“Oh, really? It was incredible? How would you know?” she muttered, losing steam. She wanted to be angry with him, to be cold toward him, but she didn’t have it in her. “You didn’t even stick around until the end. The third act could have been a total flop. For all you know, everyone could have died in a fire…” she trailed off.
“Somehow, I don’t think that’s how the story ended,” he said, unwilling to let her hostility sway him.
“You’ll never know, now will you?”
Lily turned, tried to get past him, but Mason grabbed her by the arm and forced her to face him. She wriggled, tried to escape his embrace, but Mason held firm.
“What do you want from me?”
“I need to know. Was that how you envisioned our lives together?” He had to find out. It was the question that had been burning in his brain since he left the school mid-way through the performance.
“No.” Lily shook her head.
So Mason had been wrong about the play. It wasn’t about them at all. The connections he’d drawn between them and the characters didn’t actually exist.
“Oh.”
The word was barely a whisper, but Lily heard the disappointment in that one minor utterance. She sighed, realizing she had to explain it to him.
“It’s not that I envisioned our lives turning out like that. There’s no way of knowing what might have been, but I’d be lying if I said I never thought about it. I’ve imagined it turning out a hundred different ways,” she admitted. “Sometimes it worked out. Sometimes it didn’t. I liked this scenario best. It’s the one where we were happiest.”
“But… everything they went through. They were broke, alone in a city that didn’t care if they lived or died. They had nothing.”
“We had each other,” she corrected him.
“We…” He stopped, unable to finish. Her words struck him. They weren’t simply fictional characters in a play to Lily. To her, they were so much more. “So that’s it, isn’t it? They’re us. How we could have been.” The look in Lily’s eyes told him it was true, that she really believed it could have worked out between them. “It didn’t turn out that way, though, did it?”
Mason didn’t expect an answer to his question. He was simply thinking out loud. But there was something else he needed to know.
“Are you happy, Lily? Really happy?”
Lily opened her mouth to say yes, but the word didn’t come out. She thought she was happy. She’d been content with her life, of course. She enjoyed running the pub. And producing the fall production satisfied her creative needs. But was she happy?
“You know, there’s a wonderful man over at the Rainforest Lodge right now who would do anything for me. He’s kind and considerate and handsome. Every single woman in town wants him. And he wants me. Me.” Lily closed her eyes and looked away. “But for some reason, I can’t get you out of my mind. You have a hold on me… even I don’t understand it.”
The mention of Stanton was a blow to his system, but not enough of one to make him back down. Mason had come to Lily for a reason. There were things she needed to hear, things he needed to say.
“Forget about Stanton. This is about us.”
“There is no ‘us’, Mason. There’s you and there’s me. That’s it.”
“Maybe there should be,” he said, undeterred. “The only time in my life I’ve ever really been happy was when we were together. You bring life into my life. I know that sounds stupid, but it’s true. When you’re not around, I’m not really living. I go through the motions, but I feel nothing. Well, nothing except misery, maybe.”
His hand brushed against her cheek.
“So, tell me. Are you happy?”
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly.
“I’m not.” Mason said it with certainty. “Not without you.”
Even in the night darkness, with only a nearby lamp softly illuminating them, Mason saw something flicker in her eyes. He wanted to kiss her, to show her how much she meant to him. Softly, he inhaled, taking in the subtle scent of her perfume.
Lily saw it coming. He was going to kiss her. And if she let him, they would fall back into the same old pattern. The one where she fell head over heels in love with him and he broke her heart yet again. She couldn’t let that happen.
“Mason, stop.” Lily tried to push away from him, but Mason held her firmly in his arms.
“I love you,” he whispered.
Those were the words Lily had longed to hear, the words she never expected Mason to say. But as wonderful as those three little words sounded, she didn’t trust them.
“It was just a dream, Mason. You and I were just a dream.”
No. He couldn’t believe that. He wouldn’t believe it.
