Love of a Lifetime

by Carol Voss

  “What?” she asked.

  He squinted and shook his head. “Nothing. Just trying to figure something out, that’s all.” He hung the helmet on the handlebar and started walking down the road.

  She hustled to catch up with him. “You’re trying to figure out something you and Stella talked about?”

  He gave a nod.

  “Can I help?”

  “Not on this.” He gave her a sympathetic look. “Sorry.”

  Why wouldn’t he tell her? Their shoes scuffing gravel mingled with the night sounds of the lake. A slice of moon peeked out from the clouds. “Did she seem worried about something?”

  He grunted.

  Not a very enlightening response either.

  He pointed. “You see any sign of a platform in one of those trees out there?”

  She peered at the outlines of trees. “I don’t see anything.”

  “The trees along the road are taller. Maybe we can catch a glimpse by the lake.” He veered off the road.

  She followed him down the embankment and wound with him through a stand of cottonwoods, the ground soft underfoot. Leaves rustled as little critters ran for cover and the gentle lap of the water grew more pronounced. “Do you know where we are?”

  “There’s a cove ahead. At least there used to be. We should be able to see the platform from there.”

  The frogs stopped singing in unison as if an alarm had been transmitted that humans were approaching. “You sure we aren’t trespassing?”

  “Not sure at all.”

  Okay, then. Wasn’t she glad she asked? “Tony, you have to tell me what Stella talked to you about.”

  He picked up his pace, a twig snapping under his boot.

  She hurried to keep up.

  “She told me about her will.”

  She hated even thinking about Stella’s will. “She explained she gave her roses to me?”

  “What?”

  “The roses. She gave them to me. She said she had it put in her will.”

  “Great.”

  “Do you mind?”

  “Why would I mind? You love those roses. You should have the roses.” He stopped so quickly she almost ran into him. “This is the cove.” He lowered his voice. “There’s a house around the bend. See the glow of the lights?”

  “Yes.” Lights sparkled and rippled on the black water like fireflies.

  “That house is standing on the hill where the big tree used to be.”

  For some reason, she felt sad. “The platform’s gone then.”

  “Looks that way.”

  “We girls used to hear you guys from the swimming beach. You sounded like you were having a lot of fun. One time, Dixie and I set out to find you, but we got lost in the woods.”

  “Probably just as well. Looking back, that platform wasn’t the safest thing, but the guys thought it was cool. We wanted adventure. Nobody telling us what to do. Wild and free.”

  “Apparently, you like some things from your past.”

  “Guess so.”

  A loon called plaintively from the lake.

  “So what about Stella’s will are you trying to figure out?”

  He dragged a breath and took his time to answer. “She thinks willing the house to both of us will make me stay.”

  “No, the house should be yours.”

  “I don’t want it.” He turned to her. “I’ve never considered that house to be my home.”

  “Where is your home?”

  He shrugged.

  “I thought my home would always be where I’d lived with my parents. Maybe that’s why I’ve never done anything with it. But since you asked me about setting up the offices there, I’ve been thinking…it’s only a vacant house. It’s not my home anymore—love doesn’t live there. Maybe your nonna wants to give you a home where love lives.”

  He leveled his gaze on her as if he had something important to say. “She told me she needs me. That she’s always needed me.”

  Chills danced over Maggie’s skin, tears burning her eyes.

  “Why didn’t I know that, Maggie?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I figured I’d let everybody down. Nonna, you, your parents. He stared out at the water and pressed his lips into a line. “I hadn’t hurt Doc or stolen his money, but I knew people would take the sheriff’s word over mine. I believed everybody would be better off without me.”

  “Oh, Tony.” She laid her hand on his chest and looked deeply into his eyes. “Nobody felt that way. We loved you. We needed you. I needed you. You don’t know how much.”

  He stroked his hand over her shoulder and pulled her to him.

  She laid her head on his chest, slipped her arms around his waist. He smelled of fresh air, rhubarb pie and Tony.

  He folded her close. Stroking her hair, he raised her chin and gazed into her eyes. The night hushed as if time stood still. He bent closer and tenderly touched his lips to hers.

  Melting against him, she kissed him back with years of longing.

  When he ended the kiss, he burrowed his face against her neck and held her close.

  She could feel his heart thudding in unison with hers. She was exactly where she wanted to be. In Tony’s arms. And whether he was staying or not, there was no use denying she was still in love with him.

  How could she deny something as natural as the rain?

  * * *

  Tony held Maggie close, his heart pounding like a jackhammer. When had he decided to kiss her? He didn’t know. But now that he had, he wanted to go on holding her, kissing her until the end of time.

  He dragged a breath of her fresh scent and kissed her neck. He needed her in so many ways. Ways that scared him to death. He needed her smile, her encouragement, her belief in him. He needed her sense of humor, her teasing, her determination to set the world right. He even needed her logic glitches.

  But he had serious thinking to do regarding his feelings for Maggie. He made himself raise his head.

  She met his gaze, as if words weren’t needed.

  He’d never been so close to another human being. Never felt so much admiration or respect. Never been so fulfilled, yet so in need. So proud, yet so humble. So invincible, yet so vulnerable.

