Alanna's bright grin spread across her freckled face as she shook hands all around. "And never a finer medal won, I'd wager."

"Great to meet you. Both of you. Congratulations." Anne smiled at Laura then glanced back down the hallway and shook her head. "We were going to come by to check on Ca.s.s later, so I'm really glad you called when you did."

"I'm incredibly glad you did. I didn't know how else I was going to stop her. Your timing was perfect. Did you really overhear everything?"

"Not all of it, just enough to make her think we heard more."

"Nice."

Jane turned to her partner. "Honey, why don't you go on in and visit Ca.s.s? I think I'd like to sit out here and chat with Laura and Alanna a bit."

Laura watched as Anne strode down the hall and disappeared into Ca.s.s's room. Jane pulled Laura into a nearby seat and settled herself across from Laura while Alanna sat on a nearby bench.

Pulling the small digital recorder from her back pocket again, Jane checked it, then set it on the table before them. She waved toward the device and said, "I have a feeling that Sh.e.l.ly's not finished, so why don't you tell me a story?"

Chapter Forty.

Ca.s.s rocked back and forth, trying to ease her nerves as she waited for the ceremony to begin. To her left, behind the lowest of three podiums, were the two Dutch rowers, their orange and white track suits blinding in the afternoon sunlight. To the right, behind the second-highest podium were Alanna and Kay, bright in their green and white uniforms. Before Ca.s.s and Pam was the tallest of the three podiums, the one onto which they would step in just a few minutes. Sucking in a breath at the flutter of nerves that threatened to overwhelm her, she instead turned and scanned the crowd in the stands, hoping to catch a glimpse of the rest of her team.

"They're over there." Pam nudged her shoulder and pointed further to the left with her good hand.

"Thanks." Ca.s.s flicked her gaze over the group of excited women, grinning as Sheila gave her a thumbs-up. Spotting one of the a.s.sistants standing behind a tripod, she turned to Pam and smiled. "Gonna take the tape over to Sarah right after?"

"Yeah." Pam smiled sadly. "She's watching the coverage on TV, but I promised we'd make a tape just for her."

"I so wish she could be here." Ca.s.s nervously tugged her team polo straighter. It was unusual to get a medal and not be in her racing unitard. She felt almost awkward in the team shorts and polo.

"Me too." Pam's expression brightened as she continued. "But, the docs say she's doing much better. I wish we could have put this off one more day, then she might have been able to be here."

"At least we get to get our medals the same day the eight get theirs." Ca.s.s leaned forward and looked along the row at the twenty-seven women cl.u.s.tered around the end of the docks awaiting their turn, grinning as Amy flashed her a bright thumbs-up from where she stood with the rest of her crew. Behind her stood Laura, and Ca.s.s was warmed by the smile she sent her way. The flutter that ran through her echoed the b.u.t.terflies that had taken root in her stomach, and Ca.s.s laughed at herself. She wasn't entirely certain which unsettled her more, the pending medals ceremony or her reaction to the smallest smile from her elusive friend.

A call from the announcer's booth sent a wave of murmuring through the crowd, and Ca.s.s a.s.sumed they were closer to starting. The officials had postponed the doubles' medal ceremony following the crash and Sarah's injury, but only after an outcry from the International Rowing Federation and several teams in the regatta. The officials had at first demanded that the U.S. put forward representatives to receive the medal, but Coach Adler had flatly refused. Since there were more races to be run, she'd argued, there was no need to rush things and a few days would give at least one team member a chance to be present.

Ca.s.s had pushed for an even longer delay so that Sarah could be up there with her, but in the end the U.S. team had been forced to go with Ca.s.s and Pam, as Sarah's representative. In the end it was Sarah who'd insisted that they go ahead with the ceremony, and she who had suggested that Pam be her standin. So the doubles ceremony had been scheduled for the same day as the eights ceremony.

Just when she thought her nerves couldn't take it anymore, the band played a loud salute, and a man in a deep red jacket strode to the microphone. He held up his hands for quiet and the crowd quickly stilled. The man spoke to the crowd, using the traditional format of speaking first in French, then in English and then in Chinese, the language of the host country.

