He drew back just enough to frame her face again, forcing her to meet his gaze. In the strange, snow-filtered light, his eyes turned a midnight blue, fierce with promise. “You won’t lose me.” His thumb traced her lower lip. “Not again.”
His forehead pressed against hers, both of them breathing hard. “I was an idiot before. I didn’t want to fail you. Fail me. But ... I’m done running.”
The blizzard raged on, but here in their pocket of stillness, time stopped. The past dropped away, the future nothing beyond right now.
All that existed was the warmth of his breath on hers.
“I’m here,” he whispered again, pressing a kiss to her temple, her cheek, the corner of her mouth. “I’ve got you.”
And for the first time in years, she let herself believe it.
“PLEASE DON’Tbreak my heart.”
Harley’s words, but the minute she spoke them, they’d landed in Jericho’s heart, thumped their way in and latched on.
Oh, he was headed for a world of hurt. Because he’d heard the promises issuing out of him, his heart speaking before his brain could catch up.“I’m done running.”
Now, he lay on the sofa, staring at the semidarkness, reliving last night’s drama.
Number one—the kiss. The kind that said,Hello,can we try again?
And number two—where he’d simply ripped his heart from his chest and handed it over to the girl most likely to shatter it.
“I’m here. I’m notgoing anywhere.”He pressed his hand over his heart, just to make sure it was still in his chest because ...Really,Jer? There were some grand words spoken out there in the middle of the storm.
But in the calm of the morning ... Sheesh, what—he was going to uproot his life and follow her back to Juneau? All he saw ahead were more broken promises, so that was a great way to start the day.
Movement on the ladder drew his attention. He looked over, spotted Winter climbing down. Harley had taken the other single bed in the loft, and with the wind still moaning outside and herprevious night’s scattered sleep, maybe she’d sleep deep into the morning.
They needed to dig out Winter’s plane though.
Winter hit the floor, tiptoed to the stove, and opened the front door.
Jericho sat up and she jumped.
“Sorry.” He was fully dressed, of course, but pushed off the wool blanket. “I’ll get some fresh wood,” he whispered, then headed for the door.
Orlando had gotten up from his perch near the fire, followed.
Jericho grabbed his coat, slid into his boots, added a hat and gloves, and headed outside.
The sun was trying to bleed through the dour clouds but making feeble progress, the wind lessening as it whipped up snow and threw it across the lake. Orlando ran through the white, trying to catch the flakes.
He should have brought the ball out for him. Frankly, he didn’t know how to help Orlando, not when he seemed to have stopped responding to his training.
The dog bounded over, snow covering his dark muzzle. “I know you love snow, buddy. If I could, I’d let you stay out here, but there are wolves and bears and...” Trouble.
His gaze fell upon the tiny nest under the snow-laden pine tree where he’d kissed Harley last night.
Really kissed her. Maybe the kind of kiss thatdidpromise forever, and...
Maybe he could stay. Stop running.
He walked over to the woodshed and found a stick.
Orlando’s tail wiggled his entire body, and he barked.
“Okay, okay.” He lifted the stick and threw it. Orlando scampered away.
