Willow rolled her eyes. “Your son is prone to exaggeration.”
His mother sat on the edge of his dad’s bed. “Come on, you two, show us how it’s done.”
Willow waved a hand. “Oh, I’m not very—”
“Nonsense.” Owen took her into his arms, before she stopped him. “Now come on, just like I showed you.”
He hummed music and, with only a stumble or two, she kept up beautifully. When they finished, his parents clapped.
“Wonderful.” His father yawned, but hid his tiredness with an overdone smile. “You two should go on The X-Factor.”
A curly-haired nurse walked in. “So this is the party room?” She smiled. “I’m Lola, the night-shift nurse, here to take vitals for Mr. Hughes.”
Owen turned to his mother. “I suppose it’s a good time to let Dad get some rest.”
“Yes. Go. Enjoy what’s left of the night with Willow.” She reached up and gave him a hug.
Owen went to his dad’s bed and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Dad, I’ll be back in the morning.”
“Yes, yes. If you want to. Your mother appreciated having you here.”
Owen shook his head, buried the urge to flee, and understood change would only happen if he made the effort. He wrapped his father in an awkward hug, feeling his muscles stiffen as he did. “I love you, Dad.”
Owen straightened and turned away. He couldn’t look at his mother, but Willow’s gaze stayed on him all the way over, understanding in her eyes. He took her hand and they walked toward the door.
His father said, “Owen?”
He turned, prepared to swallow back whatever negative remark his father might say. “Yeah?”
Dad stared, blinked a few times. “I love you, too.”
Owen smiled, nodded. More than he could’ve asked for.
Willow squeezed his hand as they walked down the hallway in silence. At the elevator, she turned to him. “You’re a good son.”
He shrugged and pressed the elevator button, but stood a little taller knowing he’d done the right thing. Outside the hallway window, a full moon shone bright. Had some cosmic force lined up today’s events simply so he could see how much his father’s love meant?
They stepped on the elevator and as the door bumped shut, he slipped an arm around Willow’s waist and drew her close. Lowering his head, he kissed her tenderly, hoping she’d feel the power of his newly opened soul, capable of deeper caring than he’d possessed in the past.
She drew back and placed a soft hand on his face. “I’m glad your dad will be all right.”
“Me, too. How do you feel about surprises?”
She tilted her head, her eyes shining, her smile sweet. All aimed at him, causing his heart to flutter in the most unexpected way. “Tonight, Mr. Hughes, I feel game for anything.”
Chapter 19
Willow sat in her seat staring out the van’s passenger window, curious why Owen had disappeared into her house without a word as to why. Had he left something of his inside while helping her the other day? Or did this have to do with the surprise he’d promised when leaving the hospital? Without electricity, and given the hour, it seemed unlikely.
She shifted onto her hip and adjusted the skirt of her ballroom gown. Why hadn’t he wanted her to change clothes? When she’d suggested they swing by the B and B so she could put on pants, he’d only smiled and said she should stay dressed as is.
Radiohead flowed from the van’s speakers. What kind of man had tastes ranging from alternative rock to Sinatra to Regency-era ballroom dancing? She hummed along with the song “House of Cards,” one she liked. Passion and taking chances. Two things this trip had given her, leading to a more thought-provoking question: how far did she wanted to go with a man on another continent?
Owen had taken a chance earlier. Witnessing the heart-squeezing moment between him and his dad had warmed her soul. Second chances didn’t always present themselves. Tonight offered an opportunity to be with a man who’d helped her see qualities in herself she’d always overlooked. A second chance she’d be a fool not to embrace.
At that moment, a light brightened the living room windows.
The beam of a flashlight came toward the van. When he reached the door, she saw that he’d changed into the clothes he’d worn for the Jane Austen reading at the library.
He opened her door and extended a hand. “M’lady.”
“You’ve changed clothes.” She took his hand and carefully stepped to the ground.
“All part of my plan.”
“You look so—so handsome.”
He lifted her hand to his lips and brushed it with a kiss. “I can’t hold a candle to you.” He placed her hand on his bent arm, guiding her toward the house.
Her heart swelled. She couldn’t remember a single time in her life when anyone had done anything this special for her.
They entered the foyer and a soft glow shimmered on the walls, from a more powerful light in the living room. “Did you light the fireplace?”
“I did.” He slipped a hand on her waist and turned her toward the living room. “Go in. Look.”
She lifted her skirt hem and went in. The fireplace blazed and gave off the woodsy scent of burning logs. Candles stationed on the fireplace mantel flickered shadows on the walls. Only a short time ago, this place had been dark and dusty. But the warm light, cheese and crackers arranged on the coffee table, and a bottle of wine next to it brought this place alive.
Owen came behind her, placing his hands on her hips and brushing the back of her neck with a kiss. “For you, I’m turning back time.”
She turned into his arms, and slipped hers around his neck. “You’re amazing. I love this.”
“Good.” His gaze darkened and swept over her face. “Let’s have a drink.” He took her by the hand toward the coffee table, where two winelglasses had already been filled. He picked them up and handed her one.
