After changing to a clean blouse for the third time that day, Anna carried the half-empty tray into the kitchen. "Thanks, Charity. Lunch was delicious."

"Since you're up, I think Mr. Littrell wants to talk to you. He's in his room."

"Sure," she agreed and swallowed hard.

With the blanket clutched to her chest, Anna tapped lightly on Brian's door and waited for his answer before entering.

They eyed one another warily. "You wanted to see me?"

"Not particularly," Brian snapped.

Shrugging off his gruff welcome, she laid the blanket at the foot of his bed and turned with forced calm. "I'll see you later. By the way...." She hesitated, her back to him. "Thanks for putting the blanket over me."

"I didn't."

Dennis saw her and waved as she climbed atop a sand dune. Anna raised her good hand and returned the gesture. It was another gorgeous April afternoon. How quickly she was coming to love this beach, this house, this...Her mind refused to form "man". So much of herself was tied up with his case: her skill, her ego, the almost desperate desire to help lift him from the mire of self-pity.

With long-legged strides, Dennis raced to her, kicking up sand as he ran.

"How do you feel?" She inquired.

"Great."

"Feel up to another confrontation with the master?" She asked in a teasing voice.

"Nah, it's much more fun watching you two argue. But since you're a bit under the weather, what would you like?"

"You've still got that plywood around, haven't you? Let's get him down here on the beach."

"He isn't going to like it," Dennis warned.

"Heavens, so what's new? Brian Littrell doesn't like anything."

Together they laid down the thick boards of wood. Dennis insisted on wheeling Brian down, and Anna didn't argue. She didn't feel like arguing with Brian, not today.

"I suppose this was your idea, Watson," Brian grunted out as Dennis pushed the chair down the wooden planks. He watched as she turn away, pretending not to hear. "You heard me."

"Well, damn if I didn't."

Dennis glanced from one to the other and chuckled, "He's all yours. Let me know when you need me."

"Thanks Dennis." She smiled her thanks and watched as he turned and headed back to the house.

"You enjoy doing this don't you?"

"Doing what?"

"This kind of garbage!" He hurled the words at her angrily, as if venting his anger would lessen his confusion. "You seem to have the mistaken impression that once thrust into the beauty of nature I'll forget all my troubles and thank God for the gift of life."

"No," she sat in the sand beside him, her bare toe burrowing under the granules. "I thought a little sun might add some color to your face."

"You're lying."

"If you say so," she agreed pleasantly, titling her face upward and coveting the golden rays. "You know, Littrell, if you didn't work so hard a disliking this, you could come to enjoy it."

"Never."

"Want me to bury your feet in the sand?"

"No," he hissed.

"Then be quiet. You're destroying my peace."

"Good. I haven't had a peaceful moment from the day you arrived."

She ignored him, pretending not to hear his movements.

"Watson."

Opening her eyes, she looked at him. Brian dumped his sweater over her head. "That's what I think of your loony ideas."

"For a cripple, you're mighty brave."

"And you're a sad excuse for a woman. Don't you wear anything but pants? What's the matter, are you afraid to show your legs?"

"Legs," she cried dramatically. "You want legs, I'll give you legs." She pulled her pants up to her knees and danced around in the hot sand. The sight of Dennis escorting a tall blonde halted her. "It looks like you have company."

"Company?" Brian asked. "I don't want to see anyone, send them away."

"It's too late for that." A bitter taste filled her mouth. Anna would have killed for a body like hers. Tall. Willowy. Every brick stacked in the right place. And a face that would stop traffic.

As the two drew closer, the woman's pace increased. "Oh, Brian. No one told me. Oh Brian." She fell to her knees and buried her head in his lap. She began to tremble with sorrow.

Brian's hand lifted, hesitated, and patted her back.

Anna took a step in retreat, not wishing to be a witness of this. Brian's eyes found hers and cast her an unmistakable look of appeal.

"I'll leave you two alone."

"No," Brian said, his intense gaze demanding that she stay.

"Maybe you'd enjoy some iced tea? I'll be back."

"Watson?" Brian's voice lowered.

"I'll be right back." She turned away from him.

Dennis carried a lounge chair for her while Anna managed a tray of two tall glasses of fresh iced tea with a slice of lemon attached to the side.

Apparenty the blonde had composed herself in the meantime. Dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, she stood at Brian's side, her blue eyes filled with compassion and sweetness.

"I'm afraid Leigh can't stay," Brian announced and his gaze narrowed on Anna. "Dennis, would you kindly escort her to her car?"

In true gentleman fashion, Dennis placed his arm around the blonde's shoulders and whispered comforting words to her while walking toward the house.

"Watson, you do that to me again, I'll...."

"Do what?" She inquired innocently.

"Couldn't you have done something? I thought you were my self-appointed rescuer. Well, rescue me! The minute I really need you, off you fly with the excuse of getting iced tea."

"What in the Sam Hill did you expect me to do?"

"I don't know. That's your job, isn't it?"

"No," she snapped back, then began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" He demanded.

"You! Think about it. It's a sad commentary on your life when you want me to rescue you from the arms of a beautiful woman."

A poor smile touched his face. "Couldn't you see she was throwing herself all over me, all that pity?"