"Today's ceremony is a special one," he began, his expression solemn. "We honor not only our champions but the dedication and heart that is evidenced in the pursuit of excellence. The athletes who stand before you represent the very best that we can be. Please allow me to introduce, representing the International Rowing Federation, Francois deMarche." The crowd cheered as a distinguished man stepped forward, his dapper suit at odds with the women standing on the podium in their team uniforms.

DeMarche stepped forward and shook the hand of the master of ceremonies. Behind him walked a young woman in a long, white silk dress trimmed in green, carrying a silver platter bearing the Olympic Medals. The wide red silk ribbons fluttered in the breeze as they moved forward onto the medals platform. Another young woman, dressed identically to the first, followed with a tray of flowers and laureates. DeMarche turned and faced the three teams of women and waited for the announcer to begin the ceremony.

"Winner of the Bronze medal, representing the Netherlands, Magda Sondag and Talina Broeder." The crowd erupted in cheers as the two Dutch rowers stepped onto the podium. DeMarche reached up to lay the ribbon holding the bronze medal over each rower's neck, then he presented them with small bouquets of flowers and shook each woman's hand. They each raised their bundles of flowers and waved to the crowd as they were cheered by their countrymen.

DeMarche pa.s.sed before the empty center podium and stopped before the one to Ca.s.s and Pam's right. Alanna flashed Ca.s.s a quick smile as she took Kay's hand and raised it high. The announcer's words were nearly lost as the crowd cheered again. "Winner of the Silver medal, representing the Republic of Ireland, Alanna Doyle and Kay Sinclair." As with the Dutch rowers, deMarche laid the medals around the women's necks and then presented them with their flowers.

Ca.s.s and Pam cheered with the rest as the team who'd come so close to beating them raised their bouquets high and saluted the crowd. The noise was almost deafening now, the crowd chanting "USA" as deMarche turned and stepped over to his right, centered exactly in front of the highest platform. His sharp, dark eyes flashed over them both and he shot Ca.s.s a ghost of a wink before c.o.c.king his head as the announcer spoke once again. "Winner of the Gold medal, representing the United States of America, Ca.s.sandra Flynn and Sarah Sullivan! Sarah was, as we all know, injured in an accident following the final race, so her medal will be accepted by her teammate, Pamela Collins."

Pam gripped Ca.s.s's hand and gave a sharp tug, pulling her up onto the podium, then she raised their hands high in the air. Ca.s.s was overwhelmed with emotion and couldn't fight the swell of tears. She was glad Pam had taken the lead and pulled her up, for a second she was afraid her legs wouldn't hold her. As the announcer repeated his words in French and Chinese, she fought to get hold of her emotions. It all seemed so surreal.

So...magical.

She was standing on a podium at the Olympic games. And not just any podium, but the highest podium. Any second the representative of her sport's international federation was going to place around her neck a gold medal. Pam squeezed her hand again and Ca.s.s looked over at her.

"Okay?" Pam whispered as deMarche stepped forward.

Ca.s.s just nodded as Pam freed her fingers. She bent low, ducking her head as his arms came up and the weight of the medal settled around her neck.

Over the noise of the crowd and the cheering of her teammates, she heard him say in his heavily-accented English, "Congratulations, young lady."

Reaching up, she brushed her fingers over the shining, surprisingly heavy medal and then met deMarche's gaze. "Thank you," she choked out. She watched as Pam leaned down to accept the medal from him and saw that she was just as overwhelmed. DeMarche reached behind him and Ca.s.s bent low again, this time to receive a crown of laurel leaves, the traditional Greek symbol of the champion. He then handed her a large bouquet of flowers, and then turned and repeated the same pattern with Pam. After exchanging kisses on each cheek and shaking hands with them both, he turned and led the two silk-clad women off to one side.

Ca.s.s, still in something of a daze, reached down to lift the surprisingly heavy medal from her chest. It was, of course, upside down, but it was still easy to make out the graceful winged G.o.ddess of victory as she strode through the stylized amphitheater, the Parthenon etched in the background. Curving around the top were the words "XXIV Olympiad Beijing 2008." Her hand shaking, Ca.s.s rubbed her fingers over the wide band of white jade on the back, feeling the Olympic rings engraved on the golden center.

