he said.
“Were you disappointed?”
“No, I was confused at first, but once you slipped your arms around my neck and kissed me, I knew everything was perfect.”
“I kissed you? Sounds like I was being a little assertive.”
“Have I mentioned how much I like assertive women?”
She chuckled.
“And when you were locked in my arms, I felt our baby move against me and I knew nothing could compare with that moment.”
“I was pregnant? You could have mentioned that. Was I really fat?”
“You were perfect,” he whispered slowly, his voice husky and his eyes meeting hers. “Absolutely perfect.”
She took a deep breath and slowly released it, feeling her body respond to his words. “Bradley, I…”
“Wait Mary,” he said. “Let me tell you the rest of the dream.”
“Okay.”
“You pulled away from me to stir something on the stove.”
“I’m an idiot,” Mary muttered.
“Pardon me?”
“Oh, nothing, please continue.”
“That’s when I noticed that Jeannine was sitting at the kitchen table,” he said. “She told me she’d been dead for eight years.”
“What did I do?”
“You invited her to dinner,” he replied, a small smile on his lips.
“Well of course I did,” she said. “That was the only polite thing to do.”
“Yes, I’m sure Miss Manners has something about dead wives and inviting them to dinner,” he said.
Her laughter bubbled out, “Of course she does.”
Bradley paused for a moment, just to study her. Her eyes were sparkling and her mouth was turned up in an adorable smile. Her lips were so kissable, especially when she was laughing. He had given her far too few reasons to laugh lately. Taking a deep breath, he continued. “That’s when Jeannine reminded me of our conversation on New Year’s Eve,” he said.
Mary inhaled softly.
“She reminded me that you told me the truth,” he said. “But I wasn’t listening. She reminded me that not only did you save my life; you had always been honest and open with me. She reminded me what an idiot I’d been.”
“I couldn’t tell you anything else,” she said. “I wanted to, really, but I couldn’t.”
“Yeah, I see that now,” he said. “I just wanted to let you know why I came knocking on your door at two o’clock in the morning. I had to apologize. I had to see in your eyes that you forgave me, that you still loved me. That is wasn’t too late.”
“And then Ian answered the door,” she said, nodding in understanding.
“And once again, I opted to act like an idiot rather than trust you,” he said. “If it helps, I was totally miserable on my drive home and nearly destroyed my living room when I got there by throwing my slippers across the room.”
“Slippers?”
“Yeah, I was in a hurry, so I just slipped on jeans and slippers.”
“But, there was an ice storm…”
“I figured that out when I stepped out of my car into a snow drift and then nearly killed myself slipping across your porch,” he confessed. “When Ian opened the door, I was laying on my stomach, inching my way to your door.”
Mary put a hand over her mouth to hold back the laughter.
“Are you laughing at me?” he asked.
She shook her head, too afraid to move her hand for fear the laughter would escape.
“Are you lying to me?” he asked, his mouth turned up in a smile and his eyes sharing the joke with her.
She nodded her head, still covering her mouth.
His face sobered and he looked at her with such intensity that her laughter was dispelled. Her heart accelerated and she felt a warm rush throughout her body.
“Do you still love me?” he asked.
A single tear slipped down her cheek and she nodded slowly. “I never stopped,” she whispered.
He took a deep breath. “It’s probably a good thing I’m not there right now,” he said. “It would be hard to walk away from you tonight, Mary.”
Nodding, she met his eyes. “It would be hard to ask you to,” she whispered.
His jaw tightened for a moment
“Were you disappointed?”
“No, I was confused at first, but once you slipped your arms around my neck and kissed me, I knew everything was perfect.”
“I kissed you? Sounds like I was being a little assertive.”
“Have I mentioned how much I like assertive women?”
She chuckled.
“And when you were locked in my arms, I felt our baby move against me and I knew nothing could compare with that moment.”
“I was pregnant? You could have mentioned that. Was I really fat?”
“You were perfect,” he whispered slowly, his voice husky and his eyes meeting hers. “Absolutely perfect.”
She took a deep breath and slowly released it, feeling her body respond to his words. “Bradley, I…”
“Wait Mary,” he said. “Let me tell you the rest of the dream.”
“Okay.”
“You pulled away from me to stir something on the stove.”
“I’m an idiot,” Mary muttered.
“Pardon me?”
“Oh, nothing, please continue.”
“That’s when I noticed that Jeannine was sitting at the kitchen table,” he said. “She told me she’d been dead for eight years.”
“What did I do?”
“You invited her to dinner,” he replied, a small smile on his lips.
“Well of course I did,” she said. “That was the only polite thing to do.”
“Yes, I’m sure Miss Manners has something about dead wives and inviting them to dinner,” he said.
Her laughter bubbled out, “Of course she does.”
Bradley paused for a moment, just to study her. Her eyes were sparkling and her mouth was turned up in an adorable smile. Her lips were so kissable, especially when she was laughing. He had given her far too few reasons to laugh lately. Taking a deep breath, he continued. “That’s when Jeannine reminded me of our conversation on New Year’s Eve,” he said.
Mary inhaled softly.
“She reminded me that you told me the truth,” he said. “But I wasn’t listening. She reminded me that not only did you save my life; you had always been honest and open with me. She reminded me what an idiot I’d been.”
“I couldn’t tell you anything else,” she said. “I wanted to, really, but I couldn’t.”
“Yeah, I see that now,” he said. “I just wanted to let you know why I came knocking on your door at two o’clock in the morning. I had to apologize. I had to see in your eyes that you forgave me, that you still loved me. That is wasn’t too late.”
“And then Ian answered the door,” she said, nodding in understanding.
“And once again, I opted to act like an idiot rather than trust you,” he said. “If it helps, I was totally miserable on my drive home and nearly destroyed my living room when I got there by throwing my slippers across the room.”
“Slippers?”
“Yeah, I was in a hurry, so I just slipped on jeans and slippers.”
“But, there was an ice storm…”
“I figured that out when I stepped out of my car into a snow drift and then nearly killed myself slipping across your porch,” he confessed. “When Ian opened the door, I was laying on my stomach, inching my way to your door.”
Mary put a hand over her mouth to hold back the laughter.
“Are you laughing at me?” he asked.
She shook her head, too afraid to move her hand for fear the laughter would escape.
“Are you lying to me?” he asked, his mouth turned up in a smile and his eyes sharing the joke with her.
She nodded her head, still covering her mouth.
His face sobered and he looked at her with such intensity that her laughter was dispelled. Her heart accelerated and she felt a warm rush throughout her body.
“Do you still love me?” he asked.
A single tear slipped down her cheek and she nodded slowly. “I never stopped,” she whispered.
He took a deep breath. “It’s probably a good thing I’m not there right now,” he said. “It would be hard to walk away from you tonight, Mary.”
Nodding, she met his eyes. “It would be hard to ask you to,” she whispered.
His jaw tightened for a moment
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