"Kim Wilkins - The Autumn Castle" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wilkins Kim)

"What's it called?" she asked him.

"Urban Autumn," he said, dropping her hair. "You really like it?"

"Of course."

Jude stood back and smiled at the painting. "Today's the first day of fall," he said. "It's kind of a tribute."

"First day of fall?"

"On the pagan calendar, according to Gerda. Except she calls it autumn."

"Perhaps that explains why I'm feeling so odd. Summer's gone, winter's on its way."

He turned to her, concern crossing his face. "What's the matter? You sound kind of melancholy."

She sighed. "I am melancholy. Don't know why."

"Is your back giving you trouble?" His hand dropped to the small of her back and pressed it gently. This
was the locus of the chronic pain thatтАФunbelievablyтАФshe was still not used to after so many years.

"No more than usual." She thought about the twinges she'd felt while talking about her parents' accident.

"Nothing else bothering you?"

There was, but she could barely articulate it. Fuzzy memories of her childhood, a recurring
half-remembrance about a crow she had seen once, a fluttering buzzing anxiety lacing everything, a breath
caught perpetually in her throat. "I don't think so. I guess being back here reminds me ofтАж happier
times."

He smiled and folded her into his arms and she tried to take solace in his beating heartтАФ

He doesn't love you as much as you love him.

тАФand to put aside all her irrational feelings.

"Hey, love pigeons!"

Jude released Christine and she turned to the door of the studio. Gerda stood there, shaking her head so
her blond dreadlocks bounced around her shoulders. "You guys are always smooching."

"Can't help ourselves," Jude said, shrugging.

"We're on our way out," Gerda said. "Coming?"

"Who's 'we'?" Christine asked.

"All of us. Me, Pete, Fabiyan. Shall we make it a Hotel Mandy-Z outing?"

"Yeah, cool," Jude said, "just don't ask Mandy."