Raising his, he said, “To Jane Austen.”
They clicked their glasses. “To Jane.”
The cold, crisp wine warmed her belly. Or maybe it was all this attention lavished on her by a man she might not have even noticed in Manhattan. What a shame that would’ve been.
He lowered his glass to the table. “I forgot something. I brought along a little necessity Ms. Austen didn’t have.”
He went to the cardboard box sitting on a chair, one he’d taken from his house on their way over here. From it, he removed an iPod speaker stand. After slipping in his phone, he pressed a few buttons and Sinatra serenaded them.
Yes, he truly amazed her. “You’ve thought of everything.”
“I hope so.” He raised a brow. “May I have this dance?”
“Certainly.”
He took her winelglass and lowered it next to his. Then he gathered her in his arms. “Who’d you dance with tonight at the ball?”
“Just Eddie.”
“And…?”
“It went pretty darn well, if I say so myself.”
He smiled. “I knew it would.”
They danced as one. Owen moved and guided her effortlessly. Subtle touches, all done with an understated boldness. The same way he’d drawn out a newfound belief she now had found in herself, lacking when she arrived.
He spoke softly, his voice near her ear. “Back in the Regency period, dancing was an important part of courtship.”
She snuggled against him. “I think it still is.”
He chuckled. Stepping back, he put a hand on her waist, guided her in a slow twirl, and reeled her back into his arms. “In Pride and Prejudice, Austen wrote, ‘To be fond of dancing was a certain step toward falling in love.’” Their eyes met and he shrugged. “It’s a…well, you know, a beautiful sentiment.”
The sudden shyness from a man who rarely showed it came as a surprise, but she shouldn’t read i
nto it too much. “Yes, it is.”
“And back then,” he said with a confident, husky tone, “dancing offered a chance to publicly touch the opposite sex. Like hands.” He took hers off his shoulder and kissed the inside of her palm then replaced it. “Waists.” He slipped a gentle hand on hers. “All forbidden under normal circumstances.” He moved his hand to her lower back and slowly caressed the area, his gaze filled with need. “Very risqué things for that time.”
A heated rush weakened her knees. An ocean would soon separate her from this wonderful man, but she tossed aside concerns and slipped fingers through his thick hair while stretching on her toes and brushing her lips to his.
He lowered his head and his warm breath whispered sweetly against her cheek before his mouth met hers. Tender kisses followed, escalating quickly while the grooves of their bodies joined, as if they were meant to be one. The faded scent of his cologne wrapped her like a cloak. She could taste the wine he’d just sipped, a tang leaving her woozy and responding to the way his hands skimmed her body. Slipping her fingers beneath his jacket, she pressed her hands to his chest and moved along his slim, muscular torso.
Owen leaned back and ran a gentle finger along her throat, slowly following an imaginary line that swept to her shoulder, where he eased the puffy dress sleeve to her midarm. He leaned forward and suddenly stopped. “When we’re apart, I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“Me, too,” she whispered as her heart expanded. Even if leaving meant the beautiful thing she’d found with Owen was only temporary, at least they had this moment.
* * * *
Owen opened his eyes. Early morning light peeked through the cracks in the shades. He lifted the blanket and slid off the sofa, careful not to jolt Willow.
She mumbled something incoherent then curled into a ball beneath the blanket and drifted back to sleep. He slipped on his jeans and tiptoed from the living room to the kitchen, where the old floor groaned as he made his way out the back door. A blast of cold morning air reminded him the season knocked on autumn’s door. He grabbed a few logs off a pile and hurried back inside.
He pulled his phone from his back pocket and checked the time. Two and a half hours until Jilly had to leave for school. Good. He sent a quick text to Bea to let her know he’d be back in time to get Jilly to school. Once back in the living room, he moved quietly while restarting the fire.
Just as he tossed in a match, Willow said, “Good morning.”
He glanced back over his shoulder. Sleepy eyes. Hair mussed. Damn, the sight of her was as comforting as tea and toast. “Hey, gorgeous.”
“Now I know you’re messing with me. There’s no way I’m gorgeous at this hour.”
“Just you wait’ll I get this fire stoked. I’ll show you how gorgeous I think you are.”
“Promises, promises.”
He chuckled, happiness overflowing inside him. Waiting until the fire took hold, he anticipated climbing next to her soft body and touching those sexy curves. He stiffened just thinking about her. “Rosebud, you are one helluva a troublemaker, you know that?”
“I try.”
He finished then turned around, drinking in every inch of her. Head propped on a few pillows. One arm bent behind her head, while the blanket slipped down her chest, leaving those gorgeous full breasts to taunt him.
She raised her brows. “See something you like, kind sir?”
“You know it, baby.” He sat on the edge of the sofa and cupped her face in his hands. “Are you good here? Tell me if you want to go back to the B and B.”
“No way. I may never leave this spot.”
Willow shifted. The blanket fell forward and he smoothed a hand along the curves he loved so much. She kissed him hungrily and reached for the button of his jeans, which he quickly tugged off and returned beneath the covers to make love to her with all the tenderness she’d uncovered in his heart.
