Just catching her breath, Julia filled the cabin with giggles and sighs as she lifted her arms around my neck. “That was so mean,” she finally said, a huge smile overtaking her face.
“I’ll never do it again.”
Her head shook. “Oh my God, if you don’t, I’m divorcing you. I’ve never come that hard.”
“Good news, your unsatisfying sex life is over.”
“That is good news,” she said, dropping her face on my bare chest.
“I should go feed the fire,” I said.
“Don’t leave me.” Her eyes opened as she lifted her chin to make eye contact. “What is on our agenda?”
“Spend the entire day like this.”
“I like that. I’d love to do another hike. It was cold and hard to walk in the snow and at the same time, I loved every minute of it.”
“There’s plenty of untouched land around the house, and I have an easier way to travel.”
“We’re going back to the house?” She pouted. “The house has internet and cell service. I like the un-connect-ability of our snow globe.”
“The house also has showers,” I offered.
“Good point, but is it bad that I want to stay hidden here with you through today?” She leaned back and looked at me closer. “Do you need to get back for work?”
“Do I need…? My only needs are to make you happy. If hiking here will make you happy, then that’s what we’ll do. Back in the garage, I have snowmobiles. We can explore my land and out on the bay. There are trails everywhere.”
Her eyes opened wide. “On the bay? Is it safe?”
“We should probably wait a week or two, but the ice here gets thick enough to drive from the mainland to Madeline Island up near the Apostle Islands.”
She shook her head and smiled. “What if I told you I’ve never ridden on a snowmobile?”
A smile curled my lips. “Maybe we should construct a list of all these firsts…first time to have sex, first time to have an off-the-chart orgasm, first time cutting down of a Christmas tree—”
Her small finger came to my lips. “Hearing you say all of those firsts makes me think I’ve never really lived.”
“Oh, you’ve lived, beautiful. Now you’re alive.”
As she curled against me and my arms surrounded her, I questioned my presence.
Is Julia McGrath truly a gift I don’t deserve?
Was she lost on a snow-covered road on the outskirts of my property to save me from myself and my lonely exile?
Will she save me?
Is it fair to ask her to do that?
I ran my hand over her loose long hair, smoothing it away from her beautiful face.
Has my penitence been paid?
Do I deserve to move forward, or will I bring Julia down and ruin her like I do anyone else who makes the mistake of trusting me?
Wade Pharmaceutical came to mind.
I’d told the truth; the perceived value of Wade Pharmaceutical had stabilized. It would take a good-faith measure on my part to not only stop the bleeding that Julia’s broken engagement had started and my purchase of stock had exacerbated but increase the value. If I didn’t make that move this next week, it could be too late.