  Whenever she was near, he was aware of every breath she took. Every expression on her lovely face. Every subtle shift of her body. He came alive in a way he’d never experienced before. The world was a brighter place with more good things in it than he’d ever realized. The sky bluer, the air sweeter. Everything took on a whole new meaning.

  Nonna was right. He’d never stopped loving Maggie McGuire.

  But what was he going to do about it? That he didn’t know. Silently, he released her, clasped her hand, and they walked slowly back to the Harley, the air filled with questions needing to be answered.

  But one thing he was sure of. He had no right to tell her he loved her unless he loved her enough to stay.

  * * *

  When Maggie and Tony arrived home, she relinquished holding him close and headed for the door. They’d both been deep in thought since those tender moments by the lake. So much had passed between them without saying a word.

  She loved him, but she didn’t hold out much hope they could ever be together. Her home was here. And even if Tony loved her, too, he still loved his work and traveling around the world.

  Not to mention the fact that he hated Noah’s Crossing.

  Letting herself in the door, she realized the house was dark. Had Hannah told her about plans for this evening? She didn’t think so. She glanced at her watch. Eleven o’clock. But Hannah was a night owl who puttered around way past eleven before she went to bed.

  “Hannah?” Maggie called up the stairs.
The girl didn’t answer. Maggie ran up the steps and knocked on her bedroom door. Still no answer. She opened the door and peeked in. The bed hadn’t been slept in. She turned and flew down the steps. “Hannah’s not in her room.”

  Tony looked up from his laptop at the kitchen table. “She didn’t say she was going anywhere?”

  “No. And it’s after eleven.”

  He grasped his cell from his belt, found a number in his list and clicked on it. “I’m calling Lucas’s grandmother.” He switched the phone to speaker.

  “Hello,” the older woman said tentatively.

  “This is Tony Stefano. I’m sorry for calling so late, but I’d like to speak to Lucas, please.”

  “I’m sorry. Lucas isn’t home.”

  “Do you know if he’s with Hannah?”

  “Why, yes. He said Hannah was taking part of the day off work, and they were going to dinner and a movie in Eau Claire.”

  Maggie shook her head, anger flashing. When they hadn’t seen Hannah at the diner earlier, she’d assumed the girl was washing dishes in the back room. Did Hannah really think they’d let her get away with blatantly disobeying her parents’ rule?

  “The problem is, she didn’t ask permission,” Tony said. “When did Lucas leave?”

  “I believe it was close to three o’clock.”

  Maggie heard a car in the drive. “I think they just pulled in.” She raced to the window.

  Tony strode behind her. “They’re here. Lucas will be home very soon.”

  “I’m sorry for the trouble.”

  “Thanks. So are we.”

  Maggie threw open the door just as the teenagers hit the porch. “Hannah, where have you been?”

  “We tried to call, but nobody was home and I couldn’t get you on your cell either,” she sputtered. “Besides, we’re only ten minutes late.”

  Hardly able to believe Hannah’s pathetic attempt to deny doing wrong, Maggie wanted to shake her. Instead, she glared at the girl. “You are wrong on so many levels.”

  “We witnessed an accident and had to wait for the police,” Lucas explained. “We would have been here well before eleven if not for that. Honest.”

  “That’s not the problem. Hannah’s parents do not want her going on unsupervised dates,” Tony said.

  Lucas frowned at Hannah. “You said everything was okay.”

  “You don’t understand,” Hannah pleaded.

  “You didn’t tell them?”

  “They never would have let me go.”

  Lucas gave Tony and Maggie a very serious look. “I’m sorry we worried you.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Hannah whined.

  “An apology isn’t enough this time, Hannah,” Maggie warned. “But you’ve explained yourself, Lucas.”

  Tony nodded. “You’re off the hook.”

  “Thanks.” He gave Hannah a fleeting frown. “I have to go.” With that, he turned and left.

  “Lucas.” The door closed behind him. For a moment, Hannah stared at it as if still trying to figure out a way to save the situation. Then she burst into tears. “I hope you’re happy. Now he hates me, and he’s leaving tomorrow. I’ll never see him again.”

  “Give yourself a couple of years to grow up enough to take responsibility for your actions. There will be plenty of time for dating.” He gave Maggie a look. “At least she’s safe.”

  “Not yet, she isn’t.” She shook her head at Hannah. “I’m so disappointed in you. I can’t believe you deliberately lied.”

  “I didn’t lie,” Hannah insisted.

  “You lied by omission. I’m going to call your parents and tell them to come and take you home.”

  Hannah whirled to face Maggie. “All right, I shouldn’t have done what I did, but I’ll never regret having time with Lucas. We didn’t do anything we’ll regret like you did when you were young. Somehow, I thought you might understand.”

  Hannah was turning Maggie’s admission the other night against her? Wanting to sink through the floor, she glanced at Tony.

  He narrowed his eyes as if trying to figure out what Hannah was talking about. “I think you should go to bed, Hannah,” he said curtly.

