he’d fallen in love with her – and all this had happened before he’d levelled with her and told her about having Cam’s heart. When she’d screamed at him to leave, he’d thought he’d lost the only woman he’d ever loved. He even felt like he deserved to lose her, for being such a coward and an asshole.
Eric still recalled the day two months ago that he’d gone to her blog to read her post to him. His heart had stopped in his chest and then started up again at double-time as he’d read her sweet words of forgiveness, of wishing him well. He’d sent her an e-mail right away and included his phone number; then he’d just prayed hard for her to make contact. When she had, he’d believed in miracles for the second time in his life.
Since that first phone call, they’d talked non-stop and about everything. When Annabeth had asked him to come back here to Open Skies to see her and to be her plus-one for Jake and Julie’s wedding, he’d almost fallen off his chair. She was offering him a chance, a chance he barely deserved, and he was goddamned taking it. His whole life back in Houston could just sit and wait for him, because at this exact moment, nothing existed beyond this woman that he was holding.
Annabeth drew back now and she gave him a real smile, a shining, pure smile that made him want to kiss her until her knees gave out.
“How was the drive?” she said.
“Good.” His drawl still turned her on desperately, she noticed. “No problems.”
“Why’d you drive, anyway?” she asked. Eric had been evasive and vague about not flying from Texas to Colorado and she’d let it go. Now, though, she found her curiosity piqued again. “It’s not like your hometown is just an hour away.”
“Yeah, well.” He grinned down at her. “I wanted to bring you a present and I knew it’d never get on a plane.”
“Is it that huge?” she teased him.
“Nope.” He let her go, reluctantly. “It’s just on the list of things that can’t be flown.”
She laughed. “You brought me a bottle of non-TSA-approved water?”
“Better.” Eric went over to his luggage, opened a bag. When he turned, he was holding a potted plant in his hand. She looked at the yellow flower, admired its graceful shape and long petals. She felt tears start yet again.
“Oh, Eric,” she said. “Is that Golden Smoke? One that you grew in your greenhouse?”
“Yeah.” He walked back and handed it to her. “For you, baby.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
She’d first seen Golden Smoke flowers right here at Open Skies, on one of the many walks in the mountains that she and Eric had taken together before things fell apart between them. Annabeth knew nothing about flowers, but Eric was a florist and landscaper and he knew more than enough for the both of them.
She’d fallen in love with the brilliant yellow blossoms and Eric had managed to grow some in Houston – despite the fact that they were way out of their natural environment. And now here he was, giving her one of her own. It was hands-down the most perfect gift he could have shown up with.
She set it on the table by the window and then she looked at Eric again. He was standing next to his bags and the time had come to take them to a bedroom – but which one? She had the master room, of course, and this was the room they’d shared last summer. But no matter how happy she was to see him, she wasn’t ready for that and she didn’t know what he expected. There was a moment of awkwardness now and she didn’t know where to look.
“OK, so.” He lifted his bags. “I’ll go get settled in the guest room and unpack and then have a shower. Then maybe we can talk a bit?”
She relaxed. Yeah, he was a gentleman and he wasn’t going to push. She should have known that.
“Good,” she said softly. “You want a cup of fresh coffee waiting for you?”
“Love one. I drove all night to get to you, angel.” He wandered down the hall to the office that doubled as a
Eric still recalled the day two months ago that he’d gone to her blog to read her post to him. His heart had stopped in his chest and then started up again at double-time as he’d read her sweet words of forgiveness, of wishing him well. He’d sent her an e-mail right away and included his phone number; then he’d just prayed hard for her to make contact. When she had, he’d believed in miracles for the second time in his life.
Since that first phone call, they’d talked non-stop and about everything. When Annabeth had asked him to come back here to Open Skies to see her and to be her plus-one for Jake and Julie’s wedding, he’d almost fallen off his chair. She was offering him a chance, a chance he barely deserved, and he was goddamned taking it. His whole life back in Houston could just sit and wait for him, because at this exact moment, nothing existed beyond this woman that he was holding.
Annabeth drew back now and she gave him a real smile, a shining, pure smile that made him want to kiss her until her knees gave out.
“How was the drive?” she said.
“Good.” His drawl still turned her on desperately, she noticed. “No problems.”
“Why’d you drive, anyway?” she asked. Eric had been evasive and vague about not flying from Texas to Colorado and she’d let it go. Now, though, she found her curiosity piqued again. “It’s not like your hometown is just an hour away.”
“Yeah, well.” He grinned down at her. “I wanted to bring you a present and I knew it’d never get on a plane.”
“Is it that huge?” she teased him.
“Nope.” He let her go, reluctantly. “It’s just on the list of things that can’t be flown.”
She laughed. “You brought me a bottle of non-TSA-approved water?”
“Better.” Eric went over to his luggage, opened a bag. When he turned, he was holding a potted plant in his hand. She looked at the yellow flower, admired its graceful shape and long petals. She felt tears start yet again.
“Oh, Eric,” she said. “Is that Golden Smoke? One that you grew in your greenhouse?”
“Yeah.” He walked back and handed it to her. “For you, baby.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
She’d first seen Golden Smoke flowers right here at Open Skies, on one of the many walks in the mountains that she and Eric had taken together before things fell apart between them. Annabeth knew nothing about flowers, but Eric was a florist and landscaper and he knew more than enough for the both of them.
She’d fallen in love with the brilliant yellow blossoms and Eric had managed to grow some in Houston – despite the fact that they were way out of their natural environment. And now here he was, giving her one of her own. It was hands-down the most perfect gift he could have shown up with.
She set it on the table by the window and then she looked at Eric again. He was standing next to his bags and the time had come to take them to a bedroom – but which one? She had the master room, of course, and this was the room they’d shared last summer. But no matter how happy she was to see him, she wasn’t ready for that and she didn’t know what he expected. There was a moment of awkwardness now and she didn’t know where to look.
“OK, so.” He lifted his bags. “I’ll go get settled in the guest room and unpack and then have a shower. Then maybe we can talk a bit?”
She relaxed. Yeah, he was a gentleman and he wasn’t going to push. She should have known that.
“Good,” she said softly. “You want a cup of fresh coffee waiting for you?”
“Love one. I drove all night to get to you, angel.” He wandered down the hall to the office that doubled as a
Similar Books
