A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection (33 page)

“How many guys have you dated since we broke up?”

“You mean since you dumped me?”

“Just answer the question.”

“No.”

“Come on, this is an easy one.”

“No!” I insisted.

“Why?”

“Because it’s a pointless question.”

He shrugged. “Okay, if you don’t want to answer my question, I guess you’ll be going outside...”

I ticked them off in my head.
Andrew, Connor, Steve, John, Ethan, and Rob.
“Six,” I said.

“See? That wasn’t so hard. And you aren’t in a relationship now, correct?”

“That’s two questions. Your turn.” I grinned wickedly. “Truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“What? Really?”

“Of course. You didn’t think I was really going to give you the chance to make me do something ridiculous, did you?”

I was momentarily disappointed, but it didn’t take me long to realize what a golden opportunity this was. Closure was so close, I could almost taste it. “Why did you break up with me?”

Maybe it was a trick of the flames dancing across his face, but I swear Kevin went pale.

“I think I want a dare instead.”

“I already asked the question.”

“Hey, I gave you a choice.”

I cocked my head. “That’s where you’re wrong. I never had a choice.”

The breath whooshed out of him. “Maybe this was a bad idea.”

“Yeah, you think?” I never should have stayed here. From the moment I saw Kevin standing in the doorway, I should have listened to my instincts. I should have run to my car and never looked back. I didn’t know who I was more disgusted with—me or him. I stood up. “I’m going back to bed.”

“No, wait. I’ll answer your question.”

“You know what? It doesn’t matter now.”

“It matters to me.”

I was starting to get angry and my legs were a little shaky, so I sat down again. “Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Playing this game and pretending to be civil, like we’re old friends who ran into each other at the supermarket. Like it isn’t your fault we aren’t together anymore.”

His voice was quiet and low. “It isn’t a game to me.”

He looked penitent enough, but I’d finally reached my breaking point. “This whole weekend has been a game, and I’ve had it! Why are you
really
here? And don’t say it’s because you hoped you might see a moose.”

“I’m here because you’re here,” he said simply.

“That doesn’t make any sense. I’m not buying Gramps’ whole fate theory. As far as I’m concerned, fate and luck fall into the same category as the Easter Bunny; they don’t exist. How did you know I was going to be here?”

“I didn’t.”

I shook my head. “I don’t believe you.”

“Kiss me.”

That was the last thing I expected him to say. It was beyond late, and I was tired. My brain couldn’t even process his words. “What?”

“I dare you to kiss me.”

For almost a year I’d longed to hear those very words. I’d dreamed about kissing Kevin again, but not as a stupid dare.  “No.”

“Why? Are you afraid?”

I forced a laugh. “Afraid of you? Not a chance.”

“I think you’re afraid you’ll like it.”

I held my head up as proud as I could. “There might have been a time when I was afraid you’d hurt me again. But I’m over all of that now.”

“We were happy, do you remember?”

“Why are you doing this?” It was so late, and my reasoning was getting fuzzy. All I wanted was to melt into his arms, and it was getting harder and harder to remember why that wasn’t a great idea.

“I’ve never been that happy with anyone before or since. I never will be.”

I put my head in my hands. “Stop. Please.”

“You know how to make me stop.”

“I’m not going to kiss you.”

Kevin stood from his chair, walked slowly to where I was on the couch, and sat next to me. “But if you don’t have feelings for me anymore, I can kiss you, and it wouldn’t mean a thing, right?”

If you kiss him now, it’s all over
, my brain warned. “Exactly,” I said. Apparently my lips had greater faith in my abilities.

“So humor me—one last kiss for old time’s sake.”

His eyes were so earnest, and I knew he’d never be satisfied until I proved him wrong. I could kiss him and remain detached, and then he’d see that I didn’t need him and more importantly
I’d
see that I didn’t need him, and I could finally move on with my life without the ghost of this failed relationship haunting my future.

He leaned in. I braced myself, but instead of going straight for my mouth I felt his lips rest briefly against my cheek before moving to my ear. “Nothing?” he whispered.

His breath on my neck made me want to shiver, but I couldn’t let him know that. “Nothing at all.” My voice was a little shaky, but otherwise I was handling this admirably.

His lips brushed across my neck. “How about now?”

My response time had slowed significantly. Before I had the opportunity to come up with an answer to show how seemingly unimpressed I was, he was kissing me. Not gently, I might add. His hands were on my face, in my hair, and his lips worked the same magic they always had. But this time, something was different. This was the kiss of a man who knew he had exactly one chance to get it right. There were always plenty of sparks between us, but deep down I had the sneaking suspicion that Kevin knew how skilled he was, and thus never made much of an effort. This kiss was desperate and focused and
frantic
. Where he had merely distracted me before, this was nothing short of a revelation. This kiss made that first one I had replayed again and again in my mind look hollow somehow.

When he finally pulled away, my lungs were screaming for oxygen, but the rest of me would have happily continued kissing him until I slipped into unconsciousness. I noted smugly that Kevin was as affected as I was.

“Anything?” he said, his breathing shallow.

“There might have been… something,” I conceded. “But it’s not that simple.”

“Why not?”

“For one thing, everything has gone wrong since I got here. All I wanted was a nice relaxing weekend in the sunshine. Instead I get you and snow and no fish and … you.”

“I’m sorry you were disappointed to find me here. I felt quite the opposite.”

“I wasn’t disappointed, exactly. It’s just … it took me a really long time to get over you, and suddenly here you were, and everything came flooding back, and now I’ll…” I trailed off. Did I really want to get this personal?

Who are you kidding, Rose? You’re in this up to your neck already. What do you have to lose?

I plunged ahead. “I’ll have to lose you all over again.”

