CHAPTER 24 (3)

“Right. We had to keep scurrying down different aisles to avoid him.”

She’d fallen irrevocably in love with him on all those stolen nights.

He stuck his hand in his pocket, his other still firmly clasped around hers, and went silent. Against her side, she felt him tense. But

just when she was expecting him to tell her a bad story about his mom or his dad, he pulled something out, holding it in the palm of

his hand.

A small plastic dinosaur. A T-Rex.

“Sally gave this back to me this morning.”

Kelsey gazed up at him, waiting.

“My mom took me to The Field Museum in Chicago. I was probably six or seven. And she got me this little dinosaur.”

Her heart trembled for him. But she steeled herself for the worst.

“It was one of the best days I ever remember.”

* * *

.

Kelsey curled his fingers around the small memento. “I’m so glad you have this as a reminder.” Then she tucked the dinosaur back in his pocket. “Tell me all about that day.”

“I’d forgotten about it till Sally gave me this.” Sally had known the perfect moment to return the plastic T-Rex. And Ares suddenly needed to share his memory with Kelsey. Their afternoon together at the seaside had been so perfect. She’d loved his surprise trip. Of

all the people in the world, Kelsey would appreciate this memory the most.

“We spent hours in the museum. We saw everything. It was near to closing time, and I wanted to see one last room before we had to

go.” He remembered his excitement like a rush of adrenaline through his veins. Just one more, Mom, just one more. “I ran down the

stairs so fast she couldn’t keep up. Then all of sudden she was sliding down the banister right past me. A guard stood at the bottom,

and I was sure he was going to yell at her.” He’d actually been petrified for a moment, frozen to the spot. “But he high-fived her.

Then he let her steady me while I slid down the banister too.” The guard had winked, put a finger to his lips, and whispered, Don’t

tell.

Leaning against him as they walked, Kelsey squeezed his arm. “I love this story.”

“I do too.” He laid his hand over hers. “I remember how she looked. Happy. Even joyful. I’d forgotten all that.” There had been

joyful times with his mother. But after she’d gone, he’d pushed them all deep inside, too busy demonizing her, blaming her for

leaving him. “Sometimes we were so happy.”

He felt that happiness now. It seemed to blossom in his belly. Not everything had been bad. There had been moments of great joy.

“Thank you for reminding me of all the good things.” There was so much he was so damn grateful to this gorgeous woman for.

He’d loved her pure and simple pleasure in watching the whales. Loved the way she closed her eyes and moaned as she savored

every morsel of their meal. It had been so like her moans of pleasure as he’d made love to her.

She laid her head against his shoulder. “There are so many wonderful memories just waiting out there for us.”

Most of all, he loved that she could share this moment, this memory, and make him see that it was priceless. “Tell me one of your

best moments.”

“We had a big creek out back of our house when we were kids. And my dad hung a thick rope with a knot at the end for us to swing

on.”

Us. Kelsey and Keira. As children.

“We used to swing out over the creek as far as we could. Then we’d let go, flying into the water. It was like we were working

together. I’d push Keira and she’d push me, and we’d see how far we could get.”

“Who got the farthest?”

“I usually did. But it was like we both won because we were a team.”

In the halcyon days when there’d been no competition between them. “It sounds like fun.”

“It was,” she agreed. Then she stopped, tipping her head back to look at him. “But it was also the last really good summer for us. We

always forget the good stuff when things go bad, don’t we?”

“Yes.” Just as he’d forgotten—or buried—his mother’s joy. “But I’m so glad we’ve remembered.”

He turned her in his arms and raised her hand to his face, placing her cold fingers on his hot skin. “Your hands are freezing. I better

get you out of here.”

“I’m not cold with your arms around me.”

He hadn’t kissed her since they’d left the hotel this morning. And as much as he’d wanted to make love to her again, he hadn’t

touched her. This day, this trip, the whale watching, the picnic on the beach, even the memories, were all about her happiness. And

his need to give her something as exquisite as all she’d given him.

She couldn’t know, couldn’t possibly fathom what she’d done for him. Even today, drawing out the joy from his past. Replacing the

dark with light.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Whether he moved or she did, their mouths touched. Her kiss was perfect for its very purity. Their breaths mingled, and her hands

warmed against his chest. He licked the seam of her lips, and she opened for him, tasting of chocolate and champagne and beautiful

woman. She gave him the sweetness of her soul in that kiss. And he gave her the depths of his.

The sea surged beyond them, crashing on the shore, and the wind surrounded them, blowing the silk of her hair across his cheeks.

His blood was high, screaming for him to pull her down to the sand with him, to show her all the fury of his desire. Yet his heart

wanted nothing more than her taste on his lips, her arms around him.

And in that kiss, he gave her everything he was, everything he couldn’t say, everything he wanted her to have.