Page 28 of Under an Oklahoma Sky

“And it’s been two and a half for me.”

That seemed to surprise him.

She gave him a small smile. “Looks like we’re both a little rusty.”

A chuckle rumbled from his chest. “You have a lot more faith in me than I do.”

Rising onto her toes, she brushed her lips over his. “Then trust me.”

This time, when he kissed her, the uncertainty faded. Sage let herself get lost in the sensation of being held and desired again. There had been a time when she couldn’t imagine wanting another man to hold her this way, yet with Adam, it felt natural. Standing there with him, she didn’t want to question it or think about what tomorrow might bring. Tonight, she wanted to follow her heart and trust that she was ready for whatever came next.

He drew back enough to rest his forehead against hers. “Are you sure?”

She looked into his eyes and knew there was nowhere else she wanted to be.

“Yes.”

Sage slowly opened her eyes to find Adam beside her, watching her as if he still couldn’t quite believe what had happened. For several moments, neither of them spoke, and she tried to sort through everything she was feeling.

She had expected guilt. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she’d been certain it would come afterward—that she would think of Mark and wonder if she’d betrayed him somehow by letting another man into a part of her heart and life that had belonged only to him for so long. But the guilt never came. She still loved Mark. Nothing that had happened tonight changed that. Nothing ever could. He’d been her husband, her best friend, the father of her children, and the man she’d once believed she would grow old with. But Mark was gone, and she was still here, still capable of wanting, feeling, and caring for someone—of being happy.

Adam reached up and brushed a strand of hair from her face. “You’re awfully quiet.”

“I’m thinking.”

“Should I be worried?”

She studied him for a moment, enjoying the hint of concern that appeared in his eyes. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“Well, that’s reassuring.”

She couldn’t hold back a giggle, and the affection in his eyes made something inside her flutter.

His smile dimmed a little as he studied her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

She knew what he was worried about now. That morning would come, and she’d regret walking across the yard to his cottage. That she’d wish she could take back what they’d shared. She touched his cheek. “I’m more than okay.”

“No regrets?”

“Not one.”

Relief crossed his face, followed by something softer that made her heart stumble. For one breathless second, she could have sworn she saw love in his eyes, and her pulse skipped.

No, she couldn’t let herself go there. Not tonight. What had just happened between them was already enough to absorb without attaching a word that carried far more weight than either of them was ready to acknowledge.

His thumb brushed her cheek. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you showing up at my door tonight.”

“Maybe you should stop questioning your good fortune.”

His mouth twitched. “Is that what this is?”

“Absolutely.”

“Good to know.” His expression grew serious again. “Thank you for trusting me, Sage.”

The simple words caught her off guard. She’d trusted him with more than her body tonight. She’d trusted him with a part of herself she’d kept locked away since Mark died, a part she hadn’t been certain she would ever share with another man. And somehow, Adam seemed to understand that.

“I do trust you.”