Jane held open her arms.Billie rushed into her embrace.She hugged her daughter close.“You’re a smart girl.”
“I know.This is going to be great.You and me are going to have Adam now.He loves us and we love him.”
Jane released Billie and walked to the window.Did she?She thought about her decision to come home from San Francisco.She recalled the way she’d pushed to have a confrontation with Adam, how she’d resisted telling him the truth because she didn’t want to face what she’d done.So many of her concerns had been about keeping Billie safe.Had those genuine fears allowed her to hide another truth?She thought about how easy it had been to make love with him.And it had been making love, she thought with a sureness that surprised her.It had been more than sex, because Adam was more than just a man from her past.She hadn’t developed a relationship with anyone else, because she’d been waiting and growing up.When she was finally ready, she’d returned, willing to pay any price to set the past right.
She loved him.
It didn’t matter that he might not want her now.It didn’t matter that he wouldn’t easily let go of his need to control.It didn’t matter that she had nine years to make up for.She loved him.That’s why she’d come back to Orchard.She’d come home to Adam.
* * *
“Something smells good.”
Jane turned at the sound of Adam’s voice.He stood in the doorway of her kitchen.She hadn’t heard him knock, but Billie had been playing out front and had probably told him to go in.
It was a little after four.He’d obviously come straight from the office.He’d removed his jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves,but had left on his tie.Stubble darkened his jaw and highlighted the firm lines of his mouth.She wanted to run to him and kiss him and tell him how much she’d been thinking of him.She wanted to have him whisper those words back to her.
Instead, paralyzed by a sudden burst of shyness, she hung back.“I’m trying a new recipe.It uses chicken and—”
He crossed the room in three long strides.“I wasn’t talking about the food.”With that he gathered her close.
Her arms went around his neck.She raised her head and he brushed her lips with his.
“I missed you,” he said, then kissed her again.
“Me, too.”
“You’re all I’ve thought of.”
“Me, too.”
“I thought this day would never end.”
“Me, too.”
He grinned.“Is that all you can say?”
Now that he was here, holding her, the shyness fled, chased away by desire.“No.I can ask why you feel the need to talk so much.”
With that she held his face still and raised herself up on tiptoe.She brushed her tongue across his lips.He tasted wet and warm and wonderful…like Adam, she thought, closing her eyes and leaning closer.His hands moved from around her waist up, until he cupped her breasts.Instantly, her nipples hardened and he teased them.
She broke away.“Billie’s outside.”
“I know.”He planted one last quick kiss on her mouth, then stepped back.“How about something to cool me down?”
“There’s still beer in the fridge.”
“Thanks.”He walked across the room.“I’m sorry I couldn’t get over here yesterday.It was one crisis after another.I didn’t want you to think it was because Sunday night didn’t mean anything to me.”
“You explained this on the phone as well as with the roses.They’re beautiful.”
He twisted the top off the bottle and shut the refrigerator.Aftertaking a swallow, he looked at her.“I wanted to make sure you understood.”
He was so damned decent, she thought, feeling her love for him swell inside of her.For a moment she toyed with the idea of telling him what she’d realized that afternoon in the attic.But it was too soon.There was still so much to work out.Besides, she wasn’t sure that Adam was interested in her love.He hadn’t had time to come to grips with all the sudden changes.Neither of them had.And he had a lot more forgiving to do than she did.
“I understand.Do you want to stay for dinner?”
“I’d love to.”
