Page 93 of Almost Home
In another few minutes, his destination became clear. A place I hadn’t been to in decades and had forbidden myself to think about. He pulled onto a dirt road, and we fumbled along in his truck through a wooded drive until the space opened up to reveal a stretch of land surrounded by mature trees with Silver Ridge peak towering in the distance.
Without a word, he stopped the car and jumped out. Seconds later, he pulled open my door and held out a hand.
Meanwhile, my pulse threatened to pound out of my throat. This was it. I didn’t know exactly whatitwas other than something huge, something we’d never come back from. Something I hoped we wouldn’t have to.
“Remember this?”
A breathy laugh tumbled out of me. “Do I remember the place we used to say we’d buy and build a house on someday? Yes, Wilder, I do.”
“I bought this lot over a decade ago. I’ve been preparing to build a house on it for years, and the foundation’s done as of this week. I never let myself admit why I did that. Why I had to havethisplace.”
Emotion clogged my throat, and my blood pumped hard enough I grew dizzy. But his hands holding both of mine anchored me. “Why?”
“Because I’ve never stopped hoping. I never stopped loving you.”
A flicker of pain crossed his face, and I took my chance.
“I’m sorry for staying away for so long. I’m sorry it took me so much time to heal. By the time I did, I’d heard through a school friend of Eddie’s that you’d gone into the Army. I was terrified to face that you’d found someone else and moved on and too down on myself to dig out of that hole and just… call you. Call your mom. Anything.”
He ran a hand over my hair. “The whole time, I kept wondering what I’d done wrong. How I could’ve been better for you. I knew you were hurting, and I accepted you had to go with your parents, but it hurt so much not to haveanythingof you left.”
I choked on a sob. “You couldn’t have done anything better, Wilder. You were amazing. You were. And I wish I hadn’t left you to grieve alone, but I had to go. What I didn’t have to do wasdisappear.”
His jaw flexed and he dipped his head. “Mom and Wy helped. Grandma Tilda, too. But God, I wanted that life. I wanted what we’d planned on before with college and ROTC, but the minute you said you were late, I wanted it all with you. It clicked for me—like it was always supposed to be that way.”
Tears tracked down my face. “I know. Me, too.”
“Losing the baby—seeing you in so much pain and then losing you, too…”
I pulled him close and held him, wishing I could go back and ease the pain for both of us. “I’m so sorry. I’m so,sosorry. Can you please forgive me?”
“I don’t want us to keep going back. I forgive you for staying away if you’ll forgive me for not coming after you.”
I huffed through a sound half sob, half laugh. “I had a few daydreams to that effect—that you’d draw on that stubborn streak and just come find me.”
His regretful smile was softer than it’d ever been, no line of bitterness. “Part of me wishes I had, knowing what I know now. But after everything, I’m glad we’re here.”
“I am, too,” I said just above a whisper.
We clung to each other as the breeze filtered past, the fresh mountain air wiping the slate clean in the wake of our confession and forgiveness. No erasing the scars, no forgetting. But accepting. Together.
After a few moments, he exhaled and pulled back. With a hand on either side of my face, he spoke. “I love you more now than I ever imagined I could love someone. It’s been fast, and I’ve questioned it. I’ve doubted it. But after this week, I’ll never question it again. I don’t want to be without you, ever.”
He gripped my hand tightly, and then he was on one knee, gazing up at me.
I pulled at his hands, but he stayed down, stubborn as always. My heart burned with excitement and joy and love, and I hadn’t even told him how much. “If you’re calling twenty-plus years fast, then I suppose it is.”
A smile flashed. “Please, Sarah. Marry me. Let me be yours, and be mine.”
I dove into his arms then, clobbering him in the least graceful assault of kisses and desperation to be close. After laughing and crying for a frantic moment, I pulled back and cupped my hands on either side of his face.
“I love you. I love you so much, and yes, I want to be yours. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
The way he kissed me, then reiterated everything he’d said and done… The heat between us built and built until we were in danger of setting the surrounding trees on fire. We broke then, and resolved to go home. But first, Wilder held my hand and led me around the property, pointing out things he had planned and asking if I wanted to see the plans he’d had drawn up.
“We could do four bedrooms. Or five. Maybe an office instead, though I like the idea of keeping work at work. If you think you’ll need an office space, we can plan for that.”
He was so chatty, I hated to stop his momentum. But in the wake of all the beauty and joy, I had to make sure he understood.
