wait to marry her. Everyone could see that. And I asked her if her life would be better or worse if she swallowed her fears and took the chance on love.”
“You did?”
At the shock in his voice, she turned to meet his gaze. She didn’t know what he saw in her expression, but an instant later he breathed her name in a low voice, and then he was reaching for her.
His kiss was fierce, almost desperate.
“You win,” he said on a groan. “I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard. I was wrong and I’m sorry. I’ll take whatever I can have with you. If that’s only a week a few times a year and phone calls and video calls the rest of the time, I don’t care. I love you, Lucy. I’ve been miserable without you.”
She kissed him back just as fiercely, just as desperately.
“I have to tell you something else I told Katya today,” she finally said.
He eased away, watching her with so much emotion in his dark eyes that she wanted to cry all over again.
“I told her that she couldn’t let her fears get in the way of something beautiful and right.” She gave him a solemn look. “As I said those words, I felt like the world’s biggest hypocrite because that’s exactly what I have been doing. I’ve been running for a long time, much longer than that last night in Koh Samui. I’ve been terrified that if I let someone into my heart, I would turn into one of my parents.”
“You aren’t your parents, Lucy.”
“I know. I realize that now. My parents are selfish and irresponsible. I’m not like them in other ways. Why have I been so convinced I could be like them when it came to love? Why couldn’t I just as easily be like Winnie, who loved my grandfather from the day they met until he died fifty years later? Longer, even. She still loves him. For eternity, she says.”
His arms tightened around her, and she thought she heard him hitch in a breath.
“I choose Winnie and Clive, José. I want to be like them. And I choose you. Always you. I love you. Like Winnie loved my grandfather. Like your mother loved your father. I want the same thing you do. A future together. I don’t know if I’m any good at love but...but I would like to try. With you.”
“You’re good at everything you try. Scuba diving. Muay Thai. Speaking Russian. Why do you think being in love would prove any different?”
She laughed. “That is an excellent point. I’m probably going to be fabulous at it.”
“I have no doubt whatsoever.”
He pulled her into his arms once more, this time for good.
Eighteen
Christmastime seemed to spin past faster and faster every year.
Ethan had no idea where the time went, but on the day before Christmas Eve Ethan drove through the crowded downtown of Silver Bells, trying to find a place to park.
He was so behind this year. While he had ordered several gifts in November for Winnie and Lucy and a few of his good friends, he hadn’t made time to pick them up yet.
Now he had a few other last-minute things he had been thinking about for Christopher and Abby. He wanted something for them to remember Silver Bells.
Finally, a big SUV flashed its brake lights and backed out in front of him. He immediately pulled into the spot and turned off the engine.
A light snow fell as he headed into the fray of busy sidewalks and crowded stores, all filled with last-minute shoppers like him. Everyone seemed to become a little more desperate as the clock ticked down.
This was his penance for not taking care of things earlier, Ethan thought as he stood in a long checkout line at one store after another, then waited again to have things gift wrapped before heading to the sporting goods store for something else he wanted to get Christopher.
In a window display outside, his attention was caught by a BMX bike similar to the one he used to have. Christopher would love that, he thought, and could surely find places to ride it in Austin.
His chest ached every time he thought about them leaving.
He was going to miss them both so much. Christopher had brought so much joy and laughter into his life.
And Abby. How had he made it all these years without the sunshine of her smile?
Both of them would be gone soon. She was leaving the day after Christmas, which gave