by Jillian Hart
“It is good timing.” Considering the stack of bills growing on the counter. She hurried down the stairs, catching sight of Madison pushing open the sliding door. “Let me talk it over with Jonas, but I want to take it. You knew I was going to accept it, right?”
“Yep. Only makes sense. Jonas’s rehabilitation has got to be expensive, and disability insurance helps, but it isn’t the same as what Jonas was making. With Katherine out, I could use the help. This might be permanent.”
“I know.” It was no secret that Katherine was only going to work until the baby came. Up ahead, Madison slipped through the door with a giggle. Danielle was gaining, but she was out of breath. “Spence? How about we talk this through on Sunday? You can come over for dinner after church.”
“Sure. Talk to you then.”
The line clicked off. Danielle squinted against the bright glare of summer sunshine and swooped down to sweep Madison off her feet in mid-stride.
“Mommeeee!” The girl squealed. “Noooooo!”
“You are trouble, bubbles.” Danielle smooched Madison’s cheek, hoping to offset a coming tantrum. “You’re supposed to be in bed, princess.”
“No! I wanna sprinkle with Lucky!” Too tired, Madison rubbed at her eyes, her voice thin and high. “Mommy! Put me down.”
Danielle winked at Tyler, who had stopped watering the imaginary fire in the petunia bed to watch. Satisfied all was not too far out of the ordinary, he went back to his work while Lucky raced circles around the yard. “I think your bunny misses you. We’d better go keep Minnie company.”
“No! I wanna stay with Lucky!”
“Lucky has to take a nap, too.” Sooner or later, especially after running around the yard like that.
She closed the sliding door and headed up the stairs. It wasn’t easy keeping hold of a struggling wiggle box, but she’d gotten the knack of it. It wasn’t easy not being unduly stressed by the loud “No! Mom-meeee!” s that were shrill enough to break her eardrum and echoed in the stairwell around her. The big lurking question was if she could manage to get Madison back down to her nap and still be able to get ready for tonight’s anniversary outing on time.
“Shh, baby,” Danielle cooed, gently. “Tell you what. I’ll read more from your favorite storybook, okay?”
“Nooo!” With a little less gusto, now. “Mommy! I want Lucky. Mommy! I don’t wanna!”
“I know, baby.” She started humming a song, one of Madison’s favorites, reminding herself that this phase, too, would pass. She turned into Madison’s room, curtains drawn against the bright sun. She eased onto the corner of the little bed.
“No! I wanna go outside, Mommy. Please?” The girl gave a tiny sob of misery.
Danielle couldn’t resist holding her baby and rocking her. Madison’s arms wrapped around her neck and held on. It was hard being so little.
The alarm system chirped, announcing the front door had opened. Was it Jonas already? Or Rebecca, come early? Her whole being seemed to still, straining to listen for the first sound of a step.
Rebecca, she realized, when she didn’t hear the metallic thump of Jonas’s cane on the tile. “Back here,” she called out.
Her youngest sister appeared in the doorway, looking lovely and fresh as a summer’s day with her hair pulled back in a ponytail and her backpack slung over her shoulder. “Someone’s up late from her nap.”
“She never went down for one.” She kissed her baby’s forehead, trying to soothe her, rocking her side to side. “Too much excitement going on outside.”
“Oh, right. The D. O. G.” Becca nodded, stepping into the room, her arms out. “Let me take Madison. I am in the mood for a story. How about it, pretty girl?”
“No.” Madison hiccuped. “I wanna run fast with Lucky.”
“How are things going with you?” Danielle asked as she handed her daughter over.
Rebecca took Madison lovingly and snuggled her close. “Don’t worry about me, not when you and Jonas have a special evening planned.”
“Our anniversary. I know.” Her hopes were high. How could they not be? She was getting her husband back. Her best friend. The man who owned her heart. “Oh—there he is.”
“Go. I’ve got Madison covered.” Rebecca nodded over the top of the little girl’s curls. “You aren’t even dressed yet.”
