Page 53 of Adam's Rising

Beneath them, the Little Su shimmered nearby, its glacier-fed current a swirling ribbon of blue-gray, as if the river carried crushed gemstones instead of silt. Even the sunlight seemed to pause, catching on the surface like it wasn’t sure whether to dance or bow.

Claire nudged Adam with her shoulder. “I was thinking…”

Adam nudged her back. “That’s nothing new. If I remember correctly, you were always thinking deeply about something, challenging the teachers every chance you got.”

Claire stuck out her bottom lip — pouting seemed to work for Lala — then pushed back from the railing.

Adam followed suit, then narrowed his eyes. “Are you upset about something?”

“No…” She pulled her lip in. Pouting definitely didn’t suit her. She was a take-action kind of girl. “I was thinking on the ride home last night…What if?”

Adam cocked his head. “What ifwhat?”

“What if I got in an accident, and —”

Adam grabbed her hands. “Don’t say that, Claire. I don’t know what I’d do —”

“Don’t get upset, Adam. What I meant… What I was trying to say…” Claire shook her head. She’d chosen the wrong what-if scenario, considering both their parents died in auto accidents. But it felt like so long ago for her. For Adam, with the recent loss of his brother, losing his parents probably came roaring back. “Those were the wrong words. Please forgive me. What I meant to say was … What if I never got to kiss you?”

Adam blinked, then licked his lips. “I-I was kind of thinking the same thing. After Clara Mae nearly shot my head off, of course. While I was lying in bed, I thought:Why didn’t you kiss Claire?”

“Why didn’t you kiss Claire?” she pressed.

“Because I’ve never kissed anyone, and I wasn’t sure —”

Claire stood on tiptoes and leaned into him, her lips a breath away from his. She didn’t move. She just held her lips slightly parted, waiting for him.

Then it happened.

Adam’s arms moved around her, gathering her as close as their bodies would allow.

Without thinking, her mouth fell open.

His lips touched hers moving slowly, testing.

Claire’s lips came alive with his gentle guide, moving faster.

All at once, she felt desperate to convey how much she’d missed him. How much she’d longed for this moment. While it had probably only been the last four or five years, somehow, even as a child, she knew she’d someday kiss Adam Belgarde.

Adam’s hands moved up her back, his fingers threading through her hair.

Without warning, he pulled back. “Oh, Claire.” His eyes glistened, and she felt her eyes water in response. “Do you know how long I’ve…” He gulped. “It’s been so long, I don’t even know when I first fell in love with you. But I know this, Claire Harper — I will never let anything happen to you. I will love you always, until the day I die, probably longer.”

14

Although Adam could have stayed on that deck all day, kissing Claire until the midnight sun settled behind the mountains, the ranch would be coming alive… if it wasn’t already.

Not waiting for a response to his declaration of love, he pulled Claire into his arms again, kissing her without even asking. Did he have to ask if she was his? He didn’t think so. His father would come home after working all day, sneak up behind his mother, and then lower her into a deep dip as he kissed her. Then she’d push him back, ordering him to take a shower.

Adam pulled back and sighed. “We gotta go.”

“I know…” Claire lifted on tiptoes again. “Adam?”

“Yeah?” He smiled at the sound of his name on her lips. He knew he should tell her not to call him by his real name, but the thought of her calling him Thomas — nope. Never gonna happen. He would ask that she continued using Stableboy before another man’s name fell from her lips — even his brother’s name. Especially his brother’s name.

“I love you, too,” she spoke softly. “I’m pretty sure I’ve loved you since kindergarten.”

Adam gave himself permission for one more kiss. He wrapped his arms completely around her, pulling her off her feet. “For the record, I like how short you are. For me, you’re perfect.”

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