Page 40 of Horsemen and Hot Chocolate

Willem reached a hand to his face, and he jerked when he made contact. “I—” he began, his eyes widening. “Is this happening? Is this real?”

“Yes,” she said, tears springing to her eyes. “You did it!”

All the feelings she’d repressed erupted with joy. Without thinking, she sprang forward and kissed him. Their mouths met in a clumsy clash, and he gasped against her lips. Inhaling sharply, she broke away from the cold dread of realization. He stared at her, blinking with rounded eyes.

“I’m sorry—” she stammered. “I shouldn’t have—”

He exhaled shakily before his hand cupped the back of her neck, guiding her until their mouths met. His lips crashed over hers, desperate, as though he were afraid she’d disappear at any moment. Butterflies exploded from her belly as he wrapped a strong arm around her waist, unwilling to let go.

Katrina wrapped her arms around his neck, entwining her fingers to anchor herself to him. Her heart thrummed with the joy of this moment. Finally, she could give in to the feelings she’d repressed for too long. The autumn chill vanished, and the world around them blurred under the heat of their kiss.

Slowly, he broke away, and their breaths came out in quiet white puffs in the frigid air. His fingers shifted hesitantly over her waist.

“I’m here,” she whispered, leaning forward to press her forehead against his. For the first time, she could gaze into his eyes and get lost in the dark pool of his emotions.

“I can hardly believe it,” he said. “The curse is lifted… and you…”

She stroked his warm cheek. “Yes, you did it, Willem. Johannes would be so proud. Let’s repay him by living a good, honest life… together.”

Willem closed his eyes as a tear trickled down his face. Katrina pulled him into another embrace, relishing the quiet moment of true peace.

Chapter twenty-three

Mist swirled around Willem’s feet as the first light of dawn bathed the town of Sleepy Hollow in glimmering, pale gold. Inferno clomped along the cobbled streets beside him. He led the horse to where he had not set foot for fourteen years.

A hollow space carved in his heart where he’d spent his tears wrapped in Katrina’s embrace, but the promise of hope flickered to life as he walked hand in hand with the woman he’d always cared for. Katrina squeezed his hand gently when curious early risers poked their heads out from their gabled shutters to peer at them.

Willem clenched the reins, his heart pounding against his ribcage when they stopped before The Sweet Mill café. It was just as he remembered. Blush and lavender light spilled against the weathered bricks and the stepped gable that rose into the sky. He glanced up at the windows lining the second story. The one on the left was where he had spent half of his life wishing he could run and play with all the little boys and girls of Sleepy Hollow.

When he was three years old, his body had been racked by consumption and had never quite recovered. He became susceptible to illnesses and had shortness of breath. Mother thought it would be best to keep him inside, so he’d be less exposed to the seasonal illnesses that plagued the town.

Father had not been pleased that his only child couldn’t work as much as he wished in the tavern. Willem found he couldn’t entirely blame him. How could a sickly son inherit the café when his father passed?

All his life, Willem wanted nothing more than for his father to be proud of him.

Willem glanced at Katrina, his breath catching at how her golden hair glinted against the morning light. Her rosy lips lifted into a pretty smile, and his chest melted inward.

He’d watched Katrina from his window as a boy. She was younger than he by three years, but her tenacious spirit and sparkling eyes never ceased to capture his attention. Now, she stood by his side, and he could hardly wrap his mind around the events leading him to this moment.

Guilt still lingered in his soul, but the feeling dampened under the feel of her fingers threading with his. She had forgiven him, and he swallowed at a new revelation. Johannes had trusted him to watch over his sister, and Willem kept his word.

A flood of tears threatened to spill, but he pushed them aside. At least there was something he hadn’t run away from.

“You can take your time,” Katrina reassured him. “You don’t need to meet them right away.”

Willem shook his head. “I have spent half my life in darkness, wondering who and what I am. But I feared what I would find. I avoided discovering the truth until you approached. I do not wish to run anymore.”

“Then I will follow your lead,” she whispered.

He tied Inferno’s reins to a nearby post. With a deep breath, he pushed through the door. A woman with her back toward him swept the café and tilted her head over her shoulder.

“We’re not quite open yet, dearies. Just wait another half hour, and we’ll be ready for you.”

Willem took another step, his limbs trembling. “Mother.”

The woman froze. His mother turned until their eyes met. Several moments passed until the broom clattered to the ground, forgotten in the moment.

“Willem?” she asked in a hoarse whisper. Her round, chocolate eyes widened.