Any second now I will wake up and this will all be a- Even as she thought it, the first strains of her own national anthem began to play and suddenly Ca.s.s snapped back into the present. She lifted her chin as she and Pam turned toward the flagpole. There, at the base, the flag began to unfurl as the red-clad soldiers lifted it into the position of honor. Her throat tightened and she didn't bother to blink back tears as the anthem played. Nor did she try to sing. She lifted her hand, medal still held tightly in her fingers, over her heart and just mouthed the words, suffused with joy and pride as the flag climbed the pole, flanked by the bright colors of Ireland and the Netherlands.

After all the pain, all the rejection and hardship, she was here.

A million images flashed in her memory. Of her uncle, his face red and mottled as he shouted at her, telling her that she was as useless as her mother. Her aunt's tight little mouth as she belittled Ca.s.s's every hope and dream. Her cousins' cruel taunts and mean games. The pitying face of the nurse when she'd awakened in the hospital, her leg and back nothing but a seething mora.s.s of pain. The therapist who told her she'd never row again.

After...everything...everyone...she was here.

She'd won. Nothing and n.o.body could ever take that away from her.

As the last strains of music faded, the crowd again cheered, and this time it was Ca.s.s who seized Pam's hand and raised it high. They waved to the crowd again and then turned to bring the other two teams up on top of the podium with them. Alanna wrapped an arm around Ca.s.s's shoulders, her wide, open face alight with happiness.

"Well done to you! Well done to you both!"

Ca.s.s gave her a hug. "And to you, and Kay," she added smiling again at Alanna's rowing partner. The six of them posed for photographs and Ca.s.s made sure that the a.s.sistant coach with the video camera for Sarah got a good shot of them all before she jumped off the podium.

She and Pam stepped over to meet their team and were immediately enveloped by the girls. Their reunion was cut short, however, as the master of ceremonies was waving forward the larger crowd of eights teams. Just as Ca.s.s spotted Laura, the steward started lining the women up to file out in procession. Laura reached out, but was pulled back into position by another steward.

"Go," Ca.s.s said as the steward waved them forward again. "I'll catch up with you after."

Laura managed to break free long enough to lean forward and whisper, "I'm so proud of you!" before being pulled along with her team to stand behind their second-place podium.

Ca.s.s let herself be shuffled backward as the medals ceremony was repeated for the eights. She cheered and clapped as Amy led her crew up onto the second-highest podium to received their well-deserved silver medal. She only had eyes for one woman. Ca.s.s watched as Laura bent low to receive her award, then as she stood, her hand wrapped around the medal on her chest. Laura did as she had-lifted the metal disk and examined it, turning it over in her hand, almost as if she were weighing it. She seemed to blow out a breath and then look up and out, her eyes searching the crowd. Ca.s.s held her breath and then stilled as Laura's eyes flicked over to where she stood and then stopped, her gaze locked on Ca.s.s, her green eyes bright with tears.

In that instant, Ca.s.s was lost. Her heart skipped and her stomach dropped. It took everything she had not to break through the line of volunteers, step onto the podium, and wrap her arms around Laura. She wanted to celebrate with her, to commiserate over the final ten strokes of the eights race, and to celebrate their shared victories.

And she wanted more.

Her own words came back to her. "I guess I've just never, you know. Been in love."

Sending Laura a wide-open smile, Ca.s.s thought, I guess I can't say that anymore, can I? That thought was followed quickly by another.

Now what do I do?

Chapter Forty-One.

The milling crowd around her was maddening. Immediately after the medals were presented to the eights, the media had crowded in, pulling the women in different directions, and Ca.s.s had lost sight of Laura. Adding to the bedlam was the impromptu party that seemed to spring up following all of the medal ceremonies at these games. Music would start, Ca.s.s was never sure who would start it, and then the party would begin. Everyone, it seemed, would dance. If nothing else, Ca.s.s had learned that the Chinese, especially the younger generation, loved their music and loved to move. This ceremony, the second to last of the rowing events, seemed to have brought out a larger than normal crowd and she realized that this was just the beginning of a much larger party.

"Hey, what's going on? Oh, did you hear?" Amy bounced over to Ca.s.s and looped her arm through hers. She reached out and brushed her fingers over the gold medal around Ca.s.s's neck, and then lifted her own silver medal. "Gosh, they're pretty, aren't they?"

