Free Whispers at Willow Lake by Mary Manners

more chance. I’d do things so differently.”
    “I know that, too.” Hadn’t he prayed for the same miracle—a second chance to be the man he should have been? He’d enlisted in the military to numb the pain. After a day of brutal training, there was room for nothing else. The more intense the task—the more grueling the challenge—the better all the way around. “Let it out, Ali.”
    He held her as she cried, cradled her gently in his arms as he should have done years ago.
    “Forgive me.” He kissed the crown of her head. “That day, when I said I was sick of living by other people’s rules, what I didn’t realize was that I was playing right into what they all thought of me—everyone but you and Mama. You both knew I was something different—something more. Even I didn’t know it back then. But I do now. When you said we’ve all changed, it’s true. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing—at least not for me.”
    “I forgive you, Ryder.” She nodded, pressing a palm to his cheek as her lips grazed his. “And, I forgive myself, too, because it’s the only way back to you—to us. I’ve missed you.”
    “I know.” Her words loosed the knot in his belly and the fortress surrounding his heart shattered. “I’ve missed you, too.”
     
     
     
     
     

9
     
    “I’m taking you out tonight,” Ryder announced as he strode into the kitchen for a glass of water. “Dinner, a show, the whole works.”
    “Dressed like that?” Ali eyed his filthy jeans, ripped at the knees, and the T-shirt that had most likely been white in a former life. “You might want to rummage through those boxes that just arrived.”
    “My things have finally come.” He ran his hand across the half-dozen boxes neatly stacked along the wall. “I’m sure I can find something presentable in one of these. And, if you insist, I’ll shower first.”
    She pinched her nose. “I insist.”
    “Comments like that will get you into trouble in a hurry,” Ryder teased, his pulse cranked into overdrive. “Have you forgotten I run faster than you—and that you’re extremely ticklish?”
    “No, I haven’t forgotten.”
    “Then, I suggest you run.”
    Ali took off around the table, squealing as Ryder closed the distance between them. He caught her and lifted her from the tile, spinning her around until her squeals turned to laughter.
    “Good grief, what’s gotten into the two of you?”
    Ryder spun toward the voice, taking Ali with him, and found Josie in the doorway. Mr. and Mrs. Lawson flanked her, returned from another trip into town. They’d enjoyed their stay—and Ali’s cooking—so much that they’d extended the visit a handful of days.
    “Looks like we’re interrupting the fun.” Mrs. Lawson winked, shifting a bag filled with trinkets from Then and Again. She turned to her husband. “Dear, you used to chase me around the kitchen table like that. Do you remember?”
    “Of course I remember. I used to catch you, too.” His brown eyes twinkled as he took the bag from her. “I can still catch you. I’ll give you a head start up the stairs to our room.”
    “Oh, Stuart.” In a dash, they were gone. Josie turned to gape at Ryder and Ali as if the two had lost their minds. Ryder set Ali down and she smoothed wisps of hair that clung to her cheeks.
    “Wow, and I do mean, wow. Things have certainly heated up around here.” Josie’s bobbed black hair swished over her shoulders as she crossed the room. She plucked an apple from the bowl on the counter. Leopard-print glasses were propped on her head, revealing eyes the deep blue of a stormy ocean. Small, turquoise feather-embellished earrings dangled from each lobe. “You two always were an adventure together.”
    “Good to see you again, too.” Ryder reached for an apple of his own. His belly growled; he’d skipped lunch in order to get Ali’s surprise finished before the afternoon slipped away. “What’s that in your hand?”
    “The books you ordered.”