Or (more likely) that someone she knew had visited Machu Picchu and brought her a T-shirt?

He headed into the living room and to the compact desk where he’d set up his computer and monitor. He got online and typed in Missing persons, Monterey and Carmel. Of course, there were lost persons, but no one matched Elle’s photo or description. He moved south, searching in Santa Barbara and—