AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He felt a surge of emotion rise inside him. This was pure Ruby. The infectious joy. Her utter radiance. The desire to protect a defenseless animal. It was all the best things about the woman he’d married. Bit by bit, she was coming back to him.
At this very moment he wanted to kiss her more than he’d ever wanted anything else in his life. And the way she was looking at him, with her face turned upward and her brown eyes brimming with emotion, made him think she wanted to be kissed.
Liam took a step closer. He reached out and placed his hands on either side of her face. “Ruby,” he murmured, lowering his head toward her. He watched as she closed her eyes in expectation of the kiss. Her long, black lashes fluttered. He though he heard her let out a sigh.
“Hey! What’s taking so long?” The high-pitched child’s voice came out of nowhere.
“Aidan,” Ruby said, her eyes blinking open. She turned toward the house where their son stood in the doorway, looking in their direction.
“Hey, Aidan. We were just checking on something,” Liam called out. “We’ll be right there.”
“When’s dinner?” Aidan shouted. “I’m as hungry as a bear.”
Liam let out a groan. There was no way he was going to try to kiss Ruby with Aidan screaming in the background. Besides, their son had ruined the perfect moment for their kiss. He loved Aidan dearly, but his timing was horrendous.
“I have a casserole in the oven,” Ruby said. “I need to take it out before it overcooks.”
Liam simply nodded. He felt a stab of disappointment so sharp it made his ribs ache. Why did this feel like such a setback? He knew his feelings were tied up in wanting things to get back to normal and his fears that Ruby might not stick around Love long enough for them to work on their future. In this instance, a kiss would have allowed him to take a giant leap forward in their relationship. It would have given him hope. As it was, he felt as if he was continually walking on eggshells.
As they made their way, side by side, toward the house, Liam felt a tugging on his heartstrings as he enjoyed the steady presence by his side.
Thank You, Lord, for giving me another shot at getting things right in my marriage. I promise to be a little more patient and to learn from the mistakes I made in the past. I won’t squander this opportunity.
There would be other moments for him and Ruby. He just needed to be patient and to appreciate the simple blessings.
Aidan was waiting for them at the door. Never in a million years had he believed his son would have the opportunity to spend time with his mother again and that the three of them would be able to live as a family.
God’s grace was a mighty thing indeed.
* * *
“I’m so grateful for GPS,” Ruby said as she navigated the winding back roads that led to Hazel’s residence. She was driving Liam’s truck rather than the spare car. Liam had told her that he felt better about her driving a truck with all-wheel drive and studded tires than a car that had been sitting in the garage for eons. If she hadn’t been focusing so intently on the road, she might have been able to admire the stunning vista stretched out in front of her. Love, Alaska, was a picturesque fishing village straight out of a postcard.
Thankfully, between Liam and the Moose Crossing signs, she had been made acutely aware of the moose population in town. When three moose slowly made their way across the road, Ruby almost had to pick her jaw up off the floorboard. There was something majestic and beautiful about those humongous animals roaming freely about the land. But she also knew how dangerous they could be. As soon as they had crossed over, Ruby continued down the road. She sucked in a deep breath at the sight of large mountains looming in the distance. The raw beauty here in Alaska was unparalleled.
She let out a cry of triumph when she saw a wooden sign announcing the Black Bear Cabins. As she wound her way up the hill and drove past reddish-brown cabins, another sign with an arrow pointed the way toward the lodge.
As soon as Ruby rang the bell, the door swung open. Hazel was standing there, a welcoming smile on her face. She was wearing a bright pink sweater with a skirt that went all the way down to her ankles. Feeling a bit nervous, Ruby stuck out the bouquet of flowers she had brought as a hostess gift. “They’re lovely,” Hazel raved. “How did you know I loved forget-me-nots? Come on in.”
“Thank you,” she said as she entered Hazel’s home. “Aidan helped me pick them out. And he told me that forget-me-nots are the official state flower, so that seemed perfect.”
The moment Ruby entered Hazel’s abode she felt as if she had been transported into a vintage era. There were so many elegant touches. Gleaming hardwood floors. Stained-glass windows. A grand spiral staircase. “Everyone is already in the parlor, so follow me,” Hazel instructed with a wave of her hand.
Once they stepped inside, Ruby was greeted with a vibrant chorus of hellos. All the women had dressed up for the occasion. In addition to Hazel, she knew two of the women—Paige and Honor.
?
??I’m Sophie Miller.” A stunning woman with fiery red hair and an infectious grin held out her hand to her. “Nice to meet you, Ruby.”
“I’m Annie O’Rourke.” Annie stepped forward and treated her to a warm smile. With her peaches-and-cream complexion and dark brown hair, she exuded sweetness. Her vintage emerald-colored cocktail dress was magnificent.
Hazel rubbed her hands together. “Well, we’re just waiting for Grace to get here. Ruby, we wanted to host this tea party so you could see that you’ve got friends here in Love,” Hazel explained. “And to extend you a hearty welcome back to the town that adores you.”
“Everything is lovely,” Ruby said as her glance swept across the table. It had been set with beautiful blue-and-white china. In front of every place setting sat a peacock feather.
“I’m getting pretty good at hosting these shindigs,” Hazel boasted.
“You’re a real pro,” Sophie declared, gushing, her Southern accent on full display.