“It doesn’t have to be. A dream, I mean.”
Then his mouth covered hers.
The instant she felt his lips on hers, Lily’s resolve wavered, as she’d known it would. She opened to him, letting him take as much as he wanted, needing to feel his desire.
He heard the soft sigh, the whimpering noise in her throat. It only spurred him on, deepening the kiss. What started out as a gentle brush of the lips turned into a burning desire to taste more of her. Mason crushed his lips against hers, unable to restrain himself.
All of the frustration he’d felt over the past week went into that kiss. He’d longed to touch her again, and now that he had her in his arms, he was going to savor every second. Even a week apart, he realized, was more than he was willing to give. Never again, he thought, as his mouth claimed hers, would he give up so easily.
It was only a single kiss, but in it Lily felt all of the years slip away. It felt like their first kiss, full of wonder and possibility and promise. But somehow, it was so much more. Every happy memory of their time together, every pang of longing, every sorrow that had passed between them, seemed to be wrapped up in his kiss.
When their lips parted, Lily was breathless and dizzy. Her eyes were glossed over with unshed tears, the overflow of emotion she hadn’t expected.
She thought she was hallucinating when, a second later, Mason took a step back and knelt down on one knee. Surely, it was the lack of oxygen. Or maybe the dazed feeling that had come over her.
Perhaps he was just tying his shoe.
But then, Mason reached into his pocket and pulled something out.
“I’ve been wanting to give this to you.”
He held out his right hand and a tear streamed down Lily’s cheek when she realized what he was holding.
The ring.
Lily had never seen it before, but she knew without a doubt the thin golden band he held in his hand was the one he’d intended to give her a decade earlier. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. Delicate and lovely.
“Please,” he whispered, the word both a plea and a promise.
For a moment, Lily forgot to breathe. Time stood still as her brain struggled to register what was happening. Her heart realized much quicker what that single word meant. It was the offer of a future, the possibility of building a life together. A proposal – the last thing she’d expected.
He did love her, Lily realized. And he was finally ready to prove it.
Lily’s heart felt like it might burst. Elation swept over her, coursed through her veins. Laughter bubbled up in her throat, but she held it back. She had to be sure he was asking what she thought. She needed to hear the words.
“Please, what?” she asked, barely restraining the excitement in her voice.
Mason reached for her left hand and slipped the ring on her finger, hoping she wouldn’t refuse him.
“Marry me,” he said.
Chapter 19
The sound of her answer was pure joy.
“Yes,” she said, sinking down onto the damp wooden planks of the boardwalk. “Yes,” she said again as she took his face in her hands and kissed him softly.
“Yes?” he asked, still unsure he was hearing her correctly.
“Absolute
ly,” she said, kissing him again and again.
Mason let out a whoop of joy and then gathered Lily in his arms. He swiftly picked her up and swung her around. She was laughing when her feet landed back on the boardwalk.
Then she lifted her hand and inspected the ring on her finger. The ring was simple, which suited her, and the tiny stone was her favorite shade of pink.
Watching her scrutinize the ring, Mason suddenly worried it might be inadequate. After all, it was handmade and it had been sitting in a tree for the past decade. It looked worn and scratched, not nearly nice enough to adorn her finger.
“We can get another one if you prefer,” Mason offered.
“Not a chance,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in close for a kiss. “It’s perfect.”
And she meant it. The ring. The proposal. It had been completely unexpected, and the path they’d taken to reach this point wasn’t exactly a smooth one, but they were finally together. Nothing could have made her happier. She was absolutely elated.
Mason felt the same way. He wanted to let everyone know Lily was his, now and forever. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops. Or maybe tack a banner to his plane and fly through the skies proclaiming his love.
“How do you want to handle this?” he asked, suddenly thinking about etiquette and what would be the proper thing to do. “Should I go talk to your parents first?
Lily grinned. “They’ll find out soon enough,” she said. “Right now, I just want to enjoy this time together. Alone.”