“Maybe not.” His face looked almost cheerful, but even after the kiss we’d shared, I didn’t dare hope.

“Don’t say it if you don’t mean it.”

He stared at me until I was almost positive he’d changed his mind. “And what if I mean it?”

I closed my eyes and tried to stop the world from spinning around me. “What makes you think this time will be any different?”

“Hey, I’m not saying it will be easy. But I’m willing to give it a shot if you are.”

Was I? This was all happening so fast.

“You want to know why I was lucky enough to find you here, Rosie? I’ve been here every weekend for the last month, and I would have been here every weekend until you showed up. Luck had nothing to do with it.”

I could feel tears forming, and I didn’t even try to stop them. “I guess that explains how you knew to bring extra blankets.”

He chuckled. “You have no idea how miserable I was that first weekend.”

“I think I have a pretty good idea. But why
now
? It’s been a year.”

“Because I’m a fool. I’m blind. I’m an idiot. Feel free to stop me any time.”

I laughed, which must have looked strange with the tears rolling down my cheeks at the same time. “Go on. I’ll let you know when you can stop.”

“I knew you were the one, and I was stupid enough to let you go. Mostly that was my fault, but there was something else. As good as we were together, I always felt like there was this part of you I couldn’t reach. Sometimes we were so close, and other times it was like I barely knew you at all. I couldn’t live like that.”

“I think I did a pretty good job opening up to you, especially when I knew that everything I gave you was only more ammunition to be used against me.”

Kevin looked confused. “Ammunition?”

“You already think I’m weak, and you don’t know half of my issues.”

“I don’t think you’re weak.”

“But you’re always babying me. It’s like you think I can’t do anything for myself.”

“I’m not babying you—I’m trying to take care of you. That’s what people do when they care for someone.”

“But it doesn’t feel like that,” I argued. “It’s like you’re doing it because you think I’m incapable.”

He laughed. “You’re the most capable person I know. I just wish you’d let me step in and do something for you every now and then. It doesn’t make you weak when you accept help, Rosie; it makes you human.”

“And I wish you’d realize that there are some things I have to do by myself.”

“I think maybe I could seem be a little less condescending if you could be a little more open …” He tried to hide a yawn, but I could see how sleepy he was.

I stood and walked to the window. The snow had stopped, and the trees were perfectly frosted in white. The brightness of the sky made it seem much later in the morning than it really was. The view was so beautiful that I was afraid I might ruin the moment by speaking. The way Kevin left the sentence open-ended like that—did he really want to try again? Did I want to? Trying again would be a huge risk for me. I didn’t know if I could survive another botched attempt at love with Kevin, but what he said earlier was true of me, too; I was happier with him than I ever was without him, even with all his aggravating bits.

I should have been tired, but I knew I’d never sleep now, not with this spiky feeling of anticipation racing through my veins. I had to take a chance and say something. I took a deep breath.

“You know, I think that could be arranged.” I turned to face him, smiling hesitantly. I wanted nothing more than to kiss those lips again, but unfortunately, I would have to wait. Kevin was asleep.

I covered him with a blanket and gathered a few things. I put on Gramps’ boots and grabbed his flashlight and Kevin’s jacket, delighted that maybe I had some claim on that scent now, no matter how tenuous. I took one last look at him before slipping out the door into the last of the frosty night. There was something I needed to do.

* * *

“Rosie? Is that you?”

“Guilty.”

I was puttering around in the kitchen, heating water for hot chocolate. I had a happy, tingly sort of feeling in my limbs which was probably part euphoria, part exposure to the elements, and part exhaustion. Kevin padded into the kitchen, yawning. I tensed a little, afraid it was going to be awkward between us after being so honest with each other last night.

“Sorry, I must have fallen asleep.” He put his arms around my waist from behind and kissed the top of my head. To my immense relief, it didn’t feel strange at all. “You’re freezing! Have you been outside?”

“Yup.”

“I could have gotten more firewood, you know. You should have woken me.”

I turned around in his arms and gave him a pointed look.

“But I’m sure you can fetch wood too,” he said quickly. “I mean, you have arms, right?”

I gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “Better. And yes, my arms are fully functional. But I wasn’t fetching wood.”

“Then what were you doing outside?”

“That is a secret. Now, where were we?” I leaned in to kiss him again, but he backed away. I pushed my lower lip into a pout.

“There’s plenty of time for that later. Right now I thought maybe we could continue our earlier conversation. I seem to remember that you never answered my question.”

“Oh, I did.
You
didn’t manage to stay awake long enough to hear it.”

He groaned. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t keep my eyes open.”

“It’s okay. I mean, it’s understandable that you might be a bit sleepy at three in the morning.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I was very,
very
interested in what you had to say. I still am.” When he tried to steal a kiss, I tried to mimic his earlier evasive move to teach him a lesson, but he was too quick. He held me tight and pressed his lips against mine repeatedly. “Your. Lips. Are. Cold,” he said between kisses.

“I was about to warm them with some hot chocolate, but I like your method much better.”

“We’ll revisit that topic… after breakfast. I believe it’s your turn to cook, and I’m looking forward to that. Even if I do make better eggs.”

I gave him an innocent look. “I’m not making eggs.”

I could see the wheels turning as his brain connected the dots, and the look on his face was a mix of disbelief and admiration. “You didn’t.”

I opened the front door and retrieved my prize.

Two shiny trout.

About Aubrey Mace

Aubrey Mace lives in Sandy, Utah. She attended LDS Business College and Utah State University. Aubrey has three published novels:
Spare Change,
which won a Whitney Award for Best Romance,
My Fairy Grandmother,
and
Santa Maybe
, which was nominated for a Whitney Award for Best Romance. She has a romantic comedy scheduled to be released with Covenant Communication in early 2014.