Reunited At Christmas. Belle Calhoune

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СКАЧАТЬ Aidan.”

      “Were we close?” she asked. Her pulse began to race at the idea that she had a blood relative she had loved dearly enough to raise on her own.

      Liam turned to her, a sheen of moisture in his eyes. “Very close. He was inspired to become a fireman after watching the work you did with search-and-rescue operations.”

      Ruby felt a big smile take over her face. “That’s nice. It makes me feel good to know that I worked in a meaningful profession and that I impacted people’s lives.”

      “You saved a lot of lives, Ruby. Even on that terrible day on the mountain, you rescued people. Pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Liam’s voice radiated a deep respect. “You were a hero.”

      It was fairly wonderful, Ruby thought. A feeling of pride rose inside her. There wasn’t much in her day-to-day life to feel accomplished about. Back in Denver she worked at a restaurant as a waitress. It was a low-paying, boring position that left her feeling as if there had to be more to life than her current situation reflected. But with no past, no degrees to put on a résumé and no known skills, making a living had been difficult. Her boss paid her under the table and hadn’t pressed her for a social security number after she’d explained her circumstances. She was thankful she was able to live a modest life on her salary, but the work didn’t fulfill her in any way.

      As Moose Crossing signs appeared on the road ahead and a magnificent mountain loomed in the distance, majestic and proud, the enormity of the situation crashed over her in unrelenting waves. She had stepped out on a leap of faith by making the trip to this lovely Alaskan hamlet. Leaving Colorado had pulled her out of the comfort zone she had established for herself in Denver. Despite her fears, Ruby couldn’t remember ever having felt this wonderfully alive and present.

      With every passing moment she was realizing that her being here in Love came with a host of complications. She had only brought a few days’ worth of clothes with her. Somehow in her mind she had imagined coming to Alaska and doing a little bit of digging around, then heading back to Colorado to continue with her life. Closure had been her objective. Finding out about her son and Liam had added a huge wrinkle to her plan. She had meaningful ties in this town. And there was nothing about Liam Prescott that made her believe he would sign divorce papers and send her on her merry way.

      Truthfully, she wasn’t certain that she was fully prepared to greet her old life head-on. A husband and a child? A brother? Family and friends? She wasn’t sure she could handle all of these new connections without coming apart at the seams.

      Liam shot a quick glance her direction. He reached out and touched her hand. She jerked it away, feeling uncomfortable at the tender gesture. Despite the circumstances, it was too intimate. She didn’t know him like that.

      “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Liam said. “You looked so nervous I just wanted to reassure you. Everything will be fine.”

      Ruby turned her head away and glanced out the passenger-side window. Everything will be fine. She wasn’t sure she truly believed that. Liam couldn’t possibly understand her journey as an amnesia victim. He didn’t know the twisted road she walked each and every day. The fear. The anxiety and stress. The frustration over not being able to access her own memories from her mind. And now she was going to have to face her four-year-old son and deal with questions she wasn’t sure she was prepared to answer.

      Look up, she reminded herself. It served to remind her that when things in life became jumbled or stressful, to look for God. He was always there for her. Ever present. Always faithful. Ruby didn’t know where her faith had come from, but she was grateful for it at moments like this when her fear felt like a living, breathing thing that might consume her.

      “We’re here,” Liam announced as he turned off the road and down a private, tree-lined driveway. Ruby peered out the window. Her surroundings resembled a winter wonderland. Spruce trees were everywhere. She recognized them from Colorado. They were beautiful, with full branches covered in a blanket of white.

      The tires crunched noisily on the ice and snow in the driveway.

      Fear skittered through her. What have I gotten myself into by agreeing to come here? She took a deep, fortifying breath to calm her nerves.

      Liam had been right about her meeting with Aidan. What he was asking of her wasn’t a lot, considering he’d been doing it alone for two years and raising their son by himself. Something was pushing and prodding at her. A feeling deep down inside her that she’d been stuffing away for months. She ached to hold her child in her arms, to give him back the mother he’d lost. It felt instinctual, but it was terrifying to imagine how she might feel if he rejected her. What if after all this time she wasn’t enough?

      All of a sudden everything buzzing in her head hushed and stilled as Liam’s house came into view. It resembled something out of a fairy tale. Nestled in the woods and surrounded by snowcapped trees sat a small log cabin that brought to mind a rustic lifestyle. A fat, plastic snowman gave the front porch a festive air. A green pine wreath with red ribbons adorned the front door. A smattering of icicles hung from the eaves.

      A sigh slipped past her lips. It was a delightful house. Perfect for raising a family and happily-ever-afters.

      Had she been happy in this cozy, eye-catching home? Had all her dreams come true when she had married Liam and given birth to their baby boy? From all appearances, Ruby Prescott had been living the dream.

      “We built this house from the ground up. It was your dream, Ruby, ever since you were a little girl, to live in a log-cabin home in the woods,” Liam said, his eyes moistening.

      “Thank you,” she blurted.

      Liam frowned. “For what?”

      “For giving me that...the home I always wanted. It must have meant the world to me,” she said, feeling a pang in the region of her heart. To have been so loved by her husband that he had made it a priority for her to have her log cabin in the woods was a wonderful thing. It spoke of devotion.

      Had our life together really been so idyllic?

      She felt a wave of sadness pass over her. To have lost so much—a loving husband, a dear son and a wonderful home built straight from her imagination was painful. And although Liam’s home was unbelievable, she still didn’t feel any sort of connection to it. Nothing had been stoked inside her except sheer admiration.

      “You don’t need to thank me, Ruby. Anything I ever did was based on love. And you returned those blessings wholeheartedly and without reservation.” They locked gazes for a moment. Something simmered in the air between them that caused her to turn her eyes away. It was hard to wrap her head around discussing love with someone she had just met.

      Liam turned off the engine and made his way to her side of the truck before she knew what was happening. He opened the door and reached for her hand, reminding her to watch her footing on the slippery ground. Knowing her boots had already caused her to slide several times that morning, she clutched Liam’s elbow as she felt her foot slipping. Liam didn’t flinch as her full weight leaned on him. “Sorry,” she said in a low voice. “You would think I’m used to this because of all the snow we get in Colorado.”

      “No worries. I’ve got you,” he drawled, causing tiny butterflies to do somersaults in her tummy. He led her the rest of the way to the porch steps, easing his stride so as not to rush her. The gesture spoke volumes to Ruby about Liam. Considerate. Caring. A true gentleman. She felt as if she was slowly but surely piecing together the clues as to what kind of man СКАЧАТЬ