Shaking her head, Ca.s.s tried to sort through Amy's rapid-fire and confusing questions. "Hear what? And yes...they're stunning." She bent to look at Amy's silver. The jade on the back of the silver medal was green, in contrast to the white on the gold medal, but the weight of each was just the same. And, she was sure, meant just as much to Amy.

"Hmm?" Amy was holding both medals in her hands. She looked up and grinned. "Oh, rumor has it that the, ah...b.i.t.c.h reporter was canned today."

"What happened?" For the first time, Ca.s.s realized that the ever-intrusive Sh.e.l.ly Michaels was nowhere to be seen, and she could usually be found in the thick of any media event. Thinking back, Ca.s.s realized she hadn't seen Sh.e.l.ly at all since... "Huh. I haven't seen her since just before our race."

"Yeah." Amy leaned closer. "Rumor has it she stopped by the hospital. She was trying to get an exclusive." Amy made air quotes to emphasize her point. "She was stopped at the door."

"No way."

"Yup. Laura got right up in her face and so did a few others. Then I heard that Laura made some calls, more people showed up, and...well, the b.i.t.c.h is on the street!" Amy clapped her hands and grinned again. "Couldn't have happened to a nicer person, though I kind of wish they'd stopped in the psych ward to up her meds."

"Yeah," Ca.s.s agreed faintly. She couldn't believe it. "Laura did that?" She asked, trying to keep her voice level.

"Yeah. Karen," she said, referring to one of the team's a.s.sistant coaches, "said that Laura was fierce. She halfway expected to hear her growl. Wish I could have seen it."

"Me too." Ca.s.s tried again to spot Laura in the crowd.

"Have you had a chance to talk to her yet?"

Ca.s.s shook her head. "No, I...wait, there she is." Less than five feet from her, weaving through the dancing fans and athletes, was Laura. Ca.s.s caught her breath slightly as a bright camera light paused for a moment on Laura and the rest of her teammates.

Amy laughed and nudged her, "C'mon, Ca.s.s, what happened between you two? She never left your side that night in the hospital."

"Yeah, that's what Coach said." Ca.s.s frowned slightly. "But after that...nothing. Well, mostly nothing. I thought we...but I guess it was just me. Or this..." Ca.s.s waved her arm at the show surrounding them. She shrugged and gave Amy a halfhearted smile. "It's okay. I just hoped-" Embarra.s.sed, Ca.s.s ducked her head and looked away from Amy, inadvertently right at Laura. Another camera crew's light danced over the crowd again, haloing Laura's red hair, made more brilliant by the contrasting intermittent flashes of camera flashes. "G.o.d, she's gorgeous," Ca.s.s breathed.

Delighted, Amy laughed and nudged Ca.s.s. "I knew it! Come on, just go talk to her."

Embarra.s.sed at having voiced her thought, Ca.s.s shook her head. "No, she wouldn't...I mean, I..." She did not really know how to explain to Amy what had happened. What had they shared, really? One amazing hug? A few hours of feeling of being connected in the rarefied atmosphere of the Olympics? A note? She thought there was something, but the mess with Sh.e.l.ly, the racing, the accident and then...nothing.

Ca.s.s had awakened in the exam room to find Coach leaving her clean clothes. Sheila had filled her in on Sarah's condition and was waiting to drive Ca.s.s back to their quarters in the village. When she'd arrived, everyone had been concerned, solicitous, but the one face Ca.s.s had wanted to see was nowhere to be found. The common room had been returned to normal during her overnight stay in the hospital, the maintenance team having finally gotten around to fixing the dysfunctional air conditioning. The days after were filled with a whirlwind of racing heats for the other events, visits to Sarah in the hospital and nights of restless, exhausted sleep. Ca.s.s knew Laura was avoiding her but she had thought they were past that.

After getting the all-clear from the medical center, she'd looked for Laura every free minute, which had not been a lot. When Laura was off the water, after tuning for her race, Ca.s.s was in an interview. When she was in the gym, Laura was not. Finally, it got to be so obvious that Laura was avoiding her that she'd simply stopped looking. As much as she'd wanted to push, however, she also wanted to honor Sheila's request to not get into things until after the races. She, too, knew how important it was to stay focused, so she'd stayed away.

