by B. J Daniels
Tears stung her eyes.
“I’ve never given flowers to a woman before,” he said, dropping to his knees in front of her chair. “I wanted you to be the first.”
She took the flowers, drawing him to her with her free arm. He kissed her neck and she felt that wonderful thrill she’d felt from the first.
And Mac had been wrong. When they’d made love again, it was more amazing than the first time. In fact, every time they made love was more amazing than the last.
Their spring wedding was huge and held at the church in Bigfork, overlooking the lake. The same church where Jill’s father and Darlene would be married next week.
Mac had moved his P.I. business down from Whitefish and into a building he’d bought across the street from Jill’s bakery. Zoe and Shane had moved into Jill’s old apartment over the bakery, both of them working part-time while they attended junior college in Kalispell.
“I can’t believe the change in Shane,” Mac had said.
And Shane hadn’t been able to believe the change in his uncle. “He’s, like, human.”
Mac had laughed and pulled his new bride to him.
They’d bought a place on the lake. From it, Jill couldn’t see Inspiration Island. Mac said maybe someday they would build a camp on the island for kids. The island needed laughter. But first it needed to heal.
Alistair and Heddy Forester sold their house on the lake and moved away. Jill saw Alistair before he left. He looked like a very old man. He’d told her again how sorry he was. “I wish I could turn back the clock,” he said, and shook his head, tears in his eyes.
“There is something we haven’t talked about,” Mac said now, drawing back from her.
She smiled at him. They’d talked for days after what had happened. Talked about his first wife, Emily. Her death. Mac’s fear of loving again. His confession that he’d fallen for Jill that first night in the cottage.
They had taken it slowly, spending time together, talking about everything. That bond had been there from the beginning, though. It made it easy. It felt so right.
“What haven’t we talked about?” she asked, looking from her bouquet of beautiful flowers to him. He’d put them in a small jar with water. The jar brimmed with the bright colors of spring. Like love, she thought.
“Kids,” he said.
“Kids?” She thought he was talking about his plan for the island. But then she looked into his eyes and felt a jolt. “Kids?” she repeated, her eyes filling with tears. She’d been so afraid he would never want children of their own. He’d taken the first step by letting himself love her completely, knowing he could lose her, just as he’d lost Emily, just as he’d almost lost Jill that night on the island.
Mac nodded. “Jill, I want to share this. I keep seeing you holding a baby in your arms. This love of ours, it’s so strong….” He shook his head, at a loss for words.
He knew life could irreversibly change in an instant. Sometimes all it took was a kiss. His life had changed that night in the cottage when he’d kissed Jill Lawson. He couldn’t explain it. But she was right, whatever had happened was more than sex. Sometimes two people connected in a way that tore down all barriers and united them forever.
She leaned forward, cupped his face in her hands and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “Say the words,” she whispered against his lips.
He pulled back enough to look into her eyes and smiled. He had no idea what the future held. But he was no longer afraid. Losing was the flip side of loving. But loving was worth it. Whatever time he had with Jill, he intended to enjoy every moment of it. He was no longer afraid of making the same mistakes his father had made. He wasn’t his father. And Jill Lawson was like no woman he’d ever met.
“I love you.” The words came out so easily. “I love you.” He lifted her into his arms and spun her around. “I love you! And I want a baby!”
She was laughing, a wondrous sound, and he was laughing, too, holding her and spinning, the world spinning around them, the two of them dizzy with happiness.
As he stopped and let her slowly slide down so he could kiss her again, he looked into her eyes, promising to give her love, all the love now bursting in his heart. He kissed her, and then they were spinning and laughing.
He heard Jill’s father and Darlene come out onto the deck.
“What in the world?” her father said.
“We’ve decided to have a baby!” Jill announced.
“Babies,” Mac said, and kissed her. “Lots of babies.”
Life changed in an instant. His had changed with one kiss.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-6169-7
THE MASKED MAN
Copyright © 2003 by Barbara Heinlein
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