And he would come back. He might be able to defy his heart, but he couldn’t defy destiny. They were meant to be together. Her dreams had told her that much.
She dropped the pack from her shoulder, pulled the ring off her finger, and held it out to him. “This belongs to you.”
His gaze didn’t waver from hers. “Keep it,” he said softly. “I have no further use for it.”
She could see the turmoil in the depths of his blue eyes. It bolstered her hope that he would come back. She wrapped her fingers around the ring, holding it tight. “Then I guess this is good-bye.”
He nodded. “I had your brakes fixed, by the way. I didn’t want you driving off a cliff on the way home.”
“Thank you.” Her voice came out as little more than a constricted whisper. She swallowed, trying to ease the ache at the back of her throat.
He shifted against the car and recrossed his arms. She saw his fingers flex, then clench into a fist. “Take care of yourself, Maddie.”
“You too.” She hesitated, wanting to kiss him, wanting to hold him, but knowing that if she did, she would plead with him to let her stay with him. Biting her lip, she bent down and picked up her pack.
Everything she’d ever wanted in life stood a bare two feet away, and she was walking away from it. She licked her lips and forced a smile. “Don’t be a stranger.” Don’t let this good-bye be forever.
He made no reply. Taking a deep breath, she tore her gaze from his and walked around to the driver’s side of the truck.
The engine started the first time. Jon stepped away as she released the hand brake. She could feel his gaze on her, causing a hot ache that burned clear through to her soul. She bit her lip, battling the urge to get out, to wrap her arms around him and never let him go. The gears ground sharply as she shifted them too fast. She didn’t care. She had to leave before he saw the tears on her cheeks.
She planted her foot on the gas pedal and sped out of the parking lot. Her last sight of Jon was through the rearview mirror—a lone, unmoving figure, watching her leave.
MADDIE LEANED BACK AND WIPED THE SWEAT FROM HER eyes. On summer days like this, the heat in the greenhouses became almost unbearable. She reached for her water bottle. It was almost noon, and Evan and Jayne would be here soon to help her pack. She needed to go in and make lunch.
But not just yet. She turned, studying the empty greenhouse. Even though she’d sold the last of her roses over two months ago, their scent still lingered. All the tables and equipment had been stacked in the far corner, and now the building echoed. Somehow, it seemed sad.
Three days from now she would leave her haven and never come back. Sometimes she still regretted her decision to sell, but the place was far too big for one person to manage and always had been. It had just taken a long time for her to admit it—and a long time for hope to die.
She twisted around, studying her old ramshackle home. The roof still needed fixing, and the house needed a good coat of paint. Even so, it was a home designed for a family, a place for children to run wild and free. If not hers, then someone else’s.
A year and a half had passed since she’d last seen Jon. Somewhere along the line, she’d stopped expecting him to appear on her doorstep. It still hurt, but it wasn’t the agonizing feeling of loss it had been at first.
She took another sip of water, then sighed and sat cross-legged on the sandy ground again. A small circle of rocks was in front of her. In the middle of it was a rather dead-looking match, a severely melted candle, and a log. She replaced the match with a new one, sticking it into the sand so it stood upright.
Then she narrowed her gaze and focused on the log. Deep down inside her, the embers stirred to life. She reached for the flames, directing them to the log, trying to control their force. After several seconds, the log burst into flame.
Good. Narrowing the focus of her power, she glanced at the candle. The wick leaped to life, the flame shooting high. Now for the hard one. She licked her lips, then tightened her grip on the burning rush of energy and sent it toward the match.
The match became a fireball and exploded.
“Damn it to hell,” she muttered. Big flames she’d learned to control, but the smaller flames were proving more fickle. But at least she’d learned some control. Enough, anyway, that she no longer feared killing anyone by mistake.
Sweat trickled down the side of her face. Time for a break, she thought, and poured the rest of her water over the flames, putting them out again. Then she rose and headed out into the bright summer sunshine. Shading her eyes against the sun, she stopped and squinted up at the sky. The hawk was back, gliding leisurely along the thermals.
She smiled. The bird had first appeared several months after her arrival back home, and she’d seen it intermittently ever since. Over the last few days, it had been visible almost every day. At first her heart had leapt, convinced it was Jon, but as the days went by, it became obvious it was just a hawk enjoying its freedom and the warm summer breezes. Yet deep down, she couldn’t help thinking that maybe it was some sort of omen.
She might have given up hope, but she hadn’t yet given up on a miracle.
The kitchen was cool and dark when she got inside. Sighing in relief, she stripped off her damp T-shirt and ran upstairs for a quick shower.
Ten minutes later she heard the back door slam. Maddie grimaced. Trust Jayne to be early. Grabbing her hairbrush, she leaned out of the bathroom doorway. “Be down in five! Help yourself to something to eat and drink.”
The pantry door squeaked open, and she smiled. Evan, no doubt investigating what she had to eat. Jayne had been complaining that, lately, she just couldn’t keep enough food in the house to feed him, and it wasn’t hard to see why. He’d grown a good foot in the last year and showed no signs of stopping. He was already as tall as his father.