"Women like to cry," she explained patiently, and sat down in the sand cross-legged. She took a tall glass and handed him the other. "It gives us a reason to appear feminine."

"And Leigh knows she looks good with tears clinging to her lashes. Her big, blue eyes staring into mine."

"You sound like you've made lots of women cry."

"Hundreds." He returned sarcastically.

"I wouldn't doubt it." Anna laughed lightly.

"What about you?"

"I don't know of any women who've cried over me," she teased, the wind blowing her soft curls across her cheekbones.

"You know what I mean."

Staring in her tea, she shrugged lightly. "Only one."

"Who?"

Anna swallowed around the tight lump that formed in her throat. "My father."

They sat silently after that.

"Tell me about your family." Brian said after a long time.

"My father was a high school music teacher and band director, my mother, a housewife. There's only my brother. He's two years older than me, lives in Santa Barbara, has a wife and two children."

"Is he as gutsy as you?"

"Doug? Yes, only in a different way. He's a policeman."

"You said your father drowned." The words were spoken softly. His voice reflected a question.

Arms wrapped around her knees, she stared out at the waves gently hitting the shore. "He died in Mexico, three summers ago. Mom and Dad flew down to celebrate their anniversary. Two little boys about ten and eight, tourists from Texas, got trapped in the undertow." She paused, reliving the horror of that summer again. "Dad managed to save the ten-year-old. My mother looked on from the beach." Once her breathing had returned to normal, she lifted her head. "My father was a wonderful man."

"I already knew that," Brian murmured, and reached out a hand, lightly stroking her hair. His touch was gentle.

"What about you?" She asked purposely to change the subject.

"There's only me. I think my parents wanted more, but mother had a difficult pregnancy and the doctors advised her not to."

"Were you always.."

"Rich?" He finished for her.

"That's not the word I would have used, but yeah."

"The company's been in the family for three generations. This summer home is a new asset."

"This is your summer home?" Her gaze flew over her shoulder to the beautiful structure behind her.

"Usually I live in a condo in Orlando, but I have apartments in Switzerland and New York. Had," he corrected in a bitter tone.

Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened, "Oh."

"For heaven's sake, don't get all goo-goo eyed on me."

Anna forced her mouth shut.

"Actually this house belongs to my parents. Does that make you feel any less intimidated?"

"Yes," she gestured weakly with her hand. "Sure."

"Does that shocked look mean I'm going to get a little respect?"

"No." She shook her head. "It means I'm asking for a raise. I hope you realize I'm still paying off a government loan for my college education." Jumping to her feet, she took off toward the sea.

"Hey where are you going?" He called after her.

"To look for seashells." Swinging her hands high at her sides, she walked backwards. "Want to come?"

"Yes!" He shouted, surprising her. "Bring one of those pieces of wood down here. Once, the chair gets on wet sand you can push me."

"Push you?" She laughed, "Wheel yourself, bub."

"All right lazy, I'll do the hard work."

Anna did as suggested, dragging a piece of wood until they managed to manipulate the chair close to the shore.

"Come on, I'll race you."

Brian smiled with his mouth to one side, "Trying to take advantage of a cripple are you?"

"I was going to even the odds," She added with an offended look.

"Sure you were."

"No, honest." She crossed her heart with her index finger and burst into pearls of laughter at the look on his face. "Okay, okay, I'll run backwards."

"And hop on one foot?"

"No. That's too much."

"All right. On your mark, get set, go," Brian shouted.

Anna paused, hands on her hips looking on helplessly. His arms worked furiously as he rotated the wheels.

"Hey, I wasn't ready!" She shouted at him.

"Tough." The wind carried the word to her. She watched as the muscles of his upper arms flexed with the effort.

Serious now she turned around and began to jog backwards. Within a minute she was even with him. "Let's negotiate."

"Do you concede?"

"Anything."

Brian stopped, turning his chair toward her.

She laughed under her breath, as she bent down resting her hands on her knees. "You cheated," she teased him. "I wasn't ready."

"You looked ready to me."

Her back was to the ocean, and she heard Brian's shout of warning just as the wave crashed against her legs, hitting the backs of her thighs.

Brian laughed at the look of shock that came over her face.

"You did that on purpose." She gasped.

"I didn't, I swear."

Flinging her hands forward, she managed to splash water at him. She waited until the next wave came in and scooped up as much water as her hands could hold. She ran toward him, and fell forward.

Brian reached out to catch her, breaking the impact of the fall. To her horror, Anna pulled him out of the chair and took him with her to the ground.

He lay partially on top of her. "Anna? Are you all right?"

"Degraced but otherwise, fine. You?" Her back was pressed against the sand.

He didn't answer her. Their eyes met, and a flood of warmth swept over her. The laughter was gone from his gaze, and she stared back wordlessly, almost afraid to breathe.

Slowly he lowered his head, blocking out the sunlight. Their breaths mingled as his lips hovered a hair's space above her own. No longer could she see his face. Her heart was crying out to him, begging him to stop and at the same time, pleading with him to kiss her.

Very gently, as if in slow motion, Brian fit his mouth over hers. At first his lips barely skimmed the surface, as if he didn't want this, but couldn't help himself.