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.He was the only son they had left, and he belonged here.She'd known that all along.In some ways, Sean's absence had only added to her guilt.He shouldn't have had to leave home.Their breakup had never been about him or even their love; it had been about all the things she couldn't tell him, things that involved Jeremy and Kate, Caroline and her father, things they had promised to take to their graves.The only way she had been able to keep the promise was to distance herself from Sean.In doing so, she'd hurt him and herself.Hurting herself had been a just punishment.Sean, however, had never deserved that pain.She wanted to tell him that.She wanted to say she was sorry, to let him know that if it became too difficult again, she would be the one to leave, she would be the one to sacrifice.And she was prepared to do it.It wouldn't be an empty promise.If one of them had to leave, it would be her.She still didn't know if it would be possible to be with him, to see him day in and day out, without ever talking about the past.Squaring her shoulders, she opened the door and walked inside.The building was quiet.She walked down the hallway past the business offices and into the main building.There were two boats under construction, one barely begun and one almost finished, a sleek twenty-five-foot sailboat.It was beautiful.The wood was smooth, rich, expensive.She couldn't help running her hand along the side.The touch brought back feelings of another lifetime -- the rail on the Moon Dancer warmed by the noonday sun, hot beneath her fingers.To cool her hand, she'd put it over the side, trailing her fingers in the chilly water of the deep blue sea.So many days of the sun, the wind, the moon, the stars.Endless hours of watching the different shades of water play out in front of their eyes.The sudden squawk of a seabird sometimes the only thing to break the endless quiet.But it wasn't always peaceful out there.Sometimes the wind sounded like a freight train roaring down the tracks.Sometimes the night was so dark, the mist so thick, that she'd felt like she was sitting in a cloud, suffocating.Just the thought shook her up.She turned her head, instinctively seeking air, escape.Sean was standing there, watching her."Hi," she said somewhat nervously."Hi, yourself."He looked at her as if he wanted to kiss her again, and she couldn't help licking her lips, bringing his gaze to her mouth.Maybe this was a bad idea."Did you talk to your dad?" she asked, breaking into speech, anything to cut the tension between them."This morning.He was thrilled.I finally did something to make the old man happy.""I bet your mom is happy, too.""Over the moon.She's making my favorite dinner, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and pecan pie.You're invited, by the way.She's sure you had something to do with my change of mind.""It wasn't me," she said with a self-deprecating shrug."Of course it was you.It's always been you, Ash."She swallowed hard."I wanted to tell you something." She hesitated, not sure how to say it.Sean held up a hand."I don't like the expression on your face.Things are good between us right now.Let's just leave it that way, at least for today.What do you say?""I just wanted to tell you that I don't want you to ever go away again because of me.If anyone needs to leave, I'll be the one.""No one needs to leave.We're grown up now.Can't we just put the past behind us?"She wanted to do exactly that."Do you think that's possible?""I know it is." He paused."When you first came back from the race, I badgered you constantly about Jeremy and the storm and what had happened out there.It wasn't fair.You were traumatized, and I didn't see that I was making it worse.I just wanted answers.I wanted something to ease the pain, you know?""I know," she whispered."But I drove you away, and I regret that.""You don't have anything to apologize for, believe me.""Well, it won't happen again.A few days ago I told you I wanted to race, to follow in Jeremy's wake, to experience what he did, but the truth is I don't want any of that.I never did.I never wanted to be him, I just wanted him to be here."She was confused."Then why did you say you were going to race?""Maybe I was looking for another way to get to you.It kind of worked," he said and gave her a crooked grin."It got you talking to me again.""Your mother did that.""I'll have to give her a big present on Mother's Day.So, do you want to go for a sail?"She stiffened."Uh, no, not in this weather.""Relax.I was talking about this boat." He tipped his head toward the boat next to her."It's as ready as you are for a dry-dock test run." He pushed the box steps over to the boat."Want a closer look?""All right."Sean climbed into the boat and held out his hand to her.After a moment's hesitation, she climbed aboard.Sean sat down on the bench seat and patted the spot next to him "Sit here with me."She did as he asked, feeling an odd sense of comfort as she sat down, as if she'd come home."Remember when we had a picnic in Mr.Garcia's motorboat?" he asked her.She smiled at the memory."Your father was furious at us for getting jam on the seats.I don't think we were more than twelve.""The good old days.""The good old days," she echoed."What do you think of this boat?" Sean asked."It's beautiful.""It's my design.I sent it to my father a couple years ago.He finally found a customer who wanted it."She looked at him in surprise."You did this? That's incredible.""A little better than all those bad drawings I used to show you, huh?"Ashley nodded, remembering how Sean had always been busy scribbling on pieces of paper."As I recall, most of those boats looked like supersonic jets.You had a fascination with speed
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