She looked around the cozy bookstore. “Really? Right here?”
“Do you mind?”
“Not at all. I love this place.” She waved her hand. “And look, it’s all decorated.”
“By some real pros too.” He grinned. “Dinner won’t be fancy tonight. But I did order some things to be delivered. Is that okay?”
“That’s perfect,” she told him. “Food is really secondary to company.”
He embraced her again. “See why I love you?”
She blinked. “Did you just say what I thought you said?”
He nodded. “I do love you, Emma Burcelli.” And now he kissed her and it was even more wonderful than the first time.
Her heart was pounding hard, but she knew what it was telling her. “I love you too, Lane,” she said quietly. And they kissed again.
“I knew that I loved you the first time I saw you,” he said as he ran his fingers through her hair.
“Really? When was that?”
“Well, the first time was at Poppi’s funeral service. I knew who you were right away. And I could hardly take my eyes off you.”
“You knew you loved me then?”
“Well, I probably wasn’t calling it love yet. But you had my full attention.”
“You caught my attention that day too…when you spoke about Poppi in the church. I was really touched. But then I heard you belonged to Anne…my balloon was burst.”
“If I’d only known you’d believed that. It was never true, Emma. Not in my mind anyway. What a mess this all could’ve turned into.” He shook his head. “So the next time I saw you was at your parents’ home. Did you know that I was watching you?”
“You were watching me? I thought I was watching you.”
He laughed. “I saw you interacting with guests, being so helpful, so caring, so genuine…I tried not to be obvious, but I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”
“That’s so funny. And I was trying not to feel jealous of Anne because I believed that you guys were a couple.”
“But it really sealed it for me when I found you sitting with Tristan in your parents’ sunroom. I could tell you were trying to encourage him and I know he was really hurting. And I could tell whatever you were saying to him was working. You seemed so sweet and sincere and beautiful.”
“You thought all that back then?”
“I did. But it seemed like every time I tried to make a connection with you, you would hold me at arm’s length. I started to think that you really didn’t like me.”
“That was because of Anne.”
“I know.”
Now Emma told him about what Tristan had said about the pink roses.
“Hope springs eternal,” he said as he touched her cheek.
“But I want to make a rule for tonight,” she said quietly.
He just nodded. “Yes, I agree. We won’t talk about or worry about your sister.”
“Thank you.” She smiled. “I am praying for her though.”
He glanced at his watch now. “The food should be here soon, but I’m guessing they’re busy because of Valentine’s Day.”
“Even if no food comes,” she murmured, “I won’t complain.”
“See why I love you?” He kissed her again. “Well, if the food doesn’t get here we’ll just feast on wine and chocolate,” he teased.
“What are we waiting for?”
“You’re right! You get the chocolates and I’ll get the wine.”
“Don’t forget Dean Martin,” she told him.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Emma.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Lane.”
As they hurried off to get their provisions, Emma knew it was going to be the happiest of Valentine’s Days ever. Romance and love were not dead after all—they never had been. As she heard the happy strains of Dean Martin singing “That’s Amore,” she felt certain that Poppi was smiling down on them right now. And as she hurried back to the lounge area, where Lane was waiting with a big bright smile and a pair of wine glasses, she knew that this was simply the beginning of a lifetime of Valentine’s Day celebrations to look forward to in the future.
About the Author
Melody Carlson is the prolific novelist of more than two hundred books with more than six million copies sold. She has won numerous honors and writing awards, including the Rita, the Gold Medallion, the Carol Award, and the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Melody has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their dog, Audrey. When not writing, Melody enjoys biking, gardening, and camping in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.
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Contents
Title Page
Welcome
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
About the Author
Newsletters
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2014 by Melody Carlson
Cover design by Tom Hallman
Cover copyright © 2014 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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ISBN 978-1-4555-2812-7
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Once Upon a Winter's Heart Page 14