She frowned. Jayne and Steve had split up almost a year ago, and the change in her sister was amazing. She’d once again become the vibrant, outgoing person who had dominated most of Maddie’s childhood—only this time that personality was edged with compassion and warmth.
But Steve was making noises about wanting to get back together—something Maddie knew Jayne wanted. She just hoped that if Jayne did allow Steve back into her life, it was in her own time and under her own rules. She’d hate to see her sister retreat into her shell again.
One good thing had come from the split, though. Steve had stopped treating Evan, and to a lesser extent Maddie, as some kind of freak. He’d even begun reading up on psychic abilities in an effort to help his son understand and control his gifts. It was something none of them had expected. Evan was speaking to his dad again, and Maddie’s dreams no longer warned of him walking away.
She ducked across the hall to her bedroom. Grabbing a T-shirt and some shorts, she quickly dressed.
Still brushing her hair, she padded down the stairs and along the hall. “Hope you picked up some more boxes, because I’m just about—”
The jeans-clad figure turned as she entered the kitchen, and Maddie came to an abrupt halt. Jon!
Her heart skipped several beats. Lord, how often had she dreamed of this happening? Every waking hour in those first few months of separation had been filled with the fantasy of walking into a room and finding him there. But it was a dream that had gradually died. Was she dreaming now?
“Hello, Madeline.” His warm, velvet voice held a hint of uncertainty.
It was his uncertainty that convinced her he was real and not just a figment of her imagination. She swallowed heavily, trying to stem the sudden rush of joy. “Nice to see you again.” Her voice sounded deceptively calm, given the turmoil in her heart.
He nodded and ran a hand through his hair. Slivers of sunshine seemed to dance through his fingers. His hair was a little shorter now, and lines of weariness shadowed the diamond brightness of his blue eyes. But everything else was the same, right down to the thigh-defining tightness of his jeans.
Maddie clenched her fingers ar
ound her brush. She wanted to reach out and touch him—wanted to feel the heat of his body, the touch of his lips on hers. Wanted it for real and not just in her dreams. But the first move had to be his.
“We need to talk,” he said softly. “Please, come and sit down.”
She didn’t move. Moving would only take her closer to him, and that was a risk she dared not take. Not yet. “What do you want to talk about?”
He sighed and pulled his gaze from hers. “Can I start with an apology?”
Hope fluttered. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and raised an eyebrow. “For what?”
“For being such an ass. For taking so long to get back to you.”
“As good a place as any to start, I suppose.” She crossed her arms and stared at him. “Why did you take so long? Another couple of days, and I would be gone.”
“I know.” He glanced up, a slight smile tugging his generous lips. “Have you bought another house yet?”
“No.” How did he know she’d sold her house? The “sold” sign out front had been moved several days ago, so he couldn’t have seen it coming in. Her heart skipped several more beats. Had he been keeping tabs on her all along?
His smile widened, then he turned and walked across to the window, opening the blind. “Won’t you miss this place? It’s so peaceful.”
She frowned. Why was he discussing the house? “Of course I’ll miss it, but I can’t afford the upkeep on my own.”
“Uh-huh.” He leaned a hip against the sink and crossed his arms, staring out the window for several long minutes. “I often dreamed of owning a place like this,” he said softly.
“Then you’re about a week too late. Some woman named Seline Whiteshore bought it.” She slammed her hairbrush down and walked across to the refrigerator. “Want something to drink?”
He shook his head, not bothering to turn around. She poured herself a glass of soda and dragged out a chair. Whatever he’d come here to say was obviously going to take a while.
His next question was another bolt from the blue. “Do you still have my ring?”
Maddie frowned and glanced down at her finger. Damn. She’d left it in the greenhouse. “Yes, I have it. Why?”
“Do you know its significance?”
“Of course I don’t!” Why was he fixating on the house and the ring? She swallowed hard, but her voice still came out a croak as she continued. “Didn’t it belong to your father?”
“Not precisely.”
He turned to face her. Something in his eyes made her breath catch in her throat.
“My father actually gave it to my mother, who then gave it to me when I was old enough.”
She had no idea where all this was leading. “So?”
He smiled. “In our family, it has become known as the Heart of the Hunter. It is a gift that the first-born son of each generation gives to the woman he loves.”
It took several seconds for the meaning of his words to hit her. He was saying he loved her—wasn’t he? She licked her lips, refusing to let elation bubble free. After a year and a half of waiting, she had to be sure. Even if he was admitting he loved her, he hadn’t actually mentioned any plan to stay.
“Do you want it back?”
His smile was rich and warm, but she could see the uncertainty in his eyes. “No, I don’t want it back. It belongs to you, as does my heart.” He hesitated, then added softly, “I love you, Maddie.”
Tears stung her eyes. She blinked, pulling her gaze away from his. He’d finally said the words she’d longed to hear, so why was she suddenly crying?
