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“It’s good seeing where you live, being able to imagine you here when I’m away.”
“About that.” He sighed. “I told you my schedule, didn’t I? I’ve got a few long road trips coming up between now and Christmas, so I won’t be able to spend as much time with you as I’d like.”
Especially seeing she was two hours away and reliant on others to drive. She’d driven Ange’s car a few times in Muskoka but wasn’t yet ready for city driving. Which only made these times together more precious. “I’m happy to get as much time with you as I can.” She leaned up, pressed a kiss to his jaw, heard his intake of breath. “Will you get a chance to come back to Muskoka soon?”
“I hope so.” He tugged out his phone, checked his calendar. “I have Thursday off. Are you busy?”
“One benefit of volunteering for John and Ange is that I can set my own hours. I can be free.”
“Great. I’d love to spend the whole day with you again.”
“Me too.”
The next fewdays rushed by as Sarah worked hard to complete her work in order to keep Thursday free. Now Trudy was back, Sarah’s focus had shifted from admin to helping reorganize the charity store that filled what used to be the front living room of John’s former home. She’d happily volunteered her time to sort and style the displays to look more inviting as well as be with customers and ring up sales. This, combined with some music tutoring and songwriting, filled her days with purpose, like it had in Heartsong days or when she used to teach.
Thursday arrived, and Dan joined John and Ange for a late breakfast before whisking her back to his place. She moved out to stand on the deck and took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the earthy scent of crushed leaves intermingled with the smell of the pines. How heavenly. Sighing, she turned to encounter Dan’s amused expression. “You like it here, Princess?”
“Oh yes. It’s like coming home!” She caught Dan’s widened eyes and felt her cheeks heat. “I mean, it feels so familiar. I didn’t mean your place specifically is like my home, because obviously it’s not.” Dan’s smile grew lopsided the more she babbled. “Although it’s such a great house, but I don’t want you to think that I think your home is my—”
Stop. Just stop. Now.She clamped her mouth shut and turned to face the water.
Dan snickered. “I like you, Sarah Maguire.”
She peeked past her hair. “I like you too, Daniel Walton.”
He grabbed her hand. “Come inside and I’ll make you a coffee.”
“Is that so you can hear more stream of consciousness from moi?”
“I like the effect sugar and caffeine have on you.”
As Dan powered up his espresso machine, Sarah sat on one of the comfy armchairs in a nook behind the dining room, gazing out through the trees to the calm lake beyond. Imagine if fairy tales really did come true and she could live here. Her heart fluttered. How amazing would that be?
“Here you go, Princess.”
She jumped, almost knocking over the blue coffee mug Dan had placed on the wide armrest of her chair. One sip of the creamy coffee and she almost purred. Yum. Yet another thing Dan did well. “Oh, that’s delicious.”
He smiled and leaned closer, dark eyes caressing her face. “Sar…”
Her breath caught at his husky tone. Oh-h-h. Was he going to kiss her? Dan was such a gentleman they hadn’t really kissed since the last time they were here. She smiled invitingly and leaned forward to be within kissing range.
“Sar, I’m going to do a quick check on the place. I’ll be back in a minute, okay?”
Oh. “Uh, sure.” She slumped back, shaking her head at her silly misread as he disappeared. It was weird figuring out all this relationship stuff again. Dan was so different to Stephen.
She leaned her head back against the padded headrest. Dan was so good, so kind, so patient, so godly. Whoever married him would be so lucky. She wished—
No. As if that would ever happen.
She bit her lip as the questions started clamoring. Wherewasthis going? Her stomach lurched—probably shouldn’t have had that second croissant at breakfast. But how could this work when she was leaving for Australia in a few months?
And what did all this mean about her relationship with Stephen? She’d always thought Stephen was her soul mate. His earnest, intense nature had fascinated her, and she’d been flattered when he started paying her attention, then proposed. But now that she wasn’t wearing grief’s heavy glasses, she could see things more clearly. She’d been so insecure—ha, like she wasn’t now!—but now she wondered whether she’d grown stifled by his seriousness and tendency to act superior.
After he died, she’d forgotten all this. Stephen had instead become a type of saint.
She frowned, remembering when he’d wanted her to quit Heartsong to have a “real” job, and how she’d blindly followed, rarely voicing her opinion, until that final argument when he’d suggested—or was it demanded?—that she change her teaching focus. Now she could see her compliance had shackled her, reduced her to a shell of who she really was, unlike her robust discussions with Dan that only seemed to strengthen their relationship. And now, here she was, three years older than that girl who’d finally said yes to Stephen’s proposal, but feeling decades wiser. And lighter. And more free to be herself…
She scooped out the remaining froth with her finger and licked it clean, then placed the cup to one side. Outside, a maple leaf delicately arced its way to the ground. How would things have turned out if Stephen hadn’t died? They’d be married now. She’d still be teaching, doing her regular church commitments, and planning for babies.
