Thena held it out for him to see. “SalHaven, Jedidiah. Before the hurricane.” She paused. “I knew you’d want to see a picture, someday.”
He studied the magnificent home and lawns that had been SalHaven in its glory days. His breath caught in bittersweet appreciation, and he cleared his throat roughly. “Say, gal, how would you feel about rebuildin’ the old place? Can you picture quarter horses grazin’ out front, or is that a silly notion?”
For a startled moment Thena stared at him in happy disbelief. Then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Yes, yes! We’ll fill SalHaven with the love it’s been waiting for all these years, Jedidiah.”
His heart felt as if it would burst from his chest. “I want to see the old place light up with happiness,” he told her gruffly. “It’ll be our home and our children’s home and when we’re gone, we’ll leave so much love behind that the house won’t ever be empty again.”
The smile she gave him held an eternity of happiness, and he returned it with all the love in his soul. From deep in the island glades, the wind made a sacred sound, almost like a peaceful sigh.
Jed's Sweet Revenge Page 18