“Why haven’t you come back for me before now?” she whispered, staring at her hands, which were clasped together on the table.
He took a step toward her, then stopped. “I walked away because I didn’t want to see you harmed, didn’t want you to become a target for some madman who was after me.”
“So why come back now?”
“Because I can’t survive without my heart anymore.” He walked around the table and squatted next to her chair. He didn’t actually touch her, but he was close enough for the heat and the tension in his body to wash over her.
She kept her eyes on her hands and didn’t move. Could barely breathe.
“I can’t walk past a rose without thinking of you,” he continued. “Every time I see a beaten-up old truck with squealing brakes I find myself hoping it’s yours. You have been in my thoughts and my dreams every minute of every day for this past year and a half.”
“That doesn’t answer the question.” She raised her eyes to his. She could see the fear and love and loneliness in the depths of his bright gaze—echoes of everything she’d felt since they’d parted. She reached out, gently touching the faint scar on his cheek. “Why are you here now?”
“We’d barely known each other a week, Maddie. I kept telling myself that what we shared, what I felt, could be little more than an offshoot of the danger we shared. That you deserved the chance to get on with your life and sort out your emotions without me getting in the way.” He raised his hand, capturing hers. His thumb traced the white mark where his ring usually sat. “It wasn’t until I saw you were getting ready to leave that I realized I had to tell you what I felt before you left the past—and me—behind you forever.”
“You were watching me?”
“Not often—just enough to assure myself you were okay.”
“Then that hawk outside was you?”
He hesitated, then grinned. It was a decidedly boyish grin that speeded up her already trembling heart.
“That was me trying to gather the courage to finally face you.”
She glanced down at their entwined fingers. He loved her, but was he really ready to have her stand by his side? Because if he wanted her in his life, it would mean his whole life—whatever the risks or dangers that might entail—or nothing at all. “But nothing has changed. You can’t give up what you do, so where does that leave me?”
The blue eyes she loved so much were filled with uncertainty. He still wasn’t sure of her reaction, of her feelings for him.
“I’ve wasted a year and a half trying to survive without you. I can’t do that anymore. I need you, Maddie.” His voice husky, he continued. “I want to have children with you and watch them run wild in this big, old house. I want to wake up in the mornings with you in my arms and go to sleep each night the same way. I want to grow old with you, Maddie. I’ve no right to ask you to risk your life, to become a part of mine, but that’s exactly what I’m asking. Share my life—and let me become a part of yours. Marry me, Maddie.”
The tears stinging her eyes finally fell. He reached up, gently wiping them away with the soft pad of his thumb. His touch sent shivers of anticipation racing through her soul. This man’s caress was hers to keep—forever.
“Is that a yes?” he asked, smiling gently.
“Oh God, yes!” With a sob, she fell into his embrace. He held her close. It was better than any dream. “I was so afraid you would never come back to me,” she whispered against his chest.
“And I was so afraid that you might have come to your senses and not wanted me back.” He brushed a kiss across the top of her head. “That’s why it took me so long to finally face you. I just couldn’t bear the thought that you might not love me.”
She raised her head and gave him a mock glare. “It’s a shame you couldn’t have found the courage sooner. Then maybe I wouldn’t have sold the house.”
His smile sang through her soul. “Seline Whiteshore is my boss. She bought the house on my behalf. It belongs to us, and our children.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and eased her back. “We have to do this properly.”
She sniffed and stared at him, perplexed. “Do what?”
He smiled and reached into his pocket, producing the ring. “I saw you come out of the greenhouse without it,” he said before she could ask. “And I need it for what I’m about to do.”
“I hate it when you speak in riddles.”
“Shush.” His eyes gleamed, then he took a deep breath and his expression became serious. “The Heart of the Hunter is only given once in every lifetime. Do you, Madeline Smith, accept the heart of this hunter?”
She smiled and leaned forward, gently tasting his lips. “Only if the hunter promises he’s not going to spend our entire lives simply talking.”
“That is something you can be very certain of.” He gave her a smile as sweet and tender as any kiss and slipped the ring onto her finger. “That, and the fact that I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she whispered, and knew that no matter what life threw at them, they would remain together.
Forever.
By Keri Arthur
THE DAMASK CIRCLE SERIES
Circle of Fire
THE NIKKI AND MICHAEL SERIES
Dancing with the Devil
Hearts in Darkness
Chasing the Shadows
THE RIPPLE CREEK WEREWOLF SERIES
Beneath a Rising Moon
Beneath a Darkening Moon
THE DARK ANGELS SERIES
Darkness Unbound
Darkness Rising
Darkness Devours
Darkness Hunts
Darkness Unmasked
Darkness Splintered
THE MYTH AND MAGIC SERIES
Destiny Kills
Mercy Burns
THE RILEY JENSON GUARDIAN SERIES
Full Moon Rising
Kissing Sin
Tempting Evil
Dangerous Games
Embraced by Darkness
The Darkest Kiss
Deadly Desire
Bound to Shadows