“Almost.” She had her nice pants on. Danielle looked down at her T-shirt, smudged with Madison’s applesauce from lunch. All she had to do was to pull on the matching summery top and run a brush through her hair.
Jonas. He’d ran a quick errand for her—delivering a casserole and green salad for Katherine’s family’s supper—and now he stood in dark trousers and a matching shirt. Caught in the act of setting a vase of a dozen pink roses on the entry table, he shot her a sheepish grin, looking so handsome, so Jonas, she felt her breath catch. It was as if all her hopes had been answered. Her prayers heard.
She moved toward him without thought, as if her spirit led her to his side. “Hey, handsome. Are those flowers for me?”
“For my one and only.” His baritone dipped low, intimate.
The distance between them felt so small. Now, if only they could keep moving toward one another. Maybe tonight, on this third date of theirs, she would capture his heart.
“No!” Madison’s shout reverberated off the high ceilings. “I don’t wanna story!”
There was a thump! And then the mad dash of little feet. Madison bulleted toward them, hands pumping, little pink sandals churning.
“I got her!” Rebecca, who’d smartly worn sneakers, was gaining ground on her. “Go back to your romantic stuff. No worries!”
She launched down the staircase after Madison.
Danielle opened her mouth, ready to argue, but the giggles from downstairs told her that Rebecca had caught Madison and was punishing her with kisses. “Sometimes we’re more than a little goofy around here. I hope you’re not about to change your mind about me.”
“Not a chance, beautiful.” Jonas’s warm chuckle sounded like music, like life returned to her soul. “This is fun. I’m glad I’m here, Dani. I know I’ve missed this—you—so much.”
“I’ve missed you, too.” She went up on tiptoe to kiss his masculine-rough cheek. Sweetness filled her. A sense of rightness poured through her soul. “Give me two more minutes to finish getting ready, and then I’m all yours, handsome.”
“Lucky me.”
His smile made her love him that much more.
Dinner had gone perfectly, Jonas was thankful for that. And now, watching the look on his wife’s face as they rose up into the sky in the basket of the hot air balloon he’d hired, he knew he’d done good, by her standards.
He’d wanted this night to be special, as he’d learned their third date was. The pressure was on—he wanted this evening to be even better the second time around. He had to win her heart again—as the man he was now. He didn’t expect that to be easy work or to come quickly. It would take time. Time he was willing to spend.
Her hands, so small and white, gripped the side of the basket. “You were telling the truth. You did your research, mister.”
He inched a little closer to her. “Ava told me about the dozen pink roses. Your mother told me about the nicest restaurant in town. Katherine told me about this balloon ride.”
“This sounds promising.” Danielle tipped her head, the strong breeze catching her hair and it fanned around her face, lifting away so that he saw her clearly, every curve, every freckle, every hope.
“She even told me something else.” He blushed to think about it. Blushed because Danielle was a quality lady, and he, as a gentleman, could not imagine even now being so bold. But he could see how it had been long ago when he and Danielle had been just getting to know one another. He’d probably felt the same as right now. As if he was dangling in midair by less than the air-driven balloon. He had never felt more terrified—or more sure of anything in his life.
“What exactly did my sister tell you
?”
“That tonight, the moment after the sun slips behind those amazing mountains, I’m supposed to do something monumental.”
Humor warmed her eyes. “You mean like bungee jumping?”
“That was my plan,” he quipped. “But I hear that last time I chose a more romantic path, and so I think I’d best stick to that for the big finale.”
“Big finale. That sounds promising.”
“My thought exactly.” He felt shy. There was no getting around that. They’d spent dinner talking over the photo albums he’d gone through and the pictures she’d left on her downstairs desk. But it had been the talk that made him feel closer to her. It was nothing heavy, nothing significant as they talked over the events of the last few weeks. The kids. The dog. The extended family—Katherine’s health and Rebecca’s problems. How Gran needed more help around the farm. He’d volunteered to go out with Spence this weekend.
