AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The village, or what’s left of it, is down the path to the right.”
I raised a brow. “What happened to it?”
“Plague, death, famine, war... take your pick.”
“Sounds like the Apocalypse already happened.”
“In a lot of ways, it did.” Something about the hollowness of his tone and the hard set of his jaw warned me to tread carefully. There was more to this story, none of it pleasant.
Shuddering, I looked out in the direction he’d indicated, seeing little more than slightly darker shadows which must have been the structures.
“Lovely.”
“It used to be. Would you like to see the church?”
Since my goal had been to learn as much as I could about my surroundings, there was only one answer. Still, I was playing a part. I couldn’t be too obvious about my interest. “Yourchurch?”
“Once upon a time.”
“Then absolutely.”
We walked hand in hand down a small incline, and the roar of the waves grew louder with each step. I didn’t allow myself to think about how good it felt to have my palm pressed against his. I shouldn’t like any part of this... of being with him. Then my thoughts drifted to all the other times we’d taken walks together in the moonlight when I’d hoped to do the same but had been denied.
This is not a date, Sunday.No matter how much it feels like one.
The church stood on the edge of a bluff. Small, simple, and perfect for Caleb. Though the stains of abandonment and disrepair were visible on the weather-worn siding and broken windows, I could picture him here, caring for his flock.
“My father made that cross,” he said quietly, pointing at the steeple. “And my mother helped plant the community garden.”
“Please don’t put me in charge of that one too. One is enough.”
He grinned, looking the slightest bit boyish and so charming it hurt. “No, my darling one, you only have yourself to feed for now.” His words were light, but his expression was haunted.
“Why do you look so sad?”
“The last time I was here, I lost everything, and I’m about to do the same all over again.”
“You could have just asked me to come with you. You didn’t have to steal me away.”
He shook his head. “I promised myself I’d never come back. Not after what happened. But I had no choice. This was the only way.”
I couldn’t help myself. I reached up and ran my fingers through his hair. “What happened, Caleb?”
“Terrible things. I lost myself.” His whispered confession wrapped itself around me, drawing me further under his spell. He caught my hand in his but held my palm to his lips as he brushed the softest of kisses to the center of it.
“And now?”
“You found me.”
“Did I?”
He nodded, his eyes bright in the starlight. “Did you know that my mother was supposed to be a nun?”
“What stopped her?”
“She met my father. Fell in love. Left it all behind to have him.”
“Ah, so it runs in the family.”
