He turned up the heat, then took her hand again. His palm and fingers swallowed hers. Seth was strong in the best possible ways. He’d stood up to all the bad things the years had dealt him. Until this moment, she hadn’t let herself admit how much she’d really missed him, not just in her arms but in her life.
“I turned the heat up all the way. That should help.”
How could it, when the chill she felt was bone deep? Heart deep. Oh, heart deep. She’d hurt him so much, this man she loved.
“I’m warmer already.” She tried to sound happy, but she failed, miserably. Confirmation came in the look Seth gave her.
“Wendy.” She saw his jaw tighten, felt his hand press hard against hers. “Sweetheart, if you’re having second thoughts—”
“No.”
She was having second and third and fourth thoughts, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. They were entitled to this night; whatever came next was beyond her control. That was something she’d learned during the past years. You could try to make plans for your life and think you’d included the smallest detail. In the end, it didn’t matter. Life happened. It sort of sneaked up and happened, despite your best plans.
“No,” she said again, quietly. She lifted their joined hands and kissed his work-roughened knuckles. “I want to be with you tonight.”
The conviction in her voice made his heart swell, but only a fool would have missed that carefully added word, tonight. Seth decided to let it go. Once he’d talked to Pommier, taken the first step down the road, tonight might well be all they’d have.
“I’ve dreamed about bringing you up the mountain again,” he said softly.
She sighed and leaned her head back. “You know what I’ve never forgotten? That first time we drove up Sawtooth. Remember?”
Did he remember? There were times those memories had been all that stood between him and darkness.
“Would a guy forget the first time he made out with the girl of his dreams?” he said, giving it a light touch. “It was our third date.”
“It was our fourth,” Wendy said in a prim tone. “I’d never have agreed to park on a third date.”
“Yeah, but this wasn’t just any third date, baby. You were with me. Seth Castleman, the make-out king.”
She laughed at his deliberately pompous tone. “Uh-huh.”
“The truth is, you couldn’t keep your hands off me.”
“You wish.”
“I know.”
They smiled at each other and then Wendy let out a long breath. “You know what I really do wish?”
“What?”
“That this was your old truck. It had a bench seat, and I—”
“You used to scoot all the way over and sit right next to me, with your head on my shoulder.”
“Remember when that trooper stopped us? He gave us a lecture about seat belts and he said he wouldn’t give us a ticket if we promised not to ride like that anymore.”
“And then he said he had a daughter just about your age, and that he hoped we’d behave ourselves.” Seth grinned. “Would you believe I built a sunroom for him a couple of years back?”
“You’re kidding!”
“It was the same guy. I knew he looked familiar, but I didn’t actually place him until I’d been working at his house for a few days.”
“Did he recognize you?”
“I didn’t think so, because he never said a word—right up until the day I finished.” Seth chuckled. “He wrote me a check, told me how pleased he was with the work I’d done—and then he gave me a man-to-man grin and said he hoped I’d taken his advice and behaved myself the night he’d stopped me on the road up Sawtooth Mountain.”
Wendy laughed. “What did you say?”
“I asked him if he could remember when he was nineteen, and he laughed and said yeah, and that was exactly why he’d given me that warning. We shook hands....”
“And?”
His voice roughened. “And nothing.”
“Seth, what is it? What happened after that?”
“He asked me if you and I were still together.” Seth let go of Wendy’s hand. “And I said no, we weren’t, that I hadn’t seen you in years. He said he was sorry and I said it was okay—but it wasn’t. Until then, I’d done a pretty good job of not thinking about you for days at a time, but afterward—”
“Don’t.” Impetuously, Wendy undid her seat belt and got as close to Seth as she could. “Don’t, please. It was the same for me. I missed you terribly. Every day, every night. You were all I thought about.”
Then why did you refuse to see me? Why did you stay away instead of coming back to the life we’d planned?
The questions drove him crazy, which was in itself crazy, because he already knew the answers. Either she’d figured he wouldn’t want her unless she was perfect, or a life with him wasn’t enough.
No. Damn it, he wasn’t going to think about that. Not tonight. He was taking her to his bed, the bed no woman had ever slept in, and to a house he’d always known, in his heart, he’d built for her.
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.
“Get back there and buckle up,” he said gruffly. “The road’s icy.”
“Aren’t we almost to the top of the...oh, Seth!” Wendy leaned forward and stared out the window. The windshield wipers and the heavy snow made it difficult to see clearly, but surely she’d just spotted... “There’s a house on the top of our mountain!” She swung toward him, her eyes wide with disappointment. “Somebody built on our land.”
“Yeah. Somebody did.”
“Didn’t you know? Why didn’t you tell me? Who—”
Wendy’s voice broke. Things didn’t stay the same. Her life was proof of that, but somehow—somehow she hadn’t expected—
“Sweetheart, it’s all right.” Seth reached for her hand again. “Forgive me, Wendy. I wanted to surprise you.” He kissed her palm. “It’s mine.”
She stared at him while she absorbed the news. “Yours?” she finally said, and looked at the house again. She could see it more clearly as they headed up the long driveway. The soaring rooflines. The glass. The vertical board siding.
“I bought the land as soon as I could afford it. I began work on the house a couple of years ago.” Seth gave a soft laugh. “Actually, I’m still putting it up. A couple of the rooms aren’t finished yet, and the back deck needs some work....”
Shut up, he told himself. He was babbling, but damn it, he was nervous. How many times had he imagined bringing Wendy here? He’d planned it so carefully. She’d see the house first by daylight, when the sun poured through the trees and touched the valley and the town with gold. He’d walk her through the rooms and watch her face....
Would she like what he’d built? Would she remember the house they’d planned to the smallest details, and see that they were all here?
“You can’t see much at night,” he said quickly, “especially with all this snow.”
“It’s beautiful.”
He looked at her. She was sitting forward, eyes fixed on the house, and the way she whispered those words made his throat tighten.
“It’s perfect.” She looked at him, eyes shining in the muted light from the dashboard. “It’s the house we planned together.”
The garage door slid open. Seth drove the truck inside and shut off the engine.
“Every inch of it,” he said huskily. “I built this house for you.”
Wendy turned to Seth. The interior garage lights had come on and she could see his face in their merciless glare. Tiny lines radiated from the corners of his eyes; his forehead was lightly furrowed. Time had marked him, but he was still the boy she’d fallen in love with. He always had been, always would be, and suddenly she wanted to weep for all the years they’d lost.
>
“It’s the most wonderful gift in the world, Seth. Thank you.”
Seth wanted to tell her she didn’t have to thank him, that just hearing the love in her voice was more than enough, but he wasn’t sure he could get out the words. Instead, he climbed out of the truck and went around to the other side. Wendy slid down into his embrace. For the second time that night he lifted the woman he loved in his arms, and carried her into their house.
The snow had stopped and the pale winter moon they’d danced beneath on the porch at Twin Oaks illuminated the staircase and hall. A sighing wind had blown the snow from the skylight in his room, and the moon cast a soft white light on the bed.
“Here’s where I’ve imagined you,” Seth said softly. “In this room, in my arms.”
He lowered her to her feet, letting her slide down his body, thrilling to the little sound she made when she felt his hardness against her.
He kissed her and she kissed him back, tenderly, sweetly, little nibbling kisses that grew more hungry as he unzipped her jacket and she unzipped his. Clothing fell to the floor as they stripped away the layers of fabric that separated them, and when they were both naked, more than clothing lay at their feet. All the years they’d been apart, the hurt, the loneliness were discarded, as well.