Without a Past
Page 27
He nuzzled her neck until she made the little kitten sounds that drove him mad. “It was too early when I left, and when I stopped for lunch, the line was busy.”
“I missed you, Jonathan,” she said with feeling. “So much. I was okay during the day when I could keep busy, but at night…it felt like the bordello walls were closing in on me.”
He lifted her left hand to his lips and kissed the engagement ring he’d given her. “Come with me.”
She nodded, then called out, “Linda? Will you watch the store?” Andi smiled. “Linda’s a lifesaver. I’ve hired her on a regular basis. She works four afternoons a week and fills in at both the antique shop and the coffee parlor as needed.”
“Good,” he said. Holding her hand as tight as he dared, he led the way to the porch. “Now you’ll have time for the important things in life—like your husband.” He looked at her as they descended the steps. “What made you decide to hire Linda?”
“Ida Jane. When we moved her to rehab, it was clear I couldn’t be in two places at one time. I asked myself what was more important—a business or a great-aunt who may not be around forever.”
Jonathan hugged her close. “Perspective is a wonderful tool. According to my photographer friend, Oshi, I used to be a workaholic who seldom slept, rarely ate and drove my co-workers crazy. He called me a droid.”
He also said he never turned down a chance to do a story with me, because I was good. Damn good. Jonathan felt a little ache in his temple. He ignored it. He would be good again. As a publisher instead of a reporter.
As they stepped to the pavement he spotted a familiar shape lurking under a tarp. “Hey, I bet that’s my bike. How’s it look?”
“Fine.”
Telling description. “Good. It ought to sell for top dollar.”
“You’re selling it?”
“Of course.” He kissed her temple. “There’s a chance you’re carrying my baby. Do you think I’d let you ride with a guy who nearly killed himself the last time he drove it?”
She laughed, relief written clearly on her face. “Why’d you have it delivered here? The body shop guy said he could have sold it ten times before he was even done with the work.”
“I wanted to see it.”
“To say goodbye.”
“No. Just to remind myself how lucky I am. If not for that bike, I might not have met you.”
“You lost everything because of that bike,” she argued.
“No, I gained everything because of it.”
She still didn’t look convinced. He had one last shot. As they neared the cab of the cargo van, a high-pitched whine made Andi pause. “What’s that sound?” She leaned down to look under the chassis. “Loose belt?”
He dangled the key. “It’s not running.” He hurried to the driver’s-side door and opened it. A good share of the seat sprang to life. Two pale blue eyes in a face of white fur blinked and a big pink tongue popped out.
“Jonathan,” Andi shrieked. “You’ve got a puppy.”
She sounded happy. She ran to greet the excited little animal.
“It’s a boy. I couldn’t find a female, like your old Daisy. I looked everywhere. He’s one of the reasons I’m a few days late. I had to wait for his shots and whatnot.”
“A puppy,” she repeated, drawing the wiggling ball of fur into her arms.
“He probably needs a potty break,” Jonathan warned. He reached into the side compartment in the door and pulled out a retractable leash, which he clipped to the pup’s collar.
“What’s his name?”
“Well, he doesn’t actually respond to his name, so we could still change it. I’ve been calling him Harley.”
Andi’s sudden laugh made the dog turn in her arms and try to climb over her shoulder. Jonathan took him from her and set him on the ground.
Within seconds Harley had squatted and done his duty then ambled off to investigate the area. Andi hugged Jonathan fiercely. “Harley,” she repeated in a dreamy voice. “I can’t believe it. I thought you were afraid of dogs.”
“Oh, please, a little guy like that?” He made a pffing sound. “I could take him, no problem.”
She chuckled and brushed her lips along his jaw. “I think I’m ready to set a date.”
His heart missed a beat. “Really? When?”
Her gaze went to the puppy, then returned. “I want to say tomorrow. The three of us. Tahoe. But,” she said, with a sigh. “I’m on the planning committee for Ida Jane’s party. We want to celebrate her coming home. Kris and Zach will be coming down from Oregon to help organize things.”
She looked disappointed. “Don’t worry, love. We’ll find the right day for a wedding—or it will find us. Haven’t you figured it out yet?”
He kissed the puzzled look from her forehead. “You were destined to be mine, Andi Sullivan.”
Tears made her eyes a luminous green that reminded Jonathan of something he couldn’t quite remember. But it wasn’t important, because Andi loved him. She was going to marry him. Together, they’d build a life in Gold Creek—a small town filled with history but facing the challenge of a changing future.
Back when he’d been a successful reporter, Jonathan probably couldn’t have envisioned this kind of happiness. He’d lacked the imagination. He’d lost himself—his heart and soul—long before the accident had wiped out his past.
Through Andi’s love, he’d recovered his heart, if not his memory. And in the process of loving this very special woman, he’d found the man he was meant to be. A man who wasn’t afraid to love. A man who knew the value of a dream.
ISBN: 978 1 472 02657 6
WITHOUT A PAST
© 2003 by Debra Salonen
First Published in Great Britain in 2003
Harlequin (UK) Limited
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