Afterward, they curled together on the sofa with the blanket around them, watching the fire while nibbling on the snacks he’d brought last night.
She broke a piece of cheese into two and brought one half to his lips, which he took but nibbled on her fingertips as he did.
She smiled. “Did you get a chance to look at my stops along the Cotswold Way and book me a hotel for each night?”
“I did. Booked the rooms yesterday morning. I wanted to cover the distances between towns you noted. A few of them are long walking days.”
“I know. I can handle it. Sure, I don’t exercise like I used to, but since I came here, I’ve been walking more. I feel pretty good.”
“You used to exercise a lot?”
“Sure. When I first lost a lot of weight back in college, it helped me get skinny. Exercise matters.”
“But didn’t anybody ever tell you that you got too thin?”
“Not a single soul.” She laughed, but her smile quickly disappeared. “I had to kill myself to get and stay that thin. Now, I kind of just don’t care anymore.”
“Good. So that means you know you’re a beauty, just the way you are.”
Her face softened with a weak smile. “Last night when I put on that gown, for the first time in perhaps my whole life, it didn’t matter what dress size I wore. What I saw, I loved.” She bit her lower lip for a second, then narrowed her eyes at him. “Maybe you’ve brainwashed me into believing I look good at this size.”
“Well, my dear. If I have to brainwash you to see the truth in your appearance, then I will do it time and time again.”
He leaned forward and kissed her with all the joy bubbling in his heart, trying to forget that soon she’d be leaving. His daughter wouldn’t be the only one who missed Willow.
Chapter 20
Owen stood behind Willow and Jilly as they stared out into the main room of the Roman Baths. The rectangular pool’s green water glistened from the strong afternoon sun, the area walled in but opened to the skies.
Tourists packed the walkway surrounding the pool, many of them leaning against the evenly spaced columns while getting their photos taken. From the roofline, statues of Roman emperors looked down on their subjects, the ancient stone blackened by nature’s elements.
Yesterday afternoon, Owen had offered to take her sightseeing at the Roman Baths today, the only way he could think to cheer her up. Willow had contacted a company to handle removal and sale of large items in her grandparents’ home. They’d even packed his van with all the belongings to be donated. She’d been quiet the whole time. He’d asked why a few times then she finally admitted that getting rid of their things, especially after sleeping at the house with him the night before, was bittersweet.
Willow glanced over her shoulder at him. “Why were these built here, in this location?”
“Bath is located on a natural geothermal spring.” She bit her lower lip while listening, her gaze drifting between him and the surroundings. An urge to give her a kiss swept over him, and as he leaned forward Jilly looked up at him.
“Remember what you told me last night, Daddy? That the Roman bath system was one of the most intimate of ancient times.”
“Very good, Jilly. It is the most intricate of ancient times. Intricate means it’s very complicated.” He glanced at Willow, who watched him with hooded eyelids and a tiny smirk.
Yup, this place was pretty intimate today—at least for him. And this thing he had going with her, boy oh boy, it was doing some complicated things to his heart.
He gave Willow a quick wink and gently squeezed Jilly’s shoulder. “I think we have a future tour guide here.”
Her eyes went wide. “You mean when I’m grown up, I can do tours in the van?”
A pride swept through him like no other. Jilly was a sponge. Smart, observant. He imagined handing off the keys to his company to her years from now, seeing his efforts to build a name for himself in the area’s tourism become rooted by genera
tions to keep it going…
And that’s when a childhood moment hit like a brick dropped on his skull.
As a young boy, he’d often say to his dad how he wanted to be a master thatcher when he grew up. Sure, there were days he wanted to be a policeman, a TV star, or a circus lion tamer, too.
For the first time in his life he understood his father’s personal stake in wishing Owen had joined the family business. Willow watched him, a knowing expression on her face. He glanced down at Jilly. “Of course, you may change your mind by the time you’re an adult. I always want you to pursue your personal dreams, Jill. Okay?”
“Sure, Daddy.”
Willow nodded, all the confirmation needed to know he’d given his daughter the right response.
“Now, a little bit more history. The Romans built baths as far more than a source of hygiene. There were rooms for mental and physical cleansing…”
While he talked about the pool, Willow listened with a gleam of admiration in her eyes that had him offering details he might otherwise have ignored. He wanted her to appreciate the landmarks and structures he’d known his whole life.
More than appreciate, though… He wanted Willow to love what he had to share.
Not because of his prior motives, but because the baths said so much about a civilization of long ago. Because he hoped she’d feel awe learning about them, the way Owen always had. To understand history connects people and places through time with language, culture, traditions and even faith.
He wanted his passion to be hers.
Her gaze traveled the length of the pool. “Fascinating, really. I had no idea how far-reaching the Roman Empire was. It’s amazing how layers of history can be found in something as simple as a pool.”
Pride filled his chest. Yes, she got it.
Jilly reached out and took Willow’s hand. “I’m glad you’re here. Do you like the baths?”
“They’re amazing. So ancient and yet so modern in a way.”
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