Page 24 of Two Hearts Reunited

“Okay. I’ll kiss you once more then.”

Which he did, rather passionately.

Releasing her from his embrace, he started walking back toward the road. “Do me a favor and flash your lights a couple of times so I know you’re safe.”

“Okay.” She rolled her eyes before stepping back into the truck and driving into the garage. After closing the garage door, she headed outside through the side door, on her way to the cabin’s porch.

After unlocking the back door, she stepped inside, flicking the porch lights on and off a couple of times before watching Eric slowly pull his truck back onto the road.

Removing her coat and hanging it in the closet first, she switched on the TV before stepping up to the portable garment rack where she hung most of her clothes.

After changing into sweats, she headed into the bathroom to remove her makeup and brush her teeth. Since she was getting to bed late, she’d just shower in the morning.

Settling into bed and starting to nod off, she came to a startling realization.

Up until tonight, she hadn’t understood how lonely she’d been.

Chapter Twelve

Truthfully, Eric was shaken by everything that had happened tonight. He hadn’t realized just how much having to leave Anya as a teenager had affected his ability to commit to any other relationship seriously.

He’d always thought that there was something wrong with him.

Well, there was, but what was wrong with him had nothing to do with his ability to engage with other women.

It had everything to do with the fact that he’d never stopped loving Anya.

And that’s what it was, alright.Love.He’d wanted her more than anything he’d ever wanted in his life tonight.

Had they grown too far apart to make it work?

Well, he was sure willing to try, and it seemed like Anya was too.

A few minutes later, he turned into the driveway of Brian and Ashley’s place. He’d left the porch light on near the basement apartment door, so he pulled up near the houseinstead of parking in the barn. It wasn’t supposed to snow much more tonight, so Brian wouldn’t be plowing in the morning again.

He had the keys and the code for the alarm system memorized already, so he was inside within a matter of minutes.

There was something about the setup of this basement that was weird. It had nothing to do with the drywall, or the windows or even the furnishings and flooring used inside. That’s what made the room inviting.

“I suppose if I stick around long enough, I’ll figure out what it is,” he muttered, tugging his sweater over his head and throwing it on the couch before heading into the bathroom.

As he stepped under the icy cold water of the shower, he wondered what Anya would think if she knew how much his encounters with her were turning him on? In fact, the experience was kind of making him feel like a school kid who was getting ready to have sex for the very first time.

He stilled after turning off the water, because that was exactly what it was. During all those years since he’d made love to Anya, no other woman had made him immediately desire her.

* * *

He woke the following morning feeling a strange sense of peace. Eric had suddenly realized that the restlessness that had gripped his soul through the years seemed to have had a lot to do with the guilt he’d felt at having to leave Anya after they’d taken a significant step in their relationship.

But there wasn’t one thing that would be easy about moving forward. There’d been too much tragedy in Anya’s life. The only way he could help ease Anya’s pain would be to do everything he could to help her look for her sister.

No matter what they discovered, it would be the only way that Anya could have closure. She may not have said it out loud, but for whatever reason, Anya felt responsible for Shanna’s disappearance. So, he’d suggested that she needed to hear the truth. He had a feeling that she knew nothing about Shanna’s reputation, so he’d talk with Brian and Ashley and see how they wanted to handle it.

With that decision made, he headed into the bathroom to wash up before quickly dressing into jeans and a t-shirt. Ashley said that they needed to leave the house by eight, so he’d better get upstairs to receive his instructions for the day. Ashley had probably made him a mile long list. Originally, they’d expected one of the sets of parents to have arrived before Christmas Eve, but everyone had been delayed by weather.

When Eric walked into the kitchen, it appeared that he still had some time, realizing it was still only seven. They were awake, most likely getting ready, because he could hear bits of conversation echoing from above the kitchen staircase.

If he remembered correctly, they were having a meeting at breakfast with the skeleton crew who would be handling the auction at the Dragonfly Pointe Inn.

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