by Annie Evans
“Think you can fix it?” she asked, referring to the table.
“I know I can fix it.”
“Think there might be room for it in your kitchen?”
“If I have to knock out a wall.” He’d tear the whole damn house down and rebuild if it meant making space for her and her huge, special table.
Her eyes caught his, bright and shiny in the dying light, as she placed a hand over his heart. “Think there might still be room for me too?”
“Darlin’, there will always be room for you.”
“I made a mistake, Eli. I turned my back on what had become the most important thing in my life—you. I put a job ahead of love and I was wrong to do that. I realized after I left that somewhere along the line, the dream had changed. I didn’t desire it anymore. I missed everything about Serenity—the people, the animals, Kai and Grace and the entire Carter family—but I missed you the most. I missed being near you and how you make me feel when I’m with you—safe and happy and loved. This is where I belong. Right here, in your arms, with you looking at me the way you are at this very moment. Can you forgive me?”
He kissed her sweet mouth, tender this time. Tender as his heart felt. “There’s nothing to forgive, Bell.”
Her hand came up to cup his cheek. “I love you, Eli, and I promise nothing will ever get in the way of that love again.”
“I love you too, honey.” He kissed her forehead. “So much. More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone.”
Arms wrapped tight around each other, they watched the fire die down to a smolder. The fire department drowned the last of the embers, leaving only the charred remains of what had once been a landmark of Bellamy’s life. Eli brushed a few stray tears from her cheeks before they found her phone in the grass and loaded her things into the back of his truck.
“We’ll come back tomorrow and pick up your vehicles,” he told her as he helped her into his pickup. She nodded, quiet as they followed the fire trucks out the gate.
Eli stopped at the end of her drive, one last thing on his mind he wanted to do before they left the old place behind. He grabbed a hammer from his toolbox, tackled the task then locked the gate for now. Once Bellamy signed over the deed to the land, they’d hand the keys to Wallace Treadway, but not until she put pen to paper.
He climbed back inside the truck and set the battered, rusty mailbox on the seat between them. From the way Bellamy smiled, you would’ve thought he’d handed her a box of tiny newborn fox kits. One day very soon, he’d hand her the reins to her very own horse, or any animal she desired. Whatever lit up those green eyes with joy, he would see that she got it if it cost him his last dime.
She lovingly traced the faded black letters down the side that spelled out “McCoy” before reaching for his hand and tugging him across the space for another lingering kiss that told him she was going to be just fine. That together they were going to be better than fine. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Ready?”
Their hands still linked together, Bellamy nodded. “Let’s go home.”
The End
About Annie Evans
A simple country girl who adores living in the South, Annie enjoys spending time in the great outdoors, biking and working out with her hubby, reading and of course writing. She believes the most important thing you can do for children, outside of loving them unconditionally, is put a book in their hands. Her favorite authors include Flannery O'Conner, Harper Lee, Gillian Flynn, Megan Hart, Cara McKenna and Anne Calhoun, just to name a few. She'd love to hear what you thought of her books.
Annie welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Annie Evans
Betting the Farm
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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Straddling the Fence Copyright © 2014 Annie Evans
Cover design by Kelly A. Martin
Cover photography by paintings, pio3, Vlue
Electronic book publication October 2014
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