Page 36 of Wait for Me

If she told him…

No.

“Time for a bath to wash away all that gold dust,” Mrs. Ping said to Jonas.

He was rubbing his eyes.

“Maybe a nap after bath,” Mrs. Ping said to Logan and Marie. “We might go to the playroom. If they’re showing a movie at the theater, we might do that. I’ll keep him until dinner. You two go do your own thing.”

After Mrs. Ping closed the door, Logan waited for Marie to say something.

Marie assumed he wanted to know her decision about the “alone time” he had suggested.

“You’re right,” Marie said. “We both need alone time. I have some work to do. I’m sure you do, too. I’ll see you at dinner?”

Logan didn’t seem to visibly react too much, but Marie could see the disappointment in his eyes. He didn’t reach for her hand or anything, but Marie had a feeling he wanted to.

She debated whether to give him a hug.

“You didn’t answer my question in the ice-cream shop this morning,” Logan said.

“What question?”

“I asked you about your translator job, and you replied about the Yukon train running.”

“That. I don’t usually talk about my job in public.” Marie would have answered him had Aliyah’s assistant—who spoke English—not walked into the shop at the moment that Logan had asked Marie the question.

The last thing Marie wanted them to know was that she was a translator. Although they wouldn’t know what languages she spoke—they might have guessed it was a European language—Marie still did not want her cover blown.

What cover?

Marie closed her eyes.I’m not working this week. I’m not working this week.

“Are you tired?” Logan asked.

“A little bit.” Marie stepped back. “I think I better go take a nap. You rest, too, and I’ll see you at dinner.”

Logan nodded. “And once again you did not answer my question about your job.”

“I’m still doing the same thing I did five years ago.” Marie took another step back. Her stateroom was down that way.

Logan didn’t move from his spot. He didn’t say anything.

Marie felt sorry for him.Poor guy needs a hug.

So she gave him a hug, wrapping her arms around him, and stroking his back. He relaxed under her arms.

In spite of everything he had and owned the world over, all he needed right now was a free hug.

Oh, the irony.

Chapter Nineteen

“Don’t walk with me tonight because you feel sorry for me.” Logan pushed the elevator button outside the dining room. He felt that Marie had come along only because she had to keep her word to walk with him this evening.

Dinner was over, and the ship was back at sea, cruising toward the next port of call. They should arrive in Ketchikan by morning.

“I know you want to talk,” Marie said, stepping over the threshold. “I know you have questions.”

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