Chapter 12

The laughing boy raced happily down the narrow sandy beach plunging headlong into the cool, clear water. His arms flailed wildly, splashing like a hooked salmon for a moment, then he stood up, knuckling the water from his eyes with his forefingers.

"Auntie Ann, Auntie Ann," he yelled at the tan blonde girl lying on the blanket not too far away. "Come on in, come on in and race me to the raft!"

"Okay, Jimmy," she yelled back slipping a white bathing cap over her long blonde hair. "Be right there--I'll bet you an ice cream I win."

She ran over to where he was waiting and jumped in beside him, splashing handfuls of water in his face at the same time.

"Don't, Don't" he cried, "I can't see to race you."

She stopped long enough for him to clean his eyes again and then said, "Okay, get ready--one, two, three, go!"

They both splashed off into the water and swam toward the raft anchored some one hundred feet out in the lake. Ann could feel her hands cutting cleanly into the cool clear water in front of her, pulling her body swiftly after them.

She had never felt better. She had been here in the mountains with Laura, Dave's sister, for over two weeks now and the scars of the ill- fated trip to Tijuana were gradually healing.

She had returned to San Diego and immediately packed her bags and left.

She never intended to see Julia again, which of course, meant giving up her job at the store, but it didn't matter.

She had not even bothered to notify her supervisor that she was quitting. She still had several days pay coming but decided to sacrifice it for fear they would want a forwarding address through which Julia could trace her if she had a desire to do so--though why would she? Julia had her revenge or what ever it was she wanted. She couldn't humiliate her anymore than she already had. Ann had been more afraid that Julia would try to see her to apologize and felt the whole, hideous nightmare had been a mistake, but she couldn't bear to face anyone connected with it.

After several days in the cool mountain air with Laura and Jimmy, the impact of the initial shock had worn off. She had been able to think a little more clearly and put the sordid affair into a more logical perspective.

Her first hysterical reaction had been to sit down and try and write Dave a letter admitting all that happened. This had not worked. She must have written it over at least twenty times becoming almost ill again each time from the bitter memories the words stirred within her. Each time she re-read what she had written, she had burned it in disgust. It just didn't say what had really happened--how she had been led on and deceived by Julia, whom she'd trusted--led on until she'd gone too far... and her body betrayed her.

Dave would never understand, and she finally decided that it wasn't fair to him to suffer a momentary failure on her part. She still loved him as before, perhaps more with the knowledge that she had let her body betray her. She, alone, should suffer for this and she was determined to protect him from the secret--no matter how it might hurt her.

She knew she would never be able to curl up in his lap again and playfully nip at his ear with girlish innocence without thoughts of that horrible night. This would be her penance alone to bear and the scar would last as long as she lived. Time might dim the memory but could never erase it.

She and Jimmy finished their swim and returned to the cabin for late lunch with Laura.

"I think you need an afternoon rest, young man," she said to him as they were walking back.

"Aw, no I don't, Auntie Ann, don't say that to Mom," he pleaded.

"All right, I won't," she smiled. "If you promise to lie quietly on the blanket this afternoon if we go back to the lake."

"Okay, Okay, I promise," he said happily, knowing he had won without much of a fight.

Ann mused at the way he was able to twist her around his little finger anytime he felt like it. Perhaps it was because he was the kind of little boy she would want when Dave returned. They weren't going to wait any longer she vowed. If only he hadn't wanted to wait until he returned from sea duty, things would have been so different now.

Laura greeted them at the door with a smile. "Well, did you two have a good swim?"

"We sure did," Jimmy bubbled. "I beat her a mile racing to the raft."

"He's a good swimmer," Ann agreed, patting the top of his head as he rushed off to wash his hands for lunch.

"You look pretty bubbly, too," Laura said, looking at Ann. "I think your little vacation with us has been a good thing. You know, I was a little concerned when you first arrived."

"It has been wonderful, Laura, I just don't know how to thank you," she squeezed her hand gratefully. "I was awfully lonely and worried about Dave," she lied, "but I think I've recovered now."