按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
“What you’re going to sec today makes what you saw then seem ordinary?
“I guess I should feel special。”
He took a few steps before responding。 “You are special;” he finally said; and the way he said it made her wonder if he wanted to add something else。 But he didn’t; and Allie smiled a little before glancing away。 As she did; she felt the wind in her face and noticed it had picked up since the morning。
They reached the jetty and; after tossing the bag in the canoe; Noah quickly checked to make sure he hadn’t missed anything; then slid the canoe to the water。
Can I do anything?”
“No; just get in。”
After she climbed in; he pushed the canoe further into the water。 Then he gracefully stepped off the jetty into the canoe; placing his feet carefully to prevent it from capsizing。 Allie was impressed by his agility; knowing that what he had done so quickly and easily was harder than it looked。
She sat at the front of the canoe; facing backwards。 Noah had said something about missing the view when he started to paddle; but she’d shaken her head; saying she was fine the way she was。
And it was true。 She could see everything she really wanted to see if she turned her head; but most of all she wanted to watch Noah。 It was him she’d e to see; not the creek。 His shirt was unbuttoned at the top; and she could see his chest muscles flex with every stroke。 His sleeves were rolled up too; and she could see the well…developed muscles in his arms。
Artistic; she thought。 There’s something almost artistic about him。 Something natural; as if being on the water were beyond his control; part of a gene passed on to him from some obscure hereditary pool。
She couldn’t think of anyone else who remotely resembled him。 He was plicated; almost contradictory in so many ways; yet simple; a strangely erotic bination。 On the surface he was a country boy; Home from war; and he probably saw himself in those terms。 Yet there was so much more to him。 Perhaps it was the poetry that made him different; or perhaps it was the values his father had instilled in him; growing up。 Either way; he seemed to savour life more fully than others appeared to; and that was what had first attracted her to him。
“What arc you thinking?”
She felt her insides jump just a hit as Noah’s voice brought her back to the present。 She realized she hadn’t said much since they’d started; and she appreciated the silence he had allowed her。 He’d always been considerate like that。
“Good things;” she answered quietly; and she saw in his eyes that he knew she was thinking about him。 She liked the fact that he knew it; and she hoped he had been thinking about her as well。
She understood then that something was stirring within her; as it had so many years ago。 Watching his body move made her feel it。 And as their eyes met for a second; she felt the heat in her neck and breasts; and she flushed; turning away before he noticed。
“How much further?” she asked。
“Another half…mile or so。 Not any more than that。”
A pause。 Then she said: “Tell me; Noah; what do you remember most from the summer we spent together?”
“All of it。”
“Anything in particular?”
“No;” he said。
“You don’t remember?”
He answered quietly。 “No; it’s not that。 It’s not what you’re thinking。 I was serious when I said ‘all of it。’ I can remember every moment we were together; and in each of them there was something wonderful。 I can’t pick any one time that meant more than any other。 The entire summer was perfect; the kind of summer everyone should have。 How could I pick one moment over another?
“Poets often describe love as an emotion that we can’t control; one that overwhelms logic and mon sense。 That’s what it was like for me。 I didn’t plan on falling in love with you; and I doubt if you planned on falling in love with me。 But once we met; it was clear that neither of us could control what was happening to us。 We fell in love; despite our differences; and once we did; something rare and beautiful was created。 For me; love like that has happened only once; and that’s why every minute we spent together has been seared in my memory。 I’ll never forget a single moment of it。”
Allie stared at him。 No one had ever said anything like that to her before。 Ever。 She didn’t know what to say and stayed silent; her face hot。
“I’m sorry if I made you feel unfortable; Allie。 I didn’t mean to。 But that summer has stayed with me and probably always will。 I know it can’t be the same between us; but that doesn’t change the way I felt about you then。”
“It didn’t make me unfortable。 Noah 。。。 It’s just that I don’t ever hear things like that。 What you said was beautiful。 It takes a poet to talk the way you do。 and like I said; you’re the only poet I’ve ever met。”
Peaceful silence descended on them。 An osprey cried somewhere in the distance。 The paddle moved rhythmically; causing ripples that rocked the boat ever so slightly。 The breeze had stopped; and the clouds grew blacker as the canoe moved onwards。
Allie noticed it all; every sound; every thought。 Her senses had e alive; invigorating her; and she felt strangely satisfied that she’d e; pleased that Noah had turned into the type of man she’d thought he would; pleased that she would live for ever with that knowledge。 She had seen too many men in the past few years destroyed by war; or time; or even money。 It took strength to hold on to inner passion; and Noah had done that。
This was a worker’s world; not a poet’s; and people would have a hard time understanding Noah。 Who did she know in Raleigh who took time off to fix a house? Or read Whitman or Eliot? Or hunt at dawn from the bow of a canoe? These weren’t the things that drove society; but she felt they made living worth while。
To her it was the same with art; though she had realized it only upon ing here。 Or rather; remembered it。 She had known it once before; and again she cursed herself for forgetting something as important as creating beauty。 Painting was what she was meant to do; she was sure of that now。 She was going to give it another shot; no matter what anyone said。
Would Lon encourage h