Page 41 of Storm of Desire
His heart skipped a beat. No. He'd made enough excuses. She'd promised him she'd find a way to free herself. She'd told him to go. Shutting down everything he felt, he straightened and tipped his head toward Gunnar. "The lady has made her decision. Pushoff."
Time to gohome.
Men bellowed as they hauled in the ropes. A curse caught his ear. Sails unfurled with a sharp flap, and then began to bloom. The shiprocked.
Home.
He longed to see his mother again. It had been over a year since he'd docked near Viksholm. His nieces and nephews would be growing. It would be good to see themagain.
And thenwhat?
Haakon shied away from the question as he curled a coil of rope into a circle around his elbow and palm. He caught Tormund looking at him, and turned away, handing the rope over toFinn.
"Pay up." Perhaps it was the wind that sent Gunnar's words whispering across the deck into hisears.
"We've not left harbor yet," Tormundreplied.
Hope, you cruel, capricious bitch. Haakon locked everything down inside him. He didn't dare set his eyes on the harbor as the ship began to move. He couldn't. Instead, he threw himself into labor, helping to set thesails.
"Ho!" A bellow went up. "Haakon!"
Tormund.
His head snapped around, and he saw his enormous cousin pointing toward the docks. Haakon's stomach dropped through hisfeet.
"She'sthere!"
He strode to the railing, leaning out overit.
A figure ran along the docks, coming to a halt at the end of it as she stared across the water at him. Her cloak flapped in the breeze, her braid gleaming. But it was unmistakably her, and she looked like she waspanting.
She cameback.
He felt breathless with the shock ofit.
"Impeccable timing," Gunnar muttered, looking like he'd seen Ragnarök on thehorizon.
Haakon didn't care. He strode along the side of the ship, running his palm along the rail. Árdís kept pace with him, and he saw her lips move, though the words were torn from him in thewind.
She cameback.
He could barelybreathe.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Tormund demanded, slapping him on the shoulder. He turned his head and bellowed, "Turn the bloody shiparound."
* * *
Haakon scrapeda hand through his hair as he strode down the gangplank. He was leaving. Today. Without her. And then she simply swept back into his life, as if she hadn't finished toying with him. "What the hell are you doing here?" hedemanded.
She hadn't run into hisarms.
He hadn't daredhope.
But it filled him now, a whisper of everything he'd ever dreamedof.
Árdís opened her mouth, as if to say something, and then shook her head. "You said you would stay for threedays."
The words took him by surprise. He felt breathless, slightly buoyant. "You cameback?"
