Page 59 of The Payback Adventure
He finished the song but didn’t release her. They continued to dance, even though their only music was the chirping of crickets. The tenderness of his gaze made her knees wobble. She was glad he held her, or she might have stumbled.
But if she fell, she had the feeling Henry would catch her. That filled her with optimism. She wanted to take the chance and open herself up to the possibilities.
Maybe he was different. Maybe, despite his words, he would want them all. Maybe when Manny returned, Henry wouldn’t want to leave.
He stopped dancing and released her.
“Thank you.” Her voice sounded husky, and she cleared her throat. “Today— This— It’s all been…wonderful.”
He caressed her cheek with his calloused fingers. “You’re the one who is wonderful.”
She waited for him to kiss her. A kiss was what she wanted.
What she needed.
Her heart pounded so loudly she was sure he could hear it.
From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a falling star shooting across the sky like a firework.
I wish Henry would stay.
She hadn’t had time to think before the wish had popped into her mind.
Why hadn’t she wished for a kiss? A wish that had a chance of coming true? Elisabeth sucked in a breath.
“It’s late.” Henry took a step back. The distance seemed larger than the space separating them. “You have church in the morning.”
That was still hours away. But she could see in the depths of his eyes she wouldn’t get the kiss she wanted so badly.
Something had changed. The real world had crept back in. He’d felt it, and so had she.
This wasn’t some enchanted evening. Henry wasn’t a knight who would remain by her side forever. Dreams didn’t come true. That was the truth she’d forgotten tonight. Well, not forgotten, but she pretended it wasn’t the case.
Disappointment ricocheted through her, but her shoulders didn’t sag. She stood tall with her chin raised.
At least she’d tasted a little magic today and tonight. That was more than she’d had in the past four years. Better than nothing, right?
She glanced at Henry.
Wasn’t it?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The days and nights turned into another week. One more week of backbreaking farm work. One more week of bringing smiles to the Wheelers’ faces. One more week of having more fun than Henry thought possible.
Who could have thought taking on the responsibilities of this farm and this family could make him…
Not happy, Henry thought, panicked. He was not a responsible kind of guy, but he took satisfaction in knowing he hadn’t screwed up too badly.
Yet.
Henry stood on the bank of the river with Elisabeth, where water for the irrigation system was drawn. The Willamette Valley skies had darkened to an ominous gray, and rain fell. The weather matched the storm raging inside him.
The line between Henry the fairy godfather and Henrythe man blurred. He wanted to blame Elisabeth, but she couldn’t help being so open and honest and nurturing. Not to mention beautiful. He’d had the urge to kiss her so badly the night they’d danced beneath the stars in the front yard. But he’d been trying to fulfill her wish, not his own.
Henry had to remind himself of that whenever they were alone. Like now. He tried keeping their interactions light, friendly, and completely nonphysical. No touching, no swinging on the porch together, nothing to put himself near her. It hadn’t been easy, not when he thought about her each night before bed and every morning when he woke up.
He also felt himself growing attached to the kids. Sam, Abby, and Caitlin had become happy, delightful children who were a pleasure to be around. Laughter had become as contagious as smiles this past week as they made Halloween costumes. That was exactly what Henry had hoped to accomplish.
