Read Online Warrior at Willow Lake by Mary Manners - Free Book Online Page B

drew her closer. “You should run.”
    “I love you. I’m not going to run.”
    “You’re a foolish woman.”
    “Many would agree.” She pressed a hand to his chest, felt his heartbeat, steady and true. “But I don’t care. Just kiss me.”
     
     
     
     

8
     
    “Need some help?” Hunter called to Ryder as he made his way down the cobblestone path toward the lake. Moonlight spilled over the water, turning rivulets to floating gemstones. The song of crickets serenaded between Rory’s gasps. His wailing echoed off the cliffs.
    “He’s restless.” Ryder jostled the padded baby carrier where Rory was nestled to his chest. The baby had doubled in size over the past several weeks; his harrowing birth was no more than a distant memory. “It happens this time of night. Sometimes the fresh air helps, and he seems to like the sound of the water.”
    “Must take after Ali. The water has always been a draw for her, too.”
    “She’s happy you came home, you know.” Ryder placed his palm over Rory’s head, stroking the damp crown. “It seems like everything is coming back together again.”
    “Mason and Brody…have you heard from them?”
    “No.”
    “Maybe one day…”
    “Maybe.”
    “You have a full house tonight at the inn.”
    “Yeah. Ali’s begun to publicize the evenings that Maci comes by to play her violin, and it really draws a crowd. We hardly ever have a vacancy anymore.”
    “Maci’s pretty amazing, isn’t she?” Just the mention of her name caused a rush of warmth through Hunter’s veins.
    “She’s been good to Ali…to us.” Ryder nodded. “She’s pretty special.”
    Rory continued to squall, his tiny cries piercing the moonlight. Ryder swayed absently, and then began to hum a lullaby.
    “You’re a natural.” Hunter laughed. “Who’d have thought?”
    “And you?”
    “Mulling things over. I’m not so sure about the kid—or the wife—part.”
    Since the afternoon in the nursery, he’d given both a lot of thought. After a few weeks of feeling as though he were moving forward, he found himself in a rut—and mired in the darkness—once again. The song of Maci’s violin drifted, and he imagined the scent of her perfume. Both brought the stark reality of the situation—he cared deeply for Maci. But if he failed to leave the past where it belonged—firmly in the past—where would it lead?
    “Who do you think you’re fooling?” It was Ryder’s turn to laugh. “I think you’re the only one who hasn’t figured out just how in love you are with Maci. But you will…eventually.”
    “I…” Hunter meant to deny the assertion, but reached for Rory instead. Ryder had known him long enough to detect anything outside of the truth. No sense trying to shovel Ryder something else. Time with Maci had changed him, made him long for things he’d never even considered. But Hunter wasn’t yet ready to share his feelings concerning Maci with anyone—at least not officially. “Do you want me to take him for a while?”
    “Thanks.” Ryder lifted Rory from the carrier and handed him over. “I hear the violin. Maci’s started up again. Why don’t we head that way? Rory likes the music. Maybe it will work its magic.”
    Hunter turned, cradling Rory to his chest as they started back toward the inn. “Does it ever scare you, holding someone so tiny?”
    “Only when he needs a diaper change.”
    “Seriously.” Rory was warm, his damp hair scented like musky leaves. A tiny thumb went to his mouth as he began to suckle. “It’s a huge responsibility.”
    “Yes, sometimes it scares me. I haven’t enjoyed a decent night’s sleep in over a month. I don’t watch TV nearly as much, and sometimes I leave for work with spit-up on my shirt. But I wouldn’t go back to a life without my son for all the clean shirts in the world. Ali and me…we’re on this journey together, and it’s deepened our love for one another in ways I never could have imagined. Having Rory has changed