Determined to enjoy her last days in Beijing, she'd watched the final heats along with Anne Landers, and her partner, Jane. Her heart ached to think that Laura had been at the hospital but not stayed to visit her when she was awake. Anne and Jane had celebrated with her team when Laura's eight won the silver medal yesterday and both women promised to keep in touch with Ca.s.s after they returned home.

It was frustrating and she decided that tonight she would simply corner Laura and ask her what was up. Hey, it worked once before. You called her on her rudeness and she...what Ca.s.s? Opened up? Yeah, for about three weeks, then bam! Disappearing Laura. c.r.a.p. I don't know what to do. I just know that I...

Spotting Laura again in the churning crowd, Ca.s.s decided it was worth one last shot. "You know what, Amy? You're right. Let's go." She began to thread her way through the undulating crowd, Amy trailing along behind. Ca.s.s came to such an abrupt halt that Amy, still dancing, slammed into her.

"Hey!" Amy ducked under Ca.s.s's arm to peer around her and then swore softly.

Ca.s.s felt her heart plummet as the strapping captain of the Australian women's team swept Laura into a breathtaking, heart-stopping kiss. Ca.s.s spun away, her determination to talk to Laura waning. "I, uh, think it's a moot point anyway." Ca.s.s gave Amy a weak smile and headed back to where they had been before.

"Oh d.a.m.n, Ca.s.s. I didn't know..." Amy trailed off, and glanced back to where Laura was disentangling herself from Abby and glancing quickly around. That did not look like a woman in love. At least not in love with the person doing the kissing. Amy checked on Ca.s.s and saw that she was heading toward the edge of the athletes' area. She turned again toward Laura and squared her shoulders. Time to find out what the h.e.l.l was going on.

Several feet away, Laura pulled herself out of the unexpected embrace. Amy arrived in time to hear her mutter, "Abby!" She slapped the solid arm of the woman who'd accosted her. "What the h.e.l.l are you doing?"

Abby grinned unrepentantly and gave her friend a last smacking kiss on the lips and this time, Amy noted with satisfaction, Laura actually winced. "Relax, mate, just saying h.e.l.lo!" Abby linked her arm with Laura's, letting the music carry their movements for a moment as she watched her friend search the crowd. "Who're ya looking for?"

Laura returned her old college roommate's grin and dipped her head to the left. Abby followed her gaze, and then shook her head. "Uh, Laura, darlin,' you'll have to help me here, there're a million lovely la.s.ses over there."

"Her, the little brunette."

Amy watched Abby scan the cl.u.s.ter of women again before her eyes landed on Ca.s.s, who was at the moment enveloped in Big John Sullivan's arms. Apparently they'd let the families enter the area now, and Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, always popular with the team, had been dragged into the dancing with the U.S. squad.

"Ah...the one that big bloke's holding tightly to?" Abby chuckled as Laura whipped her head around.

Amy spoke up from behind them. "That's no bloke, that's Sarah's dad, John Sullivan."

Suddenly serious, Abby smiled a h.e.l.lo at Amy but asked, "How is Sarah? That was b.l.o.o.d.y awful, that crash."

Amy smiled up at Abby and then squeezed Laura's arm, casually sliding between the two women as she joined them. "Sarah's good, she's going to be fine, according to the docs." Giving Laura's arm another squeeze she said, "Hey, Abby, I'm gonna steal Laura, okay?"

Giving Laura a last hug, Abby pushed her off toward where the U.S. team was gathered. "No worries, I'm off to cause a bit of mischief. Call me when you get home, eh?"

"Will do," said Laura as Amy dragged her away.

"'Ever-Ready Abby,' Laura? What the h.e.l.l's up with that?" Amy pulled Laura through the growing crowd, hoping to spot Ca.s.s near the team.

"Hey, she grabbed me." Laura glanced back over her shoulder. "Thanks for the rescue."

"I didn't see you fighting her off." Amy paused, then added, "Neither did Ca.s.s."

"Ca.s.s...oh c.r.a.p. Did she see-"

"Yeah, and...dammit, Laura. You should have seen her face!"

"c.r.a.p," Laura repeated, then scanned the crowd around them. "Where is she?"