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CHAPTER EIGHT
3 Days Later
"Katherine!" Rachel called.
"What?" Katherine shouted sleepily down the stairs.
"Tell mom and dad I left to meet Alistair, won't you?" Rachel asked, walking out the door.
"Of course. Send him my regards!" Katherine called down. She received no answer. "Rachel?"
she asked tentatively.
It took her a moment to realize that her sister had already left.
"All right! All right! I surrender!" Rachel laughed, letting Alistair tackle her lightly onto the sand.
"So do I," He whispered, kissing her lightly.
"So," Rachel said lightly, pulling herself up into a sitting position. "What were we talking about
again?"
"You mean before we were so - unfortunately distracted?" Alistair questioned, grinning at her.
"Well I don't think I would say 'unfortunately'," she smirked, leaning over to kiss him again.
"No," he murmured as her hair blew gently around his face. "What an UNFOURTUNATE choice of words."
Rachel laughed. "Stop," she giggled, hitting him playfully as she tossed her hair behind her shoulders.
"Well all right then," he laughed, pulling away from her.
"Not that!" She insisted, yanking him back toward her and kissing him again. This time she allowed him
to deepen the kiss. Slowly pulling away, she bit her lip.
"So what WERE we talking about?" she questioned, rolling onto her side.
"The honeymoon I think," he answered, more of a question than a statement. He began to gently play with
her hair.
"Of course," she smiled. He looked at her skeptically.
"Of course as in you remember we were talking about that or of course as in you have ideas about that?"
She shrugged. "More of the second, but does it really matter?"
He smiled at her. "Of course not."
"I was thinking - " she began, reaching out to gently stroke his cheek, "Perhaps we could go to
Monaco on a day trip?"
Alistair laughed at the tentative note in her voice. "Whatever you want. A month - in Europe - all by ourselves
- the possibilities are ENDLESS."
She giggled at the open excitement on Alistair's face. It pleased her to see it. "Yes," she whispered,
smiling sweetly. "Endless." She scooted over to kiss him again. He pulled back slightly and smiled back
at her. Suddenly he checked his watch.
"I've got to go, sweetheart. I have an appointment," he said regretfully. He jumped up and reached down
to pull her up with him. "I'll see you soon?" he inquired, quickly kissing her.
"Of COURSE!" she smiled, looking out at the water. "Pretty soon you'll see me ALL the time. I'm
afraid you'll grow tired of me."
"Of you?" he laughed heartily. "NEVER."
"Promise?" she laughed.
"Of course I promise," he nodded, still laughing.
Rachel turned to look out at the water again, taking in the sunset. "I think I'm going to come here to sail
tomorrow," she told him. Turning back to him she giggled. "I'll come to see you first, all right? It
will be early - "
He nodded. "I'll be waiting. I must go though - I need to change before the meeting."
Rachel took in his rumpled and sandy clothing. "I would say so," she laughed.
"Come on," he said, putting an arm loosely around her. "I'll give you a ride back up to the house.
You're driver should still be there, right?"
"Absolutely," she affirmed, stepping just a bit closer to him. "Alistair," she said softly,
stopping. "Look at that."
"What?" he questioned.
"The sunset," she murmured.
"You know it's almost as beautiful as you," he said after a moment.
Laughing together, they continued up the beach.
Katherine looked at the clock for what seemed to be the millionth time. She sighed deeply. It was already dark
and still no sign of her sister who had left HOURS ago.
"I would give ANYTHING to be in her place," Katherine muttered. "ABSOLUTELY anything."
Miles away, Tabitha Lennox heard the young girl's plea. "Don't worry about a thing, young one," she whispered.
"Your wish is my command."
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