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She gathered her courage and ended the kiss. Oh, she couldsink right into those eyes and happily drown in their blue depths. “In case that wasn’t clear enough, I love you too.”
His eyes softened at her words, and the corner of his lip lifted. He leaned in.
She pressed her palm to his chest. “But... I told you a lot has happened since you left.”
Worry flickered in his eyes as they drifted over her face. “Tell me.”
Fear sucked the moisture from her mouth. It wasn’t the first time this disease had struck fear into her heart. But she wouldn’t let it immobilize her. Wouldn’t let it steal another second of her life. She would counter it with courage this time. Every time.
She swallowed hard and met his gaze. “This week I took the genetic test for Huntington’s disease. I don’t know the results yet. It’ll take another week or two, and until then maybe you’d prefer—”
“Avery.” He cupped her face, his eyes sobering. “I am so proud of you for doing that. I know it was hard for you. But you need to know that whatever the results are, it changes nothing for me.”
“You don’t have to say that. It might make more sense if we—”
“It changesnothing. No matter the results, I want to be here with you.”
Her eyes stung with tears as his words settled over her like a warm down blanket. “Are you sure you mean that, Wes? I’m not certain you understand the ramifications of that decision. I’m not sure you can fully realize the devastation this disease causes.”
“I’m not going into this blindly. I’ve done some research. And while I know that reading about it can’t begin to illustratethe reality of the illness, that doesn’t change anything.” He set his forehead against hers. “Don’t you know, sweetheart? I belong with you. No matter the results . . . I couldn’t stand to be anyplace else butwithyou.”
She blinked at his words—almost verbatim what her dad had said he’d felt about her mother. Avery only had to accept Wes’s decision and believe God would give them both the strength to get through whatever the future held. After all, who really knew what the future held?
Her pulse steadied, her muscles loosened, making her limbs go weightless. She pressed a palm to his scruffy jaw and drank him in. “I’d really like that.”
His eyes darkened to a stormy blue, and his gaze dropped to her lips. Then he was kissing her again, and in an instant it was just the two of them, cocooned from the world. Protected in a bubble of wonder and joy. Her pulse was no longer so steady as she threaded her fingers into the hair at his nape. She didn’t know how, against all odds, she’d fallen for this man so quickly. But she knew they belonged to each other.
The kiss lingered, warming her from the inside out. Until at some point she grew cognizant of the noise surrounding them. The music pounded and someone gave a bark of laughter.
She leaned away, meeting a sleepy-eyed gaze that nearly drew her right back into his embrace. Her gaze dropped to his oh-so-tempting mouth.
It tipped up at the corners. “When did the song change?”
They were more or less slow dancing to “I Like It, I Love It” in a sea of rowdy dancers too wrapped up in their fun to notice a couple of lovebirds making out.
She chuckled. “I have no idea.”
Smiling, he set his forehead against hers. “I’ve never crashed a wedding before.”
“You can be my plus one.”
He scowled. “Didn’t you come withRomeo?”
The snap of jealousy in his voice warmed her heart. Didn’t he know that no other man could possibly compare to him? Apparently she still had some work to do there—and what fun work that would be. “I actually came alone.”
“Good. That’ll save me the trouble of getting rid of him.”
She began swaying in time to the rhythm, giving him a cheeky smile. “Well, far be it from me to cause trouble. And it just so happens my dance card is wide open the rest of the night.”
“Is that a fact.”
“It is a fact.” She gazed into his eyes, savoring the way he stared at her—as if she were the only woman in the room. In the world. And, oh, she planned to enjoy being the center of his attention. “Welcome home, Wes Garrett.”
Epilogue
The savory scent of cooking burgers wafted into the November air, tantalizing Avery’s senses. Autumn colors had rippled down into the valley, coloring the town in vibrant shades of red and gold. Fall ushered in cooler temperatures, a welcome relief from summer’s heat. Today, with a mild seventy-degree temperature, was likely their last chance for an outdoor meal.
The Robinsons gathered in her parents’ backyard. Wes had teamed up with Lisa for a competitive game of cornhole with Cooper and Katie. Gavin watched the match from the sidelines.
