“Looks like burnt-out wreckage,” a familiar voice said.
Her pulse skipped. “I imagine that’s what Carl wanted.” She forced her voice to stay steady. An emotional scene wouldn’t help anyone. “He’s trying to evoke an image.”
“There are a few images I could do without.”
“I imagine so.” She kept her eyes on the statue. “I was surprised to see you.”
“I’m surprised to see me here, too. But as someone I know pointed out, we need to remember the ones who didn’t come back.”
Zoe’s vision blurred. She had helped. The notion gave her some solace. “I’m sure your men would have appreciated the gesture.”
“I’d like to think so.”
She could feel his eyes on her now, As always, when he looked in her direction, her skin came alive. This time, Zoe cursed the reaction. Yes, she thought. She had to leave Naushatucket.
“Did you want something?” she asked him.
“I’ve never seen you dressed up before. You look nice.”
“What?” She looked at him to see his eyes had a sheen to them unlike ever before. A light in their depths that turned the green warm and open. Zoe didn’t dare believe the expression meant anything. Because if it wasn’t true…
She turned back to the statue. “Thank you. So do you.”
“You mean this old thing?” It was a lame attempt at humor. Neither of them laughed.
She heard him clear his throat. “Look, Zoe, about yesterday. The things you said were pretty harsh.”
Here it was. The part where he told her not to read too much into his change of heart. Zoe was glad she hadn’t got her hopes up.
“I spoke my mind,” she told him. “I’m sorry if I was harsh, but I’m not sorry for the words themselves.”
“You shouldn’t be. You were right.” His hand settled on the statue next to hers. “I have been hiding. I’ve been stuck in my anger and guilt, beating myself up for being alive. I probably would have stayed that way too if you hadn’t given me a good harsh dose of reality.”
Zoe didn’t know what to say.
“It woke me up. Well, a lot of things woke me up. But in the end, I realized there was always one common thread. You. You burst into my world and you wouldn’t give up. And you made me long for things I didn’t believe I could have.”
“And what do you believe now?”
“I don’t know. Not fully anyway. But I know I have to start living life again. I need to for my men and I need to for myself.”
He slid his hand closer, his little finger grazing hers. Zoe didn’t want the hope that rose inside her, but it rose anyway.
“I still have a lot of demons to battle,” he said. “And I can’t promise I’ll get all the way back. Hell, I’m not sure if I’m ready for this at all. But…” His voice caught. “If I’m going to try, I’d like to try with you.”
The love in her heart grew a little stronger. She slipped her hand over his, thinking he was the bravest man she knew. “I’d like that, too.”
Smiling, Jake raised their hands to his lips. “Good.”
A tear dripped down Zoe’s cheek. She reached to brush it away, but he beat her to it, his touch reverent and gentle. “I promise I’ll do my best not to hurt you.”
“I know,” she told him. “Just be honest and the rest will fall into place.” She touched his cheek. Her fingers grazed his scars, but she couldn’t feel them. All she could feel was the warmth. Jake had taken the hardest step today. Looking into his eyes, shining and ripe with sincerity, she had faith he could win. Best of all, this time there wouldn’t be some mythical “team” she’d created. It would be a partnership. A real, true partnership. She could feel it in her heart.
“Tell me, Captain,” she said, rising on tiptoes, “this ‘trying’ of yours. It wouldn’t involve starting with a kiss, would it?”
The corners of Jake’s mouth lifted skyward. “Yeah, I think it can.” With that, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.
As kisses went, it wasn’t deep or passionate. More like a feathery promise. But the promise was one of love and sincerity. And to Zoe, no kiss had ever been so perfect.
One year later
Jake woke to the smell of lemons and crackling firewood. His eyes scanned the room, searching for the woman who, only an hour before, had been wrapped around his body like a tiny human blanket.
He found her staring at the patio doorway. “You’re not going to believe this,” Zoe said. “He’s back.”
“Who?” He yawned and reached across the covers to scratch a dozing Reynaldo’s head.
“The swallow. I swear this house is part of his migration pattern. I opened the door to look outside and in he swooped. Look! There he is!” Arm extended, she scrambled toward the sofa. “Did you see him?”
“Actually, no.”
“Well then, pay attention. We have to shoo him out of here.”
“I would if you weren’t prancing around in nothing but my open work shirt.” An idea came to him. “And how do you know it’s a swallow? This time of evening, it could just as easily be a bat.”
Zoe shrieked and dove back to their nest of blankets. Laughing, Jake pulled her close. “Don’t you remember what I taught you? If you leave the creature alone, he’ll fly to safety all on his own.”
“Your advice won’t do me any good if safety involves tangling in my hair.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
“My hero.”
“You better believe it,” he murmured, giving her neck a playful bite.
Life, he decided, was good. He still had his demons. He had flashbacks, and there were nights when the terrors struck hard and he woke up screaming. But there were also long stretches where the memories stayed buried and on the bad nights, he had Zoe to hold him. He had Zoe to help with a lot of things.
She’d decided to move to Naushatucket at the end of last summer, when they both realized they didn’t want to spend winter apart. It was Zoe who insisted they stay. She’d fallen in love with the island. And Jake…
Jake had fallen in love with her. Looking back, he’d probably loved her all along, but the day he offered to move in with her was the day he finally admitted it. He hadn’t stopped loving her since.
Yes, he thought, life was pretty good. Only one thing would make it better. He sat up and reached behind the kindling box.
Zoe was back to looking for her winged nemesis. “You know,” she pointed out, “not every problem resolves itself. Sometimes a creature—or person—needs a little push.”
“You mean like me?” he teased.
She smiled. “You, my love, needed a shove.”
“How about a plunge?” He held out a small velvet box.
Instantly, Zoe’s playfulness disappeared. Those gorgeous blue eyes of hers went as wide as saucers, and she sat up. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” To his surprise, his hands were shaking as he opened it to reveal the diamond inside. “I told you once that I hoped to dream of the future again. Now I can’t imagine a future without you in it. I love you, Zoe Hamilton. Will you marry me?”
She beamed, warming his insides like he once hadn’t dreamed possible. “There’s nothing I’d rather do.”
Winged creature forgotten, she wrapped her arms around his neck and showed him exactly what their future would hold.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-1233-6
THE HEART OF A HERO
First North American Publication 2011
Copyright © 2011 by Barbara Wallace
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