Winds of Change by Leah Atwood Page A

the window and pushed aside the curtains.
    His breathing hitched when he realized the figure was Candace.
    She peered outside into the darkness, a hand pressed against the glass. “Where are you, Patrick? Are you safe or lost somewhere in the blizzard?”
    His heart constricted. The way she spoke, it didn’t sound like she begrudged him. Quite the opposite. It almost sounded like a deep affection. He sat up and pulled his shirt over his head.
    “Candace.”
    The simple utterance made her jump. She turned around, seeking out the voice in the blackness. “Patrick?”
    He pushed aside the blankets and stood. “It’s me. Over by the fire.”
    She walked toward him. He met her in the middle.
    “I was so worried.” Her hands flew around his neck. “You said you’d be back for Thanksgiving, and I just knew you’d try to brave the storm to keep your word.”
    All remaining traces of cold immediately evaporated. She trusted him, however, ill-placed it seemed. The realization stunned him.
    “I’m here.” Soft illuminations from the fire flickered behind them. Brushing the mussed hair out of her face, he was struck anew by her beauty.
    Her lips parted as she stared at him. The moment took him away, and he threaded his fingers through her hair, down to her nape. His hand rested on the rear of her neck, gently pressing her head forward. Angling his head, he met her lips, claiming her in a kiss he’d wanted for months but hadn’t believed he deserved.
    He deepened the kiss, understanding what he hadn’t before—he loved her. It was a love bred from respect, admiration, humility.
    Respect. The word echoed in his mind and he broke away. They weren’t married—he had no call to kiss her that passionately without the benefit of marriage.
    Candace looked away but not before he saw the hurt in her eyes. He gently took her arm and brought her to him.
    She shrugged away. “It’s okay. I know you were only caught up in the moment.”
    A curse almost slipped from his tongue, but he bit it back in time. “It’s not okay, and if that’s what you think, then you don’t know anything.”
    Hugging herself, she blinked several times. “Enlighten me.”
    “I stopped kissing you because I respect you.” He raked a hand through his hair. “We’re not married—a kiss like that should be saved for matrimony.”
    “Oh.” Surprise flickered across her face. She moved to a settee and sat down.
    “I’m sorry, Candace.” He strode to her and sat down beside her, leaving a space between them. “The man who married us, he was a gambler your father met somehow.”
    “I guess I already knew that answer.” She swallowed. “Thank you for making the trip to confirm it.”
    “There’s something else you need to know.” Reaching over, he took her hand. There wasn’t any love lost between him and Burl, but he was Candace’s Pa, albeit a poor excuse for one. “Your Pa died Monday evening.”
    She stared at him with a blank expression, impassive to say the least. Then the news must have struck her because her shoulders began to shake, then her chest, down to the hand he held. He repositioned himself so that he could put an arm around her, offer the comfort that she needed.
    “How?” she whispered after a minute.
    “In his sleep. They found him in his hotel room.”
    “I shouldn’t care. He was horrible to me.” She sniffled. “Yet he was all the family that I had left.”
    Patrick stroked her shoulder. “You have us now, Candace. My family is your family.”
    “Not really. You say that, and the others also do, but for how long? Eventually, I’ll have to move on.” The way she spoke, so matter-of-factly, like it was a certainty, tore him to pieces.
    But he couldn’t blame her. He’d purposely not led her on by telling her they would get married because, for once, he wanted to make a decision after weighing all the consequences. He hadn’t wanted to promise marriage in haste. Not until he was sure it was in her best