the only way you could return whole.” She pulled back, her eyes shimmering like precious emeralds. “I’m just so sorry about Mama Stallings, that you didn’t have more time.”
“The time we did have was good. She was so kind to me, Ali. She always knew just what to say. I still hear her voice running through my head.”
“I know.”
“After my mom left…all those years. And with my dad…” He shook his head, unable to find the words. “I couldn’t even bring myself to cry when he died. But the other day, at the memorial…” He’d lost it, and Ali had witnessed his tears.
“It was so hard for you.” She smoothed hair from the collar of his shirt. “No one should be dealt such a hand, especially as a child.”
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes.” Ryder turned to walk along the water’s edge. “I’ve hurt you, honey. I can’t take that back.”
“I’m not asking you to.” She fell in step alongside him. “I hurt you, too. I should have talked to you after the accident, let you know what I was feeling. It was unfair to shut you out—to keep you guessing about what was going on inside my heart. Maybe you wouldn’t have left. Maybe things would have turned out differently between us. Maybe—”
“No more maybes.” He paused and drew her back, easing her close once more as the darkness enfolded them. “I’ve missed you so much. Let me kiss you, Ali.”
She tilted her chin, closed her eyes and offered her lips. “Ryder…” The tremor in her voice mirrored his longing.
Light suddenly cut through the night, flashing across the water. An engine rumbled as a car made its way up the drive toward the inn.
“That would be the guests.” Ali slipped a palm over his cheek, and he felt the steady throb of her pulse. “They’ll be waiting on me. I need to get back.”
Ryder groaned. Though it took every ounce of his restraint, he loosened his hold on her and stepped back. He skimmed his fingers over her shoulder. “We’ll finish this later.”
7
“Your truck’s washed,” Ali announced as Ryder stumbled into the kitchen for a cup of coffee the next morning. “Take a look.”
He peered through the kitchen window. His Ford sat at the top of the drive, its black paint gleaming beneath brilliant morning sunlight. “When did you do that?”
“Before I started breakfast.”
“And I missed it.” He eyed the sundress that skimmed her knees, strappy sandals and generous waves of hair swept into a neat ponytail that caressed her shoulders as she moved about the dining area. “You must have been up at the crack of dawn.”
“Thereabout.” She grinned mischievously. “Sorry you missed the show, sleepyhead.”
“You always were a morning person—the only one who stayed awake during every day of Mr. Spangler’s first period economics class senior year.”
“Good thing I sat beside you so I could kick your desk every time you nodded off and began to snore.”
“I do not snore.”
“I beg to differ.”
Footsteps along the hallway quieted the good-natured spat. Ali turned toward the doorway just as a snowy-haired woman stepped through. Her grizzled husband followed, bringing with him a cloud of aftershave.
“Good morning.” Ali’s smile lit up the room. “I hope you slept well.”
“Beautifully.” The woman went straight for the coffee carafe that Ali had just filled and set on the buffet. “Like a baby with a full tummy. Smells delicious in here, dear.”
“Martha, please pour me a cup, and don’t skimp on the creamer.” Her husband shuffled over to a chafing dish filled with scrambled eggs. “This is just what the doctor ordered.”
“Go easy on those eggs, Stuart.” His wife pointed a finger at him, adding a stern dip of her lips. “Because eggs are not what the doctor ordered.”
“Yes, dear.” He dumped an oversized scoopful onto his plate before diving into the biscuits and gravy.
“What are your plans today, Mrs. Lawson?” Ali
“The time we did have was good. She was so kind to me, Ali. She always knew just what to say. I still hear her voice running through my head.”
“I know.”
“After my mom left…all those years. And with my dad…” He shook his head, unable to find the words. “I couldn’t even bring myself to cry when he died. But the other day, at the memorial…” He’d lost it, and Ali had witnessed his tears.
“It was so hard for you.” She smoothed hair from the collar of his shirt. “No one should be dealt such a hand, especially as a child.”
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes.” Ryder turned to walk along the water’s edge. “I’ve hurt you, honey. I can’t take that back.”
“I’m not asking you to.” She fell in step alongside him. “I hurt you, too. I should have talked to you after the accident, let you know what I was feeling. It was unfair to shut you out—to keep you guessing about what was going on inside my heart. Maybe you wouldn’t have left. Maybe things would have turned out differently between us. Maybe—”
“No more maybes.” He paused and drew her back, easing her close once more as the darkness enfolded them. “I’ve missed you so much. Let me kiss you, Ali.”
She tilted her chin, closed her eyes and offered her lips. “Ryder…” The tremor in her voice mirrored his longing.
Light suddenly cut through the night, flashing across the water. An engine rumbled as a car made its way up the drive toward the inn.
“That would be the guests.” Ali slipped a palm over his cheek, and he felt the steady throb of her pulse. “They’ll be waiting on me. I need to get back.”
Ryder groaned. Though it took every ounce of his restraint, he loosened his hold on her and stepped back. He skimmed his fingers over her shoulder. “We’ll finish this later.”
7
“Your truck’s washed,” Ali announced as Ryder stumbled into the kitchen for a cup of coffee the next morning. “Take a look.”
He peered through the kitchen window. His Ford sat at the top of the drive, its black paint gleaming beneath brilliant morning sunlight. “When did you do that?”
“Before I started breakfast.”
“And I missed it.” He eyed the sundress that skimmed her knees, strappy sandals and generous waves of hair swept into a neat ponytail that caressed her shoulders as she moved about the dining area. “You must have been up at the crack of dawn.”
“Thereabout.” She grinned mischievously. “Sorry you missed the show, sleepyhead.”
“You always were a morning person—the only one who stayed awake during every day of Mr. Spangler’s first period economics class senior year.”
“Good thing I sat beside you so I could kick your desk every time you nodded off and began to snore.”
“I do not snore.”
“I beg to differ.”
Footsteps along the hallway quieted the good-natured spat. Ali turned toward the doorway just as a snowy-haired woman stepped through. Her grizzled husband followed, bringing with him a cloud of aftershave.
“Good morning.” Ali’s smile lit up the room. “I hope you slept well.”
“Beautifully.” The woman went straight for the coffee carafe that Ali had just filled and set on the buffet. “Like a baby with a full tummy. Smells delicious in here, dear.”
“Martha, please pour me a cup, and don’t skimp on the creamer.” Her husband shuffled over to a chafing dish filled with scrambled eggs. “This is just what the doctor ordered.”
“Go easy on those eggs, Stuart.” His wife pointed a finger at him, adding a stern dip of her lips. “Because eggs are not what the doctor ordered.”
“Yes, dear.” He dumped an oversized scoopful onto his plate before diving into the biscuits and gravy.
“What are your plans today, Mrs. Lawson?” Ali
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