He felt closer to her. He concentrated on the blue beauty of the sky and the stunning lay of the Bozeman valley below. Mountains shot upward, carpeted with trees. He managed to keep his balance in the swaying basket—those hard, painful endless hours of physical therapy were paying off.
He felt fairly sure now that he understood what she needed him to be. But he didn’t know how to tell Dani what mattered. How his heart was alive and bright with devotion for her. That being with her made the sky bluer, the sun brighter, and his spirit as light as the wind against them.
Thank You, Lord, for her. He didn’t need the past. He didn’t need a single memory because he could see her—all of her. Everything about who she was. He adored the way she gazed up at him with unabashed affection. And the way she leaned a little closer to him. The silent question in her eyes as loving as his dreams.
Somehow he had to be good enough for her. Somehow he had to gather up his courage to do what she needed. “I don’t remember the past. I have to admit that the doctors are right. I’m not going to ever remember.”
There. He’d said it. He waited, heart hammering in his chest, while sadness filled her eyes. They had been working under the belief that he would come back, that he would remember because she needed him to.
Now the truth was out in the open. It wasn’t going to happen. Would she still want him? Or was this it? Was it over? His soul cracked at the thought. Falling straight out of the basket and hitting the ground far below would be less painful than losing her.
“I know.” She sounded sad, but not shocked. She didn’t move away. She didn’t turn away. “But we can go on from here. We can make new memories.”
Music to his soul. Relief rushed through him like the jet stream. “I will do all I can to make ’em the best,” he vowed.
“I know that, Jonas.”
It helped to see her trust in him there on her beautiful face. At least that was settled. He felt better about that: they would go on from here. Now that was something he could do.
Determined, he took her hands in his. “I might not remember, but I know how I must have felt all those years ago standing before you just like this. My pulse is pounding, I’m so nervous I can hardly think and talk at the same time.”
She smiled, her eyes going soft with affection, with humor and more hope than he could measure. He wanted to move mountains for this woman and be everything she needed.
To be the man she needed.
“One thing is very different.” He paused, searching for words. “Something tells me back then I loved you more first. That I already knew the moment I saw you in the field that I was going to marry you.”
“You’ve said that many times over the years,” she reassured him. “It was love at first sight.”
“No, I think it was deeper than that. It was everything at first sight. Love. Devotion. Lifelong commitment. I know I wanted to be the one man you could always count on, who would never let you down.”
“Jonas. I hope you don’t think that you’ve done that. Not you. Not ever.” Her gaze searched his with pure honesty.
She might not see how he’d failed her. How Spence had offered her a full-time job to help support the family because he could no longer do it—yet. How she’d been alone and afraid through the last year, taking care of everything including the finances, fearing she might turn out to be a widow instead of a wife. He hadn’t been able to protect her and take care of her.
Yes, he believed that she truly didn’t see his failures. But he did. That she loved him still meant more to him than she would ever know. “Dani, you might think this time around that you’re the one who loves more.”
“Jonas, I know this has been so hard for you. The kids and I are strangers to you, and I—” She stopped, searching for words. A gust of wind swung the basket, causing a ripple of turbulence, but he was sturdier than he had been. His hand holding hers did not let go.
It’s a sign, she thought since they were dangling much closer to heaven. Much closer to the future they were meant to share. She tried not to let his honesty hurt her. “I know it will take a lot of time, time you need to l-love me again.”
“But you’re wrong.” His hand released hers to cup the side of her face, cradling her lightly. His gaze deepened and focused on her lips.
While it wasn’t a declaration of love, as he’d made on their first third date, it was close enough. Joy spilled through her like the sunlight through the red sides of the gigantic balloon above them. She soaked in this precious moment—the earth and their daily troubles were far away and the sky close enough to touch. She drank in the beauty surrounding her, the weightlessness, and the surge of wind across her face. Jonas leaned closer—so close her pulse stopped and her soul stilled in anticipation. Waiting, simply waiting for the first brush of his lips to hers. For the first tenderness of his kiss.
