Sam’s face was hard to read as I met his gaze.
“I’m so happy to see you, Johnnie,” I said to the boy, running my hand over his hair.
He squeezed me tight, not uttering a word, but he didn’t need to.
“I’ve missed you,” I said as he pulled back and looked at my face.
His grin was wide, and his brown eyes sparkled. He’d lost a tooth since we’d been away.
“Supper is almost ready,” I said. “You and Hazel go on in and wash up. We’ll tell you all about our adventures while we eat.”
The smile on his face grew bigger at the promise before the children ran into the hotel. I couldn’t imagine what would happen when I had to leave here, just as his mother and father before me. The thought brought more tears to my eyes.
Paddy took notice of me and smiled, nodding in my direction. Half of his face drooped, reminding me of what Sam had told me about the night his brother died.
“It’s good to see you again, too, Paddy,” I said, compassion tightening my chest. “Thank you for looking after the children while we were away.”
There was more nodding, but he didn’t try to speak.
“May I have a word alone with Sam?” I asked.
He quickly picked up the kindling and went into the hotel, closing the door behind him.
Sam walked over to the chopping block and touched the ax handle, though he made no move to pick it up.
“I’m sorry about before.” I licked my dry lips, not knowing how to explain myself, but needing to try. “It’s not that I don’t want to marry—”
“You don’t need to explain, Ally.” He still didn’t look at me.
More than anything, I longed to make Sam happy, to see him smile. “I-I want to stay here.” I swallowed the nerves. “With you.”
Sam slowly turned away from the ax, his brown eyes searching mine. Hope sparked to life in his gaze, but he didn’t move. “Why do I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me?”
He knew me so well, perhaps better than I had realized. Was it wise to tell him what I knew about the future? I was desperate for a way to prevent it from happening without forfeiting my path, but there was no way to tell him without knowingly changing history. I had to say something, though. “I learned something in my other path about you—and me.” I swallowed again, my heartracing. “And if I want to protect you, I’ll have to do what Bess did and change history.”
Sam crossed the yard toward me. “What are you saying, Ally? Am I supposed to die?”
His nearness was almost more than I could bear. I wanted to be in his arms, to have his love surround me and have him promise me that everything would work out for the best. But I had to be careful.
“I can’t say anything else about it, but believe me when I tell you that I wish it was not true. That I didn’t have to forfeit this path.”
“Because if you stop this thing from happening to me,” he said, trying to grasp what I was saying, “you’ll have to change history and lose this path.”
“Yes.”
“But, if you could stay with me”—he took a step closer, longing in his voice, and slipped his hand up to my cheek—“would you?”
Tears warmed my eyes again as I nodded. There was no going back, but I realized I didn’t want to go back. I put my hands on either side of his face and said, “I love you, Sam.”
It was all he needed to hear as he draw me into his arms and wrapped me in an embrace. “Then marry me, Ally,” he whispered. “Even if I can only have you for a month, it is far better than never having you at all.”
My heart longed to be his in every way. But was it wise to spend a month as his wife, knowing all that I would have to give up in such a short time? Yet even if I didn’t marry him, I would have to give it all up anyway. Why not have and hold him for the next four weeks? Allow him to love me and love him in return?
“Even though you know what’s coming?”
“No one is guaranteed tomorrow.” He pulled back and placed his hand on my face again, allowing his thumb to pass over my cheek. “Even if I only have a month with you, it will be the happiest month of my life. I love you, and I want you to be my wife.”
I couldn’t think of a single reason I shouldn’t marry Sam Kendal,and even if someone had presented me with one, I wouldn’t have listened. “I’ll marry you, Sam.”
