Where Two Hearts Meet by Carrie Turansky Page B

faith, and that’s important to me.”
    “So you and Peter aren’t together?”
    She shook her head and sent him a soft, sweet smile. “No, we’re not. I knew it wouldn’t be right for me to keep dating Peter, especially when I still had feelings for you.”
    He leaned back and blew out a deep breath. “Wow, I don’t know what to say. I mean I’ve been praying and hoping you’d forgive me, but I didn’t think there was much hope that we . . .”
    She raised her finger and pressed it gently against his lips to quiet him. “I’ve been praying, too. And I always wished things would’ve worked out differently for us, maybe now we have a chance to see if they will.”
    His heart soared. He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers. “You won’t be sorry, Allie. I’ve really changed. I’m a different man.”

Chapter Seven
    Tyler glanced out the passenger window at the spacious, green lawn of the Princeton Battlefield Park and turned to Allie. “Why are we stopping here?”
    She turned off the car. “Close your eyes. I want to show you something.”
    “How can I see it if my eyes are closed?”
    “Very funny. Come on, I want it to be a surprise.” She sent him an impish smile that got his heart pumping.
    “Okay.” He scrunched his eyes closed, sorry to lose sight of her. “I wouldn’t do this for anyone else, you know.”
    She laughed softly. “Good.”
    He heard her car door open, and then a few seconds later, his opened.
    “Keep your eyes shut,” she said, a smile in her voice. Grinning, he climbed out of the car. “I hope I won’t regret this.”
    “You can trust me.” She took his hand and led him across the soft lawn.
    The early afternoon sun warmed his back, and the scent of freshly mowed grass filled the air. A light breeze carried the fragrance of some kind of flower he couldn’t identify. “If I’d known we were going on a hike, I would’ve worn my boots and packed a snack.”
    Laughing, she squeezed his hand. “Don’t worry. We’re almost there.” They walked another thirty seconds or so, and she pulled him to a stop. “Okay. You can open your eyes now.” Tyler obeyed, then blinked at a sea of yellow daffodils stretching across the grass in all directions. The bright, golden flowers bobbed in the breeze like dancers on stage, their slim, silvery leaves flickering beside them. Tall evergreens at the edge of the park swayed in the breeze, providing a peaceful, deep green background. “Wow, this is amazing.” He glanced over at Allie as she took in the scene.
    Her expression grew pensive. “The Princeton Garden Club planted seven thousand bulbs in memory of those who died on September 11. The flowers come back every spring.” She turned to him. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
    “Very special.” He lifted her hand and kissed it. “Thanks for showing me.”
    “I knew you’d like it.” Her smile warmed his heart.
    He slipped his arm around her shoulder, and contentment washed over him. It had been an amazing three weeks. He and Allie had seen each other almost every day and checked in by phone on days when other commitments kept them apart. Even in that short time they’d made some wonderful memories together—walks across Princeton University campus, an organ concert at the University Chapel, quiet dinners at her apartment, a visit to the Princeton University Art Museum, and discovering their favorite flavors at a unique little ice cream shop in Palmer Square called the Bent Spoon.
    These were some of the same types of things they’d enjoyed six years ago, but everything seemed different now that there was a genuine spiritual dimension to their relationship. They often prayed together to end the evening and enjoyed attending church together.
    Tyler lifted his gaze to the field of daffodils again. Allie didn’t know it yet, but he was working on some surprises of his own. In two weeks they’d celebrate her birthday, and he couldn’t wait to see her reaction when he