"Look, I see how being back here with the people in this town makes you doubt who you are. Don't let their petty bullshit take away from your personal growth. Your mind is beautiful; you're strong and intelligent. God, I hope I haven't contributed to the way you feel with my idiocy. I suffocated you because I was afraid you'd disappear. I knew you could never love a criminal like me, who tore your world apart and brought you nothing but pain." When Burke leaned toward me, I saw the fierceness in his eyes, and my heartbeat accelerated. "I can't survive without you. I cherish you. I value you. I love you. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner so you would never have a reason to doubt me. I'll understand if you hate me, but I don't want to be the one hurting you anymore. Please punish me if you must, just promise me you'll never let us go."
I sighed, feeling the grip on my heart loosen. "I tried to tell you I love you the day you brought me here, but you'd fallen asleep. You were gone when I woke up, and it seemed like more proof that my feelings are bigger than yours. You've never said it to me, and I was positive you didn't feel the same."
"No one in my house said it growing up, so the words stuck in my throat when I tried to say them. I thought showing you every day was good enough. I was wrong, but you never said it either."
The crash of a plate beside us caused me to turn my head, catching sight of the people at the next table over doing a poor job of pretending they weren't listening in. Focusing back on Burke, I said, "You have to admit your actions run hot and cold. I couldn't be sure, and the idea of saying it when I thought you wouldn't reply in kind absolutely mortified me."
With a wry smile, he squeezed my hands. "You've proven to be braver than me. Even after paying for my sins, you stood tall. For that, I can never apologize enough."
"I'm as guilty as you in more ways than one." Shaking my head, I said, "You may not see it, but you're worth more than your sins. We all have scars, Burke, ours merely come from a unique source."
He lowered his voice. "I promise to try my best not to be the reason for it, but pain, loss, maybe even heartache will always be a part of our lives if you stand with me. Can you accept that?"
"You mean, can I accept you?" I murmured, reaching over and taking his other hand. I was done being stubborn and, hopefully, so was he. "You're right, Chester has been hard on me. When I had to face judgment from everyone here, I fell back into my old patterns. Danny didn't understand at first, and my dad wouldn't even give me five minutes to explain. What they don't realize is I've never felt braver, more true to myself than when I'm with you. It's my world as much as yours because I love you."
Burke grinned, and everything else fell away until we were the only two people in the universe. "Is breá liom tú níos mó ná mo shaol féin."
Laughing, I wiped the tears from my face. "English, Burke."
He stood, offering a slight bow. "I love you more than my own life."
Oh, God. "That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."
"The only other person I've said it to is Finn."
Accepting his outstretched hand, I rose and wrapped my arms around him. He smelled like cigar smoke, reminding me of what our lawyer told me. Like the times he ran into me at the hospital when his grandmother was ill, his scent brought to mind hints of danger and sex.
Though I wanted time alone with him, I sighed in resignation at our reality. "I guess we'd better get back to the house."
"Nope." Nuzzling my neck, he whispered, "I got us a room at the B&B."
"What?"
"I'm here for you, baby. I told you, I miss you."
"What about Finn?"
"It may surprise you to hear, but I'm pretty smooth. Brenda and Danny agreed to take care of him overnight. There's a houseful of people to lend a hand if necessary. Tonight is for us."
I didn't know what to say to that. When I stepped away from Burke, it appeared the entire diner was staring at us. "Let's get out of here."
"Gladly."
He led me to the waiting limo, and I climbed onto his lap to breathe him in and feel his heart against mine. It beat in a staccato rhythm, and I closed my eyes to focus on our synchronicity. Finally, we were on the same page.
Putting aside my worries about what the next few days would bring, I walked hand in hand with Burke into the bed-and-breakfast. Anticipation tingled up my spine at the idea of having him all to myself. After all we'd been through, it was the perfect way to come back together and show each other how deep our love ran. At the end of the day, it was all we needed.
When he shut the door behind us, he leaned against it and watched me watching him. "Do you want a bath?"
Nodding, I glanced over at the bathroom with a giggle. "Maybe a shower. That tub is tiny."
Grinning, he kissed my nose and set down the small suitcase he carried. "I'll wait for you."
It was tempting to ask him to join me, but I didn't want to reunite with my husband in the miniscule hotel shower. The room was quaint, for lack of a better word, but it was Chester. It was the best they offered.
"I won't be long."
I hurried through the motions, eager to rejoin Burke. One thing was for certain; we would never stay apart for a month again. Pulling my wet hair into a bun, I stepped out of the steamy bathroom to find Burke opening a bottle of wine. Tugging the belt of my robe tighter, I approached him.