“That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”
He pulled her in closer and lightly kissed her lips, then her chin, then her neck.
“Come on,” he said, his mind already wandering to all the other places he wanted to kiss her. “Let’s go back to my place.”
“Not so fast.” Lily stopped him. “There’s something we need to do first.”
Mason couldn’t imagine anything more important at that moment than taking her to bed. His lips found the lobe of her ear and started nibbling, hoping to take her mind off whatever it was she thought was more important than making love.
“We need to talk about the wedding.”
Mason stopped kissing her. His lips curled up in a grin and he started laughing.
“Now?” he asked. “Right this moment?”
“Yes.”
“There’s no rush, Lil,” he said, raising her hand to his lips to kiss her fingers. “We have plenty of time to set a date.”
Lily shook her head, grinning mischievously.
“We’re not setting a date. We’re doing it now.”
“You want to elope?”
Lily nodded her head, her eyes lit up with excitement.
“Are you sure about that?” Mason asked, surprised. “What about your parents? Your brother…”
“They’ll understand,” Lily interrupted, laying a finger on his lips to silence him. “Besides, we can hold a reception when we get back. We’ll fly your mom and dad in and everything. But I don’t want to waste any more time. I want to get married so we can finally start our lives together.”
Mason wanted that, too.
“Alright,” he agreed. “Lead the way.”
* * *
It was half past one in the morning when Mason tossed a hastily packed suitcase into the cargo hold of the Beaver. The town was quiet, except for the faint sound of music coming from the pub.
He held his hand out to Lily, offering to help her into the plane.
“Shall we?” he asked his bride-to-be.
“We shall,” she said, ignoring his outstretched hand and crossing over to the other side of the plane. “But I’m flying.”
There was a gleam in her eyes Mason recognized all too well. Obligingly, he climbed up into the passenger seat and buckled himself in. From the pilot’s seat, Lily glanced over at him. He was grinning back at her.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to do the take-off?”
“I got this,” Lily said. She pushed the throttle forward and, as the plane accelerated, pulled back on the yoke. “Just sit back and enjoy the ride.”
# # #
Other Titles
Acknowledgments
Several years ago, I was lucky enough to spend six months in Southeast Alaska. My time there is what inspired me to write a series set in one of its remote locales. While the town depicted in the Alaskan Frontier Romance series is pure fiction, I hope I have been able to capture the spirit of the people who choose to live on the edge of the last remaining American frontier. For the inspiration they have provided, I would like to thank my Alaskan friends and family. I’m sure they’ll find a few minor details in this book that are inconsistent with true Alaskan living, and I hope they’ll forgive me for those.
This book would not have been possible without the support of my family. I am blessed with the best parents a person could ask for, a supportive husband who has encouraged me to follow my dreams, and siblings who dutifully buy my books… even if they don’t like romance novels. Thank you for believing in me when no one else did.
Special thanks goes out to my “editorial team” that helped along the way by reading drafts, offering advice, and proofreading. Sky High might not be what it is without you. You provided me with some much needed encouragement and criticism.
Of course, thank you to my fans. There’s nothing better than receiving a note from a fan letting me know how much you enjoyed one of my books. If you keep reading them, I’ll keep writing them.
Most importantly, I thank God... for everything I have and for everything I am.
About The Author
A former newspaper reporter, Jennifer McArdle is an award-winning writer, having earned recognition from the Michigan Press Association and Suburban Newspapers of America. Since her departure from the field of print journalism, she has focused her writing talents on fiction.
She and her husband make their home in northeast Michigan. They have spent a great deal of time traveling throughout the United States, including a six month stint in Alaska. The Alaskan Frontier Romance series is inspired by the time she spent in Southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage. Sky High is the second book in that series.
In addition to the Alaskan Frontier Romance series, McArdle has authored a youth novel, Back By Dawn.
For the latest information on her upcoming projects, visit www.facebook.com/JenniferMcArdle.Author.
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