Everything within her sighed when his lips covered hers in a warm velvet brush. Pure sweetness. Suspended between earth and sky, between their past and their future, time stood still. She was lost in his kiss, in being closer to this new Jonas than she’d ever been before.
The trouble with kissing beneath a hot air balloon was that it was tough to do for long. The wind swirled them, the basket beneath their feet bumped and swayed, and Jonas pulled away, but he didn’t let her go. He held her close, the distance between them as good as gone. For that moment, as they sailed westward toward the setting sun, it felt as if they’d never been apart. As if nothing between them had ever changed. Her hope was now that this closeness would never end.
“So,” he murmured against her ear. “Did I keep my word? Have I swept you off your feet?”
“Most definitely.”
He might not have said the words, but she knew he was almost there. He was almost in love with her again. As they floated through a sapphire sky toward the caramel light of sunset, a prayer lifted up from her heart. Please, let him be in love with me. I need this so much, Lord.
The sun blazed in glory before beginning its descent behind the rugged, amethyst mountains. Answer enough, Danielle thought, letting herself lean against Jonas and savor being snug and safe in his arms once again—even in midair.
They were pulling into the garage and Danielle suspected that she still hadn’t managed to touch the ground yet. Her hopes were sky-high and her heart floating because it was so full. How could it not be? Jonas’s kiss lingered like the dearest memory. They were close again. And with any luck, that closeness would grow stronger as their love always did.
Joy brightened her up like the rich, creamy sunlight they’d sailed into in that big balloon. She felt as if she were still sweetly swaying. All her troubles felt very far away and so small, they hardly mattered.
What did matter—what would always matter—was the way Jonas was gazing at her with quiet, deep affection in his eyes. He loved her. He hadn’t said the words yet, but they were in the air between them. In the silence as he shut off the engine and the garage door cranked shut. In his touch as he leaned closer to cup the back of her head and slant his lips to hers.
&
nbsp; His kiss was polite and tender. His respect for her made her feel treasured—just as it always had. Tonight was the night. He was going to say the words she longed to hear. She wasn’t lonely anymore. She wanted to be so close to him, that there was no getting closer. She wanted to be so wrapped up in his love, that all the hardship of the past year would be washed away. There would only be the two of them and their love, a great blessing she treasured more than life. And to think that he felt this way, too, healed all the aching places within her that sadness had made.
“I don’t want the evening to end,” he murmured against her lips, barely breaking their kiss.
There was so much emotion in his eyes, dark and deep and intimate. She brushed her fingertips along the iron edge of his jaw. It was wonderful to be alone with him. Gazing into his eyes. Feeling their silence. Feeling as if they were in sync again.
“We don’t have to let it end,” she told him with a smile.
He nodded once, in agreement perhaps, and gave her one more kiss. “It’s getting late. We’d better go in. Rebecca must be wondering what on earth we’re doing sitting in the dark garage.”
Indeed the overhead light on the electric opener had blinked out. She hadn’t noticed. Her heart didn’t need light to see her Jonas.
He moved away, but she didn’t feel alone as he got out of the seat and circled around to open her door. Her spirit felt linked to his—where he moved, she followed. When he opened her door and she placed her hand on his, her soul sighed. She felt whole, as if they had never been broken by his injury. When she looked at him, he seemed like perfection, her one true love.
He felt that way, too, she knew. He had all but said the words. This was their anniversary. Surely he was saving the best for last.
Rebecca was waiting for them, her backpack packed, the kitchen clean and tidy, and the kids’ toys picked up and put away. “Lucky’s on the foot of Tyler’s bed. I couldn’t get him to budge.”
“Join the crowd.” Danielle couldn’t help joking. She felt wonderful with Jonas at her side, his hand at her elbow, his presence right behind her. He was physically close, but it was much more than that—he was emotionally close, too.
