Page 14 of Winter Memories

The missing and the longing.

It’s just us underneath a starlit sky out on the ranch when times were simpler, easier. When there wasn’t so much fucking pain. When there weren’t glass shard words. When we only knew the kind of love for each other that we were sure would last a lifetime.

Then Fletcher’s lips meet mine. There’s a tenderness in the first press, a tentativeness I’ve never felt in a kiss from Fletcher. But that was before.

I wrap my arms around his torso and cling to him, needing to stay right here, under the stars where no one and nothing can touch us, for as long as possible. When my lips part and I whimper, something snaps inside of him.

He deepens the kiss, and it becomes a whirlwind of passion and lost time. I give just as much as he does, and we both take from the other. As our tongues meet and dance, something clicks into place, something I long since gave up on ever feeling again.

I thought I was coming home to Wintervale, but I was wrong. I was coming home to him. It was always him.

When he pulls away and presses his forehead against mine, I can admit that I’m scared. I have no idea what this all means, but right now this moment is enough.

It’s everything.

CHAPTER 6

FLETCHER

Tearing myself away from Eden last night was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It was much harder than letting go of her 13 years ago. Now, I know what it’s like living without her in my life and doing it again would be impossible.

I’m not sure if it’s simply the hand of fate or random circumstance, but having Eden walk back into my life feels like something I have to pay attention to. For years I sent my wishes up to the stars, especially whenever I saw a shooting star, hoping she would come back to me.

It took a lot longer than I thought it would, and I had given up a long time ago, but she’s back.

After being able to sift through all my feelings at seeing her again last night, it was like I couldn’t keep still. I was restless as hell and knowing Eden was next door, even though there were acres between us, was wreaking havoc with my mind. I neededto see her.

When I set out, jumping on the four-wheeler, and taking a path toward her house that I hadn’t taken in a long fucking time, I wasn’t sure whether she was going to let me in or not. I wasn’t even sure she would be in the same room. Thankfully, she was, and it only took a couple of taps for her to come to the window.

The moment I was inside her room, it was like being transported back in time. Even though I kept up a neighborly relationship with Eden’s parents, I never asked about her. It didn’t surprise me at all to learn she never asked her parents about me. If I had heard about her and how well she was doing out in the world, away from me, I don’t think I could have survived it.

I’m so fucking glad I didn’t scare her off with the anger I’ve been pushing down throughout the years because she didn’t come back to Wintervale. There was no way I could hold onto my anger for long anyway. Not while looking at her beautiful face filled with regret.

Far too much time has passed between us, time which left us searching for something we weren’t going to find because we found it when we were only kids. Do I wish we had been capable of holding onto it? Of course. But we were young, and we didn’t have the capability to make the distance between us work.

It was more than just a physical distance. And the loss of the other was so much more profound because we had spent almost all of our time together. Not having Eden around felt like I lost part of myself, and I know it was the same for her even with everything she was putting into school.

Last night, when Eden was in my arms and I was able to kiss her, something changed in me. A rightness I hadn’t felt in far toolong settled around me. I knew I would do anything to keep her in my life.

Everything in me roared with understanding. Mine. Eden was mine when we were 14 years old and now, at 33, she’s still fucking mine.

The distance doesn’t matter.

The time doesn’t matter.

The pain we’ve endured being away from each other while yearning for each other—because I could see it so clearly written all over her face as we talked—doesn’t matter.

Her having a son doesn’t matter. I can admit that he’s mine too.

I left her last night and came home and crawled into my bed while going over all the ways to show Eden that she’s mine again…or still. I took some time to come up with a plan and now it’s time to put it into motion.

I’ve already checked the ranch, and everything is in order. Huxley gave me a strange look when I didn’t jump into helping him in the barn this morning. Normally, I would, but I have things to do.

Hopefully, it’s not too early. Eden was never the best morning person, but maybe she’s changed after having Macklin. Or at least maybe she’s getting up and not grumbling about it as much.

It doesn’t take long to hop in my truck and drive over to Eden’s house. I notice Walter is already out of the house and feeding the cows. When he sees my truck approaching, he waves, and I follow suit. Nerves are bubbling in my gut as I park in front of the house.

Even though I’ve made this plan, I’m not feeling very confident as I sit in front of her house ready to start on step one. I’m not sure how many steps it’s going to take, but I know a full-court press is the only way to approach Eden.

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