  Hannah grasped Maggie’s arm. “Please don’t call my parents. I won’t give you any more trouble. I just wanted time with Lucas before he leaves.”

  Maggie knew what it was like to want to spend every waking moment with someone. But she couldn’t just cave in. Hannah needed to learn a lesson about being deceitful.

  Really, Maggie? Hannah’s being deceitful? Maybe you should take the plank out of your own eye before you try to remove the speck from hers. The irony of teaching Hannah a lesson about being less than honest when it was exactly what she was doing with Tony hit her full force. What a hypocrite she was.

  “Please, Maggie. My parents will make me come right home, I know they will. But I want to stay here and earn more money. Please, will you both forgive me? I was wrong, and I promise I won’t give either of you one second of worry from here on out. Please, please don’t call my parents.” Hannah dissolved into sobs that shook her entire body, tears running down her face and dripping off her chin. She was out of control as only a teenage girl could be.

  Maggie couldn’t help feeling sorry for her. And she had asked for forgiveness. Who was Maggie to deny her that? And what right did she have to punish the girl when she was just as guilty? She looked at Tony.

  His eyes were wide, unbelieving. He was, obviously, horrified by Hannah’s out-of-control behavior. Poor guy didn’t have a clue what to do.

  Maggie figured a hug was what Hannah needed more than anything. She strode over to the girl and stretched her arms out to her.

  Hannah collapsed against her.

  Waiting for Hannah’s sobs to ease, Maggie stroked her hair. “Hannah, I forgive you. And if you keep your promise, I won’t call your parents.”

  Hannah’s sobs slowed and gradually stopped. “Thank you.” She looked self-consciously at Tony. “I’m sorry.”

  Looking from Maggie to Hannah as if he had no understanding of what had just happened, he ripped tissues from the box on the counter and handed them to Hannah.

  “Thanks.” She mopped her face. “Thank you both for believing in me again. This time, I won’t let you down.” A little sob betraying her, Hannah turned and headed for the stairs. “I’m gonna…you know…” Tears starting again, she pointed upstairs. “G’night.”

  “Good night,” Maggie and Tony said in unison.

  Tony brushed his fingers over Maggie’s arm in a supportive gesture. “Good job,” he murmured.

  “Thank you. You, too,” she said shakily. She had to tell him what she’d been keeping from him. She needed to find the right words.

  “The dairy breakfast is early, right? I’ll be there about seven?”

  “Yes.” Bracing herself, she turned to him. She had to find the words to tell him the truth.

  Upstairs, Hannah’s bedroom door slammed.

  Maggie jumped at the sound.

  “You okay?” Tony looked concerned.

  She gave him a nod. But she wasn’t okay. Not okay at all. She was exhausted, utterly wrung out by the roller coaster of emotion the night had turned into.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Bright and early next morning, Tony pulled the Harley to a stop behind a long row of cars beside the road, hit the kill switch and lifted his helmet from his head.

  Strains of a polka band beckoned from an open field beyond the barn where two enormous white tents stood, side flaps rolled up. People milled everywhere, the hum of voices mingling with tuba and concertina and the squeals of little kids running in circles with a yellow Lab and a couple of frisky border collies.

 
Tony’s mouth watered at the smell of eggs and pancakes and sausage blended with steaming coffee. He’d worked up a huge appetite pounding in the attic since Maggie left this morning.

  Funny, he’d assumed there would be about a dozen farmers standing around drinking coffee, complaining about what the weather was doing to their crops, even if everybody knew very well the growing season had been as close to perfect as it got. But it looked as if all of Noah’s Crossing and half the county had turned out for the breakfast.

  How would he find Maggie in this crowd?

  Maggie.

  He smiled just thinking about her. But an uneasiness eclipsed his euphoria. He couldn’t get Hannah’s comment out of his mind. We didn’t do anything we’ll regret like you did when you were young. There were no two ways to read that. And he couldn’t erase the look on Maggie’s face when she’d gone off to bed. Fear? Dread? It seemed more than just her worries about Hannah. Deeper, somehow. It made no sense last night. Still didn’t.

  Squinting into the early-morning sun, he strode up the gravel driveway past the white farmhouse decked out with green shutters and window boxes full of flowers and vines trailing almost to the ground. His boots crunching new gravel, he passed a giant pole barn, probably housing machinery. He headed for the barn with its new roof and twin, rooster-crested cupolas. Obviously, Phillips had found a way to make farming lucrative.

  In the shade of one of the tents, people sat visiting and chowing down at long tables covered with checkered tablecloths. Searching for Maggie, he almost plowed into Clyde from the lumberyard.

  “You found anybody yet to haul those roof trusses you bought from Harold?” Clyde asked.

  “Not yet, but thanks for sending me to Harold. I saved a bundle on those recycled trusses. I can handle the hauling, though.”

  “Alone?”

  Truth was, Tony didn’t have a clue how he was going to manage, but Clyde had already done more than enough to help. “I’ll figure out something.”

  “You deserve a leg up for taking good care of your grandmother.”

  A leg up sounded better than charity, he supposed. Still, he didn’t like feeling so helpless and needy. “I’ll manage. Thanks. You seen Maggie?”